Daniel 7:12

As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.

As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away. "The rest of the beasts" - i:e., the three first had passed away, not by direct destroying judgments, such as consumed the little horn, as being the finally-matured evil of the fourth beast. They had continued to exist, but their "dominion was taken away;" whereas the fourth beast shall cease utterly, superseded by Messiah's kingdom. Yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time - not only the triumph of the beasts over the godly, but their very existence, is limited to a definite time, and that time the exactly-suitable one (cf. ). Probably a definite period is meant by "a season and time" (cf. , "a time, and times, and the dividing of time;" , "a little season"). It is striking, the fourth monarchy, though Christianized for 1500 years past, is not distinguished from the previous pagan monarchies, or from its own pagan portion. Nay, it is represented as the most God-opposed of all, and culminating at last in blasphemous Antichrist. The reason is, Christ's kingdom now "is not of this world" (), and only at the second advent of Christ becomes an external power of the world. Hence, Daniel, whose province it was to prophesy of the world-powers, does not treat of Christianity until it becomes a world-power-namely, at the second advent.

The kingdom of God is a hidden one until Jesus comes again (; Colossians 3:3; 2 Timothy 2:11). Rome was worldly while pagan, and remains worldly though Christianized. So the New Testament views the present aeon or age of the world as essentially pagan, which we cannot love without forsaking Christ (; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; : cf. ; ). The object of Christianity is not so much to Christianize the present world, as to save souls out of it, so as "not to be condemned with the world" (), but to rule with Him in His millennium (; ; Luke 22:28; ; ; ; Revelation 2:26; ; ). This is to be our hope, to reign hereafter with Christ (), not in the present world-course (; ; , "Our conversation (citizenship) is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ;" ).

There must be a "regeneration" of the world, as of the individual, a death previous to a resurrection, a destruction of the world-kingdoms before they rise anew as the kingdoms of Christ (). Even the millennium will not perfectly eradicate the world's corruption, another apostasy and judgment will succeed (Revelation 20:7), in which the world of nature is to be destroyed and renewed, as the world of history was before the millennium (2 Peter 3:8); then comes the perfect earth and heaven (). Thus there is an onward progress, and the Christian is waiting and watching for the consummation (Mark 13:33; Luke 12:35; Luke 12:40; 1 Thessalonians 1:9), as His Lord also is "expecting" ().