Realization of Prophetic Visions
By
Philip Mark Ames
THE
JUDGEMENT
Red China's religious warfare against
the holy ones of God will be ended only by the coming of one whom Daniel
describes as "The Ancient of Days". Here is what he saw:
"I beheld till the
thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of Days did sit, whose garment was
white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like
the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came
forth from before him. thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand
times ten thousands ministered unto him; the judgment was set, and books were
opened. I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body
destroyed, and given to the burning flame." (Dan, 7:9-11)
Who is this "Ancient of
Days" who comes to judge the four great religious beasts? Many Bible
expositors identify Him as Jehovah God the Father, But is that correct? Can the
Eternal God, the Originator of all life, the Creator of time, be himself
measured in terms of days? No, He is not ancient; He is timeless, eternal. He
had no beginning, and thus could not become old or ancient.
But, His Son, Jesus, did, as
a man, have a beginning. Though he had been existing as the Word of God, he
became flesh, being born on earth as the Son of man. And that birth, that human
beginning, was in ancient times. So, counting his days from when he was born as
a human in Bethlehem,
Jesus Christ is the oldest living man, well nigh two thousand years old. Also,
Jesus is the first to be born of God's Spiritual Wife, as will be explained in
Part II of this book. Thus being the first-born of God's immortal sons, the
first-born from the dead, Jesus is the oldest spirit-man. (Col. 1.15-18; John
3:3-13; I Cor. 15)
When, after his death and
resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples, they saw him as a man and
recognized him. Many years later, when the Apostle John was himself an old man,
he saw Jesus again. His description of how Jesus appeared at that time is very
similar to Daniel's description of the Ancient of Days. (Rev. 1:13-16) Yes, the
Ancient of Days is the Lord Jesus Christ as he will appear when he comes to sit
in judgment. (John 5:22; Acts 10:40-42; 17:31) And how does he judge the four
beasts?
As for the fourth one, the
angel told Daniel, "The judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his
dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end." And Daniel himself
saw this entire evil Communist beast slain and its body destroyed by fire.
And what of the other three
beasts? Daniel tells us: "As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had
their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a time and a
season."
We see here the justice and
mercy with which Jesus renders judgment. Catholicism, Mohammedanism. and
Protestantism (Lion, Rear, and Leopard), all claiming to worship the one true
God, and in their own way giving Him praise and honor, are permitted to live for
awhile after the fatally wicked, atheistic, Communist beast is completely
destroyed. Apparently, these nominal praisers of God,
those whose beliefs appear as the first three beasts, will be given time to
repent of their sins after seeing the return of Christ. As the pure truth is
spread throughout the earth, the Lion, Bear, and Leopard will fade out of
existence; their dominion having been taken away,
Who then receives the
dominion and ruler ship of the peoples of the earth? Daniel goes on to relate
what he saw:
"I saw in the night
visions, and behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven,
and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought him near before him. And
there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations,
and languages, should kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should
serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed."
Who is this one like the Son
of Man? Who is this one that receives the kingdom? Well, just as entire
religious empires appeared as the four singular beasts, so likewise a large
group of people who all believe alike was represented by the one "like the
Son of Man."
This was made clear by Daniel, he stating it three times: "But the saints
of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even
for ever and ever." (See verse 18) "The Ancient of days came, and
judgment was given to the saints of the Most High; and the time came that the
saints possessed the kingdom," (verse 22) "And the kingdom and
dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be
given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an
everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him." (Verse
27) Obviously, in this particular prophetic vision, the one "like the Son
of Man" is a symbol of the saints or holy ones of God,
Thus, with the four beasts
having been judged by Jesus Christ, and with the holy ones of God having
received from Jesus authority to rule the whole earth, the prophecy of this
seventh chapter of Daniel comes to a close. May the realization of this
prophetic vision be of benefit to God's people. Though it tells of difficult
times ahead, yet it also holds out the hope of glorious times to follow
(Compare Rev. 3:21)
Written by: Philip Mark Ames - - -
© 1975 Philip Mark Ames. All rights reserved.