The Valley Church of Christ

The Valley Church of Christ

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The Valley Church of Christ episodes

  • Daniel 7, The Beasts and the Son of Man

    Series: Daniel (Faith among Babylonians)

    Service: Sun AM (1)

    Type: Sermon

    Speaker: Scott Kercheville

    Accepting the difference between perception and reality is especially hard when you are young. Our kids are at the age when they start accumulating these little knick knacks and toys. In their imagination they have just acquired the ultimate flashy toy that will bring them joy forever. Their despair when it breaks 10 minutes later is crushing to watch. But it’s when they begin to realize: there’s a wide gap between perception and reality.

     

    This is especially true with government. In 2017, I toured the the Forbidden City in Beijing. It was China’s royal palace for 500 years. On the outside, places and realities like that — the White House, the Pentagon, the governing powers, the justice system, the military — they often hold a certain mystery and wonder to us. But on the inside, it’s kind of like the Wizard of Oz. Just humans in a human place.

     

    From that vantage point: imagine being Daniel — a true government insider. He was from royal family of Jerusalem, and then he was taken into Nebuchadnezzar’s inner counsel in Babylon. In both places Daniel was able to witness everything. And what did he see? Inflated egos, greed, dirty politics, immorality, cruelty, war, and — in the place of justice — injustice. How is one supposed to process this — what humans with power have become — whether God’s people in Judah, or the world in Babylon? Can human power and righteousness ever go together?

     

    Whether we are disillusioned with human powers or we think they are great, Daniel 7 offers a wild vision that can help us see the past, present, and the future in a more accurate light. Let’s read.

     

    Consider three perspectives this vision offers us.

     

    1. The kingdoms of men have become monstrous beasts.

    God made man in his image from the dust and told him to have dominion over the birds, fish, beasts, and over all the earth. But here, reality is not what God’s intended. Beasts arise from the sea and they have dominion over the earth. And this isn’t the Garden of Eden — sweet wolves and lambs lying together. No, they are strong, dreadful, and devouring flesh. And the worst part of all is that these monstrous beasts are us. Human kings and kingdoms. We were to have dominion over the beasts and to fill the earth with God’s image, but we have become beasts ourselves.

     

    Consider, when evaluating what our “romantic” behaviors should look like, we compare notes with animals. When we react to situations that are out of our control, we bark and growl like dogs. When juicy gossip in the air, we spread it everywhere like birds. And when faced with political opponents or with countries we consider to be enemies, that’s when we are the worst of all: intensely territorial, concerned only for our own kind, and trigger happy.

     

    It feels so silly now, but three and a half years ago when Russia invaded Ukraine I was surprised. I naively wondered, “Haven’t we gotten over stuff like this?” Of course, it’s easy to see evil other governments, justice systems, and militaries — but what about our own? All Rome had to say was “Pax Romana” to justify some of the monstrous things their government and military did. And all we have to say is “fighting for our freedoms” to justify ourselves. But Daniel’s vision cuts through the propaganda: the only kingdom that’s humane is God’s.

     

    What does this perspective do for us? For one, it can help us not be so surprised or to completely despair when we see the beastly condition of world powers. Ashley and I watched a World War I movie, “All Quiet on the Western Front”, last year. Fighting over a few miles of inconsequential land, roughly 20 million people were killed and another 20 million were injured. What was so shocking about it was how these soldiers were average, bright-eyed young men who were just following orders. And yet, they became beasts trampling down the earth before being devoured by other bright-eyed young men who followed orders and became beasts themselves. Meanwhile, they were all fighting for “freedom, truth, and justice.”

