February 11, 2008

• Biblical Eschatology Revisited
  
  
  
  A Closer Look at Daniel 7
  
  
  Often the vision in Daniel 7 is used to confirm that there are really
  only four Gentile empires in Daniel 2. However, is this conclusion
  necessary? It is not. There is nothing I’ve found in those verses that
  forces us to come to that conclusion. One of our first clues is that in
  regard to this vision, Daniel is exceedingly troubled about this one as
  opposed to the one in regards to Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, which he was
  not and affirmed to Nebuchanezzar that what God said was true and would
  come to pass. Why would Daniel be troubled if the vision was the same?
  The truth is that … it wasn’t the same… but as we will find, they are
  related.

  So what does correlate between the two? The subject matter concerning
  them both is the destruction of the final Gentile empire. There are to be three beasts that probably relate to something but evidence that is confirmable about them has not been identified although I have heard some conjecture about it. Anyway, given what we will find, these
  first three beasts, at a minimum,  give us a clue to the fourth.  If we focus on
  these beasts to the exclusion of what else is found in Daniel 7, we
  will miss some very important details that we really have no reason to
  be confused about.

  Let’s make a list of some of these important details that was found:

  
  1.    The Fourth Beast of Daniel is the same as the Beast from the sea in Revelation 13.
         a.    It is here that we have the first mention of a terrible beast
  with some remarkable details that students of 
                the book of Revelation
  will notice immediately such as ten horns on its head and boasting /
  blasphemies
                are characteristic of this beast. If we care to compare
  this beast in Revelation 13 to the description of
                the Dragon, in
  Revelation 12:3, we will find a remarkable similarity.  The Dragon is
  definitively described 
                as Satan in Revelation 12:9
  
  2.    This beast will wage war with the saints and overpower them.
         a.    Compare Daniel 7:21 with Revelation 13:7. We can even see that
  Satan is behind this as well. 
                (Revelation 12:17.) If this association
  is correct, these saints are described in further detail in the
                Revelation 12
  passage as “the children of the woman (the woman is interpreted as
  Israel by the context)
                and also described as those “who keep the
  commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus”.
                This is a
  curious description since that isn’t typically how Christians, in
  general, are usually identified.
                This certainly warrants more study.
  
  3.    This Beast will have all the characteristics of the beasts that came before it.
         a.    It is in Daniel 7 that we learn of several beasts coming up out
  of the sea, with each having a different 
               description. one a lion, one a
  bear, and one a leopard. In Revelation 13:2 we learn that a beast that
  
               comes out of the sea will have all of these traits (lion, bear, and
  leopard) in itself.
        
  b.    It may be important to positively identify who the “lion, bear,
  and leopard” are. However, we may have
                enough to identify the fourth
  beast now without that.
  
  4.    The heavenly scene of Daniel 7 looks remarkably like Revelation 4
  & 5. Indeed the chapter seems
         like a very short synopsis of a good
  portion of Revelation.
         a.    Note that Daniel 7:9-14 has a remarkable resemblance to the scene
  and events mentioned in 
               Revelation chapters 4 & 5 with Daniel
  including a comment of the ultimate result of Christ’s second 
               coming
  and the destruction of this beast and what is to follow. Indeed, we
  could almost think we were
               seeing the same event seen from different
  perspectives (Daniel’s & John’s) with different levels of detail.
  
               Compare the two passages and see if this is not so.
  
  5.    Given the focus on the final beast of the four presented, there
  appears to be no conflict with Daniel 
         2’s list of 5 Gentile world
  empires.
         a.    This passage does not have to be in conflict with the previous
  information we received in Daniel 2. Since
                this was after
  Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon had already risen to the world scene, there
  would still be
                four remaining Gentile empires that would come.
        
  b.    Also, there is no compelling reason to line them up exactly with Daniel 2. Some have tried and it did not
                work out well.
  
  6.    The Beast we see here is remarkably destructive.
         a.    We see here that the fourth beast, which has remarkable
  correlation to the description to the one
                revealed in Revelation 13
  will be extraordinarily destructive. See Daniel 7:19. Curiously, could
  this be the
                meaning for the “abomination of desolation” referred to
  elsewhere? Since this beast is an abomination
                because of his boasting
  and blasphemies who would cause destruction or desolation, we can
  easily see
                that it would be appropriate to call it the “abomination
  that makes desolate”. In fact, a key aspect of this
                beast in Daniel is
  that it will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it. If
  we take a look at
                Revelation 17 we find the following:

                These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them,
  because He is Lord of
                 lords and King of kings, and those who are with
  Him are the called and chosen and faithful. And
                he said to me, "The
  waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes
  and
                nations and tongues. And the ten horns which you saw, and the
  beast, these will hate the harlot
                and will make her desolate and naked,
  and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire. For
               God has put
  it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose,
  and by giving
                their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will
  be fulfilled. The woman whom you saw is
                the great city, which reigns
  over the kings of the earth." Revelation 17:14-18 (NASB)

        b.    This destructive bent of the beast will be used by God to work out judgment on the world (i.e. Babylon,
               interpreted by context) and
  ultimately brings the beast to its end. This beast hates the world and
  is
               determined to destroy it and consuming all that is in it. This beast
  is different than most other “conquerors”
               in that it consumes and
  destroys everything. Usually a conqueror will simply take what they
  want and
               subjugate all the rest for their own purposes. This beast is
  just simply a onsumer and destroyer.
  
