Page 250 - Through New Eyes

250 THROUGH NEW EYES

amid. The Edenic waters thus are finally coalesced with the
heavenly waters of Genesis 1. Since the city is a pyramid, it
stands to reason that the waters flow down all four sides. Thus,
Ezekiel’s river is transcended in the New Covenant.

The New Heavens and Earth as Built
Let us now look at the Restoration as it actually came to pass
in fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophecies. First, we find in the book of
Daniel the fact that God’s new world order involved world em-
pires that dominated the nations. These empires would gather
into themselves “the sovereignty, the dominion, and the great-
ness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven”; but in the
plan of God, this was only so that they could all be turned over
to the Son of Man (Daniel 7:27). The Christ to come would be
the final World Emperor, and His non-political Church would
be the true world empire, embracing and transforming every
nation without dominating or destroying any of them. s Daniel
prophesies the course of empire in detail from its establishment
under Nebuchadnezzar until the time of Christ. g
In this new world order, God’s witnesses are to try and influ-
ence the world imperial centers. Thus, Daniel and his friends
become strong at Nebuchadnezzar’s court, and eventually Neb-
uchadnezzar is converted. The same thing happens with the
Persian court later on. Thus, in the world of the Restoration,
while Jerusalem may be the world’s spiritual capital, the political
capital of interest to the Jews will be the capital of the world em-
pire. This theme continues in the New Testament as Paul yearns
to get to Rome and go to work on Caesar’s household.
Something new comes into focus at this stage of history: the
importance of witness-bearing. This becomes an important
theme in the books of Daniel and Esther, and points to the New
Testament. Daniel must serve Nebuchadnezzar faithfully and
well, but at the same time must bear witness for God Most
High, the Lord of Israel, without compromise. This is the theme
of Daniel 1, the test of food, of Daniel 3, the three youths in the
fiery furnace, and of Daniel 6, where Daniel is forbidden to
pray. Daniel is the exemplary witness; he never compromises,
but also never rebels.