| Subject: Dan. Chap 7 vss 13-18 post 39 |
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Hillbilly
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Date Posted: 17:02:57 03/25/10 Thu
Daniel 7:13-18 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. 16 I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. 17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. 18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
Soon after Daniel's vision of the judgment and the consignment of the beast to hell Daniel is given a vision of Jesus (the incarnation of God in man: 1 Tim. 3:16, John 1:14) approaching the "Ancient of Days". (The Alpha and Omega: Rev. 1:8,11, 21:6, 22:13) It can get confusing here as we see God the man (2nd person of the Trinity) approaching "the Ancient of Days" who also can only be understood to be God. In the last passage we studied we saw the description of the Ancient of Days matched the image of Jesus on the throne in the Book of Revelation. First we must remember that God is a Spirit (John 4:24) and is invisible (Col. 1:15, Heb. 11:27) in his natural state. The riddle of the passage is answerable by understanding that God is truly one God. Whether we see Him as a mortal man or in His glory we see God. Paul touched on this in Colossians 1:12-17 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: 15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
In the passage we see the Father and the Son and see that the Son is the image of the invisible God. By image we understand that which is or can be seen. Jesus Christ in His mortal body was God in the flesh Paul said "God was manifest in the flesh". We see then that Daniel gets a vision of Jesus approaching the Father. Another thing to note is the the way the Son of Man approaches the throne. Notice He is said to come with the "clouds of heaven" in verse 13. Then we see the words "and they brought him near before him". The Him of the verse must refer back to the Ancient of Days and the only thing "they" could refer to would be the clouds of heaven. The clouds of heaven must then refer to living beings. I would assume the reference would be to the heavenly host. The multitudes of angels in God's realm. This would give pause to reflect on the coming of the Lord to receive His kingdom. Notice this in Revelation 1:7: "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." It is almost universally assumed the clouds are literal clouds but that is not necessarily the case. The clouds could very well be clouds of angels and the army of God following Him in Revelation 19:14.
The vision Daniel sees causes him to wonder greatly. He is grieved and troubled at the vision and at his lack of understanding as to what it all meant. Daniel was feeling as we all do at times when we are greatly troubled or we have an unsolved problem that will not let go. "I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body". Did you ever have your "stomach tied in knots" over something that worried you? I think this is Daniel's case and the vision was grabbing him in his gut and his mind was so troubled that he could think of nothing else.
Daniel, in his vision, approached "the one who stood by" and asked what it all meant. The angel tells him the four beasts are four kings which shall arise out of the earth. Remember, when Daniel receives the vision he is in the last days of the Babylonian Kingdom and Media-Persia are about to take the kingdom. The vision is future to the Babylonian Kingdom. Also if we want to be technical the Kings of Media-Persia had already risen from the earth. They were alive and in power when Daniel received the vision. As I stated earlier I believe the primary thrust of the vision was for a time after the crucifxion and resurrection. I believe it is primarily for the very last years before Jesus returns to take His kingdom from the "beasts" that have ruled since Babylon. I believe it is for today!
The saints taking the kingdom is in agreement with Revelation 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. As God's kingdom is eternal the duration of the reign with our Lord is for ever and ever. This kingdom that will start with the defeat of the last beast and the "little horn" which comes up on the head of the "dreadful and terrible" beast (Dan. 7:7) will never end.
What Daniel has seen then is the raising up and casting down of the last four great kings and kingdoms before the return of Jesus Christ. Out of the last kingdom will come the anti-Christ who will be destroyed and cast into the lake of fire by Jesus at His coming. This vision covers the time from the beginning of the 1st beast until the judgment. The great hope and expectation of the passage is found in verse 18. "But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever." When the kingdom starts at the end of the tribulation it will be for the saints of God and the King of King and Lord of Lords and it will last for ever and forever. Never to end. What a promise from our Saviour.
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