Daniel 7:15-28
15 "I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. 16 I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things: 17 'Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth. 18 But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.'
19 "Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet; 20 and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows.
21 "I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.
23 "Thus he said:
'The fourth beast shall be
A fourth kingdom on earth,
Which shall be different from all other kingdoms,
And shall devour the whole earth,
Trample it and break it in pieces.
24 The ten horns are ten kings
Who shall arise from this kingdom.
And another shall rise after them;
He shall be different from the first ones,
And shall subdue three kings.
25 He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,
Shall persecute the saints of the Most High,
And shall intend to change times and law.
Then the saints shall be given into his hand
For a time and times and half a time.
26 'But the court shall be seated,
And they shall take away his dominion,
To consume and destroy it forever.
27 Then the kingdom and dominion,
And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven,
Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High.
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.'
28 "This is the end of the account. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly troubled me, and my countenance changed; but I kept the matter in my heart."
The main point of this vision which God interpreted for Daniel was that the saints of the LORD would inherit the eternal kingdom after the tribulations of the world’s kingdoms fail to succeed against them. The four main kingdoms are described and explained to a point that we might understand they are either distinct kings or types of them, with the fourth one most likely being a specific one which we can imagine is the Antichrist or his ruling government set against God’s chosen children who have the testimony of Jesus Christ (Revelation 12:17). As Daniel had been deeply troubled by the visions, this explanation of the truth helped him have some peace but still left him troubled, so he kept this to himself for a while before writing it down for us. Likewise, knowing enough of the truth of these times at the end help us to trust in God and rely on His sovereign keeping by grace through these pressing times if we are the generation to live through them. Our escape plan is not therefore to be taken out of those times, but through them for His glory and eternal keeping. The four beasts are to be encountered along history’s path, but the hope we stand firmly upon is that we will certainly receive the kingdom of the Most High God and possess or absolutely forevermore, never to be taken from us or us out of it because we are held firm in the omnipotent grasp of His hand of grace in Christ (Isaiah 43:13, John 10:28-29)! The fourth beast is the one Daniel was most concerned about because of it power to kill and destroy as its master (John 10:10) has since the fall of mankind. He speaks pompously proud blasphemy and with the horn of his power granted to him for a time as he wages war against God’s chosen made holy in Christ until the final judgment and resulting rule of those saints in the everlasting kingdom to come as the will of God is done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). All will serve and obey Him in the end, both those surrendering to the gospel and those opposing the Lord and His reconciliation by grace in Christ Jesus. Every knee will bow to His authority (Isaiah 45:23-24, Philippians 2:10-11) by believing God as His work earning our deliverance (John 6:29), while those rejecting that word and work who refuse to believe and receive Him (John 1:12) will not enter into the kingdom, but face certain eternal punishment. We the saints made holy in Christ will see the kingdoms of this world fail and fall and will inherit the eternal kingdom of God in He who is our temple (Revelation 21:22) to worship forevermore! Why then be troubled by tribulations or be consumed in working out the details of the end times when we have the outcome set securely before us?
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