For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

One would expect Paul to contrast the fact that “death reigned” with a statement that “life now reigns.”  But no.  He says that We Reign.

Notice how closely this follows Daniel’s vision in Chapter 7

First, Daniel’s vision goes back to creation with winds/spirit (same word) above the waters.  Then beasts are created and one like a “son of Adam” (if we translate the Aramaic back into Hebrew) is given dominion over them.

And the vision shows this happening through a judicial sentence–a justification.

Furthermore, this justification is also the giving of authority to the saints to reign.

As I looked,

thrones were placed,
and the Ancient of Days 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.
A stream of fire issued
and came out from before him;
a thousand thousands served him,
and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him;
the court sat in judgment,
and the books were opened.

I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.

I saw in the night visions,

and behold, with the clouds of heaven
there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days
and was presented before him.
And to him was given dominion
and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
that shall not be destroyed.

And the interpretation given to this vision is that “the saints” will be given authority.

As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them, until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom.

But the court shall sit in judgment,
and his dominion shall be taken away,
to be consumed and destroyed to the end.
And the kingdom and the dominion
and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven
shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High;
their kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom,
and all dominions shall serve and obey them.

In Aramaic, being “given judgment” could simply mean given a justifying verdict.  But John’s Revelation seems to interpret it differently:

Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed.

Jesus also, when confronted with the paralytic, seemed to understand Daniel as saying that the authority to judge (and to pardon) was given to the Son of Man.

Romans works for Postmillennialists and maybe Premillennialists.  I don’t see Amillennialists surviving the message as well.