I am certain you have heard of the Messianic Promise referring to the One that will be seated on the Eternal Throne, presiding and reigning over the Kingdom of God. The first indication of this Messianic King … or if you like, Savior King comes to us as early as Genesis 3. No sooner had man rebelled against God that God, almost in embryo form, gives us
Ge 3:15 “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
These words are intended for the enemy of God (satan), but they inform us God will arise and rescue His chosen people (Ephesians 1:4). From then onwards, God provided more and more information with reference to this Promise throughout the Old Testament, giving more and more clarity about this Messiah King who will be King eternally and that His Kingdom will never end. Now as Daniel speaks God’s Word, revealing and interpreting Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, we find him making reference to this King and Kingdom in the future. In essence he is saying to the ruler of the world’s superpower of the day … “Your kingdom and every kingdom after yours is temporal, but God will raise up an eternal King and an Eternal Kingdom”.
1) Without a doubt he is referring to the Lord Jesus and His Kingdom.
Da 2:44 “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.”
Each of the four kingdoms achieved its greatness and power through conquering other kingdoms. Medo-Persia conquered and incorporated Babylon. Greece did the same to Medo-Persia. The Roman Empire did not conquer all of the Greek Empire but she did become greater and the countries under her reign were much further “into the world” than the others. Now get this … Whilst these kingdoms were growing and then falling, so God was developing and maturing and growing His Kingdom! We need to understand that the Gospel was not an afterthought as some suppose. There are those who think that because the Kingdom of Israel failed, God needed to come up with a quick strategy to save face. Not at all. The gospel was born in the heart and mind of God in eternity past! When you look at Genesis 3:15 and see how it is developed with Abraham, then Isaac and Jacob, followed by Moses, Joshua, Samuel, Saul and David … you see a Kingdom in the seed of Abraham, not in blood descendancy, but in spiritual allegiance because of the coming Messiah. Some might think that this Kingdom of Jesus only started at the incarnation. Others are persuaded that when Jesus comes for the Second Time He will establish His Kingdom. God was growing and developing His Kingdom all the way through the time zone of Abraham and still matures it climaxing in completion when Jesus returns and ushers in the Day of Judgment and Eternity.
2) Whilst the image Nebuchadnezzar saw (representing himself) was still standing, the fatal blow was delivered to all pagan reigns.
Da 2:45 “This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands—a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces.
“The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and the interpretation is trustworthy.”
Human power and reign is limited and fragile. We see that in our country at the time of writing this note. We saw this with the presidential reign before the present one in the USA. We saw it in Britain where the incumbent Prime Minister ousted the one he replaced. It is not how powerful a king or kingdom is. It is how long God will tolerate that king or kingdom’s existence. Even in our day we will still see many shakes throughout the world when it comes to power and reign. Verse 45 is strategic! This rock is God incarnate, God from God comes in human form but without human help. This rock was in the mind of God from eternity past and working according to His timetable.
Ro 5:6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
When the blow occurred during Nebuchadnezzar’s time, the decisive effects were during the Roman Empire’s reign … for then God was incarnate of the virgin Mary and become man. Though many have tried to end His Kingdom through slaughtering believers such as the Roman Empire and many places in Africa, China, USSR and some Islamic encounters, God’s Kingdom stands firm, solid as a rock, because the Rock of All Ages breaks the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold … all human opposition … to pieces. The Gospel reigns. Nothing is able to stop the continual progress of God’s Kingdom. Saints might be martyred, jailed and reduces to beggars … but the soul, the actual element of the Kingdom cannot be harmed because the Lord Jesus Himself guards the soul. This is why the doxology in Jude has great meaning for the saints,
Jude 1:24 To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
God is able to protect your soul eternally and will present you to Himself in glory. Surely this implies the Eternal Security of the Soul of the Saint! We might become disheartened when Church Building become pubs, dance halls, mosques, pagan temples, etc. … but the building is not the Kingdom, the people are. We might become discouraged because a local Church does not grow, though it teaches the Bible and preaches the gospel faithfully. We might become angered when so many who have been baptized, confirmed, made church members, were active in ministry … and then fall away. We might become disillusioned when we see how the flea markets and malls flourish on the Lord’s Day and the Churches remain close to empty. We might struggle with indignation finding out that our greatest opposition as Church is not false religions but the religions of secularism and materialism. Don’t fall to unbelief. Don’t become despondent. Trust God … that is what Daniel was saying to the king … trust God. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. Read the last two chapters of the Bible and see the climax of all prophecies.
Our Glorious Father, help us not to give way to fear. Fear renders us useless in your Gospel Ministry. Grant Your Spirit to help. Amen.