His Kingdom Shall Come ~ Bob Caldwell

Daniel 7:1-8:27

7:14 Then 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 the one Which shall not be destroyed.

The unequalled accuracy of the Bible's prophetic scriptures is one of the reasons that the Bible stands alone as divinely inspired by God. No man or institution of man can claim to hold the ability to know all things -- past, present, and future. Yet God, who created time, space, and matter, not only claims to know all things but proves it by the amazing fulfillment of what He foretells.

We are given an example of this here in Daniel 7 and 8, where we read of the rise and fall of the four greatest empires on Earth. With amazing accuracy, the Babylonian, Persian, Greek, and Roman empires are all described. These prophetic scriptures go on to declare that the Kingdom of God on Earth will be established following the fall of the Roman Empire. In our own time, there has been much speculation and anticipation of the foretold coming of Christ and His Kingdom on Earth. This has been a natural and logical result of Christ's own words and teachings. He exhorted us to watch the "signs of times" or prophesied events in human history that will usher in what Daniel's visions foretell will come to pass at the end of time. 

We are able to more accurately discern the signs of the times because we have access to the complete collection of prophecies given in the whole of scripture. Prophecies foretold of the re-gathering of Israel to their homeland, reoccurring after nearly 2,000 years of exile. The prophesied re-emergence of the Roman Empire can be seen in the development of the European Union of nations. Prophecies foretold future attacks upon Israel by nations surrounding Israel, such as Iran and the former Soviet Union, the prophesied political climate that would give rise to an effort to establish a unified world government ruled by one whom the scriptures describe as the Antichrist, and the severe persecution of the saints prior to the return of Christ.

It is a fact of history that the ancient prophecies that foretold the major events in Israel's history prior to Christ's first coming were fulfilled just as the events prophesied about Christ Jesus' life during His sojourn on Earth happened as foretold. Therefore, it is both logical and evident that the events surrounding the second coming of Christ and His Kingdom will occur as well.

The "Ancient of Days," who Daniel saw in this vision, already knows everything that will be played out in our world. This world's rebellion and rejection of God will one day end in judgment, Christ's Kingdom will come, and His will will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Be ready—for His Kingdom shall surely come.

Daniel 7:1-8:27

Vision of the Four Beasts

1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, telling the main facts.

2 Daniel spoke, saying, "I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. 3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other. 4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man's heart was given to it.

5 "And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: ‘Arise, devour much flesh!'

6 "After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.

7 "After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. 8 I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.

Vision of the Ancient of Days 

9 "I watched till thrones were put in place,
And the Ancient of Days was seated;
His garment was white as snow,
And the hair of His head was like pure wool.
His throne was a fiery flame,
Its wheels a burning fire;

10 A fiery stream issued
And came forth from before Him.
A thousand thousands ministered to Him;
Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him.
The court was seated,
And the books were opened.

11 "I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame. 12 As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.

13 "I was watching in the night visions,
And behold, One like the Son of Man,
Coming with the clouds of heaven!
He came to the Ancient of Days,
And they brought Him near before Him.

14 Then 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 the one
Which shall not be destroyed.

Daniel's Visions Interpreted

15 "I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. 16 I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things: 17 ‘Those great beasts, which are four, are four kingswhich arise out of the earth. 18 But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.'

19 "Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet; 20 and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows.

21 "I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.

23 "Thus he said:
‘The fourth beast shall be
A fourth kingdom on earth,
Which shall be different from all other kingdoms,
And shall devour the whole earth,
Trample it and break it in pieces.

24 The ten horns are ten kings
Who shall arise from this kingdom.
And another shall rise after them;
He shall be different from the first ones,
And shall subdue three kings.

25 He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,
Shall persecute the saints of the Most High,
And shall intend to change times and law.
Then the saints shall be given into his hand
For a time and times and half a time.

26 ‘But the court shall be seated,
And they shall take away his dominion,
To consume and destroy it forever.

27 Then the kingdom and dominion,
And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven,
Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High.
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.'

28 "This is the end of the account. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly troubled me, and my countenance changed; but I kept the matter in my heart."

