Sermon Central
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Ascension Day
Contributed by David De Kock on May 18, 2012 (message contributor)
Summary: A view of the Ascension of our Lord from Heaven's perspective
On June 2nd we will celebrate the Diamond (60th) anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
Already the year has been filled with celebrations right across the Commonwealth … and there will still be much celebrating.
What is it about a Sovereign that we want to celebrate their coronation? And its not peculiar to this present Queen .. we have done it for Kings and Queens throughout the centuries! And why do the majority of Australians still want to hold on to the Queen as Head of State?
We don’t celebrate the accession to power of Prime Ministers, or Presidents, though; for some strange reason they are not good enough.
Could it be that we have some deep spiritual understanding of sovereignty which is more than man made?
And how did kings and queens gain their sovereignty? Was it by force, might or political intrigue? In human terms, probably all of the above - in the dark vestiges of times past, they gained power and control over land and nations and these have been passed on from generation to generation with a very careful protection of family lines and associations.
But we have another King. And we are citizens of another kingdom, which is not of this earth, but called into being by the One who isKing of kings and Lord of lords.
“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. 3 Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.
4 “The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a man, and the heart of a man was given to it.
5 “And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up and eat your fill of flesh!’
6 “After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.
7 “After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.
8 “While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth that spoke boastfully.
9 “As I looked,
“thrones were set in place,
and the Ancient of Days took his seat.
His clothing was as white as snow;
the hair of his head was white like wool.
His throne was flaming with fire,
and its wheels were all ablaze.
10 A river of fire was flowing,
coming out from before him.
Thousands upon thousands attended him;
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
The court was seated,
and the books were opened.
11 “Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. 12 (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.)
13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
15 “I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me. 16 I approached one of those standing there and asked him the true meaning of all this.
“So he told me and gave me the interpretation of these things: 17 ‘The four great beasts are four kingdoms that will rise from the earth. 18 But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever—yes, for ever and ever.’
Daniel had a vision ...
He saw four beasts - a lion (Babylon), a bear (Medo-Persian Empire. Three ribs = Lydia, Babylon & Egypt), a leopard (Alexander’s Empire; swift & divided into four after his sudden death) and a terrifying, frightening beast which was different from all the other beasts, (Rome, iron chariots, 10 hills). Little horn = anti-Christ.
