The Presidential election here in the United States is fast approaching, and we are being bombarded by messaging from candidates. Great boasts, overt lies, and hateful rhetoric abound. Candidates and their advocates stir up fear should their opponents be elected. Many are experiencing this as a time of impending doom. Daniel 7 seems highly prophetic for these times, helping us see things from a higher perspective.
Daniel tells of a night vision that appears before him as he “keeps looking.” He writes as a Jewish exile living first in Babylon (modern-day Iraq), and then in Persia (modern-day Iran). His contemporary equivalents might then be underground believers inside Iraq or Iran. He describes a beast with ten horns, dreadful, terrifying and extremely strong that devour, crush and trample down with their feet. Horns are symbols of strength, haughtiness and arrogance. How does Daniel’s vision help us identify these powers today?
Today horns could be incarnate in the rich and powerful, billionaires who own the news and social media, but also in brands, celebrities, teams. They are myriad, principalities and powers manifesting in politicians, political parties, the corporate elite and influencers of many stripes.
While Daniel is contemplating the horns, he describes another horn, a little one pulling out three of the ten horns by the roots. This “horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great boasts” (Dan 7:8). Where do we hear a human uttering great boasts today?
In our current political climate it is not hard to identify one particular “mouth uttering great boasts,” though there are many. And what this horn does is clearly underway now: “The horn was waging war on the saints and overpowering them” (7:21).
As I read what Daniel sees here, I wonder whether my own fatigue and extreme disillusionment at how so many Christians appear to be co-opted by the political spirit is overpowering me. I know many others who are at the point of losing faith in the church and most anything “Christian,” which we see as being overpowered by political figures who hold them in their grip.
We see so many who claim to follow Jesus, full of fear of immigrants, other vulnerable people, and things deemed “threats” that are being scapegoated. We see people believing promises of a return to some delusion of past greatness. We see people bowing to those Daniel calls beasts and horns—powers associated with national security, superiority, domination and control.
But Daniel next sees an alternate reality not visible apart from revelation. This reality is not audible, or even readable— meaning it doesn’t come through speeches, tweets, posts, or articles that can be heard or read. This revelation comes through spiritual vision. The higher reality it presents puts all the horns in their place—doomed to destruction.
“I kept looking,” writes Daniel, showing the importance of perseverance at the watch stations. Daniel keeps looking “until thrones were set up.” And what he sees next is what we need to focus on now.
“And the Ancient of Days took his seat; His vesture was like white snow and the hair of his head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, its wheels were a burning fire. A river of fire was flowing and coming out from before him; Thousands upon thousands were attending him, and myriads upon myriads were standing before him; The court sat, and the books were opened” (Dan 7:9-10).
But then following closely after this vision, Daniel keeps looking “because of the sound of the boastful words which the horn was speaking.” Oh no, evil persists!
The sound of boastful words is clearly overwhelming and overcoming many who are listening and reading national and world news right now.
But then what Daniel sees next reveals the final removal of this beasts and these horns.
“I kept looking until the beast was slain, and its body was destroyed and given to the burning fire. as for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but an extension of life was granted to them for an appointed period of time” (Dan 7:11-12).
Is this “period of time” the one in which we are now living? We are not given an answer. But the destruction of the beasts and the removal of their dominion is assured, making room for what Daniel sees next as he keeps looking in the night visions.
“And behold, with the clouds of heaven one like a Son of Man was coming, and he came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and his kingdom is one which will not be destroyed” (Dan 7:13-14).
Daniel is distressed, and asks “someone standing by,” perhaps a divine messenger in the vision. He models prayer for discernment and wisdom, asking “the exact meaning of all this” (Dan 7:16). And Daniel lets us know that this “someone” “told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things,” giving me hope that we can expect to receive wisdom “from above” when we ask for it with faith (James 1:5-6).
The “someone standing by” tells him that four beasts are four kings that will arise from the earth—and we are not told who these are either.
“But the saints of the Highest One, (and not the four kings) will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come” (Dan 7:18).
But Daniel then keeps looking, and that’s when he sees “that [the] horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them” (Dan 7:21).
But then I keep looking at what Daniel is seeing as he keeps looking, and my hope begins to return.
Daniel keeps looking “until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom” (Dan 7:22).
And here I know Christians following the “little horn” think they will take possession of the kingdom when this horn “wins,” so they can rule from atop the “seven mountains.” But this interpretation becomes impossible when “the one standing by,” who Daniel asked for an interpretation, repeats details about the horn overpowering the saints in ways that show the battle was not (and is not now) over.
The horn that was earlier described as uprooting three of the ten horns (kings) is then described again using language that could describe what is transpiring now in the USA.
“He (the little horn) will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time” (Dan 7:25).
Speaking out against the Most High can be done indirectly, by speaking in favor of a “most high” presented using Christian language, but which has nothing to do with the Jesus of the Gospels, but is an idol (the image of the beast). I can see the success of this anti-Christ propaganda wearing down of the saints, despondent that so many people who claim to follow Jesus are listening to the little horn and his spokespeople. But the messenger next makes it clear that his horn is doomed to permanent extinction.
“But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever. Then the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.” (Dan 7:26-27).
The “Highest One” is none other than the Son of Man, who came as Jesus of Nazareth, called the Lamb of God in John’s Gospel, and the book of Revelation. He will come again to reign forever. This is the one who wins by losing, who identifies his ascent to Jerusalem this way:
“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and will hand him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify him, and on the third day he will be raised up” (Mt 20:18-19).
And the saints of the Highest One, who might these be? The Apostle Paul offers the best definition of the saints I’ve found in his greeting to the church in Corinth:
“To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours” (1 Cor 1:2).
In the Book of Revelation John receives revelation similar to Daniel’s, of ten horns who are ten kings, who “receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour” (Rev 17:12). Are we living now in this hour? We are not given an answer. But what we do know is this:
“These (kings/leaders) have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast. These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with him are the called, chosen and faithful” (Rev 17:13-14).
And who are these “called, chosen, and faithful?” They are none other than the Saints described in Daniel 7, those who haven’t bowed to the beast, who demands their allegiance. These “called,” and “chosen” Paul also writes about in 1 Corinthians 1:26-29.
“For consider your calling, brothers and sisters, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that he may nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before God.”
May we seriously consider who we choose to identify with in these treacherous times, refusing anything resembling a boastful horn, choosing instead the humble servant King Jesus. May we seek and find community within the humble yet resisting assembly of the saints: the called, chosen and faithful.