History and Visions

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History and Visions

• The book of Daniel naturally divides itself into
  two parts...
• Personal history of Daniel 11-628
• Visions and prophecies of Daniel - 71-1213

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Introduction To Visions

• The second half of the book contains four visions
  seen by Daniel...
• The vision of the four beasts - 71-28
• The vision of the ram and the goat - 81-27
• The vision of the seventy weeks - 91-27
• The vision of the time of the end - 101-1213
• In these visions God reveals many things about
  His purpose and plan in history, specifically
  about the nation of Israel and the everlasting
  kingdom to come.

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Vision of the 4 Beasts Date

• Received by Daniel in the first year of
  Belshazzar king of Babylon (71).
• This would be about 550 B.C., when Belshazzar
  became co-regent with his father Nabonidus.

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The Book of Daniel
A Nation In Captivity
The Time In Which He Lived...
Some key dates to remember
612 B.C. - Fall of Nineveh, capital of Assyria
605 B.C. - Battle of Carchemish (Neco of
Egypt), establishes Babylonian domination
597 B.C. - A second remnant taken to Babylon
586 B.C. - Fall of Jerusalem, temple destroyed
539 B.C. - Babylon falls, first remnant returns
to Jerusalem shortly
thereafter 457 B.C. - A second remnant returns
to Jerusalem 444 B.C. - A third remnant returns
to Jerusalem
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Vision of the 4 Beasts

• Four winds stir up great sea (2)
• 1. The sea probably symbolizes the mass of
  humanity (cf. Isa. 1712 Rev. 1715)
• 2. The four winds of heaven probably symbolize
  the forces God uses to control and even destroy
  (cf. Jer. 4936 511)

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These great beasts, which are four in
number, are four kings who will arise from
the earth Daniel 717
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Babylon Medo-Persia Greece Rome
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Vision of the 4 Beasts

• The four beasts (3-8)
• Lion with eagles wings (BABYLON)
• Babylon is like a lion (Jer. 47 4048
  4919,22 5017,44) and like an eagle (Lam. 419
  Eze. 173 and Hab. 18)
• wings are plucked off
• made to stand on two feet like a man and a mans
  heart given to it.
• May refer to how God humbled Nebuchadnezzar and
  then returned him to power after he repented.

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Vision of the 4 Beasts

• The four beasts (3-8)
• Bear raised on 1 side (MEDO-PERSIA)
• may refer to Persian dominance.
• 3 ribs probably refer to three major conquests of
  the Medo-Persians Lydia (546), Babylon (539),
  Egypt (524)
• Daniels prophetic accuracy fascinates the
  believer, but critics discount it by saying that
  a writer in B.C. 160 would have known about these
  three major conquests.

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Vision of the 4 Beasts

• The four beasts (3-8)
• 4-winged, 4-headed leopard (GREECE)
• four wings rapid conquest by Alexander the
  Great
• four heads kingdom divided by four generals
  after Alexander (cf. chap. 8)
• Daniels prophetic accuracy continues to
  fascinate the believer, but the critics will
  again argue for a B.C. 160 date of writing.

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Vision of the 4 Beasts

• The four beasts (3-8)
• Fourth beast unlike the others (ROME)
• dreadful, terrifying, extremely strong large
  iron teeth, devours, crushes, tramples (Dan.
  240).
• ten horns ten kings (Dan. 724)
• little horn comes up among them three horns are
  pulled out before him eyes like a man speaking
  great boasts.
• This beast is strikingly similar to the beast of
  Rev. 131-10 and 177-18.

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Vision of the 4 Beasts

• The judgment scene (9-14)
• Ancient of Days takes His seat
• books are opened (LIKE final judgment scene in
  Rev. 2012, but NOT FINAL)
• 4th beast (with little horn) is slain and burned
  other beasts lose dominion
• With the judgment against Rome, the world
  empires are put to an end. No world empire arose
  again after the destruction of the Roman Empire.
  I believe this is what John sees in Revelation
  202-3.

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Vision of the 4 Beasts

• The judgment scene (9-14)
• Son of Man receives kingdom
• ascension of Jesus seen from a heavenly view (cf.
  Acts 19)
• dominion (authority) over all peoples (cf. Matt.
  2818 Eph. 120-23)
• everlasting kingdom will never be destroyed
  (cf. Heb. 1228)
• Remember, this everlasting kingdom is
  established in the days of these kings (Dan.
  244).

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Vision of the 4 Beasts

• The vision explained (15-28)
• The overall meaning (15-18)
• the beasts are four kings
• the saints will be delivered from persecutions
  and possess the everlasting kingdom forever
• This is the primary interpretation all other
  details are secondary.

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Vision of the 4 Beasts

• The vision explained (15-28)
• The details (19-28)
• v. 23 fourth beast will devour whole earth
  (ROME)
• v. 24 ten horns are ten kings, and another horn
  will arise after them
• vs. 24-25 little horn is different subdues 3
  kings, speaks out against Most High, wears down
  saints, tries to change times and laws, saints
  given into his hand for time, times, and half a
  time

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Domitian

• Emperor worship began under Augustus in the
  eastern part of the Roman empire, but no record
  exists of him promoting the practice.
• Although Caligula was the first emperor to
  encourage people to worship him as a god,
  Domitian was the first to actively demand that
  his subjects worship him.

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Domitian

• The little horn would try to change the set
  times and the laws (v. 25).
• Domitian had the names of two months changed from
  September and October to Germanicus (his surname)
  and Domitianus (months of his accession and
  birth).
• The calendar went back to the old names
  immediately after Domitians death.

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Domitian

• Domitian also changed many laws. He even changed
  the law about the election of senators, giving
  himself the right to choose every senator.
• His tyrannical and cruel reign was so resented
  that upon his assassination, all his laws and
  decrees were declared void, and all images of him
  were destroyed.

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God, The Revealer of The Future
The Book of Daniel - Chapter 7
To Him Was Given Glory And A Kingdom

• This Kingdom Involves Those In The Church
• The Christians at Colossae - Col 112-13
• The seven churches in Asia - Rev 16,9
• All Christians - Heb 1228
• The Nature of Jesus Kingdom
• His kingdom not of this world - Jn 1836
• Is not a physical kingdom Rom 1417 Lk 1721

Christians are citizens of the kingdom foretold
by Daniel.
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Will You Become A Christian?
Hear the Gospel (Rom. 1017) Believe in Jesus
as the Son of God (Mark 1616) Repent of Your
Sins (Acts 1730) Confess Jesus as Lord (Romans
109-10) Be Baptized for Forgiveness of Sins
(Acts 238) Live Faithfully until You Die (Rev.
210)