A Coming King

Well, good morning. We're continuing our series in Daniel's world.

We've kind of crossed somewhat of a divide in the book.

One to six are fairly straightforward. Seven to twelve, all bets are off.

So we're in seven to eight this morning, and we've called it a coming king.

So let me pray, and then we'll get to work this.

This will be in two parts.

So we've got a short part trying to get us up to speed with where we are in the book.

Then we're going to sing again, and then we're going to dig into Daniel seven and eight.

Okay, so your sleep may be interrupted about halfway through.

Let me have, let's have a word of prayer.

Father, we come. Lord, we're desperate and needy.

Father, we come to this portion of scripture, Lord, and realize that it's deep and difficult.

And so our greatest need now is that you would send your spirit to speak to us, to bring clarity.

Father, to help us fix our eyes on your son.

Father, speak to us in a way we can understand.

We pray this in Jesus' name and for his glory.

Amen.

I guess we're all fairly familiar with this commonly used phrase, this idiom.

Sometimes it gets worse before it gets better.

It sums up so much of life.

So you get a new job.

You didn't like your last job, but you know going to a new job until you're up to speed with the processes,

and you know a few colleagues and wherever place to have your lunches, things may get worse before they get better.

I think you could argue that marriage gets worse before it gets better,

as you have two individuals who are used to being alone,

who have developed certain habits that may not be quite as congenial to the other person as you'd think.

And that first bit's a bit of a struggle.

I think Aileen is waiting for the better part and some of the habits that I brought to the party to somewhat disappear.

I guess it's true for things like medical treatments.

So people here have undergone or are undergoing chemotherapy,

and such is the brutality of the treatment that it often gets worse before it gets any better.

I'm no expert, but pregnancy seems to go that way as well,

that things certainly get harder before they get better.

Many experiences in life get worse before they get better.

And Daniel 7 and 8 could certainly be a passage that's going to illustrate to us

that things are going to get worse before they're going to get better.

It's going to actually be the big theme of the rest of the book,

that it's not going to be plain sailing even after the exile.

So far in the book, we've learned two enormous truths that Andy and Emma hinted at in their prayer.

The first thing we've been learning is that God is the boss.

He is the boss of the entire universe.

He is sovereign over it all.

He owns it and rules it and governs it and sustains it.

So a summary verse might be 425.

The most high is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.

God is the boss.

Daniel has been teaching us.

The second thing he's been teaching us is what he will do as the boss.

That he will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed.

An unshakable, eternal, universal kingdom.

244.

The God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed.

Nor will it be left to another people.

It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end.

But it will itself endure forever.

God is the boss.

And as the boss, this is what he'll do.

He'll set up an eternal kingdom.

And we've learned that through six successive narrative chronologically ordered chapters.

So in chapter 1, we learned that Daniel and his friends are exiled.

But even in exile, they excel.

They honor God and God honors them.

That a difficult situation turns out pretty well as they're seen as people of high distinction.

And given real prowess in Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom.

And then we get chapter 2 where Daniel is the hero.

That Nebuchadnezzar has a dream.

He has this picture of a statue made of lots of different metals.

No one can interpret it.

But Daniel, after an urgent prayer meeting with his friends,

saves the day.

And again, is greatly rewarded.

Chapter 3, Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego honor God,

a throne into the furnace, but God miraculously intervenes,

is present with them, and they're saved.

Not even singed by the flames.

Chapter 4, Nebuchadnezzar is humbled.

To eat grass like an ox, his mind goes.

Because he arrogantly stands before God.

And then he acknowledges God and is restored,

just as Daniel said would happen.

Chapter 5, we did the egomaniac Belshazzar,

who stands in defiance of God,

sets himself up against God.

And the hand writes on the wall,

and Daniel interprets it, and he gets it right.

And that night, Belshazzar is slain,

as the Medes and the Persians take over the kingdom.

And then last week, with Graham,

we saw how Daniel's faithfulness

led him into trouble with Darius,

because Darius was tricked by the satraps

and all the officials,

and was thrown as lion food to the lions.

