Daniel 7:13-14
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.
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.
Unlike the beasts that clawed their way to power, the One like the Son of Man, is brought near to God and receives dominion freely given; dominion over all peoples, nations, and languages, a kingdom that cannot be destroyed. No empire in history has matched this description. Only one figure does – Jesus Christ.
The angel Gabriel announced to Mary that her Son would inherit the throne of David and reign forever, with no end to His kingdom (Luke 1:31-33). The Transfiguration (Matthew 17:5), the Ascension (Acts 1:9-11), and the proclamation of Revelation 11:15: The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever. All point to the same conclusion: Daniel’s vision has been personally embodied in Jesus of Nazareth.
Jesus Christ used the title, Son of Man, to speak of both His suffering and His glory. At His trial before the Sanhedrin, when the high priest demanded to know if He was the Christ, Jesus replied: From now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven (Matthew 26:64). He was the figure Daniel saw in the night visions, the One to whom everlasting dominion belongs.
God has highly exalted Jesus Christ and given Him the name which is above every name,that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11). This is the present reality confessed by the Church and awaiting its final, universal acknowledgment. 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 speaks of Christ reigning until every enemy is placed under His feet, with death itself as the last to fall. The dominion is being executed now, through the mission and witness of the Church, and will be consummated at His return.
Christian discipleship is life lived under a present Kingship of Jesus Christ. The kingdoms of this world are temporary; the kingdom of the Son of Man is eternal. We are citizens of that unshakeable kingdom, called to live by its values of justice, mercy, faithfulness, and love.
Because all peoples, nations, and languages are destined to serve the Son of Man, our proclamation of the Gospel across every cultural boundary is not an act of religious imperialism; it is the announcement of the King to those who are His. Every act of evangelism, every cross-cultural ministry, every prayer for the nations participates in the unfolding of Daniel’s vision.
Prayer points:
- Confess any area of your life where you have not yet submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
- Pray for boldness to proclaim the Kingdom of God in your community, workplace, and family.
- Intercede for the nations that the promise of Daniel 7:14 would be fulfilled as all peoples come to know and serve the Son of Man.
