Daniel: Chapters 7-8 — Stanley Wells

Once more we're here to thank you for coming and welcome all who are with us tonight. Now the meetings continue through Thursday night of the Lord Be Not Come and as we have indicated you want to see a little further of these great things.

We need to follow the ministry night by night. Now we can't go back over what we have said but a question has been asked. So you look at this chart tonight and we are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ in 2010.

The Church in the Present Age and the Coming of Christ

Now where do we sit in relation to this big picture on this chart? Daniel if we haven't already pointed out didn't know anything about what we are experiencing. So it says they're the church so we're part of the church and this is the present age and we're in the church period and we're waiting for that moment when the Lord Jesus Christ will come and so we're in here what the chart says a dateless parenthesis.

We don't know when the Lord is coming but we believe this he's certainly coming very soon. Now here's the next question. We went over this ground of the image last night gold and the silver the brass and the iron and the iron and clay down here and somebody says well how do you know that the gold is babbling and all down through to this point here.

The Four Gentile Empires in Daniel

Well I'm just going to read you a verse or two and I can't read you them all but let me just start off before we read our portions. Do you see Daniel chapter 2? Daniel chapter 2 we want to be as simple as is possible to be and you see Daniel is beside Nebuchadnezzar and he's telling them in Daniel chapter 2 and verse number verse number 38 the last statement thou art this head of gold so right away there's scripture that head of gold there is Nebuchadnezzar and that is the empire under Babylon.

Now go to chapter 8 for a minute and let me read to you a little maybe I should read one verse in chapter 5 maybe you've already missed it I'll just do that just when we're passing by. See the last verse of chapter 5 of the book of Daniel Belshazzar slain verse 31 and Darius the maid took the kingdom being about three score and two years old.

Now into chapter 8 notice here what's happening verse 20 the ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia that's the second empire the rough goat is the king of Greece and the third empire and the great horn that's between his eyes is the first king and so on.

Now these scriptures and others in the new testament show beyond a shadow of a doubt that in the times of the Gentiles Nebuchadnezzar was first the Babylonian empire the Medo-Persian empire the Grecian and the Roman and by the way every one of them failed and finished in dishonor and disgrace and one of the reasons there's all kinds of other reasons but one of them was the immorality and the corruption of the society in that day and we are reliving the exactly same situation in our day we're in the dispensation of grace and God is waiting and waiting and waiting but he won't always wait and one of these days the Lord is coming.

Daniel's Prophetic Structure: History, Visions, and the End Times

Right I'm just going to give you a quick overview and then we'll start to read. Quick revision 12 chapters right from I'm pointing here chapter 1 through chapter 6 historical in character in the Chaldean language chapter 7 through 12 is prophetic and it is in the Hebrew language first six chapters all the material surrounds two dreams and we've already read about that the material from chapter 7 to the end surrounds two visions and they are taken by Daniel and he gets to know what it's all about down below here is the future all the way through the time of the end it has to do all the way with the great tribulation and how it will finish and all the rest of it in between the present you and I are here as we have pointed out so people say it has nothing to do with us it has everything to do with us.

You better know where we are in the big picture we haven't long to go and if the Lord Jesus Christ comes tonight these two individuals that we're going to talk about they'll be on the scene you see the man of sin the political head and the king with the fierce continents will read about him tonight.

Chapter 8 of Daniel these could be living in the world tonight they could be in some military academy they could be sitting at their mother's only the Lord knows. But they're somewhere tonight and we believe that very soon if the Lord comes these individuals and conditions right here will commence so it has everything to do with us.

The Four Beasts of Daniel 7

So tonight we're going to talk about chapter 7 these four animals. Let me just go over them quickly. Here is Babylon the lion and the wings of eagles. This is the bear and he has got three bones in his mouth and he's down on one side.

Those are all suggestions. This is the Grecian and this is the Roman. Now those answer to the four over here you see for example here's the head of gold that's the lion. And right down all the way till we come here to Rome the ferocious beast.

That's what we're going to talk about tonight. And Daniel is really burdened before his God to find out what it's all about. And he gets chapter 8 and he finds out here is the ram with the two horns and here is the wild and these two horns indicate middle Persian.

And this one here with the one big horn there likely Alexander the Great in the Grecian Empire. And this man here Antiochus Epiphanes. If we get a chance we'll talk about him tonight and if not tomorrow night in the will of the Lord.

So we're going to compare them these two chapters chapter 7 and chapter 8. Now before we read let me tell you another thing. I've said this every time it's more pertinent tonight than any of these sessions.