But God miraculously intervenes,

and he's saved.

And the thing is,

is if we left Daniel there at chapter 6,

as many people do,

we get the impression that Daniel

is a very optimistic book.

There's a problem,

God intervenes,

and everything's alright.

That's going to change as we go 7 to 12.

We're going to learn that things

are going to get worse

before they get better.

Things are going to get worse

before they get better.

In chapter 7,

the mood changes.

We've had successive chronological narratives.

We're now moving into

apocalyptic literature.

We also break the chronology of the book,

as we'll see in chapter 7.

We're actually going back in time.

But Daniel chapter 7

Daniel 7 · chapter mention

takes place

10 years before Belshazzar's feast,

in the first year

of Belshazzar king

of Babylon.

It's a time of transition

and uncertainty for Daniel

that actually when a new

dynasty comes in,

everybody else who was involved

with the last regime

doesn't tend to do so well.

Daniel's also been in Babylon

for many decades.

He's given up

all of his adult life

and is now

about 75

when this takes place.

He knows

that God has ordained

that Judah

will be in exile

in Babylon

for 70 years

so the end is in sight.

He thinks we're on

the home straight.

If we can just see it out,

the next few years

we'll be back

in Jerusalem.

I might see that city

again.

However,

with these chapters,

with these dreams,

with these visions

and their interpretations,

Daniel's going to learn

that the journey home

is going to be

much longer

and much more

filled with pain

than he ever

could imagine.

Just a brief word

on apocalyptic literature.

The word apocalypsis

literally means

to unveil,

to reveal,

to draw back

the curtain.

Martin Luther said

of apocalyptic literature,

it is a queer way

of talking

like people

who instead

of proceeding

in an orderly manner

ramble off

one thing to the next

so that you cannot

make head or tail

of them

or see what

they are getting at.

It's a real encouragement

as we take four weeks

to finish off Daniel

properly.

What happens is

we're getting a vision.

God is drawing back

the curtain

and showing us

what is happening,

what is going to happen,

what's going on

behind the scenes.

Apocalyptic literature

is full of vivid symbolism

and traumatic imagery.

It's full of dragons

and horns

and sword

and fire

and thrones

and seas.

As we're going to see

it's full of monsters

and outlandish beasts.

Most apocalyptic literature

contains two great themes.

God's ultimate victory

over evil in the end.

And secondly,

a real call

for God's people

to persevere

knowing that God

will ultimately

defeat evil

in the end.

It's written to

suffering people

to encourage them

to persevere,

to keep on going.

And I think

a great rule

when we come to

these difficult bits

is this.

That the main things

are the plain things

and the plain things

are the main things.

So not getting

totally tied up

in detail

and what is what

and who is who

and when is when.

But trying to see

what is the big picture.

What is going on?

The main things

are the plain things

and the plain things

are the main things.

Just to make it

slightly more difficult,

quite a lot of these visions

are what they call

trans-temporal.

is that they move

across time.

That they can

have in view

more than one horizon.

It can be kind of

like a cyclical thing.

That the kingdoms

that we're going to see today

are both imminent

in the near future

but also cast

a long shadow

into the far future

and in fact

the end of things.

This is why

interpreting them

is so difficult

because you have

these different horizons

so often in view.

I think it's helpful

to think of

apocalyptic literature

like surrealist painting.

I love

surrealist painting.

I think the greatest

surrealist painter

would be

Salvador Dali.

In this painting

the persistence

of memory

is more than

just a photograph.

There's more going on here.

There's meaning

behind it.

We have a series

of melting

watch faces

all over the picture.

showing that time

is slipping away.

It's eking away.

You'll see

that on the back

of the watch face

in brown

that it's ants

that are also

pulling it apart

as we look at

decay

as an organic process.

We see this

weird thing

in the middle

of the picture

is kind of like

a caricature

of Salvador Dali himself.

So we're not talking

just merely about

time slipping away.

