God's Eternal Kingdom

I want to encourage you to turn to Daniel chapter 7. Providentially, we're here in Daniel chapter 7.

Daniel 7 · chapter mention Daniel 7 · chapter mention

! There was supposed to be another message, another person preaching on this day, and we weren't going to actually cover Daniel chapter 7.

Daniel 7 · chapter mention

Quite honestly, I was trying to avoid all of the apocalyptic literature. That is just a confession.

I wanted to stay in the spaces that were a little bit easier, but here we are. We're in Daniel chapter 7, and we're going to try to kind of bring the theme of Daniel 7 to 12,

Daniel 7 · chapter mention

which really speaks about this coming kingdom, this eternal kingdom of God, kind of bringing it home to us and provide some implications.

What does it mean that the Ancient of Days is establishing his throne? Why does it matter that the Son of Man is the one who is receiving this kingdom?

What does that do for us in the here and now?

And really, providentially, this is the theme that kind of runs its way through the entire book of Daniel.

Daniel, and so here we are. We're at Daniel chapter 7, and it will be, I trust, a blessing to all of us as we come to remember who God is

Daniel 7 · chapter mention

and what God plans to do in establishing his kingdom on the earth.

You know, the world has been fascinated by the future. It's always been fascinated with what is coming, what's going to happen,

what do we know is going to be taking place in the future here?

Every age has been marked by those who have had, or at least assumed to have, some ability to forecast the future.

From ancient Greece, it was a priestess who prophesied at a place called Pytho.

In the 1500s, it was a man named Nostradamus who seemed to predict the London fire or the French Revolution.

In the 1900s, a woman rose to prominence. Her name was Jean Dixon.

And she is said to have been able to predict the JFK assassination.

She advised President Roosevelt during World War II and also Richard Nixon.

Oprah says that she was instrumental in forecasting her rise to fame.

But the question is, was she really the kind of forecaster that is worth trusting?

In 1964, she assured her readers that the war in Vietnam would be over in 1965, just a year later.

When it wasn't over in 1965, she predicted it was going to happen and finish in 1966.

When it didn't happen in 1966, she gave up.

And 10 years later, in 1975, the Vietnam War finally came to conclusion.

In 1958, she predicted that in that year, Red China and the United States would be at war with each other.

And here we are, some 60 plus years later, and still not at war.

In 1959, she predicted that Red China would be admitted to the United Nations.

That wouldn't happen for another 12 years until 1971.

In 1964, she predicted that Walter Ruther would be the candidate for president.

Well, he didn't even run for president.

In February of 1968, she predicted that the Democratic nominee for president would be Lyndon Johnson.

It was actually Hubert Humphrey.

In 1968, she predicted that before the election, Dean Rusk would resign as Secretary of State.

He didn't.

In 1967, she predicted that there would be a cure for cancer in that year.

And on and on it went.

I suppose that you make enough predictions, eventually one of them will come true.

But we are a people who are fascinated by the future.

Weather, in particular.

We want to know what this coming week is going to be.

Is it going to be cooler or is it going to continue to be warm?

We have things like the Farmer's Almanac that seeks to predict weather patterns.

And what will this next season look like?

We have things like Groundhog Day to predict whether winter will last longer or spring will come sooner.

Of course, we have predictions about investments or predictions about sports.

Many of you probably are part of things like March Madness.

We really want to know what the future holds.

Some of us even really enjoy those fortune cookies at Chinese restaurants.

What does my fortune have for me today?

We want to know what's coming.

We want to anticipate this future.

We want to make sense of the uncertainty.

And what we're going to find in our passage today in the book of Daniel is that God will lay out,

once again, this pattern of future events for Daniel that are history for us.

And he lays them out in such specificity that it is without question the word of God.

And God has come to demonstrate his integrity of not only knowing what the future holds,

but being able to work out the details of the future.

It is this single fact that helps to establish and to distinguish God from any other supernatural being.

In Isaiah chapter 46, verses 9 and 10, God says this of himself.

Isaiah 46:9

He says,

Remember the former things of old, for I am God.

