The first six chapters of the book of Daniel were chronological and historical. Chapters 7 through 12 are prophetic and apocalyptic in nature. In the first six chapters of Daniel, earthly kings received dreams from an earthly perspective. In chapters 7 through 12 a godly man Daniel will receive dreams and visions from a heavenly perspective. 

In chapter 7 Daniel experiences a dream similar to that received by king Nebuchadnezzar in chapter 2 of Daniel. Daniel received this dream, "in the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon" (7:1). This dream occurred a few years prior to the incident of Daniel being called upon by Belshazzar to interpret the divine writing on the wall of his palace (Daniel 5) and before Daniel experienced the lion’s den (Daniel 6). Therefore, Daniel was likely in his early to mid 80s in age. The year was approximately 553 B.C. (1)

 In Daniel’s dream he is given a picture of the future kingdoms of the world. His dream shows that the kingdoms of the world will be overthrown and replaced by an eternal kingdom of God. This overthrow will occur after a final oppositional move by a final rebellious king, "a little horn" whose identity we will examine in the study. This dream depicts God to Daniel as his ETERNAL KING.

Daniel 7:1-8 – "In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, telling the main facts.2 Daniel spoke, saying, "I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea.3 "And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other.4 "The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.5 "And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’6 "After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.7 "After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.8 "I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words."

Daniel received this dream and "wrote down the main facts" about the dream (7:1). His dream begins by Daniel seeing "the four winds of heaven" "stirring up the Great Sea" (7:2). If later in the chapter the "Ancient of Days" represents the Father, and the "Son of Man" represents Jesus at His 2^nd Coming, then here we may see an illusion to the Spirit moving upon the world (compare with Genesis 1:2). The Hebrew term for "winds" here is ruach (Strong’s # 7308) and is a term used in referring to the Holy Spirit based on context (Compare with Ezekiel 37:1,5,6,8-10).

"Sea" in the Bible is imagery used to refer to masses of people as evidenced in the following verses:

• Isaiah 60:5 – "Then you shall see and become radiant, And your heart shall swell with joy; Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you."
• Matthew 13:47 - "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind,"
• Revelation 13:1 – "Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name."

Since Daniel refers to "the Great Sea," he is probably alluding to a worldwide mass of people.

The "four great beasts" are identified later in the chapter as, "four kings, which arise out of the earth" (7:17). Again we see Scripture is its own best commentary.

The opening verses of this chapter are introducing us therefore, to a dream about the kingdoms, which will arise in the world. In chapter 2 of Daniel the dream of king Nebuchadnezzar emphasized the power and glory of earthly kingdoms. Here in Daniel’s dream we see the true nature of these earthly kingdoms. The first thing to notice about this dream is that the kingdoms of the world are all symbolically represented by animals of prey. Each of these Gentile kingdoms will be characterized by violence and carnivorous consumption of those who get in the way of their dominating the earth. This is not a pretty picture, but history has proven the picture true. The kingdoms of this world have been vicious, at times merciless and always tyrannical, oppressive, self-serving and self-exalting in nature.

In sync with the dream of Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 2), Daniels’ dream depicts the chronology of kingdoms to rise from the earth. First, the Babylonian kingdom (7:4), pictured as a lion with eagles wings. As the lion is seen as the king of beasts, so a supreme king led Babylon. The wings were plucked off of this beast which may allude to the humbling of Nebuchadnezzar whose heartless, pompous demeanor was converted to a heart full of the saving knowledge of God (Daniel 4:30-37).

The second kingdom is the Medo-Persian kingdom (7:5). This beast comes on the scene "suddenly" which may allude to the overnight takeover of the Babylonian capitol city the night of Belshazzar’s drunken orgy and divine writing on the wall of the palace (Daniel 5). The Medo-Persians are likened to a "bear" that had "three ribs in its mouth between its teeth," which may refer to the areas of dominion being Media, Persia and Babylonia.

