God Rules the Rulers - Daniel 7-12

 Daniel 11:3 (ESV)

Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion and do as he wills.

Daniel 11:16 (ESV)

But he who comes against him shall do as he wills, and none shall stand before him. And he shall stand in the glorious land, with destruction in his hand.

Daniel 11:36 (ESV)

“And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done.

In the above passages we have a vision of Daniel.   It is about kingdoms of the earth that are vying for power.   There are many various interpretations of who these kings are.  But, the congruent thought for each of these earthly rulers is that they as “they will.”  They will exalt themselves and magnify themselves.  That is what rulers who do not acknowledge God, do.    The issue for them, however, is that it is God who does has He will.  Note what Nebuchadnezzar said after he came out of his mental health crisis caused by his exalting himself:

Daniel 4:34-35 (ESV)

At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever,

for his dominion is an everlasting dominion,

and his kingdom endures from generation to generation;

all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,

and he does according to his will among the host of heaven

and among the inhabitants of the earth;

and none can stay his hand

or say to him, “What have you done?”

What earthly kinds fail to realize is that it is God who puts them in their place:

Psalms 75:6-7 (ESV)

For not from the east or from the west

and not from the wilderness comes lifting up,

but it is God who executes judgment,

putting down one and lifting up another.

And, it is God who equips them to do HIS will, not theirs.   The following verses are spoken by Isaiah to the king of Assyria in his day:

Isaiah 45:5-7 (ESV)

I am the LORD, and there is no other,

besides me there is no God;

I equip you, though you do not know me,

that people may know, from the rising of the sun

and from the west, that there is none besides me;

I am the LORD, and there is no other.

I form light and create darkness;

I make well-being and create calamity;

I am the LORD, who does all these things.

We can watch and be fearful of the world leaders.  But, we must be in awe of God who rules the rulers.