II. DANIEL THE PROPHET--Chapters 7-12
     A. His Vision of  Future World History--7:1-28
          2. The vision of  the Ancient of  Days and His Son--vv. 9-14
               a. The Ancient of  Days Himself --vv. 9, 10
                    (I) The critical view has no reasonable explanation for these verses through verse 14.
                         (A) Three factors involved
                              (1) There is a vision by Daniel of  Heaven where the final judgment on nations takes place.
                              (2) The last ruler of  the Gentile times, symbolized by the little horn, is destroyed and his kingdom.
                              (3) The kingdom of  the Son of Man begins its everlasting dominion.
                         (B) "It is obvious that all three factors combine to make clear that this is a summary conclusion which is
                              catastrophic in nature and introducing a radical change.  The critical explanation of  the fourth empire as
                              belonging to Alexander has no reasonable explanation of  anyone of  these three factors, let alone an
                              explanation of  all of  them.  If  this is genuine prophecy, it belongs to a future consummation which was
                              not realized by the Greek Empire nor by the Roman Empire as far as recorded history is concerned."
                              (Ibid.)
                    (II) The thrones in Heaven
                         (A) Thrones cast down is said to be better rendered thrones were placed.
                         (B) There is nothing really wrong with the KJV rendering; it may to some imply their being thrown down,
                              but the context reveals that they were cast down in the sense of  setting them down with some degree
                              of  swiftness and forceableness.
                         (C) These thrones were established, not destroyed.
                         (D) Scene corresponds to Revelation 4, and 5.
                         (E) Obviously, the Ancient of  Days sits on one of  the thrones--compare first part of  verse 9 with second
                              part.
                    (III) Who is this Person?
                         (A) Most regard Him as God the Father.
                         (B) Some, like A. C. Gabelein, state it is the Lord Jesus Christ.
                              (1) Based on John 5:22
                              (2) Seems to be confirmed by Revelation 1:12-14
                              (3) In refutation
                                   (a) God the Son is distinguished from God the Father in Daniel 7:13.
                                   (b) Revelation 1:12-14 is identifying Jesus Christ with God.
                                   (c) The identity of  any person should always be sought for first in the immediate context.
                                   (d) John 5:22 has nothing to do with identifying the Ancient of  Days.
                                   (e) One could equally conclude from John 5:22 that God the Father is not present at the great white
                                        throne judgment which is, of  course, contrary to Revelation 20:12.
                         (C) The plural use of  thrones suggests
                              (1) The presence of  all three persons of  the Godhead, at least
                              (2) May also suggest the presence of  all the saints in keeping with Revelation 4 and 5
                    (IV) Shown in judgment
                         (A) "The major characteristic of  the throne is that it is a burning flame (like is not in the original Aramaic),
                              and the wheels of  the throne, whatever their meaning, are also burning (Cf. Eze. 1:13.21). The glory of
                              God, pictured as a fiery flame, is a common representation in Scripture.  The fire is a symbol of
                              judgment and is associated with theophanies in the Old Testament." (Walvoord, 164; italics are his.)
                         (B) Cf. Psalm 97:2, 3
                    (V) Many minister before Him.
                         (A) Thousand thousands equals one million.
                         (B) Ten thousand times ten thousand equals 100 million.
                         (C) Probably indicates an innumerable number
                         (D) Whether saints or angels, or both, is not indicated; probably both.
                    (VI) Books opened--"In the glorious presence of  God, the books are opened and the judgment is set.  It is
                         apparent that this is the hour of  final decision as far as the nations of  the world are concerned.  Daniel
                         does not enlarge on the concept of  the books.  The implication is, however, from Revelation 20:12, that
                         this is a record of  the works of  man (cf. Is 65:6 for record of  evil deeds, and Mal 3:16 for remembrance
                         of  good deeds).  As Leupold states it, 'In them are written, not names, but deeds of  men, a record of
                         their ungodly acts, on the basis of which they will be judged.” (Leupold, 305; italics are his. Quoted in
                         Walvoord, 164-5.)
               b. The destruction of  the beast seen--vv. 11, 12
                    (I) Judgment is swift and sure--"As the prophet listened to the great words uttered by the little horn of  verse
                         8, he saw the beast destroyed and given to burning flame.  This passage is another illustration of  how
                         quickly God can dispose of  the mightiest of  men, and how men in their wickedness are ultimately brought
                         to divine judgment." (op. cit., 165)
                    (II) Destruction of  the Beast
                         (A) Does not fit the downfall of  Antiochus as the critics claim
                         (B) "The distruction of the beast, however, does not fit the historic Roman Empire which took centuries to
                              lose all its strength.  This is a sudden act of  divine judgment in which the major ruler is killed and his
                              government destroyed.  This passage is an obvious parallel to Revelation 19:20 where the beast and
                              the false prophet are cast alive into the lake of  fire burning with brimstone at the time of  the second
                              coming of  Christ." (Ibid.)
                    (III) Verse 12 is difficult for liberal critics.
