Daniel (Greek) 7:17-22: a reflection

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.

In the interpretation of Daniel's vision, the beasts are explained as kings and kingdoms, and a terrible horn is described that made war on the saints of the Most High and prevailed against them. For a time, the enemy of God's people seems to win; the horn overpowers the saints. But the sentence does not end there. It made war with the saints and prevailed against them, the vision says, until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given to the saints, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom. The victory of evil lasts only until God intervenes.

Notice the crucial word: until. The horn prevailed against the saints, yes, but only until the Ancient of Days came. The apparent triumph of evil over God's people was real but bounded, temporary, holding only until God's intervention, at which point everything reversed: judgment was given to the saints, and they received the kingdom. Every apparent defeat of God's people in this vision is bounded by that until, the certain coming of God to reverse it.

That little word until is a great comfort for God's people in seasons when evil seems to prevail. There are times when the enemies of God and his people seem to win, when the faithful are overpowered and evil triumphs. Daniel's vision does not deny this; the horn did prevail against the saints. But it prevailed only until the Ancient of Days came. Every triumph of evil over God's people is bounded by that until; it holds only until God intervenes, and then it is reversed, and the kingdom is given to the saints. When evil seems to be winning, hold onto the until. The apparent victory of evil is temporary; it lasts only until God comes, and then the saints will possess the kingdom forever.

Lord, in Daniel's vision the horn made war on the saints and prevailed against them, but only until the Ancient of Days came, and then judgment was given to the saints and they received the kingdom. Give me that word, until, in the seasons when evil seems to prevail. When the enemies of your people seem to win, when the faithful are overpowered and evil triumphs, remind me that this holds only until you intervene. The apparent victory of evil is real but bounded, temporary, lasting only until you come to reverse it. Help me hold onto the until, trusting that every triumph of evil over your people is temporary, and that when you come, the kingdom will be given to the saints forever. Sustain me until that day, in the certainty of your coming.