July 7, Daniel 7
In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter. - Daniel 7:1
Most of us have a disturbing dream from time to time. Maybe we blame that last slice of pizza or the problem we had on our minds when we went to bed. But we know what it's like to awaken with a start and be afraid or confused.
I mentioned in an earlier chapter that I almost never remember my dreams the following day. I wonder if I need to do what I've heard of other people doing who want to remember their dreams. They keep a tablet and pen by their bed, and write down what the dream was about when they first wake up from it instead of hoping to remember it the next day.
Daniel 7 is about Daniel, who by God's gifts was able to interpret the troubling dreams of Babylonian and Persian kings. But this time, the interpreter was the one who had the troubling dream and vision. Daniel got up when he woke up from his dream and wrote a summary of it, just as folks advise us forgetful dreamers to do these days.
Dreams were one way God spoke to people in Bible times in both Old and New Testaments. Even the pagans put great stock in the significance of dreams. Their kings kept advisors who were supposed to be able to interpret them.
Daniel’s dream alarmed him. During the vision experience, he approached "one of those who stood there," and asked to know the meaning of his dream. He had dreamed about four beasts who must have looked like fierce monsters, based on his own account. He also had a vision of the Lord God, the Ancient of Days, sitting on his throne, and the judgment and destruction of the beasts. He saw the Son of Man, Christ the Lord, come before the Ancient of Days to receive a kingdom of worldwide dominion and glory that would never pass away or be destroyed.
Daniel's inquiry of the one who stood there in the vision reminded me of Peter's statement that no prophecy of Scripture ever came through someone's private interpretation. The dream was similar to Nebuchadnezzar's dream back in Daniel 2, and revealed the same four successive kingdoms that came to power. As in the king's dream, Daniel also saw the establishment of a new kingdom in the days of that fourth empire, that would never pass away or be destroyed. The storyline and images of Daniel's dream are also like the images in Revelation of the beast, its defeat by the Lord, the eternal judgment at the throne of God. Both Daniel’s dream and John’s Revelation assured God’s people that God was still on the throne, firmly in control.
The record in Acts and the epistles in the New Testament certify that the kingdom Daniel saw established in the days of the fourth empire was in fact the church, the new Israel of God in Christ. It began on Pentecost when Peter and the other apostles preached the gospel and 3,000 responded that day in faith, repentance and baptism. When the New Testament writers wrote about the conversion experience of the disciples, they described those new obedient believers as already in the kingdom of God. Paul said the Colossians were in the kingdom. The writer of Hebrews wrote that followers of Jesus are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Peter spoke of faithful Christians' reward as an entrance into the eternal kingdom. As the gospel spread, so did the kingdom's borders, wherever people became followers of Christ. The ultimate fulfillment of Christ's kingdom dominion will occur when every eye sees and every knee bows and every tongue confesses that Jesus is Lord.
Daniel dreamed of some of the foundational doctrines of God's true kingdom. The complete sovereignty of Christ, the universal final judgment and the reality of eternal punishment for God's enemies are all here in Chapter 7.
I'm so thankful for the sure word of God that proclaims these and other foundational doctrines to us in language we can understand. The Bible reveals God as a gracious God who wants to save and bless every one who will turn to him. He will deal with all the evil and all his enemies. We should never be content to be strangers to the powerful word of God.
Copyright © 2024 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today in God's Word—July 2024
East Tallassee Church of Christ
Comments