Daniel 7 tells us of the coming of the Son of man and the kingdom of God, but chapter 7 goes on to offers more details concerning these end times.
16 I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.
17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.
18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
This is how we know that the four beasts are four kings/kingdoms. He is also told that the saints of the Most High shall possess the kingdom. Glorious times are coming!
19 Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;
20 And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.
21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
22 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.
This is very troubling. There are indeed glorious times ahead, but they appear to be preceded by very troublesome times: the horn made war with the saints and prevailed against them.
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.
27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
28 Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.
The fourth beast is Rome, which for us is past, but which seems to morph into the ten kings, another that shall rise after them, and the times of the end. This another is the antichrist. And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. [a time and times and the dividing of times is three and a half years]
Paul spoke of this in 2 Thessalonians 2
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [coming of our Lord Jesus Christ] shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
John also in Revelation 13
5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
When Antichrist appears he will oppose and blaspheme God and make war with the saints. Saints refers to covenant people. In Daniel it is Israel; in Revelation it is the Church.
The early church made much of what Daniel and Revelation say about the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, that is antichrist and the end times:
In the Epistle of Barnabas* we read, “The final stumbling-block approaches, concerning which it is written, as Enoch says, “For for this end the Lord has cut short the times and the days, that His Beloved may hasten; and He will come to the inheritance.” In like manner Daniel says, “And I beheld the fourth beast, wicked and powerful, and more savage than all the beasts of the earth, and how from it sprang up ten horns, and out of them a little budding horn, and how it subdued under one three of the great horns.” We take earnest heed in these last days; for the whole past time of your faith will profit you nothing, unless now in this wicked time we also withstand coming sources of danger, as becomes the sons of God. That the Black One may find no means of entrance, let us flee from every vanity, let us utterly hate the works of the way of wickedness.”
Irenaeus‡ “And then he points out the time that his tyranny shall last, during which the saints shall be put to flight, they who offer a pure sacrifice unto God.”
Irenaeus again, “And they [the ten kings] shall lay Babylon waste, and burn her with fire, and shall give their kingdom to the beast, and put the Church to flight. After that they shall be destroyed by the coming of our Lord.”
Hippolytus† “Thus, then, does the prophet set forth these things concerning the Antichrist, who shall be shameless, a war-maker, and despot, who, exalting himself above all kings and above every god, shall build the city of Jerusalem, and restore the sanctuary. Him the impious will worship as God, and will bend to him the knee, thinking him to be the Christ…and Antichrist shall make war upon the saints during the rest of the week, and desolate the world, that what is written may be fulfilled...
26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.
27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
Antichrist’s reign of terror will only last three and a half years, and then the kingdom shall be given to the saints. As Paul explains in 2 Thessalonians 2:8 , And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.
Thus we are brought back to
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.
14 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.
There are truly glorious times ahead (the coming of Christ and the kingdom), but first there is the tyranny of the antichrist to be endured. We can learn a lesson from Daniel. Daniel was a godly young man in the midst of an ungodly generation in Jerusalem. Then he was taken to Babylon, into captivity in a heathen land. There Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself. This is a powerful example whether we are in the final days or not. Jesus told us, he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And as the Apostle Peter said, What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God…Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up,
and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
* Traditionally ascribed to the Barnabas mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles.
‡ Irenaeus, (140–202); bishop of Lugdunum (Lyon) and leading Christian theologian of the 2nd century. Adversus Haereses (Against Heresies), Book 5, ch 25 & 26
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
† Hippolytus of Rome (170–235) was one of the most important third-century theologians. His is the earliest commentary on Daniel.
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