He will speak out against the Most High and oppress the saints of the Most High, intending to change the appointed times and laws; and the saints will be given into his hand for a time, and times, and half a time. Sermons
I. ROME IMPERIAL. 1. It was the fourth brute world-power. (Ver. 17.) 2. Its genius differed from those that had gone before. Diverse," etc. (ver. 23). 3. It appropriated to itself the good of every land. "Shall devour," etc. (ver. 23). 4. Its tyranny was oppressive. "Shall tread," etc. (ver. 23). 5. It survives until the final overthrow of all brute-power by the establishment of the eternal kingdom. Rome imperial, Rome dismembered, Rome papal, are still Rome. "One! - one mighty and formidable power, trampling down the liberties of the world; oppressing and persecuting the people of God, the true Church; and maintaining an absolute and arbitrary dominion over the souls of men; as a mighty domination standing in the way of the progress of truth, and keeping back the reign of the saints on earth." II. ROME DIVIDED. 1. The "ten horns" were sovereignties. 2. Developments of the Roman empire. 3. Contemporaneous. 4. The exact designation of them is not necessary. The "ten" have been designated. But differences of opinion have arisen. This not wonderful, seeing that the new powers arose in a time of great confusion, and the boundaries were frequently changing. Perhaps strict literal and numerical exactness is not to be expected. The vague character of prophecy generally would warrant a contrary conclusion. III. ROME FATAL. The rise and progress of the papacy constitute a truly wonderful fulfilment of Daniel's dream. But it is necessary in all contemplation of the Romish religious system to distinguish carefully and ever in our minds between the Christian element in it, and the corruption of that Christian element. (As illustration of this distinction, Collette's ' Novelties of Romanism,' R.T.S., is invaluable.) 1. The "other" horn was another sovereignty. 2. It sprang from the Roman domination. Papal Rome in many ways represents Rome imperial, in the world-wideness of its sway, in possessing the same capital, etc. 3. It came into being after the dismemberment. After the ten. 4. Small at the beginning. From the apostolic age there had been a bishop at Rome; but the rise of the papacy is to be dated from the assumption of civil power. When? This one of the most difficult questions in history. Different theories of interpretation depend on the answers. Enough that so small was the beginning, that none can answer with certainty - when? 5. The sovereignty differed from all other. (Ver. 24.) Combination of spiritual with secular power. This involves a mighty difference. 6. It displaced other sovereignties. (Ver. 25.) "He shall subdue three kings." Either three kingdoms went down before it, or a third, about a third of the power an I influence of existing monarchies disappeared. Distinct governments vanished before the rising papacy; and the papacy itself assumed civil functions. Here again it is not necessary to involve the broad incontrovertible facts with questionable historic detail (see end of ver. 20). "More stout" refers to the magnitude finally attained. 7. Has been distinguished by a far-seeing sagacity. "Eyes like the eyes of a man." A sagacity of human sort, not Divine. The diplomacy of Rome, the sublety of the Jesuit, are notorious. The historical illustrations, medieval and modern, are infinitely varied and innumerable. 8. By blasphemy. (Ver. 25.) "He shall speak great words against the Most High." Blasphemy (1) either denies to God something of his essential glory; (2) or assumes the names, attributes, and works of God for the creature. In both senses the papacy has been guilty. The illustrations are numberless which are to be found in the doctrine, ritual, practice, and history of the Roman Church. Some of them terrible. Many of them are now open before us, but we cannot present them here in our limited space. 9. By persecution. 10. The new sovereignty has" changed times and law. Not laws," but the fundamental and eternal law of right. Of this, too, the illustrations are without number. IV. ROME JUDGED. (Vers. 11, 26.) 1. The dream even now waits fulfilment. Much has been fulfilled, but much remains to be. Imperial Rome has gone. The many other kingdoms have arisen; and a part of their power has disappeared before the growing supremacy of papal Rome. But even that has within the last hall-century been shorn of its strength. Still much remains for the future to disclose. 2. Rome papal will stand for a definite time. "Until a time," etc. (ver. 25). The time is definite, though to us, as we believe, unknown. (On the seeming impossibility of at present interpreting a measure of time like this, see Alford on Roy. 11:2, p. 655.) 3. But will certainly fall. (Vers. 11, 26.) Note the reason in ver. 11. 4. Then to vise no move. (Vers. 11, 26.) Are explicit and strong. V. HER POWER TRANSFERRED. Given to the saints; once theirs, theirs everywhere, theirs for ever. War was indeed made against the saints, achieved, too, a certain success. But principle never dies. The final victory lay with the persecuted. Dominion passed over to them. In what sense? We might say that good men made the laws, but this would be a poor thing to say. Rather is this the truth - that the need of government almost passed away. THE INFLUENCE OF CHARACTER WAS ENOUGH. Some judicial administration might be necessary to arrange debatable points. But deliberate crime had now become non-existent. To illustrate: Mr. Goldwin Smith, after saying that, in a particular instance, "not the special form of the government, but the comparative absence of necessity for government, is the thing to be noted and admired," goes on to say, "The proper sphere of government is compulsion. The necessity for it in any given community is in inverse proportion to the social virtue and the intelligence of the people. The policeman, the executioner, the tax-gatherer, - these are its proper ministers, and the representatives of what we call its majesty. It is destined to decrease as Christianity increases, and as force is superseded by social affection, and spontaneous combination for the public good. The more a community can afford to dispense with government, the more Christian it must be" ('The Civil War in America,' p. 27). The Ancient of days gives over empire to the Son of man; his sovereignty is exercised through his saints. They have something of his own sway. What is that? The sway of spiritual supremacy. The rule of righteousness. The law of love. The empire of Calvary. - R.
