Wenstrom Bible Ministries Marion, Iowa Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom www.wenstrom.org

1. Wenstrom Bible MinistriesMarion, IowaPastor-Teacher Bill Wenstromwww.wenstrom.org

2. Wednesday May 22, 2013Daniel: Daniel 7:14-The Son of Man Given Dominion, Honor and Sovereignty So That Every Nation, Ethnicity and Language Group Would Serve Him in His Eternal KingdomLesson # 213

3. Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 7:1.

4. Daniel 7:1 During Belshazzar’s, Babylon’s king, first year, Daniel saw a dream specifically visions in his mind on his bed. Then, he wrote down the dream. He declares the beginning of the account. 2 Daniel began to speak and said, “I was in a trance like state, staring because of my vision during the night as behold the heaven’s four winds were blowing violently against the great sea.

5. 3 Then, four great beasts, one different from the other, came up out from the sea. 4 The first beast was like a lion with eagle’s wings attached to it. I was in a trance like state staring when its wings were torn off. Then it was lifted up from the ground for the purpose of it standing on two feet like a human being. A human mind was also given to it.

6. 5 Next, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear with it raised up to one side with three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. Then, they issued orders to it, ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’ 6 After this, I was staring in a trance like state as behold, another one, was like a leopard with it having four bird’s wings on its back. Also, the beast had four heads. Indeed, governmental dominion was given to it.

7. 7 After this, I was continuing to stare in a trance like state because of these night visions as behold, a fourth beast, intimidating, yes even terrifying as well as extremely powerful, possessing two large rows of iron teeth. It devoured as well as crushed. Specifically, it violently crushed the rest with its feet. Indeed, it was characterized as different from all the beasts which were before it in the sense of possessing ten horns.

8. 8 I was contemplating in a trance like state because of these horns as behold, another little horn emerged out from among them. Then, the first three originating from the horns was torn out by being in the presence of it. In fact, behold, on this horn, were eyes like a human being’s eyes as well as a mouth speaking boastfully.

9. 9 I was continuing to stare in a trance like state when thrones were set up. Then, the One Ancient in Days sat. His clothing was white like snow. Also, the hair of His head was like lamb’s wool. His throne was fiery flames. Its wheels were a blazing fire.

10. 10 A river composed of fire was flowing, yes issuing forth from His presence. A thousand times a thousand were continually rendering worshipful service to Him. In fact, ten thousand times ten thousand were continually standing in His presence. The court convened resulting in scrolls being opened.

11. 11 I was continuing to stare in a trance like state at that time because of the sound coming from the boastful words which the horn was making a habit of speaking. I was continuing to stare in a trance like state when the beast was killed. In fact, its body was destroyed. Specifically, it was given over to the consuming fire.

12. 12 On the other hand, the rest of the beasts, their governmental dominion was taken away, though for their benefit an extension of life was granted for a period of time, yes an appointed period of time. 13 I was continuing to stare in a trance like state because of these visions as behold One like a Son of Man was coming upon the clouds of heaven. Specifically, He went up to the One Ancient in Days in the sense that He approached His presence.” (My translation)

13. Daniel 7:14 “And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.” (NASB95)

14. “And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom” presents the next event that took place after one like a Son of Man was coming upon the clouds of heaven and approached the presence of the Ancient of Days.

15. “Dominion” is the masculine singular form of the noun šā∙leṭān (שָׁלְטָן) (shol-tawn´), which means “governmental dominion” referring to the supreme, sovereign authority or power which was given to the Son of Man by the Ancient of Days to rule over each and every nation, ethnicity and language group on planet earth.

16. “Glory” is the masculine singular form of the noun yeqār (יְקָר) (yek-awr´), which means “honor, praise” and denotes public recognition referring to the honor in the sense of public recognition or praise that the Ancient of Days bestowed on the Son of Man.

17. It means “honor” in the sense of demonstrating respect toward the Son of Man.

18. To respect someone in our context is to esteem the worth or excellence of a person, a personal quality or trait or something considered as a manifestation of a personal quality or trait.

19. Here it denotes the respect paid to the Son of Man by the Ancient of Days in the sense that He esteemed the Son of Man.

20. “Kingdom” is the feminine singular noun mǎl∙ḵû (מַלְכוּ) (mal-koo´), which means “sovereignty” which connotes a situation in which a person, from his innate dignity, exercises supreme power, with no areas of his province outside his jurisdiction.

21. As applied to the Son of Man, the term “sovereignty” indicates His complete power given to Him by the Ancient of Days over all of creation, so that he exercised His will absolutely, without any necessary conditioning by a finite will or wills.

