Tag Archives: Dominion

Eternal Dominion – Sermon on Daniel 7:1, 9-10, 13-14 for the Ascension of Our Lord (Observed)

Daniel 7:1, 9-10, 13-14

Alleluia! Christ is risen! 
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

They say, “Repetition is the mother of learning.” Well, today, you’ve heard the same event, Jesus’ ascension, described three times. You heard it twice from Luke’s two books of the Bible (Act. 1:1-11; Lk. 24:44-53). And you just now heard it from the prophet Daniel. This past Thursday marked the 1,993rd anniversary of Jesus’ ascension to the throne of all creation. The gospel of Luke ends with the disciples seeing Jesus ascend, and Luke makes this comment, “They worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God” (Lk. 24:52-53). The reason they were filled with joy was that they knew what Jesus’ ascension meant.

Jesus had opened the disciples’ minds to understand everything that had been written about Him in the Old Testament (Lk. 24:44-45). So, the disciples got to see Jesus ascend with their own eyes, but they also knew what that meant because Jesus had opened their minds to understand the vision we just heard from Daniel. This text is what happens at Jesus’ ascension—not from the view of earth that Luke records. Daniel records what happens in heaven at Jesus’ ascension. And really, it’s what happens in the entire cosmos.

So today, fellow disciples of Jesus, let’s be filled with the same joy that the disciples had because of Jesus’ ascension by considering this text from Daniel.

Daniel wants us to know about this vision he saw around 552 BC. Daniel had multiple visions that night, but what I just read was the final and greatest vision he saw. He sees God the Father, but Daniel calls Him “the Ancient of Days” (Dan. 7:9). His clothing is white as snow. His hair like pure wool. His throne is ablaze with fire. God is sitting there in judgment. Holy. Majestic. Perfect. Glorious. But the Ancient of Days isn’t alone. There are angels present there. Daniel says there are a thousand thousands angels serving Him (Dan. 7:10). That’s one million angels. How did he count them all? A million seconds is 11.5 days. But then, there’s more. Daniel says there’s 10,000 times 10,000 angels standing before Him. That’s 100 million more angels. How do they all fit in that throne room? They’re all gathered around that fiery throne. Again, think of the beauty and sheer holiness of this place.

Then what does Daniel see? “With the clouds of heaven, there came one like a Son of Man” (Dan. 7:13). Don’t get confused here by the word ‘like.’ This isn’t a being that merely appears like a man. The translation would be better if it said, “There came one as a Son of Man.” Or even, “I saw a Human come up into that scene in heaven.” What business does a human have there?

Remember how Adam fled in his own home that God had made for him in the Garden of Eden because he merely heard the sound of God walking there (Gen. 3:8) Remember how Isaiah saw God on the throne. He saw some angels—some seraphim. But Isaiah doesn’t say he saw 100 million. And he cowered in fear (Is. 6:1-5). Remember how the millions of people God brought out of slavery in Egypt heard God speaking from Mt. Sinai and asked to not even hear His voice (Ex. 20:18-19). Remember all the people in Scripture who are terrified even when they see one angel (Num. 22:31; Jdg. 6:22-23; Lk. 1:11-12, 26-29; Mt. 28:2-4). This Man isn’t acting like any of them.

He doesn’t run. He doesn’t fall down in fear. He isn’t ashamed or afraid. He enters that room. He doesn’t sneak in to find a quiet, obscure corner in the back to simply see everything. He goes higher. He keeps approaching, walking through those millions of angels as they make a path for Him. Closer and closer He walks with His human body and stands there before the Ancient of Days Himself (Dan 7:13).

Pause here for a minute before we get to the rest of the vision because Daniel’s probably thinking, “What is this guy doing? He’s going to be incinerated!” You, of course, know that this is Jesus, so you know that this is the Son of God approaching the Ancient of Days. But don’t forget that this Jesus became man, true man. Christ is Man as we were intended to be. Sadly, it’s easy to forget Jesus’ humanity. Remember Daniel describes Him as “a Son of Man.” And Daniel knows that all humans have been stained by sin, so he probably thinks this Man had been too. And He actually was, but not in the way the rest of us have been stained.

This is Jesus, the One Isaiah says, “the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Is. 53:6). Paul tells us that He became sin (2 Co. 5:21). He didn’t commit any sin, but He definitely got tangled up in them. Who is more familiar with sin? You who committed them? Or the One who bears them, suffers God’s wrath against them, and paid for them with His precious blood and death (1 Pet. 2:24)? Jesus knows the weight of your sin. He’s your great High Priest who bears with you in your weaknesses (Heb. 4:15).

