Daniel had a series of visions about the end of days. It’s big stuff. At one point he sees four dreadful creatures. “And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another” (Daniel 7:3).

The first was like a lion with eagle’s wings. The second was like a bear with ribs in its mouth. The third was like a leopard with wings and four heads. The fourth beast was “terrifying and dreadful” and had many horns. 

Daniel later learned that these were kings of the earth. It was most likely that they represented the kings and kingdoms that ruled in Daniel’s day and immediately beyond—Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome.

I go into more detail in a sermon on Daniel 7 (link below), but for today’s devotional let me simply point something out which was just as relevant to Daniel’s audience in the sixth century B.C. as it is to us today.

It is tempting to place too much of our hope in the kingdoms, governments and political parties of our day, rather than on the living God. 

As the people of God, when we align ourselves too closely with liberals or conservatives or democrats or republicans, it can obscure our ultimate allegiance to Christ. Sure, we may like certain policies more than others, and we will certainly make decisions when we go to the polls, but an uncritical commitment to any kingdom, government or party can, if we’re not careful, threaten our ultimate allegiance to Christ.

In an uncertain world, it can be tempting to put all our hope in a visible, tangible group of people. It can also be tempting to buy into the us-verses-them mentality which is made worse by the internet. 

Although we certainly want to advance policies and laws that are consistent with God’s will—and although there are good and well-meaning people who try to make this happen—we also need to remember that our help is in the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. His plan is best; his purpose is most glorious; and his hope is the only one which can fully and finally transform the world for his own glory.

Like Daniel, let’s work for a better world, but not overly commit our hearts to the wrong king. Let’s continue to pledge our allegiance to the King of kings, Jesus Christ.

Notes:

-“Answering Skeptics #2 – Hypocrites Disprove the Credibility of Christianity.” New podcast episode and blog. Click here, or find it on ‘The Pulse Podcast at Matthew Ruttan’ (Apple Podcasts or Spotify, etc.)

-“The World is Going Into Labour (Daniel 7)” Click here. Sermon.

-Bible quotes are from the ESV.