You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.
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Yes, we did pick every song we could think of about that same theme this morning and
sang them all.
So that's always fun.
Here's the roadmap for this morning.
Long introduction, short sermon, great lunch.
Okay?
Y'all, anybody up for that?
Yep, you in for that?
You're voting for the short sermon part, aren't you?
Those of you who sat through Sunday school with me already deserve the short sermon part.
It's just for you.
But there is a long introduction.
So let me start with that long introduction before we read our passage for this morning.
We're at the point in the book of Daniel where we begin to shift from stories about the life
of Daniel and his friends living in Babylon and how they engage there, things that happen
in their lives, to visions that Daniel has of the future, visions that happen during those
years where there are fiery furnaces and lions' dens and so forth.
But visions of the future God gives to Daniel that are recorded in these last six chapters
of the book.
This is what now in the second half of the book is called apocalyptic literature.
What that means is that this is the revelation of the Old Testament.
Some of you I know have studied revelation recently.
If you've ever studied revelation, you know what it's like, right?
It's chock full of incredible imagery and brilliant metaphors, wild pictures of beasts and battles
and heaven and hell, all of these sorts of things.
And that dynamic doesn't mean that the things described aren't real.
It just means we recognize that often they can't be fully described by even the one who's
seeing the vision.
The emotion that's meant to be communicated by them requires this intense imagery, these
vivid pictures.
In fact, it's clear here in Daniel's visions that the ones he has should startle us, should
some of them frighten us, should others of them shock us.
That's what happens to Daniel himself when he sees these things in chapter 7.
But I want us to ask the question, what is apocalyptic literature about?
What are these visions of?
What is it that we're seeing and reading?
Perhaps when you think of apocalypse, you think of the end of the world, right?
A tragic ending, a gloom and doom and terrible things happening in the end of the world.
That's the way it's popularly talked about.
That's not entirely unhelpful, actually.
Daniel does have visions about other parts of history that lead up to the end times, but
much of this is about the end.
That's why there's so much controversy around so much of it.
What does it mean and how's it all going to be in the end times?
And much of it is indeed dark and dangerous.
But it's important to understand this about Revelation, the book of Revelation, as well as
this apocalyptic literature here in the next few chapters of Daniel, it's not just given
to be scary and dark.
As dark as they are, God gives the visions of the future and of heaven to his people, not
merely to frighten them, but to encourage his struggling people.
So that they are not surprised to find themselves suffering and sinking.
So that they can be hopeful in a day yet to come when God will be finally victorious, when
God's enemies will be judged, and when God's people will be saved.
That's part of this literature as well.
And that's why I want us in the next few weeks to slow down and get a look at what I'll call
visions of heaven.
We're going to jump around a little in Daniel 7 through 12 each week, but we'll be looking
at those visions that Daniel has.
You see, I would contend that we don't think about heaven enough.
I don't.
I don't think about heaven enough.
I suspect many of you are like me in that thoughts of heaven get put into this category
of I'll use them when I get there.
That will be nice to know when I get there, but I'm not there yet.
Kind of the way I treat thoughts of retirement.
Or some of you may treat thoughts of adulthood or growing up and being a big...
I mean, there's a lot to learn about that, but I'll handle it when I get there.
That will be helpful to me when I arrive at that point.
And you can see when you think about retirement or adulthood how unhelpful and dangerous that
can be to put off thoughts of what that will be like until you're already in the midst of
it.
The same is true with heaven.
We feel like we've got all we can handle today, right?
I'm just trying to make it through day by day.
I have no time to think of heaven.
It'll be there when I need it.
After all, as many of us have heard, when we think about heaven, we know that we don't
want to be so heavenly minded that we're no earthly good, right?
That's a common phrase.
Johnny Cash even sang about that.
I don't want to be like that.
I mean, I want to be actually earthly good.
I don't want to walk around with my head in the clouds, no help to anybody.
But the Bible actually paints quite a different picture about the practical value today of
thoughts of heaven.
