INTRODUCTION
Isaiah 59:14-16 (NKJV) – Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. So truth fails, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. Then the LORD saw it, and it displeased Him that there was no justice. He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor; therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him; and His own righteousness, it sustained Him.
When Truth is fallen in the street; stumbled in the public squares, trampled underfoot or thrown away as rejects then justice is turned back. But turn back to what? The first thought is turning back to lawlessness and anarchy! People are left to their own devices. There’s a possibility of disorder and revolution. Righteousness stands afar off. Righteousness cannot be seen. It is sidelined. It is lost and out of sight! And the result would be unrighteousness! There will be secrets; lies and more lies. Equity cannot enter – “everyone does what was right in its own eyes.” Whatever happens to morality and ethics? The result is the INCREASE IN IMMORALITY and UNETHICAL PRACTICES – the rise of injustice, racism, partiality, and unethical decisions. He who departs from evil makes himself a prey – those who try to get away from evil, who wants to uphold righteousness will be hounded at, laughed at, and even be in danger for his life!!PERSECUTION, PROSECUTION, and INCARCERATION. There was no justice – injustice displeases the Lord. “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” (2 Chronicles 16:9). There was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor – Isn’t that a rebuke from the Lord? In the midst of all the injustices, lawlessness, unrighteousness, and immorality, where are the prayer warriors?
We need to stand in the gap, stand between the porch and the altar, and plead before our God. Righteousness exalts the nations. Let us get on our knees and pray to God as sons and daughters of righteousness through our Lord Jesus Christ. Church, let’s pray!
LORD, WHY DO YOU CASUALLY LOOK AT WRONG?
Habakkuk lived during a terrible time of national suffering: destruction and violence on a vast scale, perhaps at the hands of the Chaldeans, a ruthless people bent on world conquest, with no regard for any rule of law.
Habakkuk’s Complaint: Habakkuk has seen great horror and he flings this violence and perverted justice at God and demand for an account of His silence (1:1-4). In essence, he asked God: why do you casually (indifferent, relaxed) look at wrong? In spite of his emotional outburst, his demand for an answer, his lamenting, and railing, and a near despair he didn't stomp off. Instead, he climbed up to a high tower to watch and wait for God to answer (2:1). And an answer finally came. Those who care about righteousness have to accept the timetable of God, have to take the long view, and have to give God room to work out His purpose in a manner and with wisdom beyond our own. We have to live by faith.
Accepting God’s Timetable: We have to accept the timetable of God. His way is higher than ours and His thought is higher than ours. God is sovereign and He is still on the throne. He has the final say and He decides at any finality! We have to take a long view. We have to look beyond the immediate and the present. We need to see with the eyes of God – seeing the end from the beginning. We have to give room for Him to work out His purpose – something that is even beyond our wisdom to understand. He is God and He knows all things! We need to trust in God for that. That is living by faith. That is tenacity of faith!
Climb the Tower and Wait: The book of Habakkuk has more to say about the tenacity of faith than the answers to the prophet's complaint. It took faith to accept that answer, of course, but it took a different kind of faith to expect an answer at all, to expect to hear from God in the first place. We see the character of faith not so much when God proposes a certain way of looking at the problem of evil and the prophet embraces it. We see the character of faith when Habakkuk climbed the tower to wait for a word to come to him, believing God will speak, precisely when God has been silent for so long (Hab. 2:1-2). There was tenacious faith; fierce belief and foundational trust. It is betting his life that there is a God who may appear to be but is not absent, not complacent, not indifferent and not incompetent. It is betting his life that there will be a trustworthy and effective word from God even if he should have to wait for it until the day he dies.
THOUGH THE FIG TREE DOES NOT BLOSSOM
Habakkuk 3:17-19 - Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places.