Yet we're now into the meat of Daniel's prophecy and we're into the prophetic scene and people are going to disagree. And you might disagree with what is going to be said tonight but what I'm telling you makes sense.

And as I'm telling some of the brethren if it's not the interpretation it's a mighty good application and I hope we all get the message. So I'm starting off in Daniel chapter 7 tonight and I'll read a few verses say something about the chapter and then we'll move on.

Now let me again say if you don't understand what we're talking about please chat. We'll be happy to talk to you one-on-one on the telephone whatever over a cup of coffee whatever. All right. Daniel chapter 7.

Please. Verse number one. Here's the setting in the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and a vision of his head upon his bed. Then he wrote the dream and told the sum of the matters.

Now remember the way I told you that chapter 7 is before chapter 5 and somebody says how did you know that. Well there tells you see there's the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon when we read on Friday and Sunday night in the gospel chapter 5 that night he was slain.

So that was his last night. So this is probably obviously before he was slain. See now I'm not telling you anything that's not lying right on the surface. All right. Now read a verse or two here with you.

Please look at verse number two. Daniel spake and said. I saw in my dream by night. And behold the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. Now that verse would tell you that likely Daniel wrote it.

Verse three. Four great beasts come up from the sea diverse one from another. Now these beasts that come out of the sea throughout the book of revelation. And Daniel the sea speaks of the nations. These are all gentiles.

And this is the times of the gentiles. Now I won't read all the verses but I should read each one of them. Verse number four. The first was like a lion and had eagle's wings. Verse five. Behold another beast a second like a bear and it raised up itself on one side and it had three ribs in the mouth.

Notice the next verse. Verse six. And after this I beheld. And lo another like a leopard which is upon had upon the back of it four wings of a file. So on look at verse number seven. He pauses here he says.

And after this I saw in the night visions and behold a fourth beast dreadful and terrible and strong exceedingly. And it had great iron teeth and it devoured and breaking pieces and stamped the residue with the feet of it and it was diverse from all beasts that were before it.

And it had ten horns. I notice the next verse. It's very important to see here 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 there were eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth speaking great things. Where's that on the chart. Well here I'll show you see. Can you see where I am right now. There he is there.

Look see this is the roman little horn. We're in Daniel chapter 7. And there's that little horn that came up with eyes and mouth and all the rest of it. That's the men of sin. They're all anti-christ.

They're all against christ. But the let's read a little more. We're now at verse 9. And behold till the thrones were cast down and the ancient of days did sit whose garment was white as snow and the hair of his head like pure wool.

His throne was like the fiery flame and his wheels as burning fire. Now notice the next verse. I'll read it to you. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him. Thousand thousands ministered unto him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.

The judgment was set and the books were opened. Now I'm suggesting to you tonight that in verse number nine the ancient of days is the Lord Jesus Christ all right. Notice verse 13. I saw in the night visions and behold one like the son of man came with the clouds of heaven and came to the ancient of days and they brought him near before him and there was given him dominion and glory and a kingdom.

And so on. The ancient of days in verse number 13 is God. Somebody says how do you make that out. Well the son of man is coming to the ancient of days. Very very like revelation 5 where the throne sitter is there and the little lamb freshly goes and takes the book from the throne sitter and so on all right.

The Little Horn and the Judgment of the Saints

So Daniel has a problem. What does all this mean. Well he tells us here. Notice please verse 15. Verse 16 maybe verse 15 for the sense I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body and the visions of my head troubled me.

I came near unto one of them that stood by and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me. And he made known the interpretation of the things. These great beasts which are four are four kings which shall arise out of the earth.

I have already covered that ground. There's all kinds of other information here. But let me just read a verse or two. Now toward the end of the chapter that will give us the sense. For example verse 21.

And I beheld. And the same horn this is the little horn made war with the saints and prevailed against them until the ancient of days came and judgment was given to the saints of the most high. And the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.

And then he has a number of others to talk about. We'll come to the end. Notice verse 28. As for me Daniel my quotations meditations thoughts much troubled me and my countenance changed in me. But I kept the matter in my heart.

Now I'll read a little in chapter 8 as we move. Let me put it to you this way. You see chapter 2 and the great image and chapter 7 these four beasts they're linked the scriptures that we have indicated and others tell us that man is looking at the great image metals gold silver brass iron iron and clay.

Now this is a massive image and people are attracted toward it. And behind it are four kings on four empires. That was pre-written history. It's now gone but it was ahead for Daniel. Men are getting a glimpse of power.

