What does the return of Christ really look like? Unpack the powerful prophecies in Luke 21:25-27 and Daniel 7:9-14, illuminating the Son of Man’s coming, the Great White Throne Judgment, and the kingdom that will replace all earthly rule. Learn the cosmic disturbances that will accompany Jesus’s second coming, the symbolism of the cloud as God’s presence, and how repentance prepares us for His arrival.

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Table of contentsDaniel Prophesies of the Great White Throne JudgmentWhat Happens to the Little Horn?Do the Kingdoms End or Continue?Daniel Prophesies of the Son of Man’s ComingDaniel Prophesies of the Son of Man’s Kingdom Replacing Earthly KingdomsNebuchadnezzar's Dream of the Son of Man's Kingdom Replacing Earthly KingdomsCosmic Disturbances Accompany the Son of Man’s CominAssociate the Cloud with the Father’s PresencePrepare for the Son of Man’s Coming by RepentingWhy People Don't Repent

Jesus is the God-Man: He is fully God and fully man. In the Gospels, we see verses that reveal Jesus’s deity and humanity. Think about whether these verses describe the Son of God or the Son of Man:

Matthew 4:2 says Jesus was hungry. Son of Man

Matthew 4:3-9 says He was tempted. Son of Man

Matthew 8:24 says Jesus slept in a boat during a storm. Son of Man

Matthew 17:2 says He was transfigured, His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as light. Son of God

Matthew 24:36 says He didn’t know the day or hour of His return. Son of Man

Matthew 27:50 says He died. Son of Man

Mark 6:3 says Jesus had brothers and sisters. Son of Man

In Luke 5:20, Jesus told the paralytic, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” Son of God

John 1:14 says He showed us the glory of the Father, full of grace and truth. Son of God

John 1:18 says nobody has seen God the Father, but Jesus has made Him known. Son of God

John 4:6 says He was weary from his journey and had to sit down. Son of Man

In John 8:58, Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” Son of God

In John 10:30, Jesus said, “I and the Father are one.” Son of God

In John 17:21, Jesus said the Father is in Him, and He is in the Father. Son of God

In John 19:28, Jesus said He was thirsty. Son of Man

John 20:19 describes Jesus as being able to pass through walls. Son of God

Now for this morning’s verses: In Luke 21:27, Jesus said He would come in a cloud with power and great glory.

Son of God or Son of Man? I would think the Son of God! But we read:

Luke 21:27 [people of the earth] will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

So, what is this all about? How is this the Son of Man versus the Son of God? The answer is in Daniel 7.

Daniel Prophesies of the Great White Throne Judgment

Daniel 7 and Revelation 20 describe the Great White Throne Judgment. Daniel 7:1-8 record Daniel’s vision of the four beasts, which represent four kingdoms:

The first beast is a lion that represents Babylon

The second beast is a bear that represents Medo Persia

The third beast is a leopard that represents Greece

The fourth beast, Rome, the antichrist’s kingdom, combines the previous kingdoms and has ten horns.

The Antichrist has many names in Scripture, including the little horn:

Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns (on the fourth beast), and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one (the Antichrist), before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man (so we know the horn is a man, versus another kingdom), and a mouth speaking great things (he’s proud and boastful). 9 “As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days (this is a fascinating Old Testament title for God the Father) took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire.