A SON OF MAN

Daniel 7:1-28 
Key Verse: 7:13


    "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one
    like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He
    approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence."

Chapter 7 seems to be a repetition of chapter 2. The main thought is the
same.  But the emphasis is different. Chapter 2 showed us the destiny of
kings and kingdoms of the world and the general view of human
civilization. The main point of chapter 7 is that the Son of Man will come
to judge the kings of the world and give his kingdom to his saints.

1. The images of kings of the world (1-8,24,25)

Fourteen years before the destruction of the Babylonian Empire, Daniel
received a prophecy concerning the events to come through visions in his
dream. So he wrote down the substance of his dream (1). In his vision Daniel
saw before him the four winds of heaven which churned up the great sea
violently. In this verse the word "winds" is compared to the Spirit of
God. Before God spoke, there was the Spirit of God. He was hovering over the
"waters."  Genesis 1:2b says, "The Spirit of God was hovering over the
waters." In the Bible, upper water was the sky and lower water was the
sea. Jesus explained about the Spirit of God in the best way. Jesus compared
the Holy Spirit to wind and said, "The wind blows wherever it pleases. You
hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is go
ing. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit" (Jn 3:8). In verse 3, "four
great beasts" are compared to kings of the world. The sea is compared to the
world. In verses 1 and 2 we learn that God rules the world as he pleases, as
the four winds churn up the great sea. God rules the world. From God's point
of view, the four kings are nothing but powerful and brutal and hungry
beasts. These four beasts are each different in quality, but their degree of
doing evil is the same. They could not be shepherds of God's people. Let's
see about the four beasts.

First, a lion with the wings of an eagle (4). Look at verse 4. "The first
was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings
were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet
like a man, and the heart of a man was given to it." When the sea water was
disturbed by the Spirit of God, four beasts, which were each different, came
out of the sea. The first beast was like a lion. It also had the wings of an
eagle. As we know, the lion is the king of the animals. The lion has keen
sense to watch over opponent animals, and its pouncing power over any other
animal is indeed remarkable. The eagle is the king of the birds. The eagle's
eyesight and flying speed are peerless. A lion with the wings of an eagle
can be compared to Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, who was likened to the
head of gold, and whose dominion and civilization were superior to all other
nations. Nebuchadnezzar established the system of totalitarian empire and
ruled the world with the eagle's insight and the lion's power. In
archaeology we see that the national symbol of Babylon is a lion with the
wings of an eagle.

God established Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to shepherd his people. But
he was nothing but a devouring lion to his people. God showed him future
events to come through Daniel. But he soon forgot the prophecy and he became
arrogant. He said, "is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal
residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?" (4:30) The
words were still on his lips when God drove him away from people and made
him like an animal who ate the grass until he acknowledged the Most High God
is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes
(4:32).  After 7 years of animal training, God gave back to him the mind of
a normal man. Here we learn that God wants the rulers of the world to be
normal men and humble enough to acknowledge the Most High God. God also
wants the rulers of the world not to be like cruel animals, but to be gentle
shepherds. Otherwise, God dethrones them.

Second, a bear which had three ribs in its mouth (5). This is a prophecy
concerning future events to come. The character of a bear is simple and very
powerful and it has the spirit of never giving up and is compared with the
kingdom of the Medes and Persians. They had no strategy in fighting with
enemy nations. They simply mobilized a huge number of people to attack their
enemies. In order to attack 1,000 enemy soldiers, they mobilized 10,000 army
forces. In order to conquer Greece, they mobilized 1,000,000 army
forces. They had no strategy. They only overpowered other nations with their
"human sea" tactics. The Medes and Persians ruled 200 years until 330
B.C. The bear was raised up on one of its sides. This means that Persia,
which was established later, combined with the Medes and Persia became the
unique world power. The last part of verse 5 says, "Getup and eat your fill
of flesh!" This means that the Medes and Persians would conquer many
countries of the Near East and grow bigger than the
Babylonian. Empire. Three ribs in its mouth means the conquest of Babylonia,
Libya and Egypt.

Third, a leopard with four wings on its back (6). As we know well, the
leopard belongs to the tiger family and it can go up and down a tree and run
in a vast prairie with great speed. It has boxing ability in its front two
paws. This leopard is compared to Alexander the Great of Greece. He began to
conquer from Macedonia, then North Africa and part of India. His conquest
was as speedy and sudden as a hurricane that strikes a corn field. They say
that after Alexander conquered all the nations of the world, he cried aloud,
"I have no more nations to conquer." He ruled the world for 8 years from 330
B.C. to 323 B.C.  After world conquest, he soon died as a result of
excessive debauchery, drinking and immorality. Here, four heads might be his
four generals who divided Greece into four parts and ruled each part. After
Alexander the Great, the world was divided into four parts. They were kept
in brutal fighting. Alexander the Great is known in world history as the
greatest conqueror. But from God's point of view, he Was a man who died
young because of his corrupted life. God gave him the privilege of
shepherding his people in the world. But he only destroyed innumerable
people of God.

