Who Are You | Stand on Truth - Daniel 8 | November 3
INTRO
Hey family!
Since we’ve entered into the weird world of the book of Daniel, why don’t we start with a weird video? What do you say? Some of you may have seen this before, so please don’t ruin it for the person next to you.
[A Double Dutch | Brain Games 2:55]
How many of you caught the chicken? There’s another similar video with a moonwalking bear in the background. That’s pretty crazy right?
Did anyone see the background changing color or the people swinging rope change?
Y'all are some pretty smart and observant people, no doubt.
So what’s the connection to Daniel?
DON’T GET DISTRACTED
As we get into these last chapters, we don’t all agree what these sections are about.
In fact, as we’re looking at these pages, we’re going to see different things. And that’s alright.
Here’s the important part. Don’t get distracted by the weirdness and minutia of details. Don’t get too focused on the imagery that you miss the chicken. At the same time, don’t go looking for chickens. There may not be any. It may just be the steady rhythm of the vision.
So, we’re going to take the stance of focusing on the general. Teasing out the principles that are relevant to our lives and experiences.
Because, remember, these are prophecies for the people of Israel in their time of exile. And while we know there are certain aspects that are yet to be fulfilled in their fullness. We can believe that all these prophecies have been fulfilled for Israel in some way or another but may also be fulfilled again in their fullness.
In the last chapter of Daniel, chapter 12, we’ll read, “4 But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end, when many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase.”
There’s more to be seen, more to be understood which will only become clear at the end of it all. Until then, it’ll just be looking in a fogged mirror – seeing through a mirror dimly. But only in the end will we see face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12).
Our job is not to look for signs and wonders and try to figure out when to expect fulfillment.
YOU MIGHT MISS THE POINT
In fact, Matthew 16 starts out, “One day the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus, demanding that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority.
2 He replied, “You know the saying, ‘Red sky at night means fair weather tomorrow; 3 red sky in the morning means foul weather all day.’ You know how to interpret the weather signs in the sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the signs of the times! 4 Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign, but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah.” Then Jesus left them and went away.”
This is a bit of a strange aside, but there’s some real hard hitting truth for us as we dive into Daniel’s apocalyptic literature.
I’m drawn to the fact that Jesus uses the word “adulterous” in reference to those who demand from Him a sign. The same charge that is ushered against Israel which led them into exile. In some coming chapters, Daniel will lay the blame for Israel’s troubles not on Nebuchadnezzar but the people of Israel themselves who had wandered far from God’s word and fellowship.
Now, with the Pharisees and Sadducees this wandering had resulted in a superficial, self-righteous, and legalistic religion that had no trouble seeing the evidence and interpreting the weather, but missed the one they had been waiting so long for.
They got distracted.
Jesus tells them, “there are sufficient indications (there's sufficient evidence) on which you should judge concerning me and these times. My miracles, and the state of affairs in Judea, are an indication by which you should judge.”
So, there’s some more going on here than we can see, some details that we might miss.
"Popular Jewish superstition of the time held that demons could perform earthly miracles but that only God could perform heavenly ones… So the Pharisees and Sadducees demanded a miracle they thought was beyond Jesus, hoping to prove that His power, and therefore His message, were not divine.”
They were laying a trap to disprove the evidence they were so blinded to. They missed the point altogether.
A sign is "something that points beyond itself to something greater.
The purpose of a sign is to direct us toward something beyond itself. It acts like a guidepost from God, pointing us to something greater, pointing us to someone greater. Its value lies not in the sign itself, but in what it reveals about the grace and power of the one who created it, and His connection to a higher spiritual reality.
It’s not enough for people to believe in Jesus' works; they have to believe in Him and in the Father who sent Him (John 5:14-24).
All signs are designed to point back to God.
And the truth is that there’s just too much information in these prophecies of Daniel and the world at large for our tiny minds to process.
YOU MIGHT GET IT WRONG
There is a real sense that we lack the knowledge and wisdom to interpret the evidence though to us it seems like it should be obvious.
The religious leaders of Jesus’ time were better meteorologists than they were theologians. They didn’t see it.
We don’t see it all. For every sign we see there may be a thousand others that change the meaning of the ones we do catch.
“Just when you think that three circumstances or three natural signs have lined up to point to a certain direction of behavior and have a certain meaning, God sees a thousand factors that you don’t see that put a completely different meaning on those three that you do see.”
We don’t have enough knowledge or wisdom. And the other thing is that we can so easily be misled.
Jesus tells us such just a few chapters later. In chapter 24 he talks about the prophecies of Daniel as a matter of fact, and how there are signs that will bring us to the end, but looking for those signs sure can get us into trouble.
