Your Kingdom Come
DANIEL 7:9-14
Last week, we saw that Daniel had a vision of four beasts arising from the Great Sea. We saw that these four beasts represented kings and their empires – Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. As I said last time, these temporary beastly kingdoms of man serve as a backdrop for the coming of the eternal kingdom of heaven. God is giving Daniel a picture of future history and its consummation.
Daniel was God’s prophet in a time of Israel’s captivity. God had set apart Israel from the other nations to be His special people. God made a covenant with them to bless them with His loving kindness as they observed His commandments. They were to inherit the land and reign in a kingdom.
But because of their continued sin and the breaking of God’s covenant, they had been taken captive to Babylon. Their land was in a shambles. Their temple was destroyed. Their walls of their city were broken down. They were really almost a nonexistent nation.
And the question naturally comes to their mind, “Has God forsaken us?” Have God’s promises failed? From the human perspective, I know that it looked to them as though God had set them aside and was through with them.
But God was not through with His people, Israel. As we will see when we get to chapter 9, there had to be a 70-year purging. There would have to be some time of restoring and rebuilding.
But here God is giving them a message in the midst of their deepest hour of trial that He had not permanently set them aside. And so He gives this vision through Daniel that there is yet a glorious and marvelous future for them.
What God is saying to them in this prophecy in chapter 7 and those in 8-12 is that there is coming a time when the kingdoms of this world will end. Messiah will come and He will establish His kingdom to free you from not only physical but spiritual bondage. And God will establish a powerful, glorious earthly empire in which you will reign as His people. So it’s a great wonderful message for them, and for us.
For we also live in a time when the kingdoms of the world are in turmoil. So often the forces of darkness and sin seem to be gaining the upper hand. This message of encouragement is for us as well.
We saw in verses 1-8 a depiction of the ruthless kingdoms of men, cruel and devouring one after another. The scene ended in verse 8 with the little horn, speaking blasphemy against God and His people. We will study more about this evil ruler next time.
But in verse 9 the scene shifts from earth to heaven. Listen to how Daniel describes what is going on in heaven.
9 “I watched till thrones were put in place, And the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a burning fire;
10 A fiery stream issued And came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, And the books were opened.
11 “I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame.
12 “As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
13 “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him.
14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.
7:9-10 Thrones Were Put in Place
We are being prepared to see judgment take place. First, we see that thrones were literally “cast down.” In the culture of the near East cushions and pillows would be thrown down as the place where the king or judge would sit. When we think of thrones, we think of ruling as kings. But the throne is the place that he sits on when he judges. In other words, thrones are the seats from which judgment is made. David in Psalm 122:5 wrote about Jerusalem saying, “For thrones are set there for judgment, The thrones of the house of David.”
In Revelation 20, John wrote, “And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them….” (Rev. 20:4).
This is what Daniel saw. Thrones for judgment.
The Ancient Of Days
After the thrones were put in place, the Ancient of Days took His seat. Who is this Ancient of Days? Daniel describes Him saying, “His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head was like pure wool.” Both of these descriptions refer to the purity and holiness of God. This is very similar to the description of the glorified Jesus Christ in Revelation 1. But, we only need to read down to verse 13 to see that this is not Jesus. In verse 13 we see Jesus as the Son of Man who approaches the Ancient of Days. This must be God, the Father Himself. He is called in the Bible “the Ancient of Days” only in this chapter (verses 9, 13, & 22), a title that means He is “the eternal God” (Deut. 33:27).
His Throne
Daniel also gives us descriptions of His surroundings. “His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a burning fire.” And, a river of fire is flowing out from before Him. Fire was often used in Hebrew Scriptures to speak of God’s presence. God appeared to Abram as “a smoking oven and a burning torch” (Genesis 15:17). God spoke to Moses from a burning bush (Exodus 3:2). The Lord descended upon Mount Sinai in fire (Exodus 19:18). Fire in the Scriptures is also a symbol of judgment. God judged Sodom and Gomorrah with fire. Isaiah 66:16 says, “For by fire and by His sword The LORD will judge all flesh; And the slain of the LORD shall be many.” It is quite clear that this is God on His throne and He is ready to judge.
A River Of Fire
Verse 10 says, “A fiery stream issued And came forth from before Him.” God’s judgment is flowing out like a river from His throne. “Where would a river of fire flow? Where would it end?” You guessed it: at the lake of fire.
John also describes this judgment in Revelation 19 where he says that the beast and the false prophet were thrown into the lake of fire (Rev. 19:20).
Myriads
Verse 10 continues, “A thousand thousands ministered to Him; Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him.” Standing before the throne was a countless number. Who are these? Revelation 5 & 7 tell us that they are angels, the cherubim, the 24 elders and “… a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands.” (Rev. 7:9).
The end of verse 10 says, “The court was seated, And the books were opened.” This is the judgment day. God is not only in control, it is He who will judge the world. Revelation 20 gives us a similar picture of judgment. John writes:
And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. (Rev 20:12).
7:11 The End of the Little Horn
Now it’s very interesting that in the midst of this amazing scene in heaven there’s a flashback to earth in verses 11-12 and suddenly we’re looking back at that fourth beast again. But you know what? In those verses it’s almost anticlimactic. The beast is slain and very little is said about it. No extended battle. It’s just over. Listen to verse 11,
11 “I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame.
