Daniel - Chapter 7

Lions and Bears and Monsters – Oh My!

Daniel – Chapter 7

Review

1. What did we discuss in the Intro lesson?  What’s important to keep in mind as we work through Daniel?
1. This is what Habakkuk was about.
2. Daniel young (15?) when taken into Neb’s training program (after Jerusalem captured)
2. What did we discuss in Chapter 1?
1. God will maintain His remnant; cultural assimilation will not succeed.
2. God provides all – protection, knowledge, war spoils (to Neb), deliverance.
3. What about Chapter 2?
1. Daniel’s God has real power.
2. God has a plan and it involves His kingdom setup for eternity.
4. What about Chapter 3?
1. Our boys know to obey God and He’s who to worry about.  Neb is nothing.
2. Neb is preserved for future use by God.
5. Chapter 4?
1. Neb is a slow learner
2. God has patience to humble even Neb (and us).
6. Chapter 5?
1. Contrast between Neb and B.
2. God judges the prideful.
7. Chapter 6?
1. God delivers again.
2. Daniel is an amazing example of consistency and strength in his faith.

Introduction

1. How did you all do this week reading Daniel?
2. What’s your opinion of Daniel (thus far)?  Easy, hard, straightforward, confusing, basic, advanced, etc?
3. What is your opinion of this chapter?  Easy or lots of questions, difficult and convoluted?
1. Holy Smokes!  It’s such a huge change from the first 6 chapters, which are more historical.
2. I first noticed the time reference of “In the first year of Belshazzar”.  Not only was this just before the events described in Chapter 5 (the writing on the wall), it was before Daniel regained a position of leadership in any empire.  Therefore, Daniel was just a “common man” at this point. 
3. I can’t imagine what Daniel may have thought after he saw the “beast”.  Certainly that must have kept him up and rattled him for a time.
4. Can you group any of these chapters together?
1. I’m looking for potential messages that could have been intended for the Jews of the day?  We said in the Intro that this book was written to encourage the Jews.  Why?  How?  What was said?

Lesson

1. vv. 1 [READ – Dan 7:1] Timeline
1. When – first year of king Belshazzar of Babylon.  What does this mean?

                                                               i.      It’s after Neb leaves the scene.

                                                             ii.      It’s before Daniel becomes part of B’s management team.  Therefore, he was a regular citizen.

                                                            iii.      It was before the writing on the wall and the lion’s den.

2. vv. 2-8 [READ – Dan 7:2-8] Vision 1 – The critters.
1. “4 winds were stirring” (v 2) – Quite a tempest.  Have you ever seen 4 winds?  Doesn’t wind generally come from one direction (more or less)?  When do you see 4 winds or wind coming from every direction?  Tornado, hurricane, etc…
2. “great sea” – This most likely is a reference to the Mediterranean Sea.
3. “4 beasts” – Where have we seen the number 4 before in this book?

                                                               i.      The 4 pieces/phases of the image in Chapter 2 (Neb’s vision).

1.       Head of Gold=Babylon

2.       Arms of Silver=Medo-Persia

3.       Body of Brass=Greece (Greco-Macedonian)

4.       Legs/Feet of Iron (down to the Iron/Clay mix)=Rome

4. 4 beasts

                                                               i.      Lion with eagle wings (v 4)

1.       What does this picture connotate?  Lions are fierce hunters.  What do wings enable (flight, speed).

2.       This alludes to the ability Babylon had of being able to move their armies quickly.

3.       What might the wings being plucked refer to?

a.       Neb loosing his marbles?

b.       Babylon starting the fall, loosing some of their power.  Maybe they fall by starting to loose their speed.  Still powerful, but not quite as quick or agile.

4.       What does the image of the lion standing as a man with a man’s heart point to?

a.       I believe this is Neb’s processing of being humbled, insanity, restoration and eventual conversion.

5.       So, the Lion with eagle’s wings is Babylon and Neb.

                                                             ii.      Bear (v 5)

1.       How is a bear different than our flying lion?

a.       Slower, lumbering, VERY powerful once it gets there.

2.       This is pretty much how the Medo-Persians worked.  They were slow, but they’d take their 300,000 men and wipe people out.

3.       “raised on one side” – The Medo-Persians started as just the Median empire (Darius the Mede), then once he died, his sister’s son was Persian.  They started taking Babylon (Medes), then the Persians took Egypt and the rest of the Babylonian empire.

