TIMES OF THE GENTILES PART 5

The third vision is found in verses 9-12.This vision takes place in heaven.In verses 9=10 the vision is of the throne of GOD the FATHER who is described under the title of the Ancient of Days.He is viewed as a judge and the book of judgement is opened.He is surrounded by myriads of angels who will be responsible to carry these judgements out.What is being judged is the fourth Gentile empire verses [11-12].In verse 11 it is the fourth beast,particularly the little horn,that judged and destroyed.As for the other three [verse 12],two things are stated:first there dominion was taken away;and secondly,their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.The exact meaning of this will be discussed under the third passage relating to the times of the Gentiles.The third vision is of God the Father,ready to move out in judgement against the fourth empire.Verses 13-14 contain the fourth vision.It begins with the setting of the kingdom of GOD following the destruction of the fourth Gentile empire.In verse 13 the second coming of Christ is viewed and this is followed by the setting up of the messianic kingdom in verse 14.Having described the four visions which he saw,which present essentially the same overview of the four Gentile empires as was found in Daniel two,he now gives the interpretation in verses 15-27 of Daniel 7.The major emphasis will be upon the fourth empire; 15 My spirit trembled, I Daniel was affrighted at these things, and the visions of my head troubled me. 16 I went near to one of them that stood by, and asked the truth of him concerning all these things, and he told me the interpretation of the words, and instructed me: 17 These four great beasts are four kingdoms, which shall arise out of the earth. 18 But the saints of the most high God shall take the kingdom: and they shall possess the kingdom for ever and ever. 19 After this I would diligently learn concerning the fourth beast, which was very different from all, and exceeding terrible: his teeth and claws were of iron: he devoured and broke in pieces, and the rest he stamped upon with his feet: 20 And concerning the ten horns that he had on his head: and concerning the other that came up, before which three horns fell: and of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth speaking great things, and was greater than the rest. 21 I beheld, and lo, that horn made war against the saints, and prevailed over them, 22 Till the Ancient of days came and gave judgment to the saints of the most High, and the time came, and the saints obtained the kingdom. 23 And thus he said: The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be greater than all the kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. 24 And the ten horns of the same kingdom, shall be ten kings: and another shall rise up after them, and he shall be mightier than the former, and he shall bring down three kings. 25 And he shall speak words against the High One, and shall crush the saints of the most High: and he shall think himself able to change times and laws, and they shall be delivered into his hand until a time, and times, and half a time. 26 And judgment shall sit, that his power may be taken away, and be broken in pieces, and perish even to the end. 27 And that the kingdom, and power, and the greatness of the kingdom, under the whole heaven, may be given to the people of the saints of the most High: whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all kings shall serve him, and shall obey him.After Daniel requests the interpretation in verses 15-16,he is given a summary interpretation in verses 17-18.In verse 17 Daniel is told that these four beast represent four kingdoms.Nevertheless,it is the servants of the Most High who will possess the kingdom ;for whatever will be possessed by the four Gentile empires will be only temporary[verse 18].We will pick up here next time GOD BLESS.

The Times of the Gentiles part five

The Times of The Gentiles part Three

In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters. Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it. And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart. (Daniel 7:1-28 KJV) After giving the time and location of the four vision (verse 1),in verse 2-6 the first vision is described.It begins with a vision of the sea (the Mediterranean ),representing the Gentile world (Isaiah17:12-13,Matthew 13:47-50,Revelation 13:1, 17:1,15),troubled by the four winds(verse 2). Suddenly four beast arise from this sea,each one being different from the other (verse 3). All four then arise out of the Mediterranean area.The first beast is lion-like (verse 4),representing the Babylonian Empire(Jeremiah 4:7,48:40,49:19,22,50:17,44 Ezekiel 17:3).The latter part of verse four is probably a reference to Nebuchadnezzar 's experience recorded in Daniel 4:1-37.The second beast is bear-like and represents the Medo-Persian empire(verse 5).The bear is lop-sided,being raised up on one side;for although the Medes and the Persians were confederate,the Persians were by far the dominant power and it was a lop-sided alliance.Furthermore,the bear is found to have three ribs in its mouth,having devoured the flesh.Historically,these three ribs represent the three kingdoms conquered by the Medo-Persian forces giving them their empire status:Lydia,Babylonia,and Egypt.The bear is less majestic than the lion and is bulky and weighty.Medo-Persia conquered by shear force of numbers.The third beast is leopard -like,representing the Hellenistic Empire(verse 6).The leopard is also less majestic than the lion and less grand than the bear but is swifter than both.With leopard -like speed Alexander the Great conquered the Medo-Persian Empire and greatly extended the Hellenistic Empire.At his death,however,the empire split into four kingdoms.The four wings represent the four kingdoms rising out of Alexander's empire,and the four heads represent the four generals who took control of the four kingdoms:Ptolemy over Egypt,Palestine and Arabia Petrea;Seleucus over Syria, Babylonia,and as far east as India;Cassander over Macedonia and Greece; and Lysimachus over Thrace and Bithynia.The second vision found in verse 7-8 describes the fourth beast Unlike the others it is non-descript.While the others are given animal-like discriptions, none is given for this one.This fourth beast is described as being diverse, emphatically different,from all the others it completely subdues and breaks in all that precedes it.It appears as far more ferocious than the previous three empires.The fourth beast has ten horns.But while it began with ten horns,an eleventh horn arises,the little horn,who uproots three of the ten others.Having uprooted the other three,it begins to speak great things . With the uprooting of the three horns,seven of the original remain and the little horn is now an eighth.Once again,as in Daniel two,the uniqueness of the fourth empire is emphasized stating that it goes through several stages.The interpretation will be discussed later.But for now it is enough to note that the fourth beast does represent a fourth Gentile empire. We will pick up here next time God Bless