The third kingdom is the Grecian kingdom led by Alexander the Great (7:6). The "leopard" with "four wings" on it’s back depicts an empire that swooped down on the world and conquered with great rapidity. This was true of Alexander’s conquest of the world. Historians tell us that when Alexander the Great reached the age of thirty he wept because he had conquered the world and there was nothing left to conquer. The "four heads" refer to "the fact that his empire was divided into four parts after his untimely death in 323 B.C." (2)

The fourth kingdom depicted in the dream is the Roman Empire (7:7). The Roman Empire was the most expansive and impressive of the kingdoms to this point, it was "dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong." The "iron teeth" link it to Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2 (Daniel 2:40). ). In verse 7, the Roman Empire is described as "different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. All the previous beasts were known to man, but not this one. Which leads this author to believe that along with the Roman Empire known historically, a fifth unknown and yet future kingdom is alluded to here which will grow out of the remnants of the old Roman Empire. In Nebuchadnezzar’s dream the final kingdom alluded to was composed of ten toes and iron mixed with clay which all seem to depict a future confederacy of states (2:40-43). Perhaps the future kingdom will be ecumenical in nature and seek to unite the world in some way. This is the push of the United Nations and many world governments today. This movement is important for us to take note of because it ushers in a time of final destiny for the world. J. Vernon McGee makes the following comments in this regard:

"The Roman Empire simply fell apart; it lives on in many nations of Europe, in those nations which border the Mediterranean and in North Africa—all those which were a part of the Roman Empire. No one overcame Rome, but it fell apart into these different nations.

This unusual beast had ten horns, which obviously correspond to the feet of the image with ten toes. The emphasis is not upon the origin of this empire, but rather upon the end time—the period of the ten horns.

The vision of this fourth beast is made even more important to us because it is yet unfulfilled. Apparently we are living in some period toward the end of time. The visions of the three beasts have been fulfilled, which means that three-fourths of this prophesy has already been literally fulfilled; there remains for the future only the time of the "horns." The fourth kingdom of Rome has already appeared. Although it fell apart, it will come back together in ten kingdoms. It will be put together by the one whom the Word of God has labeled the Antichrist." (3) 

In verse 8 Daniel comments that besides the ten horns an eleventh rises up which he refers to as "a little horn." This "little horn" apparently comes up from among the ten and disposes of the three of the ten horns or kings. This "little horn" speaks "pompous words." Its likely that this "little horn" is the Antichrist who is also described as "the prince who is to come" (Daniel 9:26), the willful king of 11:36-45 in Daniel, and the "beast" of Revelation 13:1-10. The Antichrist will be Satan’s attempt at an unholy incarnation of himself on earth. Satan will make his big push at taking over the world through Antichrist. More on this later.

THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Daniel’s dream then cuts to a scene of judgment. As we said from the beginning of our study, this book depicts God as a just Judge. We have seen in the first 6 chapters of Daniel how God was sovereignly involved in the workings of secular Empires in history. Now we will see how God the Judge is sovereignly involved in future world events. There are many similarities between the description of God here and that given in the book of Revelation’s description of Jesus. Let’s look at some of these similarities.

Daniel 7:9 - "I watched till thrones were put in place, 1 And the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a burning fire;"

Daniel alone refers to God as, "the Ancient of Days." The title "Ancient of Days" refers to the eternal nature of God. God has no beginning or ending, He always existed. In verse 9 "Ancient of Days" is likely used in reference to God the Father, but later in this chapter in verse 22, "Ancient of Days" is used in connection with the "Son of Man" who "came" (7:13,22) to earth at the 2^nd Coming of Jesus. Jesus therefore is eternal in nature just like the Father. We see that Jesus and the Father are both seen in Scripture as being eternal in nature. This is shown in such verses as follows which pertain to the eternal nature of God the Father:

• Psalm 45:6 – "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom."
• Psalm 93:2 – "Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting."

• Habakkuk 1:12 – "Are You not from everlasting, O Lord my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O Lord, You have appointed them for judgment; O Rock, You have marked them for correction."

The eternal nature of Jesus is referred to in the following verses:

• Micah 5:2 - "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting."
• John 1:1,14 – "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."
• Revelation 1:8,13-18 - "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." . . . 13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.18 "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death."

The description of God the Father in Daniel 7 and of Jesus in Revelation 1 (above) are very similar. Some might confuse the description of the Father with that of His Son Jesus. But that similarity is to be expected given the relationship of Jesus the Son to His Father. A Son usually has similar characteristics or likenesses to his Father. We should expect no different between that of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.

It’s interesting that in Daniel 7 we have an interaction between God the Father and God the Son that is very similar to that depicted in Revelation 5 when the Father holds the scroll, (which is the title deed to the earth) and the Son alone is able to take the scroll from His hand. Just as Daniel depicts the Father giving dominion to the Son, in Revelation the Father gives the title deed to the earth to Jesus. Read Revelation 5 below:

• Revelation 5:1-14 – "And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals.2 Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?"3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.4 So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it.5 But one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals."6 And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.7 Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. 8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.9 And they sang a new song, saying: 1 "You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth."11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands,12 saying with a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!"13 And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: "Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!"14 Then the four living creatures said, "Amen!" And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever."