  7.    The demise of the fourth beast of Daniel 2 and the Beast from the sea of Revelation 13 is the
         same.
         a.    From this, we can conclude that the fourth beast that is
  destroyed and given to the “burning fire” (Daniel
                7:11) is one and the
  same as the beast that comes out of the sea in Revelation 13 and will
  be destroyed
                and thrown into the Lake of Fire. (Revelation 19:20)
  
  8.    At the end of the fourth beast, Christ will reign over the earth along with His saints.
         a.    In both cases of Daniel 2 and Daniel 7, they both agree that
  after this beast is defeated, this last kingdom
                will belong to Christ
  and the saints of the “Highest One”. This, of course, is exactly what
  Revelation tells
                us as well.
  
  9.    We find a correlation between “time, times, and half a time” with
  other scripture to determine it as
         a definitive time period.
          a.    Daniel 7 is the first mention of “time, times, and half a time”.
  In Revelation 12, if we compare verse 6
                with verse 14 we find that
  “time, times, and half a time” is self-interpreted to be 1260 days in
  the whole
                passage. This is because verse 14 appears to pick up where
  verse 6 left off in the description of the
                interaction between the
  dragon and the woman pictured in these passages. Given the subject
  matter and
                its close association to these statements of time, it would
  appear to be well founded to consider that they
                are both the same.
  Along with this, Revelation 13:5, mentions 42 months as the time the
  beast will have
                authority to act. This, of course, will be the same
  amount of time that we’ve been speaking of.
  
  10.    Boastfulness, arrogance, and speaking blasphemies are characteristic of both references to these
           beasts
           a.    We can note the actions of the fourth beast in Daniel 7
  (especially verse 25) with the beast in Revelation
                  13 in that both say
  boastful and blasphemous things against God. (verses 5-7)
  
  11.    We can find an additional correlation to all we’ve found here in
  reference to the man of
           lawlessness in II Thessalonians 2.
           a.    The text here describes the man of lawlessness as…

                  Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the
  apostasy comes first, and the
                  man of lawlessness is revealed, the son
  of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above
                  every so-called
  god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of
  God,
                  displaying himself as being God. Do you not remember that while I
  was still with you, I was
                  telling you these things? And you know what
  restrains him now, so that in his time he will be
                  revealed. For the
  mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains
  will do so
                  until he is taken out of the way. Then that lawless one will
  be revealed whom the Lord will slay
                 with the breath of His mouth and
  bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the
                 one whose
  coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and
  signs and false
                 wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for
  those who perish, because they did not
                 receive the love of the truth so
  as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a
                 deluding
  influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they
  all may be judged who
                 did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in
  wickedness. II Thessalonians 2:3-12 (NASB)

                 Simply reading this text and comparing to what we’ve found above can
  now give us clear indication of a
                 number of new characteristics of this
  “beast” who we’ve now identified as the “man of lawlessness”.

  At any rate, such an analysis can be done by anyone without the need of
  a lot of specialized training so what is being pointed out here is
  nothing particularly special. In fact, it uses the same skills you
  might use to determine which of your children did something when at
  first glance, it doesn’t seem so clear.

  Because the scriptures are unified since they have one source. we can
  properly understand what is related to what and what is not.

  It is hoped that the reader is encouraged to investigate these things
  to ascertain their trustworthiness. As a recommendation, there are two
  things which aid in making a solid determination in matters like these.
  First, it seems to work better if one gathers all the facts before one
  makes conclusions about a matter especially with regard to eschatology.
  Second, politely disregard what other people want to tell you things
  say until you have searched the matter out completely for yourself (and then do it) and
  let the Holy Spirit teach you straight from the text. You do not need
  to be extraordinarily brilliant to do this. Besides the help from the
  Holy Spirit, this works because the Lord has already granted us
  excellent scholarship in translation work of the Bible to the point
  such that only occasional deeper searching into the Greek and Hebrew
  is necessary and usually only to clarify a point. Yet to be fair, every
  now and then there is a real nugget to find in doing this. However,
  more often than not, the Lord has been sufficiently clear in what He
  has written and this is reflected into what has been interpreted. This, of course, presumes that
  you use something like a “word for word” accurate translation like the
  NASB.

  Anyway, as you might guess, there is more to come… Blessings, Mr.Vee

  • 8:25 pm
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