4.       The “3 ribs” are likely these phases/groups that they over-ran: Babylon, Egypt and the rest (some think this may be Lydia).

5.       Who wiped them out?  Not Greece.  God.  In a storm. (Through the Bible with J. Vernon McGee, McGee, vol 3, pp 570)

                                                            iii.      Leopard/Panther (v 6)

1.       4 wings – great agility and speed.  Possibly twice as fast as Babylonian armies, which history would probably back up.

2.       4 heads – divisions of Greece when A the G died.  4 generals under Alex divided up the areas because they felt they couldn’t keep it all under control.

a.       Cassander took Macedonia

b.       Lysimachus took Asia Minor

c.       Seleucus took Syria – This is where the “little horn” came out of (Antiochus Epiphanes who tormented Jerusalem)

d.       Ptolemy took Egypt.

3.       Alexander the Great ruled during the beginning.

4.       This empire was in power mostly in the time between the Testaments.

5.       Leopard = Greece and Alex the Great.

                                                            iv.      10-horned monster thing. (v 7)

1.       Dreadful and terrible and exceedingly strong with iron teeth and 10 horns.

2.       Given in separate vision.  Significant?

3.       Iron teeth.  Significant?  I think it strengthens the relationship to the Iron part of Neb’s image he dreamed.

4.       10 horns and 10 toes.  Significant?  What did we say the 10 toes and the fragmented (iron and clay) part of the statue meant?

a.       Some empires would be strong, some weak, but there would be many (10) divisions of what used to be the Roman empire.  No one actually “conquered” Rome.  It just kinda fell apart.  Those 10 divisions/kingdoms would be where the Antichrist would arise from.

5.       Note, the horns, like the toes are not a separate empire but they emerge FROM the initial empire.  The horns emerge FROM the beast and are not separate entities from the beast.

6.       As the 10 kingdoms are part of or from the Roman empire, who might they be?  Who are they likely NOT?  (the second is an easier question to answer.)

a.       USA?

                                                                                                                                       i.      Probably not.

b.       China?

                                                                                                                                       i.      Probably not.

c.       Australia?

                                                                                                                                       i.      Probably not.

d.       South American countries?

                                                                                                                                       i.      Probably not.

e.       Africa

                                                                                                                                       i.      Parts, yes.  Egypt, possibly.  Others, especially more southern, probably not.

f.        Etc, etc, etc.

7.       What does the “little horn” represent?

a.       It’s some entity (which we need to define) that uproots some (3) of the other kingdoms and establishes themselves over them.

b.       Is the “little horn” another kingdom?

                                                                                                                                       i.      It’s probably a person as it speaks and says great things (which gives the impression of at least a little intelligence)

5. What do you think the Mediterranean (as the great sea) represents?

                                                               i.      The world.  If the critters represent empires, the sea represents the world, society, all people.

3. vv. 9-12 [READ – Dan 7:9-12] Vision 2 – Critters 0, God 1
1. “the Ancient of days” – who is this?  God. (v 9)
2. “garment was white as snow” – alludes to?  His holiness, perfection, righteousness. (v 9)
3. “hair of His head like the pure wool” – refers to?  His infinite wisdom. (v 9)
4. “throne was like the fiery flame” – His judgment. (v 9)
5. “His wheels as burning fire” – He never tires, He’s always active.  His endless power. (v 9)
6. V 10 – picture of God’s Heaven.  His attendants, the books (Judgment? Book of Life?)  Most reference this to Rev 5:11-14, the setting of the judgment after the Great Tribulation and Christ’s return to establish His kingdom on earth.
7. V 11 – The “little horn” gets loud and mouthy, but he doesn’t last long.  God slays him and sends him to the fire.
8. V 12 – Each empire, or the philosophies or peoples they represent, get an opportunity to exist a while longer.
4. vv. 13-14 [READ – Dan 7:13-14] Vision 3 – Jesus on the scene
1. V 13 – Jesus is presented before God.
2. V 14 – Jesus receives all power, places, people…to establish His kingdom, on earth, that will not be destroyed.
5. vv. 15-27 [READ – Dan 7:15-27] The Interpretation
1. v 15 – Daniel was troubled in spirit, disturbed in his mind.  Yeah.  I think I might be too.
2. V 16 – Daniel leans over and talks to whoever is there next to him…  Daniel gets a privilege that few others get.  A chance to CONVERSE with a Heavenly being, an angel.  Others received info, news, instructions, etc.  Daniel was allowed to talk freely and question.  Amazing.
3. v 17 – The critters represent the empires, but they also represent the kings, therefore:

                                                               i.      Lion with eagle wings = Babylon and Neb

                                                             ii.      Bear = Medo-Persia and ???