                         (A) "If  the earlier beasts are empires which were succeeded by the fourth beast, how can they be
                              prolonged after the fourth beast?  As Rowley states it, 'Further, we are told that when the fourth beast
                              was destroyed, the other beasts were spared for a time, though denied any dominion.  But how can it
                              be maintained that at any time contemplated by the various forms of  this interpretation Babylon,
                              Medo-Persia, and Greece enjoyed a measured existence that was denied to Rome?'" (Rowley, Harold
                              Henry, Darius the Mede and the Four World Empires in the Book of  Daniel.  Cardiff, Wales:                                       University of  Wales, 1959, 87; quoted in Walvoord, 166)
                         (B) "What verse 12 is saying is that the Babylonian, Medo. Persian, and Grecian empires were to some
                              extent continued in their successors; that is, Gentile power shifted as to rulership but continued more or
                              less in the same pattern." (Walvoord, 166)
               c. The kingdom of the Son of Man--vv. 13, 14
                    (I) This is the climax of  the vision.
                    (II) The person
                         (A) Introduced as the Son of  man in contrast to the beasts and the little horn
                         (B) The Lord Jesus Christ
                              (1) Some try to make Him an angelic being.
                              (2) "Conservative scholars are agreed that the Son of  man is a picture of  the Lord Jesus Christ rather
                                   than an angelic agency.  The description of  Him as being worthy of   ruling all nations is in keeping
                                   with many passages in the Bible referring to the millennial rule of  Jesus Christ." (op. cit., 167)
                                   (a) Many passages refer to Christ's millennial rule.
                                   (b) Revelation 4 and 5
                                   (c) Clouds accompany Him.
                                        ((I)) Clouds are associated with Deity.
                                        ((II)) Compare 1 Thessalonians 4:17 with Revelation 1:7
                                   (d) The term son of  man--"The expression the Son of  man should be interpreted by the context.
                                        In verse 13, He is presented as being near the Ancient of  Days, and in verse 14 given dominion                                         over all peoples and nations.  This could not be an angel, nor could it be the body of  saints, as it
                                        corresponds clearly to other Scriptures which predict that Christ will rule over all nations (Ps
                                        72:11; Rev 10:15-16).  Only Christ will come with clouds of  heaven, and be the King of  kings
                                        and Lord of  lords over all nations throughout eternity." (Walvoord, 168; italics are his.)
                    (III) The kingdom
                         (A) An eternal one--"While the vision could portray the Son of  man receiving authority, the purpose of
                              this act would have to be revealed; that His domain would be over all people, and that His kingdom
                              from heaven is in contrast, superior, and a final answer to the preceding kingdoms of  the four great
                              world empires." (op. cit., 168)
                         (B) Three general interpretations
                              (1) Denial of  any fulfillment
                                   (a) The position of  most liberals
                                   (b) Even claim Daniel was wrong
                              (2) Fulfilled in Church history
                                   (a) Position of  most postmillennialists and amillennialists
                                   (b) Requires figurative or allegorical interpretation
                                   (c) "Although it has been fondly projected and enthusiastically supported that the church is the fifth
                                        kingdom, that the coming of  the Son of  man is His first coming to the earth, and that the church
                                        is responsible for the decline of  the Roman Empire, nothing is stranger to church history than this
                                        interpretation." (Walvoord, 169)
                                   (d) Gibbon in his classical work gives four reasons for the downfall of  Rome. (Gibbon, Edward,
                                        The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.  2 vols.  New York:  Modern Library, n. d.,
                                        2:1441; quoted in Walvoord, 169)
                                        ((I)) "The injuries of  time and nature."
                                        ((II)) "The hostile attacks of  the barbarians and Christians."
                                        ((III)) "The use and abuse of  materials"
                                        ((IV)) "The domestic quarrels of  the Romans"
                                   (e) "While undoubtedly the presence of  the church in growing power in the declining Roman
                                        Empire was a factor in its history and Gibbon includes, 'the rise, establishment, and sects of
                                        Christianity' in a detailed list of  factors contributing to the decline and fall of  the Roman Empire,
                                        it is quite clear to everyone that the church was not the major factor and in no ways can be
                                        identified as a sudden and catastrophic cause for the fall of  the Roman Empire." (op. cit.,
                                        2:1458; quoted in Walvoord, 169)
                              (3) Fulfilled only in the future
                                   (a) This requires literal interpretation.
                                   (b) The viewpoint of  premillennialism
                                   (c) "This point of  view, which is quite common in the Old Testament is that the present church age
                                        is not included in the Old Testament prophetic foreviews.  The first and second comings of
                                        Christ are frequently spoken of  in the same breath, as for instance in Isaiah 61:1-2, which Christ
                                        expounded in Luke 4: 18-19." (Walvoord, 169)
                                   (d) Compare Isaiah 61:1, 2 with Luke 4:18,19.
                                   (e) "Significantly, Christ quoted only the portion dealing with His first coming and stopped in the
                                        middle of  a sentence because the last part of  the sentence related to His second advent,
                                        separated from the first coming by more than nineteen hundred years.  In a similar way, in his
                                        prophetic vision, Daniel takes human history up to the first coming of  Christ when the Roman
                                        Empire was in sway, and then leaps to the end of  the age when, in fulfillment of  prophecy, the
                                        fourth empire will be revived and suffer its fatal judgment at the hands of  Christ at His second
                                        coming to the earth.  This interpretation, though not without its problems, allows an accurate and
                                        detailed interpretation of  this prophecy and is genuinely predictive." (op. cit., 170)
                                   (f) This writer, of  course, hold to this last position.