The Return of Christ: When the Son of Man Comes (Luke 21:25-27 and Daniel 7:9-14)

What does the return of Christ really look like? Unpack the powerful prophecies in Luke 21:25-27 and Daniel 7:9-14, illuminating the Son of Man’s coming, the Great White Throne Judgment, and the kingdom that will replace all earthly rule. Learn the cosmic disturbances that will accompany Jesus’s second coming, the symbolism of the cloud as God’s presence, and how repentance prepares us for His arrival. https://youtu.be/eVMI3ssvKUI Table of contentsDaniel Prophesies of the Great White Throne JudgmentWhat Happens to the Little Horn?Do the Kingdoms End or Continue?Daniel Prophesies of the Son of Man’s ComingDaniel Prophesies of the Son of Man’s Kingdom Replacing Earthly KingdomsNebuchadnezzar's Dream of the Son of Man's Kingdom Replacing Earthly KingdomsCosmic Disturbances Accompany the Son of Man’s CominAssociate the Cloud with the Father’s PresencePrepare for the Son of Man’s Coming by RepentingWhy People Don't Repent Jesus is the God-Man: He is fully God and fully man. In the Gospels, we see verses that reveal Jesus’s deity and humanity. Think about whether these verses describe the Son of God or the Son of Man: Matthew 4:2 says Jesus was hungry. Son of Man Matthew 4:3-9 says He was tempted. Son of Man Matthew 8:24 says Jesus slept in a boat during a storm. Son of Man Matthew 17:2 says He was transfigured, His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as light. Son of God Matthew 24:36 says He didn’t know the day or hour of His return. Son of Man Matthew 27:50 says He died. Son of Man Mark 6:3 says Jesus had brothers and sisters. Son of Man In Luke 5:20, Jesus told the paralytic, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” Son of God John 1:14 says He showed us the glory of the Father, full of grace and truth. Son of God John 1:18 says nobody has seen God the Father, but Jesus has made Him known. Son of God John 4:6 says He was weary from his journey and had to sit down. Son of Man In John 8:58, Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” Son of God In John 10:30, Jesus said, “I and the Father are one.” Son of God In John 17:21, Jesus said the Father is in Him, and He is in the Father. Son of God In John 19:28, Jesus said He was thirsty. Son of Man John 20:19 describes Jesus as being able to pass through walls. Son of God Now for this morning’s verses: In Luke 21:27, Jesus said He would come in a cloud with power and great glory. Son of God or Son of Man? I would think the Son of God! But we read: Luke 21:27 [people of the earth] will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. So, what is this all about? How is this the Son of Man versus the Son of God? The answer is in Daniel 7. Daniel Prophesies of the Great White Throne Judgment Daniel 7 and Revelation 20 describe the Great White Throne Judgment. Daniel 7:1-8 record Daniel’s vision of the four beasts, which represent four kingdoms: The first beast is a lion that represents Babylon The second beast is a bear that represents Medo-Persia The third beast is a leopard that represents Greece The fourth beast, Rome, the antichrist’s kingdom, combines the previous kingdoms and has ten horns. The Antichrist has many names in Scripture, including the little horn: Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns (on the fourth beast), and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one (the Antichrist), before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man (so we know the horn is a man, versus another kingdom), and a mouth speaking great things (he’s proud and boastful). 9 “As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days (this is a fascinating Old Testament title for God the Father) took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. The thrones being placed are meant for us because we rule and reign with Christ. They are empty because we aren’t ruling with Christ yet. We see the same thrones in Revelation 20:4: Revelation 20:4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. These are saints ruling with Christ. Daniel 7:9 describes God the Father’s throne as having wheels. In ancient times, thrones commonly had wheels so kings could move around without standing up. They were more like chariots than what we think of as thrones. Here's the parallel description in Revelation 20:11: Revelation 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. This is how terrifying the throne is: even the earth and the sky want to escape its presence. They don’t slowly move away. They flee. The idea is that if the earth and sky can’t hide, nobody can. Daniel 7:10 continues the incredible and terrifying description of the judgment to come for unbelievers: Daniel 7:10 A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him (this would be angels), and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened. First, the “ten thousand times ten thousand standing before the throne” refers to all unbelievers throughout human history who are resurrected to be judged before being cast alive into the lake of fire. Second, it mentions, “the court sat in judgment.” This is a courtroom scene, which is also described in Revelation 20:12: Revelation 20:12a And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne In a courtroom, people sit during the trial and stand during the sentencing; that is why these individuals are standing. The words “great and small” are another way of telling us that nobody escapes this judgment: vot the greatest, most famous, wealthy, powerful people in the world, or the smallest, most insignificant, poorest, weakest people in the world. All unbelievers will be judged. We don’t learn much about the books in Daniel 7, but they are described in the rest of Revelation 20:12: Revelation  20:12b And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. The Book of Life, also called “The Lamb’s Book of Life," and contains the names of all believers who will NOT appear at this judgment. We get our names in this book by repenting of our sins and believing in Christ. What about people whose names are not written in the Book of Life? Revelation 20:15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. The Lake of Fire is another name for hell. These people are cast there because instead of having Christ’s perfect righteousness imputed to their accounts, they were judged based on how they lived: Revelation 20:12b books were opened…And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13b they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Because they are judged according to what’s written in these books, the books record their lives. Maybe there is a book for each person. What Happens to the Little Horn? Daniel 7:11 “I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast (another name for the Antichrist) was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. This prophesies the Antichrist's casting into hell, which we also see in Revelation: Revelation 19:20 And the beast (the Antichrist) was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. The antichrist and false prophet are hell’s first inhabitants. They go there 1000 years before the devil. Do the Kingdoms End or Continue? Daniel 7:12 As for the rest of the beasts (the lion, bear, and, leopard, representing Babylon Medo Persia and Greece) their dominion was taken away (their kingdoms end), but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. It sounds odd that their kingdoms are taken away, but they continue. Their kingdoms continue through the Antichrist’s kingdom, but only for a time because the Antichrist’s kingdom is destroyed, too. Daniel Prophesies of the Son of Man’s Coming John 5:22 [says] he Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son. If we have the Great White Throne Judgment, the judgment of all judgments, and the Father judges no one because He has given all judgment to the Son, but we’ve only seen the Ancient of Days, or the Father, where is the Son? He must show up, and He does: Daniel 7:13 “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. This is THE Old Testament prophecy of the Son of Man coming. God’s triune nature is obscured in the Old Testament and only becomes clearer in the New Testament. However, this verse distinctly identifies God the Father, the Ancient of Days, and God the Son, the Son of Man. Daniel Prophesies of the Son of Man’s Kingdom Replacing Earthly Kingdoms The Father gives His Son: Daniel 7:14 And to him (the Son of Man) was given dominion and glory and