The Ancient of Days (The Beasts That Burden)

Daniel 7

• shouldn’t set into mind a date or time of the end of days
  • BUT also shouldn’t play off the importance of the apocalyptic/prophetic revelation texts
    • these are revealed to us so we would be joyful in all we do and look forward to the Return
• Here’s what we are really up against, and here’s why we are really fired up about our future…
  1. The human kingdoms of this world…are fundamentally opposed to the God of this universe
     • Daniel 7:1-10
     • our systems are built on predatory self-control
     • HOWEVER, rather than opt-out from this world, we should be all in as salt and light
     • BUT we take courage because Ancient of Days ensures that it isn’t a “fair” fight
       • dualism doesn’t actually exist, as there is only ONE victor on the throne of the universe — the AoD
       • controls comes from heaven
       • timelines for kingdoms are set, and kingdoms fade as God sees fit
     • Verdict on our lives is based on the OBJECTIVE vs subjective recordings of everything happening in our lives
  2. The kingdoms of man…look like beasts, but there is one which looks like the Son of Man
     • Dan 7:1-14
     • Rom 3:10-18, Gal 1:4; the kingdoms of man represent all that is beastly, broken, and toxic in the human heart
       • The 4 kingdoms represent the 4 sins we gravitate to
         1. i) lion + eagle = pride (Babylon)
         2. ii) bear = power; 2 sided = unbalanced (Medes & Persians)
         3. iii) leopard + wings = speed/swiftness (Greece)
         4. iv) Ferocity (Rome)
       • The 4th Kingdom is one of iron, mechanisms and industry
         • changes form to continue on…
     • But the kingdom coming doesn’t look like a beast; it doesn’t represent brute beast kingdom
       • rides on the clouds like a chariot (Ps 68:4, Ps 104:3-4, Isa 19:1, Nah 1:3)
       • has special access to the AoD and glorified; he is granted absolute dominion (Dan 7:13-14)
       • to those who are His, without discrimination, He grants an everlasting kingdom (Dan 7:18)
  3. Prophecy discloses that…there is an energetic anti-Christian government coming that will be in its fullest stage of development before God establishes his unbeatable, everlasting kingdom
     • Col 2:14-15, Rev 12:7-9 VS Dan 7:27
       • a horrible time of rebellious leadership will dominate the earthly landscape between Christ’s work on the cross and when the everlasting kingdom established
     • Watch for:
       • Dan 7:24-25
         1. i) blasphemy against Most High
         2. ii) harsh, relentless oppression of God’s people
         3. iii) an attempt to change the set times of holy days
         4. iv) an attempt to convert all the moral laws to a new morality
• under God’s supervision (“given”) for a set time, saints will be given to “Time, time, time and a half” (ie. 3.5 years?)

Kerygma:

Luke 8:1-15

1. hard packed soil (no ears to hear)
   • only way for things to grow would be to till the ground
     • we can only till the heart through prayer
2. rocky (shallow, no deep root)
3. thorny (progressive walking away)
   • the idols in your heart are choking out God
4. good
   • why 25% acceptance rate?
     • NOT the seed’s fault
     • NOT the farmer’s fault
     • we must initiate Divine change; we cannot do it ALONE and with our own power…