Court is in Session

Introduction |

The Ancient of Days presides as chief judge and executioner at the end of time and hands His Son, the Son of Man, His eternal kingdom.

Focus Passage | Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14

Daniel 7:9–10, 13-14 (NASB 2020) 9 “I kept looking Until thrones were set up, And the Ancient of Days took His seat; His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, Its wheels were a burning fire. 10 “A river of fire was flowing And coming out from before Him; Thousands upon thousands were serving Him, And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; The court convened, And the books were opened…13 “I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a son of man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. 14 “And to Him was given dominion, Honor, and a kingdom, So that all the peoples, nations, and populations of all languages Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.

Outline |

The Ancient of Days (vv. 9-10a)

As Daniel continues his description of his vision of the future as interpreted by the angel (v. 16), we see two other visions that intertwine with the other vision of the kingdoms of this earth from Babylon to the coming of Christ. We see a vision of the Ancient of Days, God Almighty, and the Son, Jesus Christ. As one looks at these two vision as compared to the other they will see a calmness that is not associated with the roaring waves of the sea presented in the vision of the four beasts and the little horn. Whereas the world is in turmoil and stress, God remains calm and at rest. We, as the saints of God, are promised to enter into that rest through a relationship with Christ. As Daniel comes to this vision, he declares truths about God, the Ancient of Days, that cannot be missed.

The Ancient of Days is the Final Judge - ‘…And the Ancient of Days took His seat…’

As we look at the text before us, we see that Daniel kept looking until thrones were set up. These thrones, while being interpreted differently by various scholars seem to be what God has already promised to be within His word, the saints of God presiding in partnership with Him, God, the Ancient of Days as chief judge. As we read elsewhere in the Scripture:

1 Corinthians 6:2 (NASB 2020) 2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to form the smallest law courts?

Revelation 3:21 (NASB 2020) 21 The one who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat with My Father on His throne.

Not only is the Ancient of Days the Final Judge, He is the Righteous Judge

The Ancient of Days is the Righteous Judge - ‘…His garment was white as snow…’

We know that this world and her government is corrupt. They have no limits to which they will go to enslave the people. We know that there is no good with them. We see that leader will fight against leader and stop short of nothing other than total victory and decimation, but God is different. He is pure, righteous, and holy. As the four and living creatures declare in his presence…

Revelation 4:8 (NASB 2020) 8 And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.”

As David writes…

Psalm 18:25–26 (NASB 2020) 25 With the faithful You show Yourself faithful; With the blameless You prove Yourself blameless; 26 With the pure You show Yourself pure, And with the crooked You show Yourself astute.

The Ancient of Days is the Eternal Judge - ‘…And the hair on His head like pure wool…’

The title, “Ancient of Days,” echoes this vision of Daniel, when he writes, and the hair on His head like pure wool. It is to demonstrate and reveal the eternality of God Almighty.

The Ancient of Days is coming with certain judgment - ‘…His throne was ablaze with flames, Its wheels were a burning fire. “A river of fire was flowing And coming out from before Him…’

The Ancient of Days will execute judgment based off of our acceptation or rejection of His great salvation - ‘…The court convened, And the books were opened…’

At the end of time when all is final, books will be opened at that great day of judgment, And the books were opened. Those book will describe pains taking detail every decision and action you have made, done, or executed. We will be judged accordingly.

However, on that great day, of all the books that will be opened, there is one of utmost importance. That book is the Book of Life.

Revelation 20:11–15 (NASB 2020) 11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them; and they were judged, each one of them according to their deeds. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

There is one that Daniel sees along side the Ancient of Days. He sees the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

The Son of Man (vv. 13-14)

Daniel 7:13–14 (NASB 2020) 13 “I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a son of man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. 14 “And to Him was given dominion, Honor, and a kingdom, So that all the peoples, nations, and populations of all languages Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.

The Ancient of Days honored and empowered the Son of Man (v. 13)

The Ancient of Days coronated the Son of Man’s kingdom

The Son of Man’s kingdom will will be made up of all people, nations, and tongues

The Son of Man’s kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom

The Son of Man’s kingdom will never be destroyed

In all of this, there is a comfort for the saints.

The Comfort of the Saint (v. 10b)

Daniel 7:10b (NASB 2020) 10b …Thousands upon thousands were serving Him, And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him…

Daniel 7:27a (NASB 2020) 27a Then the sovereignty, the dominion, and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One…

The comfort of the saint is found in the presence of their Lord and Savior (The Son of Man), Jesus Christ

Paul declared to the church at Colossae…

Colossians 3:1–4 (NASB 2020) 1 Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

Or as the prophet Isaiah writes…

Isaiah 26:3–5 (NASB 2020) 3 “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You. 4 “Trust in the Lord forever, For in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock. 5 “For He has brought low those who dwell on high, the unassailable city; He lays it low, He lays it low to the ground, He casts it to the dust.

The comfort of the saint is the promised victory in Christ (v. 27a)

The comfort of the saint is that earth is not their home

As Paul writes to the church at Philippi…

Philippians 3:20–21 (NASB 2020) 20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21 who will transform the body of our lowly condition into conformity with His glorious body, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

A great illustration of this truth is found within the Preacher’s Commentary on Daniel…

The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 21: Daniel The Vision of God

A missionary returning to the United States, in the days when all overseas travel was by ship, found himself arriving in New York Harbor on the same vessel as an acclaimed national figure. Crowds waited on the quay to greet this person. The missionary could not help but feel the contrast. He had been laboring for the treasure that does not perish, pouring his life’s blood into sowing the seed of the gospel. As he scanned the faces on the dock, he realized that no one had come to welcome him “home.” As he began to submerge in a wave of self-pity he realized the truth as clearly as if a voice had spoken to him from heaven: “Do not be discouraged; you have not yet reached home.”

As we find in that great Hall of Faith mentioned in Hebrews 11…

Hebrews 11:13–16 (NASB 2020) 13 All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen and welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14 For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. 15 And indeed if they had been thinking of that country which they left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.

The comfort of the saint is that he/she is not alone (v. 10b)

Conclusion |

At the end of the day, we may stand beaten, battered, and bruised, but praise God we are not alone. The evil kingdoms around us may conspire, plan, plot, and bring us to our knees but in Christ we are more than conquerors. At the end of time, when all is settled, we will find this comforting truth to be our hope.

Daniel 7:9–10, 13-14 (NASB 2020) 9 “I kept looking Until thrones were set up, And the Ancient of Days took His seat; His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, Its wheels were a burning fire. 10 “A river of fire was flowing And coming out from before Him; Thousands upon thousands were serving Him, And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; The court convened, And the books were opened…13 “I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a son of man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. 14 “And to Him was given dominion, Honor, and a kingdom, So that all the peoples, nations, and populations of all languages Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.

I ask one final time, is your name written in the Lambs Book of Life? For when the books are opened and the judgment is final, it will be eternally too late to have it written down then. Whether you are ready or not, willing or not…

Philippians 2:10–11 (NASB 2020) 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.