DANIEL 2 AND DANIEL 7 — WHEN DOES GOD'S KINGDOM BEGIN?
Many Christians are waiting for Christ to establish His kingdom sometime in the future.
But Daniel gave two remarkable visions of God's kingdom centuries before Jesus was born.
One came through a dream given to King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 2.
The other came through Daniel's own vision in Daniel 7.
The pictures are very different.
But both ask us essentially the same question:
When does God's kingdom begin?
Let's read Daniel before we answer.
FOUR KINGDOMS — THEN GOD'S KINGDOM
In Daniel 2, King Nebuchadnezzar sees an enormous statue.
It has:
a head of gold
chest and arms of silver
belly and thighs of bronze
legs of iron
feet of iron mixed with clay
Daniel explains that these represent successive kingdoms.
The first is identified for us:
“You are that head of gold.”
— Daniel 2:38
Nebuchadnezzar ruled Babylon.
After Babylon, Daniel says another kingdom would arise, then another, and finally a fourth kingdom as strong as iron.
The usual historical identification is:
Babylon → Medo-Persia → Greece → Rome
But then something entirely different happens.
A STONE APPEARS
Nebuchadnezzar sees:
“a rock was cut out, but not by human hands.”
— Daniel 2:34
The stone strikes the statue.
Eventually the kingdoms represented by the statue disappear, while the stone becomes:
“a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.”
— Daniel 2:35
What does the stone represent?
We don't have to guess.
Daniel tells us.
WHEN DOES GOD ESTABLISH HIS KINGDOM?
Daniel says:
“In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed.”
— Daniel 2:44
Notice the timing.
Daniel does not say:
Thousands of years after those kingdoms, God will establish His kingdom.
He says:
“In the time of those kings.”
That deserves our attention.
If the fourth kingdom brings us to the Roman world, we should ask:
Did something happen during the Roman period that could possibly be the establishment of God's kingdom?
JESUS ARRIVED DURING THE FOURTH KINGDOM
Jesus was born while Rome ruled.
Luke deliberately places His birth in that historical setting:
“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree...”
— Luke 2:1
Jesus lived under Roman rule.
He was crucified under Pontius Pilate.
And what did Jesus begin preaching?
“The time has come... The kingdom of God has come near.”
— Mark 1:15
Daniel had said that in the days of those kings God would establish His kingdom.
Then, during Roman rule, Jesus appeared announcing:
The time has come. The kingdom has come near.
That is at least worth investigating.
BUT DANIEL HAD ANOTHER VISION
Years later Daniel saw another vision.
This time he did not see a beautiful statue.
He saw four terrifying beasts.
Daniel is told:
“The four great beasts are four kings that will rise from the earth.”
— Daniel 7:17
Again we have a succession of four earthly kingdoms.
Daniel 2 showed them as valuable metals.
Daniel 7 shows them as beasts.
But once again, after the earthly kingdoms, attention turns to God's kingdom.
And this time someone appears whom Christians immediately recognize.
DANIEL SEES THE SON OF MAN
Daniel writes:
“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven.”
— Daniel 7:13
Jesus repeatedly called Himself:
“the Son of Man.”
So Christians naturally recognize Daniel 7 as an important prophecy concerning Jesus.
But there is something in this passage we can easily overlook.
Where is the Son of Man going?
WATCH THE DIRECTION
Read the entire sentence:
“He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence.”
— Daniel 7:13
The Son of Man is not pictured coming from heaven to earth.
He is coming to the Ancient of Days.
And when He arrives, something happens.
THE SON OF MAN RECEIVES THE KINGDOM
Daniel continues:
“He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him.”
— Daniel 7:14
And His dominion:
“is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”
Compare that with Daniel 2.
Daniel 2:
God establishes a kingdom that will never be destroyed.
Daniel 7:
The Son of Man receives a kingdom that will never be destroyed.
These two visions appear to be telling different parts of the same story.
NOW WATCH WHAT HAPPENS TO JESUS
After Jesus' resurrection, His disciples watched Him leave the earth.
“He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.”
— Acts 1:9
Daniel had seen the Son of Man coming with the clouds into the presence of the Ancient of Days.
Acts shows Jesus ascending and disappearing into the cloud.
Then Peter explains what has happened.
JESUS HAS BEEN EXALTED
On Pentecost Peter says:
“God has raised this Jesus to life...”
— Acts 2:32
Then:
“Exalted to the right hand of God...”
