How I Introduced Daniel 7

How I Introduced Daniel 7

I spent seven weeks teaching through Daniel 1-6. It was so enjoyable and fairly easy to keep people engaged. But in the back of my mind I knew that the sometimes dreaded second half of Daniel was looming. I understand why some Bible teachers exposit the first half of the book and then punt with a line like, “Sometime in the future, we’ll come back and work through the much more complicated chapters 7-12.” Most who have said that haven’t quite made it to “the future.” But I was determined to teach all the way through Daniel. 

Here are the first four verses of Daniel 7:

In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter. Daniel declared, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another. The first was like a lion and had eagles’ wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it.

Immediately after this, three more beasts are introduced, and the fourth beast is so unique it isn’t even compared to anything, but is “terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong” (v. 7). This brute also had “ten horns,” and then among those horns rose up “a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots” (v. 8). 

What? How do you shift in your teaching from the very familiar Daniel in the lions’ den story (Daniel 6) to this?

I decided that instead of jumping right into Daniel 7 and working through the text (read, explain, apply, repeat), some introductory words about this chapter (and also chapters 8-12) would be helpful. 

After reading Daniel 7:1-14 and praying, I began with the idea that there are certain places and types of literature in the Bible that are very comfortable for most believers, like Romans, or the Psalms. But Daniel 7 makes us a little uneasy because most have not spent much time studying this type of literature. There is typically one guy per church who loves these obscure verses, but he tends to be as odd as the strange Scripture he most enjoys. For most of us, though, these beasts appear, and we run!

Next, I decided a definition was needed, so I introduced the term “apocalyptic” and shared how author and Bible scholar Dale Ralph Davis defines this term (people also had this on a handout):

(It) is a sort of prophecy that seeks to enlighten and encourage a people despised and cast off by the world with a vision of the God who will come to impose his kingdom on the wreckage and rebellion of human history — and it communicates this message through the use of wild, scary, imaginative, bizarre and head-scratching imagery. (The Message of Daniel: His Kingdom Cannot Fail, Logos). 

Therefore, Daniel 7 is a shift from the comfortable narrative of chapters 1-6 to a different type of writing with multiple visions in chapters 7-12 that are given to Daniel personally. At the same time, I thought it was important to explain that this chapter is still connected to what has come before. 

Previous Connections

First, Daniel 7 is connected linguistically to what comes before it. Even though most of the Old Testament was written in Hebrew, Daniel 2:4b is the start of an Aramaic section that extends all the way through chapter 7. That at least should make us pause and say, “Is this section intended to be its own unit?” I believe it is, especially in light of the next connection.

Second, Daniel 7 is connected to previous chapters structurally. It is common knowledge that Daniel 2-7 forms a chiasm (inverted parallelism). Consider the following outline:

A — A Dream: Four Kingdoms (ch. 2)

B — Deliverance (ch. 3)

C — Judgment (ch. 4)

C’ — Judgment (ch. 5)

B’ — Deliverance (ch. 6)

A’ — A Vision: Four Kingdoms (ch. 7)

I don’t often use a handout, but it was helpful to teach this with one because people were able to see what I meant by “chiasm.” I especially wanted them to observe how this literary feature should lead us to understand chapter 7 in light of what we had already studied in chapter 2 (so A and A’ go together, just as B and C have their parallels). 

Third, Daniel 7 is connected to what comes before it thematically. This is basic “how to understand a whole book of the Bible” logic, but I mentioned that I believed they would easily hear familiar themes from chapters 1-6 repeated when I read the rest of Daniel 7. 

Basic Outline and Preparatory Encouragements

Before reading Daniel 7:15-28, I gave a general outline of Daniel 7: 

I. Vision (vv. 1-14)

II. Interpretation (vv. 15-28)

I am among those people who are helped by establishing even the most basic structure. I then read verses 15-28, but was still not ready to jump in to the text. Instead, I shared the following three “preparatory encouragements” for our study of Daniel 7-12. 

First, don’t let the shift into a different type of literature intimidate you or cause you to conclude, “I just don’t get this type of literature.” Not everything in Daniel 7-12 is apocalyptic, but there’s enough of it with such complexity that even a seasoned interpreter might be tempted to say, “I’m out.” And sometimes, if we are honest, we come across something more difficult in the Bible and, instead of digging in, we disengage. I encouraged everyone, though, that with the Holy Spirit giving light through the teaching and personal meditation on the text, we might be surprised how much we will understand. Additionally, I argued, we need to remember that God has given these chapters to us (along with other apocalyptic literature, such as Revelation), and we will honor him by making an effort to understand. 

At this point, I asked the group, “Why do you think God has spoken with this type of language?” The setting for my weekly sermon is typically in a home with a group that allows for some interaction. The answers were interesting and helpful. 

I then moved on to a second preparatory encouragement: Deep thinking will be rewarded. I shared how rewarding my personal study of these chapters has already been. I said we should think of our time in Daniel 7-12 in a similar way to what John writes about Revelation in Revelation 1:3, “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.” 

