Fire From the Throne, Light In the World (Excursus on Daniel 7)

This is a second article providing an excursus (a more focused discussion) on the purpose and scope of the Story of Grace project. As stated in the first article on What the Story Of Grace Is All About (Excursus on Colossians 1:15-17):

It is the understanding of how God’s decisive acts of creation and redemption are unfolding through the entire scope of history reclaiming and transforming everything to participate in the likeness of the Trinity.

In this referenced article above, three guiding truths are elaborated from Colossians 1:15-17:

In God’s Story Jesus is Creator and Redeemer of all creation.
In God’s Story everything is being renewed into the likeness of the Trinity.
In God’s Story redemption and renewal is universal in scope.

In this second excursus, we will examine these very same three claims through another scriptural lens: Daniel 7. Daniel 7 is notable in that it is either quoted or alluded to a total of 58 times in the New Testament.¹ These fours beasts (which we will soon see) represent four empires which cover about 1,000 years of history.² Why are each of these nations called beasts? It possibly highlights their predatory and beast like behavior apart from the power of God. Because the taming power within these empires which limits their destructive deadliness is the restraining and overruling grace of God as seen in vs.9-10 and vs.13-14. Through this passage, we will see another picture of God’s Story of Grace unfolding with a central revelation God gives in the midst of history’s sweep.

Premise # 1: In God’s Story Jesus is Creator and Redeemer of all creation.

Daniel, writing in his mid 60’s (553 B.C.), begins the record of his dream:

In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying in bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream. (Daniel 7:1)

It is significant that Daniel receives this dream at this time because Belshazzar would be the last king of Babylon before Cyrus of Persia would overtake them. Daniel was recording this revelation at the beginning of Belshazzar’s reign.

Daniel said: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea.” (Daniel 7:2)

The four winds of heaven churning up the great sea represents the chaos of the world in which the four beasts (vs.3-8) are about to emerge. This is the beast like and predatory world which has fallen away from the order of God’s creative purposes. The world is not naturally good. As Thomas Hobbes wrote in Leviathan about man in a state of nature is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” Daniel’s dream provides a picture of this brutish nature apart from the grace of God.

He goes on the describe these four beasts which covers a period of around 1,000 years.

³Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.⁴“The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a human being, and the mind of a human was given to it.⁵“And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up and eat your fill of flesh!’⁶“After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.⁷“After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns. (Daniel 7:3-7)

These four beast can be outlined as follows:

Lion…Babylon. (v.4) 605 – 539 BC

Bear…Persia. (v.5) 539 – 333 BC

Leopard…Greece. (v.6) 333 – 146 BC

Ten Horn Beast…Rome. (v.7) 146 BC – 476 AD

Verse 8 goes on to elaborate in regard to the fourth beast (Rome)

“While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being and a mouth that spoke boastfully. (Daniel 7:8)

Some see this verse as catapulting Daniel way into the future with a picture of the anti-Christ in a revived Roman Empire before Christ returns to earth. (see Revelation 13:1-4) Others see this as representing a historical figure coming out of the Roman Empire. Whatever the interpretation may be, what stands out in the sharpest contrast is what is revealed next in vs.9-10:

⁹As I looked,

thrones were set in place,
    and the Ancient of Days took his seat.
His clothing was as white as snow;
    the hair of his head was white like wool.
His throne was flaming with fire,
    and its wheels were all ablaze.
¹⁰A river of fire was flowing,
    coming out from before him.
Thousands upon thousands attended him;
    ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
The court was seated,
    and the books were opened. (Daniel 7:9-10)

This is a revelation of God calmly coming to take his place as ruler and judge. As Ancient of Days:

Nothing gets by him.
Nothing surprises him.
He never learns anything.
He never misunderstands anything.
He is never caught off guard.
There’s never been a time he wasn’t fully in charge.

He is in no way shaken by these beasts.

What unfolds over the next five verses is a revelation of the Trinity. Daniel says that there were thrones (plural) set in place. There is more than one ruler and judge, one who sits along side the Ancient of Days. From the context of this verse the only other ruler and judge can be the Son of Man (Jesus the Messiah) as seen in vs.13-14, which we will view shortly.

The Father

The title Ancient of Days is a highly revered reference to God the Father.

The Holy Spirit

⁹His throne was flaming with fire,
and its wheels were all ablaze.
¹⁰A river of fire was flowing,
coming out from before him.

What is described with the picture of the throne with wheels ablaze is the moving omnipresence (everywhere presence) of God which extends his reach through a flowing river of fire that is coming out from before him. This fire flowing from the throne of God appears to be a symbolic picture of the Holy Spirit present on the earth carrying out the rule of the Father. The scriptures often equate the Holy Spirit with the presence of fire.³ It is this fire (the Holy Spirit) which will be poured out upon the earth at Pentecost in an intensified way.

