THE ETERNAL WIN (Daniel 7:15-28)

Ugly beasts will arise and attack God's people, but in Christ we have already won. God's win is final, forever, and never to be contested again.

Transcript

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Rayla Montaigne sings a song entitled Empty. One line says, I never learn to count my blessings. I choose instead to dwell in my disasters. And he sings of how hard it is to let go of his pain, his past. It's not a happy song. And there are thousands like it. Have you learned to let your blessings outweigh your disasters? Have you noticed how just one negative can wipe away a thousand positives? And when that happens, do you stay there? How's your personal win-loss record? You know, if anyone ought to erupt in joy, it should be God's people. But the world is full of disasters that can wipe away a smile and crush a heart full of hope. And to live as if it isn't so is to live in denial of reality. How can you face life's disasters and still have hope? I think this is what Daniel is wrestling with late in his life. In Daniel chapter 7, he's had a dream. And what we're going to look at probably, because it's prophecy, is going to be best understood if you have an open Bible in front of you. We'll look at Daniel chapter 7, beginning at verse 15, and we'll go all the way down to verse 28. Now you'll recall that Daniel has had a dream, and he envisions four beasts that are bubbling up from the sea. He tells of this in verses 2 through 8 of Daniel 7. The first beast is a lion with eagle's wings, but the wings are clipped and it's given human abilities. The second beast is like a bear with a verocious appetite that's told devour even more. The third beast is like a leopard with four wings and four heads. And these beasts, obviously, are hybrids, hideous freaks of nature. And then there's a fourth beast that emerges. It's horrifying, unlike anything known in the animal world. The vision of these four beasts then abruptly switches to what's called the Ancient of Days or God, and God judges these beasts in verses 9 through 12. And then in verses 13 and 14, someone else, one like a son of man, is coronated, enthroned, and receives an eternal kingdom. Now all of this is very mysterious. And we're left asking, what does all this mean? Daniel himself is disturbed. In verse 15 he says, As for me, Daniel, my spirit within me, was anxious, and the visions of my head alarmed me. Who wouldn't be alarmed? God's revelations are often psychologically disturbing. So what do you do when you're disturbed? You ask about it. And Daniel is now going to ask. In verse 16, he says, I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the truth concerning all of this. And immediately we're reminded that Daniel is not alone. He still seems to be in his dream, and those who stood there seem to be angels who help Daniel understand this potent and very confusing revelation. And Daniel adds, So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of the things. Now, the initial explanation Daniel receives is quite brief. Verse 17, one of the angels apparently says, These four great beasts are four kings who shall rise out of the earth. So in other words, these four monsters are successive kings, or if you prefer, empires, or kingdoms. The angel does not identify them any further, just like the statue of gold, silver, bronze, iron, and clay that we read of in chapter two, most people today think that Daniel's four beasts are number one, Babylon, two, Medo Persia, three, Greece, and then four, ancient imperial Rome. Babylon's national symbol, by the way, was a winged lion. Medo Persian's army was as fierce as a bear. Alexander the Great's Greek army was as swift as a leopard with wings, and after his death, it was divided into four parts with four heads. But the angel is not fixated on the beasts at all. If anything, he stresses something different. Verse 18, he says, But the aim but the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever and ever. The angel's focus is not on the beast, it's on this kingdom. And we easily miss what the angel is riveted by. This is astonishing. More will be said about this later, but for now, Daniel wants to know more about this fourth beast. And he describes it then a second time for us in verses 19 and 20. He says, Then I desired to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrifying, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze, and which devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet, and about the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn that came up and before which three of them fell, the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things, and that seemed greater than its companions. The fourth beast is a freak with horrifying iron teeth, ten horns, crushing feet, and oddly, a horn that saw and talked. No again, think of animal animals with horns, as we often do, a s a steer or a water buffalo. Daniel craves to know the truth about this beast, the ten horns, and the one horn that wipes out the three others and speaks great things or boastful, offensive, blasphemous things. But Daniel's shown more. In verse 21, he says, As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them. Now that the saints are God's people, but more specifically, they're disciples of Christ. The horn oppresses, persecutes, and kills the saints. War is going to come then upon Christ's followers. This is disturbing. For how long? Verse 22 says, until the ancient of days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High. And the time came for the saints, or when the saints possessed the kingdom. In other words, this is going to last until God's court rules in our favor. And then, as Daniel is told, we possess the kingdom. You know, if you go back to the Old Testament, Israel is given the land of Canaan, but they have to go in and conquer it, divide it, settle it, and then continue to drive