We're talking about

Dali's own mortality

and how he sees

everything going

to decay.

And so we see

that though it is

a picture

it's more than a picture

there's meaning

behind the picture.

This is another

Dali painting

called

The Self-Construction

of Boiled Beans.

And what it is

is it's a body

that is quite literally

pulling itself apart

and arranging itself

in a really

unhelpful way.

and he painted it

to depict

the Spanish Civil War

because he saw

that Spain

as a body of people

was literally

pulling itself apart

and was going

to arrange itself

in a most

unhelpful way.

He actually did it

before General Franco's

invasion

so it is somewhat

of a premonition

as well

as a painting.

Two things

and then we'll sing.

There's much

we can discuss

about these

visions.

It's good to have

convictions

and opinions

about them

but I think

we should hold them

loosely

because they're

complicated

and therefore

we can discuss

graciously

and generously

but there is room

for disagreement

about who is who

and what is what

and when

is when.

Many great theologians

over the centuries

have interpreted

the details

of these visions

differently

and so if we hold

absolutely dogmatically

and insist on

a specific interpretation

I think we're in

real danger.

We can have

convictions

but I would suggest

we should hold

them loosely

and discuss

them graciously.

Just see what

happens to Daniel

when he has

these visions.

Look with me

at chapter 7

verse 15.

I Daniel

was troubled

in spirit

and the visions

that passed

through my mind

disturbed me.

Look at chapter 7

verse 28.

This is the end

of the matter.

I Daniel

was deeply

troubled

by my thoughts

and my face

turned pale

but I kept

the matter

to myself.

Look at 827.

I Daniel

was worn out.

I lay exhausted

for several days

then I got up

and went

about the king's

business.

I was appalled

by the vision.

It was beyond

understanding.

So I think

if that was

Daniel's experience

I think we should

be hesitant

about being

overly glib

about this

and making it

clear and obvious.

Let's stand

shall we

and sing

Behold our God

and then we'll

look at the first

14 verses

of Daniel

Daniel 7 · chapter mention

chapter 7.

Let's stand

together.

Please take a seat

and let's read

Daniel 7

together.

In the first

year of Belshazzar

king of Babylon

Daniel had a dream

and visions

passed through

his mind

as he was

lying in bed.

He wrote down

the substance

of his dream.

Daniel said

in my vision

at night

I looked

and there

before me

were the

four winds

of heaven

churning up

the great sea.

Four great

beasts

each different

from the others

came out

of the sea.

The first

was like a lion

and it had

the wings

of an eagle.

I watched

until its wings

were turned off

and it was

torn off

and it was

lifted from

the ground

so that it

stood on two

feet like a

human being

and the mind

of a human

was given

to it.

And there

before me

was a second

beast which

looked like

a bear.

It was raised

up on one

of its sides

and it had

three ribs

in its mouth

between its

teeth.

It was told

get up

and eat

your fail

of flesh.

After that

I looked

and there

before me

was another

beast

one that

looked like

a leopard

and on its

back it

had four

wings like

those of

a bird.

This beast

had four

heads and

it was given

authority to

rule.

After that

in my vision

at night

I looked

and there

before me

was a

fourth

beast

terrifying

and frightening

and very

powerful.

It had

large

iron teeth

it crushed

and devoured

its victims

and trampled

underfoot

whatever was

left.

It was

different

from all

the former

beasts

and it

had ten

horns.

While I

was thinking

about the

horns

there

before me

was another

horn

a little

one

which came

up among

them

and three

of the

first

horns

were uprooted

before it.

This horn

had eyes

like the eyes

of a human

being

and a mouth

that spoke

boastfully.

As I

looked

thrones

were set

in place

and the

Ancient

of Days

took his

seat.

His

clothing

was as

white as

snow.

The hair

of his

head

was white

like wool.

His throne

was flaming

with fire

and its

wheels

were all

ablaze.

A river

of fire

was flowing

coming out

from before

him.

Thousands

upon thousands

attended him.

