For the last two weeks, we have studied biblical stories and psalms that contained allusions to future prophecy. Yet, these projections into the future were just indirect insights that prepared us to receive and to understand the message of prophecy. In this lesson, we will pay attention to prophecies that explicitly refer to the time of the end. We must remember that the Bible is not just a book of beautiful stories written for our entertainment. Nor is the Bible simply a book of spiritual and moral edification. What makes the Bible unique is its message of hope: God will save the world at the end of time.
The message of hope, of course, is present in different forms throughout the Scriptures. But it is particularly the two apocalyptic books, Daniel and Revelation, that focus on the ultimate fate of the world. These two books are inter-related and therefore will be consulted in connection with each other. The lesson this week will first embrace the general line of the prophetic events, as revealed in Daniel’s prophecy of the statue (Dan. 2:31–45). Then we will consider the last days of human history. We will see how Daniel’s prophecy will disclose the power of evil and denounce its mentality, which was already displayed by the Babylonian kings (Daniel 3). The prophecy will then reach its fulfillment in the little horn of chapters 7 and 8, and in the beast of Revelation 13 and 14.
Part II: Commentary
The Mentality of Babel. The book of Daniel begins with an allusion to the story of the tower of Babel. As the prophet reports the event of the coming of Nebuchadnezzar against Jerusalem, he mentions the rare and antique word Shinar, the very name that referred to the place where the builders of Babel built their tower (Gen. 11:2, NKJV). This specific reference reveals, from the beginning of the book, the intention of the biblical author to associate Nebuchadnezzar’s move to bring the articles of the temple of Jerusalem to his place, Babylon (Shinar), with the builders of the tower of Babel.
In Daniel 2, the same king has a dream that troubles him. Daniel, who has been called to interpret the dream, explains to the king that the God of heaven sent this dream to help him understand, and realize, the iniquity of “the thoughts of your heart” (Dan. 2:30, NKJV). Nebuchadnezzar had indeed the same mentality as the builders of the tower of Babel. As Nebuchadnezzar brought the articles of the temple to his own temple, he in fact demonstrated the same intention to take God’s place. From the very beginning, Daniel discloses, then, the key to the dream. This dream concerns first the king’s “Babel” mentality. Later on, in Daniel 3, Nebuchadnezzar’s behavior will confirm this judgment (see below). In fact, this denunciation constitutes the main thread that weaves throughout the whole prophecy of the kingdoms of the earth.
In his first line, Daniel points out Nebuchadnezzar’s pride and usurpation: on one hand, Daniel calls the king by his regular title, “king of kings,” as if he were the one who ruled over other kings. On the other hand, Daniel clearly identifies “ ‘the God of heaven’ ” as the only One to whom the king owes his power (Dan. 2:37, NKJV). Daniel describes the king as if he were the Creator Himself (at least, along the lines of Nebuchadnezzar’s thinking); at the same time, Daniel reminds the king that it is the God of heaven who gave him all that he has (Dan. 2:38).
Then, Daniel announces that the following world kingdoms will be inferior to Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom, implying, again, that they were just as human and transitory as he and his kingdom are. Significantly, the end of the kingdoms is characteristic of the same mentality that defined Babel: the leaders of the kingdoms will attempt to unite their realms and consolidate their power, just as the builders of the tower of Babel did (Gen. 11:4).
It is noteworthy that the main characteristics of this process to attempt to mingle together started right after the fall of pagan Rome (Dan. 2:41) and lasted until the end of time, as implied in the phrase that introduces the rise of God’s kingdom: “ ‘In the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed’ ” (Dan. 2:44).
It is interesting to note that the last scene of the vision climaxes with the crushing of all the kingdoms.
The Usurping Power. In Daniel 3, Nebuchadnezzar immediately (ironically) discredits the judgment just learned from his dream. He will indeed work hard to take the place of the God of heaven. The dream clearly indicates that “ ‘the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed’ ” (Dan. 2:44, NKJV, emphasis supplied); in contradistinction to God’s will, Nebuchadnezzar endeavors to “set up” an image of gold that will represent himself, the “ ‘head of gold’ ” (Dan. 2:38, NKJV). Except that Nebuchadnezzar is not just content to be the head of gold, as the dream indicated; he now styles himself as an eternal king, whose empire will last forever, indicated by his erecting a statue of solid gold. In essence, Nebuchadnezzar “set up” his image to replace the everlasting kingdom of God. Note the use of the same verb “set up.” The story does not stop there with Nebuchadnezzar’s usurpation.
Nebuchadnezzar’s next step was the violent persecution of all those who would not bow before his image. The story tells us that three Hebrews refuse to worship the image; as a result, they are threatened with death, namely to “ ‘be cast . . . into the midst of a burning fiery furnace’ ” (Dan. 3:6, NKJV). All kinds of strategies are used to convince the Hebrews to bow. The threat of death is explicitly represented by the furnace at the feet of the image. The power of administration at all levels is employed to ensure the control of all the various layers of the population. The power of mass media is used to reach out to the people in all parts of the empire. Even the power of music and art is used to influence and control the emotions.
