Daniel 7:9-14 is a vision of the divine throne from which judgment will come. God gave Daniel the ability to prophesy which empires would rise and which would fall because world powers are under God’s control. Through this vision, God told Daniel about the coming of the Messiah and the final judgment. Daniel didn’t understand everything he saw, because some of the events would not take place until five hundred years later.

The vision of the one like a human being offered hope to Jews who had been subject to foreign rule for over four centuries and now were victims of state terror and persecution. Even as they saw their houses burned, their loved ones tortured and slaughtered and their temple prophaned, Daniel’s vision allowed them to see something else: the end of empires, the sovereign power of God, and their own future kingdom.

The description of a great throne room is common in prophetic and apocalyptic literature. In Isaiah 6:1-5, Isaiah had a vision of the Lord, “high and exalted, seated on His throne,” surrounded by angelic creatures. Daniel’s vision described the glory of God as a glowing otherworldly man seated on a throne accompanied by strange “living creatures.”

Verses 9-10 are the only places in the Bible that refer to God the Father as “The Ancient of Days”-a picture of Him in human form. The term literally means “the elderly One, the One who has been around forever, the One who never had a beginning.” Identifying the one on the throne is complicated by the description of the ancient one giving his authority to the young son of man. That young son of man was Jesus Christ.

If Daniel is consistent with earlier apocalyptic throne room scenes then the one on the throne is God. It is His kingdom which will subdue the kingdoms of men. People of all ages will worship the son of man and the kingdom of the Most High will be everlasting.

As one part of the vision faded into another, Daniel stood and watched. Several scenes followed in rapid succession. In the first scene, all was calm and orderly in the presence of God. The heavenly court was assembled and God sat in judgment. God wore a garment that was as white as snow. He has never compromised His righteous dealings in establishing His kingdom, as humans have in gaining their kingdoms. Human kingdoms are always caught up in feverish activity, but God was seated. He is never taken by surprise, never undecided, never in a panic about His world. He reigns. In the face of the terrible havoc that people are able to cause, Daniel is reminded that the ultimate authority does not reside in earthly kingdoms. It is in the hands of God. True world dominion belongs exclusively to God. All others who seek true world dominion will be cut short in their path.

Adam was made to rule as God’s vice-regent and obediently exercise his God-given dominion. He sinned, lost his dominion, and fell short of God’s glory. Since then, man has sought to recover that lost dominion without letting go of sin. When the Son of Man came, He became the servant Adam had failed to be. He reflected the glory of God in His obedience to Him. He has consequently been highly exalted.

When we remember that just before He was taken up in the clouds to the throne of God Jesus said in Matthew 28:18, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth,” we are left in no doubt as to the identity of this One like the Son of Man in Daniel. It is all the more significant that this title is used in the New Testament almost exclusively by Jesus in referring to Himself.

The beastly kingdoms of the world are now replaced by a just and righteous kingdom ruled by a human-like figure, the Son of Man, who is none other than Jesus Christ. Christ first came to earth as the Son of Man to suffer and die; He will come a second time as the Son of Man to defeat His enemies and set up His eternal kingdom on earth.

Christians who have the same vision of God and His throne will never feel alone and isolated. They will find their point of orientation not on earth but in heaven. Their view of history will not arise from below but from above, from the throne of God. Others may claim to see things realistically rather than idealistically. Christians will try to gain God’s perspective in order to see things as they really are.

In the days when all overseas travel was by ship, a missionary returned to the United States. He found himself arriving on the same ship as an acclaimed national hero. Crowds waited on the dock to greet the hero. The missionary could not help but feel the contrast. He had been labouring for the treasure that does not perish, pouring his life’s blood into sowing the seed of the gospel. As he scanned the faces on the dock, he realized that no one had come to welcome him home. As he began to submerge in a wave of self-pity, he realized the truth as clearly as if a voice had spoken to him from heaven: “Do not be discouraged, you have not yet reached home.” This was a new perspective for Daniel too. It is the perspective to which we are all exhorted.

Where do we put our allegiance? What is our vision for the community of peoples? How will we live with other people? Whose rule will enable us to live out our vision? If our view is that of the reign of Christ, the peaceful and equitable living together of diverse peoples eschewing violence and caring for those most vulnerable in our midst, we really can celebrate the heavenly kingdom.

The One given dominion, glory, and kingship is not arrogant or rude, jealous or boastful, but full of mercy and compassion. Is it necessary then, or even helpful, to speculate as to the future applications of Daniel’s dream of kingdoms and talking horns? When we focus on the end times we often forget to provide in the present for the very people the King of Kings came to serve, which makes us more like an arrogant horn than the King we seek to serve.

Just as Jesus came to serve, we are called to the same duty. The world is ruled not by beastly authority but by those who get in the trenches and do His work. It is a law in the Kingdom of heaven that if you want power, you serve, and Jesus was the ultimate example. As we rest in the sufficiency and authority of the Son of Man, we are free to let go of the need to prove ourselves, because Jesus has already proven Himself, and He welcomes us to share in His glory.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; p. 1132)
2. Ferguson, S.B., & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 21: Daniel (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1988; pp. 141-146)
3. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
4. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN; Thomas Nelson; 2010; pp. 1187-1188)
5. Jude Siciliano, OP, “First Impressions, Christ the King, November 25, 2018.” Retrieved from firstimpressions@lists.opsouth.org
6. Pastor Bobby Schuller, “The Radical Paradox of the Son of Man.” Retrieved from hourofpower@hourofpower.org
7. Anathea Portier-Young, “Commentary on Daniel 7:9-10,13-14.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org