Daniel was greatly troubled, and it was not due to the fearful
beasts he saw, for he could tell they were symbols. What troubled him was what
he should make out of all these beasts. What is the exact interpretation of
what he saw?
What he saw were no ordinary events. First were the tumultuous
sea and the beasts of the heavy throne, the Ancient of Day and the Son of Man.
What concerned Daniel were the exact details and their implications for the
people with him in exile.
Anxious, Daniel turned to ask about what he had seen in his
visions. Though not mentioned, the one he turned to ask was probably an angelic
being among the many that stood by. He was briefly given the interpretation in
verses 17-18.
Daniel was told that the four beasts were four kings who would
rise from the earth. But didn't we say that they represented four kingdoms? Is
there a contradiction? No, the angel was referring to the head of the empire.
Every empire would, of necessity, have a king. Later, in verse 23, Daniel was
told that the four beasts refer to four kingdoms.
There is one more detail that seems different. It was said that
the Kingdom was given to the Son of man earlier. But verse 18 says, “The saints
of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever,
for all ages to come.”
There is no contradiction in that, as with all kings,
The Son of Man, Jesus the Messiah, also has subjects. Here, His subjects, the
people of God, are the saints of the Most High—people who are rightly related
to Christ. Such people are given the privilege of being His blessed
inheritance. This Messiah's Kingdom, of which we all are a part, is not a
fleeting empire but an everlasting and indestructible testament to God's
eternal plan and promise.
Implicit in this would be the truth of the resurrection. How
could the saints possess the Kingdom eternally if they could not live
eternally? As the last line of the Apostle Creed declares, “I believe in the
resurrection of the body and life everlasting.”
What a glorious thought that we are people of the Messiah's
Kingdom. First, Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, a people for his possession, that you may proclaim the
excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” We
are not just passive beneficiaries of this Kingdom but active participants with
a crucial role to play. We must proclaim the Kingdom and make known our King.
Yes, even now, with a sense of urgency and responsibility.
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