Cyclic Nature of History (Dan 7)

There are beasts rising from the sea, a lion, a bear, a leopard and a terrible devouring kind with iron teeth, multiple heads and horns in Daniel 7. These are later explained as representing kingdoms and kings referred to as the empires which ruled over the earth in Biblical history - Daniel living in the time of Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon who had won Jerusalem and taken Israel captive as prophesied by Jeremiah. These unusual beasts are rising from the sea; symbol of humanity.
These animals depict the nature of the beast which gains thrones over other nations just as the royals of Great Britain utilise the lion, Russia the bear, China the dragon and USA the eagle to symbolise their nature. Interestingly in this piece the lion has removed its eagle wings (symbol of spirituality) but is given a man's heart. Nebuchadnezzar had his heart changed from that of a man and given the heart of an animal (Dan 4:16). One king of England was actually Richard the Lion Heart.   

Daniel is written in the low cyclic ebb of mankind's relationship with our Father in heaven mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus written in Matt 1:17; fourteen generations (2 x 7) from Abraham to David (high point of kingdom) and fourteen generations from David to the captivity in Babylon (low point in captivity) and fourteen generations until Christ (high point in spirituality in the Roman Empire). Daniel it seems is watching the rise and fall of empires and kingdoms up until the high point of spirituality at the coming of the Christ.

In the night vision Daniel watches thrones being put in place and the Ancient of Days seated on a "fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire" similarly mentioned by another prophet (Ez 1:16). The afore mentioned terrible beast is slain and One like the Son of Man is coming to God's throne and given the Kingdom "which shall not be destroyed." This we it seems is our Lord Jesus by other numerous mentions of to the Son of Man. We can gather an idea that this is a prophecy of the history of the Holy Lands up until the Lord Jesus comes and sets His Kingdom at hand on the Earth - with the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost - an everlasting kingdom which has not been destroyed.

However my eyes are opened to the cyclic nature of these matters as thrones and kingdoms that are today being set up in the spiritual realm. These thrones have been occupied by beastly natures but are being restored to the Kingdom of our Lord. As these realms in the heavens are restored to righteousness we will find people beginning to live less beastly, less evil inclined lives, under them. Gradually places in the world are going to take on a willingness to embrace the way of Jesus instead of the way of our enemy the devil. God shifts thrones of kingdoms and does so as He pleases. There have been times when the Gospel has been given opportunity to thrive under various kingdoms.

Signs of this cycle nature are all around us as the States and many other nations find themselves struggling under economic pressure. Places like Spain who once held empire teeter on relative bankruptcy. Sudden shifts in the governments of the Arab countries and Red China's dragon (there's one such scarlet beast spoken of in Rev 17) rising up from its economic slumber and being so huge a portion of the sea it makes its mark the world over. What do we Christians do then in the face of this global shift?

The Bible story shows us that in all of this cyclic nature of History our Father in Heaven is God behind it all whether it looks evil or good; He will do the shifting. Clearly our job is to keep in relationship with Him and, live or die, we will remain there close to His side. Paul puts it so well when he writes, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Phil 1:21) If we can see God in creation then we can also have confidence as Daniel that God is behind the cyclic nature of history.
 

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