Daniel’s Visions. Daniel 7
THE most cursory reader of Daniel cannot fail to observe a striking change in the whole style of the book, starting with the chapter which now lies open before us.
In the first place we may observe that in the early portion of the book the order of the events narrated is strictly chronological. We have before remarked that chapter 1. forms a sort of introduction to the whole book, giving a beautiful picture of the moral condition of the faithful Jews in the midst of the general declension of that day. Absolute and unswerving obedience to the Word of the Lord characterized them in every detail of their life.
The last verse of chapter 1. informs us that “Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus.” This closes the first introductory portion of the book. In like manner the second or historical portion terminates with the words, “Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian” (6:28).
In chapter 2. the writer goes back upon the history to describe dreams and visions of an earlier monarch, and one even of an earlier dynasty than that of Cyrus. The chapters that follow (2-7) present a terrible picture of the moral features that characterize the great empires of the earth during the whole period of “the times of the Gentiles,” times which began with Nebuchadnezzar about the year 607 B.C., and which are still running their course. Coming now to chapter 7, we find that in a similar manner the chronological order is interrupted and the prophet retraces his steps to describe a vision which came to him in the night season during the reign of Belshazzar, King of Babylon.
Further, it is easy to see that the chapters we have hitherto been considering are what may be called historical; though, at the same time, these histories have a prophetical and typical signification. But in that portion of the book which follows, the visions and communications given to Daniel are as evidently prophetical, though to a large extent in symbolic language. The moral character, or, in other words, the attitude Godward, of the Gentile powers which began with the empire of Babylon, has been clearly and solemnly delineated; we are now to learn what will be their special relationship to the Jewish people, and that more particularly in days yet to come.
Hence it is that from chapter 7. the communications are addressed to the prophet himself and not to Nebuchadnezzar. We might have thought, Why should not Jehovah have sent Daniel direct to His people with a “Thus saith the Lord?” Had not Jeremiah but a short while before received the command to “go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem” (Jer. 2:11Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, (Jeremiah 2:1)). Why, now, should the nation be apparently ignored, and the prophet alone be addressed? The sorrowful answer is evident. The time had come when God could no longer recognize the Jewish people as His people; to have continued to do so after the awful iniquity of Manasseh and other kings of Judah, to say nothing of Israel, would have been to support the people in their wickedness, and this in faithfulness to His own character He could no longer do. “If we believe not, He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself” (2 Tim. 2:1313If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. (2 Timothy 2:13)), is a principle of ever-abiding application.
God is a God of government as well as grace, and if in His own sovereign grace He had chosen Israel to be His people and had brought them up from the land of Egypt, for this very reason, yes, because, “you only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. Can two walk together except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:1-41Hear this word that the Lord hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying, 2You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. 3Can two walk together, except they be agreed? 4Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing? (Amos 3:1‑4)). The time had now come when God could no longer walk with His people. For their sin, especially that of idolatry, He is obliged to deliver them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, though, blessed be His name! the faithful remnant may still walk with Him even though carried away captive to Babylon.
While writing thus, it is important to remember that we are not alluding to the matter of the soul’s salvation. This rests upon the atoning sacrifice of the cross, and is eternally secured for every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. Such a one once saved, is saved forever. Christ gives to His sheep eternal life, they shall never perish, and none shall ever pluck them out of His, or His Father’s hand (John 10). They may be chastised here for their failures and sins, they may even, in extreme cases, be removed in God’s discipline from this world (1 Cor. 11:3030For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. (1 Corinthians 11:30)), but, if so, with the very object that they should not be condemned by-and-bye (vs. 32).
But in Scripture we see another great truth, namely, the government of this world, and for this, Israel as a nation is the center of all God’s dealings with the earth. A well-known passage in the Old Testament (Deut. 32), given at the commencement of their history, lays down in prophetic language, the principle on which God will act in judgment, and for final blessing towards all the nations of the world. “When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when He separated the sons of Adam (Gen. 10), He set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel. For the Lord’s portion is His people” (Deut. 32:8, 98When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel. 9For the Lord's portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. (Deuteronomy 32:8‑9)).
Found in a desert land (Egypt), led through the wilderness, instructed and kept as the apple of His eye, the Lord alone was the leader of His people, and no strange god was with Him. But Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked, he forsook the God which made him, lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation, and provoked Him to jealousy with strange gods. This idolatry, begun at Mount Sinai with the golden calf, continued right through their wilderness journey, reached a climax in the land of Canaan under Manasseh, King of Judah (2 Kings 24:33Surely at the commandment of the Lord came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did; (2 Kings 24:3)), so that Jehovah said, “I will hide My face from them... for they are a very forward generation, children in whom is no faith” (Deut. 32:2020And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith. (Deuteronomy 32:20)). In righteousness He might well have made the remembrance of them to cease from among men, but what then would the enemy have said? (vers. 26, 27).
