Daniel 7:9 “While I kept watching, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was white like snow, and the hair on his head was like the whitest wool. His throne was flaming fire; its wheels were blazing fire. Daniel 7:10 A river of fire was flowing, coming out from his presence. Thousands of thousands served him; ten thousand of ten thousand stood before him. The court was convened, and the books were opened. Daniel 7:11 “I watched, then, because of the sound of the arrogant words the horn was speaking. As I continued watching, the animal was killed and its body destroyed and given over to the burning fire. Daniel 7:12 As for the rest of the animals, their dominion was removed, but a prolongation of life was granted to them for a certain period of time.
The kingdom of the Ancient of Days
The judgment scene described in Daniel’s dream is similar to that described when Jesus returns, but the difference is that nations are being judged, not individuals in this court. The animals are symbols of empires that dominate during periods of history. The kingdom of the Ancient of Days will overcome all earthly kingdoms, and his rule will be permanent.
Daniel 7:1 In year one of Belshazzar King of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions appeared as he was lying in his bed. He wrote down the dream, and here is the beginning of his account. Daniel 7:2 Daniel said, “In my vision at night I was watching, and suddenly the four winds of the sky stirred up the great sea. Daniel 7:3 Four huge animals came up from the sea, each different from the other. Daniel 7:4 “The first was like a lion but had eagle’s wings. I continued watching until its wings were torn off. It was lifted up from the ground, set on its feet like a mortal human, and given a mortal human mind. Daniel 7:5 “Suddenly, another animal appeared, a second one, that looked like a bear. It was raised up on one side, with three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up! Devour much meat.’ Daniel 7:6 “After this, while I was watching, suddenly another one appeared. It was like a leopard with four wings of a bird on its back. The animal had four heads, and it was given dominion. Daniel 7:7 “After this, while I was watching in the night visions, suddenly a fourth animal appeared, scary and dreadful, and incredibly strong, with large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed, and it trampled with its feet whatever was left. It was different from all the animals before it, and it had ten horns. Daniel 7:8 “While I was considering the horns, suddenly another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. And suddenly in this horn, there were eyes like the eyes of a mortal human and a mouth that was speaking arrogantly.
given dominion
All we know about Daniel’s dream at this point (before the angel begins interpreting it in verse 17) is that four ferocious animals appear in sequence, and each of them represents a kingdom that is “given dominion” (verse 6). The superpowers that rule the world today have been given dominion by the same supreme being — the one responsible for Daniel’s vision. He wants them to know that they are not sovereign. Their power depends on him.
That message is a comfort to those of us who often feel like pawns of the powers that be. We are anxious because there is so much chaos and so little control. The big powers seem to devour, crush and trample with immunity. When such things happen, it is nice to know that God has a plan and that a greater power is coming — not from the sea of humanity, but from the clouds of the sky. When his dominion comes, it will stay.
Daniel 6:25 Then King Darius wrote to those of every people, nation, and language who live on the whole land: “May your prosperity abound. Daniel 6:26 I issue a decree that in all my royal dominion, people must be scared and tremble before the God of Daniel: You see, he is the living God, and he endures permanently; his kingdom will never be destroyed, and his dominion has no end. Daniel 6:27 He rescues and delivers; he performs signs and wonders in the sky and on the land because he has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.” Daniel 6:28 So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
prosperity that matters
The reason Daniel prospered was that he had been rescued by the living God. His fame and notoriety were a result of his deliverance by God. That is the only kind of prosperity that matters.
Daniel 6:19 At the first light of dawn the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. Daniel 6:20 When he stepped up to the den, he cried out in anguish to Daniel. “Daniel, servant of the living God,” the king said, “has your God, whom you continually serve, been able to rescue you from the lions?” Daniel 6:21 Then Daniel spoke with the king: “May the king live permanently. Daniel 6:22 My God sent his agent and shut the lions’ mouths; they haven’t harmed me, because I was found innocent before him. And also before you, Your Majesty, I have not done harm.” Daniel 6:23 The king was overjoyed and gave orders to take Daniel out of the den. When Daniel was brought up from the den, he was found to be unharmed, for he trusted in his God. Daniel 6:24 The king then gave the command, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the lions’ den – themselves, their children, and their wives. They had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
the first light of dawn
Daniel’s recovery from the lion’s den was a day of great rejoicing for the king and Daniel, but it was also a day of great sorrow and condemnation for his enemies. As such, it gives us a glimpse of the great coming day of reversal for all those committed to Christ. The first light of dawn of the coming new age will find all true believers in Christ rejoicing over our rescue. It will also find all the enemies of Christ weeping in sorrow and gnashing their teeth in anger as they await their own judgment and destruction.
Daniel 6:16 Then the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you continually serve, rescue you!” Daniel 6:17 A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den. The king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles so that nothing in regard to Daniel could be changed. Daniel 6:18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting. No distractions were brought to him, and he could not sleep.
Daniel stayed the course.