We read the account of Habakkuk and all we hear is the gloom and doom! There seems to be nothing good happening but disasters instead. There were no fruits in the vine, the field did not produce any food, the flock is cut off from the fold and there is no herd in the barnyard! There can be no worse situation in one’s life than this. Nothing seems to be happening and nothing seems to go right. No amount of labor and hard work has yielded any results. He was on the brink of poverty! The attitude of Habakkuk is one who possesses a tenacious spirit. His tenacity outflows from the fierce supposition and foundational faith he has in God. He possesses a positive faith-attitude. He declared that even though all around him seems to be nothing but deadness yet he will rejoice in the God of his salvation. He declared that the Lord is his strength. He declared that the Lord will come through for him. He refused to believe otherwise. What did he believe in? Habakkuk believed in the strength of God. He said that the Lord will make his feet like deer’s feet, that is, the Lord will give him the strength to overcome, will give him the strength to experience victory. He believes that the Lord will make him walk on his high places, that is, a place of greater testing and responsibility perhaps, but it will be a place of greater authority too. That is where he will experience victory. That is where he will rule and reign with authority.
Waiting, watching and praying at the high tower has a way of changing us inside out – giving us a new perspective and helping us see the endgame! Habakkuk started off with “Lord, why do you casually look at wrong?” but ended with “though the fig tree does not blossom….yet I will rejoice in the Lord.” What a change!
GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE
If I were to ask you what images you have of God what would they be like? If I were to ask you to imagine the kind of God you put your faith in what would be the answer? These are important questions to ask yourselves today because how you view God will affect how you will play out your role in this present world. You and I live in a very hostile world, not that we are under oppressive rule yet, but under the subtle and oppressive ideologies, worldly pressure that seeks to squeeze us into their mold and to their follies, and hidden agendas of religious & racial persecutions
Let me quote Carl F. H. Henry in his book “Twilight Of A Great Civilization” where he described very appropriately the kind of world we are living in and the condition of Christians who are in danger of a relapse into paganism: “We are steeped in the anti-christ philosophy – namely, that success consists in embracing not the values of the Sermon on the Mount but an infinity of material things, of sex and status – that we little sense how much of what passes for practical Christianity is really an apostate compromise with the spirit of the age. Our generation is lost to the truth of God, to the reality of divine revelation, to the content of God’s will, to the power of His redemption, and to the authority of His word. For this loss, it is paying dearly in a swift relapse to paganism. The savages are stirring again; you can hear them rumbling and rustling in the tempo of our times.
Christians would do well to understand that how they view God will determine how faithful and committed they are to him. In Daniel chapter 7, Daniel wants to help you enter into his visionary world and see for yourselves the majestic, all-powerful God called the Ancient of days. He wants you to see His Son Jesus Christ – one who is given all power, glory, and authority. I pray your heart will be encouraged, your mind will be enlightened, and your faith will be steadfast as we explore three great themes in this vision of Daniel together. God is still on the throne.
SOVEREIGN CONTROL OVER HUMAN HISTORY
God’s people should continue to trust in God and remain committed to him because he is in sovereign control over every human history.
Interwoven into this apocalyptic narrative is the hand of a Sovereign God in absolute control over historical events. The kings and kingdoms of the earth serve the purposes of the Sovereign God. To the first beast (4): “…the wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground and was raised on two feet like a man, and the heart of a man was given to it.” It implicitly implied that God gives to him the power to rule. To the second beast (5): “…and it was told, ‘Arise and eat much flesh!’” It is obvious that God is in control of his action. In verse 6 the Most High gave the third beast the authority to rule. The fourth beast has only a time, times, and half a time, indicating a brief time period (25b) to continue in his arrogant rule before the Ancient of Days judge him and destroy him. God’s sovereignty is seen throughout the apocalyptic narrative of Daniel’s visionary world. The understanding of the vision as given to Daniel is that earthly kingdoms come and go. The fate of the kings and kingdoms is sealed by the Sovereign hand of God, the Most High, the Ancient of Days and the eternal Judge (11-12).
The description of the Ancient of Days befits the majestic, powerful Sovereign God in control. He has a throne flaming with fire and its wheels were all ablaze (9). His clothing was white as snow, his hair white like pure wool (9). There is a river of fire flowing and coming out from before him (10a). Daniel sees masses of people standing before him (10b) and in the latter interpretation, it is the saints worshiping and obeying him (27). Then Daniel sees the Ancient of Days taking his seat on the throne and the books opened speaking of him as the Judge, the Ruler and the final authority (10b).
This description in Daniel’s visionary world of the Sovereign Lord serves to remind the saints to trust in God and remain faithful because he is majestic, glorious and his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. He has the earthly kings under the palm of his hands. He is in control.
