Daniel 7:17-18 (Common English Bible) 17 “These four giant beasts are four kings that will rise up from the earth, 18 but the holy ones of the Most High will receive the kingship. They will hold the kingship securely forever and always.” Kings and Kingdoms If you are familiar with Gaither music you will recall these words from There’s Something About That Name: “Kings and kingdoms will all pass away, but there’s something about that name.” So, who were the four giant beasts the author is referring to? Most reputable scholarship believes they were the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek and Roman Empires. The date of the writing is most likely not later than the 2nd Century BCE, by which time Israel would have been under the influence or control of each of those great empires and was currently under the thumb of the greatest of them all, Rome, at the date of writing. They all passed away. Kings and kingdoms tend to do that. We need to remember that God’s kingdom, while suffering through duress and persecution, does not. We might do well to reflect on the current empires and would be empires, and remember that they too, shall cease, or at least be changed into something we would not recognize. But God’s kingdom goes on. It’s imperative for us to live in God’s world, not the world created by human beings. Prayer: King of kings, and Lord of Lords, direct our hearts toward your kingdom which is in the process of becoming a reality all of us strive to inherit. While we continue to rely on human-led empires to save us, help us turn to you instead. Amen.
Posted on: Fri, 01 Nov 2013 10:36:09 +0000
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