This is Monday morning, August 5, 1974, in Richmond, Virginia. The ministry is given through Brother Stephen Kong.
Last night, we began to read together the Book of Daniel. This morning, we will continue in that book. We will read another chapter, if you please: Daniel 2.
Daniel 2:1-6
And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep went from him.
Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the enchanters, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, to show the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.
And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.
Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in the Syriac language, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.
The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye make not known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.
But if ye show the dream and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honor: therefore show me the dream and the interpretation thereof.
Daniel 2:7-13
They answered the second time and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.
The king answered and said, I know of a certainty that ye would gain time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.
But if ye make not known unto me the dream, there is but one law for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed; therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can show me the interpretation thereof.
The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can show the king’s matter; forasmuch as no king, lord, or ruler, hath asked such a thing of any magician, or enchanter, or Chaldean.
And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.
For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
So the decree went forth, and the wise men were to be slain; and they sought Daniel and his companions to slay them.
Daniel 2:14-23
Then Daniel returned answer with counsel and prudence to Arioch the captain of the king’s guard, who was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon;
he answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, Wherefore is the decree so urgent from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.
And Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would appoint him a time, and he would show the king the interpretation.
Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his companions should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
Daniel answered and said,
Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever;
for wisdom and might are His.
And He changeth the times and the seasons;
He removeth kings, and setteth up kings;
He giveth wisdom unto the wise,
and knowledge to them that have understanding;
He revealeth the deep and secret things;
He knoweth what is in the darkness,
and the light dwelleth with Him.
I thank Thee, and praise Thee, O God of my fathers,
Who hast given me wisdom and might,
and hast now made known unto me what we desired of Thee;
for Thou hast made known unto us the king’s matter.
Daniel 2:24-30
Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon; he went and said thus unto him: Destroy not the wise men of Babylon; bring me in before the king, and I will show unto the king the interpretation.
Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the children of the captivity of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation.
The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?
Daniel answered before the king, and said, The secret which the king hath asked can neither wise men, enchanters, magicians, nor soothsayers, show unto the king;
but there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and He hath made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these:
as for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter; and He that revealeth secrets hath made known to thee what shall come to pass.
But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but to the intent that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that thou mayest know the thoughts of thy heart.
Daniel 2:31-36
Thou, O king, sawest, and behold, a great image. This image, which was mighty, and whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the aspect thereof was terrible.
As for this image, its head was of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of brass,
its legs of iron, its feet part of iron, and part of clay.
Thou sawest till a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon its feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them in pieces.
Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken in pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, so that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.
Daniel 2:37-45
Thou, O king, art king of kings, unto whom the God of heaven hath given the kingdom, the power, and the strength, and the glory;
and wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens hath He given into thy hand, and hath made thee to rule over them all: thou art the head of gold.
And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee; and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron, forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things; and as iron that crusheth all these, shall it break in pieces and crush.
And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
And whereas thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men; but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron doth not mingle with clay.
And in the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall the sovereignty thereof be left to another people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
Forasmuch as thou sawest that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
Daniel 2:46-49
Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odors unto him.
The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth, your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou hast been able to reveal this secret.
Then the king made Daniel great, and gave him many great gifts, and made him to rule over the whole province of Babylon, and to be chief governor over all the wise men of Babylon.
And Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon; but Daniel was in the king’s gate.
Last night, we focused our attention on the prophet Daniel. We saw that, even though he was taken away from his home as a hostage when he was very young, in his teens, he purposed in his heart not to defile himself, but to keep himself pure for God. And God honored such purpose.
After three years, he and his three companions surpassed all the young men who were fed and educated with them in wisdom and knowledge. More than that, they even surpassed the scribes and magicians of the Chaldean court.
This morning, we would like to share somewhat on Daniel 2. In the second year of King Nebuchadnezzar, he dreamed dreams in the night. His spirit was disturbed, and he lost his sleep.
Before we go into his dream and its interpretation, I think probably we need a little background to lead us into that point. Otherwise, probably we will not appreciate the significance of this dream and its interpretation.
God created man. He gave man dominion over this earth. Do you remember Genesis 1? God created man in His own image, and God blessed man and said, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, and the fishes of the sea.”
