A COMPARISON OF REVELATION CHAPTERS  4 & 5 WITH DANIEL 7

Bro. Michael Jacob

The scene shown in Daniel 7 and Revelation 4&5 are one and the same.

1 . THE ANCIENT OF DAYS APPEARS SITTING UPON THE THRONE

Rev. 4:2 shows Deity, or the Ancient of Days sitting upon a throne. " And behold a throne was set in heaven, and ONE sat upon the throne".

Daniel 7 goes further and gives a description of the Ancient of Days who is on the throne. " And I beheld till the thrones were set and the ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as Snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool : His throne was like the fiery flame; and His wheels as burning fire" (Dan 7 :9).

2 . THE SCENE ABOUT THE THRONE .

Rev 4:5, describes this throne of Deity "And out of the throne proceeded lightening   and thundering  and voices : and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne which are the seven Spirits of God". The description is of a judgment throne. Dan. 7, portrays the  scene about the throne even more vividly. "His throne was like a fiery flame, and His wheels are burning fire. The fiery stream issued and came forth before Him......" (Dan.  7 : 9 - 10).

3. THE THRONES WERE SET :

This statement in Dan 7 : 9-10 shows that there were other thrones included in the setting.  Rev. 4:4 reveals that these other thrones are occupied by 24 Elders. "And round about the throne were four and twenty (thrones) and upon them (thrones), I saw four and twenty elders clothed with white raiment : and they had on their heads crowns of gold"

4. THE TEN THOUSAND TIMES TEN THOUSAND ATTENDING ANGELS.

Rev. 5:11 records the attending angels. "And I beheld and heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beast and the elders : and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands" Daniel describes the same picture, and the numbers tally with those of Rev 5.

" Thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him : The judgment was set and the books were opened"(Dan7:10).

5. THE PURPOSE OF THE JUDGMENT THRONE

" The Judgment was set and the books opened", The chief difference between accounts of Daniel and the Revelation is this :

(a) In Daniel, the narrative swiftly covers the whole apocalyptic revelation down to the destruction of the Beast and giving lo the saints the kingdom.

(b) In contrast, practically the entire Book of Revelation is an elaboration of the details given     in Daniel 7.  The 4th and 5th Chapters of Revelation thus narrate only the preliminary scenes of the judgment

6. JUDGMENT AND DESTRUCTION OF THE BEAST KINGDOMS :

Dan. 7 therefore continues the judgment scene, showing its results. It reveals how the Beast is taken and delivered to destruction. " I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed and given to the burning flame..... and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it to the end" (Dan 7 : 11, 26).

The essential purpose therefore of the judgment throne is to take over and destroy the dominion that Satan has held over the earth and return it to the rightful heirs, the Saints of God.

7. THE KINGDOM GIVEN TO THE SAINTS OF THE MOST HIGH.

But who is to accomplish this? Who can open the book with the title deed to the earth? Who is able to disposes the usurpers? Daniel tells us "I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days and they brought Him near before Him " (Dan 7 : 13).

This verse carries a two-fold picture.

(a) Christ is presented before the Ancient of days. He takes the book of the title deed out of the hand of Him who sits on the throne (Rev 5 : 5 -7). There are at least three books which will be opened during the judgment (Dan 7 : 10). There is the book of life. There is the book of the deeds of the wicked (Rev. 20 :12). There is the book of remembrance of the works of the righteous (Malachi 3:16). However, at this time we are concerned with the book with the title deed to the earth, which the Son of Man has in His hand. This book is sealed, but the Lion of the Tribe of Judah has been found worthy to open the book and to loose the seals.

(b) Christ comes in the clouds of heaven to fulfill the purposes unfolded in the loosing of the seals.

WHY WAS THE BOOK SEALED?

As we have seen, this revelation of the dispossession of Satan was given to the prophet Daniel. But in his (Daniel's) day, the time had not yet come for the prophecy to be fulfilled. For that reason the words of the book were sealed up till the time of the end.' Christ had not come as redeemer at that time. He had not yet paid the ransom. He was not yet, " the lamb that had been slain".

"And He said , Go thy way  Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end" (Daniel 12:9).

In the vision in Revelation chapters 4 and 5, we see the book reappear for unsealing. With the loosing of the seals, Christ will dispossess the usurpers, and turn over the kingdom to the saints.

"And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom-"(Daniel 7:14)

" And the kingdom, and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom - shall be given to the people of the most high" (Daniel 7:27).

And thus we find that Daniel 7 and Revelation chapters 4-5 are parallel accounts of the judgment scene.