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| > Sermon Archive > Sermons by Author > Rev. Rodney den Boer > Look behind the veil of history and believe in the dominion of the Son of Man | Previous Next Print |
| Order Of Worship (Liturgy) Read: Daniel 7 Sing: Ps 24:1, 2, 5; Ps 38:2, 8; Ps 50:1, 2; Ps 66:1, 2; Hy 45:1, 2, 3 Questions for reflection/discussion
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Dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ,*
When you read a secular history book, you’ll learn about many things. You’ll learn about people, politics, economics… many fascinating things. You’ll learn about some great battles that were fought. You’ll learn about great rulers, and some terrible ones. But when history is told from a secular point of view, it is as if a veil is lying over it. The true nature of history is not told in a secular textbook. You will not learn about the true nature of reality.
For that, we need the Holy Spirit to take that veil away. And that’s what he does for us in Daniel 7. Daniel 7 is one of the highlights of God’s revelation. It is a climax in the book of Daniel. And it reveals to us the reality that is at the centre of history: God the Father gives a kingdom to his Son, the son of man. Daniel’s distressing dream reveals the dominion of the Son of Man.
And that’s the perspective we need, not just for understanding history, but for understanding our very lives in this world. We need to know that Jesus Christ is king, that he is ruling above the messy politics in our world today. We need to know that Christ is ruling above and through the mess of our own lives. We need to know that he, who is our Saviour and our Lord, is the Lord of the Universe. So, the Holy Spirit teaches us this morning to:
Look behind the veil of history and believe in the dominion of the Son of Man
- His opponents
- His authority
- His people
1. The opponents of the Son of Man
With Daniel 7, we move to the second half of this book. The first half has shown the history of God’s people in exile, focusing on Daniel and his three friends, showing God’s provision for them under the rule of King Nebuchadnezzar, then King Belshazzar, and then the rule of the Persian/Median King Darius. In the second half, there is a notable shift in the genre, or the type of writing. Daniel switches from history to visions. You see in 7:1, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed, and wrote down the dream.
And it’s helpful for us, as we study this vision, to understand what kind of writing it is. When you read a history text book you expect to find a description of events that happened and their significance. But when you read a fairytale to your children, you expect to see made-up characters of princes and princesses and elves and dwarves. And we’re not reading a fairy-tale in Daniel 7, but we are reading a vision, and there are evocative pictures in this vision.
Notice that Daniel saw this vision. This is emphasised throughout the vision, v2, he saw in his vision, v4, I watched, v6, I looked, v7, after this I saw, and v8, I was considering. We, too, should see the vision. It is good to engage our imagination before we try to understand the meaning. Try to picture in your mind’s eye the lion with its great eagle wings. It’s almost like playing a movie, you first see the script before you understand its meaning.
As we’ll see, the message of chapters 7-12 is basically the same as chapters 1-6: God’s people will suffer in the future, but God is the King and he will preserve them and vindicate them. Chapters 1-6 told this in the form of history, in the real lives of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Chapters 7-12 now tells this in the form of visions, in word pictures. The form of a vision encourages us to engage our minds and imagination, as children do well, and to see this message being told to us in the form of powerful pictures.
And before we dig in to chapter 7, we can make one further remark about the structure of this book, which is that chapter 7 forms an inclusio with chapter 2. The entire section from chapter 2-7 is written in Aramaic, whereas chapter 1 and chapters 8-12 are written in Hebrew. And there are themes tying ch2 to ch7. In ch2, Nebuchadnezzar has the dream about the statue with the four kingdoms, the head of gold, etc., and then the stone which strikes those kingdoms and fills the earth, and Daniel reveals to Nebuchadnezzar that the stone represents the kingdom of God which will fill the entire earth. Chapter 7 shows four beasts representing four kingdoms, and the Son of Man who will receive the kingdom. That ties the two halves of the book together. Even though ch7 begins a new section, it is connected to the first section.
