Interpretation of Daniel's Vision

INTRO

The emphasis of this lesson will be on chapter 7. Daniel was a young man who had been taken from his land by the Chaldeans in the first wave of the deportation coming into Babylon. He was trained for over three years and was still a young man in chapter 7. Daniel actually lived 70 years in captivity. Even though Daniel would spend most of his life in captivity, he made the most of it. Daniel found favor with most of the people. He could interpret dreams because God spoke through him and told him what to say. And his friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were protected by God after being thrown into a fire. These four men were making a radical impact on their community even while they were in captivity.

At the end of chapter 4, King Nebuchadnezzar was praising and exalting God. He was glorifying the king of heaven. In chapter 5, however, a new king entered the picture—King Belshazzar, who couldn’t care less about anything that had to do with the Lord. Constable points out, “Nebuchadnezzar’s pride had led him to behave arrogantly, as Belshazzar was doing by drinking from the sacred vessels of Yahweh—the Most High God.”¹ Belshazzar had taken and used the golden vessels of the temple in Jerusalem (Daniel 5:2-4). Then a heavenly hand appeared and wrote on the wall. Belshazzar trembled in fear. None of his wise counselors could interpret the writing. The king offered to make anyone who could interpret the writing the third highest-ranking official in the kingdom and would also be given purple clothing and a gold chain to wear around his neck (Daniel 5:5-7).

In Daniel 5:10–12 the queen told Belshazzar that Daniel, who had been made the chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners by Nebuchadnezzar and who had been renamed Belteshazzar, could interpret the writing. The queen told Belshazzar to call for Daniel. Daniel’s response was that he would interpret the writing, but the king could keep the gifts. Daniel proceeded to tell Belshazzar that even though he knew all that had happened to Nebuchadnezzar when he refused to acknowledge the Lord God as sovereign, Belshazzar did not honor God. He had taken the goblets from the temple and drank from them (Daniel 5:13-23).

Mene, Tekel, and Parsin were the words that were written on the wall. 'Mene' meant the days of your reign are numbered; 'Tekel' meant you have been found wanting; and 'Peres' (the singular of Parsin) meant the kingdom would be divided and given to the Medes and Persians (Daniel 5:24-28). The king had Daniel clothed in purple and a gold chain put around his neck. He was proclaimed as the third-highest ruler in the kingdom. That night Belshazzar was killed. Darius the Meade became the next king (Daniel 5:29-31).

TEACHING

Daniel 6:1-9: Daniel was promoted again in the reign of Darius and was now one of the top-three administrators. Daniel was the third-highest official for Belshazzar, and now that the Medes had taken over, Daniel found himself as a leading administrator for the Medes and Persians. This chapter about Daniel in the lion’s den is well known. The administrators and satraps manipulated the king to sign a document that everyone was to worship the king. Anyone who worshipped and prayed to anyone or any god other than the king would be thrown in the lion’s den (vv. 1–9).

Daniel 6:11–18: Daniel continued to pray to God three times a day (v. 10). Then these men told the king about Daniel’s praying and reminded the king about the decree. They told the king Daniel was ignoring the decree. Even though the king cared for Daniel and was distraught over what had been decreed he had Daniel thrown in the lion’s den and sealed the den with a stone (vv. 11-17).

Daniel 6:19–28: The next morning the king ran to the lion’s den and called out to Daniel, asking, “Has your God… been able to recue you from the lions?” Daniel replied, “They haven’t hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him.”

Daniel was taken out of the den. In verse 24, the men who made these accusations and their families were thrown in the lions’ den where they were killed. In verses 25–28 Darius made a decree that everyone was to praise Yahweh. This is an account of an earthly king recognizing the living God whose kingdom will never be destroyed.

Daniel 7:1–12: Daniel had a dream in which he had a vison of four beasts. The first beast was like a lion with eagle’s wings. The wings were removed, and the lion was given a man’s mind. This image represented Babylon. The second beast was a bear with three ribs in his mouth, and it represented the Medes and the Persians. The third beast was a leopard with four wings and four heads. This represented Greece.

A fourth beast appeared with ten horns and was terrifying. There was no description of an animal that represented this beast. This beast represented the Roman Empire. In verse 8, there is reference to a little horn. This little horn reference in Scripture was always used as a symbol of the antichrist. This verse represents the kingdom of Satan. But verses 9 and 10 are about the kingdom of God being instituted.

By verse 11, the beast was killed, and its body was thrown into the fire. He was destroyed by the second coming of Christ. The other three beasts were allowed to live for now. MacArthur said, “Ultimate survival will not be possible for the final and revived phase of the fourth empire after Christ’s Second Coming, because catastrophic devastation (cf. 2:25) will utterly destroy it, and Christ’s kingdom will replace it.”²

Daniel 7:13–14: These verses have one of the most beautiful images of the Father and Son working together. The Son was given authority. The kingdom of God will never go away, unlike the kingdoms of the Babylonians, the Medes and Persians, the Greeks, and the Romans. The holy saints will receive the kingdom of God forever.

Daniel 7:21–28: The antichrist wages war against the saints until the Ancient of Days arrives (v. 22). The antichrist will rule for three-and-a-half years, but God will remove the antichrist and destroy him and his empire.

CLOSING

The saints will truly participate with the kingdom of God forever and ever.