Fourth, a beast with iron teeth (7). Look at verse 7. "After that, in my
vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beastterrifying
and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and
devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was
different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns." This beast not
only had iron teeth, it had ten horns.

Around 241 B.C. Roman power originated from Sicily. Rome conquered Spain,
Macedonia, Greece, and Asia Minor. In 10 B.C. she conquered Jerusalem.
During the next 10 years she conquered England, France, Belgium, and
Germany. By 17 A.D. the Roman Empire had conquered all European countries
and part of India and rose to be the greatest empire in human history next
to Babylon. The Roman Empire was ruined in 476 A.D. The cause of its
destruction was yuppie mentality. When the Romans became powerful, they
lived an easygoing life in the suburbs. They only watched gladiator fights
and indulged in immoral sins. Finally Rome with iron teeth and ten horns
became like a paper tiger and crumbled.

When the Roman Empire was powerful she did many evil things beyond
imagination. When they conquered other nations, they destroyed all
inhabitants; killing weak people and dragging strong people and selling them
as slaves to other nations. Their cruelty was well revealed when Pilate
crucified Jesus. The Roman Empire is a symbol of ignorance and cruelty. It
has no cultural achievements or contributions to human civilization. It was
nothing but a destructive machine. It was because in their laziness, they
did not study math and science. We must pray earnestly that we may not be
like the Roman Empire, but a priestly nation.

Fifth, a little horn (8,24,25). Look at verse 8. "While I was thinking about
the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up
among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn
had eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth that spoke boastfully." While
Daniel was thinking about the horns and their cruelty and the injuries and
wounds of impaled people, a little horn came up among the ten horns. Here,
"ten horns" symbolizes powerful nations of the times, and no more. The
little horn looked small in size, but it uprooted three horns. It had eyes
like the eyes of a man and a mouth that spoke boastfully, not
humbly. Biblically, a mouth that speaks boastfully is the Antichrist.

This one not only destroys mankind, he also stands against God. Read verses
24 and 25. "The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this
kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier
ones; he will subdue three kings. He will speak against the Most High and
oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints
will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time." This
Antichrist persecutes God's children. He wants to change the set
times. There are many Antichrists these days who want to change the set
times. For example, the time of the second coming of Jesus is not mentioned
in the Bible. Jesus said that only God knows the time of his second
coming. But there were many Antichrists who prophesied that Jesus would come
in 1992. They lived a shamanistic way of life. Those who set the time of the
second coming of Jesus Christ or want to change the set times are clearly
revealed here to be the Antichrist. They also change the laws of God. In
other words, Antichrists interpret the Bible according to their crooked
ideas and make use of them to trap weak-minded people and empty their
pockets by threatening them with the horror of hell.

The four beasts are the representatives of the four evil kings, who ruined
innumerable human lives and used people like cows and mules and objects of
their pleasure. We can think they were the worst enemies of mankind. But
they were the second worst enemies of mankind. The first enemies of mankind
are the Antichrist and antichrists, because they prophesy at random and make
weak minded people stumble. As a result, they speak against the Most High
and oppress his saints. We must know our worst enernies are not the beasts
but the Antichrist in the guise of the servant of God. These days, true
Christians' enemies are not non-Christians, but rather, nominal Christians
who distort the word of God.

11. The throne of God (9-28)

First, the Son of Man. The throne of God is the place where the Son of Man
and the Saints of God can dwell. Look at verse 9. "As I looked, 'thrones
were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was
as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool.  His throne was
flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze."' At the moment Daniel
was distressed looking at the arrogant Antichrist, who spoke boastfully,
suddenly he saw that the throne of God was set in place and the Ancient of
Days took his seat. Here the word "Ancient of Days" means one advanced in
days more than anyone else from the beginning of the world. Therefore the
"Ancient of Days" is God himself. The son of man (13) is Jesus Christ-the
one and only Son of God. Though Jesus is the Son of God, King of kings, and
Lord of lords, he humbled himself to be like a slave or servant. Though
Jesus is the one and only Son of God he did not use his glory and power over
the people of the world.  Rather, he became the eyes to the blind, a friend
to the lonely tax collector and a man of sorrow to the sorrowful. He is
truly worthy to be our Shepherd King.

The Son of Man is also the holy God. During the time of his earthly
ministry, Jesus became like a humble farmer. But he is the Holy God. Once
Jesus revealed his original figure on the Mount of Transfiguration. Mark
9:3,4 says, "His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the
world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses,
who were talking with Jesus."

The most amazing thing is to know who the Son of Man is and what the
character of his throne is. Verse 9b says, "His clothing was as white as
snow; the hair of his head was white like wool." The gospels describe it as
"dazzling white." In the Bible, whiteness symbolizes the holiness of
God. Our God is the holy God; the Son of Man is Savior God and at the same
time he is the holy God.  Any brutal beasts or abominable things cannot
stand in the presence of the holy God. Even those who ate unclean animals
cannot stand before the holy God.  Those who committed detestable and
immoral sins cannot stand before the presence of the holy God. Our God who
is love, and who is righteous, is the holy God. Holy, holy, holy is his
name. This holy God wants us to be holy as he is holy.

