One Wey Be Like Son of Man

One dark sea, wey breeze from every side dey shake. Waves dey knock and dey boil. And from inside di water, one after di other, four big-big beasts rise, each one dey make person fear pass di one before.

Daniel na young man from Jerusalem, wey Babylon carry go as captive when dem conquer Judah. E work for di king palace for many years, e remain faithful to God through di reign of different kings. E don see plenty: di lions den never reach, but e don see great kings rise and fall. Now, for di first year of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel lie down for im bed for night, and God give am one dream, one vision. E write am down, because e know say e important. Na about di empires of di world, and about who dey really rule.

Di four winds of heaven shake di big sea, and four beasts come out from inside am. Di first one be like lion wey get eagle wing. Di second one be like bear, with three ribs for im mouth. Di third one be like leopard with four wings and four heads. And di fourth one no resemble anything wey Daniel don ever see: e dey make person fear, e strong no be small, e get big iron teeth, e dey crush and match everything for im road, and e get ten horns. Then one small horn grow among dem, with eyes like human being eye and mouth wey dey talk big-big talk dey boast. Later, one angel explain give Daniel say dis beasts na kingdoms, big empires wey dey rise from di confusion of di world, dey swallow and dey boast.

But then Daniel vision change. Dem arrange thrones. And di one wey dem dey call di Ancient of Days siddon. Im cloth white like snow, im hair be like clean wool. Im throne na flames of fire, and im wheels na fire wey dey burn. One river of fire dey flow comot from im front. Thousands and thousands dey serve am, and ten thousand times ten thousand stand for im front. Di court siddon to judge, and dem open di books. Dem judge di beast wey dey boast and dem destroy am. Dem collect power from di other beasts. Di empires wey be like say dem strong reach, God throne turn dem to nothing.

And then. I look for di night visions, and see, one wey be like son of man dey come with di clouds of di sky, and e come reach di Ancient of Days, and dem bring am near for im front. No be beast dis time. One wey be like son of man, human being. And e no rise from di sea wey dey vex. E come with di clouds of heaven, di same way Bible describe how God imself dey come. Dem bring am come di throne. Dem give am power, glory and kingdom, so dat all di peoples, nations and languages go serve am. Im power na power wey go last forever, wey no go pass, and im kingdom na one wey nobody fit destroy. Every other kingdom for di dream dey come and go. Dis one go last forever. When Jesus dey waka for di roads of Galilee, di name wey e use call imself pass any other na di Son of Man. And for im trial, when di high priest ask am if na im be di Christ, Jesus answer: Na me, and una go see di Son of Man siddon for di right hand of power, dey come with di clouds of heaven.

Something dey unusual about di language of dis part of Daniel. Most of di Old Testament na Hebrew dem take write am. But from di middle of chapter two reach di end of chapter seven, di book of Daniel change go Aramaic, di language wey everybody for di Babylon and Persia empires dey use. Daniel vision of di beasts and di son of man, na for di language of di same empires wey e dey describe dem first write am.

One wey be like son of man. Na Daniel chapter seven be dat, verse thirteen and fourteen. Di beasts of di world dey rise and fall, but God dey give kingdom wey no go end to di Son of Man. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. When di news full with powerful people and things wey dey make person fear, how Daniel vision dey help you remember who really dey in charge?