His-story

British historian Arnold Toynbee's history of the world spanned 12 volumes. The prophet Daniel covered the same material in one sentence: "Four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth, but the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever" (Daniel 7:17,18).

There you have it. The sweep of history in 22 words (in his Aramaic text): Four great kingdoms will rise and fall until the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, who then will reign forever and ever (Revelation 11:15).

Interpretations of Daniel's vision are legion, but most commentators identify the four beasts in Daniel's scenario as the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek and Roman empires, the four great powers that occupied the world stage before and after Daniel's day. The difficulty comes with the forth beast and the longevity of the Roman Empire. Some say we are living today in the remnants of the Roman world. (Western Civilization is essentially Roman.) Others say that Daniel's vision refers solely to historical Rome. 

I have my own thoughts, but I’ll spare you for it's all too easy to get lost in apocalyptic clutter and miss the point of Daniel's history. His pastoral purpose in reporting his vision was not to give us a historical time-line, but to free us from fear, to assure us that history is his (God's) story written by his finger from beginning to end and that history will end in the eventual triumph of God. 

Certainly there will be opposition to God's rule, and it may appear at times that the other side is winning, but "the Most High" is in control, even when his opponents seem most successful (7:24,25). 

No kingdom and no ruler is running amuck—not one. Authority is not "taken" by men, but "given" by God, a phrase that occurs often in Danial's revelation. Though lawless men and nations rise and fall, God “controls their rage and fury, so his children need not fear.”

Here we have the key to human history which, if taken to heart will free us from the anxiety and hysteria that pervades our society and, more's the pity, some elements of the Church. 

The media exacerbate our fears as night after night they stream bad news into our ears, but we need not fear "evil tidings" (Psalm 112:7). The story will end in God's glory. The kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and we will reign with him forever, forever and ever.

Know well my soul, God's hand controls

whate'er you fear.

Round Him in calmest music rolls

whate'er you hear.

—FB Meyer

David Roper

11.30.18