I experienced a crisis in my family when my youngest son was about 8 years old. He went to sleep as usual but about half hour later his sister told us that he was staring at the ceiling and was not himself at all. To cut a long story short, we found that he could not speak and could not see straight and his body began to grow weak on the right side. The symptom looks like someone having a stroke. I quickly rush him to the hospital. The next two and a half hours was like an eternity for my wife and I. At the hospital’s emergency room many thoughts crosses my mind. The crisis was not just about the life of the child but my crisis of faith. I have a choice. I have preached and taught for years about the faithfulness of God, about God being in control of every situation of our lives. Here I had to choose between trusting God over this crisis situation that I am facing or to question his goodness. I had to make a decision in my heart. Am I expecting God to be at my disposal or am I trusting his sovereign power and grace over my family? Praise God I choose to trust him rather than question him. Through this crisis, I learned a lesson on what is trusting God for every situation. After all the scare from the doctor about swelling of the brain because he was experiencing excruciating pain, the doctor discovered that he had epileptic feat but today he is completely well.
God is so powerful, so majestic and he is in control over every situation, therefore, there is no need for you to be afraid and be discouraged over your present situation (whatever may be), but to remain faithful and committed to him.
JUDGE THEIR ENEMIES
God’s people should continue to trust in God and remain committed to him because he will judge their enemies.
The four beasts which speak of earthly kingdoms will be judged, slain and destroyed and their authority will be taken away. It starts with Babylon, the Persian then the Medes culminating at the rise of Antiochus IV (11-12). The lion-eagle appearance of the first beast is reduced from being able to soar above the earth to experience the limitation of mere humanity. The removal of the eagle’s wings, reducing the creature to a mere four-legged animal, is an act of the judgment paralleling the one regarding Nebuchadnezzar in Chapter 4. The second is bear-like. Encouraged to do so, it savagely devours.
The third beast is leopard-like, with four wings and four heads, and it is given dominion. The fourth beast receives greater attention from Daniel. Different from the first three, this beast seems uglier, more powerful, and much more hostile toward God and His saints. With iron-like teeth, horns (some with eyes), and feet, it is utterly destructive. What it does not destroy or consume with its teeth, it crushes underfoot, much like a bull in a china shop. This fourth beast has the distinction of ten horns. As Daniel continues to watch, another horn emerges, as three of the other horns are plucked out by the roots to make room for it. Looking about with its numerous eyes, no one can escape his look or hide from him. With its mouth, the beast continues to speak boastfully. The “horn” continues to sound off while the court is being set up for judgment. So far it looks depressing, isn’t it?
But suddenly, the boasting beast is silenced by death, and his body is cast into the burning fire. Even the fate of this fourth beast is different than his three predecessors, as his life and his kingdom seem to end at the same moment. The other three are removed from power but allowed to live for some time after their removal (verse 12).
Today, in a dog eat dog world, we face many enemies of our souls: detractors, blasphemers, unscrupulous people, betrayers, and backbiters. Someone said this: “Saint Paul use to have wings until all the backbiters bite it off.” We constantly face persecutions, ridicule, words that hurt, and swear words about our God. Sometimes we may even feel infuriated yet defenseless and at times defeated. To those under the oppressive rule of Antiochus IV and to us today it is important to read from Daniel’s vision that while the enemy is mouthing his arrogance a court is being set up and the eternal judge, the ancient of Days takes his sit on the throne. John Calvin said, “He is said to ascend his tribunal when he assumes to himself the office of a judge and openly demonstrates that he is neither asleep nor absent.”
Just as it is proven in history that God deals with all the evil pagan kings he will also deal with all the enemies of your life. There is no need for you to be afraid and discouraged over your present situation (whatever may be), but to remain faithful and committed to him.
ESTABLISH HIS KINGDOM WITH HIS SAINTS
God’s people should continue to trust in God and remain committed to him because he will establish his kingdom with his saints.
