“And to Him was given dominion, glory and sovereignty, that all the peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His Kingdom is one which will not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:14). NASB
There is something about the nature of evil that resists the Sovereignty of God and the Sovereignty of Man. We see this resistance in governments at all levels and we see this resistance within the hearts of men. The battle in the souls of men and the battle in authoritarian powers is all about supremacy.
In the Exodus story of Israel in Egypt Pharoah resisted the supremacy of God to the death of his own firstborn son; then relented, only to pursue Moses once again with the disastrous consequences at the Red Sea. This resistance to the Sovereignty of God is endemic in the sinful nature of fallen man. Pride, hubris, arrogance, and self-will are at enmity with the Sovereignty of God. The only salvation is in surrender, brokenness, a humble and contrite heart before a merciful God of love and grace.
Sovereignty: (Aramaic: Malkuw, from Malkuwth): Supreme authority, dominion, kingdom, kingly, realm, to reign above
In the Scriptures there was one Prophet above the others who most understood the Sovereignty of God, and that Prophet was Daniel. His visions and dreams and his position in the Babylonian Empire gave him a perspective few have known. His vision in Daniel 7 is exquisite in portraying the everlasting kingdom and Sovereignty of Christ and His reign through the People of God, the Saints:
“Then the Sovereignty, the Dominion, and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the People, the Saints of the Highest One; His Kingdom will be an everlasting Kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him” (Daniel 7:27).
Do we hear what the Prophet has spoken? The Dominion of Christ and His Sovereign Reign in the earth will be through the People, the Holy Ones in Christ, the Saints. Is it any wonder the rulers of this present age so persecute the Ecclesia, the Church of the Firstborn, the Body of Christ? Do they not know their time is short and coming to an end? The prophesies of Daniel shall surely be fulfilled for the word of the Lord is faithful and true and will not fail to come to pass.
So powerful was Daniel’s interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream that the king had to fall on his face and acknowledge the Sovereignty of the God of heaven and earth. Listen to the word of the Lord:
“And in the days of those kings the God of Heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that sovereignty will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever. . .Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face and did homage to Daniel and gave orders to present to him an offering and fragrant incense. The king answered Daniel and said, ‘Surely your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, since you have been able to reveal this mystery'” (Daniel 2:44, 46-47).
In his vision the Apostle John both saw and heard “a voice come from the Throne of God, saying, ‘Give praise to our God, all you His bondservants, you who fear Him, the small and great’. And I heard as it were, the voice of a great multitude and as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty pearls of thunder, saying, ‘Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give all the glory to Him. . .'” (Revelation 19:5-7a).
Yes, Sovereignty belongs to the Lord, and He has made His dwelling place in His people. “And the Saints of the Most High shall take the Kingdom, and possess the Kingdom forever, even for ever and ever” (Daniel 7:18). Rejoice, Saints of God, in the Kingdom of Christ, we are the Church Triumphant!
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