◄ What Does Daniel 2:34 Mean? ►

What an impossible challenge king Nebuchadnezzar gave his wise men. They were commanded to tell him details of a troubling dream he had had and reveal its meaning. The king could not recall the dream but insisted that any failure to disclose it, and provide an interpretation, would result in the death of all his wise men and soothsayers, which included Daniel and his three Hebrew friends - Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

The wise men of Babylon declared that there is not a man, magician, conjurer, or Chaldean, who could do such a thing. But while this would be impossible with man, Daniel knew that with God all things are possible. So he went and asked the king to give him some time, so that he could provide an interpretation. His request was granted and Daniel, together with his companions, cried out to the Lord for help. Their prayer was answered and the dream, together with its interpretation, was revealed to Daniel who speedily went to inform the king.

In his dream, the king had seen a great and splendid statue, made from different materials of diminishing value. The head was made of gold. The arms and chest were silver. The belly and loins were made of bronze. The legs were iron, and its feet were a mixture of iron and clay. The image represented a succession of world empires that would rise to power, including Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian kingdom - which Daniel identifies as the first and the greatest of all earthly kingdoms - the head of gold.

Daniel continued to tell the king his forgotten dream. "You continued looking until a stone, was cut out without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them ALL." Daniel did what no human can do! He related all the elements of a forgotten dream in detail and continued with its interpretation. But first, Daniel told the king that while there is no wise man, medium, diviner-priest, or astrologer able to make known the mystery of the king's dream and interpret it, "there is a God in heaven," he explained, "Who reveals mysteries, and He has let King Nebuchadnezzar know what will happen in the last days."

It is the interpretation of the dream that is so significant, because it ends with a supernatural Stone being cut without any hand, which strikes the final empire on its 'feet of iron and clay' This Stone pulverises the entire splendid statue, and this mighty strike pinpoints the annihilation of all the kingdoms of the world by the Rock of our salvation.

Nebuchadnezzar's dream and its interpretation is one of the most significant prophecies in Scripture relating to the end times. It is the starting point of 'The Times Of The Gentiles', which comes to its conclusion in the Great Tribulation, when the kingdoms of this world are smashed into pieces by Jesus - the great Stone of stumbling, and the Rock of offence that crushes all who do not believe on His name.

Nebuchadnezzar's dream stretches from the Babylonian captivity of the Jews, until Christ's second coming to set up His Millennial Kingdom in Israel - as KING of kings and LORD of lords. And in conjunction with Daniel's other prophecies, it helps us understand God's plan of redemption and His prophetic timeline for Christ's first coming and His second advent.

When the Stone, which is Jesus Christ, demolishes the Gentile empires, the whole of heaven will rejoice - because, "the kingdoms of this world will have become the kingdom of our God and our His Christ." - something that takes place in the end times.

What privileged people we are to have the God of the universe reveal His plan to us and tell us the end from the beginning. What a comfort to know that Christ won the victory over sin, Satan, death, and hell, and that HE is the STONE, cut without hands, that is going to destroy the kingdoms of this world and set up the kingdom of God on earth.

Should we not rejoice in the Lord and thank Him for loving us so much that He sent JESUS to defeat the enemy of our soul and make us citizens of heaven and joint-heirs with Christ?

Heavenly Father, thank You that Jesus is the Rock on which I stand and the Stone Who will finally smash the kingdoms of this world, when He returns in power and great glory to set up His kingdom on earth. Keep me ever looking to Him and trusting Him in every area of my life. When the enemy comes in like a flood, in my individual life and our lives corporately, I praise and thank You that YOU are our Standard, and will fight for us, protect us and provide for all our needs, according to Your riches in glory. May Your kingdom come and Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven, for You alone are worthy and YOURS is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever, AMEN.