In verse 13, this humanlike figure has the heavenly nature underlined by his coming with the cloud of heaven. His human-likeness is genuine and not contrived and the heavenly glory is given, not seized. Jesus Christ our Lord is seen here coming with the clouds of heaven and presented to the Ancient of Days. In the apocalyptic vision, we have a glimpse of Christ having all power and authority and receiving worship when all peoples, nations, and languages give reverence to him (14). We are told in the interpretation of the vision report that this kingdom he came to establish is an everlasting kingdom that will never be destroyed (14). What an encouragement for God’s people!
This vision of the son of man, the vision of Christ Jesus the Messiah ties in very much with the destiny of God’s faithful people. In the New Testament, you will read that hope is the anchor of your soul. Indeed, the vision of Daniel 7 will give you a glimpse of what the end will be who trust in him and continue to be faithful. Your destiny in God ties in with the establishment of his everlasting kingdom through his son Jesus Christ.
This passage in Daniel 7 has the context of the severe persecution of God’s people with defeat at hand too (21, 25) but it quickly followed by the intervention of the Most High – judging these persecutors and destroys them until the end (26). In fact, their humiliation is the beginning of their victory.
The destiny of God’s people was sealed because the end is determined for the saints. This is your hope, the anchor of your soul so be faithful and be steadfast. The destiny of God’s people was sealed because the judgment of God was given in favor of the saints of the Most High (22). Though your outward man may perish, your inward man is being renewed; though you may weep in the night for a season joy shall come in the morning. Christ in you the hope of glory. May you continue to trust in him! The destiny of God’s people was sealed because the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the saints of the Most High (27).
You shall be co-heirs with Christ in the inheritance God has prepared for you. You are secured in him; therefore walk in obedience, walk in the reverential worship of him who loves you and saves you. There is no need for you to be afraid and discouraged over your present situation (whatever it may be) that to remain faithful and committed to him.
The oppressive situation may be real in your life, the pressure face in your daily life may be mounting, and the work of the enemy through earthly vessels may continue to rise again and again but the message from the Ancient of Days is clear and distinct. Be encouraged and be resolved in your heart - stand steadfast and unmovable in your faith. You should continue to trust in him and remain committed to him in whatever circumstances and situations in life because he is still in control of human history, he will judge your enemies, and he will establish his kingdom through his Son Jesus Christ of which you have a part in.
Isaiah 59:14-16 (NKJV) – Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. So truth fails, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. Then the LORD saw it, and it displeased Him that there was no justice. He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor; therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him; and His own righteousness, it sustained Him.
When Truth is fallen in the street; stumbled in the public squares, trampled underfoot or thrown away as rejects then justice is turned back. But turn back to what? The first thought is turning back to lawlessness and anarchy! People are left to their own devices. There’s a possibility of disorder and revolution. Righteousness stands afar off. Righteousness cannot be seen. It is sidelined. It is lost and out of sight! And the result would be unrighteousness! There will be secrets; lies and more lies. Equity cannot enter – “everyone does what was right in its own eyes.” Whatever happens to morality and ethics? The result is the INCREASE IN IMMORALITY and UNETHICAL PRACTICES – the rise of injustice, racism, partiality, and unethical decisions. He who departs from evil makes himself a prey – those who try to get away from evil, who wants to uphold righteousness will be hounded at, laughed at, and even be in danger for his life!!PERSECUTION, PROSECUTION, and INCARCERATION. There was no justice – injustice displeases the Lord. “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” (2 Chronicles 16:9). There was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor – Isn’t that a rebuke from the Lord? In the midst of all the injustices, lawlessness, unrighteousness, and immorality, where are the prayer warriors?
We need to stand in the gap, stand between the porch and the altar, and plead before our God. Righteousness exalts the nations. Let us get on our knees and pray to God as sons and daughters of righteousness through our Lord Jesus Christ. Church, let’s pray!
LORD, WHY DO YOU CASUALLY LOOK AT WRONG?
Habakkuk lived during a terrible time of national suffering: destruction and violence on a vast scale, perhaps at the hands of the Chaldeans, a ruthless people bent on world conquest, with no regard for any rule of law.
Habakkuk’s Complaint: Habakkuk has seen great horror and he flings this violence and perverted justice at God and demand for an account of His silence (1:1-4). In essence, he asked God: why do you casually (indifferent, relaxed) look at wrong? In spite of his emotional outburst, his demand for an answer, his lamenting, and railing, and a near despair he didn't stomp off. Instead, he climbed up to a high tower to watch and wait for God to answer (2:1). And an answer finally came. Those who care about righteousness have to accept the timetable of God, have to take the long view, and have to give God room to work out His purpose in a manner and with wisdom beyond our own. We have to live by faith.