out the enemy's remaining strongholds. The Bible word for all of these things is to possess it. To possess the land. To possess the man land means to have uncontested control, to take hold of it. It is dominant, unrivaled ownership. This is what Daniel is being told. Now the interpreting angel is now going to more fully explain this fourth beast and our ultimate destiny. Let's look at verse 23. Thus he said, As for the fourth beast, there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all the kingdoms, and it shall devour the whole earth, and trample it down, and break it to pieces. As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise, and another shall arise after them. He shall be different from the former ones, and shall put down three kings. He shall speak words against the most high, and shall wear out the saints of the most high, and shall think to change the times and the law, and they shall be given into his hand for a time, times and half a time. It seems that the words get more mysterious and more confusing. What we do know, though, is that this fourth beast is a fourth kingdom, a crushing, overpowering empire in a league all of its own. What we also know is that the ten horns are ten kings, and besides them another shall arise. Or what verse eight of this chapter calls a little horn. This would be a king. And this little horn, we now learn in these verses, is going to do at least four things. Number one, he's going to subdue three of the ten kings. Now don't get lost in the details. Simply understand the flow of what's going on. Secondly, this little horn is going to insult and defy God, verse 25. Third, this little horn is going to wage war against the saints. Again, verse 25. The saints are going to be handed over to the horn for a time, time and half a times. In other words, a significant but limited period. Some people think that this means three and a half years. All of this, again, is found at the end of verse 25. The fourth thing that this little horn is going to do is he's going to try to change the God-ordained times and laws of the natural order. And God alone, however, we already learned in chapter 2 and verse 21, he alone changes the times and seasons, though this arrogant little horn is going to try to do so himself. Again, that's the end of verse 25. Who is this little horn? Who is this some this other horn that shall arise? Well, it could be the Roman Emperor Domitian. And we'll talk more about these as time goes on. But most people think that this is actually a foretelling of the ultimate Antichrist. The Antichrist is described in 1 John chapter 2. He is also referred to as the man of lawlessness in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. Or what Jesus calls, and Jesus is quoting Daniel, he calls the abomination of desolation. And again, more of this is going to be described as time goes on. I want you to notice something though. Suddenly, in verse 26, it says, but, but abruptly, as horrifying as this is, abruptly the tables are going to turn. And three things are going to now be described as happening. First, verse 26, but the courts shall sit in judgment. We've already learned that the books were opened, verse 10. The judgment occurs, and judgment is good news because judgment ends evil. Second, verse 26 adds, and his dominion shall be taken away to be consumed and destroyed to the end. The his is the little horn of the fourth beast. His dominion, his power, it's going to be broken. He will lose his authority. And third, verse 27 goes on to say, and the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High. This is exciting news. And this, by the way, is the third mention of this. The kingdom is first received by the one like a son of man in verses thirteen and fourteen, but now this kingdom is handed over to us. The Bible repeatedly foretells the ultimate total dominance of God's people over the wicked. God says in Psalm 49, their shepherd and the upright shall rule over the wicked in the morning. Isaiah chapter 60. Isaiah foresees a day when the sons of those who afflicted you shall become shall come bending low to you, and all who despised you shall bow down at your feet. Anybody who's oppressed you, anyone who's dismissed you, anyone who has abused you, ultimately will bow down before you. Jesus said in Luke chapter twelve, Fear not, little flock, for it is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Hebrews twelve twenty-eight says, We are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Jesus said in Revelation chapter two, the one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. The four living creatures and the twenty-four elders in Revelation chapter five sing to the Lamb, you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth. He's talking about the saints. John later adds, We will reign forever and ever in Revelation 22 and 5. This is what is promised in Daniel 7.27. His kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve him and obey him. The kingdom is going to be delivered over to you and me. This is the good news. And we will reign forever and ever on the earth. What will our reign be like? Well, what's any reign like? Any reign in the past involves authority, being in charge over others, a certain sphere of responsibility, allocating resources. It may be preserving what was, managing what is, or bringing about something new in the future, but we will reign. Mark that down. This is the good news in Daniel chapter 7. Now Daniel reacts. In verse 28, he says, Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly alarmed me, and my color changed, but I kept the matter in my heart. This alarms us too. Why? Because our peace and prosperity is going to be interrupted. All this familiar to us is going to disintegrate. And besides that, we don't have the control that we think we have. We're bothered that God is involved in all of this in ways that we don't have our hands