“And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.”
My Notes
What Does Daniel 7:14 Mean?
Daniel witnesses the coronation of the Son of Man: and there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
There was given him — the dominion is given, not seized. The Son of Man (v.13) receives his kingdom from the Ancient of days (v.13). The authority is delegated by the highest authority. The kingdom is a gift from the Father to the Son.
Dominion, and glory, and a kingdom — three dimensions of authority: dominion (sholtan — ruling power, sovereign authority), glory (yeqar — honor, splendor, weight of majesty), and a kingdom (malku — the realm, the territory, the people). Together they describe comprehensive sovereignty — the power to rule, the honor that commands worship, and the domain over which the authority operates.
That all people, nations, and languages, should serve him — the scope is universal. All people (ammaya) — every ethnic group. Nations (ummaya) — every political entity. Languages (lishanaya) — every linguistic community. The service (pelach — to worship, to serve with reverence) is worship-level devotion directed to the Son of Man. Every human category is included. No one is exempt.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away — the kingdom is not temporary. Every human empire passes. Babylon fell. Persia fell. Greece fell. Rome fell. This dominion does not pass away (adah — to pass on, to be removed). The permanence distinguishes it from every kingdom that preceded it in Daniel's vision.
And his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed — the final guarantee: indestructibility. The kingdom cannot be overthrown, conquered, or dismantled. Every power that has ever risen has eventually been destroyed. This kingdom breaks the pattern permanently.
Jesus identified himself as the Son of Man more than any other title — over 80 times in the Gospels. The title's primary source is Daniel 7:13-14. Every time Jesus called himself the Son of Man, he was pointing to this verse — the one given everlasting, universal, indestructible dominion.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What does the kingdom being 'given' rather than seized reveal about the relationship between the Son of Man and the Ancient of days?
- 2.How does the universal scope — all people, nations, and languages — exceed every human empire?
- 3.What does 'shall not pass away' and 'shall not be destroyed' mean in contrast to every empire that has fallen?
- 4.How does Jesus identifying himself as 'the Son of Man' connect him to this vision — and what does that claim imply?
Devotional
There was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom. Given. The Son of Man does not conquer his way to the throne. He receives the kingdom as a gift — from the Ancient of days, from the Father. The authority is delegated. The glory is bestowed. The kingdom is placed in his hands by the one who has the right to give it.
That all people, nations, and languages, should serve him. All. Every people group. Every nation. Every language. Not some corners of the earth. All of it. Every culture, every tongue, every political entity — serving him. The scope is so vast that no human empire has ever approached it. Alexander did not achieve it. Rome did not achieve it. No one has — except the one Daniel sees.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away. Every empire you have ever studied passed away. Babylon. Persia. Greece. Rome. The British Empire. The Soviet Union. Every one — gone. This dominion does not pass away. It is everlasting — without expiration, without decline, without the inevitable decay that claims every human kingdom.
And his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. Indestructible. No army can conquer it. No revolution can overthrow it. No internal corruption can erode it. The kingdom that the Son of Man receives from the Ancient of days stands forever — against every force that has ever destroyed every other kingdom.
Jesus called himself the Son of Man over eighty times. Every time, he was pointing here — to Daniel 7:14. The carpenter from Nazareth claimed the title of the one given everlasting, universal, indestructible dominion. Either he was delusional, or Daniel's vision was about him. Two thousand years of a kingdom that has not passed away suggests the latter.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
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Cross References
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