Dear saints, this Jesus, this Son of Man that Daniel sees, He doesn’t approach the Ancient of Days because He avoidedsin. He approaches the Ancient of Days because He triumphed over it by His blood (Col. 1:20). He canceled the record of debt that stood against us by nailing it to the cross (Col. 2:14). He left those sins in the grave, which forever stands empty. That’s why He approaches the throne. And what happens? 

Daniel sees that this Man is the center of attention in that great throne room. He is there to receive dominion and glory and a kingdom (Dan. 7:14). Jesus doesn’t go to just be there or because His work is done here. He goes to receive what belongs to Him. This isn’t a gift. Jesus takes possession of what He has purchased. He’s earned this.

This Man, Jesus, takes possession of the kingdom of all peoples, nations, and languages. This all-encompassing kingdom and dominion is everlasting. It will not pass away or be destroyed.

Daniel saw kingdoms get destroyed in his days. History is full of kingdoms that have risen to great power, but all of them eventually fall—Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, the British Empire. Enough time passes and they all fade away. But not this kingdom. Not Jesus’ dominion. It lasts to eternity. It spans any boundary you can imagine, either physical or ethnic. Again, this kingdom is over all peoples, nations, and languages. In other words, this kingdom is also over you.

In Philippians 2, Paul says that Jesus is highly exalted and has the name above every name. And that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Php. 2:9-11). Christian, for you this is the best news. Your Savior sits on the throne of the eternal kingdom of God. But, sadly, for those who reject or deny Him, for those who don’t believe, well… they’re fighting in a battle they’ve already lost.

That’s the Ascension. But I want to leave you today with a call from Scripture that relates to Jesus’ ascension. It’s from Hebrews 4:16, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Scripture repeatedly calls us to draw near to God (Jas. 4:8; Is. 55:6; Jer. 29:13). But in Heb. 4:16, it says to draw near to the throne. That’s different. How do we do that? What do we do to draw near to the throne? Do we need to get ourselves into this throne room that Daniel is seeing? Nope!

The throne of grace is here—right here—at church. When you come to church, you are drawing near to the throne of grace because here Jesus is preached. You are drawing near to the place Jesus gives Himself to you, Body and Blood. Jesus is not somewhere far away. He promises that where two or three are gathered in His name, there He is (Mt. 18:20).

Dear saints, you have a place in Daniel’s vision here. As you approach Jesus, the Ruler of all creation smiles and welcomes you as His redeemed child.

Later in Hebrews, you are told that you have come to Mount Zion. You have come to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. Here are innumerable angels in festal gathering. This is the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven. Right here is God, the judge of all, and the spirits of the righteous made perfect. Here is Jesus, the Mediator of a new covenant (Heb. 12:22-24).

No, you can’t see all of that. But Scripture is clear that you go wherever Jesus goes. He is the Head, and you are His Body (Eph. 5:23). The day will come when He will return, and you will see Him and everything else Daniel saw. But for now, know that He is present here for you, right now, in His Body and Blood. Amen.

Alleluia! Christ is risen! 
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Php. 4:7). Amen.

Dominion – Sermon on Isaiah 9:2-7; 1 John 2:7-14; & Matthew 4:12-17 for Midweek Advent 2

Isaiah 9:2-7; 1 John 2:7-14; and Matthew 4:12-17

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

When Isaiah tells us that “the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light,” what is the darkness he is referring to? The context of tonight’s passage from Isaiah 9 is the same as last week’s from Isaiah 7. Judah is being attacked by the armies of Syria and Israel, but instead of being firm in faith that God will deliver (Is. 7:9b), King Ahaz is buying help from the evil Assyrian empire (2 Kgs. 16:5-8). In other words, the days were definitely dark because of the enemies they faced.

But because of how the Holy Spirit inspired Matthew to mark the fulfillment of that Isaiah passage in our Gospel reading (Mt. 4:12-17), we know that this darkness is referring to a greater darkness than what covered Judah about 2,700 years ago. The darkness God is promising to deliver His people from is the darkness of sin and death. The light that shines even through that deep darkness is the light Christ brought when He began His ministry calling people to, “Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand” (Mt. 4:17).

Isaiah here was inspired by God to write about something that would happen 700 years later as though the hour of light and redemption had already come. Isaiah spoke as though he was standing before Jesus’ manger, “For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given.” 

A Child, a Son, who will defeat the blackest darkness, becomes a humble, lowly Infant born and laid in a manger.