on. Some of us would rather believe things are random than to believe that God is involved in things like the political process or international affairs. We prefer to just ignore it. And quite honestly, churches don't talk about this. And as a result, God's people are exposed. And this will become increasingly clear as we move through these latter chapters in Daniel. This fourth kingdom, this fourth beast, is something beyond ancient Rome, though. Whatever Daniel's fourth beast or kingdom is, I want you to notice something in Daniel chapter 7. It quite clearly leads instantly into the final judgment and results in the complete dominance of the saints. That's what's described in these verses. Ancient Rome's overthrow did neither. Daniel's prophecy then has a secondary fulfillment, yet future in Christ's second coming. So, in other words, Rome, the Rome that was to come in Daniel's time, is going to be followed by an ultimate Rome. Over 650 years after Daniel, after Daniel, in the era of ancient Rome, the Apostle John sees a similar image, and he gives a more detailed picture. In Revelation chapter 13, he says, And I saw a beast rising out of the sea with ten horns and seven heads, with ten tiadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. And the beast that I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. Where have we read that before? And to it the dragon, or Satan, gave his power and his throne and great authority. One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. It opened its mouth, verse 6 goes on to say, to utter blasphemies against God. Verse 7 of Revelation 13, also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them, and authority was given over given it over every tribe and people and language and nation. John is talking about Daniel's fourth beast. It has ten horns. Daniel's first three beasts are now rolled up into one. John is describing this again, some 650 years after Daniel made his prophecy. And John in the book of Revelation is later going to call this fourth beast Babylon. In Revelation, Babylon is cryptic for Rome. But he's not talking about ancient Rome. Remember, the beast has a healed mortal wound. This is what's stated in Revelation 13. In other words, what was once killed now bounces back. The fourth kingdom is Rome, yes. But it's more. Ancient Rome, in the future, for us, will become an ultimate Rome. It will emerge in our future. And it will amplify all that ancient Rome was. And it will be ancient Rome on steroids. In our future, a fourth beast with iron teeth and bronze claws will wage war against the saints. And Daniel says the hostile world, my friends, is going to get more hostile. Now, if you're going to handle the hostile world as a believer, this is part of handling it. You cannot stick your head in the sand. You must realize it's going to get worse. Satan will be incarnated as a world superpower. This is future to us. Revelation describes this. But in God's judgment, the beast or nation that Satan indwells is going to be instantly killed, virtually without a fight. Both that nation and Satan will be thrown into hell. Revelation 20 describes this. There's no contest. God's people suddenly end up on top. Forever. Final victory is not in Babylon or Medo-Persia or Greece or Rome or a revived Rome. Our hope, my friends, is not in the centers of world power. Not even the United States. Our goal is not to build this world's kingdoms. It is to share in Christ's reign in a new earth. I know that this is probably very mysterious to you. And what's being unfolded in Daniel chapter 7 is confusing. It's not easy to grasp, but I want to beg you to stay with it. Do not get lost here. You may have to listen to this a second time or a third time. Again, you may have to have this Bible passage open before you and listen to this message with an open Bible in front of you and ponder this. You know, I want to illustrate this in a couple of ways. I want you to think about a Super Bowl ring. A Super Bowl win and ring lasts a year. A World Series is up for grabs every October. A Wimbledon champ is crowned annually. Ohio State's 2025 College Football National Championship title is already history. Whoever is on top today likely will not be tomorrow. The winds of this world never last. And that's true even with nations. Back in the fourth century, there was a man named Julian the Apostate. He was a Roman emperor. He hated Christianity and tried to end it. And once he visited a friend in a distant city. And to keep from being recognized, he went in disguise. His friend was a Christian, and Julian Snidley asked his friend, How is Jesus the carpenter doing? And his friend replied, Jesus is building a coffin to bury your empire in. Julian the apostate was on his deathbed fifteen years later. And on his deathbed, he said, Jesus has won. Jesus is building a coffin to bury every kingdom on earth in. And none will survive. Not even if all the nations band together and bring their best and strongest as they gang up on God and God's people. They can never win. My friend, are you worried about what's going on in the world? Where it's going to lead, how it's all going to end? Who's going to win? The message of Scripture is that Jesus has already won. The game is over. And what's more than that, it can never be lost. It never has to be re-won. In addition, he has given all of this victory to you and me. Jesus said, Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Now it may seem like it's all up for grabs. It may seem like we are even losing. But it's not up for grabs. And we're not losing. And my friend, in the final outcome, Daniel is not dreaming. The world is. And one day the world will wake up from its dream, only to learn the horror that it has been on the wrong side. That it has been on the side of the eternal loser. Daniel is sounding the alarm. And he's blowing the trumpet of victory. It all begs us to ask which side are you on?