Our God Will Give His Kingdom to His Saints Forever

(Daniel 7)

Today we’re going to talk about the Antichrist and what will happen at the end of history as we know it. Now that I have your attention, let me tell you why that matters. Few things influence the way you live in the present more than what you believe about how history will end.

One Old Testament scholar wrote these words on Daniel chapter seven and the practical outcome of its vision for how history will conclude:

“Seeing this secret behind history may not keep God’s people from pain but should keep them from panic; we may still be fearful but should not be frantic.” —Dale Ralph Davis

When you know how the sovereign God who controls history will bring it to a conclusion, you can become increasingly steadfast, immovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord in the present—because you know that your labor in the Lord isn’t in vain (see 1 Corinthians 15:56–58).

In a boxing match, when one fighter is confident that his opponent’s defeat is certain, that boxer fights differently. He has an unbreakable resolve and confidence to see it through to the end. Followers of the Lord Jesus Christ who know how our sovereign God will bring this present age to an end can likewise be steadfast, immovable, and abounding in the Lord’s work today.

So, how will this present age end? What’s the “secret behind history” that—if we know it—may not keep us from pain but will keep us from panic?

Daniel 7:17–18 — “These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth. [18] But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.”

How will this present age end? It will end with the beastly powers of this world—and the little horn (we’ll get to him later)—being judged by the Ancient of Days, and with His saints receiving His kingdom forever and ever.

That brings us to the big idea of Daniel 7: Our God will give His kingdom to His saints forever.

Daniel 7 doesn’t simply tell us this truth; it shows it to us. Just as films come to us in different genres—comedy, action, drama—God’s Word also comes to us in different genres—poetry, epistle, narrative, and more. The genre of Daniel chapters 7–12 is called apocalyptic. Apocalyptic literature shows truth; it doesn’t just tell it.

Daniel 7 uses strange, frightening, and even bizarre imagery to show us that no matter how beastly life in this present world becomes, we can be filled with hope and joy, not anxiety and discouragement—because at the end of history, our God will give His kingdom to His saints forever.

The question Daniel 7 leads us to consider is this: How should we live now in light of the end?
We’ll explore two answers from Daniel 7:

1. See the Beasts

2. Set Your Hope on the Son of Man

SEE THE BEASTS

God gave Daniel the vision recorded in chapter seven when His people were living as exiles under Belshazzar, the evil and godless Babylonian king who saw the writing on the wall back in Daniel 5. In other words, this vision is for people going through tough times—which is great for us, because Jesus Christ said that in this world we will have trouble.

In the vision, Daniel saw four beasts and, out of the horns of the fourth beast, a little horn speaking great things. The beasts are the stuff of nightmares.

Who are they? In the second half of the chapter, Daniel asked an angel that question, and the angel answered:

“These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth.” —Daniel 7:17

The beasts represent four kings or kingdoms that will arise out of the earth (v. 17) and the sea (v. 2), in rebellion against God and in persecution of His people.

When reading Daniel 7, it’s tempting to focus on identifying the four kingdoms and the little horn. A common interpretation held by most scholars is that the beasts represent Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome, and that the little horn represents the person the Apostle Paul calls “the man of lawlessness” in the New Testament—also called the Antichrist by the Apostle John—a person who will usher in peak Christian persecution before Christ returns.

However, it’s crucial to notice that the angel deliberately does not name the specific kingdoms when he gives Daniel the interpretation. We’ll see next week that God is not shy about identifying specific kingdoms by name—but here, He doesn’t.

This implies that the correct interpretation of Daniel 7 does not hinge on identifying which kingdoms the beasts correspond to, but rather on recognizing that we are still living in the age of beastly kings and kingdoms that oppose God and persecute His people.

As Old Testament scholar Iain Duguid writes:

“In fact, the attempt to identify the various beasts actually directs us away from the proper interpretation of the visions. Such approaches assume that the rule of the beasts describes the way the world used to be…in the present, however, things are supposedly different and less beastly. The identification of the beasts as four past empires is the exact opposite of the message of apocalyptic literature…Until the coming of this new age, the darkness will not lift significantly.”

