Good Morning Friends,
“In the first year of Belshazzar king of
Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was
lying on his bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream. Daniel said: ‘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.’” (Daniel 7:1-3)
Daniel had a strange dream and vision. It was
given by God and it foretold the future. In it were four great beasts, each
representing a kingdom of the world: a lion, a bear, a leopard, and a strange
ten-horned creature. Several things are striking about these beasts.
First, they came from the sea as it was
churned by the four winds of heaven. The winds of heaven represent the movement
of God in the world. No kingdom arises except by God’s permission. That doesn’t
mean these or any other earthly kingdoms always act in ways that are consistent
with the character of God -- it is obvious that they don’t. But it does mean
that ultimately they accomplish His will and move the world toward the fulfillment
of His plan. There will never come a time when the kingdoms of this world will
thwart God’s plan -- no matter how wealthy, how powerful, or how long-lasting
they are.
Second, each of these beasts was destructive
in nature. They had authority to rule, but they ruled with disregard for those
around them. The lion, the bear and the leopard are all beasts of prey, seeking
weaker animals to conquer and devour. That is the characteristic of many of the
kingdoms of the world -- both past and present. They think only of themselves
and seek to satisfy their own needs and desires. The fourth beast is even worse
than the other three -- terrifying and frightening, crushing and devouring.
(Daniel 7:7) I'm not sure there has ever been such a thing as a benevolent
kingdom -- not a kingdom of this world.
The bottom-line of Daniel’s vision is that
the kingdoms of this world cannot be counted on. Don’t put your trust in them! They
will not last – they are only temporary agents that God uses to move the world
toward His plan and goal. Their nature is not loving -- but selfish and taking.
Ah, but there is another kingdom and it’s
wholly different than these first four! It’s the kingdom of Jesus!
His, by Grace,
Steve
No comments:
Post a Comment