The Everlasting Kingdom of the Son of Man (Daniel) | Thomas R. Schreiner

Deep Dive into The King in His Beauty: A Biblical Theology of the Old and New Testaments by Thomas R. Schreiner - DanielThe book of Daniel addresses Israel’s experience during the Babylonian exile, emphasizing that God remains the sovereign ruler of history despite the nation’s suffering. Its primary message calls for faithfulness to the covenant and a refusal to compromise with pagan culture. This is illustrated through the lives of Daniel and his friends, who faced death in the fiery furnace and the lions’ den rather than abandon their devotion to Yahweh. Their rescues serve as models for Israel, suggesting that while individual safety is not always guaranteed, God will ultimately deliver His people if they remain steadfast.A secondary theme involves the humbling of proud earthly rulers. The narratives of Nebuchadnezzar’s temporary insanity and Belshazzar’s downfall demonstrate that human kings only reign by divine permission. These stories reassured the exiles that even the most powerful empires—acting as humanistic revivers of the spirit of Babel—are subject to God’s judgment and authority.The book also provides a sweeping vision of history through apocalyptic imagery. In Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a massive statue and Daniel’s vision of four terrifying beasts, human kingdoms—Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece, and Rome—are depicted as destructive and dehumanizing. However, these beastly empires are eventually replaced by the kingdom of God, symbolized by a stone that fills the earth. Central to this victory is the "Son of Man," a figure of divine stature who represents the saints and receives an everlasting dominion.Daniel clarifies that the arrival of God's kingdom would take longer than anticipated, extending through "seventy weeks" or 490 years. This timeline accounts for ongoing suffering and the rise of future oppressors. Ultimately, the book points toward a future resurrection where the righteous will be vindicated and the "Son of Man"—identified as the stone that crushes the beastly kingdoms—will establish an eternal reign.Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologianYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReformedExplainerSpotify Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1t5dz4vEgvHqUknYQfwpRI?si=e-tDRFR2Qf6By1sAcMdkdwhttps://buymeacoffee.com/edi2730