The picture here of God’s throne in Daniel 7:9-10 is also very similar to that given by the prophet Ezekiel in chapter one of Ezekiel.

Daniel 7:10 – "A fiery stream issued And came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, And the books were opened."

This is not the Great White Throne Judgment mentioned in Revelation 20 that comes at the end of the millennial kingdom. The chronology of Daniel does not support that this is the Great White Throne Judgment. This is the judgment of those who have survived the Great Tribulation and now must bend the knee before Jesus at His return. Jesus describes this in the Olivet discourse where He states:

• Matthew 25:31-46 - "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.32 "All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.33 "And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.34 "Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:35 ‘for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;36 ‘I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’37 "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?38 ‘When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?39 ‘Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’40 "And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’41 "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:42 ‘for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink;43 ‘I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’44 "Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’45 "Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’46 "And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Daniel 7:11-12 - "I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame.12 "As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time."

In contrast to the awesome view of God’s throne are "pompous words" which intrude on the holy scene. The pompous words come from the "beast" who is then slain and thrown into the fire. This depicts the rebellion of Antichrist and his final destiny of hell. This is in line with what is stated in Revelation 19:

• Revelation 19:19-20 – "And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone."

We will learn more about the Beast and why he is so severely judged later in the chapter.

Daniel 7:13-14 - "I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him.14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed."

When the pompous words of Antichrist have taken their course and God decides enough is enough, Jesus will return to earth to set up His kingdom. This was prophetically mentioned in Psalm 2, which tells us:

• Psalm 2:1-12 – "Why do the nations rage, 1 And the people plot a vain thing?2 The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,3 "Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us."4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision.5 Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure:6 "Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion."7 "I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.8 Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession.9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ "10 Now therefore, be wise, O kings; Be instructed, you judges of the earth.11 Serve the Lord with fear, And rejoice with trembling.12 Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, And you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him."

This prophetic psalm will be fulfilled when Jesus returns to earth after the Tribulation and then establishes His Millennial Kingdom upon the earth. Jesus spoke of His 2^nd Coming at the Olivet Discourse. He elaborated on the nature of His 2^nd Coming when He said:

• Matthew 24:27-30 - "For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.28 "For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.29 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.30 "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."

It is important for the Bible student to understand that what we see in Daniel does not refer to the Rapture of the Church, which occurs before Antichrist comes on the scene. The 2^nd Coming of Jesus to earth occurs at the end of Daniel’s 70^th week (See study on Daniel 9:27), also referred to in the Bible as the seven-year period of Tribulation. This seven-year period of Tribulation is specifically aimed at dealing with Israel to bring her to repentance and acceptance of Jesus as her Messiah. The means by which God will seek to accomplish this is through hard trials, the pouring out of His wrath on a Christ-rejecting world (Revelation 6:16,17; 11:18; 15:1,7; 16:1,19; 19:15). Jeremiah therefore, referred to this period as, "the time of Jacob’s trouble" (Jeremiah 30:7). (The last half of that seven-year period is the Great Tribulation and will exceed even the first half catastrophes in terms of trials and hardship.) Because those who are saved are saved from the wrath to come because of their salvation by grace through faith in Christ, God removes them from the earth before He pours out His wrath on the Christ-rejecting world. The following scriptures confirm that the saved are spared this period of God’s outpoured wrath:

• Romans 5:9 – "Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him."
• 1 Thessalonians 5:9 – "For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,"

The 2^nd Coming is visible to all, (see above Matthew 24:27-30). The Rapture, on the other hand, occurs, "as a thief in the night" (1 Thessalonians 5:2). The Rapture of the Church is imminent in nature, it could happen at any time, (even before your done reading this!). No historical event needs precede the Rapture. The 2^nd Coming occurs after specific events on the prophetic calendar such as, the rise of Antichrist, the covenant of Antichrist with Israel during the Tribulation, the erection of the Tribulation Temple, etc. In addition to this Jesus instructed the disciples to pray that they might escape the Tribulation (Luke 21:36). If it were not possible to escape the Tribulation, Jesus would not have instructed believers to pray to escape it. True believers of the Church will not go through the Tribulation. Daniel speaks of this time in history because it pertains particularly to Israel, not the Church. The Church will have been removed from the earth at the Rapture before the 70^th week of Daniel comes on the scene of the prophetic calendar.

Daniel 7:15-17 - "I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.16 "I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things:17 ‘Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth."

