Daniel 7
As with Daniel 2 and in Revelation, there is imagery of beasts that can confuse adults, so it's easy for kids to miss the point of these beasts.
As I listed in chapter 2, these four beasts represent the four world empires that would rule over Israel until the Messiah came.
LION = Babylon (man's heart hints at Nebuchadnezzar's new heart of belief after being like a beast of the field)
BEAR = Persia (Persia powerful like a bear, and fought three campaigns which is mentioned as the three ribs in its mouth)
LEOPARD = Greece (Alexander the Great conquered the world in amazingly quick order. The wings typify this quick movement. Also, the four heads references the four generals who will take over after Alexander dies)
TERRIBLE BEAST = Rome (When Rome conquered a country, it demolished it. Also, the ten horns represent the ten toes of the statue in Dan 2 and also the ten nations in the confederacy described in Rev 12:3 & 13:1
(v.9) These thrones are the thrones of the 24 elders of the Church, described in Rev 20:4
The Ancient of Days is the Father, and His appearance matches that of Rev 1:14
(v.10) We see the Book of Life being opened here with Jesus before His Church, as described in Rev 5:11 & 20:11-15
(v.13) The Son of Man is Jesus, and He was given dominion of all the earth by the Father, to take over and rid the world of Satan and evil. Rev 20
I like to tell my kids this...Adam was given dominion over the earth but lost it when he sinned. Satan has dominion now, but Jesus purchased it on the cross...He will claim the title when He returns!
(v.14) Starting with the Millennium, Jesus will reign forever!!!
(v.18) We who follow Jesus are saints in the eyes of the Father...we will rule and reign with Christ! Rev 5:10
(v.25) The Antichrist will speak blasphemous things, and exalt himself...but Jesus will set him straight!
(v.28) Daniel didn't understand this vision, and it troubled him. Not until the New Testament and the book of Revelation was penned by John, can we connect the dots and fully understand what Daniel saw.
This is what brought me back to Christ...to see so many different people, over thousands of years, from different nations and cultures, writing the same thing...Jesus is God and our Savior!
No comments:
Post a Comment