I also used this as an opportunity to speak to unbelievers in the gathering. I knew there were a few children there who have really gotten into reading fantasy. I said something like, “I wonder if some of you heard the verses about the beasts and thought, ‘Finally, something interesting in the Bible!’ Well, it is fascinating because it’s not just describing something made up, but true! And I hope you are hearing through all of this about the kingdoms of this world that rise and fall, and about God’s kingdom that outlasts them all and endures forever. This just might be the place in the Bible where you will finally understand the story about God sending his Son, the King, the beast slayer, who dies for his people and was raised and is Lord of heaven and earth. These visions are not only intriguing and even somewhat entertaining, but they are ultimately reminding us that the risen King Jesus is coming back one day for those who have previously repented and believed in him for salvation and are eagerly waiting for him. He’s going to return to earth to completely establish a perfect kingdom on a new earth. Maybe even today, this is all finally making sense to you, and you know Jesus is Savior and Lord and you need him to save you from your sins. If so, look to him, rely on him to save you. He receives and saves and forgives and changes all who come to him.” 

My third preparatory encouragement was this: Even though some of the details will be debatable, the big picture is not debatable and is critical for our lives. I then filled this out by saying that there will be certain times, even in chapter 7, definitely in chapter 9, when specific views of the end times deduced from other passages will cause sincere Christians to disagree about what Daniel teaches. It is critical to remain open to change (on non-essentials), and if what we are understanding in Daniel contradicts what we see in another passage of Scripture, there is no contradiction. We are just wrong about one of the passages (or both!). 

I next asked the group something like this, “Right now, even if you don’t understand the apocalyptic language of Daniel 7, what do you hear is the overall theme of this chapter?” One gentleman gave a terrific answer focused on the everlasting kingdom of God. So I commented, “Whether you are premillennial or amillennial or postmillenial or ‘I-don’t-have-a-clue-millennial,’ everybody can and must agree on the big picture and key themes. Yes, we should try to understand some specifics — even of bizarre images — but we must not lose sight of the bigger ideas.” I concluded by talking about the worn out line used when debating views of the millenium that goes like this: “I’m a pan-millennialist; I believe it’s all going to ‘pan out’ in the end.” From one angle, that’s just lazy because we are given specifics that should lead us to come to some conclusions about even details of the end times. However, there is another sense in which, yes, though our millennial views may differ, we should all find ourselves in the panmillennial camp. It is all going to pan out in the end! 

Finally to the Text (Barely)

At this point in the message, we were 37 or 38 minutes in. I knew this would be the case, so I had decided to end by briefly teaching just one verse, Daniel 7:1. What is noteworthy is that this vision Daniel had of the four beasts didn’t follow chronologically from chapter 6, but was given at the beginning of the reign of the terrible leader of Daniel 5, “Belshazzar king of Babylon.” At the time of this vision, Daniel was aware of two realities. First, he knew that sin is disastrous and culturally prevelant and that this new king was not going to bring a needed reformation. Second, and at the same time, Daniel knew that better days were ahead. He had studied Jeremiah (see Daniel 9:2) and knew that exile in Babylon would end, and he was thoroughly aware that God’s kingdom would outlast all earthly kingdoms. 

We are in a similar situation with an awareness of similar truths. Like Daniel, we exist in a lost world. Pain and suffering are normal. Sin is present not only outside of us, but too often still in our own lives. Yet, like Daniel, we know that deliverance is coming. However, we tend to focus on the one reality — the immediate brokenness — to the exclusion of the eternal salvation ahead. I don’t know if Daniel was like us in that way. I do know, though, that what God gave Daniel as he was experiencing a wicked king and life in a sin-ridden world was a vision in Daniel 7 of history that culminated in the full and final establishment of God’s kingdom in the end. 

How does this speak to our lives? What is needed in the chaos and confusion and hurt and pain and difficulties and sin of this present world is a mind oriented to eternal realities. We must address uncertainty with certainty! That’s what Daniel needed “in the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon,” and that’s what we need this year and every year of our lives if we are going to persevere to the end. This is why it is critical to having Scripture like Daniel 7-12 consistently flowing into our minds and hearts. 

At this point, especially since it was the beginning of a new year, I reminded everyone of just how vital it is to have a plan for Bible intake (both corporately and personally). I then ended this 45 minute message with this J.C. Ryle quote, “Settle it down in your mind as an established rule, that, whether you feel it at the moment or not, you are inhaling spiritual health by reading the Bible, and insensibly becoming more strong” (How Readest Thou, pg. 40, located at www.tracts.ukgo.com).

Response?

I did not think this would be one of my better sermons, honestly. I was sick for the whole week leading up to this teaching, so I didn’t have as much time to prepare as usual. I was concerned about being too technical, even boring. I prayed for God to help, but I just didn’t know what would result. Well, as the Lord has done numerous times in the past for me and countless other Bible teachers when we have been providentially kept from our normal routine, the response was wonderfully encouraging. People were outwardly engaged throughout, and very interested to keep the conversation going after the message was concluded. They seem to be eager to dive in to these neglected chapters!

What can I say about this response? The Lord reigns both now and forever, and he is so good to his people. That sounds quite a bit like what Daniel 7 is saying to God’s people. It makes me all the more eager to confront these strange beasts of Daniel 7, to see them conquered (see verses 11-12), and once again to behold our King and his everlasting kingdom that, amazingly, shall be given to God’s people (vv. 18, 22, 27).