Sermon Tone Analysis
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is a major transition in the book of Daniel.
Up to this point, the book of Daniel has been about stories of Daniel and his three friends.
We learned about their faith and courage in the face of very trying circumstances.
We were confronted with the concept of God’s sovereign control over all things, even when it seems like things are out of control.
Before we dive into the content of , let’s take a moment to talk about how we deal properly with apocalyptic content in the Scriptures.
Dealing with Apocalyptic Scriptures
Up to this point, Daniel has been narrative.
Now, it switches to apocalyptic literature.
This means we have to change our approach to it.
Apocalyptic means “revelation”
The label comes from the book of Revelation, also known as the Apocalypse of Saint John or the Apocalypse of Jesus Christ.
Starting in , Daniel clearly falls within that genre.
Apocalypse communicates a sense of impending doom.
We use the term when we mean all things are coming to a head or end.
It is the Apocalypse.
It is a violent end to all things.
The Biblical Apocalypse is not about doom, but rather about hope, optimism, and joy.
The end of days ushers in the final victory for the saints of God.
God brings an end to the corruption of the this world.
It is a celebration of victory over God’s enemies.
God is in control and will overcome evil, not just human evil, but also the spiritual evils.
Apocalyptic literature is often not literal, rather it is full of imagery and metaphor.
We will be talking a lot of numbers and about hybrid animals.
The images are not easy to communicate and so the author does his best to communicate what he is seeing with terms we can understand.
How would you explain a helicopter to a 1st century audience?
How would you describe a Great White Shark to a person who has never seen the ocean?
Language often fails in trying to paint an accurate picture.
This is why we say a picture is worth a thousand words.
We must be careful when dealing with apocalyptic literature to not press the details too precisely.
Many mistakes in interpretation and understanding are made because we try to force our modern understandings on the ancient texts.
1. Vision of the Four Beasts ()
begins with a horrible vision of 4 hybrid beasts rising from the chaotic sea.
A. Daniel’s vision took place before the fall of the Babylonian empire ()
B. Four unique beasts arose from the sea during a violent storm.
()
The picture is of a violent storm which causes the waves to react violently.
The waters are moving in all directions.
In ancient literature, the sea is often viewed as symbolic of chaotic times and of destructive evil.
These beasts are mutants and bizarre.
They are abominations of God’s creation.
i.
A lion with eagle’s wings ()
The wings are eventually torn off and it the creature ends up on the ground and given a human mind.
Most likely, this is a reference to the Babylonian Empire.
ii.
Bear ()
It looked like a bear, but not quite.
It was lop-sided and it was told to gorge itself on flesh while it was already eating.
Most likely this is a reference to the Medo-Persian Empire.
iii.
Four-headed Leopard with four wings ()
This was a powerful creature which was given control over things.
Likely, this is a reference to the Greek Empire.
iv.
Indescribable fourth beast ()
Simply said it was dreadful and very strong.
It had iron teeth.
It destroyed everything and it had 10 horns.
My sci-fi side wants to call this one a Robo-beast because it sounds like something out of a cheesy science fiction movie.
I think these four beasts coincide with the parts of the statue in .
Head of gold - Lion with wings
Chest and arms of silver - Bear
Belly and thighs of bronze - Leopard
Legs of Iron & Feet of iron and clay - Indescribable fourth beast
C. A little horn uproots three of the horns.
()
The horn had human eyes and a mouth that spoke arrogantly.
For now, we are not going to try to figure out the imagery of this fourth beast with 10 horns, and a little horn.
We will save that for later.
2. The Appearance of the Ancient of Days and the Son of Man ()
Verse nine is a scene switch.
We move from a scene of grotesque and bizarre animals coming out of a chaotic sea to the courtroom.
A. The Ancient of Days ()
i. White clothing
ii.
White hair
iii.
Seated on a blazing chariot of fire
iv.
A river of fire flows before him
v.
He served by a myriad of heavenly hosts
vi.
He is in charge of the court proceedings.
Obviously, we are to understand this as God the Father.
B. The forces of evil are destroyed and punished with fire.
()
The little horn continues in his boastful rants, but he cannot stand before the Ancient of Days.
They may think they are in charge for a time, but ultimately God removes their power and dominion.
C. The Son of Man ()
i. Enters on the clouds
ii.
He was able to stand before the Ancient of Days
iii.
He is given everlasting dominion.
For some reason, the identity of the Son of Man in this passage has caused much debate.
However, it is my understanding that this is Jesus the Son of God.
I think that is a very safe interpretation.
3. The interpretation of the vision ()
So what does this all mean?
A. Daniel is troubled by the vision and asks a bystander in the vision for assistance in interpretation ()
Presumably, Daniel consults an angel for assistance.
B. The beasts are kings.
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