In other words, God gave this earth to man. God gave the dominion over this earth to man, that man should subdue the earth, rule over the earth, and bring the earth to God for His glory.
But unfortunately, our forefather Adam surrendered his dominion. In the garden of Eden, our forefathers ate of the forbidden tree; and because of that, they surrendered the dominion God had given them to Satan.
Since that day, Satan has been called the ruler of this world—not by right, but by usurpation. He was the usurper of all the earth which God gave to man to rule.
But God did not leave the matter there. God began to react, and God’s reaction is for recovery. Throughout history, God began to act, and the high point—the peak—of His action may be seen in these stages.
About two thousand years before Christ, God apprehended a man by the name of Abraham. With that man, God was going to bless the whole earth. He was going to bring us back to Himself through man. Dominion was to be given back to man, and by doing that, glory was to be given back to God.
So He apprehended one man, Abraham. Abraham occupies a very unique place in Scripture. Before Abraham, during those approximately two thousand years, God had apprehended man after man. But with Abraham it was different, because beginning with Abraham, it was more than just one person.
In Abraham, you began to have a family; and with that family, you began to have a nation; and with that nation, the world.
Then, approximately fifteen hundred years before Christ, God raised up Moses to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt. Under Joshua, the children of Israel entered into the promised land, and there was the nation of Israel.
Approximately one thousand years before Christ, God raised up David as king over Israel. In David, God promised that his sons should continue to be on the throne if they were faithful.
By the time of David, God had once again committed dominion over this earth to a nation—to a people who knew Him. Through that people, through that nation, through David and through his son, God wanted to bring the whole earth again under the dominion of man, unto the glory of God.
God promised David that his son should continue on without end. But unfortunately, his sons were not faithful to God. Of course, eventually, in that Son—the Son of David, and yet the Lord of David—all that God had promised would be fulfilled.
Because of the unfaithfulness of the children of Israel, God chastened the nation of Israel. Approximately six hundred years before Christ, the nation of Israel was completely destroyed. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, destroyed the nation of Israel.
From that time onward, God allowed the Gentile nations to have dominion over the earth for a time. In other words, the dominion over the earth that God meant to deliver to His own people, Israel, was shifted from the nation of Israel into the hands of the Gentiles.
The Gentiles were now on the throne upon the earth. God did this for two reasons:
From the time of King Nebuchadnezzar, we find in Scripture what is called the time of the Gentiles. From that time onward, government upon this earth was no longer in the hands of the children of Israel. Instead, government upon the earth was in the hands of the Gentile nations.
Nebuchadnezzar could be an instrument of God, but he also could be an instrument of Satan. Of course, he did not know that, but God knew him. He was not even aware of Satan, but Satan was trying to use him and deceive him.
Because of that, God gave him a dream. Now, that was the occasion.
Of course, brothers and sisters, people do dream dreams. Naturally speaking, if you think too much upon certain things, you will dream about them in the night. Usually dreams are the product of our daily concentration.
But sometimes dreams are supernatural. In this particular situation, the dream Nebuchadnezzar dreamed was given by God.
Not all dreams have an interpretation. Sometimes we dream a dream and wonder what it means. Well, it may mean nothing. It may not carry a message at all. It may simply be the result of your concentration during the day. You do not need to labor over such dreams too much, nor be bothered by them.
But if a dream is given by God, then there is a message there. There is an interpretation, and it behooves us to seek to know what the message is and what its interpretation is.
Nebuchadnezzar dreamed a dream, and it frightened him. He could not sleep anymore. It must have been a very terrific dream.
The next morning, he called all his scribes, magicians, sorcerers, astrologers, and Chaldeans—the wise men of Babylon, the wise men in his court. He gathered them all together and said, “Now, I dreamed a dream in the night. You must tell me the dream and its interpretation.”
The Chaldeans said, “O king, our lord, tell us the dream, and we will tell you the interpretation.” That was natural. But the king said, “No. You have to tell me the dream and also the interpretation, because I forgot.”
I wonder if Nebuchadnezzar really forgot his dream. He had just dreamed that night, and as a result of the dream, he had lost his sleep. How could he forget that dream? Probably he was trying to test his wise men. He was a despot, a tyrant, and in a sense he was suspicious of his wise men.