Those who are not holy, God cleanses with fire to make holy. Look at verses
9c and 10. "His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all
ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him.  Thousands
upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before
him. The court was seated, and the books were opened." The throne of holy
God is flaming with fire. Flaming fire is like a river of fire which was
flowing, coming out from before him. We know well about the power of
fire. The power of fire burns down everything and makes it clean. The fire
of God burns all the unclean things. So all the unclean people will be put
in the lake fire of burning sulfur to be burned and to be purified.

The throne of God is also a court where thousands upon thousands attend him
when he judges the wicked and unclean with fire. The last part of verse 10
says, "The court was seated, and the books were opened." The son of man
refers to the books at the court to see if each one's name is in the Book of
Life, and he judges the wicked and unclean people according to the teachings
of the Bible.  Therefore we should live according to the teachings of the
Bible, not according to our calculations. Also, we must check to see if each
of our names is written in the Book of Life.

Look at verse 14. "He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all
peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an
everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that
will never be destroyed." The kingdoms of the world appear and disappear
like mosquitoes in the summertime. But the Kingdom of God is forever and his
dominion is everlasting. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will
not pass away. And his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. It is
because it is the kingdom of the holy God.

Second, the saints of the Most High. Look at verse 27. "Then the
sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will
be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will
be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him." These
days there are no kings in the world. Since democracy is widespread, each
person seems to be his own king and each one's apartment seems to be his own
kingdom. But we must remember that the worldly kings are compared to beasts,
and beasts will be judged and destroyed with -flaming fire. Therefore we
saints of God must imitate the life of Jesus. We should not be like the four
beasts which were cruel to God's people when they had to shepherd his people
according to God's will.  We Christians should not be slaves of selfish
ambition like the four beast-like kings.

Most of all, we should not live a life of corruption like those beastlike
kings. They were kings. But in reality, they were nothing but wild animals
without any moral codes. These days many claim to be Christians. But there
are so many immoral people. Even though they claim to be Christians they
cannot come to God because our God is holy God. Therefore, Christians should
be holy pilgrims in the sight of God. We must also shepherd his flock as our
own children and pray for them. This is the way of life for those who are
waiting for the second coming of Jesus Christ. If we do so, God will give
his kingdom to us-the saints of the Most High. Read verse 22. 11 ... until
the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the saints of
the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom."

Look at verse 28. "This is the end of the matter. 1, Daniel, was deeply
troubled by my thoughts, and my face turned pale, bul l kept the matter to
myself." It is amazing that Daniel saw the prophecy of God in a vision of
his dream around 553 B.C. Daniel was not intimidated even before
Nebuchadnezzar or Belshazzar.  But when he saw the prophecy of God in a
vision he was frightened and could not eat for several days. It was too
scary to think about. Why-was he so scared?  It was because it was certain
that the prophecies would come to pass. He was horrified that the kings of
the world are like brutal beasts. He was also terrified that the judgment of
God is so severe that no one could survive, but all would be burned to
ashes.

In this passage we learn that we should not worship beasts. We should not
try to receive recognition from beasts. We must worship the holy God and the
son of man who judges all mankind one by one. Most of all, we learn here
that we should not live an unclean life, but we must live holy lives before
the holy, holy God Almighty. Then God will give us his kingdom as our
inheritance.


STUDY QUESTIONS

1. Read verses 1-3. When did Daniel have this dream? What was the general
   content of the dream?  What did the 4 beasts represent? (16-17; 2:38-40)
   Of what do the four winds and the great sea remind us? (Gen 1:1,2)

2. Read verses 4-6. Describe the first three beasts. Think about the
   characteristics of lions and eagles; of bears; of leopards. What nations
   might each represent? What happened to each of them? Compare with the
   statue in chapter 2.

3. Read verses 7,19,23-25. Describe the fourth beast. How was the fourth
   beast different from the others? What prophecy was made concerning this
   fourth beast? What nation fulfilled this prophecy? (See again 2:40-43)
   How might the crucifixion of Jesus fit into the picture of the fourth
   beast?

4. What can you learn about the little horn and its meaning? (8,20-21,24,25)

5. Read verses 9-10. Who is the Ancient of Days? How is he and his throne
   room described? What does this description suggest about him? What did he
   do about the little horn? (20 22; 24-27)

6. Read verses 13-14 again. Who is the son of man? What do these verses
   teach about him? (Compare Rev 1: 13-16; Mk 9:3,4.)

7. Read verses 24-27. How is the final victory described? (14,26,27) Who are
   the saints and how can we be sure that we are included among them? How do
   you think these prophecies are/will be fulfilled?