22. This term denotes that the Son of Man exercised supreme power over various nations, ethnicities and language groups absolutely because it was given to Him by the Ancient of Days.

23. “That all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him” presents to the reader the purpose of the Ancient of Days giving governmental dominion, honor and sovereignty to the Son of Man.

24. “Peoples” is the masculine plural form of the noun ʿǎm (עַם) (am), which means “nations” in the sense of a large group based on various cultural, physical and geographical ties and speaks of the national entities throughout the planet earth.

25. “Nations” is the masculine plural noun ʾǔm∙mā(h) (אֻמָּה) (oom-maw´), which means “ethnicities” referring to an ethnic group, divided on the basis of constituting a unique entity and thus speaks of the various ethnicities throughout planet earth.

26. “Men of every language” is the masculine plural noun liš∙šān (לִשָּׁן) (lish-shawn´), which means “language groups” referring to a distinct, rational form of communication unique to a socio-linguistic group, i.e. national people and speaks of those groups who share the same language.

27. “All” is the singular construct form of the noun kōl (כֹּל) (kole), which is modifying the nouns ʿǎm, “nations,” ʾǔm∙mā(h), “ethnicities” and liš∙šān, “language groups” and denotes totality but is used in a distributive sense meaning “each and every.”

28. Here it refers to the totality of these nations, ethnicities and language groups who were to serve the Son of Man and emphasizes that there were no exceptions in that everyone was to serve Him.

29. This expression contains the figure of “synecdoche of the whole,” which means, that the nations, ethnicities and language groups are being put for the persons, who belong to each of these groups.

30. Therefore, the noun kōl and these three nouns denote that “each and every person belonging to the nations, ethnicities or language groups” on planet earth were to serve the Son of Man.

31. “Might serve” is the third person masculine plural peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active imperfect form of the verb pelǎḥ (פְּלַח) (pel-akh´), which means “to serve deity” implying submission and thus giving honor and worship and makes clear that the Son of Man is deity.

32. This verb denotes that the purpose of the Ancient of Days giving governmental dominion, honor and sovereignty to the Son of Man was so that each and every person belonging to the nations, ethnicities and language groups on planet earth would serve Him.

33. This verb affirms that the Son of Man is God.

34. Daniel under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is employing the figure of “asyndeton” in order to emphasize the statement here in verse 14 that the Son of Man’s governmental dominion was an everlasting dominion which would never pass away.

35. Therefore, the figure of asyndeton is employed so that the reader will dwell upon the eternal nature of the governmental dominion given to the Son of Man by the Ancient of Days.

36. “His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away” teaches that the governmental dominion given to the Son of Man by the Ancient of Days is infinite in duration in contrast to the governmental dominion of the four beasts, which was temporary.

37. It is expressing the inability of the eternal governmental dominion of the Son of Man to be taken away from Him by any creature.

38. “And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed” presents the result of the previous statement that the Son of Man’s governmental dominion is an eternal governmental dominion which can never be taken away from Him.

39. It indicates the indestructibility of the kingdom of the Son of Man in contrast to the kingdoms represented by the four beasts and the little horn.

40. It denotes that the eternal kingdom of the Son of Man will never enter the state of being destroyed or non-existent because of another kingdom and denies the ability of any kingdom to destroy the kingdom of the Son of Man.

41. Daniel 7:14 “Then, governmental dominion was given to Him as well as honor and in addition sovereignty in order that each and every person belonging to the nations, ethnicities as well as language groups would serve Him. His governmental dominion is an eternal governmental dominion which can never be taken away so that His kingdom is one which can never be destroyed.” (My translation)

42. Now, as we noted the Ancient of Days is a symbolic reference to the Father and the Son of Man is a symbolic reference to the Lord Jesus Christ.

43. This governmental dominion is a reference to the Lord’s millennial kingdom, which will merge into the eternal kingdom of the Father (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:27-28).

44. The New Testament teaches that the Father rewarded His Son Jesus Christ with authority over every creature and all of creation and to judge both men and angels (Ephesians 1:20-22; Colossians 1:16-18; Philippians 2:6-11).

45. Daniel 7:14 teaches us that the Lord’s governmental dominion and kingdom will not only be universal in the sense that each and every person belonging to the nations, ethnicities and language groups on the earth will worshipfully serve Him but it is also eternal in nature, thus, as Daniel states it is indestructible.

46. Daniel 7:14 also reveals that God will restore the rulership of the earth to a human being of His own choosing, namely the Lord Jesus Christ, which will fulfill His purpose for mankind (cf. Genesis 1:26; Psalm 8; Hebrews 2:5-9).