Yes, the four beasts may represent past kings, but they also symbolize kings and kingdoms that will be beastly in their opposition to God and His people until the end of this age. And yes, the little horn is symbolic of the coming Antichrist—but in 1 John 2:18, John writes that many antichrists have already come to wear out God’s saints.

Here’s the point: God placed Daniel 7 in the Bible so that you will see the beasts. He placed it there so that we would not be surprised, depressed, or anxious—but rather steadfast, immovable, and always abounding in God’s work.

As Peter writes to Christians who are exiles in this present world:

1 Peter 4:12–13 — “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. [13] But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.”

To really see the beasts so that you aren’t surprised but are steadfast, you need to see their tactics. The beasts—especially the fourth—and the little horn have two primary tactics to wear out the saints and prevent perseverance to the end.

First tactic: physical persecution.
Three times (vv. 7, 19, 23), Daniel says that the fourth beast devours, breaks in pieces, and tramples what remains. That’s physical persecution of Christians, which will intensify near the end of the age with the rise of the Antichrist.

Praise God, we experience very little physical persecution in the U.S. because of Christianity’s longstanding influence on our nation. Yet there are more physically persecuted Christians today than at any other time in church history.

According to Open Doors, a Christian nonprofit, 380 million Christians worldwide suffer high levels of persecution. In Nigeria alone, in 2024, Open Doors reported 3,100 Christians killed for their faith and 2,830 abducted. Just this week, The New York Times and NPR reported that Pastor Ezra Jin of Zion Church, a large underground house church network in China, was arrested along with dozens of staff members.

Though they may be far away, these are our brothers and sisters in Christ—closer to us than our non-Christian family—and they are being persecuted and murdered by beasts. We must see the beasts’ tactics so that we won’t naively assume it can’t happen to us, and so that we can pour out our hearts in prayer for our persecuted family around the world.

You can pray more intentionally by using Open Doors’ website or the “Unreached of the Day” app by the Joshua Project. These tools will keep you informed and praying against beastly persecution.

Second tactic: lies against our God.
In Daniel 7:25, the angel describes the little horn’s tactic this way:

“He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High.”

I take the little horn on the fourth beast to symbolize the Antichrist. Revelation 13:5 depicts the Antichrist—the little horn—as a composite of the four beasts, “uttering haughty and blasphemous words.” Where did he learn to speak that way? From the dragon, the serpent—Satan himself.

Do you remember the first temptation in the Garden of Eden? Satan tempted Adam and Eve to disbelieve God’s Word and distrust God’s character. His tactic to wear you out is the same: he lies about the truthfulness of God’s Word and the trustworthiness of God’s character.

That’s why we need one another. One of the best responses to seeing the beasts is joining and committing to a Citygroup where brothers and sisters can reinforce the truth in your life. Are you committed to that? Recommit today.

And use your phone wisely. Make it your servant for truth—through podcasts, articles, books, and music that strengthen your faith.

See the beasts so that you are not overtaken by anxiety and discouragement, but are steadfast and immovable in the truth, always abounding in the work of the Lord.

Our God will give His kingdom to His saints forever.

Therefore, first, see the beasts—and now, second…

SET YOUR HOPE ON THE SON OF MAN

As Daniel watched the nightmarish beasts and heard the loudmouth little horn speaking lies about God, his vision abruptly shifted—from the threats of the beasts to the throne and courtroom of God.

Daniel 7:9–10 — “As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. [10] A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.”

When you’re surrounded by beasts and horns with their lies and threats, you must fix your eyes on the throne and the courtroom. This vision shows us what the final judgment will be like at the end of this present age—or the millennium.

The Ancient of Days—God the Father—will take His seat. The beasts are full of chaos, but He is completely calm because He has everything under control. His clothing is white as snow because He is perfectly pure and will judge with perfect justice. The hair of His head is like pure wool—He will judge with perfect wisdom. The stream of fire symbolizes judgment proceeding from His throne. The fourth beast and the horn will be cast into the lake of fire.

And on that day, the books will be opened. Justice will be done. Victory!

