The Son of Man is Given a Kingdom
Daniel further wrote on how the Messiah will come to take charge of
his kingdom in verses 13–14:
“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.
the clouds, it is at that time when he will be given dominion and a
kingdom (v. 13). The kingdom is marked by all peoples on earth having to serve
the Messiah (v. 14), something that most certainly is not happening in the
present age. Jesus referenced this passage as a sign of his return, that when
after a time of tribulation, all the peoples of the earth will see him coming
on the clouds (Matt 24:29–30). The apostle John alluded to this passage,
teaching that when Jesus comes on the clouds every eye will see him and that
all of the peoples of the earth will mourn over him (Rev 1:7; cf. Zech 12:10).
Therefore, the Messiah and his apostle both place the inauguration of the
kingdom, as envisioned by Daniel, at the Second Coming. It will be an
astonishing and unmistakable event that no one on earth will miss. All of the
intricate details of Daniel’s interpretations, and the precise timeline he
provides, must be fulfilled before the Kingdom of God replaces the final
kingdom of man. It is then when the power of world-wide governance will be
handed over to the Messiah and his saints (cf. Obad 1:21). Man’s rule will end
and the Messiah’s will begin. (Matthew Bryce Ervin, One Thousand Years with
Jesus: The Coming Messianic Kingdom [Eugene, Oreg.: Resource Publications,
2017], 26)
