We don’t follow the texts for worship chosen by the Revised Common Lectionary the way many churches do. For many and various reasons we do our own thing. One of those reasons is that key verses are sometimes overlooked. For All Saints Sunday though, we are following the chosen Bible readings, and in one of those readings key verses are skipped. That reading is the first one from Daniel. You’ll notice that we read Daniel 7:1-3 and then skipped to verse 15. What are the verses in between?
Well, we did read from verse three that Daniel had a vision of four great beasts coming from the sea. The skipped verses are the description of those four beasts. They’re fantastic and terrifying, so skipping them makes some sense. But also in those verses is God’s judgment upon them.
I want to read those skipped verses because they set us up for a good message for All Saints Sunday, and also a good message for our day and time.
So, I’ll reread verses 2 and 3, and then go on with about half of the skipped verses:
I, Daniel, saw in my vision by night the four winds of heaven stirring up the great sea, and four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another. The first was like a lion and had eagles' wings. Then, as I watched, its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a human being; and a human mind was given to it. Another beast appeared, a second one, that looked like a bear. It was raised up on one side, had three tusks in its mouth among its teeth and was told, "Arise, devour many bodies!"
After this, as I watched, another appeared, like a leopard. The beast had four wings of a bird on its back and four heads; and dominion was given to it. After this I saw in the visions by night a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth and was devouring, breaking in pieces, and stamping what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that preceded it, and it had ten horns. I was considering the horns, when another horn appeared, a little one coming up among them; to make room for it, three of the earlier horns were plucked up by the roots. There were eyes like human eyes in this horn, and a mouth speaking arrogantly.
Those verses are a weird and terrifying vision. I can understand why they are skipped over. Yet there is an important message there.
The book of Daniel presents itself as prophesy, yet most of it was written after the events happened that it pretends to predict. That is the case here. Those four beasts refer to four kingdoms.
The first beast was like a lion with eagle’s wings. That is the Babylonian Empire which used winged lions in its art.
The second beast was a bear. The Median Empire is represented here as it threatened the Babylonian Empire.
The third beast was a leopard with wings. This is the Persian Empire who took down the Babylonians Empire.
The fourth beast is described as terrifying and dreadfully strong. That is the conquest of the Greeks under the leadership of Alexander the Great. Alexander the Great’s empire was very short lived. Upon his death his empire split in two. One of those empires was the Seleucid Empire. The ten horns are the line of Seleucid rulers. The first of those rulers had coins made that depicted horns. The eleventh horn with eyes is Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who disposed of other claimants to the throne.
Put it all together and the message is that God’s chosen people -small in number, weak, and fragile- will undergo centuries of being dominated and pushed around by great imperial powers. Those great imperial powers will rise and fall but the Israelites will endure.
And then… Daniel’s vision continues. Here are the rest of the skipped verses:
As I watched, thrones were set in place,
and an Ancient One took his throne,
his clothing was white as snow,
and the hair of his head like pure wool;
his throne was fiery flames,
and its wheels were burning fire.
A stream of fire issued and flowed out from his presence.
A thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood attending him. The court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.
I watched then because of the noise of the arrogant words that the horn was speaking. And as I watched, the beast was put to death, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
As I watched in the night visions,
I saw one like a human being coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One and was presented before him.
To him was given dominion and glory and kingship,
that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away,
and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed.
Here the vision changes to one of promise and hope. Despite feeling weak and powerless, God’s people have not been abandoned at all. God has protected them all along. And now God acts in judgment against all who dominated them.
Notice the people themselves do not have to take up arms. God’s divine judgment comes of its own accord. It is all God’s work.
Though the prophesy is not specific, it is hard not to imagine Jesus into the scene as the one like a human being coming with the clouds of heaven. To him is given an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that will never be destroyed.
What does all this mean for us today then? I hear many people frustrated, worried, and afraid of the way things are going in the world, especially the United States. Regardless of where you fall into our political spectrum, I find almost no one who’s actually happy even with their own party and its leadership. National and international politics are unstable, unpredictably, messy, and out of our control.
Now more than ever, for many of us, we feel like we are small insignificant pawns getting pushed around by the great forces of the world.
Perhaps adding to that is the general decline of Christian faith in America. Churches have dwindled for decades and many have reached the stage of closure.
What is happening in our world and in our faith?
We do well to remember that as people of God, this is not a new thing. The ancient Israelites were seldom in a position that was strong enough for them to confidently defend themselves. But God continued to watch over them and protect them from utter destruction. The early Christians were similarly weak and fragile in the vastness of the seemingly eternal Roman Empire. Yet God was with them as they struggled. The Roman Empire is long gone. So are pretty much all of its many religions. But Christianity remains and is spread throughout the world. God does protect us and guide us in the midst of things that make us feel like we are too small and insignificant to be of any purpose.
We are always held securely by God. We have nothing to ultimately fear by what goes on in the world around us. And remember, all the work of preservation and protection is also God’s work. It is not by our own efforts that we survive.
Which takes us to the question, what then are we to do? If we are powerless in the forces that sway the world, and God ultimately brings about this glorious secure future, then what role do we actually play? There we look what Jesus says in our gospel reading: He proclaims blessings on many who are overlooked and oppressed; and woes on many who are comfortable and powerful. Then he concludes, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you…” and onward.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, this is not us being weak or timid. It is not about letting the world walk all over us as if we were doormats. What Jesus teaches is actually encouraging the weak to constructively stand up to the strong, and in ways that challenge the honor of the strong. It is about solidly standing on the promises of God and realizing everything else is of lesser consequence.
If following God leads to poverty, hunger, and weeping, then so be it. It is the greater honor and promise to serve our God. If we are hurt and battered and pushed about, then so be it. It is the greater power to do God’s work. And if we even be killed in the service of our God, then so be it. It is the greater glory to be held by God in eternity.
God scoffs at what we humans call powerful: money, status, weapons, and the like. God shows real eternal power in the work of Jesus – where self-gift on the cross brought about salvation and resurrection.
The prophet Daniel talked about great empires that appeared powerful and who menaced God’s people for centuries. All of those empires are gone. God’s people continue. The early Christians felt the same powerlessness in the face of Roman power. But God protected them and helped them grow. No matter what happens in the future of our nation, God’s love and God’s people continue. The solid enduring love of Christ goes on and on into eternity. On All Saints Sunday we remember those who struggled before us. We celebrate them. Our own lives continue the struggle. In time, we will take our rest too. And ultimately God will bring all things to his promised fulfillment.
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