Daniel and Revelation

Jesus is the Anointed Son of God, and from the start, his life was characterized by the empowering presence of the Spirit . When an angel informed Joseph that the child carried by Mary was “ conceived of the Holy Spirit ,” it indicated that something more than just a miraculous birth was about to unfold. From the beginning, the activity of the Spirit dominated the life of Jesus of Nazareth.  He was “ Jesus, the one called Christ ,” the “ Anointed One ,” the long-awaited Messiah of Israel.

The conspiracy by the Earth’s kings to unseat the Messiah is applied in the New Testament to the plot to destroy Jesus – Psalm 2:1-6. The Second Psalm is a key passage applied to Jesus by the New Testament. When were its predictions fulfilled, and is the Messiah reigning now on David’s Throne? Is the world still waiting for his enthronement at a future date? What about the “ revolt ” of nations and kings against the Son of God? Is it a prediction of a coming war between Jesus and earthly governments - (Psalm 2:1-6)?

The Kingdom of God arrived in the ministry of Jesus, commencing with his baptism in the Jordan River – Mark 1:1-3. The  Gospel of Mark opens with a declaration based on passages in the Hebrew Bible, providing the scriptural basis for the ministry of John the Baptist, and setting the stage for the mission of Jesus. In this way, Mark’s account begins on a note of fulfillment. This man from Nazareth was the Messiah, King, and Savior of the World promised by the God of Israel.

Jesus means ‘Yahweh saves.’ In this Man of Nazareth, the Salvation promised by the God of Abraham and Israel has arrived for all men . The child carried by Mary was “ begotten of the Holy Spirit .” The angel instructed Joseph to name the child ‘Jesus’: “ Call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins .” His name pointed to the saving act of God for humanity that was about to unfold. Men and women would behold the long-promised Salvation of Yahweh in Jesus of Nazareth.

In Chapter 12, John saw a new “ sign ” in the heavens, the Woman “ clothed with the sun, and the moon beneath her feet .” She was wearing a “ crown of twelve stars .” She was pregnant and about to give birth to one identified as “ son .” He appeared in fulfillment of the Messianic promise in the Second Psalm , the King and Son of God who was destined to “ Shepherd the Nations .”

The figure of the Son of Man in the Book of Daniel is the source of Christ’s self-designation, the Son of Man . The term “ Son of Man ” is the self-designation found most often on the lips of Jesus. It is derived from Daniel’s vision of the one “ like a Son of Man ” who received the “ dominion and kingdom ” from the “ Ancient of Days .” All the tribes of the Earth will mourn when “ they see  the Son of man  coming on the clouds of Heaven .”

The saints overcome the Dragon through the death of the Lamb and their faithful witness even unto death – Revelation 12:11.  In Chapter 12 of the book of Revelation , the “ sign of the Great Red Dragon ” appears in the heavens, signifying that the “ war ” has commenced between his forces and those of the “ son ” who is destined to “ shepherd the nations .” But the result of Satan’s attempt to destroy the “ son ” is his expulsion from “ heaven ,” and the proclamation of the victory of the “ brethren. ”

The reign of Jesus on the Divine Throne is based on his sacrificial death and resurrection, the unshakable basis of his universal authority . The Death, Resurrection, and the Exaltation of Jesus are all linked in the  Book of Revelation . Christ reigns supreme over the Earth because of his obedient death and subsequent resurrection, and he therefore is authorized to reveal and put the contents of the “ Sealed Scroll ” into action. He does not tyrannize his subjects; instead, he is “ the Shepherd of the nations ” who redeems men and women from every nation.