Vision Of The Four Beasts: Jesus Christ Is Reigning Over All – Daniel 7

JESUS CHRIST IS REIGNING OVER ALL

We’re beginning a study in the Book of Daniel. And we’re beginning in an unusual place. We’re in chapter 7 and the reason is because of what Daniel 7 has to say in relation to the entire Book of Daniel.

Here’s what especially Daniel chapter 7 has to say: Jesus Christ is reigning over all.

And let me just add: Jesus Christ is RIGHT NOW reigning over all.

And this is important to remember. And as we’re in the middle of the last days between the ascension of Christ and His second coming and return to earth, this is especially important to remember.

All around us we see everything collapsing and especially morally with riots in cities and murder in the streets and the pushing of the gay/lgbtq agenda and claims of systemic racism and homophobia and intolerance, etc, and especially as it has to do with Christians, it’s more important than ever to remember that Jesus is reigning over all and even over all in our day.

VISION OF THE FOUR BEASTS

“Four beasts (nations) emerge from the sea to rule oppressively over God’s people before the advent of the Messiah (7:1-8, 17, 19-21, 23-25).” (LSB 1411)

In Daniel chapter 7, Daniel has a vision of four beasts. They represent four kingdoms and they correspond with the four kingdoms that Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of an image in Daniel chapter 2 depicted.

A LION CHANGING TO A MAN

“The first [beast in Daniel’s vision] was like a lion and had eagles’ wings. …[I]ts wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it.” (v. 4)

A DEVOURING BEAR

The second beast was “like a bear. It had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, ‘Arise, devour much flesh.'” (v. 5)

A LEOPARD WITH FOUR WINGS AND FOUR HEADS

The third beast was “like a leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it.” (v. 6)

AN INDESCRIBABLE BEAST UNLIKE ANY KNOWN ANIMAL

And then lastly, the fourth beast is described as “terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong with great iron teeth. It devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.” (v. 7)

And so we have the four beasts:

(1) a lion changing to a man,
(2) a devouring bear,
(3) a four-winged and four-headed leopard,
and then
(4) a frightful and destructive fourth beast beyond description unlike any known animal

And again, each of these four beasts in Daniel 7 represent four kingdoms like Nebuchadnezzar’s golden statue dream in Daniel 2…

32 The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze,

33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. 34 As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces.

And so we have the four parts of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream image:

(1) its head of gold,
(2) its chest and arms of silver,
(3) its middle and thighs of bronze,
and then
(4) its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.

BABYLON, MEDO-PERSIA, GREECE, AND ROME

The four kingdoms being described and as the Scripture predicts and history attests to in both Daniel chapter 2 and chapter include Babylon, Persia, Greece, and then finally Rome.

It is this final beast and kingdom represented by Rome that will rise and fall over the centuries in one form or another until Jesus returns out of which the final and ultimate antichrist will come in our day.

It’s not so much my purpose to talk about the intricacies revealed in Daniel 7 about the end times beyond this except to come back to the focus of Jesus Christ reigning over all and how it will be just so very important to keep it in view as we look at the first six chapters of the Book of Daniel and how then that makes it relevant to our own lives and what we have to deal with.

We have the declaration of Jesus Christ reigning over all in that He receives dominion from God the Father in v. 13-14 of Daniel chapter 7.

THE ASCENSION AND CHRIST’S KINGDOM

And what we really have here in v. 13-14 it’s believed is another look at what happened post-Ascension from Heaven’s perspective and as Jesus ascended to Heaven after His death and resurrection and having spent 40 days with the disciples where He spoke to them saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me,” (Matthew 28:18) we have it officially declared by Daniel hundreds of years prior to it happening as the Son of Man, Jesus, is given dominion over all by God the Father. (cf. Revelation 5)

Let me read it and as it’s a part of the overall vision of Daniel 7 of the four beasts coming up out of the sea…

13 “I saw in the night visions,and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.

14 And 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 one that shall not be destroyed.

And so there’s this fifth kingdom that is Christ’s kingdom and this vision of the four beasts includes it.

Christ’s kingdom not only surpasses (Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome) but will replace them all as the interpretation of the Vision Of The Four Beasts in Daniel 7:15-28 will make clear.