Chapter 7 itself is set in the first year of King Belshazzar of Babylon. That puts it sometime between ch4s and 5, in a time of transition, in the year 552-551BC, which was more than fifty years since Daniel was deported. King Nebuchadnezzar ruled for 43 years, and after him there were three kings before Belshazzar, who all had short reigns. You can imagine the instability that would have caused. And further, the time of Israel’s exile in Babylon was coming towards an end. Daniel knew from the prophecies of Jeremiah that the period of exile was set to be 70 years. And so, he was looking forward to the return from exile. He was looking forward to the triumph of God’s kingdom. It was getting closer.
But God reveals to Daniel in this chapter that there is much more suffering in store for God’s people, suffering that will even grow in intensity. The vision begins with a storm – the four winds stirring up the Great Sea, the wind, whipping up the ocean. The winds from north, south, east, and west, stir up the sea so that all is chaos and disorder. And from that wild sea comes four beasts. In the Bible, the sea represents not only disorder, but also wickedness. If you recall the beast in Revelation 13, he also comes out of the sea.
These four beasts represent four kingdoms. We’re familiar with nations being represented by different animals: USA an eagle; Russia a bear; we have a kangaroo and emu on our coat of arms. These four kingdoms are all powerful beasts. Scholars have disputed which kingdoms are referred to with these beasts. With the benefit of hindsight, we can see how they broadly correspond to different kingdoms. It is also good to remember that the first readers of this book did not have the same benefit of hindsight as we have. They merely saw four fearsome beasts.
The first is a lion, with wings like an eagle. Lions are majestic, strong animals. Notice that the wings are plucked off, and then it is made to stand like a man, and receives the heart or mind of a man. That naturally makes us think of King Nebuchadnezzar, who was humbled, had his wings plucked off, but when he repented, he received his humanity back.
The second beast was like a bear. This bear is eating – three ribs in its mouth, as it tears an animal apart, and it is given the command to arise and devour much flesh. We might think of the Medes and Persians, they are ferocious and destructive.
Daniel looks again and sees another beast like a leopard, a fast animal, made even faster by four wings, and strong. The swiftness of this beast reminds us of Alexander the Great, the Greek ruler who quickly conquered the world.
And then there is the fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong, with huge iron teeth, and ten horns, and then another horn, replacing three of the ten. The reference to iron reminds us of the feet of clay and iron in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. It was the strength of iron that fuelled the Roman empire. Notice that this beast is more terrible than the first three. There is a rising intensity of fierceness.
And this fierceness will be directed against the church. When Daniel asks about this fourth beast and especially the little horn, he learns that the horn will make war against the saints and will prevail against them, in v21. And this little horn, whoever he is, will blaspheme and persecute the saints of the Most High… and the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time.
Consider the implications for Daniel. Here he was, more than fifty years away from his homeland, his beloved city Jerusalem, the place of his ancestors, the place of worship of his God. The seventy years are getting closer to their fulfillment – he’s looking forward to going home! He’s looking forward to return for God’s people. But what does God reveal? Ferocious kingdoms, beasts, who will cause great suffering for his people. He’s already experienced some opposition against the kingdom of God together with his friends. And now God reveals that much more suffering is coming for his people. You can understand his response in v15 when he was grieved in his spirit and troubled by these visions.
And beloved, this vision gives us a glimpse into a central reality in history: the reality of a battle, a conflict between God and Satan, between God’s people and the forces of darkness. It’s a conflict that was already announced in the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve fell into sin. God himself placed enmity between the serpent and the woman, between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman, between Satan and the church, between the forces of darkness and God’s people. It’s a conflict which would not finish when God’s people returned from exile, but Satan and his beasts would continue to attack God’s people.
This, beloved congregation, is a conflict that continues today. The devil continues to oppose God. As we look ahead to the future, we can expect that opposition to continue. Paul writes in Ephesians 6:12 that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age. We’re fighting unseen forces, unseen forces that use algorithms on our phones. That’s where we meet the forces of darkness. They use the lyrics behind popular music. They dominate NetFlix with subtle or not-so-subtle messages. I often hear people say there’s not much good on NetFlix these days. I recently read that “many social media platforms expose children to pornographic content within minutes,” with Tiktok and Snapchat being the worst. That’s not a surprise when you realise that, all around us, the devil and his armies are on the attack. Do you believe that? If you really believe that, you’ll be very careful with the entertainment you watch or listen to or consume.
