Deliverance of God’s People

KEY VERSE: “The Ancient of Days came, and Judgment was given to the saints of the Most High.” —Daniel 7:22

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Daniel 7:13, 21-27

THESE words, spoken to Daniel by the angel, were by way of explanation of that part of this prophecy which pictured Jesus coming before the Ancient of Days (God) and receiving the authority to rule over mankind in his kingdom. This explanation, however, does not refer to our Lord alone, but mentions the saints of the Most High, thus emphasizing that the kingdom rule will be shared with others. Jesus, of course, is the first of these saints, and is chief among them. Many promises of the New Testament show that his close followers, those who were willing to suffer and die with him, are to share in his kingdom reign.—Rom. 8:17

In this prophecy they are represented as together taking over the rulership of earth. The kingdom, or dominion, which the saints possess is the same as described in Revelation 20:4, where the Apostle John said, “I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the Word of God, … and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” The thought in the word ‘beheaded’ is that of giving up one’s own will to do the will of Christ, as his witness in the world. The New Testament teachings show over and over again that those who share the kingdom with Christ first suffer and die with him. Daniel’s prophecy also discloses that these saints of God, before their exaltation in the kingdom, are persecuted by those who dwell in darkness. The fourth, or Roman ‘beast’, after it comes under the direction of the little horn that speaks great swelling words, is said to wear out the saints of the Most High.—Dan. 7:23-25

This power to persecute the saints, the prophecy declares, was given to the fourth beast “until a time and times and the dividing of time.” A ‘time’ as a prophetic symbol is a period of 360 years, based upon the Biblical year of 360 days, each day standing for a year. A “time, times, and the dividing of time” would, therefore, be a period of 1,260 years.

This is the length of the period during which Rome exercised almost undisputed power in Europe to persecute all those who disagreed with their policies, either politically or religiously. But this hostile and unfriendly world proved to be an effective testing ground for the development of those who would eventually be the rulers God had selected.

The church, as the ruling class in the kingdom, will be given spiritual life on the very highest plane of existence, that of the divine nature. (Rom. 2:7; II Pet. 1:4) These spiritual powers will be necessary to properly carry out her function in the executive branch of the kingdom government.

As we study the reign of the church, we see before us a picture of the method that God will use to accomplish the blessing of the world. It represents the final fulfillment of an early prophetic promise made to father Abraham, “In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” (Gen. 22:18) Christ, indeed, was the natural seed of Abraham and, as the Apostle Paul tells us, the church will become a joint-heir with Christ as his spiritual seed: “If ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”—Gal. 3:29

Thus, the church’s reward for faithfulness does not become the exclusive enjoyment of heavenly bliss, but takes on a much grander purpose. The Scriptures present us with the concept of the church being used as an instrument of blessing in the hands of Almighty God. The exaltation of a few specially selected and developed from among earth’s billions, will be for the purpose of assisting the remainder, non-elect humanity, to achieve the measure of human life and perfection which God originally intended that they enjoy.

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