Bible Passage: Daniel 7:13-14
Pastor: Joel Jenswold
Sermon Date: November 24, 2024

Bulletin November 24, 2024

In the name of, and to the eternal glory of, Jesus,

A close look at many beloved children’s stories reveals something quite interesting.  Certain common elements seem to occur and reoccur.  Very often the stories will involve a kingdom; a villain who rises and brings suffering and oppression; a hero, many times a king’s son, a prince; the defeat of the villain; a wedding at the end; and the final refrain so often is, “…and they lived happily ever after.”  It is a formula that has been used again and again across many different cultures.  There are many professors and PhD’s who have studied and written about this almost-universal feature of literature.

In many ways, it is the story God tells us in the Bible.   Now here I must say emphatically…I am not in any way suggesting or implying that the Bible is on the level of fairy tales!  But I am simply observing that the story God tells in the Bible seems to be the yearning of the human heart.  People have a sense that all is not well in this worldly kingdom.  People seem to be longing for rescue and “happily ever after.”

“Happily-Ever-After” is not just in fiction and fairy tales.  It is the hope and eager  expectation of every child of God.  Our text for today puts before us The King, and the Kingdom, where “Happily-Ever-After” is Reality.

At first blush a person may think that our text reads like a fairy tale.  It is not!  But it is unusual language, because it is part of a vision Daniel received. Daniel was one of the Jews who had been taken as an exile to Babylon.  This is the Daniel of “Daniel in the Lions’ Den.”  What we may not always remember about Daniel is that the Lord gave Daniel a number of visions about the future, much like John’s vision in the book of Revelation.  Our text is part of one such vision.

Daniel had this vision one night.  In it he saw four beasts.  One beast looked like a lion.  One like a bear.  Another like a leopard.  And the last one Daniel simply described as terrifying and very strong.  It had large teeth with which it devoured and destroyed.  It had ten horns.  And then, as Daniel watched, another little horn sprouted and pushed aside three of the horns.  Long story short, these beasts represent four world empires.  The kingdom of Babylon, then the Persians, then the Greeks under Alexander the Great, and then the Romans.  And that little horn was the kingdom of Antichrist.

It’s what happens next that is significant.  Daniel sees one whose clothing is as white as snow and whose hair is white as wool.  Daniel calls him the Ancient of Days.  That is a way of saying he is eternal.  He is seated on a fiery throne.  One-hundred-million angels surround his throne.  Everyone is seated.  Books are opened.  Court is in session.  The Ancient of Days judges and takes away the power and dominion of all those kingdoms.  The vision is not over.

This is where our text begins.  Daniel keeps watching.  He says, “There, in the clouds of heaven, I saw one like a son of man coming. (v. 13)  That is just a way of saying it looked like a human being.  This person came into the presence of the Ancient of Days.  To him was given dominion, honor, and a kingdom. (v. 14)  This person is given a kingdom!  Who is this?  This is Jesus Christ!

Jesus took Daniel’s term “son of man” and it became Jesus’ favorite way of referring to himself.  It was also a way he cleverly was telling people HE is the one Dainel saw in this vision!  Jesus Christ is the one who has been given dominion, honor, and a kingdom.  We sometimes struggle to understand how a kingdom is “given” to Jesus.  The answer is found in understanding the humiliation and exaltation of Jesus.  God’s Son became incarnate in the person of Jesus.  From the time of his conception to the time of his death and burial, he laid aside the full use of his glory and majesty.  That’s why Pilate struggled to understand how Jesus could be king!  But after rising from the dead, Jesus would say, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (Matthew 28:19)  Ascension Day is pretty much our text!  The Son of Man came into the presence of the Ancient of Days, his Father, and was given the rule and reign of all things!

The Lord gave this vision to Daniel to comfort God’s people.  The Jews were living in crazy political times.  The Jews had been defeated by the Babylonians.  The Babylonians would be upended by the Persians.  Alexander and the Greeks would replace the Persians.  The Roman empire would then rise…and fall.  And so on…and so on.  Politics can drive you nuts!  We, too, are living in strange and unpredictable political times.  What comfort to know, in the end, there will be  one King left on one throne.  Jesus!  With our King we will live “happily ever after”!

As Americans, we aren’t much for “king” talk.  In fact, our nation was born because we wanted out from under a tyrannical king.  Our fathers gave us a new government, a constitutional republic.  They feared one person having all authority, so they separated the powers.  Making laws was one branch.  Interpreting the laws was another.  Executing them was another.  Ah, separation of powers!  Checks and balances!  One person doesn’t do it all!  It works okay…except for when there is gridlock.  Truth be known, monarchy works best, if you have a good king.

And in Jesus, we have a good king!  Your king is the one who laid aside his glory and majesty to come into this world to live like a peasant.  Your king is the one who went to the cross for your sins.   Your king is the one who rose again to open the kingdom of heaven to all believers!  Your king forever has freed you from the tyranny of sin, death, and devil.  That is why it is said, All people, nations, and languages will worship him. This is a king we worship! His dominion is an eternal dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed. (v. 14)  This is the King and the Kingdom where “happily-ever-after” is reality!

Amen.