“Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.”

Today’s verse is the final part of Daniel’s vision of the four great beasts. It’s a disturbing dream. Hideous beasts came up out of the sea to crush, devour, and trample. Terrifying!

The scene switches in verse nine. Daniel sees the Ancient of Days on His throne. “A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him”—equally frightening, or rather, awe-inspiring. The final, seemingly invincible beast is destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire (vs. 10-11).

The explanation Daniel receives points to four kings, with the fourth more powerful than the rest. Subsequently, ten kings will turn up, out of whom the final scary figure emerges. “He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws,” (vs. 25).

That final beast embodies the summit of rebellion against God. It will try to mess up all the Lord’s good ordinances. However, even that final beast will be destroyed forever, and the power will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High, as our verse states.

Despite the frightening elements of this chapter, there is so much comfort in it. God knows and holds the past, the present, and the future—and the victory is His. All violence towards His children will eventually be terminated. In our present-day world, millions of Christians are persecuted for their faith. Our verse tells them that the Most High knows about their suffering. It tells them that the powers that persecute them will not prevail but perish.

“All rulers will worship and obey him,” our verse says. Obey! No longer will they speak against the Most High and change the laws. Whether they like it or not, they must obey Him one day. There will be no other option for them.

What a privilege it is for us to be able to worship and obey the Lord today! What an honor it is for us to serve Him. In Christ, we belong to the holy people of the Most High, and through His victory over sin, death, and the devil, we can expect with great confidence the everlasting kingdom in which we will rule with Him, as our verse says.

Let us encourage each other with this message of hope. Strengthen each other with the words of Christ in Revelation 22:12-13, “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”

Maranatha!

By Anton de Vreugd, Bible League International staff, the Netherlands