Anxiety and Armageddon - Daniel 7

Cody Hale

Thriving in Babylon • Sermon • Submitted 3 months ago • Presented 3 months ago

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Introduction

We live in the information age. You literally have more processing power in your hand than the Pentagon had just a short time ago. Throughout the day, my phone dings with celebrity divorces and political scandals and human atrocities and wars in places I’ve never even heard of. You scroll FB, and you see obituaries and people fighting and missing persons. Half of the notifications I receive seem to be about serial killers or corruption.

That’s why I call my phone the bad news machine. It seems like the more information that I have, the worse the news really is and the scarier the world is. It’s no secret that we live in the most anxious time in history. But, what if the reason is not that people are weaker, but they’re thrown constant and overwhelming bad news around the clock. And then, they’re told to raise a family and trust God. Humans weren’t designed to know all of the bad news all around the world all the time.

God’s Word

And, that’s why I think we can really relate to Daniel. Daniel is high up in the political machine of Babylon when we get to chapter 7. Nebuchadnezzar has died, and Belshazzar has succeeded him. And, he doesn’t have a fraction of the wisdom that Neb had. So, Daniel has more information than the average bear, and all the information he’s getting is bad. And, the chapter opens with him having trouble sleeping and closes with his declaration of anxiety. But, Daniel 7 is a prophecy related to Armageddon and the end times, and it’s intent is to give Daniel better information than what he has so that he can have rock solid hope in a anxious age. That is, God uses these end time prophecies to help zoom us out to see the Big Story so that we can The Storyline of Hope: (Headline)

Nations “rage.”

Daniel 7:2–8 “Daniel declared, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another. The first was like a lion and had eagles’ wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it. And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side. It had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, ‘Arise, devour much flesh.’ After this I looked, and behold, another, like a leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it. After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were be…”

Daniel 7 actually takes place chronologically before Daniel 6. So, this happens before Persia takes over Babylon, and there’s nothing encouraging about what Daniel sees. Remember that we saw in Daniel 1 that Daniel had been studying Jeremiah’s prophecies, and Jeremiah had said that the exile was going to come to an end. So, you can imagine Daniel as he sees the foolishness of Belshazzar and think of his life as a politician in exile that he’s hoping, longing, anticipating that exile will soon end. But, Daniel can’t help but worry, the same man who defied the king’s diet and slept with the lions, is worried about the future. He’d always been able to look at the big picture, but here he struggles. Will God actually bring him home?

Be “prepared.”

And so, God interrupts the tossing and turning of Daniel’s sleep with a dream that gives Daniel his answer. It’s going to get worse before it gets better. The “stirring up (of) the great sea” amounts to the chaotic and unpredictable scene of world politics. The nations will continue to “rage.” From the sea, four beasts arise. The four beasts represent four kings and empires that will “rage” across the earth. It starts with where Daniel is. Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon are often described throughout scripture and history as “a lion and an eagle.” But, there will be another empire, Persia, that will devour Babylon like a “bear.” “Bears,” like Persia are of enormous size and ferocity. The third, it is largely agreed, represents the Greeks and Alexander the Great, who will storm across Persia with the speed and blood-thirst of a leopard with wings. The “four heads” of the beast point us to the four divisions of Greece that will remain after Alexander’s death. And, the fourth and most terrifying beast yet represents Caesar and the Roman Empire. Rome is not even described as an animal like the others because it’s unlike anything that’s been seen. It’s a beast that’s formed out of iron, not flesh.

Each succeeding empire, each surpassing generation is getting worse. That’s what you need to see, and there’s a climax coming. The spirit of Rome will carry forward across all generations, that’s the significance of the ten horns in my opinion, and it will climax with a ruler, the Antichrist, who surpass all other dictators in his intellect, arrogance, and ferocity. That’s the horn that begins small, but rips up three from it’s roots. The “eyes” on the horn indicate his observation and intelligence, and the “mouth speaking great things” reveals both his blasphemous arrogance and his charismatic persuasiveness. And so, God is telling Daniel, and us, to be prepared for the days of exile.

