Reformed Church, Bellville: Sunday 7
December 2003 Morning Service
Our help is in the Name of the Lord who made heaven and earth.
Beloved, grace and peace be with you from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ through the mighty working of God the Holy Spirit. Amen
Psalm of praise: 89:1+11
Confession of faith
Ten Commandments
Psalm 40:4
Prayer
Psalm 2:1
Scripture reading: Daniel 7
Text: Daniel 7:10
"The
court was seated, and the books were opened."
Daniel's vision tells us that when God vests His kingdom on earth He
will bring to an end all earthly dominions.
In this sermon we consider the issue of power and rule that Daniel saw
in his dream and with it what is to happen up to the last judgment.
1.Four mighty rulers appear
2.God judges these powers
3.The Lord gives all dominion to the
king of the church
1.Four mighty rulers appear
The fact that the creatures seen are called beasts shows that they are
heathen peoples/powers as there are more examples in the Bible where
heathen peoples are compared to animals.
- In Ezekiel 29:3 Pharaoh is called a great monster lying in the
Nile.
- In Isaiah 27:1 the powers of the world are called Leviathan the
coiling serpent (compare also Isaiah 51:9 - the monster that was
killed).
The first beast seen by Daniel was like a lion which had the wings of
an eagle.
- But as he was looking the beast underwent a miraculous change -
something or somebody tore off its wings.
- Thereafter the lion was lifted onto its hind legs so that it
stood
upright like a man.
- The two-legged animal then received the heart of a man.
- This is figurative language saying that the beast received
intellect
like a human.
- The beast somehow received understanding and insight like a
human
(Daniel 4:16).
The Bible does not tell us who the four kingdoms emerging from the
earth are. All we can infer is that during the reign of the first
(lion) a measure of amelioration will occur.
- Then the second beast emerges from the turbulent sea into the
wind.
- The second power, bear, emerging is very aggressive.
- It looks like a bear lying on its side and apparently eating
something
because between its teeth there are three ribs which it had torn from
its prey.
- This symbolizes the voraciousness and cruelty of this beast.
Especially because someone told it to get up and eat much flesh.
- The third beast looked like a leopard.
- There is a striking difference between this beast and an
ordinary
leopard because this animal has four heads and four wings.
- It receives authority to rule. The fourth kingdom (fourheaded
leopard)
rules the entire world. It is the first ruler that shall rule the whole
world.
- That is the meaning of the four heads - each one probably faces
a
different direction.
- This beast has wings. Wings always symbolize speed. The four
wings of
this animal represent the terrible speed with which this kingdom acts.
It is clear that beasts seen by Daniel are not real animals. They are
symbolical representations. They are in fact people.
- The fourth beast was a strange monster.
- It was not given a name or a
typical description like the first three beasts. All that is told of
this creature is that its appearance was dreadful and that it was
extremely strong.
- It had iron teeth with which it devoured all that it came upon
and had great feet with which it trampled all it did not devour.
The Lord also allowed the apostle John to see this beast. Listen to
what he saw:
"And
the dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming
out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads with ten crowns on his
horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. The beast I saw resembled a
leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a
lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great
authority." (Revelation 13:1-2)
The fourth beast represents the empire in power when the Lord Jesus
appears on the clouds.
- The Bible depicts that empire as having complete dominion over
all the
earth.
- Its expansion will be driven by a desire for conquest aimed
literally
at dominion over all people on earth.
- All people will eventually be forcibly subjected to the rule of
this
beast.
The beast seen by Daniel and John was different from the other three
because it furthermore had ten horns. These horns were purely
ornamental whereby he emulated the fullness of God.
- He received all his power and authority exclusively from the
devil.
- The fact that he was called a beast was to signify symbolically
that
this ruler had the characteristics of an animal - so bad and base he
had sunk.
The empire of the fourth beast at first has no single ruler.
- The ten horns on the head of the fourth beast represent ten
figures of
power who would rule together over this empire.
- The empire would come into existence from political
relationships. The
fact that these figures of power are numbered ten, symbolises their
wish to act as though they had as much power as the Lord.
While Daniel was observing the beast a little horn appeared among the
other horns. Three of the other horns were pulled out by the roots to
make room for it.