His wise men were a little bit too wise, and he was beginning to be suspicious whether what they told him was misleading him or whether they were really telling the truth. So he said, “I forgot my dream. You have to tell me my dream and its interpretation.”
The Chaldeans replied, “No one on this earth ever asks such a thing. No one on earth can ever do such a thing. Even though you are king, there is no man on earth who can answer such a request. Only the gods, who dwell not with men, can do that.”
But Nebuchadnezzar was an absolute monarch. He was irritated. He was angry. So he gave the command that all the wise men of Babylon must be wiped out. Immediately, they sought Daniel and his companions to slay them.
Brothers and sisters, the knowledge of men is limited. No matter how wise you are, your knowledge is limited. There are many things we do not know. It humbles us.
Even the knowledge of Satan and of evil spirits is limited and restricted. In this case, God gave the dream to Nebuchadnezzar. Of course, the wise men of Babylon could not know it.
We may say that perhaps evil spirits would know it. Satan is intelligent—more intelligent probably than human beings—but even his knowledge is limited and restricted. God put a restraint upon him, and he had no way to find out. Everything is shut up to God.
Satan found that he could not penetrate the secret of God, so he tried to turn the situation to his own use. Before Daniel and his companions had the opportunity to tell the king the dream and its interpretation, Satan seized upon the opportunity and tried to kill Daniel and his companions.
What a maneuver that was! When the command went out, the first thing they did was seek Daniel and his companions to slay them. Satan could not enter into the secret of God’s thought, but he knew at least that there were God’s vessels there. He wanted to wipe out God’s vessels, because if God’s vessels were wiped out, God’s secrets would forever be kept secret.
Daniel answered the captain of the bodyguard, Arioch, with wisdom and prudence. They went to seek these men in order to kill them, and Daniel said with counsel and wisdom, “Why are you in such a hurry?” They said, “Because the king says so.” Daniel said, “Let me see the king,” and he found favor.
Think of that. People were intent on killing him, and yet they listened to him. He went to see the king and said, “Give me time. I will tell you the interpretation.”
Remember this: the Chaldeans requested time from the king, and the king would not give it. The king said, “You are just biding for time. I know that. I will not give you time. You must give it immediately.” Yet Daniel asked the same thing, and his request was granted. Isn’t it marvelous?
You know, things do not go by logic. Things are governed by faith. Daniel was given time by this tyrant.
Somehow, of course, God moved the king’s heart without his knowing it. But somehow the sincerity and honesty of Daniel touched the king. The king respected Daniel. He was a young man, remember. If he was taken captive when he was fifteen, then at that time he was only eighteen. If he was taken when he was twenty, then at that time he was only twenty-four. He was a young man.
Daniel must have had such dignity in him that the king was willing to trust him and give him time. And he did not take long—only one night.
Daniel came out from the king and went to his house. He fellowshiped with his companions. Brothers and sisters, here is something very, very beautiful.
Daniel was the one to whom God gave understanding of dreams and visions. He could very well have gone to his house, shut himself in his room without telling anybody, gotten on his knees, and received the dream and interpretation from God, because God had given him this gift.
But instead of going into it alone, even though he was to be the instrument in God’s hand and did have the gift, he knew that the matter was of such tremendous nature that he could not do it alone.
He called his companions—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. He told them what had happened, and together they prayed. Together they sought the Lord.
I think here is a principle that God wants us to learn: how we need to be together; how we need to pray together; how we need to share together the burden that is God’s burden. The work of God is so great that it is impossible for anyone to bear it or to do it alone. It is something that requires a body to perform what the Head desires.
Daniel gathered his companions, and together they sought the Lord. As they sought the Lord, God gave Daniel a vision in the night.
When Daniel received that vision, immediately he prayed and thanked God. He knew it was not because he was better or wiser than anybody else. It was given by God, and all glory must return to God.
He knew that it was God who wanted to reveal His secret to them. So the next morning, he went to the captain of the bodyguard and said, “Take me to the king. I have the dream and the interpretation.”
The king said, “Do you really know the dream? Do you really have the interpretation?” Daniel said, “It is not me. It is God who wants to show you what is to come to pass in the latter days. It is God who wants to tell you that there is a God in heaven.”
