Title: KINGDOMS COME, KINGDOMS GO

Focus: Whereas the kingdoms and nations of the world come and go throughout history, the heavenly rule of kingdom of God continues to advance and will last forever.

Function: To help the people gain a heavenly kingdom perspective in the midst of historical developments and daily events.

Text: Daniel 7:1-14

When I lived in Holland it was a rather common sight to see ancient cathedrals and large churches being surrounded by scaffolds. Those scaffolds signify that the building is being renovated, remodeled, or secured for another 50 or 100 years of weathering the onslaught of storms, and rains, and the acidity of pollution.

Those scaffolds stay until the repair or construction job is completed. So they are temporary, and that’s a good thing because frankly scaffolds are unsightly; they obscure the beauty and majesty of those churches and cathedrals. But then, those scaffolds are necessary lest the buildings fall into ruinous disrepair. But there is no doubt about it: the local citizens all look forward to see the scaffolds disappear, so that they can welcome and see their ancient cathedral in its original glory and beauty again.

This picture of scaffolds surrounding a cathedral is the picture that I ask you to put on the radar screen of your mind. The scaffolds represent historical developments and daily events. These scaffolds include the peoples and nations and kingdoms of the world. Someday soon, when Christ returns, these scaffold nations and historical developments will be dismantled or laid bare. And then we will see God’s handiwork—his glorious kingdom on the restored creation with at the center the body or church of Christ.

Tonight God holds before us a heavenly kingdom perspective in the midst of historical developments and daily events. Daniel’s vision as found in chapter 7 teaches us that whereas the kingdoms and nations of the world come and go throughout history, the heavenly rule of God continues to advance and will last forever.

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The first six chapters of the Book of Daniel are pretty straight-forward. These chapters have a chronological order, and they contain memorable stories with powerful messages from God to his people and to the nations of the world. Daniel 1-6 has a historical perspective that can be readily grasped.

The second part of the Book of Daniel (Daniel 7-12) is prophetic in nature and perspective. Those chapters reveal to us visions and dreams and bizarre pictures of monstrous animals. In those chapters we encounter obscure language that reveals and hides at the same time. We learn of angels and demons at war with each other; we notice the throne room of God with seats or thrones of judgment. In short, that second part of the Book of Daniel makes your head spin.

And the spinning of our heads begins already in chapter 7. Daniel has a dream and visions are passing through his mind as he is lying on his bed. The dream with its visions shakes Daniel to the core of his being, so much so that at the end of this chapter we read: “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.”

What does Daniel see? Listen: “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 up out of the sea.” Now in Scripture the sea is a metaphor or picture of the nations of the world. The nations or peoples of the world are like the waters of the sea--always restlessly moving around; always dealing with undercurrents of bitterness, envy and hatred toward others; always ready to stir up trouble; always eager to destroy and overwhelm others who stand in their way. The churning sea is the sea of nations.

What does Daniel see? He notices 4 beastly monstrosities rising out of this sea of nations. The first three beasts are quite discernable: a lion, a bear, and a leopard or panther. The fourth beast is a monster for which Daniel can’t find a good description. It has large iron teeth (sounds like a machine); it crushes and devours its victims (sounds like an animal of prey); it tramples underfoot whatever is left (sounds like “Big Foot,” a giant creature). But it does have features of a beast—features such as 10 horns. That fourth monstrosity looks like a rhinoceros on steroids and a robot from Frankenstein’s basement—all collapsed into one. It’s “terrifying and frightening and very powerful,” so says the text.

Since these monstrous beasts rise up from the sea of nations, it’s not very hard for historians to identify these beasts: The lion represents the Babylonian empire. The bear clobbers and conquers the lion; it represents the Medo-Persian Empire of King Cyrus; the leopard is swift, lean, and deadly; it takes over the nations subdued by King Cyrus. The leopard represents the Greek empire of Alexander the Great. And that terrifying fourth creature represents the Roman Empire.

In short, God is giving Daniel—and us--a picture of things that are to come-a picture of the future. God is painting on the canvas of history with very broad strokes: the strokes are hints of things to come. The visions are shadows of the future. Those shadows are not limited to one particular time period; they pop up all throughout history. But the shadows darken in their intensity the closer we get to the very end of history. That’s why that fourth creature rising up from the nation appears so frightening and ominous. It’s a picture that hints at the end of time—when the man of lawlessness, the anti-Christ raises its ugly head to crush God’s rule and devour God’s people.

What else does Daniel see? Above the churning sea of nations, Daniel sees a heavenly throne room. He sees the throne of God—the Ancient of Days. Daniel sees holiness and purity surrounding God; flames of fire make up the throne of God, and from the throne pours forth a river of fire. Surrounding the throne of God are myriads of angels who do God’s bidding. This throne room scene is like a court where the ruler and judge of all nations has his seat.

Here’s the picture: On earth, all throughout history, we see nothing but nations and peoples trying to conquer each other and waging war, bringing death and destruction. These kingdoms come and go.

Two hundred years ago it was Napoleon; then the British empire; then the so-called “Thousand Years Reich” of Hitler’s Germany. Then it was the Russian Bear that raised its head. Now it’s the Eagle of America that is being challenged by nations such as Iran and North Korea and by others waiting for their chance to dominate, to raise terror, and to seek world dominion. Nations come and go. They kill, they plot—but it’s all in vain.

For the One who sits on the throne in heaven—he laughs. And that’s why God’s people today can rest assured. In the midst of wars and rumors of war, in the midst of instability and danger, it is God who sends the winds, churns the sea of nations, and establishes his own, eternal kingdom. As kingdoms come and go, God’s rule remains and continues to advance.

(Sing: Christ shall have dominion. 541:1,4)