In the seventh chapter of the Book of Daniel, its author is shown the very vision because of which this book came to be perceived by Christians as prophetic above all. It concerns the figure of the Messiah who appears there...
In the seventh chapter of the Book of Daniel, its author is shown the very vision because of which this book came to be perceived by Christians as prophetic above all. It concerns the figure of the Messiah who appears there, the Messiah in the image of the Son of Man, who is brought to the One called in the book "the Ancient of Days" (so in the Synodal Translation; it would be more precise to translate "Ancient in days," one of the descriptive characteristics of God accepted in those times).
The matter is evidently a vision of the Throne of Glory, examples of which occur quite often in the Old Testament books. One of the most vivid may be considered the vision described in the sixth chapter of the Book of Isaiah. In such visions, YHWH appears to the visionary in the form of a figure resembling a human being, clothed in shining garments and seated on a shining Throne.
Of course, like every vision, the vision of the Throne of Glory is symbolic, but this symbolism is quite transparent: it speaks of YHWH as the King of the universe and of the world as His Kingdom, as the world was conceived from the beginning and as it was created. At the Throne of Glory, a person rediscovers the world as the Kingdom of God, the world that fallen humanity had already managed to forget quite thoroughly.
It is no accident that visions of the Throne of Glory formed an essential part of the spiritual experience not only of individual people, but of the YHWH-worshiping community as a whole, especially since this experience was directly connected with Temple worship. And now, at the Throne of Glory, something happens that becomes the center and chief meaning of world history, completely changing the course of events. Until now, earthly kingdoms on the earth, what today we would call civilizations in the sense in which people speak, for example, of the great civilizations of antiquity, had succeeded one another, following God's design for the world and its development.
But now authority over the world will come directly and immediately from the Throne, through the Messiah, the Son of Man, who receives His authority directly from God at this very Throne. It is no accident that during His earthly ministry Jesus so often called Himself the Son of Man: the vision described in the Book of Daniel reflects the meaning of His ministry more accurately than any other. And this one messianic vision in the Book of Daniel is truly enough to regard it as prophetic: for here there really is prophecy, prophecy about the coming of the Messiah, until which very little time remains.
7 We come now to the prophetical part of Daniel, in which are many things hard to be understood. In this chapter we have, The vision of the four beasts, Dan 7:1-8.
The vision of God's throne of government and judgment, Dan 7:9-14.
The interpretation of those visions, Dan 7:15-28.
7:1 In the first year of Belshazzar - This prophecy is written in Chaldee, to be a monument to him, of the reverence his father and grandfather shewed towards God, who had done such mighty works for them.Then he wrote - These visions were recorded for the benefit of the church, to rectify their mistake: for they thought all things would succeed prosperously after they returned out of their captivity.
7:2 The four winds - Probably by the four winds of the great sea is signified commotions of contrary nations, striving together by wars, and producing these four beasts successively.
7:3 Four great beasts - That is, four great monarchies, great, in comparison of particular kingdoms; beasts for their tyrannical oppressions.
7:4 The first - This was the Chaldean, or Assyrian; whose seat was first at Babylon, afterwards at Nineveh, and then at Babylon again. Eagle's wings - They were swift, over - running many countries, and brought their monarchy to a prodigious height in a short time.The wings were plucked - Which was first done in stopping the career of their victories, and afterwards in casting them out of their kingdom.A man's heart - They lost their lion - like courage, and became faint and cowardly like other men.
7:5 Another beast - The Mede's and Persians, a fierce, ravenous creature. On one side - The north side; for the Mede first arose and sent to Cyrus the Persian to come and assist him against the Assyrian. Three ribs - Several of the Babylonian subjects revolted, and all these made the three ribs.
7:6 Like a leopard - This leopard was the Grecian monarchy; a leopard is less than a lion, so was this monarchy at first, but yet durst fight with a lion; so did Alexander encounter Darius with an inferior force. A leopard also for his swiftness; therefore described with four wings on his back. Four heads - He was succeeded by four of his chief commanders, who divided that empire into four parts.
7:7 A fourth beast - The Roman empire.
7:8 Another little horn - Probably either the Turk or the Romish antichrist.
7:9 The thrones - The kingdoms of this world were destroyed by God the king, and judge of all, called the Ancient of days, because of his eternal deity.
7:11 Destroyed - This cannot but be meant of the ruin and judgment of antichrist.
7:13 A son of man - That is, the Messiah, he came with the clouds of heaven, gloriously, swiftly and terribly. And came - This relates to his ascension, at which time, he received his royal investiture, for the protection of his church, and curbing of their enemies.