Sermon manuscript:
The Old Testament prophet Daniel lived during a time when
everything had fallen apart. Long gone were the days of Moses, David, or
Solomon. The northern kingdom of the people of God was no more. It had long
been taken over by the Assyrians. During Daniel’s own lifetime the remnant of
God’s people, the southern kingdom, Judah, where Daniel was from, was also
taken over. The Babylonians had conquered Judah and torn down to the ground the
great temple that Solomon had built. The king of Babylon decided to take back
with him to Babylon the most talented and noblest of the Jewish people so that those
left behind were leaderless. Things had not looked so bad for them since the
days of slavery in Egypt.
However, even with the rubble and ruin new growth was
beginning to pop up. Daniel was one of these bright spots. He was among the
leaders who were taken captive to Babylon. Although he was from a conquered and
humbled people, God gave him strength and wisdom. He and three of his friends rose
in the ranks of Babylon’s officials so that eventually they far surpassed all
the others in power and influence. They were exiles and prisoners, but they
couldn’t help but turn people’s heads. Even the king listened to them.
Being placed in such positions of power would be remarkable
enough, but besides governing and advising kings, God also gave Daniel many
visions of what was to come. Our Old Testament reading today is a portion of
such a vision.
We generally do not spend much time studying the visions
that are given in Scripture. As a teacher and a preacher I can understand why.
They are not as easy to understand as other places in the Scriptures. There
often seems to be a stubborn remainder that leaves you wondering whether you’ve
quite gotten all of it—even after thoroughly explaining it. Be that as it may,
we will still try our hand at it. We should not just always do what is easy.
For better understanding the portion of Daniel’s vision that
we heard about, I think it is helpful to know that this is a part of longer
series of visions that are recorded in the book of Daniel. And although these
several visions are all different from one another in the imagery that is used,
they repeat a similar overall message. So before we look at what was
specifically spoken of in today’s reading, lets consider three themes that are
the most prominent throughout these visions.
First of all, the subject or plot of the visions God gave to
Daniel are about kingdoms and the rise of future empires. The Babylonian
empire, which was dominant at that time, was soon going to be overtaken by the
Persian empire. After the Persian empire was dominant for some time, it would
be taken over by the great Greek general, Alexander the Great. Alexander the
Great dies as a young man, and the very large empire was split up among his
generals and their descendants. After that the Romans would come and rule with
their iron fist for several centuries. This succession of great empires, one
after the other, is something that runs through all the visions.
The second theme that runs through all the visions is
actually more important than the first one. The visions are prophecies
concerning Christ. Daniel prophesies about 600 years before Christ was born. In
these visions, after these empires turn over, one after another, the Christ
rises up and rules over them all.
In a sense, given Daniel’s circumstances, it is a little
surprising that there should be such a vision or that it would be believable.
After all, the people of God were in shambles at that time. His people were
scattered hither and yon. There was no leadership left in Jerusalem. The
sacrifices and services at the temple had ceased. The Jews were a tiny people,
a conquered people, with no military power. How could one from them rise up and
rule over the whole world?
However, in another sense, Daniel would not have had a hard
time believing this vision. Daniel had God’s promises in his Word. God said
that there would be someone ruling from David’s line forever. The prophet
Jeremiah had prophesied that these people in captivity would be brought back
home after 70 years.
The third and last theme that I think is helpful for
understanding our reading today is that there is an apocalyptic, end times,
aspect to the visions that Daniel received. With the rise and fall of nations,
it might seem as though what God reveals to Daniel is merely mundane history.
When we think of history we think of one thing happening after another, so on
and so forth, world without end. But together with these other two themes of the
rise and fall of kingdoms, and the rise to power and glory of the Christ, there
is also this aspect where the history of the world is coming to an end with the
rise of the Christ whom God has promised would redeem his people.
This can be a little confusing because it seems like it
creates a problem for us concerning time. We believe, teach, and confess that
Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ. He was born, lived, died, was resurrected, and
ascended nearly 2,000 years ago. If he is the Christ, and with the coming of
Christ comes the end of the world, then why hasn’t the world ended?
I’d like to explain that in a little bit, but before I do
that, I’d like to show you how this is what the disciples at Jesus’s time
believed about the Christ. Jesus’s disciples were students of the Scriptures.
They knew these visions that were written down in the book of Daniel. So when
they began to believe that Jesus was this Christ whom Daniel prophesied about,
they assumed that he would overcome all other nations and that this world would
end, and other one would begin.
Consider when Peter first confessed Jesus to be the Christ. When
Jesus heard him, he praised him. He said that the Church would be built on
this, Peter’s confession: Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. But after that
Jesus explained to the disciples that he was going to go to Jerusalem, suffer,
die, and be resurrected from the dead. That was the way that Jesus was going to
rule as king—with a crown of thorns instead of a crown of gold. When Peter
heard this he took Jesus aside and told him that that was not the way the story
was supposed to go. The Christ should be great in power. It would take a lot of
power, after all, to break free and subdue the Roman Empire. But Jesus said, “Get
behind me, Satan, for you are not thinking the thoughts of God, but the
thoughts of men.” What the disciples were expecting, even on the basis of
the Old Testament prophecies, was not correct. The Christ would not overcome in
the way that they thought.
