Do you remember when you were a kid and your parents took you on a trip, you always wondered, “How long before we get there?” I would drive my Dad crazy asking, “Dad, how much longer?” We’re still asking the Father, “How long?” How long must I endure suffering? How long will I hurt? How long before I am reunited with my loved ones? How long will I be lonely? How long must I pray for my marriage is healed? How long for a a prodigal child to faith? How long, Lord, before you make things right?

In the eighth chapter of Daniel, he recorded a second vision that contained greater prophetic detail about the next two world kingdoms and specifically about a ruler that would severely persecute his people for a short time before the Lord removed him and restored their worship to its rightful state. This vision was fulfilled within 385 years. Although Daniel’s vision has already been fulfilled, we can still let it give us confidence in God’s plans for our future, for it foreshadows an ultimate fulfillment of a time of tribulation that the Prince of Princes, our Lord Jesus, will return and bring to a close.

Today, we’re in chapter 7, which begins a huge shift in the book of Daniel, moving from the narrative history of the first six chapters to what students of the Bible call “apocalyptic” or prophetic writings. Moving from chapter 6 to chapter 7, is like turning the TV from the History Channel to the SYFY Network–– we’re going to have to adjust to understanding images and concepts that are out of this world! Because in this chapter, God pulls back the veil on the future activities of this world’s kingdoms and the activities in heaven that culminate in God’s everlasting kingdom.

Most of us know the Lord’s Prayer. It’s really the Lord’s model prayer for He was teaching His disciples to pray. Remember how it begins? “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:9-10). Ever wonder why He taught His disciples to pray that God’s kingdom would come? It’s because we tend to pray, “my kingdom come” and “my will be done” prayers. We want to be king or queen. We want to be in control. How’s that going for you? How’s your kingdom doing?

In Daniel chapter seven, God gave Daniel a vision that revealed His plan to ultimately bring all the kingdoms of this world to an end and to establish His everlasting kingdom for His saints through the divine Son of Man, Jesus Christ. We can be encouraged by God’s plan to ultimately bring the kingdoms of this world to an end and to establish His everlasting kingdom for His saints through the divine Son of Man, Jesus Christ.

Have you ever needed to be rescued? Maybe you need a rescue today. Some may be in bondage to an addiction. You need to be set free. Some have been given a life-threatening diagnosis. You need to be delivered, saved from danger or even death. Do you need to be rescued today? In the sixth chapter of Daniel, King Darius learned that God was able to rescue Daniel from death in the lion’s den. We can know that God is able to rescue us from the power of death.

Babylon symbolically represents the world’s system – its government, economy and religion. Babylon represents this world. And just as Daniel and his friends were taken captive from their true home in Jerusalem and forced to live as exiles in Babylon, so as followers of Christ, our true home is heaven. Yet for now we live in this world. How should we live as citizens of heaven, so that we honor the Lord of heaven? In the book of Daniel chapter 5, the Babylonian kingdom was judged and brought to an end because its king nor its people honored the Most High God. We must recognize that God deserves all of our honor.

How can we continue to trust the Lord when we are going through times of trouble and trial? When it looks like the worst is going to happen, how do we continue to rely on the Lord for rescue? In the third chapter of Daniel, the Lord delivered the three Hebrew exiles from the fiery furnace and caused even the pagan king to exalt Him as the God who rescues. We can place our trust in the Lord who is able to rescue us in times of trouble.

Where is your hope? Hope is an expectation of a future fulfilled desire. Where do you put your hope when the world around you seems to be falling apart? Do you put it in a bank account? In a job? In your spouse or other loved one? Where do you put your hope? Daniel and his friends put their hope in the Lord.

In the book of Daniel chapter two, Daniel put his hope in the God of heaven, who revealed to Daniel that in the end He will replace all human kingdoms with His own everlasting kingdom. As Christians, our hope is in Christ alone whose coming kingdom will replace all earthly kingdoms and endure forever.