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Context No. 942 of 4322 · Daniel (Greek)

Context · Reflection

Daniel (Greek) 7:17-22: in context

17‘These great animals, which are four, are four kings, who will arise out of the earth. 18But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.’ 19“Then I desired to know the truth concerning the fourth animal, which was different from all of them, exceedingly terrible, whose teeth were of iron, and its nails of bronze; which devoured, broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet; 20and concerning the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, and before which three fell, even that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spoke great things, whose look was more stout than its fellows. 21I saw, and the same horn made war with the saints and prevailed against them 22until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High, and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.

The angel is interpreting Daniel's frightening vision of the four beasts. The beasts, he explains, are four kings or kingdoms that rise out of the earth, but the interpretation immediately jumps to the outcome: the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and possess it forever. Daniel presses about the fourth beast, the terrible one with iron teeth, and about the little horn that had eyes and a mouth speaking great things, that made war on the saints and was prevailing against them, until the Ancient of Days came and gave judgment for the saints, and they possessed the kingdom.

The vision holds two truths in tension that believers have to keep holding. On one hand, it does not pretend the saints always win in the short run. The little horn makes war on the holy ones and prevails against them, for a time; God's people really do suffer defeat, real persecution, real seasons where the arrogant power speaking great things seems to be winning. Daniel is not promised that the beast will never bite. On the other hand, the outcome is fixed and repeated three times in these verses: the saints will receive the kingdom, possess the kingdom, possess it forever. The war is real and the verdict is certain, and the turning point is the arrival of the Ancient of Days, God himself taking his seat and rendering judgment. The comfort is not that the faithful escape the beast's assault but that the beast's victory is temporary and the saints' kingdom is forever. History is heading toward a courtroom, not an endless reign of the horn.

When the arrogant powers seem to be prevailing over God's people, can I hold both halves of this vision, that the war is real and the verdict is already certain?

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