A Stone Turns into a Mountain that Fills the Earth
"The stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth" (Dan. 2:35). This is the closing image of Nebuchadnezzar's dream. A dream which the megalomaniac ruler kept secret from his royal advisors. The very dream he demanded them to discern under the threat of death.
The pagan court was without any ability to read their king's mind, in spite of the occult powers of their magicians and conjurers purported to have. Fortune tellers without any real ability to tell anyone the secrets of the universe.
It was not a fortune teller with their alleged psychic powers that could save the lives of the Babylonian royal court; rather, it was Daniel, a faithful servant of Yahweh, who brought good news to the king and deliverance of frightened court from the sword of the executioner.
Daniel's ability to discern the secret dream and interpret its significance demonstrated that the paganism that dominated Babylonian culture could never really save the people from the all the problems that life in this sinful and fallen world brings, it demonstrated it was Yahweh and not Nebuchadnezzar who was in control of all things.
The irony of it all was that Nebuchadnezzar dreamed about a statue, which symbolized the rise and fall of four great kingdoms—Babylon, Media, Persia and Greece. Alexander the Great's empire was truly mighty, iron legs and all, but after the Grecian conqueror passed, the kingdom was divided, but four nations that came about never achieved the greatness of their founder—feet of iron and clay.
But then there is the stone. What a thing is this? Yahweh establishes a kingdom that endures forever. No sooner than the last remnants of the Grecian empire was annexed into Rome the Child was born in Bethlehem. The Kingdom of God had arrived, and it remains forever.
God came into this world born of a virgin. Christ lived, died upon the cross, rose again on the third day, and lives forevermore. He is the King of kings and Lord or Lords. Those who believe in Him have eternal life. They are incorporated into a kingdom which cannot be destroyed. Christ will soon return to judge the living and the dead. At that time, all things will be set to right, all things will be renewed. Eden lost will be Eden restored.
Mad men may be seated upon thrones, but God is greater than them all. The stone has come. It is a mountain that has filled the earth. Men may try to hammer the mountain into gravel, but if the hammer should strike at the mountain, woe to the hammerhead, if the mountain should fall upon the hammer, woe to the hammerhead.
Merry Christmas!
~ WGN
The pagan court was without any ability to read their king's mind, in spite of the occult powers of their magicians and conjurers purported to have. Fortune tellers without any real ability to tell anyone the secrets of the universe.
It was not a fortune teller with their alleged psychic powers that could save the lives of the Babylonian royal court; rather, it was Daniel, a faithful servant of Yahweh, who brought good news to the king and deliverance of frightened court from the sword of the executioner.
Daniel's ability to discern the secret dream and interpret its significance demonstrated that the paganism that dominated Babylonian culture could never really save the people from the all the problems that life in this sinful and fallen world brings, it demonstrated it was Yahweh and not Nebuchadnezzar who was in control of all things.
The irony of it all was that Nebuchadnezzar dreamed about a statue, which symbolized the rise and fall of four great kingdoms—Babylon, Media, Persia and Greece. Alexander the Great's empire was truly mighty, iron legs and all, but after the Grecian conqueror passed, the kingdom was divided, but four nations that came about never achieved the greatness of their founder—feet of iron and clay.
But then there is the stone. What a thing is this? Yahweh establishes a kingdom that endures forever. No sooner than the last remnants of the Grecian empire was annexed into Rome the Child was born in Bethlehem. The Kingdom of God had arrived, and it remains forever.
God came into this world born of a virgin. Christ lived, died upon the cross, rose again on the third day, and lives forevermore. He is the King of kings and Lord or Lords. Those who believe in Him have eternal life. They are incorporated into a kingdom which cannot be destroyed. Christ will soon return to judge the living and the dead. At that time, all things will be set to right, all things will be renewed. Eden lost will be Eden restored.
Mad men may be seated upon thrones, but God is greater than them all. The stone has come. It is a mountain that has filled the earth. Men may try to hammer the mountain into gravel, but if the hammer should strike at the mountain, woe to the hammerhead, if the mountain should fall upon the hammer, woe to the hammerhead.
Merry Christmas!
~ WGN
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