Daniel 8Vision of a Ram and a Goat

1 In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me—to me, Daniel—after the one that appeared to me the first time. 2 I saw in the vision, and it so happened while I was looking, that I was in Shushan, the citadel, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in the vision that I was by the River Ulai. 3 Then I lifted my eyes and saw, and there, standing beside the river, was a ram which had two horns, and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. 4 I saw the ram pushing westward, northward, and southward, so that no animal could withstand him; nor was there any that could deliver from his hand, but he did according to his will and became great.

5 And as I was considering, suddenly a male goat came from the west, across the surface of the whole earth, without touching the ground; and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. 6 Then he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing beside the river, and ran at him with furious power. 7 And I saw him confronting the ram; he was moved with rage against him, attacked the ram, and broke his two horns. There was no power in the ram to withstand him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled him; and there was no one that could deliver the ram from his hand.

8 Therefore the male goat grew very great; but when he became strong, the large horn was broken, and in place of it four notable ones came up toward the four winds of heaven. 9 And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land. 10 And it grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them. 11 He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down. 12 Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered.

13 Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, "How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?"

14 And he said to me, "For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed."

Gabriel Interprets the Vision

15 Then it happened, when I, Daniel, had seen the vision and was seeking the meaning, that suddenly there stood before me one having the appearance of a man. 16 And I heard a man's voice between the banks of the Ulai, who called, and said, "Gabriel, make this man understand the vision." 17 So he came near where I stood, and when he came I was afraid and fell on my face; but he said to me, "Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end."

18 Now, as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep with my face to the ground; but he touched me, and stood me upright. 19 And he said, "Look, I am making known to you what shall happen in the latter time of the indignation; for at the appointed time the end shall be. 20 The ram which you saw, having the two horns—they are the kings of Media and Persia. 21 And the male goat is the kingdom of Greece. The large horn that is between its eyes is the first king. 22 As for the broken horn and the four that stood up in its place, four kingdoms shall arise out of that nation, but not with its power.

23 "And in the latter time of their kingdom,
When the transgressors have reached their fullness,
A king shall arise,
Having fierce features,
Who understands sinister schemes.

24 His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power;
He shall destroy fearfully,
And shall prosper and thrive;
He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people.

25 "Through his cunning
He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule;
And he shall exalt himself in his heart.
He shall destroy many in their prosperity.
He shall even rise against the Prince of princes;
But he shall be broken without human means.

26 "And the vision of the evenings and mornings
Which was told is true;
Therefore seal up the vision,
For it refers to many days in the future."

27 And I, Daniel, fainted and was sick for days; afterward I arose and went about the king's business. I was astonished by the vision, but no one understood it.

Daniel 7:1-8:27

v. 1 First Year – The book of Daniel is not recorded in Chronological order. It is divided into several sections, typically revolving around some primary vision or dream that Daniel either received or was called upon to interpret. Each of these was recorded by Daniel and probably arranged later by some unknown editor.

the main facts – Daniel is saying that he wrote down the main parts (the things that really matter) of his dream.

v. 2 the four winds of heaven – a metaphoric phrase that simply means "from all directions"

great beasts – The great beasts of chapter 7 mirror the parts of the statue in chapter 2, and refer to the various empires that would control the Middle East.

the Great Sea – the Mediterranean Sea

v. 4 like – The word "like" is typically used to compare something we understand well with something we don't. (Example: The dog jumps like a frog.) The beasts that arise out of sea are not individually a lion, bear, or leopard, but share certain similarities to those animals.

Lion – The lion is a common representation of power, and in this case represents the Babylonian Empire, just as the head of gold did in chapter 2.

eagle's wings – The eagle, another representation or symbol depicting Babylon, was a symbol of swiftness of movement, and loftiness of flight. It is interesting that, in the book of Ezekiel, Babylon is represented by a great eagle that took over a smaller eagle, which was Jerusalem (Eze. 17:3, 7).

plucked off…lifted up…made to stand on two feet like a man – This may refer to Nebuchadnezzar's experience in chapter 4 when God humbled him by taking away his kingdom, causing him to dwell with the animals of the field for a time.

a man's heart was given to it – The word heart here can also be translated as mind. This is essentially what happened to Nebuchadnezzar in chapter 4 after he had been humbled.