Accepting God’s Timetable: We have to accept the timetable of God. His way is higher than ours and His thought is higher than ours. God is sovereign and He is still on the throne. He has the final say and He decides at any finality! We have to take a long view. We have to look beyond the immediate and the present. We need to see with the eyes of God – seeing the end from the beginning. We have to give room for Him to work out His purpose – something that is even beyond our wisdom to understand. He is God and He knows all things! We need to trust in God for that. That is living by faith. That is tenacity of faith!
Climb the Tower and Wait: The book of Habakkuk has more to say about the tenacity of faith than the answers to the prophet's complaint. It took faith to accept that answer, of course, but it took a different kind of faith to expect an answer at all, to expect to hear from God in the first place. We see the character of faith not so much when God proposes a certain way of looking at the problem of evil and the prophet embraces it. We see the character of faith when Habakkuk climbed the tower to wait for a word to come to him, believing God will speak, precisely when God has been silent for so long (Hab. 2:1-2). There was tenacious faith; fierce belief and foundational trust. It is betting his life that there is a God who may appear to be but is not absent, not complacent, not indifferent and not incompetent. It is betting his life that there will be a trustworthy and effective word from God even if he should have to wait for it until the day he dies.
THOUGH THE FIG TREE DOES NOT BLOSSOM
Habakkuk 3:17-19 - Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places.
We read the account of Habakkuk and all we hear is the gloom and doom! There seems to be nothing good happening but disasters instead. There were no fruits in the vine, the field did not produce any food, the flock is cut off from the fold and there is no herd in the barnyard! There can be no worse situation in one’s life than this. Nothing seems to be happening and nothing seems to go right. No amount of labor and hard work has yielded any results. He was on the brink of poverty! The attitude of Habakkuk is one who possesses a tenacious spirit. His tenacity outflows from the fierce supposition and foundational faith he has in God. He possesses a positive faith-attitude. He declared that even though all around him seems to be nothing but deadness yet he will rejoice in the God of his salvation. He declared that the Lord is his strength. He declared that the Lord will come through for him. He refused to believe otherwise. What did he believe in? Habakkuk believed in the strength of God. He said that the Lord will make his feet like deer’s feet, that is, the Lord will give him the strength to overcome, will give him the strength to experience victory. He believes that the Lord will make him walk on his high places, that is, a place of greater testing and responsibility perhaps, but it will be a place of greater authority too. That is where he will experience victory. That is where he will rule and reign with authority.
Waiting, watching and praying at the high tower has a way of changing us inside out – giving us a new perspective and helping us see the endgame! Habakkuk started off with “Lord, why do you casually look at wrong?” but ended with “though the fig tree does not blossom….yet I will rejoice in the Lord.” What a change!
GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE
If I were to ask you what images you have of God what would they be like? If I were to ask you to imagine the kind of God you put your faith in what would be the answer? These are important questions to ask yourselves today because how you view God will affect how you will play out your role in this present world. You and I live in a very hostile world, not that we are under oppressive rule yet, but under the subtle and oppressive ideologies, worldly pressure that seeks to squeeze us into their mold and to their follies, and hidden agendas of religious & racial persecutions
Let me quote Carl F. H. Henry in his book “Twilight Of A Great Civilization” where he described very appropriately the kind of world we are living in and the condition of Christians who are in danger of a relapse into paganism: “We are steeped in the anti-christ philosophy – namely, that success consists in embracing not the values of the Sermon on the Mount but an infinity of material things, of sex and status – that we little sense how much of what passes for practical Christianity is really an apostate compromise with the spirit of the age. Our generation is lost to the truth of God, to the reality of divine revelation, to the content of God’s will, to the power of His redemption, and to the authority of His word. For this loss, it is paying dearly in a swift relapse to paganism. The savages are stirring again; you can hear them rumbling and rustling in the tempo of our times.