Nebuchadnezzar was the greatest king in the world, the first king in the time of the Gentiles—the first one who held the reins of the whole earth. He had conquered the world, as it were, and he held the reins of this earth in his hand.
Having consolidated his kingdom, naturally he would be thinking, “Now what next?” We have such an emperor in the history of China. In the beginning, the whole country of China was divided into petty kingdoms, just like Europe. They fought against one another until, at one time in our history, one king unified all China under him: the Qin dynasty.
When he unified the whole nation, he said, “I am the first emperor, and my sons shall continue after me unto a thousand generations.” But he was not too sure what would come to pass. An obsession entered into his mind. He wanted to find the secret of everlasting life. “If only I could live forever, then I could rule over China forever.”
I will not go into the secular history, but you find that when a person has reached the top, when everything is in his hands and power is in his hands, naturally he will be thinking of the future. “Now what next? What will happen afterwards?” He must be curious about these things.
That is why, as Nebuchadnezzar was thinking about his future—what would come to pass in the days ahead—God took hold of that and gave him a dream. The dream was supernatural, but there was a background there.
Because he was the first Gentile king, God gave him this dream for two reasons. The first reason was to show him what would come to pass at the end of days.
King Nebuchadnezzar was only thinking of what would come to pass afterwards—after he died, or even in the third year, if there was a third year. He was thinking of the immediate future. But God was giving him an outline of world history until the end of days.
The emphasis is on the end of days. The term end of days is a special term in the Bible, both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. What is the meaning of the end of days?
The end of days is not the end of the days of King Nebuchadnezzar. In Scripture, the end of days always refers to the coming of the Messiah.
Read the prophets in the Old Testament, and read the New Testament—in Hebrews, in John, or elsewhere—and you will find that the end of days always means the days of Messiah. The days of Messiah are considered the end, the goal.
God’s thought is always centered upon His Son, and everything shall be accomplished in His Son. When Messiah comes, dominion shall return to man, glory shall return to God, and God’s purpose upon this earth shall be fully fulfilled. Everything shall speak glory unto God.
Nebuchadnezzar was concerned only with his immediate hereafter, but God was concerned with the final—with the ultimate. God gave him this dream not merely to tell him what would happen after him, though that was included, but to tell him what would happen eventually, finally, at the end of days.
When people speak on this image, they always center upon the image and forget the stone. The emphasis is on the stone, not on the image, because that is what God was interested in. Otherwise, you miss the whole point of the dream.
Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream a terrific image. Of course, it was the image of a man. It was man’s kingdom, human government, world power.
He saw a great man—mighty, full of brightness, terrible. World power, human government, man’s kingdom, appears in the eyes of man as a great image: standing up, living, alive, working, terrific, terrible, mighty, and full of glory. That is what man sees in world government.
But later on, in the eyes of the prophet—that is, in the eyes of God—human governments are like beasts: cruel and destructive.
In the eyes of man, human government, world power, and man’s kingdom are glorious in splendor and mighty in power. God showed Nebuchadnezzar an outline of human government throughout the time of the Gentiles. It began with Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and it will end at the coming of Christ.
The head was of fine gold. The interpretation was, “Nebuchadnezzar, you are the head.” Not merely the kingdom of Babylon, but Nebuchadnezzar himself was the head. He was the representative of the Babylonian Empire, the first world power.
Perhaps there is a reason for that. When you come to the end, you find that there will be another person representing the final stage of human kingdom: the Antichrist. So perhaps for that reason, the head was represented by a person, Nebuchadnezzar.
The second part was the breast and arms of silver. The interpretation was that it was a kingdom—not a king, but a kingdom. We know that the kingdom which succeeded Babylon was Medo-Persia, and it is mentioned in the Book of Daniel.
Then after that was the third kingdom: the belly and thighs of brass. The third kingdom which succeeded the second was Greece, and its name is given in the Book of Daniel.
Then the fourth kingdom would come. The fourth kingdom was represented by the two legs, the feet, and the ten toes. In that outline of world government, world power, and man’s kingdom, there were only four kingdoms. You do not find mention of a fifth kingdom or a sixth kingdom.