The Son

In the midst of all the beastly activity, there is a rule which is taking place which overrides all other activity on the earth. Daniel’s vision highlights the ascension and the return of Jesus Christ.

¹³“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. ¹⁴He 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, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. (Daniel 7:13-14)

The designation Son of Man is, of course, a revelation of Jesus Christ. It is the most common title that Jesus uses for himself in the gospels–a total of 88 times. He references himself more often as the Son of Man that he does the Son of God. Having its origins in the verses above, this is the highest and most exalted visualization of the messiah in the Old Testament. There are three distinctives which stand out about the Son of Man in the verses above:

He is given authority, glory and sovereign power which is a divine status which cannot be given to any created being.
All nations and peoples of every language worshiped him which is another divine status which cannot be given to any created being.
He will have an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. This is another divine status which cannot be given to a human being.

When does this reign occur? It appears to occur after the victorious resurrection from death and is pronounced by Jesus in the preface to the Great Commission:

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (Matthew 28:18)

In Daniel 7:13-14 appears to be the ascension where this reign is carried out through the mission of the church. This authority was given because Jesus accomplished the finished work of redemption on the cross for all that he created. Then he went on to express how and for what reason his authority will be exercised as seen in the next premise.

Premise # 2: In God’s Story everything is being renewed into the likeness of the Trinity.

As Jesus gives the Great Commission as the Creator and Redeemer of everything, all of the world eventually is to be immersed in the trinitarian reality of God. On the way to that eventuality, the followers of Jesus are to baptize (immerse) those who are a part of the church into the name (reality) of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

¹⁹Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20)

Those baptized are the firstfruits of the Spirit (Rom. 8:23), being immersed into the larger reality of God’s work of fashioning all of creation into his image into the mutual and life-giving unity of the trinity causing increased shalom and flourishing in the world.

Premise # 3: In God’s Story redemption and renewal is universal in scope.

So, as the Story of Grace continues, it will now address how the gospel advances the image of the mutual and self-giving unity of the trinity throughout the world. This can be seen in three theological truths:

Truth # 1: The grace of God is working within history. There is obviously in the text of Daniel 7 a sharp contrast between the picture of the beasts (vs.3-8) and the Ancient of Days (vs.9-10) and the Son of Man (vs.13-14). This contrast is meant to show that without the grace of God⁴through the Holy Spirit flowing within the world, the only experience we would have would be a predatory and warlike existence. Because of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit the beasts of the four kingdoms are restrained in their evil and the work and reign of God is still unfolding in history.

Truth # 2: The grace of God working within history laid the foundations for civilization.

Beast # 1: From Babylon (v.4) the world received a foundational understanding of law in the Code of Hammurabi, and the practice of the seven day week, which came through their magi who were star gazers.
Beast # 2: Through Persia (v.5) was born the experience of universal human rights through Cyrus.
Beast # 3: From Greece (v.6) the world is gifted with the idea and practice of democracy, the art of theater, the theological conception of logos, and the discipline of philosophy. Through the work of Aristotle came the foundational understandings of logic, biology, and ethics. From Aristotle’s student Alexander the Great comes the most important intellectual event ever, the Library of Alexandria. This established that the pursuit of wisdom and knowledge is to be a universal aspiration.
Beast # 4: Out of Rome (v.7) was the development of a greater application of law with the Twelve Tables which brought greater ordered equality of rights between the elite rules (patricians) and the common workers (plebeians). This desire for order equality based in law would provide for us the ideas of a senate, a republic, checks and balances, e pluribus unum (out of the many, one).

Truth # 3: After the death and resurrection of Jesus, the scope of God’s Story of Grace transforming the world intensifies. The changing of the world into the mutual and self-giving presence of the Trinity will happen at a greater scale because of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the missional movement of the church. The fire that we see flowing from the throne of the Ancient of Days is poured out onto the earth in a greatly intensified way through the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. (Acts 2:1-4)

It is now to the post-ascension outpouring of the Holy Spirit that the Story of Grace will proceed.

