Daniel 7:9 says the following:
I was looking until thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days sat; His raiment was as white as snow, and the hair of His head was like clean wool; His throne was sparks of fire, its wheels were a burning fire.
Christians sometimes use this verse as a reference to Jesus being God. How?
The verse specifically says that "thrones," in the plural, were set. If God is Singular the word "thrones" should be in the singular as well. Therefore Christians argue that plural thrones had to be set up because God is a plurality, i.e., that Jesus as well occupied one of the thrones as God!
While that is certainly an interesting approach, we have an alternative explanation. Rashi explains that two thrones were set up, one for God to sit in judgement on Israel (the Jews), and the other to sit in judgement on the nations of the world.
The problem with the Christian interpretation of this verse as referring to Jesus is that it speaks of God in the singular. Note that the verse says that His throne was sparks of fire, not their thrones were sparks of fire. The only reason that multiple thrones are mentioned at the beginning of the verse is that God occupied both of them at different times; sitting in one and then sitting in the other. This is why the word "throne" appears first in the plural and then in the singular; while two existed, He only sat in one throne at a time.
Further, verse 10 demonstrates the judicial nature of these thrones, "Justice was established, and the books were opened." Christians do not teach that Jesus came to bring justice for wrongdoing, but rather to free people from it as a sacrifice for sin. Therefore it is not true that Jesus sat on the throne of justice, for Christians do not say that he sat as does as a king and judge who intends to exercise retribution.
If Jesus was seated on one of the thrones in 7:9, why does it only say in 7:13 that he (the Son of Man) approached the Ancient of Days (God)?
"I saw in the visions of the night, and behold with the clouds of the heaven, one like a man was coming, and he came up to the Ancient of Days and was brought before Him."
Further, as is customary with kings, an inferior is expected to show honor to a superior by standing before him while he sits. This is exactly what happens in 7:13, with the Son of Man approaching God seated in judgement. We as well see that God, the King, "gave him dominion and glory and a kingdom," endowing him with authority and power that he did not previously possess. This can only be true if this person lacks something that can only be given to him by a superior. Given that Christians believe Jesus to be on par with the Father, this person can by no means be Jesus.
Daniel 7:25 says, "And he will speak words against the Most High, and he will oppress the high holy ones, and he will think to change the times and the law, and they will be delivered into his hand until a time, two times, and half a time."
The "he" in this verse is the fourth beast that Daniel sees in his prophetic vision. The Jewish tradition explains that this is Edom, the final and most powerful kingdom to rule before the Messiah comes. Interestingly enough, one of the characteristics of this beast, Edom, is that "he will think to change... the law." It is noteworthy to say that Christianity (associated with Edom) attempted to do that very thing, to change the Law (of the Torah) to proclaim that it is no longer valid, not to mention the holidays (the times). This was accomplished by the hand of Paul, who claimed that the Law was a curse that required being freed from.
We already know that God judges the Jews, but where does the Tanakh say that God judges the nations of the world?
God's judgment of the nations of the world in the Tanakh is corroborated by the following verses (Amos 1:3-2:3):
So said the Lord: For three transgressions of Damascus, yea for four, I will not return them; Because they threshed the Gileadites with sledges of iron. And I will send fire into the house of Hazael, and it shall consume the palaces of Ben-Hadad. And I will break the bolt of Damascus, and I will cut off an inhabitant from Bikath- Aven, and one who holds the scepter from Beth-eden, and the people of Aram shall be exiled to Kir, says the Lord.
So said the Lord: For three transgressions of Gaza, yea for four, I will not return them; Because they carried away captive a whole captivity, to deliver to Edom. And I will send fire into the wall of Gaza, and it shall consume its palaces. And I will cut off an inhabitant from Ashdod and one who holds the scepter from Ashkelon, and I will return My hand upon Ekron, and the remnant of the Philistines shall be lost, says the Lord God.
So said the Lord: For three sins of Tyre, yea for four, I will not return them; Because they delivered a whole captivity to Edom and did not remember the brotherly covenant. And I will send fire into the wall of Tyre, and it shall consume its palaces.
So said the Lord: For three sins of Edom, yea for four, I will not return them: For pursuing their brother with a sword, and they destroyed their mercy and grasped forever their anger and kept their fury forever. And I will send fire into Teman, and it shall consume the palaces of Bozrah.
So said the Lord: For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, yea for four, I will not return them: Because they ripped up the pregnant women of Gilead, in order to enlarge their border. And I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall consume its palaces, with a shout on the day of battle, with a tempest on the day of the whirlwind. And their king shall go into exile, he and his princes together, said the Lord.
So said the Lord: For three transgressions of Moab, yea for four, I will not return them; for he burnt the bones of the king of Edom to lime. And I will send fire into Moab, and it shall consume the palaces of Kerioth, and Moab shall die amidst the tumult, with shouting, with the sound of the shophar. And I will cut off a judge from within it, and all its princes I will slay with him, says the Lord.
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