     

    We are called to be different. Messy politics, injustice, and war are inevitable in this age, but we don’t have to support it. That’s what’s so astonishing about Daniel in chapter 6: at the top of Babylon, he remained squeaky clean. These are also the days foretold by Isaiah when God’s people are supposed to summon the nations not to war but to Mount of Yahweh, to serve him, to beat our weapons into farming equipment, and to support the peace that comes not from loyalty to King Jesus. If nations would only unashamedly seek Jesus’ kingdom first, movement here is certain. Athanasius wrote this: “For formerly, while they were idolaters, the Greeks and Barbarians made war on each other, and were cruel towards their own kin. There was not anyone at all who crossed land or sea without arming the hand with a sword because of the irreconcilable fighting among themselves. … But when they were converted to the teaching of Christ then… they laid aside the cruelty of murder and no longer think things of war, but every thought of theirs was henceforth peaceful and towards friendship.” (On the Incarnation, 104-105) Just imagine.

     

    2. Some kings and kingdoms are worse: temporarily making war against the saints.

    What terrifies Daniel about this vision the most is the fourth beast with this little horn that speaks against the Most High, makes war on, wears out, and prevails over the saints.

     

    Most think the lion represents Babylon, the bear represents the Medes and Persians, the leopard represents the Greeks, and that this indescribably terrifying beast represents the Roman empire. A number of Roman emperors fit the bill for this little horn.

     

    • Nero blamed the burning of Rome on Christians and famously burned Christians to light his gardens;
    • Domitian persecuted Christians and demanded that he be addressed as “Lord and God”;
    • Decius and Valerian required all to sacrifice to the Roman Gods; many Christians had their property confiscated;
    • Diocletian and Galerius launched “The Great Persecution”: demolishing church buildings, burning the Scriptures, imprisoning Christian leaders, and forcing all to sacrifice to the Roman gods.

     

    These men were arrogant, blasphemous, and they made life very difficult for Christians; yet notice the end of verse 25: just like in Revelation, it only lasts a time, times, and half a time. This matches history. There are certainly ongoing times of social persecution, but these periods of really intense persecution typically lasted a few years.

     

    And yet, many denied their faith. A few years can feel like forever. But when the fires of persecution seem to go on and on, may we not forget that the beast will be burned with fire, and that’s the fire that will actually go on and on. As an example: just imagine how foolish you look right now if you were a Christian who caved to social pressures and redefined sexuality and gender. Even worldly people recognize how cowardly this is. When the fire get’s hot, don’t deny the truth and bow before a lie just because it’s cool. These pressures just come from a little horn on an animal that will soon be burned.

     

    3. The Father, the Son of Man, and the saints will have everlasting dominion.

    We have all become like beasts. But that’s what is so striking about this vision: when thrones are placed and the Ancient of Days takes his seat, one like the son of man — like a human — comes with the clouds of heaven and he is given everlasting dominion that shall never be destroyed.

     

    Story after story in Daniel has emphasized that only God rules the affairs of men on earth and only God’s reign lasts forever. And yet, here a son of man is exalted to the heavens to a rule over all peoples that will never be destroyed.

     

    But look at verse 27. The saints share in his everlasting kingdom and dominion.

     

    Do you look at this world and hate the impulses toward greed, war, and lawlessness? Do you wish you could do something about it? One day, the rule, the kingdom, the dominion will be given to us.

     

    What do we do until then? Jesus’ favorite title for himself is “Son of Man.” He was showing them in that he’s the Daniel 7 guy — the first truly human person who God will grant everlasting dominion to, that dominion we should have kept in Genesis 3, but gave away.

     

    But Jesus’ title — “Son of Man” — is what confused Peter and the apostles so much: he’s the true human who all peoples, nations, and languages are destined to serve… and yet, the Son of Man is serving, washing feet, and giving up his life for others. Why? He’s showing us how to be human. In Jesus, God became man so we could regain both our humanity and our dominion. The Almighty One took children in his arms, healed lepers, and gave his life to show us what real humanity and real power looks like. This why he died, rose, and ascended: to change a beast like me.

     

    God wants to give a dominion that will never be destroyed to his holy ones, but he first needs to make sure we don’t wield power like beasts, but like his Son: speaking truth in love and willing to die before acting in beastly ways. In times like these, how will we talk and act? Everywhere, saints have become like beasts. But God burns beasts.  Saints: follow the true human — the Son of Man — in the path of the cross.

    26 min

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The Valley Church of Christ in Glendale, AZ