DANIEL 7:9-10,13-14
HIS KINGDOM SHALL NOT BE DESTROYED.
In
the name + of Jesus.
Our Lord Jesus Christ spoke words
that people would prefer that he either never said or never meant. Jesus declared, “There is nothing hidden that will not be
revealed, and nothing concealed that will not come to light”
(Mark 4:22). Think
about that. Everything you ever did,
said, or thought will be revealed. Before
God—and on Judgment Day before all mankind—there will be no secrets. Everyone will be exposed
with nowhere to hide. There
will be no point in denying the charges; for our Lord is omniscient and omnipresent. He knows all, sees all, and
is in all places.
This
is what Daniel witnessed in his vision on the Last Day. “As I looked, thrones
were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat… The court
sat in judgment, and the books were opened” (Daniel 7:9-10). St.
John saw a similar vision in Revelation: “I saw the dead, great and small, standing
before the throne, and books were opened. … And the
dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had
done” (Revelation 10:11-12).
The
Lord sees our behavior no matter where we are and what we are doing. More than seeing our
behavior and hearing our words, the Lord knows the very thoughts of our hearts. Many people have no problem
spewing out awful, hateful words on social media. They
can hide behind false names or burner accounts, allowing them to be as offensive,
insulting, or disrespectful as they can be. They
are convinced they can get away with it; and for the most part, they do. But if you think the
internet never forgets, then fear the Lord all the more! On the Last Day, as you are surrounded by all
people who have ever lived, the books will be opened. The
Lord will review and recite the records. Sins will be made known. The guilty will be proved guilty. The judgment will be just
because the evidence will be presented without being exaggerated and without
being refuted. It is no wonder that people
will cower before the Ancient of Days. The
eternal God holds us all responsible for everything he has given us—wealth,
words, talents, time, bodies, minds, and manners.
And yet,
there is one who is bold enough to approach the Ancient of Days without fear. Daniel described him: “I saw in the night visions, and behold,
with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to
the Ancient of Days and was presented before him” (Daniel 7:13). He is not merely presented; he is exalted
before the Ancient of Days. “To him
was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples,
nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting
dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be
destroyed” (Daniel 7:14). This Son
of Man has no reason to cower before God the Father; for, he is as pure and
innocent as the Father is. This Son of
Man has no reason to fear judgment; for he is righteous, and the evidence
proves it.
No one could find fault with Jesus. When Jesus was on trial, his enemies trumped
up charges against him. But no charge
could stick. Even paid false witnesses
could not get their stories to agree. Later,
the highest court in the land declared him innocent no less than three times. He was sentenced for crucifixion anyway. But by dying this way, Jesus completed
perfectly and obediently everything that was demanded of him—including dying an
innocent death on behalf of the guilty.
Therefore, the Son of Man has been exalted over everything in heaven and
on earth. And his kingdom shall never be
destroyed.
If he is the King over heaven and earth,
that means that all people are to be subject to him. It is exactly as Daniel said, “To him was
given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations,
and languages should serve him” (Daniel 7:13). If this makes us chafe, it’s because we do not
want to be subject to anyone or be subservient at all. We extol complete freedom. But you and I do not have complete
freedom. We are dependent upon food,
water, and air. While we strive to take
care of our bodies, no one keeps his own heart beating or lungs pumping. Even when you were born and when you will die—it
is God’s call. All these things depend
upon God.
While we have some freedom to go about our
daily lives, we have no freedom in a spiritual sense. We are subservient to our sinful nature. Many claim, “No, I am free. I can do whatever I want.” But if that is true, then be holy this
week. You can’t. Or, be honest and admit that freedom means, “I
want to commit whatever sins I like and to suffer no consequences for them.” But this is not freedom. Either way, you are a slave to sin. Whoever is bound by their sins is also bound
to God’s righteous judgment. This is why
people despise God. For, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the
hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31).
But not for Jesus. He who has no sin has no reason to fear the
Ancient of Days. He is the one man who
could dwell in the presence of God because he is the one man who is without sin
or guilt. But once again, Jesus did not
merely approach God; he was exalted by his heavenly Father. That’s because Jesus submitted to the duty
given to him by his heavenly Father: He made himself a sin offering for the
world. As a sin offering, Jesus had all
our sins laid upon him. He became the substitute
for us. As a sin offering, Jesus was wholly
consumed in the fiery wrath of the Father.
