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READ FOR THIS WEEK’S STUDY: Daniel 7.

MEMORY VERSE: “But then the Eternal1 God came. He decided in favor ofhis holy people. So the time came when the kingdom was given to them”(Daniel 7:22, NIrV).

DANIEL 2 GIVES POWERFUL PROOF THAT GOD IS REAL AND THAT HEHAS POWER TO CONTROL THE FUTURE. But Daniel 7 gives even moreproof. Daniel 7 covers the same material as Daniel 2. Daniel 7 also shows animportant part not shown in Daniel 2. Daniel 7 shows the great judgment inheaven that leads directly to Jesus’ second coming. Daniel 7 shows the pre-Advent judgment!2

The key to understanding Daniel 7 is found in Daniel 2. “In fact, Daniel 2 and7 show almost the same pattern of development. They cover the same time pe-riod, from Babylon to the end of human time. They point to the same four king-doms. These kingdoms are symbolized in Daniel 2. In Daniel 7, the kingdomsare symbolized by different beasts.This different pattern is the key to our methodof interpreting Daniel 2 and 7. We must read Daniel 7 on the basis of Daniel 2.”—Adapted from Doukhan, Secrets of Daniel (Hagerstown, Md.: Review andHerald Publishing Assoc., 2000), p. 100.

There is so much in Daniel 7. But for now, we will do a quick review of this won-derful chapter. We need to keep in mind its closing scene: the pre-Advent judg-ment. This judgment leads to Christ’s return. Then our great hope in Jesus willbe fulfilled.

Easy Reading Edition July 15-214

SABBATH—DATE

Daniel 7

SABBATH—JULY 15

1eternal—forever; without beginning or end; lasting forever.2the pre-Advent judgment—the judgment that will take place before Jesus’ second coming. Adventists believe

that God’s judgment comes in three parts. The first part began in 1844 and is continuing until Jesus’ return to theearth. This is the pre-Advent judgment. The pre-Advent judgment is also called the investigative judgment.

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Lesson 4 Daniel 7

DANIEL’S DREAM (Daniel 7:1-14)

Read Daniel 7:1-14. Summarizethe important message in Daniel’sdream.

You have probably noticed a fewcomparisons3 between Daniel 2 andDaniel 7. These comparisons show(1) the same number of metals inDaniel 2 and beasts in Daniel 7, (2)the focus on the last kingdom (inDaniel 2 it was the iron), and (3) bothchapters end with God establishingHis eternal4 kingdom.

What other comparison can youfind between Daniel 2 and Daniel 7?

In Daniel 7:16, 17, God quicklygives Daniel the basic interpreta-tion of the dream. What is thatinterpretation? How is this inter-pretation the same as Daniel 2?

The four beasts in Daniel 7 repre-sent the four kingdoms in Daniel 2.Bible thinkers have long recognizedthem as the following:

Babylon (Lion)Media-Persia (Bear)Greece (Leopard)

Rome (Fourth Beast)God’s final kingdom

Daniel 7 gives more details aboutthese kingdoms. In Daniel 7, we

again see that the prophecies inDaniel are based on history. Danielreviews world history from oldentimes right through to our time andafterward.

How blessed we are to know thatour God is always in control, and thatHe will set up His eternal kingdom nomatter what happens to the world.

God’s final kingdom is sure tohappen. What hope do you havethat you will be in that kingdom?What is your hope based on?

THE FOURTH BEAST (Daniel 7:19-27)

There’s an important comparisonbetween Daniel 2 and Daniel 7 thatwe do not want to miss. In Daniel 2,the fourth power (iron), arose afterGreece (Daniel 2:32, 33, 39-45). Thefourth power changes some, but itremained until the end. It wasdestroyed only when God set up Hiskingdom.

In Daniel 7, with the fourth power(the fourth beast), the same thinghappens. The fourth beast arose afterGreece (Daniel 7:6, 7) and remaineduntil the end of time. It changed toanother form when it was destroyedat the coming of God’s eternal king-dom (Daniel 7:19-27).

So, in both Daniel 2 and Daniel 7,the fourth power, coming after Greece,remains until the end of the world.

SUNDAY—JULY 16

MONDAY—JULY 17

3comparisons—how things are the same.4eternal—forever; without beginning or end; lasting forever.

