The thrones of the kingdoms of this world in their final heading up will be thrown down.
The people of God in every age should be encouraged under their troubles with the prospect of Christ’s coming in glory,
for God has sworn that he will in due time put His King upon the throne of earth and make an end of all unrighteous rule.
Daniel 7
1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters.
2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.
3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.
5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.
7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.
8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
9 ¶ I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.
12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.
13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
15 ¶ I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.
16 I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.
17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.
18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
19 Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;
20 And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.
21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.
27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
28 Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.
Daniel 7 Intro – J. Vernon McGee
Daniel 7:1-2 – J. Vernon McGee
Daniel 7:3-4 – J. Vernon McGee
Daniel 7:5-6 – J. Vernon McGee
Daniel 7:7 – J. Vernon McGee
Daniel 7:8 – J. Vernon McGee
Daniel 7:9-12 – J. Vernon McGee
Daniel 7:13-14 – J. Vernon McGee
Daniel 7:15-18 – J. Vernon McGee
Daniel 7:19-23 – J. Vernon McGee
Daniel 7:24-26 – J. Vernon McGee
Daniel 7:27-28 – J. Vernon McGee
Daniel 7:1-14 – God’s Everlasting Dominion.
This chapter enumerates the succession of world-empires and rulers which bridge the gulf of centuries from the Captivity to the Second Advent. The lion represents Babylon, whose cruel and mighty kingdom was animated by marvelous intelligence; the bear, Persia; the leopard, Greece under Alexander the Great; and the fourth beast, with great iron teeth, Rome. The ten horns are ten kings, and these probably represent great European kingdoms which have succeeded, or may yet succeed, to the heritage of the Roman empire. The Ancient of Days is sitting today upon his throne, his snow-white raiment betokening his purity, the fire of his throne bespeaking his antagonism to all things that offend and work iniquity. The government of the world is on shoulders which are well able to carry it, and he will cause all things to work out his purpose, which is to promote and assure the glory of Christ. (Meyer)
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9 ¶ I beheld till the ______________ were cast down, and the ______________ of days did sit, whose garment was white as ________, and the hair of his head like the pure ________: his throne was like the fiery __________, and his wheels as burning ________.
13 I saw in the __________ visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of ____________, and came to the Ancient of ________, and they brought him near before him.
25 And he shall speak great words ______________ the most ________, and shall wear out the ____________ of the most High, and think to change __________ and ________: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
Daniel 7:14—There was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom.
Jesus does rule. The kingdom of Christ is no fanciful phrase. The words He spoke, the deeds He did, have shaped the religious life and thought of the civilized world. But this is the lowest ground. He is supreme over all creation. In Him the ancient psalm is fulfilled, “Thou hast put all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea” (Psalm 8:6-8). The Father hath set Him at his own right hand, far above all principality and power; all angels do his bidding; all demon-powers are beneath his feet. Joseph, our Brother, is King.
But let us never forget that the foundation of his kingdom is his Cross. We want more than the truth, more than a guide to show the way; we need forgiveness, salvation, life: and these are only possible through the death of the Redeemer. Satan offered Him the kingdom when he met Him in the wilderness, and He would not have it on such terms. With face set for Calvary, He went down the mountain to the valley of the shadow of death; and having traversed it, He came to his disciples and said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18). Thou art the King of Glory, O Christ; for Thou art the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world.
That kingdom is an everlasting one. All kingdoms will pass away before Christ’s as the chaff of the summer threshing-floor. The shaking of the kings and kingdoms of this world has already begun, and is destined to shake to the ground the most stable edifices of human pride; but as we are to receive a kingdom that cannot be moved, let us not be troubled. (Meyer)
Daniel 7:15-28 – The Destruction of All Rival Powers.
The judgment described here is not the last judgment, but that of the nations, which is always in process and in virtue of which one great empire after another is set aside. This constant change must continue until the kingdom of Jesus Christ, which is now a spiritual and hidden one, shall be set up before the eyes of men. This dread persecuting power has been identified with Antiochus and others. But it is better to think of it as that spirit of evil, which is always at war with the people of God, assuming different phases in its manifestation. It may be that as God’s people have suffered from Antichrist in the past, so they may expect some last manifestation of such hatred. But they shall overcome by the blood of Jesus and the word of their testimony, and the kingdom of Christ shall survive the wreck of all others. What a glimpse is afforded of the awful conflict which must go on between the saints of the Most High and the great world-powers which desire to wear them out! Are we not now witnessing the judgment of God which is being executed on the nations of the earth? (Meyer)