Finding Jesus in the Bible…So We Can Follow Him in Life
Bible Reading Plans
- Plan One: New Testament Only
- Plan Two: New Testament + Psalms
- Plan Three: New Testament + History
- Plan Four: The Entire Bible – Year 1 of 3, Year 2 of 3, Year 3 of 3
Don’t know which plan? Go to A Christ-Centered Bible Reading Plan: Quick Start.
Extras
Verse of the Day, Audio Capsule, and Video Minute
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(Today’s Reading)
The Biblical Case for the Second Coming as Accomplished Fact
(Book Installment 53)
Part Three – The Nature of the Second Coming
Chapter 8 – How the Old Testament Prophets Set the Stage
What Exactly Was Daniel Getting At?
Let us return to the Daniel 7 passage. It is as significant as Psalm 110 in terms of understanding the kingdom of God. At His trial (Matthew 26:64), Jesus quotes both Psalm 110:1 and Daniel 7:13. According to Jesus, upon the fulfillment of these two scriptures hung the inauguration of the kingdom of God. Psalm 110:1 was fulfilled when Jesus was raised from the dead and made to sit at the right hand of God. Daniel 7:13 was fulfilled when the Son of God came again in the glory of His Father.
We have already seen that the main point of Daniel’s vision was that the Messiah was receiving authority. Specifically, He was receiving the authority of God. We have also seen that a physical interpretation of Daniel’s vision is out of the question. One more proof of this is that when Daniel himself asked for an interpretation of it, he was given a spiritual one (Daniel 7:15-28). The four beasts which preceded the Ancient of Days and the Son of Man were four kingdoms. (Need we mention that a physical appearance of the Son of Man would require not only a physical appearance of the Ancient of Days but of these four physical beasts as well?)
The common theme of Daniel’s whole vision is kingdoms, their authority and duration. The culmination and climax of the vision was the Son of Man receiving the kingdom that would never end and would crush all other kingdoms. This would have to be the kingdom of God. Now we remember that Jesus told His disciples that He would come in “the glory of His Father with His holy angels.” As man is superior to the beasts, so God is superior to man. Jesus, having eschewed an earthly kingdom now accepts the heavenly one. This means He receives heavenly glory, the same glory that God has. If humanity is largely blind to the glory of God – and it is – would it not also be blind when the Son came in that glory?
And so we see that Daniel’s vision shows Messiah “coming” into great authority and glory – the authority and glory of God. This is what is meant by saying Jesus came the first time as man and the second time as God. The “coming” was not to a mountain in Jerusalem or Samaria (John 4:21-24), but to every human heart in spirit and in truth. At the resurrection, Jesus took the throne of Israel (Psalm 110:1); at the Second Coming, He took the throne of the universe (Daniel 7:13). At His trial, Jesus acknowledged that He was the central figure being prophesied in these twin achievements (Matthew 26:64). False testimony was not enough to get Jesus convicted, but acknowledging the truth of these two Old Testament prophecies did Him in.
(This concludes this section of the chapter, and the chapter)
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Tomorrow we’ll begin seeing how the apostles explained the stage that the prophets had set.
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