Daniel 7
Here we begin the study of the second part of the book of the prophet Daniel, in which God communicated His mind concerning coming events directly to His servant. These communications supplement and throw much heavenly light upon the prophetic outline given in the first part of this book.
In chapter 2, God had revealed to Nebuchadnezzar the progressive stages of the history of empires in the hands of the Gentiles, beginning. with that great king, who was viewed as the head of gold, and ending with the appearance of the stone cut out without hands. In passing through chapters 3, 4, 5, and 6, the brevity of these lessons forbade our considering their prophetic character; all that the chapters record is deeply interesting because of the bearing those events had on Daniel and the three companions of, at least, his early years, and because of the revelation they afford of God’s interest in and care for His people. But chapters 3 to 6 mirror the course of Gentile supremacy from the day when God gave up what we may call His earthly throne at Jerusalem, and committed rule to Nebuchadnezzar, until the now rapidly approaching day of the Lord, the Millennium, as it is commonly called.
Reviewing the chapters in the light of prophecy, it is easily seen that in the third we have the record of the first great step taken after imperial power was given to man: the setting up of idolatry on a scale not before attempted; one common religion was ordered for all, for everyone, on pain of a cruel death. In a word, all the power God had entrusted to Nebuchadnezzar was used to deny Him. This principle has continued, in varying degree, throughout the centuries; it is discernible today, and it will appear in full dower when the Holy spirit’s restraining hand is removed (Rev. 13).
Chapter 4 gave the second great mark of Gentile rule: pride, leading to the rejection of all responsibility to God. There have been godly kings and queens, presidents and premiers, but where is the country whose affairs are conducted in subjection to His authority? In the Millennium that will be the rule (Isaiah 49:6, 7, 23; 60:3,10-12; Revelation 21:24-26). Then will the stump of the tree of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream grow again.
Chapter 5 gave us a view of the last phase of the Babylonian empire, and its judgment; it was not merely pride, but insolence to God; treating and His with the fullest contempt and unveiled blasphemy. This will be the character of the last days of Gentile rule also (Rev. 13:5, 6). Chapter 6 affords still another view of the last days, as we may readily see by reference to 2 Thess. 2:4, and Revelation 13:8; man attempting to take the place of God.
Chapter 7 begins the second part of Daniel’s book with a dream and visions given to the prophet in the first year of Belshazzar. The four winds of the heaven tell of God’s providential actions over this world, and the sea is a figure of the world of humanity, as in Revelation 13:1, in a state of confusion. Four great beasts come up from the sea; they represent the four world-empires of which Nebuchadnezzar learned in chapter 2. We are not to suppose that they came forth together; indeed, the language of verses 6 and 7 makes it quite plain that they did not. They are given in historical order, telling of Babylonia, Persia, Greece, and Rome.
ML 06/28/1936