Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18 (page 744 in our Bibles) Complicated!
The vision starts with four beasts, representing empires emerging from the sea,
representing chaos. We then switch to a judgment scene which is presided over
by the ancient of days(v. 9) and the climax has one "like a son of man
coming on the clouds of heaven" who is given dominion, and glory and a
kingdom(v14). But the extraordinary thing is that this dominion shall then be
given to the "people of the saints of the most high" (v 27). We share
in the dominion of the new heaven and the new earth!
Ephesians 1: 11-23 (page 966 in our Bibles). A glorious
piece of writing that talks of our "inheritance", and the seal of the
Holy Spirit which guarantees it, and speaks of the church as the body of Christ
which fills all in all.
Luke 6:20-31 (page 862 in our Bibles) These
blessings and woes are both directed to the disciples and are a challenging
portrait of what the community of believers is supposed to look like. The
fourth blessing is especially challenging. The gospel will not necessarily make
you popular! We are called to be prophets and our fate may well be similar to
the prophets of old.
One of the most inspiring speeches ever given started “I
have a dream” when Martin Luther King articulated a vision of a better present
and a future for America. Here is Daniel we have a vision, whose scope is much
larger than America’s future. This vision is of the future of all creation with
a special place within it for us, God’s children.
We start with the glorious prophetic imagery of the book of
Daniel, which begins in the chaos of the world represented by the sea and the
dysfunctional Kingdoms of this world vying for worldly power which are the
beasts that emerge out of the sea.
So all the world seems chaotic, hopeless and random – unjust
and unkind. But what books like Daniel are at pains to tell is that no matter
how bleak or oppressive or hopeless the situation in the world seems – take
heart and strength that God is in control and He has marvellous plans for us
and the whole creation and because God is the guarantor of this vision we can
be sure that it will come to pass.
God here is called the “ancient of days” and is envisioned
as a marvellous spectacle as He takes his seat, he is ancient, denoting wisdom,
his clothing is white as snow denoting purity and holiness, and the fire
denotes judgement on everything that is going on.
Then comes the prophesy that all these earthly kingdoms
vying for power on earth are as nothing because a superior unshakeable kingdom of
God will be revealed. And then the coming of Jesus Christ and his kingdom is
foretold.
And we know this vision is true and will unfold because the
first part of it has already taken place. And behold with the clouds of heaven
one “like a son of man” will be presented with a new eternal kingdom, and he
will have an everlasting kingship. And
you will know of course that Jesus’ favourite way of referring to himself was
“the son of man” and this is exactly this passage in Daniel that Jesus is
referring to when he uses that term.
All kingdoms, all empires eventually fall; the Greeks, the
Romans, the Persians, the Assyrians, the British, all which once seemed
impregnable and unthinkable that they might decay and die. But they did.
But this kingdom, the kingdom of God will never die.
Remember that this kingdom formed the content of Jesus’ first ever
pronouncement. “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand”.
But then something even more extraordinary is announced.
Whilst Christ is King in this new order, dominion is to be shared. Christ is
not a dictator.
Who is this kingdom going to be shared with? “The saints of
the most high will share this kingdom.
And just in case we didn’t get it the first time this is
underlined in verse 27
“And the kingdom and the dominion shall be given to the
people of the saints of the most high”
Who are the saints? That is us. We share in the Royal
Dominon. A saint, before the term was
highjacked to denote a few super Christians officially declared “saint” was the
term Paul used when he was addressing the whole community of Christians.
We are the saints of the most high whose inheritance is to
share in the kingship of Christ in the Kingdom of God.
And Paul talks of our inheritance in his letter to the
Ephesians. Saint means holy which means “set apart”. We are a people set apart
for a great inheritance and our guarantee of that inheritance is the seal of
the Holy Spirit. That is why we call ourselves “the body of Christ” and led
Peter to refer to the church as “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy
nation, a people for his own possession” (1 Peter 2:9)
When we sing “For all the Saints” we are singing about
ourselves and all Christians past, present and future who will share in this
glorious vision.
Don’t forget we are holy, set apart, different. And Jesus pronounces
some blessings and woes. He points out that it is not going to be plain sailing
and in fact, it is not going to guarantee you popularity. In fact he says
rejoice in that day when people hate you, and exclude you and spurn your name
as evil on account of the son of man, for behold, your reward will be great in
heaven”.
Jesus talks about our reward, our inheritance as co-heirs of
the Kingdom of heaven. If you need encouragement in your faith, keep that
vision of the new creation uppermost in your mind.
A glorious inheritance kept for us, the saints of the most
high. We have a vision of that glorious future in the book of Revelation.
21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the
first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I
saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming
down out of heaven from God,prepared as a
bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the
dwelling place[a] of God
is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people,[b] and God
himself will be with them as their God.[c] 4 He will
wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death
shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain any
more, for the former things have passed away.”
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