There is no other.

I am God.

There is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done,

saying,

My counsel shall stand.

I will accomplish all my purposes.

It is God's predictive power,

his knowledge of the future,

and his ability to work those details out

that helps to establish,

once and for all,

that God is who he says he is.

God is the God in heaven.

He is the one true God.

The only God.

And as we'll see in our passage today,

these predictions,

these promises that God makes

will begin to come to fruition.

Things that were predicted 2,500 years ago

and hundreds of years before they actually occurred

help to demonstrate that God is who he says he is.

As we come to our passage this morning in Daniel chapter 7,

Daniel 7 · chapter mention

we're going to begin to see this rise and fall of empires.

The rise and fall of empires

that will begin here in verse 1

and kind of sets the context for us.

I'm not going to read all of these verses

but help to describe them for us

as we move along the way.

The rise and fall of empires.

First, in verse 1, it says this,

In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon,

Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head

as he lay in his bed.

Then he wrote down the dream

and told the sum of the matter.

In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon.

Now, right here at the very beginning of our time together,

we need to kind of pause mentally

because as we were in Daniel chapter 6 last week,

Daniel 6 · chapter mention

we were now in the Persian empire

and Darius was the king.

Now, all of a sudden, we're going back in history

and Daniel's beginning to spell out this promise,

this vision that he receives

during this first year of Belshazzar.

We're back in the Babylonian empire.

We're back underneath the reign of Belshazzar.

Nebuchadnezzar would reign from 605 to 562,

about 42, 43 years.

And the subsequent kings that would come after him,

finally leading to Nabonidus,

who was Belshazzar's father,

Nabonidus would reign for about 17 years in total,

but in his third reign,

Belshazzar would become his co-regent.

So we're about 14 years away

from Daniel chapter 6 moving back in history,

Daniel 6 · chapter mention

about 14 years into history.

The book of Daniel is silent

about what Daniel has done during this time.

We do get a glimpse of the fact

that he was a part of some sort of

administrative responsibilities.

We look at Daniel chapter 8, verse 27,

Daniel 8:27

and it suggests that he was about the king's business.

But for all intents and purposes,

Daniel has faded into the background.

Daniel has almost been driven into obscurity.

His faithfulness to serve the king's business

is still evident,

but he is not in the forefront as he was before.

This is important for us to consider

right at the outset of our time together.

It's important for us to recognize

that God has other plans for Daniel

during this at least 14-year stretch,

and probably as long as 23 years.

It's been 23 years since Nebuchadnezzar

ceased from power.

But it's important to note

that while Daniel is removed from position,

Daniel is not removed from usefulness.

Daniel might not be in the forefront,

but God has plans for Daniel,

how to use Daniel instrumentally

during this season.

Daniel in chapter 7 to 12

will have a series of visions

that will be significant

to kind of paint the timeline

of future kingdoms that will rise and fall.

And what we find from chapter 7 to 12

is these visions and interpretations

that spell out these subsequent kingdoms

leading ultimately to the kingdom of God,

this eternal kingdom that is in view.

God sends this confirming word to Daniel

regarding God's future reign,

a reign that he has already revealed

in some measure to Nebuchadnezzar

back in Daniel chapter 2,

Daniel 2 · chapter mention

this vision of this image

that is glistening in the sun

with all of these metallic properties.

Now confirming this testimony

to Daniel here in chapter 7

using different symbols.

The timing of this vision is significant.

About 180 years before this vision,

the northern ten tribes

were essentially decimated

and captured and absorbed

into the Assyrian Empire.

And now here are the remaining two tribes

of Judah and Benjamin in captivity

now in Babylon.

It would have been very easy

for those living in exile to think,

has God's promises to his people failed?

Is God able to make good on his word

to Abraham and to David?

Has God forgotten about us?

Does God really care about our situation?

And God will reveal this vision to Daniel

not only to confirm his word from the past,

but to help encourage and establish

this continuing promise

of God establishing his kingdom

sometime in the future.

His word has not failed.