As we look ahead to the future, beloved, we ought not to expect easy times for God’s people. Elders, you ought to expect opposition to God’s kingdom. That won’t change unless Christ returns. The devil will continue to attack us. It’s no wonder this dream troubled Daniel, as he looked ahead. But as Daniel looks, he sees more than the beasts. He sees the glorious rule of the Ancient of Days as he gives authority to the Son of Man.
2. The authority of the Son of Man
Above the kingdoms on earth, there are thrones in heaven. The veil is pulled back and Daniel sees a glorious vision of the Almighty God.
The Ancient of Days is a term only used here in Scripture, but it reminds us of what Moses says about God in Psalm 90: “From everlasting to everlasting, you are God.” He is from everlasting, he has always existed, has always ruled. That is true, no matter which beasts come and go. God was, he is, he is to come, he is the Ancient of Days.
And see his appearance. His white clothing and white hair suggest purity. This same feature will come back in the vision that the apostle John has in Revelation 1 of the glorious, ascended Lord Jesus Christ. And there is fire, a fiery throne with wheels, and a fiery stream coming out of him. Fire elsewhere is used to represent the presence of God. Think of the burning bush. Think of Psalm 97:3: fire goes before him and burns up his enemies round about.
And look around at the scene. There are thousand and thousands of servants before him. He is so great that he is served by countless servants. What’s happening? It is the scene of a courtroom. The books are books of judgement, books which represent God’s rule over history.
That judgement is enacted on the beast, who is slain by fire. God’s fire consumed his enemies, the beasts had their dominion taken away, although they weren’t yet destroyed. The kingdoms of this world are clearly underneath the control of Almighty God. Though Daniel was disturbed by the beasts, he could look above them and see that God was ruling.
And as he continued to watch, he saw the reality of history unfolding before his eyes. One like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, was brought near to the Ancient of Days, and was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. This is the final goal of history. All peoples, nations, and languages will not bow down to a false statue, like Nebuchadnezzar tried to do, but they will bow before the Son of Man.
The title, “Son of Man” simply means a true man. Think of Psalm 8: What is man that you are mindful of him, or the Son of Man that you take care of him? Son of man = a true man who is begotten of a man. The Son of Man is a man who will rule the world.
That was God’s intention at the beginning, when he made man in his image, male and female he made them, and he gave them the charge to have dominion over all creation. It was God’s intention that humans would rule the world. And so, the Son of Man comes to fulfil God’s original design for man to rule the world. Notice the contrast with the four beasts. It was not God’s plan for beasts to rule the world, but humans, made in his image!
It is highly significant that our Lord Jesus Christ used this term to describe himself. He is the Son of Man. And he spoke about the time when he would come in his glory, in the glory foretold here in Daniel 7. In Matthew 25:31, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations.” And when the High Priest placed him under oath in Matthew 26 and asks if he is the Christ, the Son of God, Jesus said, “you have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” And they said, “he blasphemes.” They knew he was referring to Daniel 7, and claiming to have the authority and glory of the Son of Man.
Beloved congregation, this is a vision of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has received all authority in heaven and on earth. Just before he ascended into heaven, he said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” The Father has given him dominion and glory and a kingdom, to rule to the ends of the earth, and to do that as the Son of Man, as a true human. He rules as the second Adam, he truly has dominion over all creation, over the birds of the air and the fish of the sea and over all the beasts, including those beasts that oppose him greatly and persecute his people. Do you believe that? Jesus is Lord.
Yes, we are in a battle. Yes, look around and you’ll see much opposition to his rule. But our Lord Jesus Christ is King. Look behind the veil of history and believe in the dominion of the Son of Man. It is not world leaders who really call the shots, it is not big corporations, but our Lord Jesus Christ, who rules the world. And his dominion is not far removed from us. Because he rules on our behalf, and we rule with him.
