Daniel-Lecture 11-Kay Arthur

Does DANIEL 7 have the church in view?

The answer is "no". How can we be certain? Because the church was a mystery (a truth hidden in times past but revealed in the NT) until the under the inspiration of the Spirit, the apostle Paul revealed it

3:1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles--

2 if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace which was given to me for you;

3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief.

4 And by referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,

5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;

6 to be specific (Paul explains the "mystery of Christ"), that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel (Ephesians 3:1-6)

The "mystery of Christ" is that there are not just Jews who will respond to the gospel but Gentiles will believe the gospel and become fellow heirs with the believing Jews. Paul explains this in (Ephesians 2:11-18) writing to the predominantly Gentile church in Ephesus...

11 Therefore remember, that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "Uncircumcision" by the so-called "Circumcision," which is performed in the flesh by human hands--

12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,

15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace,

16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.

17 AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE (in the Gospel) TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY (the Gentiles), AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR (the Jews);

18 for through Him (Christ) we both (Jew and Gentile) have our access in one Spirit to the Father.

And so we see that Jew and Gentile are reconciled through Christ's death into one body which is known as the Church and represents an entity not described in the Old Testament. This truth was foreshadowed in the Abrahamic Covenant when God promises to bless all the nations through Abraham, God was preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, Paul writing that

the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "All the nations shall be blessed in you." (Galatians 3:8)

And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." (Genesis 12:3)

since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations (synonymous with "Gentiles") of the earth will be blessed? (Genesis 18:18)

"And in your seed all the nations (synonymous with "Gentiles") of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice." (Genesis 22:18)

So to understand Daniel's prophecy keep in mind that there is a time when God calls out His church, and that this truth is not described in Daniel. With this background let's look at...

Revelation 12:1-6

John describes...

1 And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman (Israel) clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars;

2 and she was with child (Messiah); and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth.

3 And another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems.

4 And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven, and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child (King Herod tried to kill him).

5 And she gave birth to a son, a male child (Jesus), Who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God (His ascension after His resurrection) and to His throne.

{TIME GAP}

6 And the woman (Israel) fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she might be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days (1260 days equates with 3.5 years the same time period as the "time, times and half a time" in Daniel) .

Revelation 12:1-6 gives an overview and the remaining verses in Revelation 12 give more background. Note that between Revelation 12:5 to 12:6 there is a time gap of almost 2000 years. This time begins with the birth, crucifixion, ascension of Jesus Christ and culminates some 2000 (plus) years later when the woman (Israel) flees into the wilderness.

And so in Revelation 12:7-17 John gives the details overviewed in the first 6 verses, explaining that...

7 there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon (Satan). And the dragon and his angels waged war,

8 and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven.

9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night.

11 "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death.

12 "For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time."

13 And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child.

14 And the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, in order that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was^ nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.

15 And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood.

16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth.

17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.

What transpires when the devil loses the war in heaven and is thrown down to earth?

From Revelation 12:9-10 we observe that the deceiver, the devil accuses the followers of Christ on earth but that they overcome by...

(1) Blood of Lamb - Christ's precious blood paid the ransom price for sin. Sin gives Satan power over us so if it is taken care of, Satan no longer has power over us.

(2) The word of their testimony - Those "bought with the price of His blood" testify that they belong to Jesus Christ. In his first epistle John writes that greater is He (Christ) Who is in these saints then he who is in the world (Satan).

(3) They did not love their live even to death - In short they were willing to lay down their life for Christ rather than compromise (cf. Shadrach, etc) When they were confronted with the choice to deny Christ in some form or another or else lose their life, they will say in essence...

''Take my life, I'm already dead. I've died with Christ. Nevertheless I live. Absent from the body, present with the Lord.''

John records in Revelation 12:12 that they "rejoice in heaven" because the devil has been kicked out. On the other hand there is "Woe to the earth". Why? John says that the devil has great wrath because he knows his time is short.

When does the dragon persecute the woman?

When he is cast out of heaven and thrown down to the earth, he persecutes the woman, Israel, for time, times and half a time (3.5 years, 1260 days)

How does he persecute the woman (Israel)?

In Revelation 12:15 we read that "the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood". Although this statement could represent a figure of speech (e.g., flood representing a military force), it could literally be a huge flood by which Satan tries to destroy those who are running from him.

Who are "the rest of her offspring" in Revelation 12:17?

