One of the characteristics in all great leaders is the big vision they possess -- and how they developed leaders around that vision.
Daniel was given a series of great visions by God because of Daniel’s total dependence on God. Daniel was close to God, listened to God and consequently, learned to look steadily to the Lord in all his decisions, actions, and circumstances. Daniel shows us a picture of how to serve God faithfully in a world that is far from ideal and full of evil.
Of all Daniel’s great visions, greatest one was that of the ‘Son of Man’. Daniel has a vision of the ‘end times’. In his dream he saw the “Ancient of Days” seated on His throne in heaven. Then “one like a son of man” approached the “Ancient of Days” and is given authority and sovereign power. All nations worship Him and His kingdom will never end
(Dan 7:1-28).
This vision occupies a unique place in the interpretation of Biblical prophecy. It provides the most comprehensive and detailed prophecy of future events to be found anywhere in the Old Testament. We see through Daniel’s prophecies that God has a very clear picture of what is going to happen in the future and what His Church should be. We find that leadership plays a very clear role in God’s plan to make the Church what He designed it to be.
When we look around at the church today, we see many wonderful works being accomplished, people being saved every day, miracles, marriages being redeemed, people coming off drugs and lives becoming effective for God. However, even though we might think we are doing well, when I look at Scripture and learn the Holy Spirit’s power and the creativity of God, and compare that to the world and universe He created, I realise that we are not even ankle deep in our effectiveness as a Church.
What Daniel shows us is that the God we serve has a vision for His Church and mankind that is far greater than we currently realise.
We become too content in living lives of mediocrity and not spending the time with God to grab hold of His great vision. We see in Numbers chapter 13 the story of Joshua and Caleb and the land of the giants. These two men disagreed with the twelve spies who said going forward was impossible because of the giants. Rather they said: ‘Let us go up at once and possess it; we are well able.’ No vision is too big for God for we are well able, not because we are powerful, but because He is. Daniel knew this in his heart and he lived his life accordingly.
God is going to establish His kingdom here on earth and He needs us to partner with Him in this. The establishment of the kingdom will restore God’s creational purposes. This kingdom given to the Son of Man is to be everlasting. In Daniel’s other visions we have a depiction of four human kingdoms, followed by the establishment of God’s eternal kingdom. I venture to guess we are well along the path to that happening.
We need to raise up leaders who can learn to listen to God and grab hold of God’s great vision for His Church and people. This is one of the keys in working with God, to realise this vision. The blueprint is there. If God could, under the Old Covenant, give men like Moses and David specific, detailed directions, dimensions, colours, and names of people who would administer the design of the tabernacle and the temple, how much more will He not give us His pattern under the New Covenant?
Like Daniel we need to get close to Him and listen. The kind of leaders we develop, train and release will determine how effective we will become, and how long that effectiveness will last.
Ray Dallin
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