Daniel 2 will describe

the various kingdoms that will rise and fall,

Babylon being the head of gold,

Media Persia being the arms and chest of silver,

Greece being the waist and thighs of bronze,

and Rome being the legs of iron.

And now transitioning to Daniel chapter 7.

Daniel 7 · chapter mention

Those same kingdoms in the same order

are now described in a different way.

We find in verse 4 of chapter 7,

notice Babylon that's described

as the lion with eagle's wings.

In verse 5, Media Persia

is described as a bear

raised up on one side

with ribs in his mouth.

Greece is described in verse 6

as a leopard with four wings and four heads.

Rome, in verse 7,

is described as a beast with iron teeth

which devoured and broke in pieces

and crushed everything with its feet.

The section concludes with verse 8.

In verse 8 of chapter 7,

we find,

I considered the horns

and behold there came up among them

another horn.

One little horn before which

three of the first horns

were plucked up by the roots.

And behold,

in this horn

were eyes like the eyes of men

and a mouth speaking great things.

This horn represents this future leader.

A future leader

of this future kingdom

who has eyes of a man

which helped indicate his wisdom,

helped indicate his intellectual superiority,

his genius, as it were,

and his mouth that speaks great things.

His ability to influence with words,

to articulate and to capture attention.

His ability to wow the crowd, as it were,

to gain a following

so that the entire world

seems to be under his sway.

Meanwhile,

while all of this is taking place

on the earth through these kingdoms,

we find this hurry

and activity

on the earth

is now contrasted

by this calmness

and activity

that's taking place

in heaven.

And that's our next major point

this morning

where we're going to spend

the bulk of our time.

We're going to see now

the glorious king

and his coming kingdom.

The glorious king

and his coming kingdom

beginning

in verse 9.

Notice,

As I looked,

thrones were placed

and the Ancient of Days

took his seat.

His clothing was white as snow.

The hair of his head

like pure wool.

His throne was fiery flames.

Its wheels were burning fire.

A stream of fire issued

and came out from before him.

A thousand thousands served him

and ten thousand times ten thousand

stood before him.

The court sat in judgment

and the books were opened.

As we make our way through

these next several verses,

I want to just draw attention

to the various features

of this king

and the various features

of his kingdom

moving through them

one by one.

We see there

at the beginning of verse 9

his throne.

His throne.

As I looked,

thrones were placed.

It says right there

at the beginning.

These thrones that were placed

is in the intensive form

of the grammar.

This action that has happened

in the past

that has present

and future results.

Immediately we come to understand

that whatever is taking place

in heaven

seems to be independent,

seems to be removed

from the things

that are taking place

on the earth.

That whatever kingdom

is taking place

and being established

in heaven

is not built upon

the kingdoms

of the earth

but is separate.

It's removed.

It's not built

on the previous kingdom.

It's not a throne

that had been

previously occupied.

It's not a kingdom

that has been overthrown

in any way

and a new power

has come.

This kingdom

is being established

separately.

this kingdom

and this throne

that's set up

seems to always

have been waiting

for the right time

and the right place

and now

in Daniel chapter 7

Daniel 7 · chapter mention

the time

is right.

you get the sense

that whatever

is happening here

is happening

independent of the situations

that are taking place

on earth

but as those things

are happening

now the right time

has come

for this king

to establish

his throne.

The throne

is being put in place

and the ancient of days

will take his seat

as we find

in the next part

of verse 9.

First his throne

and now his name

the ancient of days.

As I look

thrones were placed

the ancient of days

took his seat.

This title

has obvious implications.

Refers to his

eternality

of this king.

It refers

to only God himself

as the ancient

of days.

Before the beginning

of the world

his pre-existing

quality

his authority

this king

now comes

into the forefront.

Of course we know

that God's authority

his reign

on the earth

has been established

since the beginning

of creation.

that God

has always

been the one

to oversee

and to provide

authority

over all the earth.

We find that

throughout the entire

Old Testament

but especially

in the Psalms.

Psalm 45

Psalms 45:6

verse 6

will point

to the enduring

quality

of God's throne

and he says

your throne

oh God

is forever

and ever

the scepter

of your kingdom

is a scepter

of righteousness.

righteousness.

