The Prophecy of Daniel
A Sermon on Daniel 7:9-14
Originally preached Nov. 10, 1957
Scripture
9¶ I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. 10A fiery stream …
Sermon Description
In this sermon on Daniel 7:9–14 titled “The Prophesy of Daniel,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains the relevancy of this prophesy and the Bible as a whole. Humanity’s sinful state is explained and there is a prophecy of what is yet to come. Much of what Scripture conveys has already become part of history. The Bible’s future prophesies are verified by this history taking place as it was foretold. Learn to distinguish between two types of history—the perspective of humanity and of God. Daniel’s prophecy combines both. A glance at history shows an array of wars as Daniel prophesied. A shift from the war of the beast to that of the intellect occurs. Humanity is trying to change laws, time, and nature. This history is written in rebellion to God, proclaiming that control belongs to humanity. God’s perspective shows the vanity of this. God only permits humanity’s free hand for a time. This kingdom will be utterly destroyed, as it has been throughout history. One must look at Christ’s kingdom as this history is altogether different from any other. The message of Christianity is a completely new and eternal kingdom where humanity serves God forever.
Sermon Breakdown
- There are two types of history: history from the standpoint of earth and man, and history from the standpoint of heaven and God.
- History from the standpoint of earth is the history man produces without God. It is characterized by greed, destruction, and constant change as one kingdom rises and falls, only to be replaced by another. This is a beastly history that can only end in destruction.
- The four beasts represent four kingdoms: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. They are rapacious, trampling, and leave devastation in their wake. Though they seem invincible, they are all eventually conquered. This is the characteristic of all human history and kingdoms.
- The little horn is man at the height of intellectual and spiritual arrogance. It speaks blasphemies against God, persecutes the saints, and seeks to change the foundations of life and society. This represents man's final rebellion against God.
- In contrast, God is the Ancient of Days, eternal and unchanging. He permits human history and will ultimately judge and destroy it. Though God allows man freedom, God is still in control and will bring human history to an end in His timing.
- The Son of Man, Jesus Christ, establishes a kingdom that is eternal and altogether different from human kingdoms. It is a kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy.
- To belong to Christ's kingdom, one must serve and worship Him. One must confess sin, follow Christ, and be separated unto holiness.
- Human history will end in destruction. Only those who belong to Christ's kingdom will escape destruction and enjoy eternity with God.
Old Testament
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.