                                                            iii.      Leopard/Panther = Greece/Macedonia and Alex the Great.

                                                            iv.      10-horned monster thing. = Rome and ???

4. Who are “the saints”?  Israel?  New Testament saints?  Baptists?

                                                               i.      In Daniel’s terms, he was probably referencing the Israel remnant.  The “Church” doesn’t exist at this time.  Daniel never makes reference of it.

                                                             ii.      However, this could be extended to other believing Christians, including OT believers, NT believers, Jewish, Baptist, Catholic, etc believers.

5. What kingdom are they taking?

                                                               i.      The same one that we’ve been talking about – this is a reference to the earthly kingdom that Jesus will setup on His second arrival to earth.

6. V 19-20 – The beast is nothing but ferocious.  It tramples everything in its path.  It breaks and devours things that resist it.  This was Rome.  They managed to build an empire of groups that hated them.  They were able to squash any resistance (think Jews, Sanhedrin, Pilate, Jesus).
7. V 21 – The little horn is (again) the Antichrist and will make war against Christians (whoever is here).  He’ll do well against them too.
8. V 22 – But Christ will be able to defeat the Antichrist.  Pure and simple.
9. V 23 – This verse, with 17, restates that the images represent both the kings and kingdoms.  This is logical.  Most are associated together.  Even today, we (or at least the media) tends to blur countries and their leaders together.  Jacques Chirac may be a moron, but it doesn’t mean all Frenchmen are.  All Americans were not as Bill Clinton is any more than we’re all like Bush.  However, we associate them together.  It’s done in the Bible and it’s done today.
10. V 24 – Where the verses talked of the “little horn” as a kingdom uprooting 3 other kingdoms, now it’s a king that will subdue 3 other kings.
11. V 25 – The Antichrist will be quite a talker.  He’ll blaspheme, but he’ll be good at it.  He’ll rise against the saints.  He’ll make laws and practices change.  He’ll “wear out” the saints.  He’ll rule for 3½ years.
12. V 26 – The Antichrist’s judgment will stay.  It will happen.  He will be judged, slain, and thrown into fire.  He’ll only rule until that time.
13. V 27 – Christ’s kingdom, the kingdom of the saints, will then be established and it will never be defeated.  All peoples will obey Christ.
5. vv. 28 [READ – Dan 7:28]
1. Daniel reacts

                                                               i.      Greatly alarmed (normal reaction, I’d think)

                                                             ii.      Face grew pale (also a normal reaction)

                                                            iii.      Kept the matter to himself (not such a normal reaction)

Summary

1. What’s your key verse?
1. v 14
2. What period are we in?
1. The nasty beast…somewhere.  We don’t have the 10 kingdoms yet, but certainly 75% of the prophecy has taken place in broad terms of the empires that have passed.
3. There are many relationships and similarities to Revelations that should be explored.  Feel free to do this.  I’d be happy to hear insights.
4. How do you feel about the “beast”?
1. It’s a scary thing.  In fact, all the critters are.  But our God is bigger.  He’s got a plan that He’s had for a long time.  He knows what’ll happen every day and He knows the end.  He’s got it all planned out.
5. Daniel is given some amazing insights and privileges.  Why is that?  Other than the assumption that “God wanted to”.
1. Daniel lived a good life.  Not perfect, but VERY good.  He stayed faithful to God in all sorts of situations.  He trusted God for everything in rough situations.  God rewarded that submissiveness with deeper relationship insights to Him.
6. How does knowing this happened during B’s reign (when Daniel was a commoner) affect the Lion’s den story?
1. I think it would give Daniel SO much more confidence and security in the future.  He knew what was going to happen.  He knew that whatever kings he faced wouldn’t be there long and that God would rule forever.

Print | posted on Monday, August 08, 2005 6:30 PM |