Lesson 4 Daniel 7

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Pix #13

Read Daniel 7:19-27.Then answerthe following questions:

1. What comparisons do you seebetween the description of thefourth beast in Daniel 7:19 and thedescription of the fourth power inDaniel 2:40?

2. Where does the little horn arisefrom?

3. What causes the death of the littlehorn in Daniel 7?

Daniel 7 spends more time describ-ing this little-horn power than any ofthe other powers. This little hornarose out of the fourth beast andremains part of it. The little horn mustbe very serious because so much

time is spent on it. This power aroseout of the fourth beast but continuesuntil the end of time, when God setsup His kingdom on earth after thejudgment in heaven. Then the little-horn power is destroyed.

People have often talked abouttrying to build a kingdom of Godon earth here and now. But they allhave failed. Why? Why is our hopeonly in God’s rescue of His people,as shown in Daniel 7?

THE LITTLE HORN (Daniel 7:19, 25)

Daniel 7 goes from Babylon, Media-Persia, and Greece to pagan Rome.5

Pagan Rome was the part of Romethat arose right after Greece. Then,while showing this Roman power,Daniel 7 describes the rise of the littlehorn. The little horn is part of thefourth beast. Who is this little horn?Most Protestant Reformers6 believedit was papal Rome.7 Even before theReformation, some Jewish expertsalso believed the little horn was papalRome. It is hard to see how the beastcould be anything else. In fact, it can-not be anything else. You might needfaith to believe in the Second Comingor the resurrection.8 But you do notneed much faith to see that papalRome is the power shown here.

TUESDAY—JULY 18The fourth beast.

5pagan Rome—the political Roman Empire from 27 B.C. to A.D. 395.6Protestant Reformers—church leaders (such as Luther, Zwengli, Huss, etc.) who started the movement (rebel-

lion) against the Roman Catholic Church in the Middle Ages. This period is called the Reformation.7papal Rome—Rome during the Middle Ages (A.D. 500 to A.D. 1500); when Rome was ruled by the church of

the Middle Ages; having to do with the pope, who is the head of the Catholic Church.8resurrection—return to life from the dead.

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Lesson 4 Daniel 7

Below are some traits of the littlehorn. How do these traits matchpapal Rome?

1. The little horn arose from paganRome (Daniel 7:19, 20).

2. The little horn made war with thesaints and prevailed (succeeded)against them (Daniel 7:21, 25).

3. The little horn thought to change“times and laws” (Daniel 7:25).

Pix #14

4. The little-horn power will be blas-phemous9 (Daniel 7:25).

All these traits have been veryclearly shown in history. There is noquestion about who this little-hornpower is. We have to be careful inhow we teach these prophecies so

that we will not hurt other people. Butwe would be unfaithful in our respon-sibility to God (Revelation 13:1-9;Revelation 14:6-12) if we failed topresent truth from the Bible.

TIME, TIMES, AND DIVIDING OFTIME (Daniel 7:25)

What is the time prophecy givenin Daniel 7:25?

Even non-Adventists have recog-nized that the time, times, and divid-ing of time means three and a halfyears. One study Bible by ThomasNelson says: “A time, times and thedividing of time . . . is used in Danieland in Revelation to mean three anda half years, or 1,260 days, or 42months (Daniel 12:7; Revelation 11:2;Revelation 12:6, 14; Revelation 13:5).”—Adapted.

How do the verses in the abovequote help you understand whythe time prophecy in Daniel 7:25 isthe same as 1,260 days?

As others have done, Adventists usethe day-year rule for this prophecy.This means 1,260 years, not 1,260 realdays.Later, we will spend a whole weekon the day-year rule. For now, we cansee that Daniel 7 is full of symbols: alion with wings, a beast with iron teeth,and a little horn that has eyes. So thetime prophecy is also a symbol.

WEDNESDAY—JULY 19

The little horn changed God’s law.

9blasphemous—claiming to be equal to God.

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So, we are given a 1,260-year periodshowing papal Rome. This part wasalso a period of persecution.10 If papalRome began in the late fifth or earlysixth century, then 1,260 years laterbrings us to the late eighteenth orearly nineteenth century. Again, histo-ry shows a long period of papal con-trol with massive (great) persecution.This persecution faded away in theeighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

What happens in the prophecyafter the 1,260-year period shown?(Daniel 7:25-27; see also Daniel7:8-10, 21, 22).