In Psalm 47

Psalms 47:8

verse 8

it says

God reigns

over the nations

God sits

on his holy

throne.

In Psalm 93

Psalms 93:1

verses 1 and 2

the Lord reigns

he is robed

in majesty

the Lord is robed

he has put

on strength

as his belt

yes

the world

is established

it shall

never be moved

your throne

is established

from of old

you are

from everlasting.

Psalm 99

1

the Lord reigns

let the peoples

tremble

he sits

in throne

upon the cherubim

let the earth

quake

Isaiah

Isaiah 6:5

chapter 6

verse 5

this is the scene

where Isaiah

is standing

before the throne

and the cherubim

cry

holy

holy

holy

and Isaiah

in response

says this

woe is me

for I am lost

I am a man

of unclean lips

and I dwell

in the midst

of a people

of unclean lips

for my eyes

have seen

the king

the Lord

of hosts

the prophet Isaiah

will say

in chapter 33

verse 22

for the Lord

is our judge

the Lord

is our lawgiver

the Lord

is our king

it is he

who will

save us

God's kingdom

has been

from ancient

of days

from the very

beginning

the enduring

quality

of his reign

has always

existed

he rules

heaven

and earth

his authority

and power

have been

from before

the world

even began

now the

ancient of days

will take

his place

on his throne

the time

has come

for him

to exert

his authority

in a real

intangible

way

he is the

ancient of days

in the next

couple verses

will see

several

of the

features

of his

kingdom

his features

verse 9

it says

I looked

the throne

were placed

and the

ancient of days

took his seat

his clothing

was white

as snow

the hair

of his head

like pure wool

his throne

was a fiery flame

its wheels

were burning

fire

a stream

of fire

issued

and came

out from

before him

a thousand

thousands

served him

and ten

thousand

times ten

thousand

stood before him

the court

sat in judgment

the books

were opened

these features

of the

ancient of days

that we'll touch

on just

briefly

first his

clothing

that points

to his

perfection

to his

righteousness

his clothing

was white

as snow

symbolizing

his purity

signifying

his justice

signifying

his perfection

his purity

white

as snow

we're familiar

with this phrase

lifted out

of Psalm 51

Psalms 51:7

verse 7

that speaks

to purity

purge me

with hyssop

and I shall

be clean

wash me

and I shall

be whiter

than snow

all

that God

does

is right

all that God

does

is good

all that God

does

is righteous

and pure

and one of the

key components

of his kingdom

in contrast

with the kingdoms

of this world

is he is

righteous

his righteousness

stands as a

core component

of his kingdom

in Psalm 89

Psalms 89:14

verse 14

it says

righteousness

and justice

are the foundations

of your throne

steadfast love

and faithfulness

go before you

God's rule

is marked

by purity

by righteousness

and perfection

there is no hint

of immorality

of corruption

of immorality

he is pure

his hair

now points

to his wisdom

also purity

is coming through

but

it's amplifying

the significant

point of his wisdom

as well

the hair of his head

like pure wool

the image

of this ancient

of days

having pure

white hair

is similar

to the picture

that we get

in Revelation

Revelation 1:14

chapter 1

verse 14

speaking of Christ

so that Christ

in the ancient

of days

shared this quality

the hairs of his head

were white

like wool

like snow

his eyes

were like a flame

of fire

and throughout

the Proverbs

we come to understand

the significance

of a white

or a gray

head

that resembles

this elderly

individual

and the wisdom

that they have

and all throughout

the book of Daniel

we see attention

that is drawn

to the wisdom

and knowledge

and understanding

of the God

of Jacob

Daniel chapter 2

Daniel 2:20–22

verses 20 to 22

this is in response

to Daniel

Daniel has asked

for the interpretation

of Nebuchadnezzar's dream

and when God reveals

this interpretation

Daniel praises God

with this prayer

notice he says

he answers and says

blessed be the name

of God forever and ever

to whom belong

wisdom and might

he changes times

and seasons

he removes kings

and sets up kings

he gives wisdom

to the wise

and knowledge

to those who have

understanding

he reveals deep

and hidden things

he knows what is

in the dark

and light