The Saints of the Most High. I. DISCRIMINATING FAVOUR. This is intended as a two-fold contrast — saints in contrast to those who are ungodly, and make no profession at all; and saints in contrast to those who are men-made saints, made saints by human device — not saints really. A saint is a men who is enlightened, and is led to see the way in which sin is put away.II. THE SECOND THING IN SAINTSHIP IS TO KNOW SOMETHING OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LAW AND GOSPEL. And saints are also distinguished by deep downward experiences, and conspicuous deliverances A saint of the Most High is a man that is brought into covenant with God. (James Wells.) And think to change times, and laws The greatest revolution time ever underwent is that which the Saviour himself wrought when He put an end to Levitical time, and introduced His own eternal sacrificial time.I. TIMES AND LAWS. What were the characteristics of the times the Saviour established? 1. Salvation. A time in which we can be accepted of God. 2. Christ's time is one of vital and final ingathering. II. THE TRIBULATION OF THE PEOPLE. "They shall be given into His hand." What a mercy it is that, if the adversary gain dominion in some measure, yet the sovereignty of God, the hand of God, will protect the people. III. THE OPPOSITE DESTINY OF THESE TWO CLASSES OF PEOPLE — THE ENEMY AND THE FRIEND. What will become of the man who knows nothing of these Christian times, that knows nothing of the law of faith, the law of liberty. The next verse says, the living God shall take away His dominion. Why are we brought under the law of faith, and thereby under the law of love, and life, and liberty, and righteousness? (James Wells.) People Belshazzar, DanielPlaces BabylonTopics Adversary, Alterations, Attempting, Change, Changing, Dividing, Division, Half, Handed, Hands, Highest, Hopeth, Idea, Intend, Law, Laws, Oppress, Places, Saints, Seasons, Speak, Till, Try, WearOutline 1. Daniel's vision of the four beasts,9. and of God's kingdom. 15. The interpretation thereof. Dictionary of Bible Themes Daniel 7:25 1652 numbers, 3-5 Library Christ's Own Testimony Concerning Himself. THERE is but one rational explanation, of this sublime mystery; and this is found in Christ's own testimony concerning his superhuman and divine origin and character.[49]49 This testimony challenges at once our highest regard and belief from the absolute veracity which no one ever denied him, or could deny, without destroying at once the very foundation of his universally conceded moral purity and greatness. Christ strongly asserts his humanity, and calls himself; about eighty times in the Gospels, … Philip Schaff—The Person of Christ The Christ of the Gospels. By Rev. Professor Schaff. The Apocalypse. The Captivity of Judah. Communion Again Broken --Restoration The Ecclesiastical Trial Jesus at Capernaum. The Danger of Deviating from Divine Institutions. Jesus Stills the Storm. A vision of the King. The Situation after the Council of Nicæa. A Treatise of the Fear of God; The Birth and Early Life of John the Baptist. Second visit to Nazareth - the Mission of the Twelve. History of the Interpretation. His Future Work Links Daniel 7:25 NIVDaniel 7:25 NLT Daniel 7:25 ESV Daniel 7:25 NASB Daniel 7:25 KJV Daniel 7:25 Bible Apps Daniel 7:25 Parallel Daniel 7:25 Biblia Paralela Daniel 7:25 Chinese Bible Daniel 7:25 French Bible Daniel 7:25 German Bible Daniel 7:25 Commentaries Bible Hub |
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