Oh the love the thirst for power to control people and control nations and control the world and love it. Just pause a minute and think of the world that we live in. We think of the muslim world for example over two billion people tonight and they are looking and longing for power to hold control over the universe if they could and over planet earth.

God will allow them to go so far. See now that's the men were said. You see Daniel's a man of god and now he's learning. This is what god thinks of imperial power. Wild ferocious beasts. Lion bear leopard ferocious.

Now can you see the difference. God is in control and he allows men to go through this thirst for power. And we thought of Nebuchadnezzar last night and all the things that he went through. Now i won't go over that again.

Antiochus Epiphanes and the Historical Pattern of Future Tyranny

Daniel's impressed. He stands before the monarch and he gives them the sense of the dream and the interpretation in chapter two. Now he's alone with his god and god opens his understanding but he still doesn't know what it all means.

And that's what we read tonight in chapter seven. And so a heavenly messenger comes and unfolds to Daniel. What's going to happen now. Obviously these four kings that are in charge. We're just going to look at one or two of them tonight and leave the rest.

It's pretty obvious that this man Nebuchadnezzar he was a despot. He was a dictator ruled the world. Now you see when you come over here here is the Medo-Persian. And there came a day when the Babylonian empire went down.

You'd have thought it would never have crashed. But in Daniel chapter seven the last king of Babylon was and he moved into eternity and the Medo-Persians took over and Darius and Cyrus are the ones that looked after things.

Now you'd have thought that they would have taken over the world and stayed with it. But there's another man comes onto the scene and that's the Grecian empire. And one of their great heads was Alexander the Great.

You've heard of him. He was determined to take over the world and he had fierce battles with this Medo-Persian empire and at the end he won out. Now you see he had four generals. Now this is not in the bible.

But now we're in the history book and what I read you in Daniel Fitts and you see these four generals they got a hold of their leader. It's written that he cried because at 32 years of age he had no more nations to conquer.

He was number one. He was at the top. But you see his four generals couldn't stand him and they ganged up on him and they took his life. And now the kingdom is divided into four. And out of one of those to cut a long story very short comes a man called Antiochus Epiphanes.

People say I never heard of him. He's not in the bible. That's right. But the history book fits this particular part. And if you do any research at all you'll find out that this was a cruel king and he was anti-god.

He couldn't stand god. You know what he did again. You have to go to the history book. He conquered Jerusalem in one of his his campaigns. He knew all about god. He knew about the altar there in the courtyard in the temple the brazen altar.

And he knew that the jews saw the hogs as an unclean animal. And what did he do. He put a hog right on that brazen altar and he scattered all of the stuff around the vessels in the temple defying the god of heaven.

The Man of Sin, the False Prophet, and the Abomination of Desolation

Now out of that situation comes another man called as we'll read about it in a minute or two in chapter 8 and he is the king with a fierce countenance. So out of this Grecian line of things comes this man and he's the one that moves into the Assyrian condition.

And I'll explain that as we move now to be very very simple and to be right to the point what happened in history is going to happen again. This man Antiochus Epiphanes long since in eternity. But you see prophetically speaking 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 and revelation chapter 13 show that the day is coming in the great tribulation when in the very temple that will be built right there on the dome of the rock or in the very close proximity there will be a man will rule.

He's the called the man of sin. And in the middle of the week the week of years that covenant will be broken as we'll see tomorrow night in the will of god and he will set up an image and his associate the false prophet that takes over the apostate part of Israel will set up the image in the very temple to desecrate it known there as the abomination of desolation.

And the whole world will wonder after the beast as we pointed out in other nights when Daniel thinks about this the historical part and the prophetical part he's absolutely overcome. And we'll read in chapter 8 all been well how it affected him.

I want to ask you something. Can you see Daniel he's faint he's astonished he's overwhelmed it has affected his health. He's sick for certain days as chapter 8 shows what is happening and going to happen to his nation before his god.

Responding Spiritually to Prophecy and the Coming Tribulation

I want to be practical tonight and I want to ask you something whenever we stop and consider what we're looking at these nights and think of the awful days that are ahead for planet earth and the great tribulation will be right across the world.

But the eye of the storm will be the nation of Israel in the middle east. What does it do to you. How does it affect you. How does it affect me. Well some people it gives them a thirst to read more and to learn more.

And that's good. But what about the concern for others. All of us tonight have those that are careless indifferent not interested in salvation. They're living their lives. Many of them were raised in the gospel and they have turned away.

And they're living for this world. And the old devil makes sure that they're busy from morning to night the night to morning. No time to think. How does it affect us. The lord is coming and if he comes tonight the generation that's living on the world right now will go through these awful times.

