From A Beast To The Best

FROM A BEAST TO THE BEST

The whole nation was numbed with shock when the News about the Gang rape in the Capital city of India trickled down in the wee hours of 17th Dec, 2013. Through the length and breadth of our Country what followed was overwhelming concern for the rape victim, who was battling for her life even as righteous indignation against the perpetretators of this ghastly crime was welling up in the hearts of shocked citizens of the country. When the innocent rape victim breathed her last after bravely battling for her life thirteen days later, anguish of the Nation knew no bounds. No wonder then, there was universal relief that Justice was done when the guilty ones’ were sentenced to death by the “Fast track Court” Judge Yogesh Khanna who termed the crime amongst other things as “HAIRISING BEASTLY”.

UNREGENERATE…

It may shock many, if I observe that all those (irrespective of their social standing) who are not part of God’s family in Christ (Col 1:13-14) appear as “beasts” in His Holy sight. Consider this Scripture which describes the hair-rising vision of Prophet Daniel involving Beasts…

"In my vision that night, I, Daniel, saw a great storm churning the surface of a great sea, with strong winds blowing from every direction. Then four huge beasts came up out of the water, each different from the others.

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.

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!

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.

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.

As I was looking at the horns, suddenly another small horn appeared among them." –Daniel 7:2-8

This vision was a re-affirmation of an earlier dream of King Nebuchadnezzar who in his dream (Daniel 2:31-33) saw a huge human statue made of different metals…

Firstly for the exposition of the afore-referred visions and dreams…

a) The first Beast appearing as a Lion as also the Golden head of the human statue represents Babylonian Empire. It is symbolic of fierce consuming, power that Babylonian Empire was. It’s two wings stand for the speed with which the Babylonians’ became the World super power.

b) The second beast the Bear – Mede Persian Empire- symbolizes ferocity, strength, stability and the mindless cruelty. The silver torso of the human statue is its equivalent in King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.

c) The third beast the Leopard - Greek empire - symbolizes the speed and viciousness with which they conquered the world. They were swifter than their Babylonian counterparts in becoming the World’s Prima donna, hence 4 wings are seen in the Leopard’s body as against two in that of the lion. The Division of the Greek Empire amongst 4 General’s of Alexander the Great consequent to his death is symbolized by the 4 heads. In the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar, the Greek Empire is represented by the Bronze abdomen and the thigh.

d) The fourth beast - Roman empire- with 10 horns symbolizes the ten kings that is, kingdoms, into which Rome was divided on its incorporation with the Germanic and Slavonic tribes, (JFB Commentary). It’s equivalent in the King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream was the Iron leg.

e) The little horn that appeared on the 10-horned beast as also the feet of Iron and clay in the King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream represents the imminent Anti-Christ’s Empire, which shall be set-up soon after the Rapture of the Church.

Now for the Big question. Now why did the World Emperors (existing and future) of Daniel’s time appear as Beasts to the Prophet but only as different parts of human being to King Nebuchadnezzar? While King Nebuchadnezzar an ordinary man of flesh endowed with no special gifts saw them merely as different parts of a human body, the Prophet being a “spiritual” man endowed with Divine insight (1 Cor 2:14-15) could see them “differently” for what they actually were. Yes, strange as it may seem for many an uninitiated soul, even a King/Queen or a President with all the regal splendor and high-nosed stance which goes with offices’ of authority, if he/she is unregenerate would in his/her inherent (from Adam) selfish state appear as a Beast to a Holy God. Period. No wonder, Jesus speaking to a “religious leader” of high social standing namely Nicodemus said unequivocally “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”