Segment 3 - Daniel 7
God is Sovereign
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Following the Rules

Because this study on Daniel 7 conforms to the four rules discussed at the end of Chapter 1, a few words about the timing of verses 9 and 10 are necessary. First, the position of verses 9 and 10 within Daniel 7 is important. Even though the timing of the convocation scene described in verse 9 is not explicitly stated in Daniel, Rule One provides an important clue. The courtroom scene in Heaven (verse 9) has to occur after the little horn has uprooted three horns in verse 8, because verse 9 occurs chronologically after verse 8.  Remember, events have to occur in the order they are given. Furthermore, the courtroom scene in verse 9 has to occur before the monster beast is burned in the fire in verse 11 (Second Coming) because verse 9 occurs chronologically before verse 11. In other words, if the little horn uproots the three horns by A.D. 532, the judgment scene has to occur after A.D. 532, but before the Second Coming because the sequence of events within the vision requires it.

Remember, Rule One states, “Each apocalyptic prophecy has a beginning and ending point in time and the events within the prophecy must occur in the order in which they are given.” This rule is demonstrated in Chart 3.4.

Part Six:

I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.” (Daniel 7:11,12, KJV)

Comments on Part Six

While watching the courtroom scene unfold in Heaven’s temple, Daniel’s view is redirected back to Earth because he hears great words (blasphemous words) coming from the little horn. The little horn in Daniel 7 is one of the seven heads in Revelation 13:1. Because verse 11, occurs after verse 10 (1844) the great words spoken by the little horn in verse 11 have to occur after 1844! Rule One says the events occur in the order in which they are given. Therefore, the little horn power will be restored to a position of authority after its fall in 1798 and Revelation 13:1 confirms this!  The healing of the deadly wound will be covered in more detail later. As Daniel watched the little horn on Earth, he saw the little horn and the monster beast destroyed in a lake of fire. (Daniel 7:11) This fiery destruction represents the fact that at the Second Coming, God will destroy the little horn as well as all of the beasts in Daniel 7. (See Daniel 2 and Revelation 19:20,21.)

The Sequence Ends

Daniel 7:12 mark the end of this apocalyptic sequence, but it is not the end of the vision. We know this apocalyptic sequence is ended because the chronological order of events ends. According to Rule One, an apocalyptic sequence has a beginning point in time and an ending point in time and the events occur in the order in which they are given. This apocalyptic sequence began with the lion (Babylon – 605 B.C.) and ends with the beasts being destroyed in a lake of fire at the Second Coming. (See also Revelation 19:20,21.) Even though we have come to the end of the apocalyptic sequence in Daniel 7, the vision given to Daniel has not ended. This vision continues with commentary and details that amplify our understanding of the apocalyptic sequence. Carefully study the sequence of events in Chart 3.4:

The Apocalyptic Sequence

Two observations should be made about Chart 3.4. First, look at the chronological order of the verses in the top row. For now, let us assume the courtroom scene described in verses 9 and 10 began in 1798. If we apply Rule One to this sequence of events, the boasting of the little horn in verse 11 has to occur after 1798 because verse 11 comes after verse 10. Indeed, according to Revelation 13:1-3, the boasting of the little horn in verse 11 will occur during the Great Tribulation. Second, verse 12 tells us that even though the other beasts lose their authority and dominion, they are not destroyed until the Second Coming. In other words, even though powerful kingdoms come and go, the descendants of these kingdoms remain on Earth until Jesus comes. Earth will not self-destruct before Jesus comes. Remember how the gold, silver, bronze, iron and clay were ground to powder at the same time. “Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace….” (Daniel 2:35, italics mine) When Jesus returns to Earth, all the wicked people of Earth will be annihilated by the sword (a verbal command) that comes out of His mouth, and the Antichrist and his government will be thrown into a lake of fire. (Revelation 19:15-21) This lake of fire is not to be confused with the fire that falls from Heaven at the end of the thousand years and purifies Earth. (Revelation 20:14,15)

Commentary by the Angel on the Vision

The commentary given to Daniel about verses 4 through 12 is crucial to our understanding of this vision. Before we examine the angel’s explanation, we need to consider how the third rule of interpretation applies to this vision. Rule Three states, “Apocalyptic language can be literal, symbolic or analogous. To reach the intended meaning of a prophecy, the student must consider: (a) the context; (b) the use of parallel language in the Bible and (c) relevant statements in the Bible that define that symbol if an element is thought to be symbolic.” We know the four beasts are symbols because Daniel was told the four beasts represent four kings (or kingdoms) that will appear on Earth. (Daniel 7:17) The Bible clearly defines the monster beast saying, “… The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on Earth…” (Daniel 7:23) When God uses a symbol, He tells us the meaning of the symbol within its context. Since Rule Three addresses three types of language in apocalyptic prophecy, we have to test various possibilities until all the pieces “harmoniously come together” into their rightful places.

Part Seven:

“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, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13,14, KJV)

Comments on Part Seven

Many people think these two verses occur after the Second Coming however this is not the case. Christ receives the kingdom of Earth from the Father before the Second Coming! This fact is confirmed in Revelation 11 and 19. Therefore, verses 11 and 12 break the chronological order of the sequence that began in verse 1 by reverting to an earlier date. Technically, because of this break in chronology, a new apocalyptic prophecy begins with verse 13, and it consists of two verses. Because this passage is so short, I prefer to say these two verses amplify the context of verses 9 and 10, because either way, the result is the same. Verses 13 tell us that Jesus approached the Father after the Ancient of Days took His seat in 1798.