The Father held nothing back.
Jesus absorbed the full wrath of God because he had taken on the full
load of sin for all people. After all,
Jesus knows everything you and I have thought, said, and done. Therefore, he did not miss any charge, but claimed
accountability for all of it.
Because Jesus has fulfilled his mission
and has paid for all your sins—no matter how severe or secret—Jesus was exalted
by his heavenly Father. The Father was
pleased with Jesus’ sacrifice and his obedience. So, when the Son of Man approached the Ancient
of Days, it was to take up his place on the heavenly throne. He lives and reigns, and his kingdom shall
never be destroyed.
Jesus has brought you into his kingdom through
your baptism. By bringing you into his kingdom,
Jesus has delivered all the benefits of his life, death, and resurrection to
you. Jesus’ perfect life answers for
your disobedience. Jesus’ perfect
service to his Father atones for your service to yourself. Jesus’ willing death is the payment for all our
sins, whether done willingly or in weakness.
And since this man has overcome death, he is the way for all mankind to
be raised from the dead to receive eternal life. Because this man dwells in the presence of
his heavenly Father, he is the way for mankind to stand in the presence of God
as well. And since this man has appeased
God’s wrath, mankind does not need to cower before the Lord. Jesus presents you as guiltless before his
Father. He has delivered you into his kingdom
of grace and peace. And his kingdom
shall not be destroyed.
Daniel observed, “To him was given
dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and
languages should serve him” (Daniel 7:14).
Some people may be outraged that they should have to serve the
Lord. But one way or another, everyone
will have to. Concerning Jesus, St. Paul
reminds us that “God has highly exalted
him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should
bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ
is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11). Now,
to bend the knee before Jesus is to confess that he is your sovereign King. On the Last Day, everyone will confess it. Everyone will bend the knee before King Jesus. Even if they don’t want to, they will have
to; for Jesus lives and reigns. His
glory will not be deniable. Those who reject
him and have made it clear that they want nothing to do with Jesus will, sadly,
get what they want for eternity. Rejecting
Jesus does not nullify his rule. Jesus
lives and reigns, and his kingdom shall not be destroyed.
But what a joy it is for us
to bend the knee to honor Jesus! How we delight
to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord! He
is OUR Lord. We are his redeemed people,
purchased by Jesus’ innocent death and cleansed by Jesus’ precious blood. We are the beneficiaries of Jesus’ perfect
life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection. His kingdom is our refuge from sin and guilt. His kingdom is the only place to find peace
for one’s conscience and comfort in sorrow and even in death. We rejoice that his kingdom shall not be
destroyed; for then our salvation will never be destroyed.
And to serve Jesus is not oppressive
for us. His commands are not burdensome. It is like your father telling you, “I need
you to clean up the room,” or like your mother saying, “I want you to study
hard for that test.” Even if the
commands require some effort on our part, we do them because we know that they
are good. And we do them out of love for
the one who calls us to act. We know
that every word of his guides us in righteousness. Now these are the very things we want to do
because, thanks to Jesus, we have been freed from sinful desires that lead to
death. Now we are free from the terrors
of conscience, death, and judgment. We
are free to love and serve God, knowing that he is on our side, saves us, and
serves us for our good.
Jesus’ kingdom will not be destroyed. “To him was given dominion and
glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve
him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and
his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:14). Jesus, true God and yet true man, reigns
supreme. He is seated at the right hand
of God the Father Almighty. That means
wherever God has authority, Jesus is there.
Jesus knows all things, sees all things, and is present everywhere.
But you know that Jesus lives and reigns
for your eternal good. So, if Jesus
knows all things, he knows that you trust in him for forgiveness and salvation. If Jesus sees all things, he sees that you
are covered in his righteousness. If
Jesus is present everywhere, then there is no place on earth that his mercy
will fail you. And on the Last Day when “there is nothing hidden that will not be
revealed, and nothing concealed that will not come to light”
(Mark 4:22), Jesus will
make it known to all mankind, to all the angels, and to his heavenly Father
that you are his beloved people. And the
books will be opened, and there will be no charges against you; for Jesus has purged
the records with his blood. And you will
enter his glory to live and reign beside him.
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
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