Last week we looked at Daniel 2, where Nebuchadnezzar dreams a dream in which he sees a large image of a man, which is destroyed by a stone falling upon it. The interpretation of this being, as Irenaeus pointed out, “Christ is the stone which is cut out without hands, who shall destroy temporal kingdoms, and introduce an eternal one…”
Today we will look at Daniel 7
1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters.
2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.
3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.
5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.
7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.
8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.
12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.
13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
15 I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. He might as well have said, I’m all shook up! He then went to an angel and asked for the interpretation. The angel said, these great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. (v 16-17)
This is nearly a repeat of chapter 2. But in chapter 2 Nebuchadnezzar saw these kingdoms as an image of a man made of precious metals, while here Daniel sees the same kingdoms as beasts. It’s all perspective: Daniel 2 is the times of the gentiles as man sees it; Daniel 7 is the times of the gentiles as God sees it. In chapter 2 Christ is seen as a stone cut without hands; here in chapter 7 he is seen as the Son of man.
13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
There is no mistaking this, this is the second coming. As Hippolytus† explained:
“For when the iron legs that now hold the sovereignty have given place to the feet and the toes, in accordance with the representation of the terrible beast, as has also been signified in the former times, then from heaven will come the stone that smites the image, and breaks it; and it will subvert all the kingdoms, and give the kingdom to the saints of the Most High. This is the stone which becomes a great mountain, and fills the earth, and of which it is written: ‘I saw in the night-visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days. And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom; and all peoples, nations, and languages shall serve Him: His power is an everlasting power, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom shall not be destroyed.’ …then finally earthly things (shall) end, and heavenly things begin; that the indissoluble and everlasting kingdom of the saints may be brought to view, and the heavenly King manifested to all, no longer in figure, like one seen in vision, or revealed in a pillar of cloud upon the top of a mountain, but amid the powers and armies of angels, as God incarnate and man, Son of God and Son of man— coming from heaven as the world's Judge.”
Let’s look more closely at this scene:
9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
The Ancient of days is the Father. There is fire, and angels, and ten thousand times ten thousand before Him. This is the judgment.
13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
The Son of man is Christ. This was the title he used most often for himself. He comes with the clouds and is given dominion, and glory, and a kingdom over all people. An everlasting dominion. Amen!
This description, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, is the foundation of the New Testament teaching of the second coming. Jesus took it and used it to describe his return:
Matthew 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Amen! Here are the details of this coming:
The Son of man – it is Personal; Jesus himself
They shall see him – it is Visible
Clouds of heaven – just as Daniel saw and described
With power and great glory – this is no secret event
Angels with a great sound of trumpet – enough noise to wake the dead
Gather together his elect – the Resurrection
In 1 Thessalonians 4 Paul describes the second coming using the same imagery as Jesus
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord…
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
In Revelation 1:7 John also uses the same imagery as Jesus
Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
And in 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8 Paul seems to be referencing Daniel 7:9-10
7 when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Christians are a very political people. That’s right, only not as you first think when you hear that. Our politics are not the politics of the world: Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Socialist, Communist, or whatever other political parties there might be. No, we’re not trying to take over the world – we’re waiting for our King to do that! Yes, our message, our hope, our expectation, is that Jesus is coming again and “shall destroy temporal kingdoms, and introduce an eternal one.” His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
Amen! He will bring the kingdom; raise the dead; sit in judgement; reward the righteous; punish the wicked; release the earth from the curse; in short, he will make all things right. So shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Jesus is coming. Am I ready to meet him?
‡ Irenaeus, (140—202); bishop of Lugdunum (Lyon) and leading Christian theologian of the 2nd century. Adversus Haereses (Against Heresies), Book 5, ch 26
† Hippolytus of Rome (170–235 AD) was one of the most important third-century theologians. His is the earliest commentary on Daniel.
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