Daniel 7 talks about a vision. A vision that Daniel saw. Some Christians would read the second half of Daniel as matters concerning the Last Days.
About death, judgment, hell and heaven. However，there is a difference between apocalyptic metaphor and speculative ontology. Daniel’s vision is not ultimately about actual events of the last days.
Reading Daniel 7, we are often tempted to ‘decode’ what all the characters in the dream are referring to. We must understand the overall context of meaning, rather than making too many unhelpful speculations.
Furthermore, while the rest of Daniel 7 concerning the four beasts is widely understood as literary representation, many people are incongruent when they read Daniel 7:13-14, treating it as an actual event of the last days. Now close your eyes, and you will see this picture you are often taught – a Jesus-figure dressed in white coming down with fluffy clouds. Such an image takes Daniel’s apocalyptic metaphors too literally.
Daniel 7 is often read in isolation from the first six chapters of the book. It is well established that Daniel 2:4b to 7:28 was, however, all written in Aramaic! Scholars have argued for a continuity of themes through Daniel 2-7. There are two main themes in the first half of Daniel. One, Jews in Babylon were asked but refused to compromise their ancestral monotheistic religion. Two, Daniel’s interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams.
The message that Daniel brought to the Babylonians, as well as the vision he saw points to Israel’s God becoming king. He only dreamt about that in Daniel 7:13-14. As we look towards the future, are we willing to admit that we are perhaps just as ignorant about what lies ahead?
Being assured of the Son of Man’s sovereignty now and in the future, note what Daniel’s reaction was after the vision. Verse 15 says he was troubled in spirit. The visions actually disturbed him. At the end of Daniel 7, he was deeply troubled. His face even turned pale.
How would I react if I saw the same vision as Daniel’s in 7:13-14? Today I live in Singapore as a foreigner. I am hopeful yet fearful when I dreamt that the Son of Man’s dominion would be forever.
Hopeful because “He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him.” His Kingdom established on earth as the one in heaven will not pass away, or be destroyed! Indeed, it echoes what I read in Genesis when both the heavens and earth were created. Our Bible starts with God’s call for our care towards His Creation in Genesis 2:15. As Christians, it is honourable to care for and rule over God-created creatures, so that His name may be glorified. (Gen. 1:26-28)
On the other hand, after seeing such a vision, I am fearful. I am fearful because I see so much injustice, violence and exploitation in this world. I am troubled because I have not been faithful to my Lord and His given mandate to care for His dominion, after all now you are telling me these things are going to last for eternity? I am not sure if I am ready for that.
I know it is clear in my Bible that we are to act justly and love mercy. But in my Church (Universal Church), we seldom talk about such things. I was naïve to think that the Son of Man would just wipe everything out. Silly isn’t it? When I think of God’s justice and mercy, I usually think of His forgiveness on my sins. As for the world, there is a lot of injustice going on, but there is nothing to do with me, is there? I am just a Christian in a foreign land, after all I am here on Student Pass.
But surely, God doesn’t want unjust economic systems, unfair wages to our migrant workers, unsound stewardship practices to last forever! So then perhaps we do play a part in undoing injustice in our economic, political and legal systems, speaking up for those who cannot speak (Proverbs 31:8). That means the sick, the poor, and others who are marginalised. Also flora and fauna, God’s natural habitats, and all His creatures. Don’t you see that our abusive use is causing severe degradation to our habitats?
In my dream, everyone would worship the Son of Man. Though I am not sure how glorious/ celebratory the mood will be. Since as Christian stewards we are unhearing, inactive and live as if we don’t see anything wrong in paying peanuts and minimal medical care to construction workers who build our houses.
There is nothing wrong environmentally, in making Semakau an island off Singapore’s shores into a dump for our trash. By the way, we make 2.5 million tones of waste in Singapore each year, that’s about 300 football pitches. Most of this is incinerated, which means that it goes into the air we breathe!
So whose dominion is it anyway?
For the past centuries under the push of capitalism and industralisation, we in the developed world have widened the poverty gap, and lived more luxuriously and wastefully. We cannot claim to have lived justly. We have all been selfish, not God-fearing. Daniel is a book about calling people back to living faithfully to the one Lord, and it challenges us to faithful and honourable stewardship of Creation.
As sure as we are of the Son of Man’s sovereignty, knowing that His earthly and heavenly kingdoms are not to be destroyed, does not mean that we can live carelessly. Come to think of it, I, Peter, was deeply troubled by my thoughts, and my face turned pale.
How then should I live? And how am I going to tell people about this vision? Amen.