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This is perhaps the most referenced and alluded to Old Testament chapter in the New Testament thus showing its centrality to understanding the revelation of God.
How long one sees this period depends on the length that they see the Roman Empire being extended.
John answered them all, “I indeed baptize you with water, but he comes who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to loosen. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire. (Luke 3:16) When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:1–4) Out of the throne proceed lightnings, sounds, and thunders. There were seven lamps of fire burning before his throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. (Revelation 4:5) The Holy Spirit is as personal as the Father and the Son, yet within the Trinity he is most pleased to be described in less personal and more analogous ways like fire.
This grace can be referred to in the category common grace. Common grace encompasses God’s provision of daily blessings, the restraint of sin’s effects, and the delay of judgment, all experienced by both believers and non-believers. To draw to clear a distinction between common grace and saving grace (redemption and restoration offered to those who believe in Jesus Christ) is problematic because they are closely linked. Common grace can lead to saving grace, as Paul states, Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? (Romans 2:4)

The Twelve Tables of Rome and the Forming of the Republic (1Timothy 2:1-4)

The Twelve Tables were Rome’s first written law code, finalized in 449 B.C. Inscribed on 12 bronze tablets, they were displayed publicly, making the laws accessible to all citizens. They did not come from the mind of one brilliant or powerful leader, like the Code of Hammurabi; they were forged out of the conflict of the common people (plebs) seeking greater representation in the government against the aristocrats (patricians), who had the majority of power. The Twelve Tables were designed to address the power disparity by overcoming arbitrary rule of the elite and wealthy and fostering transparency in Roman law. These laws would go on to have a fundamental influence shaping the development of greater equality across the classes. This was a monumental development in God’s Story of Grace in shaping society in the image of the Trinity: increasing the balance of unity (oneness) with respect for personal rights (diversity) between the patricians and plebs.¹ Through time The Twelve Tables would serve as a new standard in the advance of law.

In the article we will look at the advance of God’s Story of Grace in using The Twelve Tables of Roman Law as a means to provide greater equality and dignity in the world.

A Short History of the Struggle Between the Plebs and Patricians

According to tradition, Rome began as a small settlement of tribes in 753 BC. Evidence suggests there was a unification of these diverse tribes around 600 BC, marking the establishment of Rome as a true city-state. It ultimately became a republic (governed by elected representatives) in 509 BC.²The significant problem is that the elected representatives could only be drawn from the wealthiest land owners (patricians). They would place increasing taxes on the people without increasing services or benefits. Many plebs were under crushing debt due to the taxation. In 494 BC the plebs threatened to leave Rome which would have grinded the city to a halt, as the plebeians were Rome’s labor force. Led by Lucius Vellutus, large numbers of them walked out of the city and congregated on the Mons Sacer (“sacred mountain”) while Vellutus and others negotiated with the patricians. This walk out was an rousing success, resulting in the forgiveness of many plebs’ debts and the creation of the Tribune of the Plebs (an official in ancient Rome chosen by the plebs to protect their interests). This Tribune was the first government position to be occupied by a member of the plebeian class and allowed them to elect their own representative.

Though this provided an improvement, it hardly addressed all of the inequities in the power imbalance. Eventually the common people demanded to have written codes which could be known by everyone and not just patrician elite. Around 450 BC, a board of “Ten Men” were appointed to draw up the first ten tables. According to Livy, they sent an embassy to Greece to study the legislative system of Athens, specifically the works of Solon. Later, in that same year, the second group of “Ten Men” started to work on the last two tables. These were completed in 449 BC. But to get the representatives to move on it, the working class needed to secede, again, to force consideration of the adoption of The Twelve Tables. It worked! The Twelve Tables were formally made law in Rome. They were inscribed on bronze and posted publicly so all Romans could read and know them. This provided a more defined legal system, ensuring that citizens could understand their rights and responsibilities.