Daniel is troubled by all of this and he sought the comfort of the "truth of all this." Jesus said, His truth liberates us. We see this in the verses which states:

• John 8:31-32 – "Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.32 "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

This is something that should not go unnoticed by the Bible student. And one of the greatest truths is that of the return of Christ at the Rapture and the 2^nd Coming. There is tremendous hope and consolation in the promised return of Jesus. This is true of those in the church now awaiting the Rapture of the faithful, and this will be true of those left behind who accept Jesus during the Tribulation. This is the point of the following verses which point to the hope the Church has right now because of the imminent return of Jesus to Rapture the Church that is soon to take place. Jesus said:

• John 14:1-3 - "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.2 "In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."

Paul wrote to the Thessalonians about the Rapture and how it should be a source of comfort when he said:

• 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 – "But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.18 Therefore comfort one another with these words."

Paul also remarked how the 2^nd Coming as well as the Rapture of the Church are both a source of hope for believers. Paul wrote to Titus:

• Titus 2:13 – "looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,"

Whether or not you turn to the hope of the Rapture or not, in dire circumstances turn to the truth of God’s word and you will receive hope for your souls.

Daniel 7:18 – "‘But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.’"

Another reason to be hopeful is that the "saints" or holy ones, will "receive the kingdom" which means they will reign with Christ during the Millennial Kingdom on earth (7:18,22,25,27). Daniel’s dream refers particularly to the saints from the house of Israel. The "saints" spoken of by Daniel refers to those of Israel who go through the Tribulation and are saved after the rapture of the Church. During the seven year Tribulation it appears there will be a great revival amongst the ranks of those who have been left behind. This revival will remarkably be spearheaded by 144,000 Messianic apostle-Paul-like Jews who will be supernaturally protected by the seal of God during the Tribulation period. Such Tribulation saints are spoken of in Revelation in the following verses:

• Revelation 7:1-4 – "After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree.2 Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea,3 saying, "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads."4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed:"
• Revelation 7:13-14 – "Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?"14 And I said to him, "Sir, you know." So he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."
• Revelation 14:1 – "Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads."

While the church will have been raptured before the Tribulation, it will reign with Jesus during the Millennium as well. This is supported by the following verses:

• Jude 14-15 – "Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints,15 "to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him."

• Revelation 1:6 – "and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."
• Revelation 3:21 - "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne."
• Revelation 5:10 – "And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth."
• Revelation 20:6 – "Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. [That is, the saints of the Church.] Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years." (Comment added.)

One of the main purposes of Jesus was to bring together the two groups, Jews and Gentiles, into one group. This we see in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians where he was inspired to write:

• Ephesians 2:11-18 – "Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands—12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace,16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father."

What a glorious thing it will be to stand with Jesus at His 2^nd Coming and then to implement His righteous kingdom on earth! Oh what a picture! Oh what a blessed promise! Oh what hope!

The final verse of Daniel 7 tell of a gigantic conflict between the kingdom of this world led by Antichrist, or "horn" over against the kingdom of God. Jesus told us that when we pray we should pray, "Thy kingdom come" (Matthew 6:10). These verses in Daniel tell us about the coming of the kingdom of God.

So terrible is the truth about the last days during the Tribulation, (which will be the context of these events) which Daniel is first told of the victory of the saints to settle him before he is given understanding about the Beast.

Notice that this final kingdom is "different from all the others" (7:7,19,23). It is "exceedingly dreadful." This last worldly kingdom devours, breaks and tramples all that come in its path (7:19). Evidently at ten nation confederacy will arise from the land originally secured by the old Roman Empire. Three of the ten nations will fall "before" "that horn" or the Antichrist. This may mean that three of the ten nations will willingly submit to the Antichrist and turn over sovereign authority to this beastly world leader.

Daniel 7:21,23-25 - "I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them,23 "Thus he said: ‘The fourth beast shall be A fourth kingdom on earth, Which shall be different from all other kingdoms, And shall devour the whole earth, Trample it and break it in pieces.24 The ten horns are ten kings Who shall arise from this kingdom. And another shall rise after them; He shall be different from the first ones, And shall subdue three kings.25 He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, Shall persecute the saints of the Most High, And shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand For a time and times and half a time."