Be “realistic.”

Now, this seems like an interesting vision to show an anxious man, doesn’t it? This is like locking someone in a box who struggles with claustrophobia. The Lord is insisting on Daniel seeing the totality of the situation and to recognize that it’s not going to be better on the earth for a long time. That is, the Lord never instructs his people to put their heads in the sand and to pretend like bad isn’t happening. The answer to anxiety is not to pretend like things aren’t bad. You have to face it, and you ought to expect it. But, then you have to see that it fits into a bigger picture. That’s what’s happening with Daniel.

But, you ought not just see that the nations rage, if you’re going to have solid hope, you must also see that…

God “reigns.”

Daniel 7:9–12 ““As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened. “I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.”

The seas are churning. The nations are raging. Daniel is worrying. But, what is Almighty God doing? He’s taking “his seat.” There’s no pacing. There’s no handwringing. There’s no anxiety in heaven. There is just the Lord seated upon his throne maneuvering the the annals of history toward his glory. That’s a picture for an anxious heart.

God isn’t like the “nations.”

There’s a contrast set here for Daniel between who God is and who the nations are. The nations are described as “beasts.” That is they’re so depraved, so immoral that they have been dehumanized. They are nothing like God intended them to be. It’s not a long jump from there to the perspective of naturalism today that believes all of us are just intelligent animals. But, the Lord’s “clothing was white as snow.” He is holy, righteous, and without fault. The nations run according to their appetites for blood and conquest. But, the Lord’s hair is “like pure wool” because He reigns with wisdom. The nations believe they can go and do as they please without giving an account, but from his throne a “stream of fire” is issued in judgment from which none of them will escape. The nations come and go and devour one another, but He is the “Ancient of Days” that existed before they were and lives long after they’re gone.

God is in “control.”

That is, the message of this apocalyptic vision is the same as all of Daniel: God is sovereign. God is reigning. God is in control. It’s the “four winds of HEAVEN” that churn the seas from which the nations come forth. God is in control. Eight times in Daniel 7 the word “given” is used. Two of those are in verses 11-12. The nations and kings are “given” their strength and their might. But then, they are “given” an expiration date. They are “given” judgment. And, they are “given” into the hand of the Messiah. God is in control. He was there in the beginning, and He will be there in the end.

That’s solid hope for an anxious generation. We’re anxious because we’re not sure what tomorrow will brings. Anxious hearts always live in tomorrow. We don’t know what Iran will do. We don’t know what our president will do. We don’t know what our wife will do. We don’t know what our kids will do. We don’t know what our boss will do. We don’t know what our health will do. But, here’s the point: We know what God will do. He will put an expiration date on the rage of the nations and the suffering of the age. He will take away the “dominion” of our enemies. The nations rage, but God reigns! This is the main point of this passage, and this is the main point of the book of Daniel.

In fact, God makes clear to Daniel that a greater king than Neb or Darius or Alexander the Great or Julius Caesar is coming. The exile will end, and we’ll know that…

Jesus “rules.”

Daniel 7:13–14 ““I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.”

“Who” the Messiah “Is.”

Daniel’s new anxiety was due to how poorly the Kingdom was being run. He saw it up close and personal. That’s probably a lot of your anxiety, too. So, the Lord gives him new insight into the King that’s coming. And, we know that this is a description of Jesus as our King because Jesus told us that it was in Mark 14:61-62. In fact, “Son of Man” is Jesus’ favorite way to refer to himself during his ministry. And so, who is He? He’s really God. That’s the significance coming “with the clouds of heaven.” Psalm 104 and Isaiah 19 say that God uses the “clouds as a chariot.” And, John opens the Revelation in chapter one by saying that it’s Jesus who will return by “coming with the clouds.” So, our new King is God! The sovereign Almighty who sits upon the throne. And, our king will also be “like a son of man.” He’ll be one of us. He’ll live among us. We’ll be able to touch his face. That is, He’s really God, and He’s really coming. And, we’ll really be able to see him. That’s the point.

“What” the Messiah “gets.”