The question, “Why did Jesus approach the Father?” cannot be answered from the details given in Daniel 7:13 and 14. No vision is complete within itself. However, the vision in Revelation 4-6 parallels this scene and John tells us more of the story. The first item of business at this great convocation is to find some worthy person who is qualified to bring the drama of sin to a successful conclusion. In John’s vision, an investigation is conducted throughout the whole universe to see who is worthy to do the job. Jesus alone is found worthy because Jesus meets the necessary criteria. He lived a life of perfect obedience to God’s law, a life free of sin. (1 Peter 2:22) He paid the penalty for sin with His own blood (Hebrews 9:15), and He demonstrated the depths of God’s love for mankind as no one else could do. (John 13:16; 10:30) No one else in all the universe meets these qualifications, and after being found worthy by the numberless host of angels, Jesus approached the Father to be coroneted as King of kings and Lord of lords.

A fiery retinue of angels (Daniel says, “the clouds of Heaven”) escorted Jesus to the Father. The Father must have beamed as He bestowed upon His Son the authority and recognition necessary for the task at hand. This glorious scene is not the Second Coming. The Bible says that Jesus went before the Ancient of Days, but there is no indication that He came to Earth because the courtroom scene is conducted in Heaven’s temple! After He was found worthy by Heaven’s host, the Father gave every power and prerogative of God to Jesus and the Father stepped aside so that Jesus might resolve the greatest problem ever known to God: Sin. At this point in time (1798) the Father physically gave Jesus all that He had promised. The Earth became His inheritance. (See Hebrews 1:2)

Jesus Exalted Again!

Some people have asked, “What do you mean when you say that Jesus went before the Father to receive all of the attributes of God.” “Hasn’t Jesus always had the attributes of God?” Yes, Jesus is co-eternal with the Father, and as God, He had all the attributes of God until sin began. A brief explanation of the humiliation and exaltation of Jesus is necessary.

When Adam and Eve sinned, Jesus generously offered to bear the penalty for sin on behalf of humanity. To receive man’s punishment, Jesus had to suffer the Second Death and die in our place, and even more, He had to give up His divine prerogatives and become subject to the Father and the requirements of the plan of salvation. The humiliation of Jesus should parallel the humiliation of sinners. When a person becomes a child of God through rebirth, he joyfully submits to the authority of God. While living in our shoes, Jesus had to live a life of perfect faith and dependence upon the Father in order to be a sinless substitute for man. (Hebrews 5:7,8) On the day, that Jesus surrendered Himself to the Father; Jesus became known as, “The Son of God.” The word “son” means, “subjected one” or “one in submission.” In other words, Jesus – who is fully God, co-eternal with God and equal with the Father in every way (Philippians 2:6) – willingly became subject to the Father and the plan to save sinners. (Psalm 2:7-12) To save man, Jesus had to give up His divinity in order to die. When Jesus lived on Earth, He explained His submission to the Father on numerous occasions by saying that He came to do His Father’s will – not His own. (John 6:38) Concerning His life, death and resurrection, Jesus said, “No one takes it [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” (John 10:18, insertion mine)

From the day, that Adam and Eve sinned until the day that Jesus was coroneted (in 1798); Jesus was subject to the Father (as His Son) and to the terms and conditions set forth in the plan of salvation. When the time came to begin judging the inhabitants of Earth and exonerating the government of God against the lies of Lucifer, an investigation was conducted to see who was worthy to do such a work. Only Jesus was found worthy for the job, and the Father granted sovereign power to Jesus to conclude the drama of sin in whatever way Jesus deems best. Thus, the Father stepped aside after the coronation of the Son, and the Son took command of the universe. (Ephesians 1:9-23) Since 1798, Jesus has ruled over Heaven and Earth as King of kings and Lord of lords. At the end of sin’s drama, after Jesus has destroyed death itself, Jesus does something that boggles the mind. Notice Paul’s words: “Then the end will come, when he [Jesus] hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power [on Earth]. For he [Jesus] must reign until he has put all of his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For he [the Father] has put everything under his feet. Now when it says that ‘everything’ has been put under him, it is clear that it does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. When he [Jesus] has done this [e.g., resolved the sin problem], then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.” (1 Corinthians 15:24-28, insertions mine) With these expansive issues in mind, notice how the coronation of Jesus fits into the apocalyptic sequence in Chart 3.5:

The Apocalyptic Sequence

Everything that Jesus “set aside” to redeem man was restored to Him at this convocation. The exaltation of Jesus in 1798 was based on His infinite love for man and His superior achievements on behalf of the Father and the plan of salvation. Therefore, Jesus was given everything the Father could give. Additionally, the Father gave Earth to Jesus as His personal inheritance in 1798. (Psalm 2:7-12; Hebrews 1:1,2)

Even though Daniel did not understand the promotion of Jesus, this awesome scene was embedded in this particular prophecy because of its timing. No one living on Earth in 1798 saw the exaltation of Jesus, but we can see into Heaven through the eye of prophetic faith. Few people understand the coronation of Jesus in 1798, not to mention the humiliation Jesus experienced to save the human race. Even though Jesus was coroneted as King of kings at the beginning of the convocation in 1798, Jesus does not take possession of Earth until two additional events occur. First, Jesus has to determine who will live in His kingdom. This is the reason the judgment was set and the books were opened. Second, Jesus will not inherit an Earth that groans under the curse of sin. Only after Jesus annihilates the wicked and purifies Earth with fire, will He create a new Heaven and a new Earth. Earth will become the headquarters of His kingdom. After being found worthy to receive the authority of the Father, Jesus began several processes in Heaven’s courtroom. He began breaking the seven seals, and after the third seal was broken, Jesus began to pass judgment upon humanity. (The seven seals will be presented in our study on Revelation 4-6.)

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