- This little horn engaged Daniel's attention, for it was not just
an
ordinary horn.
- It had eyes and a mouth like a man.
- From this description we can gather that this beast represents
a
person uttering terrible things against the Lord and the faithful.
2.God judges these persons
While Daniel was contemplating this vision, the scene changed before
his eyes.
- In his dream he saw preparations being made in heaven for a great
session of the Court of judgement.
- In a throne chamber a number of thrones were arranged in
preparation
for the session.
- In the middle of these One who has eternal life took His seat.
- There is no indication of who sat on the other thrones.
The Lord appeared as the Eternal One. In closely translated Bibles He
is called "the Ancient of Days", the literal translation.
- The image of age is to show reverence towards the person and also
to
represent the tranquility of God's majesty.
- It furthermore conveys that the Lord lives eternally - He does
not die.
- The majesty of the Lord is further emphasized by the presence of
the
angels before the throne of the Eternal One:
"Thousands
upon thousands were attending Him and myriads upon myriads
were standing before Him." (v10)
In Daniel's vision the throne of the Eternal One was ablaze with flames
and rested upon wheels of burning fire. From the throne a river of fire
flowed out before Him.
- It is truly important that we understand why the throne of the
Lord in
this vision is ablaze with flames, because there are other passages in
the Bible in which the throne of the Lord is revealed as consisting of
a variety of gemstones variously named in different translations. In
others it is described as having a rainbow
around it. (Ezekiel 28, Rev 4:3)
The reason is as follows:
- In other descriptions the emphasis falls on conveying the peace
and
glory of the Lord's governance in the hereafter.
- In this description the emphasis falls on the judicial power of
the
dominion of the Lord in effecting judgement. Fire is the symbol of
justice and of judgement and of destruction. (Ezekiel 1:15-28)
The Court session commenced immediately. The court was seated. The
books were opened.
- The books were opened to check the names written in them so that
those
whose names are omitted from them can be judged and sentenced
immediately by the Eternal One. (Isaiah 65:6; Malachi 3:6, Psalm 56:9)
The very first person on whom sentence was pronounced was the fourth
beast. More precisely, the little horn who uttered blasphemous and
boastful things against the Eternal One and His saints.
- The final judgment of the world will intervene in the course of
time,
because the end judgment comes during the last phase of earthly time,
the "half time" referred to earlier. With it the Lord reveals how it
will come about that the anti-christ is checked before fully executing
his evil plans.
- It was not revealed just how this would come about.
- All that the Lord very clearly revealed is that the last
judgment
would concentrate upon the little horn which would continue to curse
and blaspheme against the Lord.
- This destruction was not temporary. It was forever and ever,
final. He
was sentenced and burnt. No sign of the anti-christ would remain for
all eternity.
3.The Lord gives all dominion to the
King of the church
While Daniel kept looking at these visions, his eye was drawn to the
appearance of someone else coming upon the clouds of heaven.
- This Being resembled a person, a Son of Man and He came up to the
Almighty Judge sitting on the throne of flames.
- Daniel sees how He was presented to the Eternal One but does not
say
who did so.
There is no doubt whatsoever about who the One is that came on the
clouds and received the kingship.
- Jesus Christ quoted these words in telling the disciples who He
was.
(Matthew 26:64; Mark 14:62; Acts 7:58; Rev 1:13; Rev 14:14)
It is striking that the Lord's actions suddenly are loving and kind.
- To the one who resembled a Son of Man He gave dominion, glory and
kingship over all peoples and nations and men of every language.
- This kingship is everlasting and will never end. All people and
nations and men of every language will serve Him by honouring and
worshipping Him.
- Together with that we will receive grace, because that will bring
to a
close the time of tribulation and persecution awaiting us.
- This will indeed be more than merely bringing to a close the
foregoing
period, because with the bestowal of eternal kingship on Jesus, we also
enter upon our new home: the Kingdom of God.
Where the opening of the books of the Lord will bring severe misfortune
upon the anti-christ, it will bring us, who truly believe, the most
wonderful grace.
- We are pardoned and exempted from the Lord's judgment through the
redeeming merit of the Son of Man.