Daniel served for over 70 years as a loyal official in a foreign government, yet he never lost his loyalty to God. His loyalty was tested even in his old age. What could possibly have gone through his mind when he was taken, and violently thrown into the den, into what was obviously meant to be certain death? Should he pray? He got into this by praying. Should he trust God? He was here because he had trusted God. Should he rant against the king? He had never lost his loyalty to the king. It was just that the edict of the king was superseded by a higher edict. Daniel stayed the course.
LORD, when we face the greatest challenges of our faith, help us to stay the course. You will not let us down, because when we represent you, your reputation is at stake.
Daniel 6:14 As soon as the king heard this, he was very displeased; he set his mind on rescuing Daniel and made every effort until sundown to deliver him. Daniel 6:15 Then these men went together to the king and said to him, “You know, Your Majesty, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no edict or ordinance the king establishes can be changed.”
law and innocence
What do we do when the law of the land puts the lives of the innocent in danger? Like Darius, we need to make every effort to rescue them. Some will gloat that the law is the law and there’s nothing we can do. But the same prayer life that Got Daniel into trouble would see him through it. God was still on his throne. He can intervene when there is nothing we can do.
Daniel 6:10 When Daniel discovered that the document had been signed, he went into his house. The windows in its upstairs room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before. Daniel 6:11 Then these men went as a group and found Daniel seeking out and imploring his God. Daniel 6:12 Then they stepped up to the king and asked about his edict: “Didn’t you sign an edict that for thirty days any mortal human who petitions any god or mortal human except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions’ den?” The king answered, “As a law of the Medes and Persians, the order stands and is irrevocable.” Daniel 6:13 Then they replied to the king, “Daniel, one of the Judean exiles, has ignored you, the king, and the edict you signed, for he prays three times a day.”
why Daniel prayed
Daniel prayed because God was more real to him than Darius and his arbitrary rules, God is the ultimate reality and his commands are the ultimate guide to life. Kings and their laws will come and go, but God’s kingdom and rule is forever.
Daniel 6:6 Then the high officials and satraps went together to the king and said to him, “May King Darius live permanently. Daniel 6:7 All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects, satraps, advisers, and governors have agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an edict that for thirty days, anyone who petitions any god or mortal human except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions’ den. Daniel 6:8 Therefore, Your Majesty, establish the edict and sign the document so that, as a law of the Medes and Persians, it is irrevocable and cannot be changed.” Daniel 6:9 So King Darius signed the written edict.
establish the edict
The enemies of Daniel and his God have finally gotten their way. Darius has signed the edict. Satan is quite pleased because now God’s people cannot obey him without breaking human law. If God is merely an idea, that idea will disappear. But if the God behind Daniel’s religion is real, his power will manifest.
Brother or sister, don’t be discouraged if the law is not on your side. The deliverer is.
Daniel 6:1 Darius decided to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom, to be throughout the realm, Daniel 6:2 and over them three high officials, including Daniel. These satraps would be accountable to them so that the king would not lose power. Daniel 6:3 Daniel distinguished himself above the high officials and satraps because he had an extraordinary breath, so the king planned to set him over the whole realm. Daniel 6:4 The high officials and satraps, therefore, kept trying to find a charge against Daniel regarding the kingdom. But they could find no charge or corruption, for he was trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was found in him. Daniel 6:5 Then these men said, “We will never find any charge against this Daniel unless we find something against him concerning the law of his God.”
looking for dirt
Daniel was a target from the beginning of Darius’ reign. People were looking for dirt on him so that they could discredit him and replace him. Particularly, they wanted to find evidence of negligence or corruption. But they could find none. Eventually, they discovered that the only way to discredit him was to discredit his religious principles — the law of his God.
We need a generation of leaders who are so committed to Christ that their integrity is impeccable. We also need men and women who are strong enough to withstand an attack against the commands of Christ which they are keeping. Evil people will be looking for dirt. May their only charge against us be that we are consistently obedient to Christ.
Daniel 5:24 Therefore, he sent the hand, and this writing was inscribed. Daniel 5:25 “This is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. Daniel 5:26 This is the interpretation of the message: ‘Mene’: God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end. Daniel 5:27 ‘Tekel’: you have been weighed on the balance and found deficient. Daniel 5:28 ‘Peres’: your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” Daniel 5:29 Then Belshazzar gave an order, and they clothed Daniel in purple, placed a gold chain around his neck, and issued a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. Daniel 5:30 That very night Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans was killed, Daniel 5:31 and Darius the Mede received the kingdom at the age of sixty-two.
found deficient
Belshazzar lost his kingdom and his life because he was found deficient. An unseen hand (like the hand that wrote on the wall) had been weighing him. An hourglass was signaling that his time was up. A judgment at the resurrection will determine our permanent destiny. But there is also a judgment going on right now to determine how many days we are allotted in this life. We are all on death row, waiting to see how long we actually have.
Is there anything we can do to prolong our days alive? There appears to have been something Belshazzar could have done. He could have invested in a different kind of life, a life of honor and integrity, compassion and mercy. But he did not live that kind of life. He was found deficient.
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