GOD’S WORD FOR YOU
DANIEL 7:19-22
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19 “Then I wanted to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others and the most terrifying, with its iron teeth and bronze claws. It devoured and crushed its victims and trampled what was left with its feet. 20 I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and the other horn that came up, and about the three that fell before it. That horn looked more imposing than the others and had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully. 21 As I watched, that horn went to war against the saints and prevailed over them 22 until the Ancient of Days came and judged in favor of the saints of the Most High. Then the time came when they were given possession of the kingdom.
As Daniel was talking to the angel and asking questions, he was wondering about the truth, that is, the true meaning of the things he saw. This is not a phrase with a noun for truth, but a verb (yatseb) that means “make certain, know the truth” of a thing. This is what Daniel wanted.
Some new details are revealed. We already heard about the iron teeth of the beast, but now we hear that it had bronze claws: powerful, unbreakable, ferocious, claws. Omitting a detail like this and then adding it later gives Daniel the opportunity to keep from tiring out the reader with too many repetitions. We also hear that the little horn “went to war against the saints.” And more than that, it “prevailed over them” for a while, until God stopped it.
How? How could a government prevail against the people, the saints, of the Most High God? Even a country that attacks and kills Christians on one or the other side of the globe could not stamp out the gospel completely. But Daniel has not seen any of the four beasts attempting to do that. The first beast, the lion, which was Babylon, was God’s means of giving correction to the Jews who turned on him, to turn them back in repentance and in faith. The second beast, the bear, which would be Persia, would send God’s people home again and pay for the temple of the Most High God to be rebuilt. The third beast, the leopard, which would be Greece, would not only permit God’s people to continue in their land, but would lend its precise Greek language to God’s people so that the New Testament could be written with great exactness. The fourth kingdom, which would be Rome, would also permit God’s people to continue on, even though one general would destroy the very temple that the Persians had allowed to be built. Yet Rome would also provide general peace, better transportation, and other benefits that would smooth the way for the missionary work of the first and second centuries. None of them would destroy the work of the gospel or the kingdom of God.
But the horn that was going to rise up from within Rome, this is the enemy from within the church itself. Not an outsider at all, it would be a leader or a whole series of leaders of the church who would twist the gospel of salvation by grace alone, the key pillar of the Holy Scriptures, and like a wicked and twisted Samson, try to topple the whole temple from within. We confess as a church: “Paul predicts that Antichrist will ‘take his seat in the temple of God’ (2 Thessalonians 2:4), that is, he will rule and hold office in the church” (Apology of the Augsburg Confession). And again we confess with Doctor Luther:
“The church cannot be better governed and maintained than by having all of us live under one head, Christ, and by having all the pastors equal in office (however they may differ in gifts) and diligently joined together in unity of doctrine, faith, sacraments, prayers, works of love, etc. So St. Jerome writes (in the early fourth century) that the priests of Alexandria governed the churches together and in common. The apostles did the same, and after them all the ministers throughout Christendom, until one raised his head over them all” (Smalcald Articles, 1537).
The Antichrist kills more than bodies. By leading people astray with claims that he has the right to change the doctrine of Christ and to have his own doctrine and worship observed as divine, and because he claims for himself alone the jurisdiction over souls even in the next life, and because he is unwilling to be judged by the church or by anybody, and exalts himself above the whole Christian church, he makes himself out to be God, and many, many millions of poor Christians are led astray by his lies and bullying.
Therefore these words from Daniel proclaim the law for us to beware this terrible enemy of the church, this suspect crow that flies in heaven’s sweetest air, and mark and avoid him as Paul commands (Romans 16:17). But these words also proclaim the gospel, because this enemy will be overthrown in the end, and Christ will have mercy on many. And we pray that he will remember not to break even a bruised reed, nor snuff out a smoking wick (Matthew 12:20), because in his compassion he takes no pleasure in the death of anyone (Ezekiel 33:11).
Dear Lord, God Most High, have mercy on those who are under the heel of the Antichrist. Do not look on their sins with anger, wrath, or judgment, but look on their faith and count it as righteousness for Jesus’ sake. For you overlook so many sins in us all for the sake of your dear Son. Do not forget those people, but rescue them as you have rescued us all. Love them as you have loved us all. Forgive them, holy Father, as you have forgiven us all. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
In Christ,
Pastor Timothy Smith
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Pastor Smith serves St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, New Ulm, Minnesota
God’s Word for You – Daniel 7:19-22 Daniel asks more questions