But there’s a problem: the judgment isn’t just for the beasts—it’s for everyone.

Revelation 20 tells us that all people, great and small, will stand before the throne when the books are opened. What hope will we have on that day? What hope of escaping God’s holy judgment when our every action, word, and thought is laid bare? When the books are opened, our own lives will condemn us.

What will keep us from being consumed by the fire?

The Son of Man.

Daniel 7:13–14 — “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. [14] And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.”

The kingdom of God belongs to the Son of Man. Our only hope to stand on that day is to receive the kingdom from the One like a Son of Man.

Who is He?

In the Old Testament, “son of man” typically refers to a mortal human being. Yet “coming on the clouds” is a symbol of divine authority—something only God does. Amazingly, this Son of Man is presented before the Ancient of Days and given dominion, glory, and a kingdom. Those belong to God alone! All peoples, nations, and languages worship and serve Him, and His kingdom will never be destroyed.

So, “Son of Man” is simultaneously a humble title—human—and a glorious one—equal in majesty and authority to the Ancient of Days.

No wonder “Son of Man” was Jesus Christ’s favorite title for Himself. In the Gospels, He used it about fifty times. It perfectly expressed that He is both truly human and gloriously God—humble and majestic.

In His first coming, His humility was on full display.

Mark 10:45 — “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Though eternally God, He took on human flesh and humbled Himself to the point of death—even death on a cross—to purchase us from eternal judgment.

But when the Son of Man returns, He will come on the clouds to execute the perfect judgment of the Ancient of Days.

Mark 14:61–62 — “Again the high priest asked him, ‘Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?’ [62] And Jesus said, ‘I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.’”

The Son of Man is the Lord Jesus Christ—truly human and truly God. When the Ancient of Days sits on the throne and opens the books, He will give the kingdom to the Son of Man.

Our only hope of receiving that kingdom, rather than judgment, is to have been ransomed by Him.

Daniel 7:18 — “But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.”

That’s how history will end. The beastly kingdoms of this world will be judged forever; the Antichrist will be punished forever; but the saints of the Most High—secure in the Son of Man—will receive and possess the kingdom forever and ever.

If you’re not yet a Christian, or you’re unsure, receive the Son of Man so that you can receive the kingdom forever. Stop pretending the world won’t end—it will. Stop assuming you’ll pass God’s perfect judgment on your own—you won’t.

Set your hope in the Son of Man. Look away from yourself, and rest in Him for the forgiveness of sins. When the books are opened, you can either stand on your performance and be consumed by judgment, or stand secure in the Son of Man and receive the kingdom forever.

Do you want justice—or do you want grace? Set your hope on the Son of Man.

If you are a Christian, keep setting your hope on the Son of Man. Peter exhorts Christian exiles to “set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you when the Son of Man returns.”

Where are you setting your hope each day? If it’s in the things of this world, you’ll always want more—you’ll be full but not satisfied. Set your hope fully on that day when the Son of Man will come on the clouds.

One great way to set your hope on the Son of Man is to repeat that phrase from Daniel 7:18 whenever you’re tempted to waver:

“But the saints of the Most High will possess the kingdom forever.”

When persecution comes and you’re tempted to shrink back, say: But the saints of the Most High will possess the kingdom forever.
When the enemy tempts you to doubt God’s Word or distrust His heart, say: But the saints of the Most High will possess the kingdom forever.
When you’re tempted to live as though this world is all there is, with your sexuality, your money, your time, or your priorities, say: But the saints of the Most High will possess the kingdom forever.
When discouragement or anxiety begin to overtake you, say: But the saints of the Most High will possess the kingdom forever.

Citylight Church—this One who will come on the clouds already hung on a cross for you. There is no coming judgment for those who are in Christ Jesus, the Son of Man.

Through Him, our God will give His kingdom to His saints—the holy ones who hope in the Son of Man. He will come and sweep away all that is evil and cursed. He will give us His kingdom forever.

There will be no more beasts.

So, set your hope fully on the Son of Man. Fix your eyes on His throne, and keep walking by faith and obedience until the Son of Man comes with His kingdom—and gives it to you, His saints.