He says, “23 “if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones. 25 See, I have warned you about this ahead of time.”
If you want, you can find a lot of crazy theories about what Daniel is talking about. And if you look hard enough you might even find some evidence to support those wild theories. There will be people who are so convinced that the kingdom that unites the world and brings about the end of times is the United Nations. And that’s not even that crazy as far as interpretations of Daniel go.
So, we too have a choice as we read Daniel and go about our lives. We can either try to read God’s will in everyday events and signs, treating it like hidden messages to decipher, or we can live by focusing on God’s revealed will in Scripture, seeking guidance through worship, teaching, and prayer.
We can believe there’s some hidden code. Or we can believe it’s as simple as abiding.
I think it was John Piper who wrote, “We can live in the slipstream of God’s merciful, all-governing providence by orienting our entire life toward understanding the revealed will of God in his word — not a secret, hidden will in the coding of clouds and coincidences — and by availing ourselves of all the biblically appointed means of grace, like corporate worship and pastoral teaching and brotherly correction, and by being transformed in the spirit of our minds, like Ephesians 4:23 says, so as to discern, moment by moment, the way of truth and love.”
Don’t get lost. Don’t get distracted. I know it’s getting weird.
IT’S NOT ABOUT THE SIGN
But remember, no matter how weird it gets, it’s not about the sign. It’s not about weird imagery. It’s pointing to something greater. A greater truth. Someone greater.
If we’re looking too hard we’ll miss the chicken.
Those Jesus were talking to were so blinded that they refused to believe even when presented with the greatest sign.
Jesus says, “the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah.”
“So they would receive a "sign" and it would be [Jesus’] last sign to them. It was the greatest sign, His resurrection from the dead, the sign that must be believed in order to enter the Kingdom of God.”
For Jonah, the only sign for Nineveh was his warning of coming judgment and his call to repent. In the same way, the only "sign" for this generation is the message of judgment and a loving call to turn back to God.
Don’t get distracted. These chapters of Daniel are about identity yes, and even more specifically about three things. The times are evil and they will only get wors. The Son of man will return. And the saints will inherit the kingdom.
If we back up in chapter seven of Daniel it says, “21 As I watched, this horn was waging war against God’s holy people and was defeating them, 22 until the Ancient One—the Most High—came and judged in favor of his holy people. Then the time arrived for the holy people to take over the kingdom.
Chapter seven and chapter eight sort of go together. Actually, as we get into chapter nine next week, these chapters are all sort of linked. They communicate very similar information utilizing talking horns of all things.
In high school our mascot was a unicorn, so those students who were much more inclined to the appearance of school spirit than I was would mimic a horn on their head. These are horny chapters.
And lucky for us, there’s an interpretation for these first couple visions so we don’t have to guess and make assumptions. Although they may not satisfy the curiosity of some. They’ll have to take that up with Gabriel and ultimately God I suppose.
These final chapters are also inextricably linked to those which have come before them. There will be some who tell you to read chapter seven with chapter one and chapter eight with chapter two and so on and so forth. Some will say that the structure of the first six chapters is mimicked by the second six. And there’s probably some truth to all that.
But what these chapters hold in common. What they are all about. Put simply, is hope.
For us to feel hope deep within our spirits and find comfort, no matter what rages around us.
IT’S ABOUT FEELING
The apocalyptic literature of Daniel is not there for us to look for signs and interpret images, it is here to cause us to feel something deeply.
Jesus felt it.
Mark’s version of the passage we read in Matthew adds “12 When [Jesus] heard this, He sighed deeply in His spirit and said, “Why do these people keep demanding a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, I will not give this generation any such sign.” (Mark 8:12)
He sighed deeply in His spirit. It speaks of a deep-grown issuing from the bowels of His very being. From the depths of Him.
It’s about feeling something deeply.
Daniel felt it.
Listen to the descriptions in these two chapters as Daniel encounters these Heavenly signs.
“15 I, Daniel, was troubled by all I had seen, and my visions terrified me.” (Daniel 7:15)
“28 That was the end of the vision. I, Daniel, was terrified by my thoughts and my face was pale with fear, but I kept these things to myself.” (Daniel 7:28)
“18 While he was speaking, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground. But Gabriel roused me with a touch and helped me to my feet.” (Daniel 8:18)
“27 Then I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for several days. Afterward I got up and performed my duties for the king, but I was greatly troubled by the vision and could not understand it.” (Daniel 8:27)
These were awe-some, awe-ful, terrifying visions. Daniel was deeply affected.
“He was anxious and alarmed; and then, “greatly alarmed” and his “color changed.” These details are not insignificant, because how Daniel responds to the vision and its interpretation is also how we, in part, are to see the vision.
