9. Messiah Will Come Again At The End Of This Age, And All Nations Will Serve Him Forever
(Daniel 7:13-14)
According to the Tanakh Messsiah would come to give his life as an atoning sacrifice. About this coming of Messiah the Tanakh says that Messiah would come humbly and without outer glory.
More than that, he would be despised and rejected:
For he grew up before him like a young plant and like a root out of dry ground; He had no form of majesty that we should look at him, he was despised and rejected by men…. (Isaiah 53:2-3)
But the Tanakh also reveals a glorious reign of the Messiah. After his atoning death Messiah would rise from the dead to be exalted to the highest position possible – even to the right hand of G-d, on His very throne. (See Isaiah 52:13, Psalm 110:1, Zechariah 6:13.)
The prophet Daniel saw the same exaltation in a vision:
And I saw in the night visions,
and behold with the clouds of heaven
there came one like a son of man
and he was presented before him. (Daniel 7:13)
Several times in the Tanakh G-d is said to come in a chariot of clouds (Psalm 18:11-12, 97:2, 104:3, Isaiah 19:1, Nahum 1:3). Here Daniel describes the Son of Man in a similar way, approaching the fiery throne where the Ancient of Days is seated (Daniel 7:9-10).
Who possibly can approach G-d in His majesty this way? Is such a person rebuked for being completely out of bounds? No, the very opposite happens:
And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations and languages should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. (Daniel 7:14)
Isaiah prophesied also about this same kingdom without end – the Messianic Kingdom. He also affirmed Messiah would sit on the throne of David. (Isaiah 9:6)
So, what does this mean?
It means the Messiah not only will be greatly exalted in heaven after his suffering but also will return to earth with heavenly glory. The Son of Man first came humbly; he is now greatly exalted and will come again. This time He will come with divine glory and authority, to reign forever.
Great is the mystery of Israel’s Messiah. He is simultaneously both G-d and man. He gave himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sin before the second temple was destroyed. He is risen from the dead. He is now seated at the right hand of G-d as eternal king and priest. And as we’ve just seen, He is promised to come again with the glory of heaven.
No wonder Psalm 2, speaking of Messiah, pronounces: Blessed are all who take refuge in him. (Psalm 2:12)
But if Messiah already came in the first century CE, are his atoning death and resurrection recorded?
Actually, yes! The life of Messiah at his first coming is better documented than any person in ancient history. We have very reliable testimonies of his atoning death and resurrection.