LESSON 7 (PART II) Dan. 7:13-28 THE KINGDOM GIVEN TO THE SON OF MAN. Daniel’s second vision fades, and another comes into his view. In the midst of the upheaval of political earthly em- pires, this vision pictures Christ coming to the Ancient of Days and receiving his kingdom, the kingdom that shall never be destroyed nor pass away (Dan. 2:44; 7:14). 1. One like the _________________________ came with the clouds of heaven to the Ancient of Days and was given ____________________, ____________________, and a ____________________ that all peoples, nations and languages should _______________ him. (Dan. 7:13-14) 2. His dominion is an ____________________ dominion. (Dan. 7:14) Note. The same thought, “...and it shall stand forever,” is expressed to Nebuchad- nezzar in the interpretation of his dream (Dan. 2:44). 3. This is a picture of _______________ receiving his _______________. (Heb. 1:8) Note. “There should be no argument as to who or what this scene referred. Daniel spoke from heaven’s point of view. He was describing the return of God’s Son, as the Son of man and the Son of God, when He received the promised kingdom from His Father. And Luke, speaking from earth’s point of view, described the same event in the first two chapters of Acts.”1 THE INTERPRETATION OF DANIEL’S VISION. Daniel was grieved and troubled by the visions and asked one that stood by (a heavenly being) for an explanation (Dan. 7:15-16). 4. The four beasts are four _______________ which shall arise out of the _______________. (Dan. 7:17; cf. v. 3, “...up from the sea” of humanity) 1Hailey, Daniel, p. 140. 7 (Part II) - 1 5. In spite of the turmoil and upheavals with the earthly kingdoms, the saints of the most High (God) shall take and possess the kingdom (received by the Son of man) _______________ and _______________. (Dan. 7:18) 6. Daniel’s special interest concerned the fourth beast which was diverse from the others and exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of ______________ and whose nails were of ______________. (Dan. 7:19; cf. v. 7) 7. The fierceness of the fourth beast is emphasized for it ____________________, ____________________ in pieces, and ____________________ the residue with his _______________. (Dan. 7:19) 8. The other horn which came up had the human characteristics of ____________ and a _______________, and a look more stout than his fellows. (Dan. 7:20; cf. v. 8) 9. The little horn prevailed against the saints until the _________________________ came and ____________________ was given to the saints. (Dan. 7:21-22) 10. The fourth beast shall be the _______________ kingdom upon the earth which shall be diverse from all kingdoms and shall _______________ the whole earth, _______________ it down, and _______________ it in pieces. (Dan. 7:23) 11. The ten horns are ____________ kings who shall arise from this kingdom; and _______________ shall arise after them and shall subdue _______________ kings. (Dan. 7:24) 12. A characteristic of the fourth beast (fourth kingdom) is that he shall speak _________________________ against the most High. (Dan. 7:25) Lesson 7 (Part II) - 2 13. The fourth beast shall: (Dan. 7:25) a. wear out the saints of the most High b. think to change times and laws 14. How long will the saints be given into the hand of the fourth beast? (Dan. 7:25) Note. Consider the following time calculations. This time period is comparable to the time periods in Revelation. Time 1year + 12 months + 360 days + Times 2 years + 24 months + 720 days + Half a time = 1⁄2 year = 6 months = 180 days = 31⁄2 Times 31⁄2 years 42 months 1260 days • the Holy city trodden under foot, 42 months (Rev. 11:2) • the two witnesses who prophesy, 1260 days (Rev. 11:3) • the woman who fled into the wilderness, 1260 days (Rev. 12:6) • the same woman nourished in the wilderness for a time, and times, and half a time (Rev. 12:14) • the beast from the sea with a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, 42 months (Rev. 13:1-5) If this interpretation is correct and the time periods are equivalent, it is then prob- able they represent the period of authority of the little horn of the fourth beast in Daniel’s vision (Dan. 7:8, 24-25) and the sea beast in John’s vision in Revelation (Rev. 13:1-10), the period of persecution of God’s people by the Roman Empire. 15. God shall judge and shall take away the ____________________ of the little horn in which lies the power of the fourth beast, to ____________________ and to ____________________ it unto the end. (Dan. 7:26) 16. Who is victorious in the end? (Dan. 7:27; cf. v. 18) 17. How did the dream and visions affect Daniel? (Dan. 7:28) Lesson 7 (Part II) - 3 THE FOUR BEASTS OF DANIEL AND THE SEA BEAST OF REVELATION. In chapter thirteen of Revelation, John saw “a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns...like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority” (Rev. 13:1-2). This beast is a composite of the first three beasts of Daniel’s vision. Moreover, the sea beast of Revelation and Daniel’s fourth beast have similar characteristics–ten horns, mouths speaking blasphemies, conflict with the saints; thus the fourth beast of Daniel’s vision, the Roman Empire, may be identified with the beast from the sea in Revelation. “In the mighty, world- wide Roman Empire was combined the tearing power of Chaldea (the lion), the crushing force of Medo-Persia (the bear), and the swift and ferocious character of Macedonia under Alexander (the leopard). This beast symbolized all the anti-God opposition by force that could ever be brought against the people of God, but to John and the saints to whom he wrote it definitely personified the empire of their day.”2 18. Compare the descriptions of the beasts in Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 (Chart #2). a. Source: Dan. 7:3 Rev. 13:1 b. Appearance: Dan. 7:7 Rev. 13:2 c. Mouth: Dan. 7:8, 25 Rev. 13:1, 5-6 came up from the _______________ rise up out of the _______________ ________________, ________________, ________________, iron __________, d_______________, ten ____________ like a _______________, feet of a _______________, mouth of a _______________ speaking __________________________________________ speaking __________________________________________ 2 Hailey, Revelation, p. 285. Lesson 7 (Part II) - 4 d. Actions: Dan. 7:7, 19 Rev. 13:7 e. Horns: Dan. 7:7-8, 20 Rev. 13:1 f. Conflict: Dan. 7:21, 25 Rev. 13:7 g. PoliticalPower: Dan. 7:25 Rev. 13:8 h. Judgment: Dan. 7:11 Rev. 19:20 ___________________________________________________ power (authority) over _____________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ change ____________________________________________ authority over all ___________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Conclusion. If the fourth beast in Daniel and the sea beast in Revelation are the same beast, then they symbolize the period of the persecution of the saints by the Roman Empire. LESSONS TO BE LEARNED FROM CHAPTER 7. • Jehovah God is omniscient (all knowing) and omnipotent (all powerful) who changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings (Dan. 2:21). This truth is reinforced in chapter seven. Some years after Nebuchadnez- zar’s dream, Daniel has a dream and visions in the first year of Belshazzar, the last king of Babylon, using different symbols but having the same meaning. Lesson 7 (Part II) - 5 Four political earthly empires are prophesied, each replacing the former. But God shall establish a kingdom that shall stand forever (Dan. 2:44), which shall not be de- stroyed (Dan. 7:14), which is an everlasting kingdom (Dan. 7:27), and “the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever” (Dan. 7:18). “And in the days of these kings [the fourth kingdom] shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom” (Dan. 2:44). “But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons” (Gal. 4:4-5). Thus Jesus the Christ was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the Great, ruler of Judea, in the days of the Roman Empire (Matt. 2:1; Luke 2:1). • The dreams and visions in Daniel are given to encourage the faithful and comfort the believers. Jesus said, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matt. 25:34).
Posted on: Fri, 11 Jul 2014 02:08:14 +0000
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