Israel was called to be a kingdom of priests unto God and were to take the gospel to the whole world. They did not do this. There is a time when Jews in Revelation will become witnesses and Gentiles will be saved. Whoever these "offspring" are, they keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. (for more discussion of Revelation 12 see Revelation - Lecture 11)

When is Satan cast out of heaven and how does this relate to the Little Horn's wearing down of the saints in Daniel 7:25?

The casting down of Satan takes place at the beginning of the 1260 days, contemporaneous with with the 3.5 year ("time, times and half a time" in Daniel 7:25) period when the "Little Horn" (the Antichrist) persecutes the saints.

Revelation 13

First, by way of review, remember that in Daniel 7:2-3, 7 Daniel writes

"I was looking in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. 3 And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another...7 After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed, and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.

John sees a similar beast coming out of sea having 10 horns.

Rev 12:17 And the dragon (Satan) was enraged with the woman (Israel), and went off to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.

13:1 And he stood (note that some Greek texts read "I stood" which would be John, whereas if the correct rending is "he stood" it indicates the Dragon. As one reads on this distinction is not crucial accurately interpreting the following verses) on the sand of the seashore. And I (this is clearly John) saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, (cf "a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns" in Revelation 12:3) and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names.

2 And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.

3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast;

The Dragon in Revelation 12:3 has 7 heads and 10 horns but in that context, he is in the time of Jesus' birth. What could correspond to the "7 heads and 10 horns" at the time of Christ's first coming? What empire was in power when Christ was born? Obviously Rome. Who was ruling over the area of Bethlehem at that time? The Scripture says it was King Herod and Matthew records that Herod tried to put Jesus to death

"Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its environs, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the magi." (Mt 2:16)

If you are keeping a timeline, associated with Christ's birth you could write ''Beast with 7heads and 10 horns''

In short, in these events, we see the perpetual drama of the hatred and persecution of the Jews, God's chosen people. Why? Because from the Jews would come the Christ, of Whom it was prophesied (In Genesis 3:15, the "first gospel" or protevangelium, God declared to Satan "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He [Christ] shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise Him on the heel") that He would crush the head of the Serpent. When Jesus Christ was at His weakest point on the Cross, He Who knew no sin, was made sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of Christ in Him. At that moment, Jesus crushed the head of the Serpent. The writer of Hebrews explains that...

Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil 15 and might deliver those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. (Hebrews 2:14-15)

So Christ crushed the serpent's head at Calvary.

Now back to Revelation 12:3 where we observe "a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns", which represents Satan who energizes a kingdom, which is the "Revived Roman empire". This is the same one Daniel had described as a "dreadful and terrifying" beast (Daniel 7:7).

What is the difference between 13:1 and 12:3?

Revelation 12:3

3 And another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems.

Revelation 13:1

1 And he stood on the sand of the seashore. And I (this is clearly John) saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names.

In Revelation 12:3 the 7 diadems were on his heads but in Revelation 13:1 describing the beast coming out of the sea, the diadems are on the horns, not on the heads.

Note that in Revelation 13 you we are looking back in time and we see the leopard then the bear and then the lion. On the other hand Daniel in Daniel 7 is looking forward in time and sees first the lion, then the bear and then the leopard.

In Revelation 13 what we see is that ‘’...the beast...like a leopard...bear...lion...’’ represents the "DT beast" (the Revived Roman Empire) which has absorbed the characteristics of the other 3 "beastly" kingdoms.

Who energizes the beast of Revelation 13?

Satan "the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority."

You might ask "Does Satan have the power to do this?"

If you recall when Jesus went into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil, he offered Christ all the kingdoms of the world, Matthew's gospel recording that

Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory; and he said to Him, "All these things will I give You, if You fall down and worship me." (Mt 4:8-9)

Jesus did not dispute Satan’s claim to all the kingdoms of the world. So clearly Satan had been given this authority.

Other passages also underscore Satan's authority over the world...

Ephesians 2:2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air (Satan), of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.

John 12:31 "Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world (Satan) shall be cast out.

John 16: 11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world (Satan) has been judged.

1John 5:19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one (Satan)

Eventually Satan will be kicked out of heaven (as we saw above in Revelation 12:7-9). And based on his hatred of the woman (Israel), Satan will energize the beast. John then records

3 And [I saw] one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed [and followed] after the beast; 4 and they worshiped the dragon (SATAN), because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?" (Revelation 13:3-4)

Why did they worship the dragon, Satan? Because he gives his authority to the beast, whom they also worship. Who could ever come against this great beast? The lost world has always wanted to be on the ‘’winning team’’ and so the earth dwellers bow down to the devil and the beast because of their power, etc.