v. 5 Bear – The interpretations of these passages are given primarily by an angelic being in verses 16-28, although there is much debate as to how each correlates to history in particular. We know, based on the angel's interpretation that the bear represents one of the future governing kingdoms. Most interpret this bear as representing the Medo-Persian Empire. This would make sense as this was the kingdom that directly followed the Babylonian Empire.

v. 6 Leopard – Represents the third kingdom which followed the Medo-Persian Empire. This likely refers to the Greek Empire formed and ruled by Alexander the Great.

v. 7 dreadful and terrible – awe-inspiring and powerful

exceedingly strong – this beast was stronger than the others

residue – Those remaining or the rest. This kingdom would devour and break into pieces the remainder of the previous kingdoms. This is likely refers to the Roman Empire.

Ten horns – This passage refers to 10 future kings. Some think that this speaks of 10 kings arising from the division of the Roman Empire, whereas others believe that it refers to the diadochi, the "successor" kings of Alexander's empire.

v. 8 Another horn – This refers to a future king that would stand in rebellion against the Lord. Some teach that this refers to Antiochus Epiphanies who was a successor to Alexander, while others believe it to speak of a future world ruler under the authority of Satan. There is also the distinct probability that this prophecy has a dual fulfillment, and that this is referring to both Antiochus and the future world ruler commonly called the Antichrist.

pompous words – boastful. The little horn was exalting himself and blaspheming God

v. 9 Ancient of Days – This is a title given to God. It is only found in the book of Daniel.

Seated – This implies the act of sitting in judgment. The passage that follows speaks of God's judgment on these nations.

v. 10 a thousand thousands ministered to Him – the uncountable number of heavenly beings which surround God's throne

court – again a picture of a judge preparing to pass judgment

the books – This seems to be referring to a record of names and the deeds of those who will be judged in the future at a designated time (also Rev. 20:12).

v. 13 One like the Son of Man – This phrase is used in the scriptures to refer to anyone that is a human being. In this verse, someone bearing the likeness or appearance of a human being will come to God the Father. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ took the name "Son of Man" to emphasize his humanity and to show himself to be the fulfillment of this prophecy.

v. 14 all people, nations, and languages – This indicates the extent of the dominion given to the "Son of Man" (1 Cor. 15:27, 28; Eph. 1:20-23).

Kingdom – This refers to God's kingdom, which began with Christ's coming (Luke 11:20, 17:21) and will culminate in his millennial reign on the earth (Rev. 20:1-6). This corresponds to the Rock which would fill the earth, mentioned in Nebuchadnezzar's vision in Daniel 2:44-45.

v. 15 Grieved – perplexed or confused

v. 16 One…stood by – There was some sort of spiritual, angelic being present with Daniel as he had this vision who would interpret the dream for him.

v. 17 Kings – Here the angel is using a figure of speech in which a part is representative of a larger whole. The beasts do not correspond to kings necessarily, but to kingdoms in general.

v. 18 saints – means separate or holy; refers to the people of God

the Most High – another term for God

Forever – The vision culminates with the establishment of the Kingdom of God that will ultimately destroy all other kingdoms. It is a vision of comfort, promising that the Kingdom of Heaven will last forever.

v. 19 teeth of iron and nails of bronze – These were the strongest metals of the ancient world and were the ones most commonly used to make war. This speaks of the great military might of this fourth kingdom, which adequately describes the Roman military.

v. 21 Making war…saints – This king would proactively fight against the people of God.

v. 22 Judgment – Only the judgment of God can bring an end to the persecution brought about by this little horn. Notes on future chapters will explain how this happened with Antiochus and it is certainly the case with the Antichrist as well.

Possess the Kingdom – The persecution of this little horn will end when the time comes for the saints to take possession of the kingdom. This would have a dual fulfillment as the Jews will reclaim their independence after their victorious revolt against Antiochus, and the millennial reign will begin after God's judgment on the Antichrist and his system as well (Rev. 20:1-5).

v. 23 Whole earth – An exaggeration meant to convey the idea that this empire was far larger than any that had come before it.

v.24 From this kingdom – These 10 kings will come out of the remains of this fourth kingdom. Many debate whether this fourth kingdom is Greece or Rome and do so because both Empires were divided up into smaller competing kingdoms after their fall. Many interpret these 10 kingdoms as being 10 nations that will arise out of a renewed Roman Empire that will develop towards the end of time. It could be that this prophecy has a dual fulfillment as well.

