The Coming Dominion

What is the nature of the Kingdom of Christ or Messiah? Let's look at a couple of prophesies written hundreds of years before Jesus.

Isaiah 9.6-7 (NET)

For a child has been born to us,
a son has been given to us.
He shoulders responsibility
and is called:
Extraordinary Strategist,
Mighty God,
Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace.
7 His dominion will be vast
and he will bring immeasurable prosperity.
He will rule on David’s throne
and over David’s kingdom,
establishing it and strengthening it
by promoting justice and fairness,
from this time forward and forevermore.
The LORD’s intense devotion to his people will accomplish this.

This passage talks about a coming dominion. Here are some of the points in this passage that I want to highlight:

1. The aspect in verse 6 is completed aspect, indicating that to God, this is a done deal, even though it takes place in Isaiah's future.
2. The leader of this dominion will be a human male who is born, but will be recognized as God ("called Mighty God").
3. The dominion will be everlasting.
4. The leader of dominion will sit on David's throne and rule over David's kingdom, Israel, as prophesied in 1Chron 22.10.
5. The coming dominion is not called a "kingdom", nor is its leader called a "king", even though he will have David's throne and kingdom. Is this because the dominion will go beyond Israel? Could it be that being king of Israel will only be a small part of his rule?
6. The NET translation shown above deviates from a number of major translations. The Hebrew word that the NET translates as "vast", is translated by others (NIV, RSV, NCV, KJV) as "increase" or "grow", with the interpretation that the increase of the dominion will never end.
7. God (YHWH) will give the dominion to the leader.
8. The context precding this passage (vss. 4-5) indicates that the dominion will be established in a time of war and oppression.

Daniel 7.13-14, 27 (WEB) says:

I saw in the night visions, and behold, there came with the clouds of the sky one like a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14 There was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, 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.
. . .
18 But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.’
. . .
27 The kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole sky, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High: his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

This vision of Daniel also talks about a dominion coming in Daniel's future. Even though there are many difficult images in this passage, we can identify some key points:

1. Daniel saw the Ancient of Days giving the "one like a son of man" authority. In God's eye's this is a completed act.
2. As in the Isaiah prophesy, the term "son" is used to refer to the one given authority. The full term "son of man" indicates that this person is a human. (In the Christian Testament, Jesus uses this term to refer to Himself.)
3. As in Isaiah, the authority given to the son is eternal, and will not pass away. Since only one person can be given eternal sovereign authority, I conclude that the son in Isaiah 9.6 and and the son of man in Daniel 7.13 are one and the same person.
4. The authority and dominion of the son of man will extend over all peoples, nations, and language groups--which means both those of Israel and gentiles. The Isaiah passage specifically alluded to David's kingdom, which included Israel and some gentile nations, but also implied that the son's dominion would be greater.
5. The son of man is not called a king, even though he is given kingdom. This is probably to contrast the nature of his rule with the kings of the kingdoms associated with the four beasts earlier in the chapter.
6. The interpretion of the vision that one of the spiritual beings gives Daniel, starting in verse 15, does not explicitly mention the figure "son of man," but says that the kingdom will be given to the "saints (or holy ones) of the Most High." The term "Most High" could refer to either the Ancient of days or the son of man. There is some connection between the "saints/holy ones" receiving the kingdom (of the fourth beast) and the "son of man" being given authority and kingdom, but Daniel does not clarify this connection. One needs to go elsewhere for clues as to this connection. (1 Co 12.27; Eph 1.22; Luke 22.29)
7. The Ancient of Days (God) gives authority to the son of man.
8. The context of this passage (chapter 7) indicates that the dominion will be established after a time of oppression for the saints/holy ones.

Even though the Isaiah and Daniel passages are very different, there are a lot of key concepts that are the same in both passages which talk about God giving a human son vast authority and power to rule a vast kingdom that will never end.