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; 60:3,10-126And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. 7Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the Lord that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee. (Isaiah 49:6‑7)
23And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me. (Isaiah 49:23)
3And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. (Isaiah 60:3)
10And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favor have I had mercy on thee. 11Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought. 12For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted. (Isaiah 60:10‑12); Revelation 21:24-2624And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it. 25And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. 26And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. (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, 65And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. 6And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. (Revelation 13:5‑6)). Chapter 6 affords still another view of the last days, as we may readily see by reference to 2 Thess. 2:44Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (2 Thessalonians 2:4), and Revelation 13:88And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (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 13:11And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. (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