Pix #15

After the rise of the little horn, theprophecy shows a great judgment inheaven that leads to the SecondComing.

Here is a very important point: Thisprophecy shows that the judgment inheaven comes after the period of1,260 prophetic days. The judgmentcomes sometime after the persecu-tion that ended in the late eighteenthor early nineteenth century, butbefore the Second Coming.

So, with this interpretation, we aregiven historical proof to help usunderstand the timing of this judg-ment. The judgment then leads to thedeath of the little horn and to the endof this world.

One thousand two hundred andsixty years is a long time. Lots offaithful people died during thoseyears. They did not live to see theirhopes become real. What messageis there for us, who might diebefore seeing all our hopes anddreams become real in this life?

HORN, JUDGMENT, KINGDOM (Daniel 7:7-10, 14)

Daniel 7 shows an important seriesof events.11 There was the little-hornpower. Then a judgment in heavenfollowed. This judgment ended in theestablishment of God’s kingdom.This series is so important, it shows

THURSDAY—JULY 20

10persecution—attacks against God’s people; suffering harm for Jesus’ sake.11events—things that happen.

The judgment in heaven opens (Daniel 7:9, 10).

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Lesson 4 Daniel 7

up three times in Daniel 7.

Read Daniel 7:7-10, 14. How isthis series (little horn, judgment,God’s kingdom) shown there?

How is the series given in Daniel7:24-27?

Three times in Daniel we are giventhis series:

Little hornJudgment in heaven

God’s kingdom

Clearly, this series must be veryimportant. If not, why would the Lordhave given it three times in theprophecy? What is interesting is thatwith the little horn, we are given ourfirst apocalyptic time prophecy. (Theword apocalyptic means dealing withend-time events.) It is a time proph-ecy that helps us understand the tim-ing of this judgment. The judgmenttakes place after the 1,260 years, butbefore God’s eternal kingdom isestablished.

So, we can show the prophecy likethis:

Little horn (late eighteenth or early nine-

teenth century)

Judgment in heavenGod’s eternal kingdom

There is one more important thingto understand about this judgment.

The judgment results in the death ofthe little-horn power. But it alsoresults in the end of this world. AsDaniel 2 shows, God’s kingdom willreplace all the other kingdoms.

Daniel does not show the end ofthe world as a half-won, half-lostvictory. Instead, Daniel shows thetotal victory of good over evil.What lesson is there for us in howwe deal with evil in our daily lives?

Pix #16

ADDITIONAL STUDY: Below is all ofDaniel 7, with the first apocalyptictime prophecy in a series of events.We also have added the times thateach of the four empires fell.Historians often put certain dates onthese events based on great military

FRIDAY—JULY 21

There will be total victory over evil.

Lesson 4 Daniel 7

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battles. But the downfall of one empireand the rise of another usually hap-pens over many years. (Remember,too, that the fourth beast and the littlehorn that comes out of it are shown inthe Bible as one power.) Here is thelist:

Babylon(Ends early-mid-sixth

century B.C.)

Media-Persia(From early-mid-sixth century toearly-mid-fourth century B.C.)

Greece(From early-mid-fourth century to

mid-second century B.C.)

Pagan Rome(From mid-second century B.C. to

fifth-sixth century A.D.)

Papal Rome(Persecution from sixth centuryA.D. to eighteenth-nineteenth

century A.D.)

Judgment in heaven

Second Coming

Papal Rome did not end in the lateeighteenth or early nineteenth cen-tury. But that is not what the prophecysays. Instead, it says only that perse-cution would last for this length oftime, or at least that part of that per-secution. (Revelation 13 talks about areturn of papal persecution, but thatis another topic.)

So, Daniel 7 makes it clear that thejudgment leads to the establishmentof God’s kingdom. The judgment is totake place after the 1,260 years ofpapal persecution. This means afterthe late eighteenth or early nineteenthcentury, but before the SecondComing.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:1. Daniel 7:22 says that judgment

was given in “favor of the saints”(NIV). As a class, discuss whatthat means. What else in Daniel 7shows us that the judgment isgood news?

2. As a class, go over the proof thatpoints to who the little horn is.How can we as a church show thisimportant teaching in a way thatdoes not insult or hurt people, butat the same time teaches Bibletruth?