Summary Of the Twelve Tables

Table 1: Procedure for Courts and Trials	It outlined procedures for legal proceedings, including the right of citizens to raise complaints in court and have their testimonies heard. It established rules regarding summoning someone to court, the behavior of both the plaintiff and defendant, and the process of settling disputes.
Table 2: Process for Initiating a Trial	It outlined the amount of deposit required based on the value of the disputed property or the freedom of a person. It covered situations where a trial could be postponed, such as illness or a day appointed for a case with an alien. Furthermore, it addressed the obligation of parties to provide evidence by shouting before the witness’s doorway every third day.
Table 3: Debt	This included a grace period for payment and the ability of creditors to take action against debtors. It outlined the process for enforcing debt obligations, including the seizure of a debtor’s person and the conditions for their imprisonment and treatment while in the creditor’s custody.
Table 4: Rights of Familial Heads	This focused on family rights and responsibilities, particularly those of the father or head of household.
Table 5: Estates & Guardianship	It established that women, even those of full age, should remain under the guardianship of a male relative, with the exception of Vestal Virgins. The table also outlined provisions for inheritance, including what happens when someone dies without a direct heir and who would inherit their possessions.
Table 6: Ownership and Possession	It focused on how someone acquired legal ownership of property, including through formal sale and bond, and through acquisition by prescription after a certain period of possession.
Table 7: Land Rights and Crimes	It covered various aspects of property ownership, including inheritance and regulations related to land use, like boundary disputes, road maintenance, and property ownership, including the right to remove trees that blew onto one’s property and the ownership of fruit falling onto a neighbor’s land.
Table 8: Legal Violations	It dealt with laws related to legal violations, specifically addressing injuries to persons and property. It included provisions for penalties for breaking bones, causing simple harm, and animal-related damages. It covered the rules for inheritance when a Roman citizen-freedman died. .
Table 9: Citizenship	It primarily focused on public law, particularly concerning the right to life, death, and citizenship. It prohibited laws from being passed regarding the person of a citizen except by the highest assembly and through those listed on the citizenry rolls. A key provision was that a judge or arbitrator convicted of taking a bribe would be punished capitally. It also prohibited the execution of anyone who had not been convicted in court.
Table 10: Burial	It dealt primarily with religious practices and burial customs. Specifically, it prohibited women from certain behaviors during funerals (like lacerating their faces or crying out loudly), and it stipulated that burials and cremations should not take place within the city walls
Table 11: Marriage	It related primarily with marriage laws. Specifically, it prohibited marriage between patricians and plebeians. It also addressed issues related to inheritance and the role of guardians, particularly for women.
Table 12: Damages	It dealt with the topic of binding into law. Specifically, it addressed situations where a slave committed theft or damage with the knowledge of their master. In such cases, the action for damages would be filed in the slave’s name.

Influence Of the Twelve Tables

Lex Hortensia

The Twelve Tables paved the way for the Lex Hortensia in 287 BC which granted the plebeian class the same legal power as the patricians. They gained the right to marry patricians, participate in the assemblies (gathering of citizens to influence government), and even hold high-ranking positions in the Republic. This made the representative government of the Roman republic more inclusive.

Christianity and the Roman Legal System

The Twelve Tables, of course, came well before Christianity; however, Roman law, including the idea of written legal codes, helped create an environment in which Christianity spread and eventually interacted with and influenced the evolution of Roman legal thought. This was a big advance in God’s Story of Grace. For this reason Paul encouraged Timothy to pray:

¹I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— ²for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. ³This is good, and pleases God our Savior, ⁴who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:1-4)

The Roman legal systems helped toward this end in protecting Christians which is seen many places in the Book of Acts with Paul:

Paul invoked his Roman citizenship to avoid beating and unfair treatment in Philippi. (Acts 16:37)
Roman troops protected Paul against a mob. (Acts 23:10)
He demanded a fair trial in Jerusalem and Caesarea. (Acts 23:35).
Paul exercised his right as a Roman citizen to appeal to the emperor in Rome, which ultimately led to his journey to Rome. (Acts 25:10-12)

Modern Times

The Twelve Tables, in the tradition of the Code of Hammurabi³and the Mosaic Law,⁴ would be the very early forerunner to such landmark writings as the Magna Carta (1215) and Bill of Rights (1791). It would set a new standard for:

Codified Legal System:. The Twelve Tables represented a shift from customary law based on tradition to a written legal code to providing a structured framework for the application of justice for all citizens.
Equality Before the Law:. While not perfect, the Twelve Tables established a greater degree of equality before the law for both patricians and plebeians, ensuring that laws were applied regardless of social standing.
Public Access to Law:. The Twelve Tables were publicly displayed, making them accessible to all citizens, increasing transparency and accountability in the legal system.

As a legal code, The Twelve Tables were imperfect, but in the historical development in God’s Story of Grace, it established a tremendous march forward to shaping society and culture in the greater image of the Trinity–great unity (oneness) within diversity (threeness).

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The descriptions of “oneness” and “diversity” reflect the reality of the triune God who is ONE (a unified whole) consisting of THREE (three distinct persons). Human relations on a large to a smaller scale are demonstrating health to the degree that they reflect the Trinity.
The people of Rome, initially governed by Etruscan monarchs, decided to replace the monarchy with a representative citizen-led government (republican).
The Twelve Tables grew out of a long conflict between the plebs and the patricians. In contrast, the Code of Hammurabi was developed from the mind of one king. He claimed to receive it from divine authority–the sun god, Shamash.
In contrast with the Twelve Tables, which were placed publicly for all to see, the two tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments were sealed in the Ark of the Covenant, which was never opened. The Ten Commandments were given in history but did not arise from history, as they were given by Yahweh to Moses on Mt. Sinai.