Daniel: Does God Reign? Does God Care? - Reading PlanНамуна

Start with prayer, then watch the video and read Daniel 7.

As we move from Daniel 6 to Daniel 7, we move away from the famous and familiar into stranger and more unknown territory. Daniel 7 is a strange and apocalyptic vision, which is confusing and seems weird to us. What’s going on?

That’s a key question, because it’s actually one of the most important passages in all scripture. As we saw in the video, it's where that title ‘Son of Man’ comes from – the description of himself Jesus used more than any other.

That means that the first thing we grasp from this chapter is who Jesus is – the awesome Son of Man, sharing in God’s glory.

But we also learn lots about us too, and what it means to be part of the ‘holy people of the most high’ (v18). The start is actually quite challenging, because it tells of beasts and persecution and challenge.

The first half of the book has been showing us how God does reign and God does care even in the midst of Babylon. We’ve seen how he delivered Daniel and his friends, proving his power and greatness. But in the visions of the second half of the book we look forward to centuries when God will not deliver his people.

Part of the message of this chapter is that there will be beasts and suffering in this life. The vision operates on two levels. The first is historical – we see four actual empires represented in these beasts (probably Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome). The second though is more symbolic – the beasts represent all people and powers who stand against God and blight his world. How can we cope?

The answer is to look forward to the climax of the vision with hope. It is fulfilled in two ways. One was Jesus’ first coming, the Son of Man who came in the midst of the fourth Empire of Rome. But Jesus was clear that this also looks forward to his second coming (Mark 14v62). At that point all beasts will be cast down, and “the Holy People of the Most High will receive the kingdom…for ever” (v18).

When trouble and darkness come we don’t need to despair or give up – even though we may not see it so clearly, God is still in control, and in the end he will win.