These chapters (the whole second half of Daniel) are about the end of days, but they are not necessarily aiming to make specific, detailed prophecies about the future as much as they are to provoke powerful feelings within us who read them with care.”
“The point is not really to give specifics about the identities of the beasts in history, although Gabriel does help us out with that, but to look for single, often simple meanings that give God’s people hope in chaotic times. These prophecies are not meant to turn readers into investigators, but to inspire faith and hope and worship, to help us live in the present, and to instill confidence in us for however the specific forms of these visions become reality in the future.”
So, these images are designed to affect us, like they did Daniel.
Daniel was shaken. We are to be shaken to our core but not to result in fear, but to kindle hope.
“The Bible was written by suffering people in difficult times.”
“Daniel was no stranger to difficulty. God gave him this vision when Daniel was in exile, far away from home. Jerusalem lay in ruins. No Israelite king was on the throne. And God’s people were in Babylon, of all places. Their situation felt dire, and it had felt dire for a long time, going on seventy years. And into this context, into these desperate times, God gives Daniel a dream designed to shock him and to comfort him… And then Daniel wrote it down, that his people, and even we today, might be shocked and comforted with him.”
We are to be shaken, but we are to be comforted in increasing measure.
We are meant to have hope.
Things will get worse.
But don’t get distracted by what’s happening in the world.
Look for God and build your life on Him and His truth.
This glimpse of the end is meant to give us great hope in our times of chaos.
IT’S ABOUT TRUTH
Chapter eight is a building, an intensifying.
And although we could join those who say that it speaks of the abomination of Antiochus Epiphanes and his desolation of Jerusalem and the Temple. Which it more than likely does.
Jesus also speaks of a future fulfillment yet to take place (Matthew 24:15).
Remember that these are for Israel in their time but have far reaching implications.
We talked about this in group last week, how apocalyptic literature, even the revelation, is a cycle of history that builds and intensifies until those events unique to the end finally come.
Antiochus and these visions throw long shadows into the future. They are fulfilled and will be fulfilled as these tendencies continue until the end.
It’s building to this last manifestation of a horn appears.
Verse nine starts, “9 From one of them a little horn emerged and grew extensively toward the south and the east and toward the beautiful land. 10 It grew as high as the heavenly army, made some of the army and some of the stars fall to the earth, and trampled them. 11 It acted arrogantly even against the Prince of the heavenly army; it revoked his regular sacrifice and overthrew the place of his sanctuary. 12 In the rebellion, the army was given up, together with the regular sacrifice. The horn threw truth to the ground and was successful in what it did.”
Gabriel interprets this for us, though more vaguely than other details you may say, ‘’23 Near the end of their kingdoms, when the rebels have reached the full measure of their sin, a ruthless king, skilled in intrigue, will come to the throne. 24 His power will be great, but it will not be his own. He will cause outrageous destruction and succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy the powerful along with the holy people. 25 He will cause deceit to prosper through his cunning and by his influence, and in his own mind he will exalt himself.”
Things will get worse.
We all have an idea of what that might look like, tailored made for whatever causes us the most terror. And some of these images in our imagination may be true, or they may not be.
One thing is for sure. Truth will be the victim.
When the final horn gets power it will throw truth to the ground.
We must cling closely to the truth.
As we asked in our group times this week, what areas of your life in our society do you feel the most pressure to compromise?
Jeremiah tells us in chapter 23 that there will be many false prophets who will speak words of peace and encouragement to continue in the way of the world around you. They will cast down truth and decide for themselves what is good.
He says, “Do not listen to these prophets when they prophesy to you, filling you with futile hopes.They are making up everything they say. They do not speak for the Lord! 17 They keep saying to those who despise my word, ‘Don’t worry! The Lord says you will have peace!’ And to those who stubbornly follow their own desires, they say, ‘No harm will come your way!’
Don’t believe these false promises that are so prevalent in the world around us.
The response and instruction is to cling to truth. Cling to the truth.
In our culture you can hardly make that statement without expecting the response, “Who’s truth?”
God’s truth. Anyone else’s is arbitrary and inconsistent. Build your life on the firm, unshakeable foundation of God and His truth.
We must have a knowledge of this word, a knowledge of the truth, because the enemy will cast down truth. It’s one of the first things that must go if these spiritual forces that war against us are going to claim victims from God’s holy ones.
We must have a deep knowledge of the truth. A knowledge that leads us in hope.
Things are going to get worse. Things are going to get worse but our attention must not be fixated on that. Because God wins. God has already won. The Son of Man is coming. And you will inherit the kingdom and all its joys.
These visions are about hope. They are about truth. Guard truth in your heart. Don’t compromise. Build your life on it.