Ten thousand

times ten

thousand

stood before

him.

The court

was seated

and the

books were

opened.

Then I

continued to

watch because

of the

boastful

words the

horn was

speaking.

I kept

looking until

the beast

was slain.

and its

body

destroyed

and thrown

into the

blazing

fire.

The other

beasts had

been stripped

of their

authority but

were allowed

to live

for a period

of time.

In my

vision at

night I

looked and

there before

me was

one like

a son

of man

coming with

the clouds

of heaven.

He approached

the Ancient

of Days and

was led

into his

presence.

He was

given

authority,

glory and

sovereign power.

All nations

and peoples

of every

language

worshipped

him.

His

dominion

is an

everlasting

dominion

that will

not pass

away and

his kingdom

is one

that will

never be

destroyed.

Well there's

no getting

away from it,

it's weird.

It's like the

most outlandish

zoo you've

ever been to

with lion

eagles and

leopard

birds.

As previously

mentioned it

takes place

ten years

before

Belshazzar's

feast.

And for

the first

time in

the book

it is

Daniel

who has

a vision

who then

needs an

interpretation.

All the

other times

the three

other visions

it has

been the

king

that's

had the

vision

and Daniel

who's

had the

interpretation.

The literary

form seems

to suggest

that this

is a

vision for

all of

the people

reading this

book.

So in

Daniel

Daniel 7:16

chapter 7

verse 16

Daniel

approaches

one of

the people

standing

before the

Ancient of

Days and

says what

does it

mean?

In

chapter 8

verse 16

it's the

angel Gabriel

himself who

gives the

interpretation

of the

vision.

There is a

strong parallel

between Daniel

Daniel 7 · chapter mention

chapter 7

and Daniel

Daniel 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2

that it

seems that

those two

visions are

kind of

paralleled in

many ways.

They both

end in the

same place.

There is this

succession of

four things

that are

happening

and particularly

in beast

number 4

the idea

of iron

is repeated.

So what

on earth

are we

to make

of Daniel's

Babylonian

zoo dream?

Well I think

the first thing

is this.

The kingdom

of beasts

in verses

1 to 6.

Rising out

of the great

sea,

churned up

at God's

behest by

the four

winds from

heaven,

heaven,

we get

three

terrifying

beasts

rising up

out of

this

tumultuous

sea,

this symbol

of everything

that's chaotic

and decreated

from Genesis

2.

We learn

that they're

kings and

kingdoms

from chapter

7 verse

17.

The four

great beasts

of four

kings

that will

rise

from the

earth.

The first

one we get

is a

lion eagle.

I like

to think

of it

as illegal

in the

way we

get a

zebra

and a

horse

being a

zorse.

This

is a

real symbol

of Babylon.

Along the

high street

in Babylon

there were

loads of

statues of

these lion

eagles.

If you go

to the

British Museum

in London

they've got

two of

them and

they are

terrifying.

It would

make for a

terrifying

safari

wouldn't it

if lions

could fly.

You

wouldn't be

going in

an open

top jeep

ever again.

After the

lion eagle

or the

legal we

get just

a bear

but a

pretty

ferocious

bear.

A bear

that is

raised up

on one

side.

This

seems to

fit in

the

imminent

sense

with the

Medo-Persian

empire because

it's not an

equal kingdom.

The Persians

are a lot

bigger deal

than the

Medes

and therefore

that would

create this

disparity.

It has

three ribs

in its

mouth.

We know

from history

that when

Medo-Persia

rules the

world they

overtake three

kingdoms.

The kingdom

of Babylon

which we'll

see in

Daniel chapter

Daniel 5 · chapter mention

5.

The kingdom

of Egypt

and the

kingdom

of Lydia.

So that

seems to

fit but as

said these

can be

trans-temporal

they can be

both immediate

future but

also casting a

shadow long

into the

distance.

the third

animal.

The leopard

bird.

Kind of a

real weird

animal because

it's got four

heads.