We have no trouble with the interpretation of the first three: the head was Nebuchadnezzar; the breast and arms were Medo-Persia; and the belly and thighs were Greece. But as to the fourth kingdom, its name was not given. That is our problem.
According to the image, you do not have a fifth kingdom. The fourth is the last. It continues from the legs to the feet and to the ten toes. That would be just one kingdom.
Because the fourth kingdom was not named in the Book of Daniel, we have all kinds of interpretations concerning it. Historically speaking, after Greece came the Roman Empire. Therefore, many people believe that the fourth kingdom was the Roman Empire.
In many respects it seems to fit, because the Roman Empire was symbolized by iron. The Romans ruled the world with an iron law. The Roman Empire was famed for its law.
Of course, the Roman Empire was divided into two: the Eastern Roman Empire and the Western Roman Empire. In the fourth century, Constantine the Great became emperor of Rome. He built another city, Constantinople, and moved his government there. After that, the Roman Empire was divided into the Eastern and Western Roman Empires. You had two emperors at the same time, so you have the two legs.
But there is a problem. The Western Roman Empire was destroyed in A.D. 476 by the barbarians. The Eastern Roman Empire was not destroyed until A.D. 1453 by the Turks. To the student of prophecy, this presents a big problem.
Here you have the two legs, and the two legs should be of the same length. Otherwise, it would not be a normal human form. Yet the Eastern Roman Empire continued much longer than the Western Roman Empire. How are you going to reconcile these things in the interpretation of prophecy?
Because of that, different interpretations and different views have been presented. Now, I do not presume that I have the interpretation. I do not know.
Brothers and sisters, when we come to the interpretation of prophecy, and it is not definitely defined in Scripture, we can only say, “Probably this is what it means.” Never be dogmatic. Always be open.
Never say that because other people differ with you in interpretation, they are in error and you are right—or vice versa. So far as interpretation is concerned, if it is not clearly defined in Scripture, there is room. We can seek the Lord and may find an interpretation that satisfies us.
If it helps you to love the Lord more, fine. But it does not mean that it is the interpretation. Always be open.
Many years ago, our dear brother Watchman Nee gave us his interpretation. I am trying to convey it to you because somehow it satisfies me. Now, I do not mean that this is the interpretation, but he solved that problem.
Even though the Eastern Roman Empire was not destroyed until A.D. 1453, and the Western Roman Empire was destroyed earlier in A.D. 476, yet in history you find that the concept—the idea—of the Roman Empire never vanished from this world.
Physically speaking, the Western Roman Empire and the Eastern Roman Empire were destroyed. Of course, the Eastern Roman Empire was destroyed much later, in the fifteenth century. But from the fifth century onward in Europe, you find that the concept and idea of a Roman Empire always existed.
You had the so-called Holy Roman Empire. Even though it was a little different from the Roman Empire, yet you find the Holy Roman Empire in the history of Europe, and it occupied a great place in European history.
When you come down to more modern history, you find that the title of Caesar was carried both in the East and in the West by two countries. Czar in Russia is Caesar, and Kaiser in Germany is Caesar.
So you find that even though the Roman Empire was destroyed and disappeared, yet in a sense, the whole concept was carried on in this world. The czar claimed himself as successor to the Roman Empire, and the Kaiser considered himself successor to the Roman Empire. The thought was always there.
It never ended until the First World War. Isn’t that strange? After the First World War, the czar disappeared and the kaiser disappeared at the same time.
So probably the two legs continued and ended together after the First World War. That brings us to modern history.
From the First World War onward, it was the stage of the feet. The feet are partly clay and partly iron, as are the ten toes.
As we read the Bible, in Daniel as well as in Revelation, we find that one day the Antichrist will come. Ten kings will gain power together with the Antichrist, and they will give their kingdoms to the Antichrist.
This is the very last human government, the final world power. It is upon that kingdom that Christ will come and smash it to pieces. The ten toes represent the ten kings. They have power, but they give their power to the Antichrist. The Antichrist is the head of this confederacy.
It is the last human kingdom, the last world power on earth, but it is considered a continuation of the fourth kingdom. That is why some students of prophecy use the term the revived Roman Empire.
