The Reception and Crowning of the Prince (Daniel 7:13-14).
‘I was beholding in the night visions:
And behold with the clouds of heaven,
Came one like a son of man,
And he came to the ancient of days,
And they brought him near before him.
And to him was given dominion, and glory, and a kingdom,
That all people, nations and languages should serve him,
His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
Which shall not pass away,
And his kingdom one
That will not be destroyed.'
Again there is a change of scene. Again a scene in heaven is put in poetic metre.
No indication is given of how these verses tie in timewise with the surrounding narrative. The previous verse has indeed looked back to the ending of the first three empires.
The vision refers to the entry of ‘one like a son of man' into the presence of God on His throne. As with the wild beasts ‘one like' is dream language. In appearance he seemed like a son of man, that is, a true man. The description is in contrast with the beasts, who were four kings (Daniel 7:17) and also kingdoms (Daniel 7:23). Thus unlike the previous kings who were like brute beasts this one was rational, spiritual and moral, revealing the image of God. It too represents a king and a kingdom.
This one enters the presence of God to receive dominion, glory and a kingdom. Later we learn that the kingdom and the dominion (but not the glory) is to be given to the saints (holy ones) of the Most High (Daniel 7:27). Thus this ‘son of man', this representative of His people and of the true humanity as revealed by His people, comes as their prince and representative to receive his due glory, and to receive the kingdom and the dominion on their behalf. It is difficult to see how anyone could fail to recognise that this must be the promised son of David who would come to be prince to his people and who was to be set over the everlasting kingdom (Ezekiel 34:23-24; Ezekiel 37:24-25; Isaiah 9:6-7; Isaiah 11:1-4; Psalms 89:3-4). (Whether we call it Messianic or not is simply a matter of definition). And the subsequent verse shows that He was crowned. Was He also seated on the empty throne?
‘And behold with the clouds of heaven came one like a son of man.' The beasts arose out of the sea. This Man came with the clouds of heaven. The starting point of the beasts was world tumult, mire and dirt (Isaiah 57:20; Isaiah 5:30), the starting point of this Man was among the clouds. In Psalms 104:3 God is described as the One Who makes the clouds His chariot (compare Isaiah 19:1), and we may see here that He has given the use of His chariot to His chosen prince. For the One Who usually travels with clouds is God Himself (Psalms 18:11-12; Psalms 97:2; Ezekiel 10:4 compare Deuteronomy 4:11). So while this does not necessarily here imply His full divinity, (for that we must look elsewhere), it does imply a very special relationship with God, and even more so when we realise that He receives an everlasting kingdom.
‘And he came to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.' Arriving in the heavenly court, the prince is brought into the King's presence, presumably by angels. And there he is given dominion, glory and a kingdom; an everlasting dominion, an indestructible kingdom, and authority over the whole world. Daniel 7:27 tells us that it was on behalf of his people who would share with Him in His kingdom.
Thus one day in Daniel's future he knew that the chosen prince of the house of David would come into the presence of God to receive the kingdom. But it is to the New Testament that we must turn in order to discover when, and how, and to discover Who He really is.
That Jesus came using of Himself the title of ‘Son of man' we know. He did so partly as the equivalent of the Messiah without the misunderstanding that the title gave, and partly because He was the true representative Man, the second Adam, but He also used it to claim that He was the One Who would enter God's presence on the clouds of heaven (Matthew 26:64 - note the ‘henceforth') and would return again in glory for His people, and as judge (Mark 8:38; Mark 13:26; Matthew 16:27; Matthew 24:30).
And we are also told the time when He received His kingship. On earth He had proclaimed that the Kingly Rule of God could be entered by all who would respond to His words and believe in Him, but it was after His resurrection that He appeared to His disciples and said, ‘All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth' (Matthew 28:18), and that Peter said, ‘Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly that God has made Him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus Whom you crucified' (Acts 2:36 compare Acts 2:33).
Stephen adds his testimony, ‘Behold I see the heavens opened and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God' (Acts 7:56), and Paul says, ‘For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and gave to Him the name which is above every name -- that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father' (Philippians 2:9-11), when He ‘made Him to sit at His right hand in the heavenlies, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion' (Ephesians 1:20-21 compare also Romans 14:9; Hebrews 1:3; Hebrews 2:9; 1 Peter 3:22). And this in order that His people might be transferred out of the power (kingdom) of darkness into the kingdom of His beloved Son (Colossians 1:13).
So this coming of the son of man with the clouds of heaven refers to the immediate time that follows the resurrection of Christ when He received dominion and glory and a kingdom, although it is true that its full manifestation to the world awaits His second coming. But this was not His manifestation to the world, it was His crowning in heaven. And Paul tells us that at that time His people received kingship along with Him (Ephesians 2:6). Then began the destruction of the fourth wild beast, which will finally be concluded by the brightness of His appearing (2 Thessalonians 2:8), as He comes to receive His own (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17) and renders vengeance on ‘the wild beast' (in the end those who believe not) in flaming fire (2 Thessalonians 1:8).
And it is at this time that His true people will finally share fully with Him the glory of kingship (Daniel 7:27; Revelation 3:21). But as we have seen they do also receive it in part when they become His (Ephesians 2:6), so that there are two aspects to the revelation and crowning of the prince, and two aspects to the blessing of His people. The first occurs when the fourth empire is still in its beginnings. But He reigns on in heaven and it is this kingship finally revealed on earth (Revelation 19:11-16) that will finalise the work of the smiting stone and will literally bring the fourth empire finally crashing down.