Daniel 7
As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed. – Daniel 7:13-14 NLT
It seems that Daniel not only interprets dreams, he has them. And the dream he has in chapter seven is a doozy. It is full of bizarre beasts, big horns and little, violent wars, and other disturbing imagery. And even with his interpretative skills, Daniel is unable to figure this one out. So in the midst of his dream he approaches the throne of God and is given an explanation. He is given a vision of the future. His dream includes the not-so-distant future and a time that has yet to happen even in our day. Ultimately, his dream is about the end times. He is given a glimpse of the time of the tribulation and the coming of the Antichrist. But more importantly, Daniel is given a view of the coming of the Son of Man – the return of Christ to rule and to reign on the earth. The term "Son of Man" was Jesus' favorite designation for Himself. He preferred it over the more common term "Messiah," because to most Jews that simply indicated a human deliverer sent by God. By referring to Himself as the Son of Man, He was claiming the role of the one predicted in Daniel's dream. He was the coming God-man. He would one day be "given authority, honor and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him" (Daniel 7:14 NLT). His coming kingdom would be an earthly, not just spiritual, kingdom. And it would last forever.
Of all the beings revealed in this dream of Daniels, the most significant one is that of the Son of Man. He is not described in detail. We do not get a good idea of what He looks like. The other beasts are described in frightening detail. But with the Son of Man, the emphasis is more on what He will do than on what He looks like. Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, will destroy the Antichrist and all the nations he will have gathered to rebel against God Almighty. He will use His God-given authority to destroy the enemies of God and usher in a new age of perfect peace. "Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords" (Revelation 19:11-16 NLT).
We may not be able to fully understand just who the other beasts represents. But we do know that the Son of Man is the Son of God, Jesus Christ. And He is going to return to the earth one day to finish His work and establish His kingdom once and for all. His rule will be eternal – it will never end. And unlike the nations represented in Daniel's dream, the Son of Man's kingdom will never be destroyed.
Father, in the midst of all the chaos that surrounds the end times, we can rest in the knowledge that Your Son will come onto the scene and set all things right. He is the Son of Man, the Savior who has come and will come again. He is not finished saving this world. His work is not yet done. Help us keep our eyes focused on the one character in Daniel's dream that truly makes a difference – Jesus Christ, Your Son and our Savior. Amen