Next week, we will see how the Scriptures tell us this is a picture of the antichrist – the Satan-possessed man who will rise to power in the last days. Both Daniel and Revelation tell us that his judgment is that he will be thrown into the burning fire.
7:12 Extension Of Life
Although the dominion of the other three beasts was taken away, they were allowed to live for an appointed period of time. Verse 12,
12 “As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
Although the each of the historic empires on earth lost dominion, they continued to exist, even to the present day. Babylon exists in Iraq, Persia in Iran, Greece and Rome in Europe and the West. It would seem that, connecting it with Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in chapter two, they were all allowed to cointinue until being totally destroyed along with the fourth beast. As Daniel told the king,
34 “You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. 35 “Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. (Dan 2:34-35).
7:13-14 The Son Of Man
In verses 13 and 14 we see a picture of awesome power and comfort, the coming of one who is called the Son of Man.
13 “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him.
Who is this Son of Man? I believe this is clearly the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus refered to Himself as the Son of Man more than 80 times in the New Testament. Let me show you with some passages from the gospel of Matthew. First in Matthew 16:27 Jesus says to His disciples, “For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.” A few chapters later in Matthew 19:28 Jesus again tells His disciples about this judgment saying, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Jesus is the Son of Man who will judge the world.
In Matthew 25 when Jesus gives that great picture of the sheep-goat judgment He says in 25:31, “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.”
Matthew 26:63 at His trial Jesus is asked by the high priest, “I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!” And in the next verse (Matthew 26:64) Jesus answers, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Jesus goes right back to Daniel 7:13-14 and He says, “I am the Son of Man.”
Now we see the Son of Man. It is time for the Father to officially give Him the kingdom.
Given A Kingdom
Daniel saw the dominion of the earth given to Jesus Christ. Verse 14,
14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.
John MacArthur points our several key words that tell us that kingdom will be like. Word number one is dominion. Verse 14. “Then to Him was given dominion.” That word means a ruling authority. When Christ takes His kingdom, He will have absolute authority.
Now let me tell you something even more encouraging. In Matthew 28 Jesus gave His disciples a great commission. The best part of that great commission is what He said before He gave it. In Matthew 28:18 says, “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” Jesus came up and spoke to them and He said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and in earth.” This is what we see in Daniel, 7:13-14. It is a picture of Jesus’ ascension to the right hand of power.
What does that mean for you and me? The Lord Jesus Christ reigns now. He is on the throne. Daniel in exile, never knowing whether he’ll see his land again, knows that his God is on the throne for Him. And Jesus has received all authority at the right hand of the throne of God.
Second word: glory. Not only will He have all authority, but He’ll receive glory, as well. In the kingdom, He will be honored. He will be glorified. Not only will He have the power to rule, but He will have honor from those over whom He rules.
I can’t help but get excited about that. I don’t know about you, but I get weary of Christ being dishonored. Do you? There will be a day when He is honored in a way that He is worthy.
The third word is kingdom. The kingdom is a word that speaks of the rule of Christ. Today, the Kingdom is here wherever Christ rules in the hearts of believers. The kingdom began when Christ came to this earth, suffered and died for our sins, was raised to life on the third day, and ascended into heaven at the right hand of God the Father. The kingdom is here now. But it is also not yet fully here now. I believe the context demands an earthly literal kingdom of Christ.
This is an eternal kingdom. But the first element of that kingdom is to be that millennial earthly kingdom. And I think that is precisely what the spirit of God promises us throughout Scripture no more distinctly than in the 20th chapter of Revelation where it says, “And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.” And following that, and the great white throne judgment Revelation 21:1 says, “I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.” And Verse 5, “Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.””
There we have the eternal state. But there’s not a recreation of earth and heaven until there is a thousand years on this earth for Christ to reverse the curse and to rule as King of kings and Lord of lords. I don’t think the kingdom is a spiritual thing only. I believe Christ will rule in a real kingdom on earth.
Who comes under His rulership? Verse 14. “all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.” Did you see that? All of them. Now there will be some rebels. But they will be dealt with immediately. Immediately. Justice will be swift.
The last word is everlasting. How long does it this kingdom last? Forever. Well, what about the thousand years? That’s just phase one phase of this everlasting kingdom. Verse 14 of Daniel 7 couldn’t be more clear at the end. “His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.” Verse 18 says, ” But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.” Verse 27 says, “His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.”
What should this all mean to us? What do we do with these great truths? After the apostle Paul tells us about the coming of the Lord Jesus, the resurrection of the dead and the rapture of the believers he says to us in 1Thessalonians 4:18, “Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
Some around us will be spinning out of control, afraid, uncertain, overwhelmed. Because we know the future, we are in a position to comfort them with the message of God’s ultimate plan. Christ wins and we win with Him. This is our blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.
And that hope is real because of the cross. Now Daniel 7 doesn’t specifically teach the death and resurrection of the Jesus Christ. But Jesus Himself, who is truly the Son of Man, He declared this truth Himself in fulfillment of the prophecy of scripture. In Matthew 16 after Jesus tells His disciples about His identity and His kingdom Matthew records, “From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.”
Peter later writes, (1Pe 3:18) “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.”
And Hebrews 10:12 says, “But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God.”
To be a part of this kingdom you must believe in this Son of Man, Jesus Christ, who died for your sins, was raised up, is enthroned in heaven, and is coming again. Come to Him, trust in Him and then rest in Him. We have a glorious future in Christ. And that should give us great confidence every moment of our life regardless of the circumstances.