We've seen already in the book of Daniel, and we're going to see more, how remembering
eternal realities and God's eternal perspective enables us to engage as we are called to here
in this world.
Paul agrees with that need to think more of heaven for today.
Colossians chapter 3, if then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that
are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth.
Think of heaven.
Our minds are to be set on those eternal realities, right?
C.S.
Lewis has famously said it this way in his classic Mere Christianity.
He says,
A continual looking forward to the eternal world is not, as some modern people think,
a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christian is meant to do.
It does not mean that we're to leave the present world as it is.
If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world
were just those who thought most of the next.
The apostles themselves who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire,
the great men who built up the Middle Ages,
the English evangelicals who abolished the slave trade,
all left their mark on earth precisely because their minds were occupied with heaven.
It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world
that they have become so ineffective in this one.
Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in.
Aim at earth and you will get neither, Lewis says.
I think this is exactly why in the midst of the difficult realities of life
in which Daniel found himself, that God kept giving him these visions.
All the way through the stories we've already studied,
what was keeping Daniel going?
God was giving him visions of heaven.
It's what he actually needed to live there in Babylon.
I think a clear vision of heaven is helpful to us in at least two ways
before we jump into the first one.
First, it's helpful to us because seeing the end of the story,
understanding where the story's headed and what the end is,
helps us live appropriately in our part in the story.
Theologian N.T. Wright uses the example of a Shakespearean play
to talk about how this works.
Shakespeare, if you're not an English major,
often wrote his dramas in five acts, okay?
So imagine that you're a character in a Shakespearean drama,
maybe Hamlet, and you've read the first three acts.
You've lived in them there.
You know what Hamlet is like there.
And then if you get act five, you know the end of the story.
You may lose your script for act four,
but you're going to have a pretty good idea how Hamlet should act,
what kinds of things he would say,
what's appropriate for him in that context,
because you understand the story,
where it started and where it's headed.
If we imagine that the first three acts, so to speak,
or what the Bible tells us in terms of the creation of the world,
the fall of man, the history of Old Testament Israel,
the coming of Jesus,
there's the beginning of the story,
and we know that.
If we can live today in light of where the story is headed,
in light of the end, if we know the end,
then we'll know how to live as we ought right now
in act four, so to speak, where we are.
If we know where it's all going,
if we know who finally wins,
if we know what really matters eternally,
we will live now as we should.
Getting a vision of the future helps us live now
in our part of God's story.
And then secondly, a clear vision of heaven
also helps us because there's a present reality
that it reminds us of.
I'll illustrate that with this story.
When George Shultz was Secretary of State
in Ronald Reagan's administration,
Shultz kept a globe in his office.
And whenever ambassadors to other countries
would come in and meet with him,
he would send them out,
and on their way out the door,
he would say,
tell me, where's your country?
Point to your country on that globe on your way out.
And every one of them had done that very successfully.
That was a good sign.
You know, if you couldn't find where you were headed,
you needed to stay back and get some more training.
And then one day,
a guy named Mike Mansfield was in his office.
This Mansfield was the ambassador to Japan.
And they met,
and Mansfield got up to leave,
and just like everybody else,
he was asked,
point to your country.
And Mansfield spun the globe
and put his finger on the United States of America
and turned back to Shultz and said,
this is my country.
And Shultz told that story
to every other ambassador that he would meet with.
And he would say to them,
never forget,
you're over there in that country,
but your country is the United States.
You are there to represent us.
It is a present reality for us as God's people
that we are citizens of where?
Of heaven.
That that's our home.
That that is the country
that we are truly first and foremost citizens of.
We're exiles on earth.
Our true home is in heaven
where we are already seated with Christ,
Paul tells us.
So a clear vision of heaven
helps us remember
not merely what will be true one day someday,
but what is already true today,
that we are ambassadors for heaven
and the king of heaven here on earth.
All right,
thus endeth the long introduction.
