The Sovereignty of God

Lectio:  Daniel 7: 9-10, 13-14

As I watched:
                Thrones were set up and the Ancient One took his throne.
                His clothing was bright as snow, and the hair on his head as white as wool;
                His throne was flames of fire, with wheels of burning fire.
                A surging stream of fire flowed out from where he sat;
                Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him, and myriads upon myriads attended                     him.
                The court was convened and the books were opened.

As the visions during the night continued, I saw:
                One like a Son of man coming, on the clouds of heaven;
                when he reached the Ancient One and was presented before him,
                the one like a Son of man received dominion, glory, and kingship;
                all peoples, nations, and languages serve him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away,
                his kingship shall not be destroyed.

Studium:

Although Daniel’s vision is dramatically apocalyptic, it was intended to comfort the persecuted Jews, who were exiled in Babylon.  It was written in the style of Semitic poetry.  Look at the parallelism: all the fire repeated and especially the rephrasing of the same image:

Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him,
 and myriads upon myriads attended him.

Daniel tells the exiled that their persecutors will be judged in the heavenly court. Take comfort that whoever is ruler over them, they only have One King, the Ancient One.

Meditatio:

Thinking of all that is and was and will be, as God’s dominion, I am in awe.  No matter who is president, we only have One King.  And He is powerful as flames of fire, with heavenly beings attending Him.  Some day, I will meet Him and be judged by Him and the court of heaven.  May Jesus be my advocate.

Oratio:

Lord have mercy on such as me.  You are God and I am not. 

Contemplatio:

Deus dedit deus abstulit, sit nomen Domini benedictum