dwells with him

God's wisdom

and knowledge

again are one

of the foundations

of his throne

one of the foundations

of his rule

he is not limited

in understanding

he is fully informed

so that every decision

that God makes

every action

that he puts

into place

is informed

by the information

his foreknowledge

of all the events

everything is exposed

nothing is hidden

from his sight

so that in Psalm

139 12

the psalmist says

even the darkness

is not dark to you

the night is bright

as the day

for darkness

is light

with you

next we find

his throne

his throne

which points

to his right

to judge

his throne

which points

to his right

to judge

his throne

he says

was a fiery flame

its wheels

were a burning fire

fire is often

a picture

of either judgment

or purification

and so

God is after

the purity

of his people

and he promises

to judge

those who are wicked

those who stand

outside

of his law

Hebrews chapter 12

Hebrews 12:28

verses 28 and 29

in speaking about

the kingdom of God

says therefore

let us be grateful

for receiving

a kingdom

that cannot be shaken

and thus let us

offer to God

acceptable worship

with reverence

and awe

for our God

is a consuming

fire

God is

the one

to whom

we are accountable

and God

will rightly

judge

those

who disobey

the wheels

that are here

you can imagine

wheels

as if they were

on a chariot

and they

are reminiscent

of what we find

in Ezekiel chapter 1

Ezekiel 1 · chapter mention

the wheel

that's spinning

within a wheel

and it is

helps to represent

the action

and the engagement

this living God

who is present

who is active

who is engaged

in life

and affairs

motion

is purifying

and judging

authority

of God

next we see

a stream of fire

which points

to his authority

it says

a stream of fire

issued and came out

before him

this fire

comes out

from before God

it exerts

authority

on the earth

it does not

just remain

with him

this river

of fire

coming from

the throne

describes God's

judgment

as being poured

out upon

the wicked

particularly

upon

the kingdom

of the little

horn

and the beast

when Christ

returns

the ministry

of Jesus

was described

in this way

John the Baptist

will say of Jesus

in Luke chapter 3

Luke 3:16

verse 16

John says

I baptize you

with water

but he who is

mightier than I

is coming

the strap

of whose sandal

I am not worthy

to untie

he will baptize you

with the Holy Spirit

and with fire

that fire

signifying the judgment

that Christ would bring

through his ministry

Paul in writing

to Timothy

will say

in 2nd Timothy

4 1

he says

I charge you

in the presence

of God

and of Christ Jesus

who is to judge

the living and the dead

and by his appearing

and his kingdom

God is the judge

and every one of us

are accountable

to the judge

his authority

next we find

his servants

his servants

which point to his glory

and notice

a thousand thousands

served him

and 10,000 times

10,000 stood before him

this innumerable

number of servants

that are standing

and serving

before the ancient

of days

throughout the scripture

we see

this host of heaven

and the angelic

servants of God

standing before him

in service

Revelation 5 11

says

then I looked

I heard around the throne

and the living creatures

and the elders

the voice of many angels

numbering

myriads of myriads

and thousands

of thousands

of course

those angels

will be

accompanied

by a host

of people

who will also

be ushered

into heaven

Revelation chapter 7

Revelation 7:9

verses 9 and 10

I looked and behold

a great multitude

that no one

could number

from every nation

from all tribes

and peoples

and languages

standing before the throne

and before the lamb

clothed in white robes

and palm branches

in their hands

and crying out

with a loud voice

salvation

belongs to our God

who sits on the throne

and to the lamb

the glory of God

the servants

who stand before him

in worship

both from the angelic hosts

and also from

the representation

of peoples

and nations

and languages

who have given

their heart to him

because of faith

in Jesus

for what Christ

accomplished on the cross

his death

his resurrection

and the invitation

that is available

to us

salvation

belongs to our God

this morning

do you know

the God of heaven

do you know