According to the report of their resistance, these three Hebrews did not waver in their conviction to stand true to God. The two camps of worshipers, the camp of Babel and the camp of the three Hebrews, were thus clearly delineated and contrasted: the camp of Babel is noisy. They “cried aloud” (Dan. 3:4, NKJV). The camp of God is silent: “ ‘We have no need to answer’ ” (Dan. 3:16, NKJV). The camp of Babel is powerful: it is comprised of “satraps,” “administrators,” etc. (Dan. 3:2, NKJV). The camp of God is humble and lowly in eminence: they are simply identified as “ ‘certain Jews’ ” (Dan. 3:12, NKJV). The camp of Babel is numerous: it is composed of “all the people” (Dan. 3:7, NKJV). The camp of God is only “three men” (Dan. 3:23, NKJV). The camp of Babel is present-oriented: “When all the people heard . . . all the people . . . worshiped” (Dan. 3:7, NKJV). The camp of God is future-oriented: “ ‘God . . . is able to deliver us’ ” (Dan. 3:17, NKJV). The people of the camp of Babel are legalistic and obey out of fear and self-interest. The people of the camp of God serve God by grace, even if He should choose not to deliver them (Dan. 3:18).
The Little Horn and the Beast. The characters of usurpation and persecution are more vivid and explicit. The little horn claims to be divine, and its arrogance and usurpation are very pronounced (Dan. 7:25, NKJV). The same connection between usurpation and persecution is also present (Dan. 8:24, 25).
The book of Revelation repeats the same apocalyptic scenario, yet with different symbolism. Right after the same four animals that we first saw in Daniel 7, the apocalyptic revelation identifies a power of usurpation, which is identified as a beast. Like the little horn of Daniel 7 and 8, this beast claims to be divine (Rev. 13:4) and persecutes God’s people (Rev. 13:5, 7). This rapid survey of the prophecy is necessary for us to understand the prophetic word of warning and to encourage God’s people (2 Tim. 1:7).
Part III: Life Application
While the little horn and the beast represent a clear historical entity, the Catholic Church, how should we respond to this identification? How should we relate to Catholic people? Identify the mentality of Babel in history (in the Catholic Church, but also in totalitarian regimes). Analyze the potential mechanism of Babel in your church and in your personal character; in your relationship with other people; in the context of your family or in the context of your work; and in the way you treat your employees, your spouse, and your children. How do we shift from a Babel mentality to a biblical mindset?
Compare the camp of Babel and the camp of the three Hebrews. Consider each aspect of that comparison and draw lessons for application: How does this comparison affect your church life? What can we learn from these examples for our worship services? How does the way we play music or the way we preach play a role in how we worship the Creator? What lesson do you learn from the observation that the camp of God is always a minority? How do you apply this truth to the use of the argument of the majority in support of theological truth? Discuss with your class members the need to be future-oriented rather than present-oriented. How does future- or present-oriented thinking affect your choices in ethical and marital decisions? A future-oriented perspective obliges us to consider the aftermath of our actions. Present-oriented thinking that focuses on the immediate reward ends up being shallow, selfish, materialistic, and even dangerous for us and others. Discuss.
Notes
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Key Text: 2 Timothy 1:7
Study Focus: Dan. 2:31–45, Rev. 13:11–17.
For the last two weeks, we have studied biblical stories and psalms that contained allusions to future prophecy. Yet, these projections into the future were just indirect insights that prepared us to receive and to understand the message of prophecy. In this lesson, we will pay attention to prophecies that explicitly refer to the time of the end. We must remember that the Bible is not just a book of beautiful stories written for our entertainment. Nor is the Bible simply a book of spiritual and moral edification. What makes the Bible unique is its message of hope: God will save the world at the end of time.
The message of hope, of course, is present in different forms throughout the Scriptures. But it is particularly the two apocalyptic books, Daniel and Revelation, that focus on the ultimate fate of the world. These two books are inter-related and therefore will be consulted in connection with each other. The lesson this week will first embrace the general line of the prophetic events, as revealed in Daniel’s prophecy of the statue (Dan. 2:31–45). Then we will consider the last days of human history. We will see how Daniel’s prophecy will disclose the power of evil and denounce its mentality, which was already displayed by the Babylonian kings (Daniel 3). The prophecy will then reach its fulfillment in the little horn of chapters 7 and 8, and in the beast of Revelation 13 and 14.
Part II: Commentary
The Mentality of Babel. The book of Daniel begins with an allusion to the story of the tower of Babel. As the prophet reports the event of the coming of Nebuchadnezzar against Jerusalem, he mentions the rare and antique word Shinar, the very name that referred to the place where the builders of Babel built their tower (Gen. 11:2, NKJV). This specific reference reveals, from the beginning of the book, the intention of the biblical author to associate Nebuchadnezzar’s move to bring the articles of the temple of Jerusalem to his place, Babylon (Shinar), with the builders of the tower of Babel.
