Apocalypse is Revelation
The kingdom, dominion, and greatness of the kingdoms under all of heaven will be given to the people, the holy ones of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will serve and obey him. – Daniel 7:27, CSB
“Despite the welter of interpretations there is one thing above all that the chapter is proclaiming quite unambiguously: the Most High is the reigning king in heaven and earth. There is an opposition to His rule, formidable in appearance and powerful, but all the time the Most High is in control, even when His opponents seem most successful.” – Joyce G. Baldwin
“In a word, thought human evil thrives in the present, God is in control and will have the final victory. The implicit message to God’s people is: “Remain faithful in spite of appearances.” – Tremper Longman III
Apocalyptic literature is no easy genre to tackle. The sheer density of the imagery can be overwhelming. Add to that a myriad of attempts to understand and interpret these images, often matching them with current events and you’ve got yourself a messy task if you seek to understand what the Bible is saying in passages like Daniel 7. Sadly, I think this either scares people off or causes sharp disagreements in who’s interpretation is correct. In addition to discovering that ‘apocalyptic’ does not mean ‘END OF THE WORLD’, I have thankfully come to see that humility rather than dogma does a lot in helping us understand and apply these passages. Disclaimer: it doesn’t make them any less important or at times less difficult to understand. It does leave one with a greater appreciation for mystery. And, it creates a necessary admission, “God is showing us something here and I am not sure exactly what.” That said, I grew up seeing Jack Van Impe and the like telling me why the 1991 Gulf War was the end of the world. It wasn’t until I was much older that I started to appreciate that apocalyptic literature was better handled in a very different way. Please check out this video to learn more about the overall topic of Apocalyptic Literature in the Bible.
Finally, I hope you were able to lean into the major themes of Daniel 7. Knowing God is in control, remembering that we are on the winning side and staying faithful even in the face of persecution, all have replete application to our present moment.