With King Nebuchadnezzar now deceased, and the empire of Babylon nearing its final days before defeat by King Cyrus of Medo-Persia, God presented Daniel with a new set of prophetic visions. These visions would complement earlier prophecies given to him and to other prophets, including Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, and help paint a picture of God’s future plans for our planet. It will be a time when even the memory of all the powerful world governments of history will be brushed aside by the Lord. God will then replace these with His own eternal Kingdom, led by a returning and glorified Jesus Christ. This will all happen at some time in our future, perhaps even in our own lifetime.
Daniel’s new visions included imagery that would be seen again in the apostle John’s Book of Revelation, written six centuries afterwards. They include images of great beasts coming up out of a sea, which an angel would describe to Daniel.
17 “These four huge beasts represent four kingdoms that will arise from the earth. 18 But in the end, the holy people of the Most High will be given the kingdom, and they will rule forever and ever.” Daniel 7:17-18 (NLT)
Daniel’s latest prophecy began with an image of the first beast:
2 Daniel said: “I was looking in my vision at night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were churning up the great sea. 3 Four huge beasts came up from the sea, each different from the others.
4 “The first was like a lion with eagle’s wings. As I watched, its wings were pulled off and it was lifted off the ground. It was made to stand upon two feet like a man, and the heart of a human was given to it. Daniel 7:2-4 (TLV)
We know from context that this first beast of a lion with eagle’s wings represents ancient Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar the Great. He had previously been represented by the head of gold at the top of a human statue in an earlier dream interpreted by Daniel. The statue’s golden head was its most prominent position and was made from its most valuable material. Daniel had revealed that dream’s meaning to Nebuchadnezzar, and how it highlighted the king’s preeminent greatness.
37 You, O king, are the king of kings to whom the God of heaven has given sovereignty, power, might and glory. 38 Wherever mankind, beasts of the field, and fowls of the heaven dwell, He has given them into your hand, and made you ruler over them all. You are the head of gold. Daniel 2:37-38 (TLV)
The human kings and kingdoms which followed Nebuchadnezzar would be inferior to him in both stature and authority. He had been gifted with a throne representing the pinnacle of human achievement and power. But Nebuchadnezzar’s pride got in the way of his tender heart, so God humbled him with a mental illness that took him from the throne for seven years. This was represented in Daniel’s later vision by the wings of the lion being plucked off, and the beast standing up on two feet like a man. Reduced to the humblest of situations roaming among wild beasts, the king eventually developed a true perspective for his position in life, under the favor and care of a loving God. With the king’s newfound faith and compassionate heart for his people, the Lord restored Nebuchadnezzar to his throne for the remainder of his days.
Three more beasts will appear to Daniel in his new vision, each one rising up out of a turbulent sea, representing another kingdom to come.
God gave Daniel, and us, these visions because He wants us to know that He remains in full control, despite the turbulence we observe in the churning “sea” of events around us. The Lord also wants to remind us that, as impressive as the glory and achievements of mankind are, life, its majesties, and abilities are all still a gift from His hand. One day, all these wonders will all be greatly surpassed by the glory of the returning Messiah, Jesus Christ. He will greatly exceed the power and contribution of any empire represented by Daniel’s emerging “beasts”, and He will establish a wonderful, eternal kingdom of peace and love, without tears. We can be there with Him, through faith.
Reflection
Do you feel as if you are in the middle of a raging tempest today?
God wants to calm the storms in our hearts even as situations and events boil around us.
Lord, we turn to You to settle our hearts, removing our anxieties and pains as we draw close to You today. Help us to walk in peace despite the trials of life, trusting You to see us safely through. Grant us and our loved ones the healing we need, and favor for a righteous resolution of our difficulties. We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Have blessed day walking in the peace of the Lord today.
Daily Meditations from the Genealogy of Jesus 