And again

this would

sort of fit

with Greece

because we

know that

after Alexander

the Great

in terrifying

speed has

conquered

everything from

Spain to

India

dies

and his

kingdom is

divided into

four.

His four

generals.

So what I'm

saying loosely

is that it

seems to fit

with what's

going to

happen in

the media

but can

also cast a

shadow long

into the

distance.

This transition

between

Medeo-Persia

the bear

and Greece

the leopard

is also the

subject of

Daniel chapter

Daniel 8 · chapter mention

8 where we

get another

really strange

vision but

this time not

a zoo but

kind of

farmyard

animals.

We learn

about

Medeo-Persia

being a

two-horned

ram.

We're very

confident of

that because

it says that

the two-horned

ram is the

king of

Medo-Persia

so we're on

pretty safe

ground there.

And again

its horns are

not the same

length because

it's not an

equal kingdom.

And it

rushes to the

west and the

north and the

south as it

conquers and the

kingdom is

expanded.

But then

when it's at

its power

there rises

a shaggy

goat, a

hairy goat

which is more

like a

unicorn goat

because it's

got one big

horn out the

front.

Think of a

rhino goat.

And it

rushes against

the long

horned ram

and completely

destroys it.

Then in its

prime the

horn is

broken off

and four

horns grow

in its place.

similarly

illustrating

that Alexander

would be

broken off

in his

prime in

his early

thirties and

his kingdom

will be

divided between

his four

generals.

I think

looking at it

historically that

fits but I

hold it loosely

thinking that it

can be

trans-temporal

as well.

So what are

we to make

of this?

Well I would

suggest that we

move from

human to

beastly in

these three

progressions.

If you look

at the

lion eagle

the legal

it has its

wings torn

off

it stands

on its

two feet

like a

man and

is given

the mind

of a

man.

Kind of

human-ish.

Then we

move to

the bear

which stands

on its

two hind

legs but

has nothing

like the

mind of

a man.

And then

we have

the leopard

bird.

leopard and

the leopard

bird is

all beast.

I think this

makes an

important point

for us.

That when

God wants

people to

rule his

creation under

his care

who does he

appoint?

He appoints

humans to

be good stewards

of the earth

to have

dominion over

everything.

But after the

four so much

of that

rule will

not be

human.

It will

be beastly.

It will

be not

doing out

of honour

and respect

for God

but it

will be

to get

to the

very top.

So we

see that

there's this

downward

spiral that's

going to

happen.

A cyclical

decline where

some kingdoms

will be

ruled by

men

in a

good fashion.

But other

kingdoms will

come and

resemble

beastly

rule.

Looking over

history you

can see that

these features

are prevalent.

Some kingdoms

rule with

righteousness

and justice,

treat their

citizens with

dignity and

respect,

with their

tolerance.

Others

though are

beastly in

their treatment

and oppression

and despotic

dictatorship

and cruel

stamping down

of their

own people.

For Daniel

this would be

a troubling

vision.

A troubling

vision because

in his

hopes and

his dreams

he thinks

if we could

just get out

of Babylon

we'll be

safely home.

And a real

expectation that

when they're

safely home

God's kingdom

will be

established.

And this

vision seems

to suggest

oh no.

That actually

when you get

home there'll

be this

succession of

kingdoms that

are still to

come.

And some

will be

reasonable

and some

will be

beastly.

That it's

not the

end.

It seems

that things

really are

going to get

worse before

they get

better.

then we

move.

Verse 7

we move

to the

kingdom of

monsters.

Because the

fourth beast

is very

different to

the other

beasts.

There seems

to be a

new phenomenon.

Terrifying,

frightening,

and very

powerful with

large iron

teeth and

ten horns.

this kingdom

is altogether

more

destructive.

It crushes

and devours

its victims

and tramples

underfoot

whatever was

left.

This is

total annihilation

and utter

domination.

this would

certainly fit,

I think,

with Rome.

