Tuesday, December 31, 2013

13.2-  Brief overview of Daniel Chapter 7

The bible shows in this chapter a depiction of the rise, decline and fall of Satan's kingdom, but also the rise and eternal glory of God's kingdom.
In a nutshell, the whole world history is here being described, from Daniel's time until the end time, culminating in eternity. God's spirit (the four winds) drives this all. He himself brings the nations (the great sea) into uproar and calls on the world powers (the four large animals) to the judgment over their wickedness and rebellion against Him. This big Day of Judgment will mean the restoration of God's Kingship, and that of his people, which includes all the twelve tribes of Israel.  See Revelation 7 verse 1-12: “After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds so that no wind should blow on the earth or the sea or against any tree. And I saw another angel coming up from the east with the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels to whom God had given the power to damage the earth and the sea.   The angel said, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees, until we mark the servants of our God with a seal on their foreheads.” And I was told that the number of those who were marked with God's seal on their foreheads was 144,000. They were from the twelve tribes of Israel, twelve thousand from each tribe: Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulon, Joseph, and Benjamin.
After this I looked, and there was an enormous crowd—no one could count all the people! They were from every race, tribe, nation, and language, and they stood in front of the throne and of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.  They called out in a loud voice: “Salvation comes from our God, who sits on the throne, and from the Lamb!”  All the angels stood around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures. Then they threw themselves face downward in front of the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Praise, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might belong to our God forever and ever! Amen!

¡What a promise and comfort to God's people!