This is also why Jesus’s cross was such a stumbling block
for nearly all of his disciples. Dying like a criminal, seemingly helpless,
seems to eliminate the possibility of overcoming all nations as a great king.
The mocking of the soldiers and the people who passed by him seemed to ring
true: “If you are really the Christ, why don’t you come down from there?
Then we’ll believe you.” Or: “Look, he who saved others cannot save
himself.” And if Jesus had not risen from the dead, then they all would
have been absolutely right. But Jesus did rise from the dead, and it was with a
special kind of resurrection too. It wasn’t like Jesus’s body was just
reanimated. It was transformed. As Paul says, the corruptible must put on
incorruptibility. The mortal must put on immortality. Death is swallowed up in
victory.
So here is where you might learn to think a little
differently about the end times. You should not think that the end times are only
off in the distance, sometime in the future. The end times have already begun
2,000 years ago. They began with Jesus, the first one resurrected like his
saints will be resurrected; the first one who lives and will never die; the first-fruits
of those who have fallen asleep.
Having risen from the dead, and have been given all
authority in heaven and on earth, Jesus sent out his disciples in order to do
end-times things. So he told them to baptize, which is a new birth, a second
birth, by water and the Holy Spirit, which makes us sinners children of God.
He told the disciples to announce the forgiveness of sins to
all who would repent. This pronouncement of forgiveness for Jesus’s sake is the
verdict that will be rendered for all who have fallen asleep in Jesus when the
dead are raised, the court is seated, and the books are opened.
He told his disciples to eat his body and drink his blood.
This is the New Testament for the forgiveness of sins. “Do this,” Jesus
says, “remembering him.” This supper, as our post-communion collect
says, is a foretaste of the supper to come. We eat it and drink it in order to
be prepared and strengthened for the joy of the marriage feast of the Lamb in
his kingdom when he comes again in glory.
Through these end times things that Jesus has commissioned
us, his disciples, to do, he reigns and rules in his spiritual kingdom from the
right hand of God. He has not yet come again because he is patient, wanting all
to come to repentance by hearing his Word. Eventually, though, that last person
whom God has chosen from eternity to be saved will be converted to faith in
Jesus. Then this old world will have served its purpose and will come to an end.
Then the fullness of our redemption and salvation will take place with Christ’s
second coming.
And so let us take up what our Old Testament reading says,
for it certainly speaks to this great coming Day. Daniel tells us that he sees
the Ancient of Days, God the Father, seated on a throne of awesome majesty. His
appearance was brilliant. His throne was fire and a river of fire flowed out
from his presence. He was surrounded by thousands times thousands of mighty
angels. The court was in session, and the books were opened.
But while Daniel’s vision speaks to that great coming day,
it also speaks to what has already happened—the beginning of the end times—when
Jesus died, defeating our great enemies. In the middle of our reading Daniel
tells us about a horn, speaking boastful words, and a beast that was killed.
The other beasts have their rulership taken away, but they are allowed to live
for a set period of time.
Here Daniel is referring to an earlier portion of the vision
that was not part of our reading. Earlier God reveals to him that great beasts
rise up fighting, terrifying, and strong. These are God’s enemies with the
antichrist and Satan at the head of them. Although it appears that they are
unstoppable and strong and on the right side of history, their dominion is
taken away. They lose their right to rule over the children of Adam and Eve because
we were purchased with the blood of Jesus. Thus, in the middle of our reading,
Daniel’s vision also refers to Christ’s cross and resurrection where he
defeated death and the devil.
In the last portion of the vision Daniel sees somebody
coming in the clouds of heaven. He is the Son of Man, a name that Jesus most
often used to refer to himself. The Son of Man comes to the Father, the Ancient
of Days. He is given dominion, honor, and a kingdom. All peoples, nations,
and languages will worship him. His dominion will be an eternal dominion that
will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed. Thus
you see the second theme that I spoke about earlier—where the Christ will rise
up and rule over all nations, no matter how powerful they might be.
But remember that Jesus’s kingdom is not of this world. He
rule and reign is not with worldly weapons. His is a spiritual kingdom, fought
against spiritual enemies. These spiritual enemies would keep people in the
darkness of unbelief. In this darkness they fear death, and they fear God. More
than anything they fear Judgement Day, and understandably so. But Jesus, our
King of kings and Lord of lords, has given us his end times gifts, tokens of
his cross and resurrection. Thus we say: believe in your baptism, it is your
second birth. Believe that you are forgiven. Did not Jesus die for your sins?
Eat his body and drink his blood. This is the food of immortality.
By what God has given you, you may look up, rather than
cower, on that great Day of the Lord that is to come.
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