On the Clouds
Portions of Daniel’s vision of the four beasts from the sea and the Little Horn are applied to Jesus and his saints in the New Testament.
Key phrases from Daniel’s vision of the “four beasts ascending
from the sea” occur in the New Testament, most often in contexts concerning
the future arrival of Jesus, but also in passages about the kingdom of God and Christ’s
sovereignty.
This is especially so in the
book of Revelation. It builds its picture of the single “Beast from
the sea” that persecutes the “saints” on the “four beasts” in
Daniel.
For example, Jesus predicted that
“all the tribes of the earth” will see the “Son of man coming in the
clouds of heaven,” a day that will be characterized by celestial and
terrestrial upheaval. This is based on Daniel’s vision of the one like a “Son
of Man” whom he saw approaching the “Ancient of days” on the “clouds
of heaven.”
And in the three synoptic gospels,
the term “Son of Man” from the same passage in Daniel becomes the
self-designation heard most often on the lips of Jesus - he is “THAT Son of
Man.”
COMING ON CLOUDS
In the seventh chapter of Daniel,
the “Son of Man” is seen “coming” on the “clouds of heaven”
to receive sovereignty over “all peoples, races, and tongues” from the “Ancient
of Days.”
And so, after his resurrection,
Jesus declared that he had received “all authority in heaven and on the
earth,” and therefore, he sent his disciples to proclaim the good news of
his kingdom to “all the nations” – (Daniel 7:13-14, Matthew 28:18).
Similarly, in the book of Revelation,
the “slain Lamb” approaches the “One Who is Sitting on the Throne”
and receives the “sealed scroll,” which he immediately begins to open, implementing
its contents.
And in reaction to his arrival before the throne, loud voices
proclaim Jesus “worthy” to “open the scroll” and receive all “power
and authority” since “by his
blood” he has “purchased
men from every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, and made them a
kingdom of priests” – (Revelation 5:5-14).
In Daniel, the “Son
of Man” arrives on “the clouds” when he approaches the throne to
receive his “dominion.”
In contrast, according to the New Testament, Jesus will “come on the clouds” to the earth at the end of the present age and gather his “elect” to himself. Thus, he received his sovereignty following his death, resurrection, and ascension. In the future, he will return for his saints.
At his trial, when the high
priest demanded whether he was the Messiah, Jesus responded - “I am he, and
you will see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power and coming on
the clouds of heaven.”
In his first letter to the
Thessalonians, Paul describes how both living and resurrected saints will “meet
him in the air” as Jesus descends to the earth on the “day of the Lord.”
His saints will be “gathered to him on the clouds.” Thereafter, they
will be with him “forevermore” – (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 5:1-6).
LAWLESSNESS AND APOSTASY
In his second letter to the
Thessalonians, Paul describes the future “man of lawlessness” and the “apostasy”
that will precede the “day of the Lord” – (2 Thessalonians 2:1-9).
Already, the “mystery of lawlessness”
is working in the world and will continue to do so until the “lawless one”
comes “out of the midst”
at the appointed time, at “his season”
(Greek, kairos). This malevolent figure will deceive many with “lying
signs and wonders,” causing many saints to apostatize.
But “lawlessness” will
only prevail until the “arrival” of Jesus. At that time, he will “consume with the breath of his mouth
and destroy by the manifestation
of his coming” the “man of lawlessness,” along with all those who
refuse the “love of the truth.”
Likewise, in Daniel, the
“little horn” appears from “among
the ten horns” and prevails “against the saints” until the “Son
of Man comes on the clouds of heaven,” and the “season [Septuagint, kairos] arrives for the saints to
possess the kingdom.”
At that time, the dominion of the “little
horn” is “removed to consume
and to destroy it unto the end” - (Daniel
7:8, 21-26, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8).
BEAST FROM THE SEA
In Revelation, Daniel’s vision
of four beasts is transformed into a single “beast that ascends from
the sea.” It possesses the animal characteristics of Daniel’s four “beasts.”
It is a composite of all four of these previous regimes.
Thus, the one and final “beast” in Revelation is related to Daniel’s four beasts, but it is also something greater than the four originals - (Revelation 13:1-5).
The book of Revelation
adds and omits things to its single “beast” that Daniel attributed to
his fourth beast. For example, in Daniel, there is no mention of the “seven
heads” of the fourth beast.
In Revelation, each of
the “ten horns” wears a diadem, something not mentioned in Daniel,
and there is no mention of three horns being removed to make way for another
one. However, the “mouth speaking great things” is found in both
visions.
Revelation is not concerned with simply reiterating
what Daniel wrote. It uses material from Daniel to draw a more complete picture.
Daniel sees four beasts, and John sees only one, but it combines all the worst elements
of its predecessors.
And in Revelation, the “Beast”
appears again in chapter 17. There, it is under the economic sway of “Babylon,
the Great Harlot” - she rides the “Beast.” Its seven heads
represent “seven kingdoms,” and already in John’s time, five of them have
“fallen,” the sixth is alive, and the seventh is yet to come - (Revelation 17:7-17).
Thus, the “Beast” is trans-historical
– It is a political reality that appears periodically in human history, an
entity that “ascends” repeatedly from the Abyss/Sea to wage “war
against the saints.” And its ten horns represent kings who are allied with it.
FINAL WAR
A key passage used several
times in Revelation is from Daniel’s description of the assault against
the “saints” by the “little horn.” It “made war with the
saints and overcame them.”
This phrase is applied to the attacks
by the “Dragon” and the “Beast from the sea” against the “Two Witnesses,”
the “seed of the woman,” the “saints,” and in an ironic twist, to
Satan’s war with the “Lamb” - (“These shall make war with the
Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them” – Daniel 7:21, Revelation
5:6-12, 7:9-14, 11:7, 12:17, 13:7, 17:14, 19:19).
The theme of malevolent
creatures “ascending” from ominous depths to attack the “saints” appears
several times, although, in each case, it is adapted to a specific context.
For example, the “Two Witnesses” are targeted by the “Beast
from the Abyss.” The “saints” are victimized by the “Beast that
ascends from the sea.” And after his release from the “Abyss,” Satan
gathers the nations to “ascend over the breadth of the earth” and attack
the “camp of the saints” - (Revelation 11:7, 13:1, 13:11, 17:8, 20:9).
In Daniel, the “little
horn” prevails against the saints until “judgment is given for the saints.” Likewise, in Revelation,
Satan is bound for a thousand years even while “judgment is being given” for the saints - (Daniel
7:21-22, Revelation 20:4).
Thus, quite consistently, the
authors of the New Testament interpret the vision of Daniel in new and unexpected
ways. Jesus is the “Son of Man” who receives “dominion” from his
Father on behalf of his people because of his death and resurrection.
And at the end of the age, he
will appear on the “clouds of heaven” as he arrives to gather his “elect”
to himself and to render “everlasting destruction” on Satan and all his
forces. Jesus is “THAT Son of Man.”
