Daniel 7 Commentary
Interpreting dreams and revealing mysteries has been Daniel’s specialty, but not with his own dream! It scares him! Four beasts come out of the ocean, one after the other. Daniel is confused; we are not. Having read the books of Isaiah and Ezekiel, we know the use of such symbols isn’t new.
Thankfully, the scripture explains itself, so we don’t have to look further. “These four beasts are the four empires which will arise on earth. And the people of the Supreme God will receive royal power and keep it for ever and ever.”
The four beats of Daniel’s present and immediate future, the others before him, and the others in Daniel’s distant future can collectively be called the world. The saints or the remnant are not part of it. Their own comes with Immanuel, or the Son—the one with the government on His shoulders. His reign of righteousness and peace knows no end. Unlike the beasts that come and go and that will eventually all disappear at the end of the times, the rule of the Son is everlasting. Isaiah 9.
Verse 21 may convey the same message as Ezekiel’s Gog of Magog.
Against the powers of the world, the believers are weaklings, ever facing death all day long; they are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. But the living God is their God and King—the King of kings. The Creator God is their commander, and they finally experience victory! Here is the Christian hope: the Creator God, the Almighty and Sovereign God, rises and defends His people.
The mention of the four beasts is important because the saint must understand the supremacy of the Son over all, regardless of their shape, color, or special looks—terrible, fearsome, or horrible.
Daniel 7 conveys hope for the saint. Yes, Gog of Magog may gain some victory over the remnant, but it is all temporal and nothing worth calling a victory. The Son rises to defend His people. He is Immanuel—God with them. Them the saints. God with us. He never leaves them! Note the usage of tenses regarding the Kingdom of the Son. It is in the present and present-continuous tenses. His Kingdom has always existed and remains in existence. It is an everlasting kingdom.
Note that the beast battles against the saints. The created cannot battle against the Creator. The Creator God speaks and His creation simply responds. So regardless of the beasts, the Son remains sovereign, in charge, and in control. Amen.
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