Among LionsSample

CONTEXT: The angel reveals the meaning of Daniel’s dream and God’s eternal kingdom.

A few days ago, we were reminded that Daniel didn’t rely on his own understanding to decipher the dreams and visions God gave him. He always sought God’s help. Even within his dream, he asks an angel to explain what he’s seeing.

The angel explains that each beast represents a different earthly empire. When we compare Daniel’s dream to King Nebuchadnezzar’s, we begin to see the parallel. The lion with wings represents Babylon. The bear on its side with three ribs in its mouth symbolizes the Medo-Persian empire, whose power was imbalanced. The leopard with four heads is thought to be Greece, who conquered much of the civilized world in a very short amount of time under Alexander the Great. The empire was divided into four sections after his death. The fourth beast, the one Daniel could only describe as terrifying and powerful, is believed to be Rome.

Empires, kings, and earthly leaders can be terrifying. They rule with unlimited power and authority. It appears nothing will be able to stop them. But as we learned this week, God Almighty, the Ancient of Days, sits on His throne. He, too, has a kingdom, one that will never end.

Daniel describes that the Ancient of Days came and declared judgment over the beasts or earthly rulers. In other words, God is giving us a spoiler alert to how everything will end, not just during Daniel’s lifetime but for all eternity. God will defeat every earthly ruler. He will establish His kingdom that will reign forever, and nothing will be able to defeat Him.

It’s easy to become disheartened when you rely on leaders, kings, or governments for security. Because they are earthly kingdoms, they begin to fall as soon as they are built. But that isn’t the case with God’s kingdom. As followers of Jesus, we have hope and peace as we go through life because we know how the story ends. We can stand with confidence, knowing that as quickly as God spoke goodness into the world, He will speak evil out of it.

CONSIDER THIS:

1. Consider our world today. Where do you find your focus? Are you putting your trust in leaders, politicians, and government?

2. God tells us to “take heart,” which means “cheer up” because He has overcome the world. Examine your own emotions. Do you struggle to be hopeful?

3. Write a prayer to God. If necessary, confess when you’ve trusted man’s leadership rather than God’s. Ask Him to replace your anxiety over the future with His peace.