All of it serving to say
for the next couple of weeks
that we,
like Daniel,
need a clear vision of heaven.
The first one we'll see today
comes in chapter 7
at verse 9.
Daniel 7 at verse 9.
This is God's holy word.
Daniel says,
As I looked,
thrones were placed
and the ancient of days
took his seat.
His clothing was white as snow
and the hair of his head
like pure wool.
His throne was fiery flames.
Its wheels were burning fire.
A stream of fire issued
and came out from before him.
A thousand thousands served him
and ten thousand times
ten thousand stood before him.
The court sat in judgment
and the books were opened.
Thus far,
God's holy word.
Let's pray.
God,
this is your word
and we need your help
that we might see you
more clearly.
Holy Spirit,
teach us,
speak in ways
that I can't
to my heart,
to all of our hearts,
that we might be changed today
by what we see
of one day,
someday.
We ask it in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Have you ever seen
a decorated military officer
from a distance?
You know,
across a room
or in a small shot
on television?
And you've seen him
and you see his chest
decorated with all sorts
of medals and everything
and just from a distance
your initial impression is,
wow,
that's impressive.
This guy is pretty special.
This is no average guy.
He's important.
He's heroic.
I can see the medals.
I can tell there are stars
on his shoulder.
Due to your distance from him
or perhaps your ignorance
of military honors,
you may not know
any of the specifics.
The things there
may not mean anything
particular to you,
but at first glance
you're impressed anyway.
And then you get up close
and you shake his hand
and you learn
that the stars were earned
by a particular rank
and that that purple heart
is what it's called
was earned
in a particular incident
where he acted
very heroically
and now you're impressed again,
right?
But in a different way
by knowing the particulars
of who the man is.
I think we need to have
both of those experiences
this morning
with the vision
Daniel gets
of the Ancient of Days
on his throne.
Remember,
these visions
are meant to evoke
emotional response,
to paint a picture,
give an overall impression
of something.
What is the image
portrayed here
when you just listen
and imagine
the picture that's painted?
Listen to it again.
As I looked,
thrones were placed
and the Ancient of Days
took his seat.
His clothing was white as snow
and the hair of his head
like pure wool.
His throne was fiery flames,
its wheels were burning fire.
A stream of fire issued
and came out from before him.
A thousand thousand served him
and ten thousand times
ten thousand stood before him.
The court sat in judgment
and the books were opened.
Whatever the particulars,
even if you don't know
what any of that means,
you can already tell
this is a vision
of someone important.
Right?
The words that came to mind
for me
as I read it this week
were majesty,
authority,
grandeur,
images like that.
Picture the infinite sea
of people bowing before him.
That's what's being pictured here.
Bowing before him
and surrounding him
to serve him.
infinite stretching
as far as the eye can see.
John's vision of God's throne room
in Revelation 4
highlights some different details
but also shows us the response.
These other people
surrounding the throne
who are responding
to what they see on the throne.
Let's read this description
and get a picture of it
from Revelation 4.
At once I was in the spirit
and behold a throne stood in heaven
with one seated on the throne
and he who sat there
had the appearance
of Jasper and Carnelian
and around the throne
was a rainbow
that had the appearance
of an emerald.
Around the throne
were 24 thrones
and seated on the thrones
were 24 elders
clothed in white garments
with golden crowns
on their heads.
From the throne
came flashes of lightning
and rumblings
and peals of thunder
and before the throne
were burning seven torches
of fire
which are the seven spirits
of God
and before the throne
there was as it were
a sea of glass
like crystal
and around the throne
on each side of the throne
are four living creatures
full of eyes
in front and behind.
The first living creature
like a lion
the second living creature
like an ox
the third living creature
with the face of a man
and the fourth living creature
like an eagle in flight.
And the four living creatures
each of them
with six wings
are full of eyes
all around and within
and day and night
they never cease to say
holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty
who was and is
and is to come.
