Bible study with Dr. Chuck Missler
QUICK RECAP OF PREVIOUS CHAPTERS
- The last 6 chapters (Daniel 6-12) are prophetic chapters.
- Those chapters are not written in chronological order.
- Daniel 7-8 occur between Daniel 4-5.
- After the lions' den, Gabriel gave Daniel visions of Daniel 9. - Daniel was from the tribe of Judah.
- Daniel 2-7 were written in Aramaic because the focus of those chapters were on the Gentile world. This is huge because almost everywhere else in the Bible is portrayed from the lens of Israel, God's chosen people, through whom the Messiah was brought forth!
DANIEL 7 IS ALSO KNOWN AS...
4 Visions and the Great Sea
(The Great Sea is the Mediterranean.)
The Times of the Gentiles (Luke 21:24)
This period starts with Nebuchadnezzar and ends with the Antichrist. This period is not to be confused with the Fullness of the Gentiles.
THE FOUR BEASTS ARE FOUR KINGDOMS (Daniel 7:2-12)
Daniel 7:2
Wind = Spirit
Sea = Mass of humanity, aka, the background from which God brings up the four beasts; could be taken literally and symbolically
Note that for each beast, dominion was given to them. By who? By God. None of these kingdoms rose to power on their own. They rose to power because God allowed them to do so. From history, we tend to think each nation conquered the previous one, but here, we see that God gave each one over to the next.
Beast 1: like a lion with wings of an eagle (Daniel 7:4)
Babylon -- Gold (Daniel 2:38)
Beast 2: like a bear with three ribs between its teeth (Daniel 7:5)
Persia -- Silver (Daniel 2:39)
Three ribs: Babylon, Egypt, Lydia -- The three nations Persia conquered to establish their empire (Isaiah 13)
A bear is stronger than an eagle: The Persian Empire was greater than the Babylonian Empire -- Persia filled 2.5 million men in its army. Cyrus won many battles without a fight. Just the sheer presence of him was enough to force his opponents to flee.
Beast 3: like a leopard with 4 wings and 4 heads (Daniel 7:6)
Greece -- Bronze (Daniel 2:39)
The leopard is fast-moving. The way Daniel described its movement is that it moves so fast, it doesn't even seem like it touches the ground (very much like the goat in Daniel 8:5).
The speed at which Alexander the Great conquered the world was astonishing. He conquered most the known world in just a few years. At age 29, he was said to have fallen into his bed crying because he feared that there was no more worlds left to conquer.
The 4 heads: When Alexander died, his kingdom was handed over to his 4 generals.
Beast 4: ten horns and the little horn (Daniel 7:7-12)
Roman Empire -- Iron + Clay (Daniel 2:41-43)
DANIEL IS CONFUSED ABOUT BEAST 4 (Daniel 7:19-25)
Daniel had no trouble deciphering the first three beasts because most of them were fulfilled (Babylon and Persia) and another was on the horizon (Greece). However, he had a lot of questions about the fourth beast.
Daniel used animals to describe the first three beasts but not the fourth. He was so confused about it, he couldn't even come up with a relevant animal idiom for this fourth beast. He just calls it "the great and terrible and strong beast" (Daniel 7:7).
How is this beast diverse from the ones before? Instead of taking advantage of the nation before it, this empire will destroy the nation before it.
Babylon did not destroy Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar, instead, took advantage of the best Jewish boys (including Daniel, see Daniel 1) and trained them to serve on his staff. The Persians did not destroy Babylon and maintained Jerusalem. Cyrus took Babylon without a fight and took pride in honoring the religion of the Jews by allowing them to go back to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple. Greece also did not destroy its predecessor, with Alexander the Great even making Babylon his home. The Roman Empire, however, took a completely different approach. The Roman Empire took pride in what they could destroy. They tried to wipe out those that stood before them (Daniel 7:7).
THE LITTLE HORN IS THE ANTICHRIST (Daniel 7:8-12)
Horn = Power
The little horn comes out among the ten horns. The little horn comes out with authority.
"This horn had eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth that spoke boastfully" (Daniel 7:8)
The Little Horn represents a boastful man (Daniel 7:8, 11)
This horn represents a man. This little horn destroys the first three (most likely because they didn't go along with his plan).
This horn has a mouth speaks great things: he is a boaster. He is always shooting off his mouth. He is Mr. Big mouth.
On a side...
Ephesians 3
Matthew 13
Why are the 24 elders mentioned in Revelation and eluded to here (Daniel 7:9) but not mentioned anywhere else in the Old Testament?
