{"id":1858,"date":"2017-07-19T09:14:02","date_gmt":"2017-07-19T13:14:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/?p=1858"},"modified":"2017-07-19T09:14:42","modified_gmt":"2017-07-19T13:14:42","slug":"power","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/power\/","title":{"rendered":"POWER"},"content":{"rendered":"

As I watched in the night visions, I saw one like a Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One and was presented before him. To him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed\u00a0<\/i>(Daniel 7:13,14).<\/span><\/p>\n

“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely\u2026”<\/b>\u00a0wrote Lord Acton in a letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton in 1887.\u00a0Human institutions and governments don\u2019t give us cause for optimism. No matter how well intentioned, none is perfect. Is there any hope for the future?<\/span><\/p>\n

The prophet Daniel says, Yes! There is hope<\/b>\u00a0\u2013 in God,\u00a0the Ancient of Days<\/i>\u00a0and\u00a0the Son of Man,<\/i>\u00a0whose kingdom will endure forever.<\/span><\/p>\n

Daniel 7 is different in both style and content from the preceding chapters. Apart from a reference to Belshazzar in the opening line, there is no other specific historical reference.<\/span><\/p>\n

Whereas Daniel 1-6 names rulers, chapter 7 speaks of beasts with malevolent intent.\u00a0But also introduced is a\u00a0Gandolph-like supernatural figure<\/b>\u00a0whose position and power are immense. It\u2019s as though Daniel has moved from the stage of history to the world of sci-fi.<\/span><\/p>\n

Daniel 7 lays out a vision that is\u00a0pessimistic<\/b>\u00a0about human leadership and power, but\u00a0optimistic<\/b>\u00a0about a kingly power that is greater than any other power. So, in\u00a0Daniel 7:13-14 we read of One whose powerful rule is not only without equal but will last forever. Enigmatically this ruler is called the\u00a0Son of Man<\/i>\u00a0\u2013 in Hebrew,\u00a0ben Adam<\/i>\u00a0(son of Adam<\/i>).<\/span><\/p>\n

This phrase could be a substitute for the personal pronoun\u00a0\u2018I\u2019<\/i>, as in\u00a0I am a man<\/i>. It could also refer to the people of Israel. Hosea 11 speaks of God\u2019s people, Israel, as \u2018God\u2019s son\u2019. But there is something else:\u00a0Son of Man<\/i>\u00a0was also used as a reference to a king. Psalm 2 speaks of the king of Israel as \u2018son of God\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

When we turn to Matthew, Mark, and Luke, we find that Jesus spoke of himself as\u00a0the\u00a0Son of Man<\/i>. He used the phrase to refer to his humanity as in: \u2018I am a son of Adam.\u2019 Significantly, he also used it as a reference to himself as the Messiah \u2013 God\u2019s unique, anointed king.<\/span><\/p>\n

Indeed he put these ideas together at his trial when the High Priest, as Judge, asked him if he was \u201cthe Messiah, the Son of the Blessed<\/i>.\u201d Jesus replied,\u00a0\u201cI am.\u201d<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0He shocked everyone by then quoting Daniel 7:\u00a0\u201cAnd you will see<\/i>\u00a0the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven\u201d<\/i>\u00a0(Mark 14:61).\u00a0\u2018I am a not only a man,\u2019 he was saying, \u2018I am uniquely God\u2019s Son and God\u2019s King. One day you will see how true this is.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

Where is our hope for the future?<\/b>\u00a0Daniel tells us our hope is in his God \u2013 the Ancient of Days (God) and in the Son of Man whose kingdom will endure forever. The Son of Man will overthrow all opposing powers with their menace and corruption, including the power that frightened him so much.<\/span><\/p>\n

Daniel\u2019s words here could be a reference to Jesus\u2019 defeat of Satan at Calvary. Satan\u2019s sting is still evident, but he is now a mortally wounded beast \u2013 defeated, but not finally dead, lashing out trying to create as much havoc as he can before his end. That is probably what Daniel is speaking about towards the end of chapter 7. He sees the arrogant, foul, aggressive \u2018little horn\u2019 defeated, but still perpetrating his corrupt, awful schemes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Against this, the very last verse gives us confidence:\u00a0But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever\u2014forever and ever<\/i>\u00a0<\/b>(Daniel 7:18).\u00a0The day will come when God will publicly step on to the stage of human events and rescue his people, promoting them to reign with him forever.<\/span><\/p>\n

We have every reason to be optimistic, not because of human institutions, but because of the God of the ages who holds all things in his hands, who stands in the wings of history, quietly, persistently working out his purposes. Jesus\u2019 resurrection points to the reality of this.<\/span><\/p>\n

And we should not forget the privilege God has given us now. He calls on us to work with him as he pursues his purposes for his people. What we do in this world changes things; what we do in the service of Christ in this world lasts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Paul speaks of this in the conclusion to his great chapter on resurrection:\u00a0Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain<\/i><\/b>\u00a0(1 Corinthians 15:58).<\/span><\/p>\n

Optional \u2013\u00a0<\/i><\/b>you may like to read Daniel 7; Mark 14:53-65.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As I watched in the night visions, I saw one like a Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One and was presented before him. To him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1859,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[42,33,41],"class_list":["post-1858","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-word-on-wednesday","tag-future","tag-hope","tag-power"],"yoast_head":"\nPOWER - Is there any hope for the future? by John G. 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