A Flashback. The Scene in Heaven While the Empires Strut on Earth (Daniel 7:9-10).
‘I was beholding until thrones were placed,
And one who was the ancient of days did sit.
His clothing was white as snow,
His throne was fiery flames
And its wheels burning fire.
A fiery stream issued
And came forth from before him.
A thousand thousands ministered to him,
And ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
The judgment was set
And the records were opened.'
This is put in poetic metre to emphasise its heavenly nature, and to stress that it is not just following on what has gone before. Notice that there is here no ‘after this'. This is a totally new aspect on things from a heavenly viewpoint. He was continuing to watch but has now switched to a new aspect of his vision, going back to look at things from this viewpoint of heaven. It was this court that in fact adjudicated on what Nebuchadnezzar was doing to God's people, that observed the behaviour of Belshazzar, and that watched over Daniel in the den of lions. They were ‘the watchers'.
(Daniel 7:12 is quite crucial on this. It demonstrates that the court was sitting and passing judgment from the very first empire).
Until now the impression in the dream has been that God appeared to have been almost silent as the wild beasts trod the world scene. But now we are privileged to see behind the scenes. The truth is that the world was not just being left to itself, it was being observed by the watchers, and the reports were being examined by the court as they came in, and judgment passed on them. God was constantly aware of what was happening to His own.
Note the careful order to bring this out, the growth of the three beasts (4-6), the growth of the fourth beast (7-8), the court scene in heaven (9-10), the fourth beast dealt with by the court (11), the three beasts dealt with by the court previously (12).
‘I was beholding.' This is not just ‘I beheld'. It is a more complicated construction, ‘I was beholding' (also in Daniel 7:6; Daniel 7:11; Daniel 7:13). ‘We might paraphrase, ‘I went on dreaming until I saw'. His dream was continuing, and another vision came before him. But this was not just a chronological continuation of what had gone before. There is no ‘after this' and the poetic metre brings out that here is a new aspect on things. For in his visions, as he was surveying the scenes coming before him, he saw a whole new change of scene. He was now going to see what God was doing all this while, while the empires raged on. The vision of the wild beasts and the vision of the heavenly court were in parallel. Note Daniel 7:11-12, where first the fourth beast is dealt with, and then, moving backwards in time, the three other beasts are dealt with. These were decisions of this court at different times. The visions go forwards and backwards.
We can compare this heavenly vision with John's vision in Revelation 4-5, which draws on this scene. There too the court is continual, observing and worshipping continually through the ages. As with the seven seals God's judgment is a continual operation. The last judgment is only its final summation. It is a travesty to assume that God only judges at the end of time. He judges and punishes continually (as Daniel has already demonstrated).
‘Thrones were placed.' Unknown to the world, while the world was strutting its piece, the heavenly court was being set up (note that there is no ‘after this' here - contrast Daniel 7:6-7). While earth was in turmoil heaven also was to be busy. Here Daniel saw the deliberate placing of the thrones, in order to deal with the thrones spoken of below, the beast-like kings. But on these thrones is one King. We may see this specific assembly as having been set up almost from the beginning of the time covered by the vision, or even before (it might be a flashback to when man had first to be judged). It explains the words of the watcher to Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4:14-17). These were the watchers whose decree determined events on earth. This serene scene is in direct contrast with the tumult of the nations. While the world suffered under the activities of the wild beasts, here all was unity, centred on the figure on the throne.
It is, however, possibly significant that more than one throne was placed and yet there is only mention of One Who takes His seat. The only mention of any other person worthy of enthronement in this whole passage is the son of man who comes on the clouds of heaven to whom rulership and dominion is to be given (Daniel 7:14). Perhaps then the other throne(s) is (are) there awaiting His arrival with His people. (The ‘son of man' represents both the Prince and His people). All was waiting for that day.
Alternately we may see the thrones as the heavenly equivalent of all the thrones in the world so that the One Who takes His throne sits as One upon all thrones, represented by His throne. Or it may be seen as a plural of majesty stressing the majesty of His throne (compare Psalms 122:5), but having a contrast with the many thrones on earth in mind.