And whenever the living creatures
give glory and honor
and thanks to him
who is seated on the throne
who lives forever and ever
the 24 elders fall down
before him
who is seated on the throne
and worship him
who lives forever and ever
they cast their crowns
before the throne
saying worthy are you
our Lord and God
to receive glory
and honor and power
for you created all things
and by your will
they existed
and were created.
You get a picture
of their response
when they see
the throne of God?
Holy, holy, holy
they keep saying
all the time.
Worthy of honor
and glory
and power
that's the picture
that we get
that's the response
that ought to come.
There's no doubt
when we read
Daniel's vision
we've got a majestic ruler
sitting on the throne
someone awesome
and glorious.
But then let's look up close
and understand
the particular metals
so to speak.
Now the specific parts
of the vision
are important too.
What do they teach us
about God?
What do we see
about him here?
First
notice his clothing.
His clothing was white
as snow.
God is entirely
pure
completely
righteous.
What this means
is that God
doesn't make mistakes.
He hasn't messed up.
He didn't do wrong
by you
even though sometimes
it may feel like it.
What e'er my God
ordains
is right
as the hymn writer says.
Entirely pure
and completely
righteous.
But his clothes
aren't all that's white
so is his hair.
White hair
as white
and pure
as lamb's wool.
The passage tells us
white hair
is often used
in these days
and in ours
to depict what?
Wisdom.
God is
most
wise.
His hair
is as white
as lamb's wool
a picture of something
as pure and white
as can be imagined.
He is the most
wise.
Have you ever felt
like you know
better than God?
I mean
who's going to admit
that in church
really?
I mean
you wouldn't have said it
yes somebody is.
You wouldn't have said it
that way
perhaps
but if you're like me
you've thought before
I know
what God
should do
now.
I see what
he's up to
and this is what
he needs to do
next.
God
this would be
so good
if you would
just help
this person.
If you would
just make this
work this way
that would be
the best thing.
It would make
so much sense.
And in my life
at least
that seems
to be a guarantee
for I've missed
something.
I've gotten
caught up
in my own
plans
and ideas
and forgotten
what was
really
best.
Tim Keller
says this
God will
either
give us
what we
ask
or give us
what we
would have
asked
if we knew
everything
God
knows.
Interesting.
Either what we
ask
or what we
would have
asked
if we knew
everything
God knows.
He knows
what is best
because he
is most
wise.
Next we see
God is the
powerful
warrior.
Look at the
rest of
verse 9.
His throne
was fiery
flames.
Its wheels
were burning
fire.
A stream
of fire
issued and
came out
from before
him.
This is no
normal throne.
It's not
just some
tiny chair
is it?
This is a
chariot.
A war
chariot
with fire
coming out
with wheels
on it.
It pictures
God as the
mighty general
ready to
carry out
justice
and vengeance.
patience.
He's not
some meek
loving
grandfather
in the sky
known only
for his
gentleness.
No this
is a
powerful
warrior
with fire
coming forth
from his
throne
to consume.
But maybe
it's just
a powerful
guy just
sitting there
waiting to
be told
what he's
allowed to
do,
where he
can go
in force.
Maybe this
is just
the muscle
with no
real authority.
Could that
be?
No way.
Perhaps the
clearest detail
communicated in
this vision
of God
is that God
is the
final judge,
the ultimate
authority.
That's how it
begins and
ends with
thrones placed
in the
ancient of
days taking
his seat on
what we find
out is the
center throne
from that
picture in
Revelation.
The court
sat in
judgment and
the books
were opened.
Who else
needed to
sit down
before the
court could
start?
Nobody.
The judge
has taken
his seat
and he's
ready to
start.
The image
is one of
God as
judge.
He is the
one who
decides who
is raised
up and
who is
cast down.
He is the
one dispensing
judgments on
all of
history.
He is the
one in
whose
righteous
and wise
hands is
the authority
for all
decisions.
In fact,
that's immediately
what happens
in the next
two verses
after this
vision.