We love underdog stories. Whether it’s Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer getting the lead spot on Santa’s sleigh, Cinderella or Ariel marrying the handsome prince, Charlie getting the title to Wonka’s chocolate factory, the Mighty Ducks beating the Hawks, Kevin Malone repeatedly booby-trapping the Wet Bandits, or two hobbits destroying the Ring of Power. Even though those are all very different stories, they have the common theme: the outcast(s) overcome their sorrow, pain, and deficiencies to come out on top. The reason those stories captivate us is that they are echoes of the reality of our redemption and salvation that come through the Child who is born and the Son who is given.

This Child and Son Isaiah foretold is born and given for and to you. The Christ-child belongs to you. You are His, and He is yours. Your life depends on Him.

Unlike other under-dogs, He was powerful even from His birth, though it didn’t look like it. Our translation read, “The government shall be upon His shoulder.” I used to misunderstand this phrase. The summer between 3rd and 4th grade, my family drove out to visit my aunt and uncle who were stationed at an Air Force base near Washington D.C. We got to visit the Capitol, White House, and Supreme Court; we saw the Pentagon and the FBI headquarters. All of them are big, impressive buildings where I knew powerful people were making important decisions. After that trip, I would hear these verses from Isaiah and imagine those buildings actually situated on Jesus’ shoulder. Because of that, Jesus was big in my mind, not an infant.

“The government will be on [this Child’s] shoulder.” Each of us probably has a slightly different opinion of the ‘government.’ According to current polls, the government isn’t viewed favorably. Depending on which branch of government people are asked about, the government only has between a 20-40% favorably rating. (That isn’t intended to offene politicians here; it just is what it is.) Because of those different opinions of ‘government,’ probably a better translation of that word for us today would be ‘authority’ or ‘dominion.’ The authority and dominion of all the earth shall be upon this Child’s shoulder. Imagine that. All the authority and all the dominion of all the world (Mt. 28:18) – past, present, and future – is on the shoulder of the Infant in the manger.

The shoulders of the Christ-Child will also bear the entire weight of the world’s sin. He will bear that load to the cross, replacing the darkness of sin and death with His magnificent light. By His coming, spiritual oppression, slavery to sin, wrath, punishment, and judgment are ended, once and for all bringing a perfect and everlasting salvation.

Who is this Child? Isaiah gives us four names: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Each of these names is worthy of a library of sermons, but let’s briefly consider each one:

First, Wonderful Counselor. In this Child, the wonder of all wonders has taken place. In the eternal council of God, a Savior for humanity has taken on flesh to be born. This wonderful, unfathomable, wise counsel of God saves us. Even before the infant Jesus can open His lips, He is full of wonders and counsel.

Second, Mighty God. The Child in the manger is none other than God Himself. God became a Child. That is the greatest thing that could ever be said. Because of Jesus, a human being of flesh and blood is where God dwells among you. The Baby is your God, your Strength, and your Might.

Third, Everlasting Father. This might be the strangest name for a child. The fatherly love of God is demonstrated in this Child who desires to bring God’s love earth. Yes, this name demonstrates the unity between the Father and the Son (Jn. 14:9; Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:3), but even better than that is the fact that this name reveals that the Son of God takes all the love of His Father in heaven and delivers that love down to you here on earth.

Fourth, Prince of Peace. When this Child is born and this Son is given, peace is secured between you and God as well as between you and others. When you have conflict and strife with others, remember how God has become your brother out of His love for you. In a world filled with violence, the Prince of Peace brings His perfect peace that surpasses all understanding.

After giving these four names, Isaiah goes on to tell us about what kind of kingdom and dominion Jesus will have. His kingdom and dominion will continually increase until it fills all creation (2 Pet. 3:13). It doesn’t matter how great, mighty, and powerful this world appears. It is nothing compared to the dominion of justice and righteousness that Christ brings to you.

Jesus doesn’t fight and advance His dominion with weapons. He conquers and expands His dominion through words. His preaching is the iron rod which shatters the nations and the double-edged sword (Heb. 4:12) that converts hearts. And His dominion will last forever. He guarantees it. “The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.”

Dear saints, God brings His plans to completion either with us or despite us, and He desires for you to be with Him. Children of God, your sins are forgiven for His name’s sake. Because of Him, you know Him who is from the beginning. Through Him, you overcome the darkness of the evil one. In Him, you know the Father and are made strong because His Word abides in you (1 Jn. 2:12-14).

For you, this Child – who is your Wonderful Counselor, your Mighty God, your Everlasting Father, your Prince of Peace – is given and born. Isaiah foretold it, and you live in its fullness. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.