But, after all, the enemies of Israel were the enemies of Jehovah (see vs. 41). He might use the nations, Assyria, Babylon, &c., as His rod of chastisement upon His people, but in the end these very nations would come up for judgment because of their own iniquity (see Jer. 25:12-3412And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the Lord, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations. 13And I will bring upon that land all my words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah hath prophesied against all the nations. 14For many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of them also: and I will recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the works of their own hands. 15For thus saith the Lord God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it. 16And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them. 17Then took I the cup at the Lord's hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom the Lord had sent me: 18To wit, Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, an hissing, and a curse; as it is this day; 19Pharaoh king of Egypt, and his servants, and his princes, and all his people; 20And all the mingled people, and all the kings of the land of Uz, and all the kings of the land of the Philistines, and Ashkelon, and Azzah, and Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod, 21Edom, and Moab, and the children of Ammon, 22And all the kings of Tyrus, and all the kings of Zidon, and the kings of the isles which are beyond the sea, 23Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and all that are in the utmost corners, 24And all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mingled people that dwell in the desert, 25And all the kings of Zimri, and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes, 26And all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another, and all the kingdoms of the world, which are upon the face of the earth: and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them. 27Therefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Drink ye, and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you. 28And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Ye shall certainly drink. 29For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the Lord of hosts. 30Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The Lord shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth. 31A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the Lord hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the Lord. 32Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth. 33And the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground. 34Howl, ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow yourselves in the ashes, ye principal of the flock: for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are accomplished; and ye shall fall like a pleasant vessel. (Jeremiah 25:12‑34)). “Their feet shall slide in due time; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste” (Deut. 32:3636For the Lord shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left. (Deuteronomy 32:36)). And in that day will the apostate nation of Israel escape? No, “for the Lord shall judge His people” ―but what of the godly remnant of those times? The Lord “will repent Himself for His servants” (vs. 36). But in the end, after judgment, and terrible judgment, has done its work, there will be final blessing to all the Gentile nations in association with Israel His people. “Rejoice, O ye nations, with His people: for He will avenge the blood of His servants, and will render vengeance to His adversaries, and will be merciful unto His land, and to His people” (vs. 43).
This chapter (Deut. 32), with many others, speaks in a general way of the Gentile nations that are found at enmity against Israel. But from other parts of Scripture we learn that there are two great classes of these, carefully distinguished the one from the other, both as to the period in which they display their enmity, and the time and circumstances of their future judgment.
When the Jews were still recognized as God’s people, when the temple was still standing, and when the kings of Judah were still occupying the throne of the Lord at Jerusalem, the great Assyrian empire was their chief enemy. Others there were of more or less importance, such as Syria and Egypt, but Assyria was the mightiest of them all. One remarkable thing that prophecy reveals is this, that in the future when Israel is once more back in their own land, and God once again recognizes them as His people, this great enemy, the Assyrian, will likewise once more revive. One passage of Scripture at this stage will suffice in support of this, “Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed His whole work upon Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the King of Assyria,” &c. (Isa. 10:1212Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks. (Isaiah 10:12)). Some of our readers may say, But the Assyrian is gone, he no longer exists. True, but has the Lord performed His whole work upon Mount Zion? Clearly not yet. Then the Assyrian is not yet done with. Ezekiel’s prophecy (38-.39) shows, in connection with other scriptures, that the Assyrian will be the last enemy dealt with before the setting up of final blessing during the millennium. Geographically he will occupy the territory now known as Turkey in Asia, and also the vast north-eastern empire now in rapid process of formation under Russia.
In connection with this subject we may point out that a remarkable passage in Peter is strikingly illustrated― “No prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation” (2 Peter 1:2020Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. (2 Peter 1:20)). The meaning of this much misunderstood text is doubtless that the scope of no prophecy of the Scripture is to be had from its own isolated interpretation. Let us apply this to the subject now before us, the Assyrian. When Isaiah was giving forth his inspired testimony the Assyrian was in all his glory. He was sweeping through the land of Palestine, and was at the very doors of Jerusalem; “He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid up his carriages; they are gone over the passage; they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled,” &c. (Isa. 10:24-3424Therefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt. 25For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction. 26And the Lord of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and as his rod was upon the sea, so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt. 27And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing. 28He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid up his carriages: 29They are gone over the passage: they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled. 30Lift up thy voice, O daughter of Gallim: cause it to be heard unto Laish, O poor Anathoth. 31Madmenah is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee. 32As yet shall he remain at Nob that day: he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem. 33Behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror: and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled. 34And he shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one. (Isaiah 10:24‑34)).
But while the Spirit of God was leading Isaiah to speak of circumstances that lay immediately around, He nevertheless was looking through and beyond those circumstances to a time yet future, and inspired the prophet to use language which will only be literally fulfilled in a coming day. For in the past Assyria was destroyed before Babylon came into power, whereas in the future the Assyrian will be judged after the representative of Babylon has met his doom. This we learn from many parts of God’s Word, but a striking and most interesting chapter gives us the order of events so far as Israel and its enemies are concerned.
In Isaiah 14. are described the circumstances that attend the restoration of Israel to their own land, once more called “the land of the Lord” (vs. 2), and the order in which these take place. We cannot now do more than point them out, leaving to our readers the happy task of a close study of the passage. “The Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel.” He will employ the peoples (not people) to “bring them to their place.” Then will all the power of Babylon be destroyed (vers. 4-24). After that, “I will break the Assyrian in my land.” Observe, Assyria judged after Babylon! It was not so in the past. Then Palestine, or Philistia, that is the nations surrounding Israel, melt away; and we know from Daniel 11:4141He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. (Daniel 11:41), and Ezekiel 25, that certain nations are reserved to be dealt with by Israel after the judgment of the King of the North.
In result the triumphant answer will be that “the Lord hath founded Zion, and the poor of the people (Jehovah’s people) shall trust in it.”
(To be continued.)