Without
awaiting a
jury vote,
without a
lot of
fanfare,
great human
kings and
kingdoms are
dethroned and
destroyed in
an instant.
Justice is
served.
The ancient
of days is
seated on the
throne and
there is no
room for
anyone else.
An awesome
vision of our
glorious and
mighty God.
Last question
this morning.
When do we
need this
vision?
Well, you
said a vision
of heaven would
be practically
helpful in the
here and now.
Would be
something that
would help
me today.
I mean, of
course, it's
always helpful to
see God more
clearly, but when
do we especially
need this
vision?
We could make
up answers, but
in what context
does God give it
to Daniel and
the rest of his
people?
When does he
think we need
it?
It's actually
really interesting
if you start at
the beginning of
Daniel 7, when
the ancient of
days shows up.
Because the
vision up to
that point is
actually not about
heaven.
All the way up to
verse 9 where we
started, the first
eight verses are
about the next few
hundred years of
human history after
Daniel.
They're about kings
and kingdoms and
wars and terrible
things that are
going on.
And with no
transition whatsoever,
it shifts to the
throne room of
heaven.
Look, this is the
end of those first
eight verses.
I considered the
horns on one of
these beasts, one
of these kings.
There came up among
them another horn, a
little one, before
which three of the
first horns were
plucked up by the
roots.
And behold, in this
horn were eyes like
the eyes of a man in
a mouth, speaking
great things.
As I looked, thrones
were placed in the
ancient of days, took
his seat.
He shows up right
there in the midst
of it with no
transition.
It's as though your
television set is
sounding beep, beep,
beep.
We interrupt this
current broadcast to
give you breaking
news of something
else that's happening
simultaneously somewhere
else.
Right in the midst of
human history, of
great conflict, of
deep evil, another
reality is true.
And the camera just
pans over to the
ancient of days, seated
on his throne, right
in the midst of it.
Let me read you just
a sample of the
setting that the
vision comes in to
help us see when we
especially need it.
Chapter 7, as I said,
actually begins with a
vision of kingdoms.
And the vision is very
similar to the one we
talked about in
chapter 2 when
Nebuchadnezzar had a
dream of a statue
that was crushed, if you
remember that.
This vision and the
one in chapter 8 that
I'll reference here
speak of the kingdoms
of Babylon and Persia
and Greece and
Alexander the Great
and Rome and so
forth with some
really amazingly
accurate detail.
But here's the
situation.
Look at some of the
things going on.
Daniel begins his
vision.
He sees a vision in
there.
Four winds of heaven
stirring up the great
sea and four great
beasts come out of the
great sea different
from one another.
The first a lion,
with eagle's wings.
The second a bear who's
told, arise, devour
much flesh.
That's what that king
does.
And then there's another
like a leopard who
rises fast with four
wings of a bird on its
back and had four heads
and dominion was given
to this one, this
powerful one.
And then there's the
fourth one.
Terrifying and dreadful
and exceedingly strong.
Great iron teeth that
devoured and broke in
pieces and stamped what
was left with its feet.
A powerful but painful
infliction on God's
people and many others.
Go to the next screen.
Verse 21.
As I looked, this horn
that was on the last
beast made war with the
saints and prevailed over
them.
This fourth powerful beast
that was terrifying and
dreadful is prevailing over
God's people.
He shall speak words
against God himself, the
Most High, and shall wear
out the saints of the
Most High.
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.
And Daniel sees all of
this and what's happening
to God's people and he
says, as for me, Daniel,
my thoughts greatly
alarmed me and my color
changed.
He sees what's going to
happen to God's people and
it stresses him out.
He's deeply anxious.
We read in chapter 8 of
one of these rulers,
He shall make deceit
prosper under his hand
and in his own mind he
shall become great.
Without warning he shall
destroy many and he
shall even rise up against
the prince of princes and
he shall be broken but by
no human hand.
And Daniel's response at
the end of that vision,
I was overcome and lay
sick for some days.
What's the general
impression given by these
parts of the vision?