In Daniel 2, the same king has a dream that troubles him. Daniel, who has been called to interpret the dream, explains to the king that the God of heaven sent this dream to help him understand, and realize, the iniquity of “the thoughts of your heart” (Dan. 2:30, NKJV). Nebuchadnezzar had indeed the same mentality as the builders of the tower of Babel. As Nebuchadnezzar brought the articles of the temple to his own temple, he in fact demonstrated the same intention to take God’s place. From the very beginning, Daniel discloses, then, the key to the dream. This dream concerns first the king’s “Babel” mentality. Later on, in Daniel 3, Nebuchadnezzar’s behavior will confirm this judgment (see below). In fact, this denunciation constitutes the main thread that weaves throughout the whole prophecy of the kingdoms of the earth.
In his first line, Daniel points out Nebuchadnezzar’s pride and usurpation: on one hand, Daniel calls the king by his regular title, “king of kings,” as if he were the one who ruled over other kings. On the other hand, Daniel clearly identifies “ ‘the God of heaven’ ” as the only One to whom the king owes his power (Dan. 2:37, NKJV). Daniel describes the king as if he were the Creator Himself (at least, along the lines of Nebuchadnezzar’s thinking); at the same time, Daniel reminds the king that it is the God of heaven who gave him all that he has (Dan. 2:38).
Then, Daniel announces that the following world kingdoms will be inferior to Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom, implying, again, that they were just as human and transitory as he and his kingdom are. Significantly, the end of the kingdoms is characteristic of the same mentality that defined Babel: the leaders of the kingdoms will attempt to unite their realms and consolidate their power, just as the builders of the tower of Babel did (Gen. 11:4).
It is noteworthy that the main characteristics of this process to attempt to mingle together started right after the fall of pagan Rome (Dan. 2:41) and lasted until the end of time, as implied in the phrase that introduces the rise of God’s kingdom: “ ‘In the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed’ ” (Dan. 2:44).
It is interesting to note that the last scene of the vision climaxes with the crushing of all the kingdoms.
The Usurping Power. In Daniel 3, Nebuchadnezzar immediately (ironically) discredits the judgment just learned from his dream. He will indeed work hard to take the place of the God of heaven. The dream clearly indicates that “ ‘the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed’ ” (Dan. 2:44, NKJV, emphasis supplied); in contradistinction to God’s will, Nebuchadnezzar endeavors to “set up” an image of gold that will represent himself, the “ ‘head of gold’ ” (Dan. 2:38, NKJV). Except that Nebuchadnezzar is not just content to be the head of gold, as the dream indicated; he now styles himself as an eternal king, whose empire will last forever, indicated by his erecting a statue of solid gold. In essence, Nebuchadnezzar “set up” his image to replace the everlasting kingdom of God. Note the use of the same verb “set up.” The story does not stop there with Nebuchadnezzar’s usurpation.
Nebuchadnezzar’s next step was the violent persecution of all those who would not bow before his image. The story tells us that three Hebrews refuse to worship the image; as a result, they are threatened with death, namely to “ ‘be cast . . . into the midst of a burning fiery furnace’ ” (Dan. 3:6, NKJV). All kinds of strategies are used to convince the Hebrews to bow. The threat of death is explicitly represented by the furnace at the feet of the image. The power of administration at all levels is employed to ensure the control of all the various layers of the population. The power of mass media is used to reach out to the people in all parts of the empire. Even the power of music and art is used to influence and control the emotions.
According to the report of their resistance, these three Hebrews did not waver in their conviction to stand true to God. The two camps of worshipers, the camp of Babel and the camp of the three Hebrews, were thus clearly delineated and contrasted: the camp of Babel is noisy. They “cried aloud” (Dan. 3:4, NKJV). The camp of God is silent: “ ‘We have no need to answer’ ” (Dan. 3:16, NKJV). The camp of Babel is powerful: it is comprised of “satraps,” “administrators,” etc. (Dan. 3:2, NKJV). The camp of God is humble and lowly in eminence: they are simply identified as “ ‘certain Jews’ ” (Dan. 3:12, NKJV). The camp of Babel is numerous: it is composed of “all the people” (Dan. 3:7, NKJV). The camp of God is only “three men” (Dan. 3:23, NKJV). The camp of Babel is present-oriented: “When all the people heard . . . all the people . . . worshiped” (Dan. 3:7, NKJV). The camp of God is future-oriented: “ ‘God . . . is able to deliver us’ ” (Dan. 3:17, NKJV). The people of the camp of Babel are legalistic and obey out of fear and self-interest. The people of the camp of God serve God by grace, even if He should choose not to deliver them (Dan. 3:18).
The Little Horn and the Beast. The characters of usurpation and persecution are more vivid and explicit. The little horn claims to be divine, and its arrogance and usurpation are very pronounced (Dan. 7:25, NKJV). The same connection between usurpation and persecution is also present (Dan. 8:24, 25).
The book of Revelation repeats the same apocalyptic scenario, yet with different symbolism. Right after the same four animals that we first saw in Daniel 7, the apocalyptic revelation identifies a power of usurpation, which is identified as a beast. Like the little horn of Daniel 7 and 8, this beast claims to be divine (Rev. 13:4) and persecutes God’s people (Rev. 13:5, 7). This rapid survey of the prophecy is necessary for us to understand the prophetic word of warning and to encourage God’s people (2 Tim. 1:7).
Part III: Life Application
Notes