Year 0, Day 7: Daniel 7

Four Beasts

Ah, the great four beasts.  We are told in this chapter that the beasts represent each of four great kingdoms.  Traditionally, we believe these kingdoms to be kingdoms of antiquity.

The first kingdom in the lion, that learns to walk on two legs and is given the heart of a man.  Given what we’ve heard about Daniel’s influence in Nebuchadnezzar’s life, it makes sense to think of this kingdom as the Babylonians.  Nebuchadnezzar certainly was a warlike king over a warlike people that devoured the nations around it.  However, Nebuchadnezzar experienced God through Daniel and his friends and wrestled with God.  Nebuchadnezzar learned to have a heart as he wrestled with God.

The second kingdom is a bear that has one side greater than the other.  This represents the Medes and the Persians.  The Medes rose first, but it was the Persians who eventually outshined the Medes and took over control.  As for the three ribs in its mouth, it is likely that these ribs speak about the three great nations that the Persians conquered: Egypt, Lydia (Western Turkey), and Babylonia.

The third beast is like a leopard with wings and four heads.  This likely designates a kingdom of speed, quickness, and cunning.  We do know that the Greek Empire, under the leadership of Alexander the Great, that was the empire that conquered the Persians.  When Alexander died, his kingdom was divided up into four areas, each led by a different ruler.

Finally, we have the fourth beast with multiple horns.  This beast is focused upon more so than the rest.  It is also noted for its destructive tendencies and its rebellious nature towards God.  Typically, this kingdom is understood to be Rome.  It should be noted that it was under Rome that Jesus was crucified.  It was under Rome that Jerusalem was destroyed.  It was under Rome that Christ’s church found immense persecution.

Ancient of Days

As we continue through the chapter, I think the description of the Ancient of Days is important.  Clothing is white.  White is a sign of purity.  The Ancient of Days is pure, unblemished, and clean.  This passage sets up the passages in the New Testament about beings washed white in the blood of the lamb.  Of course, physically we know you cannot wash something in blood and have it come out white.  So we are obviously talking about a spiritual comment there. 

The Ancient of Days is spiritually pure, too.  The Ancient of Days has a purity that defeats the typical “purity laws” of the Hebrew Scriptures.  In the scriptures, physical uncleanliness leads to spiritual uncleanliness; and uncleanliness always trumps cleanliness.  Take something clean and put it with something unclean and you get two unclean things.  We know that from observation of the world.  But not so with the Ancient of Days – whom we as Christians interpret as Christ.  Christ’s purity trumps our uncleanliness. 

Take us, bring Christ into the mix, and you miraculously get two clean things!  Now there’s a miracle.  And it’s true.  Take any human being and watch them progress as God truly gets hold of them.  I guarantee you that God makes them better. We do not make God worse.  The purity of the Ancient of Days is true purity, a purity that uncleanliness cannot escape from.

Back to the Beasts

I also notice that of the four beasts, the lives of the first three are prolonged, while the fourth one is destroyed on the spot.  This makes me contemplate the grace of the Lord.  Obviously the first three beasts are terrifying, but they are not so terrifying that God does away with them immediately.  Either God reserves them to serve a later purpose or God endures their terrifying ability in order to give them time to repent and come to terms with God.  But the fourth beast is destroyed on the spot.  The fourth beast goes so far as to oppose God and His saints.  The fourth beast goes so far as to blaspheme against God.  The fourth beast simply goes beyond the limit of God’s patience. 

God is indeed gracious.  God tolerates our little mistakes.  God tolerates when we go astray from him.  God gives us a leash.  But when we take out too much leash, we actually run the risk of choking ourselves.  When we go too far away from God and actually start being an obstacle to God, we draw closer and closer to the danger zone.  I think there comes a time when we draw out so much leash from God that we can no longer see God, no longer acknowledge that God is on the other end of the leash – waiting for us to come back.  And that’s a problem.  When we draw out so much that we can no longer see God, we have officially denied His presence in our life.  In those instances, we run the risk of falling under wrath and no longer having time to return to a state of grace.

God’s in Control

But even then – even when God is blasphemed against and the beast appears to be in control – even then we have the promise that Daniel gives to us.  The kingdom will be given to the Most High.  The kingdom will be given to the saints.  The kingdom will be everlasting.  The beast may war against God, but as we discovered yesterday God gets the last word.  He is the Omega, not the beast.

So I wonder what beasts are in my life?  What are the external beasts (influences) in my life that blaspheme God, that draw my attention away from God, and that encourage me to treat God’s saints poorly?  What are the internal elements of my person that should be spiritually purged – and spiritually purged now!  What part of myself keeps me from being the person that God has called me to be?