DANIEL - CHAPTER SEVEN


    I.      INTRODUCTION

 

A.   Chapters two and seven, distinguished

 

1.    Chapter two is seen through the eyes of a proud, natural man in all its royalty and splendor.

 

2.    Chapter seven presents the moral characteristics of the four kingdoms as seen through the eyes of God.

 

CHAPTER TWO                                                        CHAPTER SEVEN

 

BABYLON - head of gold                                            lion with wings - v. 4

 

MEDO-PERSIA - arms and breast silver                      bear with three ribs - v. 5

 

GREECE - belly and thighs of brass                            beast like a leopard - v. 6

 

ROME - legs of iron                                                    nondescript beast - v. 7

 

REVIVED ROME - feet and toes of iron and clay          10 horns

 

   II.      THE RISE OF GENTILE POWER (vs. 4-7)


A.   BABYLON (Lion) v. 4

 

1.    Its royalty and conquest (2 wings - swiftness)

 

2.    Its decline during Nebuchadnezzar’s insanity (wings plucked)

 

3.    Its restoration to power (stands as a man)

 

B.   MEDO - PERSIA (Bear) v. 5

 

1.    Three ribs = the kingdoms of Egypt, Lydia and Babylon which she overcame in her rise to power (Bear; an all-devouring animal)

 

2.    Its unification into one nation (Bear on one side)

 

3.    Its rapacious character (devour much flesh)

 

C.   GREECE (Leopard) v. 6

 

1.    Swiftness in conquest (4 wings)

 

Four heads (the division of the empire after Alexander’s death)

 

D.   ROME (Non-descript) v. 7

 

1.    No animal ferocious or powerful enough to describe it

 

2.    It was diverse, yet it incorporated all the bestial powers of the others

 

3.    Its moral deterioration seen as a nondescript

 

E.   REVIVED ROME (10 horns) vs. 7, 8

 

1.    Ten horns (10 federated states of western Europe) cf. v. 24

 

2.    The “Little Horn” (Antichrist) cf. vs. 24, 25

 

3.    Rome has not ceased to exist. She lies dormant, but present.

 

4.    Rome will take on new life during the last days.

 

  III.      THE RUIN OF GENTILE WORLD POWER (vs. 9-12)


A.   Gentile world power will come to an end.

 

B.   It will come to an end with the coming of Christ to reign. (v. 9)

 

C.   When Christ’s Kingdom shall be established, the Jews will come to their rightful place of world dominion. (v. 27)

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  IV.      THE RULE OF THE ANTI-CHRIST (vs. 8-27)


A.   The regulations governing his rise

 

1.    The time

 

a.    In the latter times of Daniel’s prophecy (8:23) and Israel’s history

 

b.    Not until AFTER the rapture (2 Thessalonians 2:2, 3)

 

2.    The territory

 

a.    A Gentile from the realm of the old Roman Empire

 

b.    Rises up out of “the seas” (Revelation 12:1)

 

c.    Since he is the ruler of the people that once destroyed Jerusalem (9:26)


B.   The reign of the Antichrist

 

1.    Comes out of the other 10 horns, the 10 nations (vs. 7, 8)

 

2.    Starts as a small insignificant person who comes out of obscurity (7:20; 11:23)

 

3.    He is marked by great intelligence (eyes of a man and mouth - v. 8).

 

4.    He comes first in peaceable intelligence, and not with force. (Cf. Revelation 6:2; Daniel 7:11, 20; 11:21)

 

5.    His peaceable and intelligent appearance will be superseded by forcible strength. (7:20)

 

   V.      THE RELIGION OF THE ANTICHRIST (v. 25)


A.   He will show himself an atheist. (v. 25; 11:37, 38; 2 Thessalonians 2:4)

 

B.   He will blaspheme God. (7:25; Revelation 13:6)

 

C.   He will persecute the Jews. (7:25) Revelation 13:7)

 

D.   He will establish a new calendar. (7:25)

 

E.   He will be lawless. (7:25; 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 7)

 

  VI.      THE RETRIBUTION OF THE ANTICHRIST


A.   He will lose his empire (7:26)

 

B.   He will be taken at the last battle of the War of Armageddon and finally cast into the “bottomless pit” (7:11; Revelation 19:17-20; 20:10)

 

 VII.      THE RIGHTEOUS KINGDOM OF CHRIST (7:12, 14, 27)


A.   Its characteristics

 

1.    Theocratic in government (Psalm 22:27, 28)

 

a.    Christ, Himself, the ruler (Jeremiah 23;5-8; Isaiah 9:6)

 

b.    Jerusalem the capital (Jeremiah 3:17)

 

2.    Universal peace and righteousness (Isaiah 2:4; Micah 4:3-5)

 

   3.  Restoration of all nature - peace between man and nature (Isaiah 11:6; 65:25; 35:1, 2, 7; Amos 9:13-15)

 

4.    Christianity, the universal religion (Zechariah 8:23; Isaiah 45:22, 23)

 

5.    Unified language (Zephaniah 3:9)

 

6.    Longevity of life (Isaiah 65:20)

 

7.    The fullness of the Spirit (Joel 2:28, 29)

 

B.   Its constituency

 

1.    The resurrection saints (Revelation 20:6; Jude 14, 15)

 

2.    Shall return in glorified bodies

 

3.    Shall dwell in a glorified city (Revelation 21, 22)

 

4.    Shall have part in the oversight of the Kingdom (Revelation 20:4, 6)

 

                                                                      End of Chapter 7