Daniel 7:1-7 – The Last Earthly King – Bible study

Daniel 7:1-7 The Last Earthly King Daniel is a book of both character and prophecy. Presently I would like to emphasize the prophecies. The prophecies we are looking at in Daniel prophecies are the end time prophecies. We are living in the end times. That makes this book very practical to us. Daniel gives us the first indication of what we should be looking to happen. What Daniel gives us a broad stroke. The remainder of the Bible fills in the details, but it is always good to step back and to see the broad stroke. In summary, last week from Daniel 2, we saw a dream revealed in which God told Nebuchadnezzar that there would be only four earthly world- wide kingdoms. The names of all four of them are not given in that dream, but there is enough information that we can figure out who they were to be. They were Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome. All four of these kingdoms are historic. That is, they are the past. What is of great importance to us was that the last empire, the Roman Empire, was to still be standing when God sets up His kingdom, the millennial reign. That was what the dream taught. That means that God will revive that Roman empire. We call that the Revived Roman Empire. I believe we are about to see that start happening very soon. You cannot forget what we discussed last week about those kingdoms but prophecy builds upon other prophecies. Daniel chapter 7 needs to be laid over Daniel chapter 2. This chapter is talking about the same 4 earthly worldwide kingdoms. The difference is Daniel 2 talked about kingdoms while Daniel 7 talks about kings. Today, lets add to our end time understanding by looking at the a second vision. I. This dream is about four beasts. A. The beasts are: 1. \#4\ Lion 2. \#5\ Bear 3. \#6\ Leopard 4. \#7\ Beast B. I must be as brief as possible so let me point you to Daniels interpretation of those four beasts. Daniel 7:16 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. 17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. 1. The four beasts are the four kings that rule over the four world-wide kingdoms. 2. Which kings? I suspect the most important kings. 3. The first vision was of kingdoms. This vision is of their greatest kings. 4. The kings of the first three kingdoms were important to their kingdoms. a. Nebuchadnezzar-Babylon b. Cyrus-Persian c. Alexander-Greece. C. While much of this vision was future to Daniel, it is not to us. 1. To us, it is history. 2. From that, we can conclude that is not where God wants our attention. 3. God wants our attention directed to what has not happened yet. 4. God wants us to notice one of the kings of the last kingdom. a. He is described in verse 8. b. His destruction and replacement is described in 9-10. (1) Like the vision of Daniel 2, the Destroyer and Replacement for this fourth beast is a fifth kingdom, Gods kingdom. (a) God is "the Ancient of Days." (b) God is the One whose garment is white (pure). (c) God is the One with hair of pure wool. (d) God is the One whose throne is a fiery flame. (e) God is the One with wheels burning. (f) God is the One who issues a fiery stream. (g) God is the One with a thousand thousands serving Him. (h) God is the One who will open the books and judge. (2) So this earthly king of the fourth and last earthly kingdom will rule until Jesus deposes him. (3) If you know anything about prophecy in the New Testament you would know this king is the anti- Christ, but since Daniel did not use that term, we will simply call him THE EARTHLY LAST KING. c. There is no historic king that fits the description of the prophecy given here. d. And what is described will happen only once. 5. I suggest to you that God wants our attention on this last ruler of the last the earthly kingdom. II. The Last Earthly King A. Warning-We have one vision in this chapter but God gives us two interpretations of it. 1. The beast is one of the four beast and we are told what that means in two different verses: Dan 7:17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. Dan 7:23 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. 2. How can the beast be both the king and the kingdom? a. Another contradiction? b. The kingdom takes on the character of the king. c. So we can learn about the Last Earthly King by studying what the Bible says about him (the horn) and his kingdom (the beast). Dan 7:8 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. B. He is powerful. 1. He is called a horn. a. This is not talking an automobile horn but the horn on a strong animal. b. Such a horn makes an animal dangerous, even deadly. c. The beast had 10 horns, ten deadly sources of power, when it stepped onto the scene. 2. How strong is he? Dan 7:23 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. a. He will devour the whole earth. (1) That does not say he will rule over the whole earth or even conquer the whole earth. (2) It says devour. (3) People have wondered what will happen to America in end times. (a) America is not mentioned in the Bible at all, especially in prophecy. (b) Why? Because America will be another of the Last Earthly Kings conquests. (c) Or worse, America will willingly join the Last Earthly King in his kingdom. b. He is called "the beast." (1) The other kings are noted by specific animals. (a) Nebuchadnezzar is called a lion because of furious nature. Until God put a new heart in him, he destroyed mercilessly. (b) Cyrus is called a bear because of his strength. He devoured many nations. (c) Alexander is called a leopard with 4 wings because he conquered the world with such amazing speed, all before his 33 birthday. (d) Remember the animals-lion, bear, leopard. (2) But the fourth one is just called a "beast." (3) Another book of the Bible refers to man as a beast. (a) It is the anti-Christ. Re 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. 2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. (b) Notice the three animals to which he is compared: leopard, bear, lion. (c) \#Rev 12:9\ adds that he got his power from the dragon who is the devil. (4) So the Last Earthly King will have all the furiousness of Nebuchadnezzar, all of the strength of Cyrus, and all of the speed of Alexander, plus the devils own power! c. The Last Earthly King will be so powerful that the only One who can stop him will be God. C. He is very evil. Dan 7:25 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. 1. He will speak wicked things against God. 2. He will attack the believers. a. "Wear out" b. It means to consume, to spend, to waste, to enjoy 3. He will attempt to change times and laws. a. Aborting babies. b. Kathy and listened to part of program on Friday where it was being advocated to kill children already born if they are found to be "defective." c. Children being given to the state. d. Marriage between two men or two women. 4. And he will accomplish this things for 3 1/2 units of time. Now, there is so much more that this chapter reveals, but here is what you need to watch for: 1. A revived Roman empire – A kingdom comes out of Europe that starts as a collection of nations or world zones. 2. A king to take over that empire who is ruthless and fast and turns the world against God and the laws of nature itself. If you think that cannot happen in a heartbeat, you are sheep and you are going to the slaughter.