And our friends and our neighbors and our children and our grandchildren could be involved. God help us tonight to pray more. Now give me an example. I know a dear mother she's an assembly fellowship for years.

She has raised a family. She has done her part but she has a son tonight. There's no more interest in god's salvation than the man on the moon. God has been speaking very loudly to him. And the dear mother she said to me one day there recently i could just go and shake him and tell a man waking up the lord's coming.

What's wrong with you. And i'm saying i know how you feel but it takes the holy spirit of god to bring his word to the heart. And what do we do preach night and day to these type of people. No we live before them.

And when the opportunity comes up we give a little word give you another example out in our part of the world. British columbia canada. Two young men absolutely infatuated with motorcycles. Harley davison men to the core speed merchants always together.

One day recently one of them got that bike there fixed that he could do a hundred miles an hour on the normal roads we call it 160 kilometers an hour. He was coming home this night on highway 33 in the center of british columbia.

The sign says you take the bend at 60 kilometers an hour. He attempted to take it at 160. He lost control and in seconds he was in eternity. His friend was coming behind him and he saw exactly what happened and he was going so fast he couldn't break and right over the top of his motorcycle that was lying on the road and he went off to the first young fellow was in eternity.

His friend talked to me about it and i said to him that's a voice from god for you mister. But if god can do what we cannot do and so the days that we live in are amazing. How does it affect us. Back to these supermen you would think to hear men like nebuchadnezzar and belshazzar and darius and men like that that they're totally in control but god would only allow them to go so far.

And then he steps in. God is almighty god he's the creator god. He has appointed their bounds that they cannot pass. And so we learn very simply here tonight that god is in control and he will look after his people until the last step is taken.

The Decline of Assembly Testimony and the Priority of Divine Things

Now in view of the deteriorating situation all across the world what about our assembly testimony. Dear brethren i don't want to be negative tonight but i want to be real. I want to tell you from my heart we're losing ground.

I've been in several continents since i was here last and i can see that assembly testimony is deteriorating and people say well then will there be none before the lord comes. Not at all on the other side there will always be a testimony.

But our point tonight is this. It's deteriorating. Why we have room for pleasure when we have room for business and we have little time for divine things. That's really where we're at the lord. Help us tonight.

Help me to understand. The time is short. God help us to continue. I have to go to chapter eight. Let's read a little please in chapter eight before that clock gets away on me. Chapter eight. Now please of daniel again we'll just read certain verses.

You remember what i told you in chapter seven. Verse one. It's the first year of belshazzar. It's rain here this verse here look at verse one the third year of the reign of king belshazzar. A vision appeared unto me even unto me daniel and so on.

See now please notice verse number two. I saw in a vision and it came to pass that when i saw that i was in shushan in the palace which is in the province of elam and i saw in a vision and i was by the river eli.

Now let me pause. Did you see there's a change here. Daniel is no longer in babylon. He's in shushan. That's persia. And here he is. And now god is talking to him. And from here on out it will be in the hebrew language.

So now daniel is listening. There's a word for him. Okay. Now let me just say read here. Please now. Verse verse number three. Then i lifted up mine eyes and saw. And behold there stood before the river a ram which had two horns and the two horns were high but one was higher than the other and the higher one came up first.

Notice verse five. And as i was considering behold a he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth and touched not the ground and the goat was a notable. The goat had a notable horn between his eyes and he came to the ram that had the two horns as i had seen standing before the river and ran onto him in the fury of his power and all the rest of it.

The Two Little Horns and the Three End-Time Figures

Now before we read more look at the chart for a minute. Please. Now here we're in here the grecian little horn. We're now in chapter eight. So on here this is all called a little horn that came up here after the others.

Now i want to suggest to you tonight that that little horn is different to this little horn as we'll see in a moment. Now let me just read here. Please. Let's go down a little. I should point out to you in verse number.

Verse number 16. And i heard a man's voice between the banks of the euli which is called and said gabriel make this man to understand the vision. And now he comes near and he tells them different things.

Let me read to you again verse 20. The ram which thou sawest having the two horns are the kings of media and persia. And the rough goat is the king of greece and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.

Notice for sake of time. Now please down a little further. Verse number 23. And in the latter time of their kingdom when the transgressors are come to the fool a king of fierce countenance and understanding dark sentences shall stand up.

Notice a little further down the end of verse number 25. He shall also stand up against the prince of princes but he shall be broken without hand. That prince of princes is the lord jesus. Verse 27. And i daniel painted and was sick certain days afterwards i rose and did the king's business.