Another – This refers to a king that comes from amongst these 10. Again, may refer to Antiochus IV, but is also foreshadowing the coming Antichrist.

Three kings – It is hard to say which kings these might be talking about, but it may refer to the fact that Antiochus deposed his brother and warred against two of the kings in charge of the Ptolemaic empire which bordered his own to the south.

Subdue – to conquer or take control of

v. 25 persecute – This king will proactively seek out, torture and kill the people of God.

Times – Can refer to any duration of time but is generally thought to be interpreted as years. Thus, this period is generally considered to be a period of 3-1/2 years. This is generally regarded as the amount of time that will pass when the Antichrist will be wielding power over the people of God (2 Thess. 2:1-11), and it seems to be the amount of time that passed during Antiochus's own persecution of the Jews.

v. 26 Take away his dominion – The power of this worldly king will ultimately be taken away and replaced with God's Kingdom. The Jews would revolt against Antiochus and proclaim their independence and ultimately the kingdom of the Antichrist will be taken from him and replaced with Christ's.

v. 28 Kept the matter – He kept the vision to himself and didn't immediately tell anyone of it.

Chapter 8

v. 1 First time – This is referring to the vision that he had in chapter 7 concerning the four beasts. The vision that follows will be an expansion of events described in the previous chapter.

v. 2 Shushan – Also known as Susa, this would ultimately become the capital of the Persian Empire.

Citadel – a fortified palace

Elam – One of the provinces of the Babylonian Empire and, as Daniel was a provincial governor, he may have served as governor there.

v. 3 ram which had two horns – As in the previous vision, each beast represents a kingdom. Unlike the previous one, however, the angel will specifically identify which kingdom is represented by which beast.

Two horns – As we will find out that this beast represents the kingdom of the Medes and the Persians, each of these horns represents the Medan and the Persian empires individually.

One was higher…and…came up last – The second horn that came up later represented the Persians which came to authority after the Medes. It stood higher, because the Persians were more powerful and possessed of more territory than the Medes did.

v. 4 Pushing northward…southward – This indicates that the ram will conquer lands in every direction. It is telling us that the kingdom of the Medes and the Persians will extend in every direction throughout the entire Middle East.

v. 5 A male goat – The angel will tell us in verse 21 that this goat represents the Kingdom of Greece, which would eventually conquer the Medes and the Persians and take control of the Middle East stretching from Greece all the way to India.

From the west – Greece was far to the west of the middle-eastern lands under the control of Persia.

Whole earth – An exaggeration emphasizing the great mass of land that Greece would come to control.

Without touching the ground – This is metaphoric and tells us that this kingdom will not be defeated. It is similar to the modern idiom: "he was brought back down to earth."

notable horn between his eyes – This is interpreted for us in verse 21, where we are told that this is the great king of Greece that would conquer the Persians. We know this to be Alexander the Great.

v. 6 ran at him – Alexander invaded the Persian Empire in the year 332 BC, over 200 years after this prophecy was given to Daniel.

v. 7 moved with rage – The Greeks would come to feel bitter hatred towards the Persians as, on several instances, the Persians tried to invade Greece, killing many of their people and destroying their land. Ultimately, the Persians were always repelled, but the Greeks hated the Persians for it, and Alexander would use that anger as an excuse for invading Persia.

Broke his two horns – Alexander, over the course of 10 years, would systematically take control of each Persian province, without losing one battle.

v. 8 When he became strong the large horn was broken – Alexander died of some sudden illness at the height of Greece's empire. He was not defeated in battle and his empire did not die out by foreign conquest.

In place of it our notable one – After Alexander died, his kingdom was divided up amongst his generals. Although several empires arose from the ashes of Alexander's, most think that the four nations mentioned here were the most powerful of the empires to arise and were to be found towards the four directions. Ptolemy ruled a kingdom in the south, comprised primarily of Egypt; the Seleucid Kingdom was to the East; Pergamum to the north; and the Antigonid kingdom to the West.

v. 9 Little horn…grew exceedingly great – This refers to Antiochus IV who called himself Epiphanies (bringer of light). He was a descendant of Alexander's general Seleucas and ruled over the Seleucid Empire. He is the subject of much of the book of Daniel.