What are you fixated on? What are you thinking about? Is it the tall walls of the valley of death? Or is it the light that is shining at the end, leading you through?
Whatcha think’n’ ‘bout? For some reason I can only hear Stewie Griffin from family guy asking that question. I won’t attempt an impression. Whatcha think’n’ ‘bout?
SO WHERE’S YOUR FOCUS?
It’s kind of funny. And I’m sure you can read too much into it, so I don’t want to build any theology around this. But in chapter seven Daniel gets transfixed on this little boast horn. All cap – as the kids might say.
Daniel is focused on the boastful horn and experiences terror even as he is surrounded by a worship service and the majesty of God in the throne room of Heaven.
Don’t get distracted. Fix your eyes on Him. The author. The perfector. (Hebrews 12:1-2)
It says starting in verse eight, “8 As I was looking at the horns, suddenly another small horn appeared among them. Three of the first horns were torn out by the roots to make room for it. This little horn had eyes like human eyes and a mouth that was boasting arrogantly.”
Then comes God, the Ancient of days.
“9 I watched as thrones were put in place and the Ancient One sat down to judge. His clothing was as white as snow, his hair like purest wool. He sat on a fiery throne with wheels of blazing fire, 10 and a river of fire was pouring out, flowing from his presence. Millions of angels ministered to him; many millions stood to attend him. Then the court began its session, and the books were opened.”
But Daniels is still looking at the horns.
“11 I continued to watch because I could hear the little horn’s boastful speech. I kept watching until the fourth beast was killed and its body was destroyed by fire. 12 The other three beasts had their authority taken from them, but they were allowed to live a while longer.”
But here’s the focus. Here’s where we sit transfixed on God’s Heavenly throne room where better is it to be just one day than a thousand anywhere else. (Psalm 84:10)
“13 As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed.”
Stare at God. The Son of Man is coming. No matter how bad things get. They won’t last forever. God has appointed a time for the saints to suffer no more, but to step into the inheritance of His kingdom as His beloved sons and daughters.
Stare at God. Fix your eyes on Jesus. Think about Him. Build your life on Him. Build your life on the truth and don’t get distracted and led astray by anything else. Walk straight as His word spoken softly in our ears lead us on. (Isaiah 30:21)
BUILD YOUR LIFE ON JESUS
Since we started with Matthew’s Gospel, it’s only fitting we end with Matthew.
Jesus instructs us in chapter seven, “24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
We don’t have trouble understanding these words. We have a pretty good idea of what this means. And we’re not wrong. Build your life on Jesus and weather all storms knowing that in the end we receive the prize. It’s these chapters of Daniel.
There is a further level of detail that’s pretty interesting.
Jesus isn't just making a general appeal to individuals who follow him to build their lives on His teachings, which is a bold claim if you think about it. And so very necessary for us.
He’s also speaking of a very specific house built on the rock of Zion. The Temple in Jerusalem. The house of the Lord. He’s making the same statement when he says, “if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move.” (Matthew 17:20-21) With faith you may have real effect on the idolatry that has taken captive the hearts of my people who love evil and despise what is good.
It’s the house of the Lord Jesus also has in mind. And He has the exile in mind. The kingdoms of Assyria of Babylon who are referred to as a storm, indeed a flood.
In Isaiah 8 it says, “5 Then the Lord spoke to me again and said, 6 “My care for the people of Judah is like the gently flowing waters of Shiloah, but they have rejected it… 7 Therefore, the Lord will overwhelm them with a mighty flood from the Euphrates River...”
Jesus is looking at this past destruction of the Temple in Daniel. He’s looking forward to the future destruction of the Temple by the Romans. He’s saying there are nations raging. They are a storm. These mighty nations. Even our own mighty nation here in this country. These are the winds and the rains. Not just unfortunate and difficult circumstances, but our own culture They are a flood rising against the house on the rock. How you have built your house, how you are now building that house will determine how it should fare for the flood is rising.
And we, as Paul says, we are the holy Temple set apart for the Lord. We must be built on the truth as the floods of our own culture, our own friends and family, our own people compromise and cast down truth. We must stand strong on Jesus.
Isaiah's words of the coming flood are followed by a call to trust. A call to hope.
12 “Don’t call everything a conspiracy, like they do, and don’t live in dread of what frightens them. 13 Make the Lord of Heaven’s Armies holy in your life. He is the one you should fear. He is the one who should make you tremble. 14 He will keep you safe.”
Stand in truth. Build your life this church, this house of the Holy God, on His sure foundations.
Resources (*the views expressed within the following content are solely the author's and may not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of Mountainside Church):
https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/should-we-watch-for-signs-from-god