— Acts 2:33
And Peter concludes:
“God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
— Acts 2:36
Jesus has risen.
Jesus has ascended.
Jesus has been exalted.
Jesus is Lord.
Could this be what Daniel saw—the Son of Man approaching the Ancient of Days and receiving His kingdom?
JESUS SAID HE ALREADY HAD THE AUTHORITY
Before ascending, Jesus told His disciples:
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
— Matthew 28:18
Compare the language.
Daniel:
“He was given authority, glory and sovereign power.”
Jesus:
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
That comparison is difficult to ignore.
Daniel saw the Son of Man given authority.
Jesus says all authority has been given to Him.
PAUL SAYS JESUS IS REIGNING
Paul describes what God did when He raised Jesus:
“He raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms...”
— Ephesians 1:20
Where is Jesus now?
Paul says He is:
“far above all rule and authority, power and dominion...”
— Ephesians 1:21
That doesn't sound like a king waiting for His kingdom to begin.
It sounds like a King already enthroned.
WHAT ABOUT THE SAINTS?
Daniel 7 doesn't stop with the Son of Man receiving the kingdom.
Daniel is also told:
“the holy people of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever—yes, for ever and ever.”
— Daniel 7:18
Later:
“the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High.”
— Daniel 7:27
The Son of Man receives the kingdom.
And His people share in His kingdom.
Now listen to Paul:
“He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.”
— Colossians 1:13
Notice the tense.
Paul doesn't say Christians will someday be transferred into Christ's kingdom.
He says God has brought us into it.
ALREADY — BUT NOT YET COMPLETE
Does this mean everything Daniel predicted has already happened?
No.
Daniel also sees persecution, judgment, the destruction of evil, and the everlasting victory of God's people. The uploaded notes themselves repeatedly recognize this movement from suffering to judgment and finally the everlasting kingdom.
The New Testament has the same pattern.
Christ reigns now.
But enemies still exist.
Paul says:
“For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:25
Then:
“The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:26
So the kingdom can be present without yet being complete.
The King reigns now.
The final victory is still coming.
TWO VISIONS — ONE KINGDOM
Put Daniel 2 and Daniel 7 together.
DANIEL 2
Earthly kingdoms arise.
↓
During the period of those kingdoms, God establishes His kingdom.
↓
That kingdom grows and ultimately triumphs over every human kingdom.
↓
It will never be destroyed.
DANIEL 7
Earthly kingdoms arise.
↓
The Son of Man approaches the Ancient of Days.
↓
He receives authority, glory and sovereign power.
↓
His people receive the kingdom with Him.
↓
His kingdom is everlasting.
Now compare the New Testament.
Jesus comes during Roman rule.
He announces the kingdom.
He dies and rises.
He ascends to the Father.
He is exalted to God's right hand.
He receives all authority.
People are already being brought into His kingdom.
He reigns until every enemy—including death—is destroyed.
The pieces fit remarkably well.
WAS THE KINGDOM POSTPONED?
This brings us to an important question.
Some systems of prophecy teach that Jesus offered an earthly kingdom to Israel, Israel rejected Him, and therefore the kingdom was postponed until His Second Coming.
But where does Daniel describe that postponement?
Daniel 2 says:
“In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom...”
Daniel 7 shows the Son of Man approaching God and receiving the kingdom.
The New Testament then tells us Jesus has been exalted, has received all authority, and is reigning.
Before concluding that the kingdom was postponed, shouldn't we first ask whether Scripture says that it was?
WHAT ARE WE STILL WAITING FOR?
We are certainly waiting for something.
We are waiting for the King to return.
We are waiting for the resurrection.
We are waiting for judgment.
We are waiting for death to be destroyed.
We are waiting for the new heavens and new earth.
We are waiting for God's kingdom to be revealed in all its fullness.
But that is different from waiting for Jesus to begin reigning.
According to the New Testament, He already is.
READ FIRST. CONCLUDE LATER.
Don't begin by asking:
“Am I premillennial or amillennial?”
Begin with Daniel.
Daniel says God would establish His kingdom “in the time of those kings.”
Daniel sees the Son of Man approach the Ancient of Days and receive an everlasting kingdom.
Then read the New Testament.
Jesus announces the kingdom.
Jesus ascends.
Jesus is exalted.
Jesus receives all authority.
Jesus reigns.
And Christians have already been brought into His kingdom.
So perhaps the better question isn't:
When will Jesus become King?
Perhaps it is:
WHEN DID HE?
Read First. Conclude Later.