Paul McKenzie

Memory Verse, Monday, November 24, Daniel 7:9-10

"As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened."

We can look at Biblical "far" prophecy as glimpsing at mountain peaks from a mountain peak. And, as I said previously, the peaks are centered upon the "Glorious Land", and the people God chose to possess it.

Underneath those peaks are the smaller hills and valleys: valleys of times, seasons, peoples, nations and histories, all completely under the Sovereign hand of the Triune God, and we see His providential work throughout.

Here we are getting a glimpse of the final judgment. We see things that were spoken of in Ezekiel, a contemporary of Daniel. It is interesting that both see the throne of "fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire." We see the look of the Ancient of Days and can compare it to Christ revealed to us in Revelation 1, the One that Israel will "mourn whom they have pierced" in the future when the blindness of their hearts is removed and the nation is saved.

We also see the thrones, which very well could be the tribulation saints sitting before the Lord from Revelation 20, ready to judge the beast. For we see the future judgment of the beast in the next verses of Daniel:

"I looked then because the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time." (11-12)

I have yet to hear much about the "rest of the beasts" part, but we definitely see the judgment of the "Beast of beasts" in Revelation 20. His judgment is to be thrown into the Lake of Fire. And there will be a 1000-year period before we see the Beast again, when the dragon is finally taken by God and tossed in with him. And there he will remain, forever and ever.

But before the final "peak", where "there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him." (13), we can look a little more at the "peak" that contains this fourth beast and its system of evil.

We find it beginning in verse 23: "Thus he said: 'As for the fourth beast, there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all the kingdoms, and it shall devour the whole earth, and trample it down, and break it to pieces. As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise, and another shall arise after them; he shall be different from the former ones, and shall put down three kings. He shall speak words against the Most High and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. But the court shall sit in judgment, and his dominion shall be taken away, to be consumed and destroyed to the end." (23-26)

So, we get a peek at the "peaks" of antichrist and the kings that go before him. Apparently there will be "three kings" whose kingdoms will be forcibly put down by him when he finally takes power. And we see the time, times, and a half of time, which is where we understand that this will be a short 3 ½ year reign of complete terror. We hear about that in great detail in Revelation beginning in chapter 13.

And, in spite of what some people want to say, we know this is literal, because God spells it out for us, one time in months (42), and days 1260, just in case "scholars" want to "spiritualize" it. Similarly, He specifically points out the Jewish evangelists proclaiming the gospel during the reign of the beast, 12,000 from twelve distinct tribes so we don't make that "spritualizing" error there as well.

They will be beheaded, along with many of the converts during this massive persecution, but will be used to turn many to the Messiah. And some will be left when Christ returns to the Land, and the prophecies of Israel will be fulfilled, literally, with the literal Messiah reigning on the literal throne of David for a thousand years. We can ponder that later.

If you study the whole word of God, with the foundational Prophets like Daniel, Ezekiel Zechariah and Isaiah, the book of Revelation is not nearly as "mystical" as you may think. Most of it is as plain as day.

The timeline is plain, but the path under these peaks is being played out, many in ways we simply are not told. But God will have an eternity with us to open our eyes to how He, from before the foundation of the universe had all of this worked out.

And God the Son willingly inserted Himself into this wretched mess we made and gave us eternal hope. You can have that hope too, and, like us, "wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come," (1 Thessalonians 1:10)

Today if you hear His voice, harden not your heart.

*ESV used unless noted*

Memory Helps:

Again, here is chapter 7:

Chapter 7: "First HEAVEN-LY Vision:
The Four Beasts,
The Ancient of Days: King of HEAVEN, and
The Son of Man comes from HEAVEN"