Christians would do well to understand that how they view God will determine how faithful and committed they are to him. In Daniel chapter 7, Daniel wants to help you enter into his visionary world and see for yourselves the majestic, all-powerful God called the Ancient of days. He wants you to see His Son Jesus Christ – one who is given all power, glory, and authority. I pray your heart will be encouraged, your mind will be enlightened, and your faith will be steadfast as we explore three great themes in this vision of Daniel together. God is still on the throne.
SOVEREIGN CONTROL OVER HUMAN HISTORY
God’s people should continue to trust in God and remain committed to him because he is in sovereign control over every human history.
Interwoven into this apocalyptic narrative is the hand of a Sovereign God in absolute control over historical events. The kings and kingdoms of the earth serve the purposes of the Sovereign God. To the first beast (4): “…the wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground and was raised on two feet like a man, and the heart of a man was given to it.” It implicitly implied that God gives to him the power to rule. To the second beast (5): “…and it was told, ‘Arise and eat much flesh!’” It is obvious that God is in control of his action. In verse 6 the Most High gave the third beast the authority to rule. The fourth beast has only a time, times, and half a time, indicating a brief time period (25b) to continue in his arrogant rule before the Ancient of Days judge him and destroy him. God’s sovereignty is seen throughout the apocalyptic narrative of Daniel’s visionary world. The understanding of the vision as given to Daniel is that earthly kingdoms come and go. The fate of the kings and kingdoms is sealed by the Sovereign hand of God, the Most High, the Ancient of Days and the eternal Judge (11-12).
The description of the Ancient of Days befits the majestic, powerful Sovereign God in control. He has a throne flaming with fire and its wheels were all ablaze (9). His clothing was white as snow, his hair white like pure wool (9). There is a river of fire flowing and coming out from before him (10a). Daniel sees masses of people standing before him (10b) and in the latter interpretation, it is the saints worshiping and obeying him (27). Then Daniel sees the Ancient of Days taking his seat on the throne and the books opened speaking of him as the Judge, the Ruler and the final authority (10b).
This description in Daniel’s visionary world of the Sovereign Lord serves to remind the saints to trust in God and remain faithful because he is majestic, glorious and his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. He has the earthly kings under the palm of his hands. He is in control.
I experienced a crisis in my family when my youngest son was about 8 years old. He went to sleep as usual but about half hour later his sister told us that he was staring at the ceiling and was not himself at all. To cut a long story short, we found that he could not speak and could not see straight and his body began to grow weak on the right side. The symptom looks like someone having a stroke. I quickly rush him to the hospital. The next two and a half hours was like an eternity for my wife and I. At the hospital’s emergency room many thoughts crosses my mind. The crisis was not just about the life of the child but my crisis of faith. I have a choice. I have preached and taught for years about the faithfulness of God, about God being in control of every situation of our lives. Here I had to choose between trusting God over this crisis situation that I am facing or to question his goodness. I had to make a decision in my heart. Am I expecting God to be at my disposal or am I trusting his sovereign power and grace over my family? Praise God I choose to trust him rather than question him. Through this crisis, I learned a lesson on what is trusting God for every situation. After all the scare from the doctor about swelling of the brain because he was experiencing excruciating pain, the doctor discovered that he had epileptic feat but today he is completely well.
God is so powerful, so majestic and he is in control over every situation, therefore, there is no need for you to be afraid and be discouraged over your present situation (whatever may be), but to remain faithful and committed to him.
JUDGE THEIR ENEMIES
God’s people should continue to trust in God and remain committed to him because he will judge their enemies.
The four beasts which speak of earthly kingdoms will be judged, slain and destroyed and their authority will be taken away. It starts with Babylon, the Persian then the Medes culminating at the rise of Antiochus IV (11-12). The lion-eagle appearance of the first beast is reduced from being able to soar above the earth to experience the limitation of mere humanity. The removal of the eagle’s wings, reducing the creature to a mere four-legged animal, is an act of the judgment paralleling the one regarding Nebuchadnezzar in Chapter 4. The second is bear-like. Encouraged to do so, it savagely devours.
