Daniel: The Blessed Man
August 11, 2022 | by: Dale Thiele | 0 Comments
Posted in: Pastoral Encouragement
Daniel 7 is one of the most deep, complex, and exhilarating chapters in the Bible. After seeing the vision and hearing its interpretation, even Daniel admits that “my thoughts greatly alarmed me, and my color changed” (v. 28). At the center of the vision of beastly kingdoms and malicious rulers, Daniel gets a glimpse into the throne room of heaven. This glance on God’s sovereignty is worth more meditation.
Read slowly verse 9 & 10:
As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.
God is called the Ancient of Days because he is eternal and ageless. Kingdoms rise and fall throughout the centuries, but God remains the same yesterday, today, and forever. He takes his seat, as opposed to the beastly kingdoms highlighted in verses 3-8 which are flying, devouring, and conquering. God sits in peace while mankind clamors for their piece of fortune or significance. God’s clothing and hair are pure white, representing the purity of his character, rule, and justice. Fire and flames are associated with judgment throughout Scripture. God’s throne is established in righteousness and justice to deliver God’s just judgments on a world that has rebelled against him. And Daniel sees a great multitude standing before God. I believe this multitude is the gathering of the saints in God’s presence for worship.
The apostle John has a similar vision of God’s throne several times in the book of Revelation (chapters 4, 7, & 20 in particular). Hear how John describes his vision in Revelation 7:9-12:
9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
A clear vision and understanding of God’s righteousness and sovereign rule brings the saints to hope and worship. I know Daniel records his own immediate reaction to the vision as being alarmed, but, I believe, that alarm springs from seeing the trial and persecution God’s people will endure before the final judgment comes. With time and meditation and reflection on the entirety of the vision, especially the throne room glimpse, Daniel finds strength and stability to endure the beastly kingdom in which he lived.
Consider the timeline of Daniel 5, 6, & 7. 7:1 states that Daniel saw the vision in the first year of the reign of Belshazzar, which was about 550 B.C. In chapter 5, Belshazzar sees the handwriting on the wall the very night he was to be killed, which was in 539 B.C. Daniel 6 takes place after Persia conquered Babylon in 539 B.C. So, Daniel received this vision some eleven years before the trials of Daniel 5 and 6. We marvel at Daniel’s strength, resolve, and faithfulness to God when he is before these ruthless kings who could easily have him killed. I contend that Daniel’s strength grows out of faithfulness to meditate upon and rest in the revelation he received from God. Eleven years before Belshazzar received his fateful judgment in the mysterious handwriting on the wall, Daniel saw the earthly kingdom fall, another rise, and God sitting on his throne unfazed by it all.
Psalm 1 says, “Blessed is the one whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” Daniel was a blessed man, not because he held high ranking positions in powerful kingdoms, but because he meditated upon the revelation given him by God. We too can be blessed while living in this tumultuous world. That blessing comes through meditation on God’s word.