Jesus revealed something about the foundation of the world to his disciples in Matthew 13, something that the Jews did not know before Jesus's revelation. Paul tells us in Ephesians 3 that it was his unique privilege to reveal something that was previously not revealed in the Old Testament: The Church!!
Daniel 7:9
The thrones of the elders are eluded to here but the elders are not visible. The elders represent the Church. This pattern of speaking about the Church BEFORE the Church was revealed is consistent throughout the Old Testament: Since the Church is a Mystery to Old Testament Jews, any mentioning of the Church in the Old Testament is by indirect reference.
The Little Horn will conquer the three previous beasts (Daniel 7:12)
The three beasts will be relieved of their dominions, most likely through military conquer by the fourth beast. The fourth beast will be relieved not by military force but by divine judgment. The three beasts that are relieved will be allowed to live for a time. (This is a deeper study, which I will not elaborate on here. However, I will point those interested to Job, Matthew 25, and Revelation 1.)
The Little Horn will prevail against the Tribulation Saints (Daniel 7:21)
The Antichrist will go against the saints and prevail against them! This should be shocking to us especially knowing about the promise given to us by Jesus in Matthew 16:18.
"And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it."
Jesus said of the church that the gates of Hell will not prevail against the Church!
We see also that in Revelation 13, the Antichrist will overcome the saints.
Is this a contradiction? Only if we assumed all saints are in the same bracket! That is, only if we believed that the Rapture occurs after the Tribulation! This belongs to another detailed teaching, so I point those interested in this discussion to these posts:
http://aletheia-seekers.blogspot.com/2012/04/rapture-and-tribulation.html
http://aletheia-seekers.blogspot.com/2011/10/mystery-of-rapture.html
http://aletheia-seekers.blogspot.com/2011/07/misunderstandings-about-rapture.html
Why would Jesus say "No man born of woman is greater than John" (which is emphasizing that John the Baptist was greater than Moses, Abraham, and other great Jewish patriarchs), but in the next breath say that "He that is least in the kingdom of Heaven is greater than John"? (Matthew 16:18)
What does that mean?
Matthew 11
Luke 16:16
The Law and the Prophets were until John! John the Baptist closed the Old Testament period! That is, we see Jesus here making the distinction between groups of saints. There are distinct differences between the Old Testament saints and the New Testament saints.
Types of Saints
- Old Testament saints
- New Testament saints = the Church
- The Tribulation saints
This passage sheds light on the idea that the Church will not go through the Tribulation. Why? Logic. Jesus promised the Church that the gates of Hell will not prevail against it. Yet, during the Tribulation, those who follow Christ will be overcome by Satan and his Antichrist. The only way for this to work would be that the Church is removed, or raptured, PRIOR to the Tribulation.
The Little Horn will form and rule a global government (Daniel 7:23)
This is not hard to envision. Terrorism mocks borders. The development of nuclear weapon requires global supervision. Our economy is already tied globally today. Just look at the world today, and we will find plenty of clues that point toward a global government.
The Little Horn will rule for 3 1/2 year, 42 months, 1260 days (Daniel 7:25)
Cf. Daniel 9:27, 12:6-7; Revelation 11:2-3, 12:14, 13:5
This also requires a deeper teaching, and I'll point interested readers to my notes on Revelation.
This period of time is emphasized and re-emphasized throughout both the Old Testament and the New Testament, making this the most documented period of time in the Bible. It is clear that this is a very literal and real 1260 days.
The Little Horn will be thrown into the Lake of Fire (Daniel 7:10-11)
The Antichrist will boast great things, but he will get his due. He will be tossed into the Lake of Fire.
God's reign will never be destroyed. These beasts, these kingdoms, are all powered by Satan. (My notes on Daniel 10 elaborates on this.)
When Satan boasted and tempted Jesus with his earthly kingdom, Jesus didn't challenge this claim. It wouldn't be a temptation if this claim was not true! This same temptation will be offered to the Antichrist, but unlike Jesus, he will accept it (Revelation). Bad, bad choice.
Saints will rule over all the Heaven (Daniel 7:27)
Saints will rule over all the Heaven, not the Earth, and Jesus's reign will last forever.
From this point on, the language of the Book of Daniel reverts back to Hebrew. The rest of the book continues to be prophetic, but the focus returns to Israel (Cf. Revelation 13).
On a side note, the same four beasts that Daniel talked about in Daniel 7 are also listed in Revelation 13 BUT IN REVERSE ORDER. Why? Because John is looking back in time whereas Daniel was looking forward!
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