Daniel 7:9-14
‘The Ancient of days did sit Whose garment was white as snow and the hair of His head like the pure wool…. I saw…One like the Son of man came with the clouds of Heaven, and came to the Ancient of days…. There was given Him dominion and glory and a Kingdom — so that all people, nations and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away!’
Daniel 7:9-14.
Calvin comments: “This form of speech was very appropriate for denoting the coming of Christ. For God chiefly then displayed His supreme power…, (when) Paul cites a passage from…Psalm…68:8 in Ephesians 4:8, ‘You have ascended on high!’…. The subject treated is the first coming of Christ. It ought not to be restricted to the thirty-three years of His sojourn in the world, but it embraces His Ascension and that preaching of the Gospel which ushered in His Kingdom….
“Daniel appropriately relates how God was seated, when the first advent of Christ is depicted…. The majesty of God shone in the Person of Christ…. ‘The Ancient of days,’ therefore, ‘was seated’…. His raiment was white like snow: the hair of His head was like pure wool…. God appeared ‘with a white garment’ — which is characteristic of Heaven….
“After Daniel had narrated how he saw God on the throne of judgment…, he now adds the second part of the vision. As it were ‘the Son of man appeared in the clouds’ (Acts 1:11)… It afterwards follows, ‘He came to the Ancient of days’…. This, in my judgment, ought to be explained of Christ’s Ascension. For He then commenced His reign…. He really appeared…’in the clouds’….
When He ascended to Heaven, He…put on a new life….
“He now ‘arrives at the Ancient of days.’ That is, when He ascended to Heaven.” Christ then came not from the Ancient of days (as He shall do at His second coming). But He then ‘came to the Ancient of Days’ (as He did after His Resurrection and at His Ascension). “Christ came as the Son of man…’to the Ancient of days’!… He ascended into Heaven….
“Christ truly ascended into Heaven (Matthew 28:18). Yet we ought clearly to weigh the purpose of His doing so…. Christ left the world and ascended to the Father. First, to subdue all powers to Himself…. Next, to restrain the devil — and to protect and preserve the Church….
“The Prophet adds, ‘power was given to Him’…. It was given to Him as Mediator…with respect to His human nature…. For this reason, therefore, ‘all power, honour and kingdom’ was given to Christ….; so that all nations, people and tongues should serve Him….
“The events which the Prophet here narrates, are not yet complete…. He does not here speak of the Last Judgment, but is only teaching us the object of His Ascension into Heaven…. But when the Prophet says Christ’s dominion is eternal, he doubtless signifies the constant endurance of His Monarchy — even to the end of the world!” For the Kingdom of the Son shall never be destroyed!
