RELIGION —
In Daniel 2, we have the first of the five visions found in the book. God initially gave the vision to Nebuchadnezzar in a dream and enables Daniel (in contrast to the king’s spiritual advisors), to tell the king what that dream is and explain its significance.
The vision/dream is explained by Daniel in simple terms. What Nebuchadnezzar saw was a statue of a human figure with four different parts (head of gold, chest and arms of silver, stomach and thighs of bronze, legs and feet of iron and clay). Each part represented a kingdom that will rule the world.
The statue begins in Daniel’s time, so the head is the Babylonian kingdom (v. 37-38). The kingdom that succeeded the Babylonians was the Medo-Persian kingdom, so it is the chest and arms. They were followed by the kingdom of Greece, represented by the stomach and thighs, and Rome came after that, so it is the legs and feet. In interpretive terms, this isn’t rocket science, just basic history. There are, of course, other views, but this is by far the simplest and most straightforward and without the difficulties of the others.
This part of the vision, in keeping with the book’s overall thrust, shows that it is Yahweh, not Nebuchadnezzar, who oversees both the present and the future. The sleepless king knows nothing of the future and is dependent upon Yahweh to explain the dreams he has in his bedroom. As for the future, the dream lays out roughly the next six hundred years of history. Know anyone who can do that? We don’t even know if it’s going to rain or not tomorrow. Only God can do this as Daniel tells the king now.
The other element of the vision/dream concerns a rock that is cut, but not by human hands. This rock smashes the feet of the statue (presumably toppling it over), so that it is destroyed, and the wind blows away its debris. The rock, however, is transformed into a huge mountain that fills the earth. Daniel identifies this as God’s kingdom. It will never be destroyed, left to another people, it will crush the previous kingdoms, and endure forever (v. 44).
This part of the vision is dripping with significance. Once again, God’s sovereignty is clearly on display. Kingdoms which rule the world are no match for the kingdom He will create. He not only knows the future, He’s in charge of it. Furthermore, from the vantage point of time, this vision lets us know that God’s kingdom will be set up in the days of Rome. This dovetails with what we find in the gospels (Mark 1:14-15). Finally, we are told this kingdom will endure forever (v. 44). Rome was known as the “eternal kingdom,” but it wasn’t the real deal — that would be the kingdom that God established through Jesus (Mark 9:1). Disciples are part of a kingdom that cannot be shaken (Hebrews 12:28).
Let’s make sure we live like it. The world may fret and moan because of the latest headline, the last disappointment or their lessening ability. If you belong to Jesus, you are part of a kingdom that cannot be shaken. We can send anxiety and worry a text telling them that. At the end we can put: Sincerely, but no longer yours.
You can find more of Bruce’s writings at his website: a-taste-of-grace-with-bruce-green.com.
