Court In Session

Read: Daniel 7:1-14

I watched as thrones were put in place and the Ancient One sat down to judge. Daniel 7:9

IN WORD

Daniel has just seen a vision of foreboding beasts, each representing the brutality of empires, merciless in their quest to gain and retain power. They posture in pride and devour their opposition. Among the thrones comes the Ancient of Days, humanlike (in contrast to the animalistic figures of the empires) and full of wisdom and fiery presence. He sits down, surrounded by innumerable subjects, servants, and loyal followers. His court is now in session.

Even now, people around the world are suffering under oppressive regimes. We’ve emerged from a century of concentration camps, gulags, and genocides, and human nature seems to have made no significant shifts into anything better. Many Christians around the world are martyred every year, and many more are abused and persecuted to lesser degrees. The brutality of the empires in the book of Daniel—Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek, Roman—were preceded by other brutal empires and have been succeeded by many more. Power does that to people who, in spite of intimidating representations in prophecy, are still only people. In a bloodthirsty quest for dominion, human beings tend to become something substantially less than human.

So God holds court. The Ancient One renders judgments. Daniel is terrified by his vision, but God is not terrified by anything. He holds infinitely greater power than the powerful ones of earth can grasp. And His throne is the only one that really counts.

IN DEED

We understand evil chronologically. “How long?” we ask Him, waiting for the day of restoration. He sees evil as a transitional part of the story that glorifies Him and works to our advantage. Yes, that story can be painful, but every trial we experience is an opportunity to be catapulted further into our destiny. That’s what His courtroom decrees—all things working together for the good of those who love Him. And nothing can overturn His decree.

ADDITIONAL READING: Romans 8:28

God is so powerful that He can direct any evil to a good end.

THOMAS AQUINAS