the ancient of days

have you come

to a place

in your life

of recognizing

your sin

asking for forgiveness

and understanding

that salvation

only belongs to him

will you be part

of the company

of those

who on this day

in Revelation chapter 7

Revelation 7 · chapter mention

stand before

the ancient of days

and worship

before his throne

next we find

his courts

and books

that point

to his impartiality

the books

in court

that point

to his impartiality

it says

the court

sat in judgment

and the books

were opened

there's not only

a throne

that we see

here in this vision

but we see

in judgment

that's taking place

accountability

that's happening

the judge

will take his seat

on the

and judge

the nations

and throughout

the scriptures

we understand

that God's judgments

are not

arbitrary

God's judgments

are certain

they're based

on facts

he does not

judge on a whim

he does not

judge with partiality

he judges

in a way

that is discerning

and unbiased

he records

the activities

of words

and works

in his book

in his scroll

a number of passages

that we could go to

but the ones

that stand out

the most

are in Revelation

Revelation 20:12

chapter 20

verses 12

and 15

I saw the dead

great and small

standing before

the Lord

or before the throne

and the books

were opened

then another book

was opened

which is the book

of life

and the dead

were judged

by what was

written in the books

according to what

they had done

and if anyone's name

was not found

written in the book

of life

he was thrown

into the lake

of fire

is your name

written in

the book

of life

have you

enjoyed

the forgiveness

and cleansing

that comes

from God

himself

and God

alone

has God

washed you

and blotted

out

though our sins

are as scarlet

they shall be made

white as snow

we find in Isaiah

that's the promise

for all

who place

their trust

in him

now we come

to his power

his power

which is captured

for us

in verses 11

and 12

now it

looks back

at this picture

that was happening

in verse 8

this horn

that is

promoting itself

and notice

in verse 11

I looked

because of the sound

of the great words

that the horn

was speaking

and as I looked

the beast was killed

its body destroyed

and given over

to be burned

with fire

as for the rest

of the beast

their dominion

was taken away

but their lives

were prolonged

for a season

in a time

we don't have time

to go into the details

of this vision

but there are some things

that we can know

for certain

first

we discover

that this chapter

is speaking

about this final

leader

of this final

kingdom

we saw

in verse 8

his unrivaled power

we saw

in verse 8

his ability

to influence

and capture

the sway

the attention

of the peoples

by his articulate

speech

later in this chapter

chapter 7

verse 21

we find

that this

fourth beast

makes war

with the saints

and prevails

over them

notice in verse 21

as I looked

this horn

made war

with the saints

and prevailed

over them

this fourth beast

is also talked

about in Daniel

Daniel 11 · chapter mention

chapter 11

where we get

a prophecy

of an event

that was still

future for Daniel

but is somewhat

past

and partially

fulfilled for us

in Daniel 11

31

it talks about

this abomination

that makes desolate

Jesus will pick

up on this

prophecy

and build

on it

in Matthew

Matthew 24:15–18

chapter 24

verses 15

to 18

who is this

final beast

who is this

last horn

Jesus will say

so when you see

the abomination

of desolation

spoken of by

the prophet Daniel

standing in the

holy place

let the reader

understand

let those

who are in

Judea

flee to the

mountains

let the one

who is on

the housetop

not go down

to take

what is in

his house

and let the

one who is

in the field

not turn back

to take his

cloak

Jesus builds

on the prophecy

of Daniel

speaks about

a future

abomination

of desolation

that is still

yet to occur

Revelation

describes

this ruler

it uses

many of

the same

figures

of speech

some of the

same descriptions

that we find

from Daniel

when we look

at Revelation

Revelation 13 · chapter mention

chapter 13

notice

I saw the

beast rising

out of the

sea

with ten

horns

seven heads

with ten

diadems

on its

horns

and blasphemous

names on

its head

the beast

that I saw

