Daniel 7: 9 - 10, 13 - 14

[COPLAND_3]

This is a Mass reading for next Wednesday. I have been working on it the last couple of days. It is quite an awesome passage! Verse 13 is quoted in the Gospels by Jesus (Mt. 24:30, 26:64; Mk. 13:26, 14:62; Lk. 21:27). The thing that has gotten my attention is the fact that there are 2 different ways that I have seen it interpreted. One way is that this is referring to the 2nd coming of Christ while others have understood it to be referring to the Ascension. In my commentary that I put together for the Mass readings, I went with the Ascension theme because that is how the Catechism of the Catholic Church understood the context, and I quoted the Catechism in the commentary. Here is the commentary, check it out and tell me what you think litteralchristianlibrary.wetpaint.com/page/Aug.+6th But Jesus is referring to His 2nd coming in those Gospel passages when He cited Daniel 7:13. Interesting indeed!

Here are the verses for the Daniel passage…

**9 I was looking while the thrones were set, and the Ancient of days sat, having a garment like snow, and the hair of his head was like pure white wool. The throne was like a flame of fire shooting out,
10 and a river of fire went out before Him. A thousand thousands were serving Him. And ten thousand times ten thousand stood attending him. And the books were opened, and a court sat in judgment.
13 I was observing in a vision at night, and behold, one like the Son of man was coming upon the clouds of Heaven. And one like the Ancient of days was there, and those present were standing with Him.
14 And kingly authority was given to Him, and all the nations of the earth according to descendants, and all glory is serving Him. And His authority is everlasting, which shall never be taken, and His kingdom shall never be corrupt. **

 

[ryanoneil]

I have commented on other threads that these verses apply to 70 A.D. and that fulfillment prefigures Christ’s second coming. Not either/or but both/and.

If you interpret the four beasts in the begining of Dan 7 as: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome, the ascension makes sense.

The “Ancient of days” is God the Father. The “Son of man” is Jesus. Jesus travels toward heaven reaches God and is presented before Him. God bestows the Kingdom to Jesus.

This fits with (Mat 26:64) "Jesus said to him in reply, “You have said so. But I tell you: From now on you will see ‘the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power’ and ‘coming on the clouds of heaven.’”

Jesus told the men judging Him that they would see the coming foretold by Daniel. Since the Sanhedrin’s court was not in Heaven, but in Jerusalem, Jesus must have expected them to see some earthly evidence that God recognized Jesus as the victor in heaven.

Daniel’s “Son of man” was publicly recongnized as the victor at the judgment of the Sanhedrin in 70 A.D. This is the point at which Christ was vindicated as Judge of His accuser, and the Kingdom was publicly given to the saints, as Daneil’s vision foretold.

(Luke 19:41-44) drews this connection clearly.

As he drew near, he saw the city and wept over it, saying. . . the days are coming upon you when your enemies will raise a palisade against you; they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides. . . and they will not leave one stone upon another within you because you did not recognize the time of your visitation."