Daniel 7:13-14
13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
In the middle of this difficult chapter, we find a vision of the Son of Man receiving “dominion, glory and a kingdom.” It represents the hope we have despite our apparently chaotic world where those who gain power manipulate, exploit, and oppress all around them. The Son of Man is of course our Lord Jesus. He lived, died, and rose again for his people. Now he has in his own words, “all authority in heaven and on earth.” He rules over us and will ultimately bring all the world to account.
This means everything to those who believe in him. We can rest in him as the one who is victorious over all the forces of evil, even death. We comfortably submit to him as our ruler, knowing he is full of wisdom, compassion, and mercy. Joyfully we can speak of him to the world as the hope all need whether they recognise it or not. While the world worries about plight of our age, we can patiently wait for our King to return and establish a new heavens and a new earth under his rule.
All of this allows us to keep in perspective the pretenders to power in our world. They have apparent power, but it is only under the real power of Jesus. They can act only as far as he allows because his dominion is an everlasting dominion and will never pass away.
David Johnston
