Daniel Chapter 7c Series

Daniel – Chapter 7c

Chapter 7 Outline

I. Introduction to the Dream (7:1-3)

a. The Date of the Dream (7:1)

b. The Detail of the Dream (7:2-3)

1. The Four Winds (7:2a)

2. The Great Sea (7:2b)

3. The Diverse Beasts (7:3)

II. Information about the Dream (7:4-14)

a. The Earthly Empire (7:4-8)

1. The Lionlike Beast (7:4)

2. The Bearlike Beast (7:5)

3. The Leopardlike Beast (7:6)

4. The Terrible Beast (7:7-8)

b. The Heavenly Empire (7:9-14)

1. God’s Sovereignty (7:9)

2. God’s Sentence (7:10-12)

3. God’s Son (7:13-14)

III. Interpretation of the Dream (7:15-28)

a. Daniel’s Troubled (7:15-16)

b. Dream’s Truth (7:17-27)

1. The Five Kingdoms (7:17-18)

2. The Fourth Kingdom (7:19-25)

3. The Fifth Kingdom (7:26-27)

c. Daniel’s Thoughts (7:28)

Message

III. Interpretation of the Dream (7:15-28)

a. Daniel’s Troubled (7:15-16)

Verse 15

Daniel did not hide the fact that he was grieved and troubled by this vision. The Jews had failed and their world empire would have to wait. Theocracy and monarchy alike had ended in apostasy and disaster.

Maybe Daniel had hoped that at the end of the 70 year captivity that Jeremiah had foretold of, that the monarchy would be restored in Israel and that they would return to their former glory.

Perhaps he hoped for a national repentance, a spiritual awakening, a revival in his land ending with the arrival of the Messiah and a new Theocratic kingdom being set up under Christ at Jerusalem.

Unfortunately for Daniel he knew that with the destruction of Jerusalem the “time of the Gentiles” had began, and according to Nebuchadnezzar’s dream there would be another three gentile world empires after this one before the Messianic Kingdom.

What disturbed him more than the time frame was the wild beast character of the coming kingdoms and what that would mean for the world in general and for God’s people in particular. As for the fourth beast, Daniel trembled at the thought of it. No wonder he was grieved in his spirit and his thoughts troubled.

Verse 16

Who is this celestial being that stood by Daniel in his dream? We do not know his name, what he looked like or what rank he held. But what we do know is that God had place him there so that he could answer Daniels question.

b. Dream’s Truth (7:17-27)

1. The Five Kingdoms (7:17-18)

The first answer of the angel was brief enough. It concerned the 5 kingdoms. There would be four kingdoms of men and the final kingdom of the Messiah. Look at what the angel draws our attention to. He says matter of factly that the four beasts are just four kings, then in verse 18 he says BUT the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and posses the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever…. With the word “but” he draws our attention to what was really important.

He was not interested in the rise and fall of human empires, he saw the wonders of the Great White Throne, the splendour of the Ancient of Days, the majesty of Most High God, these four beast were just kings.

The whole sad episode of Cyrus the Persian, Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and all the rest of them were eclipsed by the fact that once the saints of the Most High took over, there would be a Kingdom that would never end.

2. The Fourth Kingdom (7:19-26)

Verse 19-22

Daniel, however, was not satisfied, he was concerned about this fourth beast. He wanted to know about the ferocity and features of this beast, especially about the ten horns and the little horn that could speak. How did it make war with the saints? How did it not win? How did the Ancient of Days come? How, how, how???

Verse 23

In answering Daniels question, the angel told him about the fourth kingdom. We know that the first phase Roman Empire never did conquer the entire earth. The Romans never subdued the Scots, the Welsh, the Parthians, or the Scythians. They never crossed the Cacausus mountains or went beyond the Sahara, but as we saw earlier on in the chapter, another phase of this empire is on its way.

Verses 24

Who then is this little horn? He is known by many names:-

Isaiah 14:25 he is called the Assyrian

Daniel 9:26 he is called the prince that shall come

2 Thessalonians 2:3 he is called the man of sin

Daniel 8:23 he is called a king of fierce countenance

Daniel 11:21 he is called a vile person

Daniel 11:36 he is called the wilful king

2 Thessalonians 2:8 he is called that Wicked (or lawless one)

Revelation 13:1 he is called a beast

1 John 2:18 he is called the antichrist

The Greek prefix anti can mean “against” and “instead of.” The final world ruler will be both a counterfeit Christ and an enemy who is against Christ. The Antichrist has to overcome the power of three other rulers to be able to do what he wants to do, become world leader….