DANIEL 7-9

  TEXT FOR REFLECTION

“Thus he said: ‘As for the fourth beast, there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth,

    which shall be different from all the kingdoms,

and it shall devour the whole earth,

    and trample it down, and break it to pieces.

24 As for the ten horns,

out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise,

    and another shall arise after them;

he shall be different from the former ones,

    and shall put down three kings.

25 He shall speak words against the Most High,

    and shall wear out the saints of the Most High,

    and shall think to change the times and the law;

and they shall be given into his hand

    for a time, times, and half a time.

26 But the court shall sit in judgment,

    and his dominion shall be taken away,

    to be consumed and destroyed to the end.

27 And the kingdom and the dominion

    and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven

    shall be given to the people of the saints of ten he Most High;

his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom,

    and all dominions shall serve and obey him.’[c]

28 “Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly alarmed me, and my color changed, but I kept the matter in my heart.” 

DANIEL 7:23-28

REFLECT

I have often been asked, “Does evil prevail against good? Do I have to suffer injustice all my life?” Sadly, the answer is “Yes”. Evil will often prevail against good. 

In today’s reading, Daniel was so dismayed by the discovery of how the forces of evil will dominate the world order, that “his colour changed”. 

Daniel had been shown a vision of the future. In the vision he was told that there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all the kingdoms and it shall devour the whole earth, and trample it down, and break it to pieces (v 23). There would arise a kingdom that would be more powerful than those before it. This kingdom would wreak destruction on earth.

Yet that was just the beginning. Things were about to get worse. “out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise,

    and another shall arise after them;

he shall be different from the former ones,

    and shall put down three kings.

25 He shall speak words against the Most High,

    and shall wear out the saints of the Most High,

    and shall think to change the times and the law;

and they shall be given into his hand

    for a time, times, and half a time.

A new king would come forth who would even defy God and seek to change God’s plans and God’s laws. In other words, this king would be so powerful that he would seem to overpower even God’s plans and ways and would wear out the saints. A king who was seemingly greater than God and against whom God appeared powerless.

Yet, in the end, evil would be judged and condemned, God would have dominion over all the kingdoms, and would hand the kingdoms to his saints.

RELATE

We see the reality of the dominance of evil over good everyday. On a global scale, we have observed throughout history numerous atrocities committed by nations against other nations. At a personal level, we experience oppression and injustice by people having authority over us. “Might is right” regardless of how unrighteous the mighty are. The rich and the powerful are allowed to exploit the poor and the powerless with impunity. God appears unable or unwilling to intervene. Evil and injustice simply overcome those who seek to live righteously. 

Good Friday is a stark reminder of this reality. The often opposing forces of evil conspired together to silence the righteous Son of God. Roman rulers and Jewish leaders who were historically at odds with each other, joined hands to plot against Jesus. The crowd of admirers who had suffered greatly at the hands of their Roman oppressors and the Jewish lawmakers, turned against Jesus and cheered both Romans and Jews in their dastardly plan. All evil had coalesced to destroy good.

But resurrection Sunday revealed a greater reality. Jesus would be raised from the dead and would vanquish both sin and death. Evil cannot prevail. God will have the last word and His saints will be vindicated.

And yet, on a visible, temporal level, evil persisted. Following the resurrection of Christ, those who loved Him were persecuted with greater intensity. Evil not only continued to exist, it got far worse. Greater atrocities were committed against them than ever before.

But there was a difference. Upon the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, Christians became more resolute in their faith that God had authority and dominion over all kingdoms. In the words of Paul the Apostle, “Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.” (2 Corinthians 4:16). Despite what persecutions could do to their bodies, their spirits were growing stronger each day.

The Holy Spirit dwelling within us is the assurance and guarantee that God has triumphed over evil and that He has given greatness and dominion over all kingdoms to His saints.  It is only when we are filled with the Holy Spirit that we can continue to see this ultimate reality, in the face of the lie that injustice prevails.

REST

This is my Father's world

Oh, let me ne'er forget

That though the wrong seems oft so strong

God is the ruler yet

This is my Father's world

Why should my heart be sad?

The Lord is King, let the heavens ring

God reigns, let the earth be glad.

From the Hymn “This is my Father’s World” by Maltbie Babcock, published 1901.

Chiu Ming Li