3. His people
Did you notice that? The Son of Man receives the kingdom, but three times after that it is said that the saints receive the kingdom. In v18, the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever, in v22, the Ancient of Days judges in favour of them and the time comes for them to possess the kingdom, and in v27, his dominion is given to the people, the saints of the Most High. The Son of Man and the saints of the Most High are very closely connected, because the kingdom which is given to him is given to them; the kingdom which is his is at the same time theirs.
We’ve already seen how the Son of God came as the second Adam, as a true man, and as such, he represents us. He represents us in his person and in his rule. The saints of the Most High are those who believe in Jesus Christ. And by faith, we are connected to him as a Head is connected to a body. We are in Christ. We are joined to him by faith. And so, when he rules, we rule with him.
This is a great consolation for us. The kingdom belongs to us. As God’s people, we suffer. The saints are given into the hands of the beast. Daniel could look ahead and know that difficult times would come for God’s people, times of suffering and persecution where they would be oppressed by world leaders. We live in this world dominated by ungodly rulers and the ruler of darkness attacks us in many ways. We daily deal with the realities of sin, death, division, brokenness, pain, and suffering. And that will be true for the remainder of this present age. There is more suffering coming. We shouldn’t be surprised.
And yet, we know that is not the ultimate reality. The ultimate reality is that we will rule with Christ. Our path is one through suffering to glory. We follow the path taken by the Son of Man, who suffered on behalf of the saints of the Most High, who suffered for us, who suffered and died because of our sins, and then was raised, and given authority to rule. We follow the path through suffering to glory. In our suffering, we can be assured that we will rule with him.
In Matthew 25:34, the Son of Man, the King, will say to those on his right hand who have identified with his suffering people, “Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” And in 1 Corinthians 6, Paul says to the Corinthians, don’t you know that the saints will rule the world? And in Revelation 2:26, Christ says to the faithful believers at Thyatira, “He who overcomes, and keeps my works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations.” Beloved, we, the saints of God, who believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we will rule the world! We will possess the kingdom and rule with him.
This reality emboldens us. It also gives confidence to the office-bearers who are given to be our leaders. This passage is very relevant to you, brothers, in your work. You are given your authority by the Lord Jesus Christ, and you are called to rule on his behalf, with his Word.
Brothers, as you spend time among us, the saints of the Most High, you will be acquainted with a suffering people, a people amid an age-old conflict. The devil will do his best to undermine your work. He’ll try to beat you down with discouragement. He’ll try to distract you from the Word of God. He’ll try and make you fall. The battle will continue to rage for the next three years, and as leaders of the church you will see it, you will join the front lines.
But remember, dear brothers, to look behind the veil of history, and know that the Son of Man is ruling, know that he has dominion. Remember that Jesus wins. Be encouraged by that. And with that courage, come and enter the fray with us. Help us to see the fight we are in – we can get distracted sometimes, we can become deceived by the devil and even by our own flesh. We get weary from the fight, we get weighed down by guilt, we get oppressed and tempted by the devil. Remind us of our victory. Remind us of the dominion of the Son of Man. Point us to him and give us the courage to press on. Remind us that we will share his victory. Help us to see behind the veil of this world, help us to see the true story at the heart of the universe, help us to remember and believe that Jesus wins.
And congregation, look beyond these men to your Lord Jesus Christ. We know how the story ends. Have you ever just sneaked ahead to the end of a book and read the last page to see how the story ends? We know how the story ends: our Lord Jesus Christ wins and we share his victory. Let’s be courageous and look forward to that ending, trusting our Lord Jesus Christ. Look behind the veil of history and believe that the Son of Man has dominion. Amen.
*This sermon was originally prepared for an ordination service of elders and deacons
* As a matter of courtesy please advise Rev. Rodney den Boer, if you plan to use this sermon in a worship service. Thank-you.
(c) Copyright 2025, Rev. Rodney den Boer
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