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Who Will Sit With You?

The familiar can be forgotten. Years ago we took a vacation out west. We stopped at the Grand Canyon. We took a bus to the outer part of the canyon. It was a long ride. And the bus driver was talking to us over the speaker. In between every stop he would let us know of some young couple or person who went beyond the barrier and fell. one after another, each story got more gruesome as the bus ride went on. And when that happens, you have to ask the question, why? We didn’t have to wait long for an answer. What is familiar can be forgotten. You can forget that the guard rail is there for a reason. You can go beyond it and then fall to your death. God’s word starts the same way this morning. This warning we see what is familiar. But we dare not forget its meaning. In Daniel 7, we read these words: ““As I kept watching, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was white like snow, and the hair of his head like whitest wool.” (Dan. 7:9 CSB17)

This here is poetry. Daniel is giving us a picture of Judgment Day with powerful imagery. And the picture unfolds this way. Daniel sees the Ancient of Day. Here the Ancient of Days is God the Father. Then there are thrones that are brought in.¹(Dan. 7:9 BHS-T)}} The Ancient of Days takes his seat. Then we are bombarded with colors. The first color is white. White is the color for holiness an purity. Our God has no sin. But then there is another color that floods our vision: “⁹ His throne was flaming fire; its wheels were blazing fire. ¹⁰ A river of fire was flowing, coming out from his presence.” (Dan. 7:9–10 CSB17)

The second color is red. Fire surrounds the Ancient of Days. And fire flows out from the Ancient of Days. This picture reminds us that our God isn’t just without sin, he also punishes sin. But the picture gets even more scary as Daniel speaks. We read: “Thousands upon thousands served him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was convened, and the books were opened.” (Dan. 7:10 CSB17)

The Ancient of Days sits. Thousands and thousands of angels stand. And what finally happens? The books are opened. Daniel invites us to use our imagination in these words. He wants us to ask, “What is written in my book?” God is holy and he punishes those who are not holy. The only words that can be written in that book are words that detail and itemize all my sins—all my failures. And we finally arrive at the question: Who will sit with me? On the Last Day, who will sit with me when the Ancient of Days sits on his throne and the thousands of thousands of angels stand with him—who will sit with me?

Daniel writes these words because, we like the people riding on that bus in the Grand Canyon can become forgetful with what is familiar. Every year at this time of the year we are reminded that there will be a last day, a judgment day. Every year we reminded that God the Father hates sin and punishes sin. And our real temptation is to forget the weight, the seriousness, the meaning of these words simply because we hear them so often.

And my dear friends in Christ, when this happens we begin to conclude that sin is not serious. The people who go beyond the barrier to take a picture ignore the warning. And the signs don’t seem to be that important—at least until they fall. The warnings here of holiness and fire don’t seem to be that powerful. But they are real. And if we hear these words in an unthinking and uncaring way, there is the real temptation that when that day comes, we will sit alone.

But, if, on the other hand, we come to these words seriously and sincerely once again, these words have meaning and hope for us. For there are numbers here which show us meaning and give us hope. So there is one Ancient of Days who sits. And there are thousands of angels who stand. And you sit alone. But, my dear friends, how many thrones are there? There’s this fascinating detail which is easy to overlook. It doesn’t say that one throne is brought in. Instead, it says that there are “thrones” (plural) that are brought in. Who is sitting on that other throne? The Son of Man is sitting on that throne.² Jesus is sitting there on that throne. And while you are being put on trial Jesus is there on your behalf. He is there pleading your case. And the case he pleads on your behalf is not that you were good enough—not that your tried your best—not that you did some good in your life. No he admits that you are not holy. Instead he tells his Father what he has done for you. He says, “Look, Father, where this sinner was forgetful, I was faithful. Where this sinned, I was punished in his or her place.” So, if we ask the question, “who will sit with me when my book is opened,” the answer is: The son of man.

This morning then God’s word leaves us with two invitations. First, God’s word invites us to look at these parts of God’s word and let God’s holiness be his holiness. The Ancient of Days is holy and he punishes sin. Each of us has a sinful nature that wants us to forget this truth. That sinful voice says, “Go ahead and do that sinful action—cherish that sinful desire because God doesn’t care.’” But the Ancient of Days does care. So let us remember these parts of God’s word so that we do not forget and fall into sin.

But there is another invitation. And it is a gospel one. When you look back over your long life and see all your rebellions, your sickening desires, your greediness or gluttonousness—when you see all these sins stacked and piles up, also then see the other person sitting on the throne. When you wonder what will be written in your book on that last day remember the Son of Man who is there, sitting next to the Ancient of Days. And remind yourself again and again that only words of forgiveness and holiness will be written there. And only only that, remember that not only will the Son of Man be there, sitting with you. But because the Son of Man is there sitting with you, the Ancient of Days will be too. Amen.