Daniel 2
“You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth“ (Daniel 2:34-35).
King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream. The first thing the king saw was a great image made of the following mineral elements:
- The head was of gold (Babylon from 612-539 B.C ).
- The breast and arms were of silver (Medo-Persia from 539-331 B.C).
- The belly and thighs were of brass (Greece from 331-168 B.C.).
- The legs were of iron (Rome from 168 B.C.-A.D. 476. ).
- The feet of iron and clay (10 divisions of the Roman Empire).
Next, the king saw a stone that had been cut without hands.
In this dream of the multi-mineral image, God outlined, for all future generations, the rise and fall of the empires that would have a direct influence on His people.
King Nebuchadnezzar may have thought that he had defeated the true God when he besieged Jerusalem and plundered the temple (Daniel 1:1, 2), but the Lord showed him that He is ruler over all.
The Stone
The stone that was cut without human hands represents God’s kingdom. This stone will replace all the earthly kingdoms (Revelation 21:1). Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and the 10 divisions of the Roman Empire may have tried to overtake the divine authority and destroy God’s people, but all earthly kingdoms will eventually be destroyed at the second coming of Christ.
When Jesus comes back, He will establish an everlasting kingdom (Daniel 2:44). Time is moving toward this climactic event, when the Son of God shall return in power and glory to bring in the kingdom of everlasting righteousness.
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In His service,
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