Imminent Everlasting Dominion
“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man… He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away…” (Dan 7:13-14)
In this our Mission Emphasis Week, we bring you a message of hope: “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Php 1:6). There is an ongoing good work that God started, and though faced with many a challenge, we remain confident that it is not lost. More so, we look forward to its full accomplishment – and this is where I spring from to reflect on that next season (when it is accomplished): the Imminent Everlasting Dominion. Daniel penned his vision of this, from which we can draw three important lessons about that Kingdom: her character, her reigning king, and her citizens.
Have you heard of the Bachwezi? The character and nature of their kingdom is helpful in our study. Their origin remains a mystery and is subject to great debate by several historians, some of whom even doubt if they really existed. But they remain the subject of many conversations todate, described in lofty terms as having reigned for about two centuries from 1300 to 1500 AD, under three kings Ndahura, Mulindwa and Wamara; their reign extended to large parts of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and Congo, with their capital at somewhere in Uganda. It is believed that the Bachwezi are the ones who introduced the long horned cattle of Ankole, iron smelting, coffee growing and the first semblance of organized and centralized government under a king. When their beloved cow Bihogo died, the Chwezi Empire began to collapse. Many kingdoms of the world take this shape – with a stealth start, a high and remarkable peak, then a mysterious fall.
What Daniel saw in the terrifying dream was same and different, and this vision becomes clearer with time. He saw kingdoms rising and waning – and this is familiar to us. Which party do you belong to? Whether your party is in power or not, all seem to always follow he pattern of rising and falling! But Daniel also saw a coming kingdom that was different – with everlasting dominion. This is the key character and nature that sets it apart from the kingdoms of the world.
Daniel also saw who received the authority: one like a son of man. This we can now understand was Jesus Christ, the reigning King in that everlasting dominion; the citizens of that kingdom are the holy people of the Most High (Dan 7:27) – and today we understand these as those who have received the Lord Jesus Christ and become children of God. Consider to be a part of this Kingdom but embracing and maintaining a healthy relationship with Jesus Christ.
God bless you.