Others see it as representing thrones for heavenly attendants, whose sitting is not mentioned lest it take men's eyes off the One on the throne. But there is no such idea anywhere else in the Old Testament. We may compare Psalms 89:5; Psalms 89:7, but there is no suggestion of sitting; or 1 Kings 22:19, but there we are actually told that they stand around Him; or Isaiah 6:2, but there the seraphim also stood and shielded themselves with their wings. So no such angelic thrones are ever mentioned elsewhere in the Old Testament, and the thought of others sitting in the presence of the King was not likely to be an acceptable thought then. Occupation of such a throne would require a unique and exceptional figure.
We cannot read Revelation 4:4 back into Daniel. That was after the Lamb had been slain so that the representatives of the people of God could then sit on thrones before the King (see Revelation 3:21).
Finally we might translate, ‘thrones were cast down' indicating the commencement of the dethroning of all earthly rulers, for the same verb is used of the casting into the fiery furnace and the casting into the den of lions. This may then be seen as God's response to those situations, ‘I was watching until thrones were cast down' as God's servants had previously been. But this translation is generally not considered probable.
Then enters One Who takes His seat in the great court. He is the ‘ancient of days'. Age was looked on as venerable, an indication of wisdom, and of worthiness to judge, and thus the representation is of the all-wise and reliable judge and arbiter, in such contrast with the earthly beast-kings below who pass away one by one. But here was the everlasting One Who was even the ‘ancient of days' in heaven. He could look back to the growth of the first empire in Genesis 10:9-10; Genesis 11:1-9. He goes back to the beginning of time, before empires ever existed.
He was clothed in white, with hair like pure wool. White is always the symbol of purity and righteousness (Daniel 11:35; Daniel 12:10; Psalms 51:7; Isaiah 1:18; Lamentations 4:7) which is here outwardly revealed and grows from Him. All here is pure and righteous, and eternal.
‘His throne was fiery flames and its wheels burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him.' We see here the chariot throne of God as depicted by Ezekiel (see Ezekiel 1; Ezekiel 3:13; Ezekiel 10). All is fire, the fire of glory and of judgment (see Ezekiel 1:4; Ezekiel 1:13; Ezekiel 1:27 and compare Exodus 19:18; Exodus 24:17; Deuteronomy 4:24; Deuteronomy 9:3; Deuteronomy 18:17; Psalms 18:8; Psalms 50:3), for God is a consuming fire. For the fiery stream see Daniel 7:11 and compare Deuteronomy 32:22; Deu 33:2; 2 Kings 1:10; 2 Kings 1:14; Isaiah 30:33; Jeremiah 15:14; Jeremiah 17:4; Revelation 4:5). With fire He will finally destroy all evil.
‘A thousand thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.' Gathered around the throne was a countless multitude of heavenly beings, attentive to serve Him and do His will (compare Deuteronomy 33:2; Psalms 68:17; Psalms 89:5; Psalms 89:7; Psalms 103:21; 1 Kings 22:19). He is the Most High, above all things, unique on His throne, before Whom all things bow and worship. The emphasis is on His power and glory.
‘The judgment was set and the records were opened.' God will not act arbitrarily. The truth must be examined and known. It is all recorded and will be recorded through time (Daniel 10:21; Isaiah 65:6; Jeremiah 2:22; Jeremiah 17:1; Psalms 56:8-9; Psalms 139:16). The ‘records' here are the records as they are brought to the court through the ages by those appointed to watch activities on earth, like a great king would expect to receive continual intelligence reports from his sub-rulers (compare the Amarna letters). This is not the final judgment, but part of God's continual judgment, continuing on during the activities of the four beasts, dealing with one after another (Daniel 7:12), although it leads up to the final judgment. It is also explaining the background to what happens in Chapter s 3 to 6 when the court sends dreams to warn men, passes sentence on them, punishes them, and delivers the righteous.