- The suffering He underwent on earth, especially on the cross,
then
comes to full fruition in us; we live for ever with Him.
After the Lord has destroyed the anti-christ, He immediately reverses
the roles of all concerned. The saints of the Highest One now reign.
Daniel heard form the angel what the Lord would do with the faithful.
Just before they had been persecuted, then they became rulers in a much
greater kingdom than that which the anti-christ had held under his
sway. They receive power over all kingdoms under the whole of heaven
(ie. on earth).
The kingship is given to the saints of God for all eternity. This
refers back to verse 14. But there is a difference.
- In the first part of the vision Daniel saw that the kingship was
bestowed upon the Son of Man.
- When the angel explained what had happened, he said that the
kingship
had been given to the saints of the Highest One.
There is no real contradiction between these statements, because the
New Testament explains the matter.
- The moment when the kingship is bestowed upon Jesus Christ, all
His
saints share with Him to all eternity in its governance.
- The saints of the Highest One are the elect who will reign with
Christ
for all eternity (2 Timothy 2:12 and Rev 22:5).
- Together with Christ we will then reign over all of God's kingdom
(vv
13, 14, 18, 26).
- There will no longer be any power offering resistance to the
saints.
- There will be much love and peace, because the entire kingdom
will be
willingly and wholeheartedly subject to this government.
What are we to make of all these things in Daniel's vision? We must
interpret world history and evaluate the utterances of spiritual
leaders of our time in the light of this vision. The time of the first
three beasts has already passed. We are now already probably living in
the time of the fourth beast, because the apostle John also saw him
(Rev 12:18-13:2).
- The cunning of the anti-christ can easily mislead us into
participating in his world empire - which will, of course, bring upon
us endless miseries at the time of judgment if we fall for his plans.
- That is why these revelations which Daniel received have been
given us
not merely to increase our knowledge regarding what will happen in the
end times. It is also to warn us not to become involved in any way with
the forces of the beast.
In our day there are very definitely views which wish to involve us as
believers with such anti-christian forces. Think, for instance, of the
question of regarding all religions as equal.
- This is no longer merely a distant possibility. As a result of
laws which have been enacted we are already involved in the process. It
has
been established as a reality in our country.
- The level-pegging of religions can mean only one of the following:
- Either all idols are exalted to be equal to the Lord;
- Or the Lord is degraded to be as inconsequential as the idols;
- Or God and idol are made out by man to be identical.
There is a very strong but false religious movement which is gaining
ground in our time. It is the belief that man is part and parcel of
Deity -in fact, that God is constituted of the sum total of everything
we know (holism). This belief teaches the equality of God and man.
- We are called upon to persevere in the true and honest faith. We
must
be scrupulous in our worship of the Triunal God.
This chapter in the Bible shows our congregation the way ahead very
clearly.
- There will be fearful tribulations awaiting us believers.
- We could
quite easily experience some of these, for we live in the time of the
reign of the fourth beast.
- We must be so well prepared for this
persecution that we do not lose our faith when pain and suffering come
upon us.
- We must live victoriously, because the Lord reveals clearly that
our
future does not lie in pain and defeat.
- Our future lies in the eternal dominion of the kingdom of God.
- This kingdom will come after the Lord has ended the oppression
by the
anti-christ.
We have a source of very great comfort. We are exonerated from the
Lord's judgment through the redeeming merit of the Son of Man. The
suffering He underwent on earth, especially on the cross, comes to full
fruition in us - we live forever with Him.
- Beyond the earthly life with
all its imperfections and brokenness, such as hatred and blood and
murders, lies the perfect and richly hued kingdom of the Eternal One.
- There we will no longer be enslaved by our sins or the sins of
others -
such as, for instance, the anti-christ.
- There we will reign and be of such perfection that no evil or
misery
will ever again be able to establish a grip on us.
When the Judge sits and the books are opened we enter forever into the
eternal glory of God's kingdom.
Amen
Closing prayer
Closing Psalm 68:1+15
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you,
and be gracious to you; the Lord lift His countenance on you, and give
you peace. Amen
Dr M.J. du Plessis
Reformed Church Bellville
7 December 2003
Quotations from NIV