And i was astonished at the vision but none understood it. Now that'll have to do for reading tonight. Let me just say a few things here about chapter 8. The two initial empires have come and gone and daniel is impressed that god is telling them through gabriel the angel.

There's a ram coming very very shortly. He has got two horns and things are continuing. That's the persian empire after the babylon one has fallen and here's another he goat. And the emphasis is on the he goat.

That's the grecian empire. And out of that there comes that little horn out of chapter seven. And all the circumstances is another little horn. One is roman and the other is grecian. And to cut a long story short these two little horns i take it are different.

Three super men will arise. If the lord comes tonight then great tribulation will commence very shortly. Nobody knows when but it'll be very short when the saints have gone and the holy spirit has gone in the senses in the world tonight.

And these three men are as follows. All antichrists. People are asking all the time. Is this antichrist. Is this antichrist. They're all antichrist. But get the label of the bible so that you can define and paint them.

Point them out to your own in your study. The men of sin. Second thessalonians chapter 2. He's the political individual. He will rise from the sea. First beast of revelation chapter 13. Here's another man.

He's called the false prophet. And revelation 19 and 13 tell us about him. He's the religious individual. And in chapter 12 of revelation to just tell you for a moment the old devil will be brought out of the heavens the heavenlies and he'll be consigned to earth.

And he'll enter into these supermen. And they'll do wondrous things under the permissive will of god. But there's another one. He's the of daniel chapter 8. And he is the king of the fierce continents.

He's the last syrian the last king of the north as we'll see in nights to come. And they're located north of the land of israel. And somebody says what's that all about now let me just give you a minute here a little background.

In 2nd kings chapter 17 the northern kingdom as is termed the 10 tribes of israel were carried away captives into assyria. Assyria was the abode enemy of the nation of israel. And from that location will bring come this king of the fierce continents the king of the north.

Years later 2nd chronicles chapter 36. Nebuchadnezzar comes as i've told you and he takes away judah and benjamin. And they go to the land of palestine to go to the land of babylon. See now. Others are interested in what's happening to that nation.

And daniel's the one that brings it forward to us. And he tells us that these three individuals the political man the religious man and this one i'm talking about tonight is the islamic man. And he is the king of the fierce continents arrogant fierce ferocious destructive and whatever word you want to put on.

If people stop and say i never heard of that before. We were always taught that russia was the king of the north. Well that might be included but they have faded in the big picture. The ussr was a mighty economy but god has blown on it as you all know.

And what's looming on the horizons of earth tonight are the islamic nations 2 .2 billion and they're determined to ruin the world. They're against this nation. They're against canada. They're against the us.

They're against the uk and wherever else. And they think they're going to rule. God is a place for them. But it says here in this very chapter that the prince of princes will war against them and he'll slay him and he will win every time.

The Deity of Christ and the Sovereignty of God

Now before we go let me just make some simple applications tonight for us. We have talked a little about the ancient of days. It's a title of deity and somebody says what's deity. Deity means godhood the almighty god of eternity.

And the lord jesus christ is god. How do you know. Well said the father to the son. Hebrews chapter one thy throne. Oh god did you get that. That's the father addressing the son. People are challenging that today and say that the lord is inferior.

The lord jesus christ is god. Whenever you're in the first portion of chapter eight the ancient of days is the lord jesus. You'll have to look at the context to show that because all judgment is committed unto the son that's john 3 and john 5 and so on.

And the other scripture it's god the father. He's in total control and the son of man comes to him and he's the one that executes divine purpose. And these outstanding individuals as far as earth is concerned will just fade and move into destruction forever.

How does that affect us. Let me tell you something. Maybe you don't know. Do you see the lake of fire. It's empty tonight. There's nobody in it. The first two outstanding individuals that will arrive there the man of sin and the false prophet revelation chapter 19.

And they'll go alive into the lake of fire when divine purpose is over. We're living in a generation where people think there's no tomorrow and there's no god to meet and there's no eternity. But i want to tell you tonight god is sovereign and he's moving graciously tonight.

But he won't always do it. He will move in governmental dealings if the lord jesus christ comes tonight. Now let me just say one or two other wee things here just before the time goes. Peter's saying now really this this has nothing to do with me.

And i haven't want to tell you tonight that it has just to do with all of us. Somebody's asking for example in the big picture is the usa and canada. And divine purpose and prophecy. Now i would suggest to you that those names don't come up in the holy bible but we are part of the western civilization the western hemisphere even though oceans are between us.