The third beast is leopard-like, with four wings and four heads, and it is given dominion. The fourth beast receives greater attention from Daniel. Different from the first three, this beast seems uglier, more powerful, and much more hostile toward God and His saints. With iron-like teeth, horns (some with eyes), and feet, it is utterly destructive. What it does not destroy or consume with its teeth, it crushes underfoot, much like a bull in a china shop. This fourth beast has the distinction of ten horns. As Daniel continues to watch, another horn emerges, as three of the other horns are plucked out by the roots to make room for it. Looking about with its numerous eyes, no one can escape his look or hide from him. With its mouth, the beast continues to speak boastfully. The “horn” continues to sound off while the court is being set up for judgment. So far it looks depressing, isn’t it?
But suddenly, the boasting beast is silenced by death, and his body is cast into the burning fire. Even the fate of this fourth beast is different than his three predecessors, as his life and his kingdom seem to end at the same moment. The other three are removed from power but allowed to live for some time after their removal (verse 12).
Today, in a dog eat dog world, we face many enemies of our souls: detractors, blasphemers, unscrupulous people, betrayers, and backbiters. Someone said this: “Saint Paul use to have wings until all the backbiters bite it off.” We constantly face persecutions, ridicule, words that hurt, and swear words about our God. Sometimes we may even feel infuriated yet defenseless and at times defeated. To those under the oppressive rule of Antiochus IV and to us today it is important to read from Daniel’s vision that while the enemy is mouthing his arrogance a court is being set up and the eternal judge, the ancient of Days takes his sit on the throne. John Calvin said, “He is said to ascend his tribunal when he assumes to himself the office of a judge and openly demonstrates that he is neither asleep nor absent.”
Just as it is proven in history that God deals with all the evil pagan kings he will also deal with all the enemies of your life. There is no need for you to be afraid and discouraged over your present situation (whatever may be), but to remain faithful and committed to him.
ESTABLISH HIS KINGDOM WITH HIS SAINTS
God’s people should continue to trust in God and remain committed to him because he will establish his kingdom with his saints.
In verse 13, this humanlike figure has the heavenly nature underlined by his coming with the cloud of heaven. His human-likeness is genuine and not contrived and the heavenly glory is given, not seized. Jesus Christ our Lord is seen here coming with the clouds of heaven and presented to the Ancient of Days. In the apocalyptic vision, we have a glimpse of Christ having all power and authority and receiving worship when all peoples, nations, and languages give reverence to him (14). We are told in the interpretation of the vision report that this kingdom he came to establish is an everlasting kingdom that will never be destroyed (14). What an encouragement for God’s people!
This vision of the son of man, the vision of Christ Jesus the Messiah ties in very much with the destiny of God’s faithful people. In the New Testament, you will read that hope is the anchor of your soul. Indeed, the vision of Daniel 7 will give you a glimpse of what the end will be who trust in him and continue to be faithful. Your destiny in God ties in with the establishment of his everlasting kingdom through his son Jesus Christ.
This passage in Daniel 7 has the context of the severe persecution of God’s people with defeat at hand too (21, 25) but it quickly followed by the intervention of the Most High – judging these persecutors and destroys them until the end (26). In fact, their humiliation is the beginning of their victory.
The destiny of God’s people was sealed because the end is determined for the saints. This is your hope, the anchor of your soul so be faithful and be steadfast. The destiny of God’s people was sealed because the judgment of God was given in favor of the saints of the Most High (22). Though your outward man may perish, your inward man is being renewed; though you may weep in the night for a season joy shall come in the morning. Christ in you the hope of glory. May you continue to trust in him! The destiny of God’s people was sealed because the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the saints of the Most High (27).
You shall be co-heirs with Christ in the inheritance God has prepared for you. You are secured in him; therefore walk in obedience, walk in the reverential worship of him who loves you and saves you. There is no need for you to be afraid and discouraged over your present situation (whatever it may be) that to remain faithful and committed to him.
The oppressive situation may be real in your life, the pressure face in your daily life may be mounting, and the work of the enemy through earthly vessels may continue to rise again and again but the message from the Ancient of Days is clear and distinct. Be encouraged and be resolved in your heart - stand steadfast and unmovable in your faith. You should continue to trust in him and remain committed to him in whatever circumstances and situations in life because he is still in control of human history, he will judge your enemies, and he will establish his kingdom through his Son Jesus Christ of which you have a part in.