What are our emotions when
we especially need this
vision of God?
Daniel feels it well,
doesn't he?
When we feel like him,
greatly alarmed,
overcome to the point of
being sick for days as he
sees the things that will
happen to God's people or
for us things that are
happening to God's people?
When we are overwhelmed,
when the world around us
seems to be spinning out
of control and we become
scared and when we feel
helpless and when we grow
increasingly anxious,
that's the general feel of
what's going on when you
read about wild beasts and
their terrifying power.
It's how we ought to feel,
isn't it?
And that's when God gives
the vision of himself.
That's when we need this
clear vision of God and of
our eternal home.
Have you felt like that
lately?
Overwhelmed or out of
control, scared, helpless,
anxious?
And this vision is
especially for you.
But now close up,
specifically what situations
does God give this vision
for?
Here's a few particulars from
these verses here in
Daniel.
First, when injustice
rages, when human
rulers war and fight,
when human power is used to
harm, not help,
when God's enemies have
exhausted God's people,
when God's people have
wandered after idols.
Those are the things going
on on the news when the
camera pans over to the
breaking news that the
ancient of days is on his
throne.
And God says that's not all
that's true.
That may be what's in the
news, but there's something
else.
A righteous, wise, powerful,
just judge on the throne
over it all.
And he gives you that picture
in order to bring true
comfort to you.
When injustice rages,
things that drive us crazy
and we can't seem to fix
them for ourselves or for
others that are being taken
advantage of, we need to see
the eternally just judge and
know that he will do right in
his time in a way we can trust
even to death.
When human rulers war and
fight and seek power and
everything seems to hang in the
balance of how this plays
out, we need to see the
ancient of days who is on his
throne long before the beast
took theirs and remains on his
throne well after the last one
is declawed.
And we need to know that our
ultimate home is there with our
father.
There where we will find true
safety and true rest.
When human power is used to harm
not help, we need to see the one
who is gracious with his power and
righteously protects the oppressed.
When God's enemies have exhausted
God's people so that we feel that the
wicked prosper and the righteous
perish and we can't stand before it any
longer, we need to see the eternal
victor who destroys those great
beasts with a flick of his wrist.
Who breaks their power, Daniel 8.25
with no human hand.
Second time we've seen that one in
Daniel, isn't it?
That rock from chapter 2 that was
hewn with no human hand.
The divine Savior who crushes the
kingdoms and becomes a rock that
fills the whole earth.
We need to see that Savior so that his
people finally see justice.
And when God's people have wandered
after idols and allowed other things
that won't last or fulfill us to
distract us from what's truly valuable,
we need to see the all-glorious,
ultimately worthy God who fights for us
and knows what's best for us and is worthy of
all of our praise and all of our attention
and time and zeal.
Do you see him there this morning?
Do you know that reality is true alongside
and above the reality that you are facing?
Do you know that the ancient of days has never
left the throne Daniel saw him on?
Do you know that he's there right now
just the way he was described in Daniel 7?
One more look because he is there now
and this is true for you today.
As I looked, thrones were placed
and the ancient of days took his seat.
His clothing was white as snow
and the hair of his head like pure wool.
His throne was fiery flames.
Its wheels were burning fire.
A stream of fire issued and came out from before him.
A thousand thousand served him
and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
The court sat in judgment
and the books were opened.
Pray with me.
Our great God, King of all kings,
supreme judge over all judges,
we this morning join the multitude
surrounding that throne
and bowing before you
because we are not worthy.
And in proclaiming that you are worthy
and the honor and the glory and the power is yours,
Father, would you comfort us
with the reminder of your presence on the throne
that the just judge is on the throne
and he is also our good Father.
Father, we need that reminder today
when we would be so prone
to put ourselves on the throne
or to feel the throne is unoccupied.
It's not.
Give us that clear vision
that we may know where we're headed
and know where we already are
in heaven with you.
We ask it in Jesus' name.
Amen.
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