Daniel 7:13-14--The Son of Man Is Given Dominion

Daniel 7:13-14
English Standard Version

The Son of Man Is Given Dominion
13 “I saw in the night visions,

and behold, with the clouds of heaven
    there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days
    and was presented before him.
14 And to him was given dominion
    and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
    should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
    which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
    that shall not be destroyed.

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As mentioned yesterday, it is this passage that Jesus refers to during His trial when compelled to give testimony against Himself as to His true identity (see Matthew 26:57-68 and Mark 14:53-65).  The chief priests and elders realized that Jesus was claiming not only to be the Messiah, but the Son of Man from this passage, and they correctly understood that as claiming to be God.  They accused Him of blasphemy because they believed that He falsely claimed equality with God, but He committed no crime because He truly was God with Us.

Now, let's take this back to the book of Daniel and visions and dreams contained and interpreted in it.  Remember Nebuchadnezzar's first dream that Daniel interpreted?  There was a rock that smashed the kingdoms of this word and turned them all to dust and that Rock became a mountain that filled the whole earth.  That Rock was the Kingdom of God, but now Daniel finds out that just like each of the other kingdoms had a king to represent it, so too will the Kingdom of God have a king, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, to lead it.  This King is described as having the likeness to a son of man, pointing to the fact that he is more than a mere man.  We know this to be because He is God in the Flesh, and the Jewish leaders seemed to understand that too when they accused Jesus of blasphemy.

God's purpose in giving dominion to His Son is so that people from all nations and tongues would worship Him and serve Him.  It will reverse the Curse and make the rebellion of the Tower of Babel ineffective.  Even though men will be of different tribes, tongues and nations, they will sing a new song together as if with a common tongue to praise God the Father and God the Son (see the book of Revelation for the various times that all those gathered around the throne will lead all of heaven, and sometimes all of heaven and earth, in worship).

Recall the this kingdom will be without end in both space and time.  The Son will have no successor, nor will there ever be anyone able to conquer Him and take the throne away from Him.  If we read this passage in isolation, we would not fully understand why the Father would give the Kingdom to the Son, but once we read the Gospels it is clear that Jesus says after His Resurrection, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me."  We look forward to the day when the words of Revelation 11:15 are heard and come to pass, "15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”"