Actually, that term is not in Scripture. Even the Roman Empire is not named in Scripture as the fourth kingdom. Sometimes the term can be confusing, but because there is no better terminology, people say that the Roman Empire shall be restored, recovered, or revived. Actually, it is the kingdom of the Antichrist.
Before the ten toes, of course, you have the feet. The composition of the feet and toes is the same: partly iron and partly clay. Iron represents strength; clay represents fragility.
In the kingdom, there is both strength and weakness. We know what clay represents. Clay represents the people. We are made of clay. Iron represents power, ruling power, strength—even dictatorship.
After the First World War, world politics and world government, as you see, have always been based upon the mixture of these two things. The ruling power is like iron, yet they always say, “We represent the people. It is the people.”
Whether it is communistic, socialistic, fascist, or whatever, you find that the ruling power always claims to be based upon the people. It is the people’s government—democracy. Yet you have tyranny and dictatorship. Why? Because these two things do not mix. They do not mix.
Yet these are the components. In other words, this is the makeup of the feet. That is what you find since the First World War. Every government is moving in that direction, or is already there.
The last form of government is socialistic, so far as you read the Bible. It is always based upon the people, yet it is really not. It is something different. Therefore, you find it partly strong and partly weak, and they do not mix.
Most probably, we are now in the stage of the feet. Which part of the feet? It begins with the heel and moves on to the toes. Now we are very close to the toes.
But, dear brothers and sisters, this is just world government. This is just an outline of world history in prophecy. God’s purpose is something far beyond that.
God gave dominion to man, and what has man made of this world? Man failed God completely. Just as the nation of Israel failed God, the Gentile nations throughout these thousands of years have failed God just as badly, and even more. It should end up in the kingdom of the Antichrist.
Think of that—what man has made out of this earth. That is terrible, is it not? But thank God, the kingdom of this world does not continue forever. There will come an end.
There was a stone cut out of the mountain without hands. Of course, we know who that stone is. Throughout the Bible, you can see that this stone is Christ.
He is the stone rejected by the builders. He came to this world, and the world did not receive Him. He came to His own people, and the builders—the scribes, Pharisees, rulers, and the nation of Israel—completely despised Him and rejected Him.
He was the cornerstone. He was precious, and yet they did not appreciate Him. They rejected Him.
But this Stone will come back. When He comes back, He will smash the image into pieces. The kingdoms will disappear, and this Stone will grow and become a mountain and fill the earth.
Today our Lord is still rejected. He has not yet grown to be a mountain and filled the earth. Sometimes people try to build the kingdom of God on earth. No wonder they fail.
He is still a Stone, but He gathers around Himself small stones. Peter means a small stone. He said, “I will build My church upon this rock; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”
As we come to Him, the living Stone, we all become living stones. We are built up together as a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. This is what God is doing today.
Oh, brothers and sisters, He is gathering stones as He works out of them His life.
One day, when He comes back, it will be suddenly, quickly—not gradually. Today the kingdom of God is hidden. The Stone is still rejected. It has not yet grown, in that sense, to be a mountain that can be seen and fill the earth.
God’s people are hidden. The kingdom of God is like a pearl hidden, like a precious stone hidden in the field.
But one day, when He comes back, the kingdom of this world shall become the kingdom of Christ and of our God. Then He shall fill the earth, and dominion over the earth shall be restored to man.
Man shall subdue the earth to serve the glory of God. This is the vision that God gave to Nebuchadnezzar.
Brothers and sisters, this vision is of tremendous significance. It shows us what God is doing upon this earth. Man may fail God, but God can never fail.
In that Man, Christ, and in His church, the kingdom of God shall finally be brought here. May glory be unto God.
Our heavenly Father, we do praise and thank Thee because Thou hast given us hope. Oh, we praise and thank Thee. Even though Thou dost work secretly upon this earth, even though Thy kingdom upon this earth is secret and hidden, yet Thou art working toward the day when Thou shalt appear.
Then the kingdom of this world shall become the kingdom of our God and of His Christ. Oh, how we praise and thank Thee.
We do pray that because Thou hast shown us beforehand what Thou art doing, O Lord, we ask Thee that we may walk very softly before Thee; that we may not in any way be troubled, but may lift up our heads, knowing that our redemption draweth nigh.
Oh, come, Lord Jesus, come. Thou art our only hope. In the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.