As I have mentioned previously, we are studying the prophesies of the Book of Daniel, beginning in chapter seven. Indeed, Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in chapter 2 is also a prophecy, but it is part of the first half of the book, and therein it is a part of the history recorded in chapters one through six. We left off our study with the judgment of the fourth beast. The Ancient of Days sat on his throne and the great beasts or the four kingdoms that arose out of the sea were judged (Daniel 7:9-12; cp. 7:1-3). Now, we come to the one, whom the text refers to as, “one like the Son of Man” (Daniel 7:13). The term Son of Man is a title like President, Caesar or Pharaoh. It refers to the Messiah, who is Christ the King of kings, and Lord of lords (John 5:27; 12:34; cp. Revelation 1:10-18; 19:11-16).
Notice that Daniel beheld the Son of Man in his dream, and “the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven” (Daniel 7:13)! This event points to what we refer to, today, as the Second Coming of Christ (cp. Matthew 16:27-28; 24:30). According to Matthew 16:27-28, this event had to have occurred in the first century AD, because Jesus claimed that some of those present and listening to him would live to see the day, when he would come in his Kingdom (Matthew 16:28; cp. Mark 14:62). This agrees with the text, as it is recorded in Daniel 2:44-45. There the text, while referring to the ten toes of the fourth kingdom, says “in the days of those kings” (the 10 toes of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, which appear to be the same as the 10 horns of Daniel’s dream) God would set up his Kingdom, which would never be destroyed (verse-44). The Stone (Daniel 2:45) that breaks Nebuchadnezzar image of four kingdoms in pieces is the same as the Son of Man who destroys the kingdoms of the four beasts of Daniel’s dream in chapter seven (Daniel 7:10-12).
Daniel concludes his vision of what takes place in heaven by saying dominion, glory and a Kingdom was given him (the Son of Man, the Messiah), and all people, nations and languages would serve him (Daniel 7:14; via the Gospel, as it spreads throughout the world). Note that it says the Son of Man’s dominion, glory and Kingdom, would be everlasting. It won’t pass away or be destroyed, which also agrees with Daniel’s interpretation of the image in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (cp. Daniel 2:34-35, 44-45).
Thus, we see, because all of Daniel’s dreams and visions throughout the remaining chapters of the book pertain to the single prophecy given in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of Daniel chapter two, the Second Coming of Christ has to have occurred during the first century AD, and is understood in his judgment against the Jews (cp. Deuteronomy 31:29 and chapter 32). This occurred in AD 70, when the Roman Empire (Daniel’s fourth kingdom) made war with the land of the Jews and destroyed its capital and its Temple. In other words, the Old Covenant came to an end in AD 70 at the Second Coming of Christ. This is referred to as the time of the end (Daniel 8:17, 19; 11:35, 40; 12:4, 9; vis-à-vis the end of the Old Covenant). At that time the Lord established the New Covenant, which was promised in Jeremiah 31:31, and not only so, but we are told the Old Covenant would be removed and replaced forever and for all time (Hebrews 8:7-12). The very mention of a new covenant made the first old, and it was vanishing away in the first century AD (Hebrews 8:13)!
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