was like a

leopard

its feet

were like a

bear's

its mouth

was like a

lion's mouth

and to it

the dragon

gave his

power

and his

throne

in great

authority

does that

sound

familiar

the very

figures

that were

used

to describe

the

previous

empires

are now

all combined

in this

final beast

and this

final leader

who in

verse 5

of chapter

13

we find

out more

the beast

was given

a mouth

uttering

haughty

and blasphemous

words

there's our

description

from Daniel

Daniel 7:8

chapter 7

verse 8

it was

allowed to

exercise

authority

for 42

months

it opened

its mouth

to utter

blasphemies

against God

blaspheming

his name

and his

dwelling

that is

those

who dwell

in heaven

also was

allowed to

make war

on the

saints

and to

conquer

them

and authority

was given

it over

every tribe

and people

and language

and nation

and all

who dwell

on the

earth

will worship

it

everyone

whose name

has not

been written

before the

foundation

of the

world

in the

book of

life

of the

lamb

who

was slain

this

same

figure

from

Daniel

Daniel 7 · chapter mention

chapter 7

and Daniel

Daniel 11 · chapter mention

chapter 11

shows up

again for

us

in

Revelation

Revelation 13 · chapter mention

chapter 13

and we

see this

continuing

promise

of this

future

ruler

that is

going to

come

but all

of this

culminates

in the

next chain

of events

which Daniel

describes in

verses 13

and 14

for all

of the

strength

for all

of the

power

for all

of the

unrivaled

influence

that this

leader

seems to

have

we come

to understand

that it

is nothing

in comparison

with the

power of

God

verse 13

and 14

we find

the son

of man

I saw

in the

night visions

and behold

with the

clouds of

heaven

there came

one like

a son

of man

he came

to the

ancient

of days

he was

presented

before him

and 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

in

his

kingdom

one

that

shall

not

be

destroyed

in

this

vision

that

Daniel

has

the

son

of

man

is

presented

to

the

ancient

of

days

who

is

this

son

of

man

none

other

than

Jesus

Christ

himself

this

is

Christ's

favorite

designation

of

himself

throughout

the

gospels

used

some

82

times

30

times

in

Matthew

14

times

in

Mark

25

times

in

Luke

13

times

in

John

Jesus

will

take

this

designation

this

identity

this

title

son

of

man

he

will

place

it

on

himself

to

allow

and to

help

those

living

during

the

first

century

to

know

that

he

in

fact

is

the

Messiah

that

he

in

fact

is

this

son

of

man

son

of

David

son

of

God

who

will

rule

the

promises

that

were

given

to

Israel

will

be

fulfilled

in

Jesus

Christ

Jesus

takes

this

title

used

of

him

in

Daniel

and

applies

it

to

himself

throughout

his

ministry

the

Jews

including

the

religious

leaders

could

not

conceive

of

God

coming

this

way

and

while

Jesus

would

come

in

humility

during

his

first

coming

ultimately

he

will

come

in

power

in

some

future

day

we

expect

the

authority

and

might

of

the

son

of

man

coming

to

exert

his

power

and

judgment

on

the

earth

he

will

take

his

throne

he

will

have

his

place

in

psalm

Psalms 2:7

chapter

2

verses

7

and

9

it

speaks

of

this

future

day

I

will

tell

the

decree

the

Lord

said

to

me

you

are

my

son

today

I

begotten

you

ask

of

me

and

I

will

make

the

nations

your

heritage

and

the

ends

of

the

earth

your

possession

you

shall

break

them

with

a

rod

of

iron

and

dash

them

in

pieces

like

a

potter's

vessel

Jesus

the only

begotten

son

of

God

son

of

man

is

this

one

who

will

take

his

throne

who

will

take

his

seat

will

exercise

authority

over

the

earth

the

angel

Gabriel

when

delivering

this

message

of

Jesus

conception

to

Mary

says

this

of

Jesus

in

Luke

Luke 1:31–33

chapter

1

verses

31

to

33

behold

you

will

conceive

in

your

womb

and

bear

a

son

you

shall

call

his

name

Jesus

he

will

be

great

and

will

be

called

the

son

of

the

most

high

the

Lord

will

give

to

him

the

throne

of

his

father

David

he

will

reign

over

the

house

of

Jacob

forever

!

chapter

2

this

stone

that

was

carved

out