Title: Seeing Then, Now!
Text: Daniel 7:1-14 (Revelation 1:1-4, 21:4-8)
Thesis: The best way to clarify the present is to focus on the future.
The Messiah of Morris Avenue End-Time Countdown as told by humorist, Tony Hendra, attempts to imaginatively (and satirically) capture world events that transpire between now and the second coming of Christ. In one episode, he reports that Don King and HBO have entered into an agreement to telecast judgment day.
On the darker side, we are all aware of the spate of “rapture” films generated by the Christian film industry over the last several decades as well as the more recent Left Behind series. End time prophecy continues to be a big seller at Christian bookstores and Hollywood regularly cranks out versions and visions of Armageddon and apocalyptic films. The subject of the end times is immensely popular and a matter of ongoing interest and curiosity among both religious and secular audiences.
I cannot remember a time when someone was not stating that we are living in the last days… when someone was not saying that the Day of the Lord is near. We cite the words of Jesus, who spoke of the signs of the times and of his imminent return in the gospels of Matthew 24; Mark 13 and Luke 21.
The language opens the door to speculation every time there is a war or the rumor of a war, an earthquake or famine, or the rise of a world power or a world leader of influence, talk of a one-world economic system and government, or catastrophic nuclear warfare.
However, it is imperative that while there is plenty about which to speculate, Jesus was explicitly clear is stating, “No one knows the day or the hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son, himself. Only the Father knows.” Matthew 24:36
However, there is no question that our time, like every other time in history is chaotic. Archeological digs around the world uncover the ruins of dynasties and empires that rose and fell. Hannibal and his army of elephants have come and gone. Genghis Khan is buried in some secret chamber in Mongolia. The lands that he conquered, a wide swath of global territory stretching from northern China to the southern tip of Kuwait – including Afghanistan and Iraq, are now ruled by others and the peoples who live there continue to live in chaos. Hitler is long dead. The USSR has been pieced out. Castro is dying. In these days we have new forms of chaos… genocide continues in Congo, Sudan and Somalia. Sectarian violence blows up people shopping in their neighborhood markets in Iraq or burns them when they come out of their places of worship. What should we make of the chaos in the world?
What is clear in this passage?
I. God will make order out of earthly chaos.) Daniel 7:1-12
“In my vision I saw a great churning of the surface of 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.” Daniel 7:1-12
I am reminded of something I learned a long time ago regarding how I handle the Word of God. I believe that when the Bible speaks clearly and definitively, I can speak with equal clarity. However, when the Bible does not speak clearly and definitively, I cannot speak with clarity. This is particularly true when it comes to prophetic passages and interpreting apocalyptic images and language.
In the course of my life and ministry I have been exposed to preachers and teachers who have it all figured out… some of them have rubbed their hands together with glee as they have interpreted the “aligning of the planets” and the unfolding of biblical prophecy in our time. These folks have studied the Books of Ezekiel, Daniel and Revelation, have poured over charts and maps, and are quite willing to tell you what it all means.
I can’t do that, but this is what I am willing to do. I am willing point to what the biblical text states and draw conclusions that seem to be obvious in nature. The text states that Daniel’s dream was about the rise of four world empires or powers that will be in existence at the time when Christ returns to establish his Kingdom. Here are the images from the text:
A. The Images of World Powers, Daniel 7:4-8
1. The first beast – a lion with eagle’s wings, standing on its hind legs and possessing the mind of a human.
2. The second beast – a bear with three ribs clutched between its teeth.
3. The third beast – a four-winged, four-headed leopard.
4. The fourth beast – a ten horned, iron-toothed, trampling beast that sprouted an additional horn that had eyes like human eyes and a boasting mouth. This has the ring of a multi-national, coalition of nations that will be under the control of the anti-Christ.
Over the years there has been considerable speculation regarding the “contemporary” identities of the beasts. Given the current state of world powers, it is difficult to imagine Great Britain or Russia, who were formerly strong contenders for the dubious honor, as capable of that kind of domineering world power. The United States is always a favorite, but one could wonder, given the developments of recent years, if our country is capable of that kind of militaristic domination. The future suggests that the peoples to be reckoned with will be China, India and the rising influence of Islam as a political force. But I digress…
The language that describes the activity of these world powers is apocalyptic… they devour people; they crush people with their iron teeth and trample people beneath their feet. But there is yet another image in our text.
B. The Image of Heavenly Power, Daniel 7:9-10 (Reference Revelation 1:9-18)
1. The Ancient One seated on a throne of judgment…
2. His clothing white as snow and his hair white as wool. (Ref. Revelation 1:9-18)
3. He sat on a fiery throne with fiery wheels
4. A river flowed from his presence
5. Millions of angels ministered to him and a hundred million stood to attend him. (Ref. Revelation 5:11)
C. The Image of Judgment, Daniel 7:11
1. The fourth beast was killed and destroyed by fire. (Ref. Revelation 19:19-21)
2. The other three beasts were stripped of their authority, but allowed to live a while longer.
As you can see… this is highly symbolic imagery, which leaves much to the speculative imagination.
Judge Judy is known as a feisty courtroom presence, known to come up with some good courtroom zingers. On one occasion, she pointed at the defendant in a case and said, “You ought to be ashamed of yourself!” On another instance she quipped, “This is not Let’s Make a Deal, and I’m not Monty Hall!”
Somehow, I don’t think Judge Judy’s quips come close to the finality of the words God will speak from the bench on the day he judges the nations represented by the beasts in Daniel’s vision.
What is clear is that there will be four world powers that will be dispatched when Christ returns…
The second point of clarity is the second coming of Christ.
