DANIEL: Being a Christian in Babylon, chapter 7 // Sunday, May 16, 2021

Sunday, May 16, 2021

Daniel:  Being A Christian in Babylon

Daniel 7

Daniel’s Image in Chapter 2:

Gold Head  =  Babylonian Empire

Silver Chest & Arms = Medo / Persian Empire

Brass Abdomen & Thighs  =  Greek Empire

Iron Legs  =  Roman Empire

Iron & Clay Feet  =  Reconstituted Roman

Stone  =  2nd Coming / Kingdom of God

Chronological Order Of Daniel

1              Babylonian Exile

2              Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

3              Nebuchadnezzar’s Image

4              Nebuchadnezzar’s Pride

7      The Times of the Gentiles

8      The Ram and Goat

5             Babylon falls to Persia

9      Prophecy of the 70 Weeks

6              Daniel in the Lions’ Den

10 - 12  Closing Visions

Contrasts Between Chapters 2  &  7

Recipient: evil, pagan king  vs  godly prophet

World History: imposing man  vs  horrible beasts

Interpreter: Daniel  vs  Angel

Perspective of World History:

   Human viewpoint as a glorious and imposing spectacle

                                                    vs

   God’s standpoint of immorality, brutality, and depravity

Daniel 7: 1 (NLT)

   Earlier, during the first year of King Belshazzar’s reign in Babylon, Daniel had a dream and saw visions as he lay in his bed. He wrote down the dream, and this is what he saw.

Daniel 7: 2 (NASB)

   2 Daniel said, “I was looking in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea.

Sea represents humanity…

Matthew 13: 47 (NASB)

   …the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered fish of every kind.

Revelation 13: 1 

   Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea…

Gentiles and Unbelievers often stir up the sea…

Isaiah 17: 12 & 13 (NASB)

   Oh, the uproar of many peoples Who roar like the roaring of the seas,
And the rumbling of nations who rush on like the rumbling of mighty waters!
   13 The nations rumble on like the rumbling of many waters…

Isaiah 57: 20 (NASB)

   …the wicked are like the tossing sea, For it cannot be quiet, And its waters toss up refuse and mud.

Jeremiah 6: 23 (NASB)

   They seize bow and spear; They are cruel and have no mercy;
Their voice roars like the sea, and they ride on horses,
Lined up as a man for the battle against you, daughter of Zion!”

God often uses wind to accomplish His purposes…

Genesis 8: 1 (NLT)

   …God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and livestock with him in the boat. He sent a wind to blow across the earth, and the floodwaters began to recede.

Exodus 10: 13 (NLT)

Plagues of Egypt…

   So Moses raised his staff over Egypt, and the Lord caused an east wind to blow over the land all that day and through the night. When morning arrived, the east wind had brought the locusts. 

Exodus 14: 21 (NLT)

Parting of the Red Sea…

   … Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the Lord opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land.

Exodus 15: 10 (NASB) 

Miriam’s Song

   You blew with Your wind, the sea covered them; They sank like lead in the mighty waters.

Acts 2: 2 (NASB) 

Day of Pentecost

… suddenly a noise like a violent rushing wind came from heaven…

1 Kings 19: 11 (NLT) 

We must be discerning…

   Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind.

Daniel 7: 3 & 4 (NLT)

   3 Then four huge beasts came up out of the water, each different from the others.

    4 The first beast was like a lion with eagles’ wings. As I watched, its wings were pulled off, and it was left standing with its two hind feet on the ground, like a human being. And it was given a human mind.

Daniel 7: 5 (NLT)

   5 Then I saw a second beast, and it looked like a bear. It was rearing up on one side, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And I heard a voice saying to it, “Get up! Devour the flesh of many people!”

Isaiah 13: 17 & 18 (NLT) 

   “Look, I will stir up the Medes against Babylon. They cannot be tempted by silver or bribed with gold.  18 The attacking armies will shoot down the young men with arrows. They will have no mercy on helpless babies and will show no compassion for children.”

Daniel 7: 6 (NLT)

   6 Then the third of these strange beasts appeared, and it looked like a leopard. It had four bird’s wings on its back, and it had four heads. Great authority was given to this beast.

Jeremiah 5: 6 (NLT) 

   A leopard will lurk near their towns, tearing apart any who dare to venture out. For their rebellion is great, and their sins are many.

Hosea 13: 7 (NLT) 

   So now I will attack you like a lion, like a leopard that lurks along the road.

Daniel 7: 7 & 8 (NLT) 

      Then in my vision that night, I saw a fourth beast—terrifying, dreadful, and very strong. It devoured and crushed its victims with huge iron teeth and trampled their remains beneath its feet. It was different from any of the other beasts, and it had ten horns.

   8 As I was looking at the horns, suddenly another small horn appeared among them. Three of the first horns were torn out by the roots to make room for it. This little horn had eyes like human eyes and a mouth that was boasting arrogantly.

Daniel 7: 9 & 10 (NLT)   Also read Revelation 4 & 5 

   I watched as thrones were put in place and the Ancient One (Ancient of Days) sat down to judge. His clothing was as white as snow, his hair like purest wool. He sat on a fiery throne with wheels of blazing fire, 10 and a river of fire was pouring out, flowing from his presence. Millions of angels ministered to him;
many millions stood to attend him. Then the court began its session, and the books were opened.

God’s glory often depicted as fire…

Psalm 97: 3 & 4 (NLT) 

   Fire spreads ahead of him and burns up all his foes. 4 His lightning flashes out across the world. The earth sees and trembles.

Revelation 1: 14 & 15 (NLT)

   His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. 15 His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves.

Also read: Exodus 3: 2; Deuteronomy 4: 24; 1 Timothy 6: 16; Hebrews 12: 29

Final Judgment & Books:

Revelation 20: 12 (NLT) 

   I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books.

Isaiah 65: 6 & 7 (NLT)

Sins

   “Look, my decree is written out in front of me: I will not stand silent; I will repay them in full! Yes, I will repay them—   7 both for their own sins and for those of their ancestors,” says the Lord. “For they also burned incense on the mountains and insulted me on the hills. I will pay them back in full!

Malachi 3: 16 (NLT)

Good Deeds 

   Then those who feared the Lord spoke with each other, and the Lord 

listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and always thought about the honor of his name.

Ephesians 2: 8 & 9 (NLT) 

   God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 

Read: Psalm 103: 12;  1 John 1: 9;  Matthew 25: 31 - 46