Certainly

fit with this

kingdom,

this city

state that

would rule

and spread

out and

absolutely

dominate with

ruthless

efficiency and

terrifying

mercilessness.

beast.

A monstrous

beast.

A boastful

kingdom.

And then we

get this weird

thing in verse

nine about

this little

horn.

This little

horn that

rises,

three of the

other horns

are uprooted.

And this

horn has

eyes and a

mouth and

it uses

these eyes

and a

mouth to

speak

blasphemously

against God.

a figure

orientated

against

God.

There's

much

speculation

over the

history about

the identity

of this

little horn.

Everyone's

got their

ideas.

I think

the figure

of General

Titus who

invades Rome

in AD

70 fits,

who mocks

God on the

holy site of

the temple,

who worship

Roman gods

and sacrifices

to them

right in

the temple

place before

eventually

destroying the

temple himself.

However,

I think this

idea of the

little horn

also superimposes

itself on any

ruler who

rises up and

sets themselves

up against

God, whose

ambitions are

so aligned with

the chaos,

blasphemy,

and agenda of

Satan.

I think the

little horn is

not one person,

but it is a

series of people.

Even in verse

eight we get a

little horn,

but rising out

of the Greek

kingdom.

So it seems

that little

horns tend to

be kind of

everywhere.

This guy as

well would seem

to fit with

another historical

character, the

guy of Antiochus

Epiphanes, one

of the later

rulers after

Alexander the

Great who

takes over in

the Seleucid

Empire.

He gives

himself Antiochus

Epiphanes, that

word epiphanes,

meaning a vision

of God

himself.

And in

AD 175, he

invades

Jerusalem, he

takes over the

temple, he

puts a statue

of Zeus

right in front

of the altar, he

puts a statue

of himself.

Right next to

it he sacrifices

a pig on the

very altar of

God.

So we see

these little

horns come

thick and fast,

they come from

everywhere.

It seems clear

that the Roman

Empire, the

Seleucid Empire

and regimes like

that will be

coming down the

line, that it

will not be

plain sailing for

God's people,

even when they're

back in God's

place.

And all of them

cast this shadow

that the spirit of

lawlessness is alive

in the world, that

there will be many

Antichrists, people

who will set

themselves up against

the very God of the

universe, all

finding fulfillment in

one character, he

will be the

ultimate personification

of all that a

little horn will

be.

And again I

think we can see

why Daniel is so

depressed, exhausted

and troubled by

what he sees.

That the end of

the exile isn't

going to be the

end of suffering

and turmoil.

In fact compared

to what seems to

be coming down the

line, Babylon has

been a stroll in

the park, somewhat

of a holiday for

God's people.

It is very clear

in the vision that

there will arise

kingdoms and

empires, rulers and

authorities who will

hate God and hate

God's people.

We get some detail

in chapter 7 that

these little horns

are ones that wage

war against God's

people and exhaust

them.

And that's what

Daniel sees.

So far in this

vision we're utterly

depressed just as

Daniel was.

But I think we

finish on a really

positive note with

the kingdom of God.

There is a glorious

character who arises

in chapter 7 verse

9.

We see the ancient

of days.

It's not this kind

of old man image

we have but somebody

who is the founder

of time itself.

Who was there

before the beginning

ancient.

He was there

before the beginning.

He has white

clothes and white

hair because he is

spotlessly pure and

resplendently holy.

He's sitting on what

at first reading

seems like a

wheelchair but it

is not.

It is a blazing

throne because he

is holy and he is

the one who will

judge.

And this throne is

on wheels because his

rule is not fixed.

It is everywhere.

It is the

everywhereness rule

of God.

There is a river

of fire that goes

out before him

showing that he is

the source.

He is from where

everything else finds

its place.

And we see that he

has thousands and

thousands attending

to him and standing

before him ten times

ten times times a

thousand as many.

And it's a

courtroom scene.

And the court is

in session.

God is the judge

and the books are

opened.

This is a depiction

of judgment

falling.

And in verse 11

we see that this

little horn is

still speaking

boastfully against

God in God's

very presence.

repentance.

