God is on the Throne
Daniel Speaks to Us Today Series
By Greg Johnson
November 29, 2006
http://www.LovingGodFellowship.org
Daniel 7
In the midst of overwhelming social injustice in this world, God is still on the throne. It may seem as if Satan is troubling people everywhere, but please know that God is on the throne. You may be under horrendous attack right now from forces of evil; know that God is on the throne.
The injustice of racism has become front page news once again as on November 17, 2006, Michael Richards, who played Kramer on ’Seinfeld’ angrily screamed racial slurs to two African American men that interrupted his act by coming in late. After his racial slurs and as some that were disgusted at his words left, he said "that is what happens when you interrupt a white man." On July 28, 2006, Mel Gibson was arrested for DUI. In the course of the arrest Gibson launched into a profanity-laced tirade, hurling anti-Semitic and sexist statements at authorities. God’s Word tells us (Matthew 12:34 NIV) "For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks."
Both of these men have since publicly apologized. Rather or not we think their apologies are sincere and although their racial actions were despicable, they must be forgiven. These two recent incidences have brought reality to those who thought the injustice of racism had been eradicated in this country.
Wide scale racial injustice has been going on for some time in the Sudan as genocide is taking place. More than 200,000 people have died and 2.5 million have been displaced since fighting began in Darfur in early 2003. All of this has happened while the media outlets and governments of the world have been nearly silent.
The social injustice of poverty continues to be a world wide problem. In American there are 35 million people living in poverty while our government cuts social programs to finance tax cuts given to the wealthy. There are 1 billion people in our world that live on less than one dollar a day. There is another 2 billion people in our world that live on less than two dollars a day. That means that half of the world’s population is living on less than two dollars a day. 35,000 children under the age of five die each day from preventable disease caused by mostly unsafe water supplies. All of this is going on while world powers jockey for political and military dominance.
In the midst of all of this injustice, God is still on the throne. His Kingdom is coming and when it fully arrives, there will be no injustice. The prophet Daniel was given a vivid picture of this in a dream that is recorded in Daniel chapter seven of God’s Word. The first 14 verses describe the dream and the last 14 verse gives the interpretation. We need be careful not to get caught up in all of the symbolism and lose site of the message that has been meant for all generations. The message from God’s Word speaks to us today.
DANIEL’S DREAM CAN BE APPLIED THROUGHOUT HISTORY.
(Daniel 7:1-8 NIV) "In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying on his bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream. {2} Daniel said: "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. {3} Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea. {4} "The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a man, and the heart of a man was given to it. {5} "And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ’Get up and eat your fill of flesh!’ {6} "After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule. {7} "After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast--terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns. {8} "While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth that spoke boastfully."
Throughout history, kingdoms have come and they have gone as empires and people groups have tried to rule over others. Daniel saw it during his day as he was exiled out of his home land of Judah and taken a thousand miles away to live in a new city and culture; Babylon. Later in life, Daniel saw the Babylonian Empire fall to the Med-Persian Empire.
We can look back over American history and see that it has taken place even in America. America was settled through genocide. Settlers came to this land from England and pushed the Native Americans out of their land and their homes. The early Native American villages were plundered, their women were raped and their children were slaughtered. Now we give Native Americans reservations that they can live on.
American history records the acts of wealthy white men who went to Africa and took natives and exiled them to America to live as slaves and work on plantations. They were treated as animals. They were bought and sold as livestock. Men, women and children were abused as plantation owners in the southern states grew wealthy. The divide between wealth and poverty grew vast and even today the divide continues to widen. Racial injustice toward African Americans still exists in our day.
This social injustice has not only taken place in America, but all around the world. Nations have risen up against nations; rulers against rulers; people against people. It continues in our day. Daniel saw it all in his dream that speaks prophetically to us today.
GOD SITS ON THE THRONE.
If the dream ended there, it would be quite depressing. But, it doesn’t end there. Daniel goes on and tells what else he saw in the dream. (Daniel 7:9-10 NIV) ""As I looked, "thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. {10} A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened."
Here is the good news. God will not allow evil to prevail. God is on the throne. He is bringing His judgment. He is bringing His justice. There is social justice in God’s Kingdom. His Kingdom is coming and every time we pray "Thy Kingdom come", we are assured that He hears and answers our prayer.
GOD’S KINGDOM IS COMING.
(Daniel 7:13-14 NIV) ""In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. {14} He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed." (Daniel 7:27 NIV) "Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.’"
Beloved, many today that love God and are following Jesus are going through evil attacks of Satan. Everywhere they turn they are in a battle; spiritual battles, physical battles, financial battles. You name it and they are in it. All hell seems to be coming against them. Beast after beast seems to come from the sea of evil to pour their rage and fury out on those that love God and are following Jesus. Beloved, in the midst of it all stand firm on the Solid Rock! Let nothing shake you! Place you faith and trust on the one that sits on the Throne. His Kingdom is coming! Jesus is coming! Justice is on the way! Your deliverance is right around the corner! Hallelujah! Glory be to the One that sits on the throne today. Praise be to Jesus who is the Prince of Peace!