And, the Messiah will be “given” what all the nations have been “raging” for. Every nation, people, and tongue will be beneath his rule. And, his rule will be unconquerable and unending. There will be no threats and no term limits. Peace time will be for all time. Prosperity will be eternal. Finally, there will be a kingdom for which there is no expiration date. And, the Good News is that it’s built, led, and secured by your King.

That is, the promise to David is going to be kept. Exile makes you worry that God won’t keep his promises. But, God is showing Daniel that He’ll keep every word. And if, God keeps his promises to David through Jesus, then He’ll keep his promises to you through Jesus. Your bad news machines want to convince you that you’re in peril. Exile makes you wonder if God can be trusted. That’s why your heart races and your chest tightens. But, you can see Jesus even more clearly than Daniel could. Look at him. Look at his resurrection. And, remember that God has proven that He will keep every promise to you. Your exile will expire, but his Kingdom never will. You will prosper. You will be healed. You will stop suffering.

And, that’s what brings us to the real application of this passage. It’s a single point, but it’s well made and it’s much needed. The nations rage, but God reigns and Jesus rules SO….

We’re “okay.”

Daniel 7:21–25 “As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them, until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom. “Thus he said: ‘As for the fourth beast, there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all the kingdoms, and it shall devour the whole earth, and trample it down, and break it to pieces. As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise, and another shall arise after them; he shall be different from the former ones, and shall put down three kings. He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time.”

The “bad” won’t “last.”

The emphasis of this passage seems to be that God’s children will not miss the tribulation. That is, we’re not going to be sucked into the sky before it gets bad. Virtually, no Christian believed that for the first 1850 years of the church. No, it says that the Antichrist will, in fact, make “war with the saints” and even “prevail over them.” But, the point is not even the suffering that the church will face. Suffering has been the norm for the people of God for as long as there’s been an exile. That’s the expectation. The point is the time limit. “A time, times, and half a time.” That is, a mere thee and a half years, and it’s going to turn. Whether that’s literal or symbolic, it doesn’t matter. It means the same thing. The bad won’t last. Oh, it’s hard. It’s scary. It’s anxiety provoking. It’s oppressive. It’s exhausting. But, there’s an “UNTIL”! God is coming for us. The King is coming for us. Sin and suffering are on the clock. Anxiety is coming to an end.

What is it today that has you convinced that you’re not okay? Are you struggling with the trauma of your childhood? Are you still searching for the approval of your Father? It won’t last! One day, you’ll be really home with your true Father. Are you struggling with sending your kids to a world that preys upon them? It won’t last! One day, you’re children will lay with the lions as though they’re stuffed animals. Are you struggling with the grief from the loss of a spouse or a parent or a friend? It won’t last! One day, you’re tear ducts will dry out and grief will be displace with the security of never knowing loss again. We’re okay, church. We’re okay. The bad won’t last, but the Kingdom of God always will.

The “glory” won’t “end.”

Daniel 7:9 ““As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire.”

Daniel 7:18 “But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.’”

Daniel 7:26–28 “But the court shall sit in judgment, and his dominion shall be taken away, to be consumed and destroyed to the end. And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.’ “Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly alarmed me, and my color changed, but I kept the matter in my heart.””

You see, to calm Daniel’s anxious heart and to calm our anxious hearts, God turns to the last page of the Big Story. And, here’s Daniel who has served in the courts of two godless kings with more to come. And, do you see what the Lord shows to Daniel? In the presence of the Lord this very day, there are myriads and myriads of “thrones” not yet occupied. And, when the “Son of Man” comes riding on the “cloud,” He will come to give to his church their rightful thrones. Today, we possess exile and suffering, but then we will “receive” and be “given” and “possess” the Kingdom forever, forever and ever!” That is, God reigns, Jesus rules, and we rule with them.

Right now, the Christian life looks like a cross, but there’s a soon coming day when it will look like a throne instead. We’re going to more than okay. We’re going to be co-heirs and co-rulers forever. There’s an expiration date on the suffering we know today, but the glory that is to be received will never expire. Read the end of the book, and be sure that you’re going to live happily ever after.

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