“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13-14)
In Genesis 10 and 11, we saw how mankind constructed the city and tower of Babel, their intended seat of human authority and rule over the earth. Later in the unfolding story of the Bible, we see Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, conquer the known world, destroy the temple in Jerusalem, take the people of Israel captive, and declare himself the “king of kings” (Daniel 2:37). When reading our Bibles in English, we can sometimes miss the connection between the Tower of Babel and Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon. They are both the same word; Babel comes from the Hebrew spelling and Babylon from the Greek spelling. So, we see that Babel did eventually become the seat of human authority, and it represented the pinnacle of the nations of the earth (Daniel 2:38).
The story of Babel did not end in the book of Daniel, even when the Persian empire arose to defeat the Babylonian empire. The Apostle John describes in the book of Revelation how the wicked human authority over the nations will come to an end, and he calls this authority “Babylon” (Revelation 14:8-18:21). Daniel likewise prophesied that the human-ruled nations of the earth will come to an end when God establishes an eternal kingdom, not touched by human hands (Daniel 2:44-45).
God has revealed to us how the consummation of his plan for the nations will result in Jesus’ rule over all the earth as its eternal King (Revelation 11:15). While we wait for the full enactment of his rule, Christ’s authority over the earth today is not in question, and it is by this authority that we are sent to every nation to make disciples (Matthew 28:18-20). The result of this Great Commission is that people from every nation are being redeemed, and God’s people are making disciples of Jesus across the earth.
When Jesus returns to bring judgment on the unrepentant among the nations (Revelation 9:20-21, 16:9-11), the kingdom of the Son will be fully revealed. This aspect of God’s plan was a mystery revealed not only in the New Testament but was also prophesied multiple times throughout the Old Testament, especially in the book of Daniel.
I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. (Daniel 7:13-14, emphasis added)
And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:30-33, emphasis added)
[F]or it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. (Romans 14:11-12, emphasis added)
From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. (Revelation 19:15-16, emphasis added)
We can see that God’s plan for the nations includes not only redemption but also just judgment and righteous ruling. Every wicked person who seems from a human perspective to get off scot-free will be judged in the end. Every unjust law will be stricken down. This is why our message of the good news of the kingdom includes both the proclamation of the freedom and forgiveness found in Christ Jesus and a warning of the judgment to come. It is absolutely imperative for everyone to hear the gospel and trust in Christ alone for their salvation.
Prayer:
Lord, we praise you as King over all human kings, presidents, prime ministers, and leaders of the earth. We pray that people in every nation would submit to your authority. Help us to be obedient to your Word in spreading your good news to people of every tribe, language, and nation.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Prayer Requests:
- Pray for missionaries throughout the world to remain bold in proclaiming the message of freedom and forgiveness through Christ and in warning of God’s coming judgment.
- Pray for individuals and families to respond to the gospel message and place their faith in Christ.
- Pray that you and your church would submit to Christ’s authority in every part of your lives and ministries.
