For Kids · 4 min with a grown-up
God gives Daniel a dream full of strange, scary beasts — but the most important part is who's sitting on the throne above them all.
Today's Story
One night God gave Daniel a dream. In it, Daniel saw four strange, scary beasts come up out of a stormy sea — fierce creatures, each one stranger than the last. They were like the powerful, pushy kingdoms of the world.
But then Daniel saw something far greater. He saw thrones set up, and God Himself — Daniel called Him “the Ancient of Days” — sitting on a throne blazing like fire, with thousands and thousands of angels around Him. God was completely in charge. The scary beasts had no power next to Him.
Then Daniel saw “one like a son of man” coming with the clouds of heaven, up to God's throne. And God gave Him glory and a kingdom — a kingdom of ALL peoples and nations, a kingdom that would last forever. (Long after, Jesus would call Himself “the Son of Man.”)
The scary beasts looked powerful for a little while. But God was on the throne the whole time — and in the end, God's good kingdom wins forever.
A Big Word
Memory Verse
Talk About It
- The beasts looked scary, but God on His throne was greater than all of them. When the world feels scary, how does it help to remember God is in charge?
- God gave the “Son of Man” a kingdom forever — and Jesus called Himself the Son of Man! How does it feel that Jesus' kingdom never ends?
- Daniel saw thousands of angels around God's throne. What do you imagine heaven is like?