Glorious Land – Israel

v. 10 Grew up to the host of heaven…cast down…stars – This speaks of the pride that would possess the little horn: Antiochus would persecute the people of God and blaspheme him.

Trampled – This speaks of the great disrespect he had for God and his people.

v. 11 Exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host – The "Prince of the host" is God, who is ruler over the armies of heaven. This is saying that Antiochus is going to proclaim himself to be god.

Daily sacrifices – At the time of this vision, there was no Temple in Israel and the Jews were still in captivity in Babylon, but the Persian king Cyrus would eventually allow the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. It would be finished and rededicated in the year 516 BC. Antiochus, who would not come for another 350 years, would take control of the Temple and order that the daily sacrifices to the God of Israel be ended and offered to himself instead.

His sanctuary – God's Temple

Cast down – Antiochus would ultimately erect a statue of himself in the Holy of Holies and would order the sacrifice of a pig on the altar. A pig was an unclean animal according to the Jews, and Antiochus' action was considered a great disgrace.

v. 11 Because of transgression – This is referring to the fact that many Jews would betray their God during this time and side with Antiochus. They would serve in his army and help him seize the Temple.

Oppose the daily sacrifices – This army of traitors would oppose the work of the Temple and force the people to stop offering the daily sacrifices.

Cast truth down to the ground – A metaphor symbolizing the fact that these men disregarded the truth of God and treated it shamefully.

Prospered – At the beginning, Antiochus prospered in his work and was successful in suppressing the truth of the God's people; his successes, however, would not last.

v. 13 Holy one – In this case, this term is used to speak of angelic and spiritual beings.

How long – Here, the angel is asking how long the Temple will be desecrated in this manner.

v. 14 Two thousand Three hundred days – This is referring to the period of time that Antiochus would have control of the Temple, and it would lie in desecration.

Sanctuary shall be cleansed – At the end of this period, the Jews will regain control of the Temple and rededicate it to the Lord. This is precisely what did happen as the Jews, under the authority of the Maccabee brothers, would defeat Antiochus's armies and regain control of the Temple. They would then go through the cleansing processes laid out in the Law (the first five books of the Old Testament) to rededicate the Temple to the Lord. This rededication which would happen in 165 BC would be celebrated from that time forward during the festival of Hanukah.

v. 15 Gabriel – One of two angelic beings mentioned by name in the Scriptures. His job is to explain the vision to Daniel.

v. 23 Latter time of their kingdom – This "little horn" would not arise immediately after Alexander death, but would come a while later. Antiochus would come to power about 150 years after Alexander died.

v. 24 Not by his own power – It is clear here that Antiochus will receive his power from a demonic source. The scriptures teach that a future Antichrist, who is Satan incarnate, will come to possess political authority and do many of the same kinds of things that Antiochus will do (2 Thess. 2). Thus, Antiochus' actions foreshadow those of the Antichrist that will also come to power, also under demonic auspices.

v. 25 Deceit – He would turn people against each other.

Rise against the Prince of Princes – The Prince of Princes refers to the Lord, and this section indicates that this man is fighting against God and is committing the ultimate blasphemy in thinking that he can defeat Him.

Without human means – It will take an act of God to overcome this man. We see this in the miraculous victories of the Maccabees against the Greek armies, which were far larger, better organized, and used more advanced weaponry.

v. 26 Seal up – This vision was not meant to be understood by those then living, because it regarded events in the distant future. Instead it was meant to be a message to the people that would live in the times of the end of the age.

v. 27 Astonished – amazed or shocked by the contents of the vision; in wonderment as to what it could all mean

Prayer Focus

"Then 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 the one Which shall not be destroyed." –Daniel 7:14

We praise You, Lord, for what we find in the Bible. Your Words to us ring with a truth that is not found anywhere else, but more than that, they are proven over and over by the countless prophecy You have given us. Thank You, God, that we can put every ounce of faith into the Bible as Your divine Word spoken to us.