II. God will send Jesus Christ to establish his eternal Kingdom.
“”He was given authority, honor, and royal power over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal – it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed.” Daniel 7:13-14
“Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven. And everyone will see him… ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega – the beginning and the end,’ says the Lord God. ‘I am the one who is, who always was, and the one who is still to come, the Almighty One.’” Revelation 1:1-4
Jesus said in Matthew 24:30-31, “At last, the sign of the coming of the Son of Man will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the nations of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man arrive on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send forth his angels with the trumpet sound and they will gather his chosen from the farthest ends of the earth.”
I think the words and the score of Handel’s Messiah captures the emotion and the majesty of the coronation of Jesus Christ as is humanly possible.
King of Kings. Forever and ever hallelujah hallelujah.
And lord of lords. Forever and ever hallelujah hallelujah.
King of Kings. Forever and ever hallelujah hallelujah.
And lord of lords. Forever and ever hallelujah hallelujah.
King of Kings. For ever and ever hallelujah hallelujah.
And lord of lords. For ever and ever hallelujah hallelujah.
King of kings and lord of lords.
And he shall reign for ever for ever and ever.
King of kings, and lord of lords. King of kings and lord of lords.
And he shall reign for ever for ever and ever.
For ever and ever. For ever and ever.
Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah.
Hallelujah.
The reason we can see our way through the chaos, is the hope of the coming judgment of God upon all that is evil, the arrival of Jesus Christ to establish the Kingdom of God and end all the sorrow and suffering the world has ever known.
The third point of clarity in our text is the end of sorrow and suffering in heaven.
III. God desires an everlasting relationship with us that will not be disrupted by pain, suffering, sorrow or death.
“These four beasts represent four kingdoms that will arise from the earth. But in the end, the holy people of the Most High will be given the kingdom, and they will rule forever and ever.” Daniel 7:17-18 (15-28)
“God himself will be with us. He will remove all of our sorrow and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever.” Revelation 21:1-4
The Chinese city of Nanjing is the location of the first “cry bar.” The proprietor noted that many of his customers at another of his businesses often expressed the need to cry… so he opened a nitch bar for folks who need a good cry. Customers can come and sit on sofas or comfortable chairs, surrounded by an abundance of tissue and just cry to their hearts content for $6 per hour.
Revelation 21 tells us that when God takes up residence among his people, he will remove all sorrow and pain, effectively closing one bar in Nanjing and putting the Kleenex industry at risk.
So, what do we make of the Word today? What should we think about as we reflect on this text? I offer the following suggestions. Feel free to sift and sort but think and let God speak to you in doing so.
Think about:
1. The futility of human force
I am hardly an historian, but I am told that there has never been a time of absolute peace on earth… somewhere, someone is at war with someone else.
I need not be graphic… I could be very graphic. But you read the paper and see the news of the daily tally of tit for tat sectarian violence in Iraq.
Using human force is necessary but it feels a lot like a Whack-a-Gopher Game. Every time a gopher sticks its head up and you whack it, another pops up some where else… and when you are done the landscape is ruined and covered with gopher holes. There’s just no earthly end to it.
2. The reality of present sadness
When Daniel had his vision of the future, he and the nation of Israel were living as exiles in Babylon (Iraq) about 600 years before the time of Christ. They were a defeated and their country occupied. Many, Daniel among them, had been deported. Their sadness and despair as reflected in Psalm 137:1-4 is an image that captures the sadness of every era.
“Beside the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept as we thought of Jerusalem. We put away our lyres, hanging them on the branches of willow trees… how can we sing the songs of the Lord in a foreign land?”
Who among us can sing? The news has been gruesome… rapes, murders, wars, insurgencies, massacres, terrorist attacks, natural disasters and add infinitum.
But Daniels apocalyptic vision was a vision of hope. It was intended to help him and his people live through the present circumstances by focusing on the end of the story.
3. The hope of delayed gratification
We are not people who are very comfortable with the concept of waiting or delayed gratification. But, we must wait with readiness for the coming of Jesus Christ. (Reference II Peter 3:8-13)
A man diagnosed with terminal cancer asked his physician, “Doc, what do you think lies on the other side?”
The doctor answered, “I don’t know.”
“Surely you have some idea Doc. You’ve dealt with death a lot more than someone like me,” the man responded.
The doctor walked over to the door and opened it. In bounded his golden retriever. The doc said, “This is my dog. He’s never been in this room before. He had no idea what was inside this room… all he knew is that his master was in here.” He said, “I don’t know what is on the other side but I do know that my Master is there, and that is enough.”
We live in the present with the sure and certain hope of what lies on the other side of the door, so to speak.
Meanwhile, as we wait for then… we live now.
4. The value of living in the present
The text in II Peter goes on to say, “While you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to live a pure and blameless life. And be at peace with God.” II Peter 3:14
On the day before Thanksgiving, I made the mistake of getting in line to have my car lubed and washed at The Wave. Having it done at The Wave was not the mistake… having it done the day before Thanksgiving was the big goof. Apparently, half the population of the greater Denver metropolitan area decided to get their cars washed at The Wave before leaving town for the holiday. When my car was finished the detailer apologized for the wait and said something like, “I’m sorry for the wait but it seems like everyone waits until the last moment to get their car washed before a holiday.”
What is true of gas and oil and wash jobs for cars in anticipation of a trip is also true of our spiritual preparations. We can best be prepared for the future, we are prepared in the present. Waiting until the last moment to meet the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is probably not a wise idea. I urge you to invite Christ the King into your life so you too can live in the secure hope of seeing then… now!