A great amount of detail about the Antichrist is given us in these verses. The primary distinguishing mark of this Beast is that he is, "making war against the saints, and prevailing against them" (7:21). Antichrist will "devour the whole earth, trample it and break it in pieces" (7:23). Apparently Antichrist will secure world dominion. The Antichrist will be "different" from the other kings and that difference will likely be tied to his charisma (7:24). He is said to "speak pompous words" (7:11,20,24) which therefore leads us to believe he will be very persuasive and diplomatic in nature. In two other passages of scripture we see an elaboration concerning the nature of the Antichrist.

Revelation 13 gives us more detail about the Antichrist and is excerpted below:

• Revelation 13:1-10 – "Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name.2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?"5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months.6 Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.7 It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear.10 He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints."

According to Revelation 13 it appears the government of Antichrist will incorporate characteristics from all the previous world Empires mentioned in Daniel 7 ("leopard" – swift attacking Greece; "bear"- strong Medo-Persians; "lion" – tyrannical Babylonians; Revelation 13:1-2). Apparently he will gain world sympathy via an apparent miraculous survival of an assassination attempt (Revelation 13:3-4). Antichrist’s authority is popularly received for 42 months or 3 ½ years (Revelation 13:5). After the first half of the Tribulation, the Great Tribulation begins with a tyrannical reign of Antichrist over the earth. He will persecute the Tribulation saints and those who have rejected Christ as their Savior "will worship him [i.e. worship the Antichrist]" (13:6-10).

Another portion of Scripture, which gives great detail about Antichrist, is found in 2 Thessalonians, which states:

• 2 Thessalonians 2:3-8 – "Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time.7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming."

Paul refers to Antichrist as "the lawless one" (2 Thessalonians 2:9). Daniel says Antichrist, "shall intend to change times and law." Perhaps this beastly figure will rise to power under the pretense of toleration removing any law that would prohibit what the Bible views as deviant and sinful behavior. Paul also writes that the Antichrist will be powered by Satan and able to perform "lying wonders" that deceive those who have rejected God’s truth (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10). Daniel says, "Then the saints shall be given into his hand" (7:25). This figure will likely rally the world around the persecution of God’s saints (7:25). This is not hard to believe given the recent trends in society as seeing Bible believing saints as intolerant and as outcasts of society.

The explanation of Daniel’s dream continues by stating, "Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and a half time" (7:25). A "time" is referred to in Daniel 4:16 and appears to refer to a period of a year. If this is true, then "a time" is one year, "times" is more than one year or 2 years, and "ha half time" would be one-half of a year, the total being 3 ½ years spoken of here. This measurement of time is also found in Daniel 12:7 and Revelation 12:14 which leads us to believe it is referring to a specific period in the End Times calendar. "Time and times and a half time" refers to a 3 ½ year period of persecution that coincides with the last half of the prophetic seven year period of Tribulation more particularly referred to as the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21). This 3 ½ year period corresponds also to the 42 months mentioned in Revelation 11:2 and 13:5 where the a time of Gentiles treading on the holy Temple ground and the Antichrist’s persecution of the saints is referred to.

Daniel 7:21-22,26-28 - "I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them,22 "until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom. . . . 26 ‘But the court shall be seated, And they shall take away his dominion, To consume and destroy it forever.27 Then the kingdom and dominion, And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.’28 "This is the end of the account. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly troubled me, and my countenance changed; but I kept the matter in my heart."

The Antichrist will prevail against the saints "until the Ancient of Days came,"(7:22). Jesus rides in on His white horse to save the day for the saints. Think of it, we know that hard times lay ahead but we also know who wins! Jesus wins and we’re with Him, we win too! At His 2^nd Coming Jesus crashes Antichrist’s party and crushes his kingdom as well. That should be an encouragement for us and incentive to press on toward the goal of the higher calling in Christ!

God is an Eternal King and His kingdom is coming and it will be established supremely on this earth. Worldly prognosticators try to make sense of the developments in current events. They try to mark the trends and measure statistically everything from supermarket purchases to investments. But the student with God’s word in their hands merely has to open the Book to see the way things are going, why they are going that way, and how they will conclude. That is a comforting thought. It’s no fun meandering around this world in a state of lostness, forlorn and depressed about the historical events unfolding before us. I’d much rather be in touch and informed of the reality of things around me. Wouldn’t you? God is our Eternal King, the Ancient of Days is coming back, and it may be today. Are you ready?

(1) C.I. Scofield, The New Scofield Study Bible, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Pubs., 1989) p. 1015 verse note.

(2) Jerry Falwell, executive editor; Edward E. Hinson and Michael Kroll Woodrow, general editors, KJV Bible Commentary [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1994.

(3) J. Vernon McGee, Thru The Bible Commentary [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1981 by J. Vernon McGee