LEARNING DAILY

Daniel 2:27-28, Daniel answered the king and said, "No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days.

I used to coach football early in my teaching career. One of the things I would dread was watching film, especially of the other team we would be playing. The idea was that if we knew enough about the other team’s tendencies we would win. Today, I believe that God has told us everything we need to know about the future and how we are to prepare for it as we walk the narrow way into His kingdom. In Daniel 2, Nebuchadnezzar has a dream which Daniel interprets. In that dream there is an image of a statue that shows how the history of the world will unfold with the conclusion of the Lord Jesus Christ returning to earth. God foretold the various empires that would rise and fall and about a stone that would smash the statute’s feet and cause the entire statue to fall to the ground.

The history of the world foretold by this dream and Daniel’s interpretation happened – the Medo-Persian Empire replaced the Babylonian Empire which was replaced by the Greeks which was replaced by the Roman Empire. Everything God revealed happened. He still reveals that which will happen. He still sits on the throne. Daniel’s words to Nebuchadnezzar still are true, “There is a God in heaven!” But there is a part of this dream and interpretation still to come.

Daniel 2:34, “As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces.” Two things should be seen by this verse. One, the feet and toes of the statue are made of iron and clay. Iron is strong and clay is able to be broken up. Obviously the two do not bond together. In researching what this means, I found several thoughts. One thought was the mixture of totalitarian/imperialism mixing with the principles of democracy that can be molded like clay. Another thought was the inevitable downfall of human empires, no matter how “strong” they appear to be.

The second thought from this verse is that a stone not cut by human hands strikes the statue, shattering it, and it collapses. When the statue collapses, it breaks into many pieces and, “Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.” (verse 35).

Without doubt the stone is not cut by human hands; “the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.” Isn’t it interesting the statue weakens as it is seen from head to the toes! Human existence seems to have been in a downward spiral morally instead of getting better as many believe. Can you agree with me that God has a plan that is unfolding according to His will and His schedule? What nations comprise the ten toes? Is it possibly ten kingdoms that make up the world system? I’m not sure it matters; it does appear that the choices man has made throughout history will be judged. The stone is no doubt the Lord Jesus Christ who will come from heaven, smash the world system, and establish His kingdom on the entire earth.

Daniel said in verse 45, “The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure." God is on His throne, in control of all that happens. We can trust Him; everything in human history will happen exactly as Nebuchadnezzar dreamt and as Daniel interpreted!