And in the

course of one

verse these

boastful words

this horn that

has set itself up

against God is

utterly destroyed.

Judgment

falls.

The little horn

spewing blasphemy

and boasting from

its mouth is

judged.

Justice is done.

The ancient of

days dispenses

with this

little horn as

easily as we

would stamp on

an ant.

The other beasts

are stripped of

their authority

but their empire

continues in some

kind of remnant

form.

It's a stunning

depiction of what

absolute sovereignty

looks like.

That God's

greatest enemy

speaking boastful

and blasphemous

words against God

is simply snuffed

out.

Just like that.

In the course of

a verse it is

not a fight.

It is perfect

justice falling

from an almighty

God.

Then in verse

13 we get the

ancient of days

described.

A character

approaches the

throne.

One like a

son of man.

One with a

human form.

Whereas we

looked at the

rules of beasts

and monsters

before.

This is the

perfect human

and yet more

than a human

coming on the

clouds of heaven.

One who stands

before the

ancient of days

and is given

authority, glory

and sovereign

power over

absolutely everyone,

absolutely everywhere

for absolutely

ever.

This is the

personification of

the stone that

annihilates the

statue and

becomes a

mountain that

dominates the

whole earth

from chapter 2.

this is the

end of the

matter, the

final destiny

of the world.

Once all the

kingdoms have

risen and

fallen and

all the rulers

are spent,

all that will

remain is the

kingdom of this

son of man.

It is a

terrifying and

tumultuous future

that Daniel sees

but it ends at a

glorious climax

with God's

king ruling

absolutely

everywhere,

absolutely

everyone for

absolutely

ever.

It is a

terrifying future

but an eternal

and glorious

end.

And so

Mark chapter

Mark 14 · chapter mention

14 when

Jesus stands

trial before the

Sanhedrin

and they try to

ask him,

are you the

character,

are you God's

king from

Psalm 2,

are you the

son of the

blessed one?

And Jesus

says this,

I am,

and you will

see the son

of man sitting

at the right

hand of the

mighty one and

coming on the

clouds of heaven.

That Jesus

identifies himself

with this

character,

one with

absolute dominion,

absolute glory,

power,

to be worshipped

by absolutely

everyone for

absolutely ever.

Well the

Sanhedrin hear

enough, they

tear their

clothes, they

slap him,

they spit on

him, and

they continue

their plot to

execute him,

failing to

realize that it

is in Jesus'

death that

this ultimate

plan of

ultimate dominion

will be set

into course.

That this

Jesus now has

all of these

things by faith.

As he sits

at the right

hand of God,

one day soon

he will have

all of these

things by

sight as he

rules forever.

Things will

certainly get

worse before

they get

better.

Things will

get worse

before they

get best.

If it was an

orange advert,

the future is

bleak, the

future is

glorious.

Three things in

closing and they're

very quick.

The way home is

long and filled

with pain, that's

what Daniel's

learning.

It's true for

Israel as they

go on from

here, it's true

for God's

people over

all of history

and it'll be

true for us

as the air

turns increasingly

toxic and

hostile to

Jesus and

faith in him.

Daniel 7 and

8 forewarns us

so we can be

ready and not

surprised by the

trouble and

tribulation that

comes.

That it's not

plain sailing,

it never was,

it never will

be, but it

will be great

in the end.

That God warns

us through his

word this will be

the case.

Secondly, the

only way we'll

get home is to

trust in God's

sovereignty.

Unless we have

pictures like

Daniel 7 that

show us the end

of the story,

we'll be completely

lost and crushed

in the middle of

the story.

So when these

beasts arise, we

will think, God,

have you gone

AWOL?

Is your out of

office on and

we're left to our

own devices?

But if we

understand that in

the wisdom and

sovereignty of God,

he lets these

things rise and

in the end will

bring about the

kingdom of his

perfect son forever.

And the last

point is this,

the only hope of

finally being home

is to believe in

the Son of Man.

If this is the