The Book of Daniel
The Book of Daniel is the fifth, the last, book on the shelf called The Major Prophets. The Jewish scriptures do not include Daniel among the prophets. In most Protestant Bibles the book has only twelve chapters but in The Apocrypha and in the Roman Catholic Bible it has fourteen. The first 12 chapters are basically the same. in all Bibles.
Daniel was one of the captives taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar's army. He soon found favour with the royal court and was promoted to be prime minister.
In the Bibles that have 14 chapters, Chapter 13 is about Susanna, a virtuous Jewish wife, who, because of what happened to her is condemned to death. Daniel, a shrewd lawyer, proved her to be innocent and so saved her life.
In the Bibles that have 14 chapters, Chapter 13 is about Susanna, a virtuous Jewish wife, who, because of what happened to her is condemned to death. Daniel, a shrewd lawyer, proved her to be innocent and so saved her life.
Chapter 14 is about the Babylonian god named "Bel" and how Daniel proved to the king that Bel was not a real God. The end of chapter 14 makes a feeble, and unconvincing attempt at explaining why it was that the lions did not eat Daniel while he was in the lion's den.
The Final Kingdom
In chapter two is the story of the dream that the king had and he threatened death to his wise men if they could not tell him what he had dreamed and the meaning of the dream. Daniel was included in that group of men. Some of the wise men argued that such a thing was not possible. Daniel requested the king for some extra time. That night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Dan. 2:19.
Daniel tells the dream to the king. This image's head was of fine gold; his breast and his arms were of silver; his belly and his thighs were of bronze; his legs were of iron; his feet were part of iron and part of clay. You watched until a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image upon its feet which were of iron and clay, and broke them to pieces.
Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were broken to pieces together. And they 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 struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. 2:32-35.
Daniel tells the dream to the king. This image's head was of fine gold; his breast and his arms were of silver; his belly and his thighs were of bronze; his legs were of iron; his feet were part of iron and part of clay. You watched until a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image upon its feet which were of iron and clay, and broke them to pieces.
Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were broken to pieces together. And they 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 struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. 2:32-35.
The following is not the only interpretation of the dream but it seems to be the most prevalent. Daniel explains the dream to the king:
1. You are this head of gold. Nebuchadnezzar represents the kingdom of Babylon.
2. after you shall arise another kingdom lower than you. The chest with two arms represented the split kingdom of the Medes and the Persians.
3. another third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth; the Grecian kingdom led by Phillip and Alexander. It is not at all uncommon for Bible writers to speak of the then known world as being all the earth. Alexander did have dominion over all the earth, at least in his own opinion; who thought he had conquered the whole world, and wept because there was not another to conquer. Gill.
4. the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron. The two legs represented the Roman kingdom which was founded by Romulus and his twin brother Remus.
5. as to that which you saw: the feet and toes, part of potters' clay and part of iron; The reference, therefore, seems to be to the blending of the Christianized Roman empire with the pagan nations, a deterioration being the result. Jamieson, Fausset, Brown.
Or, in other words, the church of Rome allowed pagan and Greek myths to infiltrate the church's creed. For example, the doctrine of the Trinity. This stemmed from the Greek's idea that there were many gods.
Or, in other words, the church of Rome allowed pagan and Greek myths to infiltrate the church's creed. For example, the doctrine of the Trinity. This stemmed from the Greek's idea that there were many gods.
the kingdom shall be divided. After the kingdom has been made weak by mixing the truths of Christ with the myths of the Greeks, the kingdom shall be divided between the Western Roman Catholic world and the Eastern Muslim countries. It has been said that if Christianity would not have preached the pagan doctrine of the Trinity, Mohammid might not have left the Christian church at all.
But there shall be in it the strength of the iron, the Roman church and the Muslim religion certainly have strength. They both claim to follow Christ's teaching but they have both often wielded their strength in very unchristlike ways.
because you saw the iron mixed with miry clay. ... they shall be mingled with the seed of men: The common interpretation says, This may either refer to the attempts to bring about unity by marriages among different races, or to other vain efforts to the same end. but they shall not cleave together, as the iron does not mix itself with earthenware. To obliterate nationalities has always been the conquering despot’s effort, ... and it always fails. MacLaren.
because you saw the iron mixed with miry clay. ... they shall be mingled with the seed of men: The common interpretation says, This may either refer to the attempts to bring about unity by marriages among different races, or to other vain efforts to the same end. but they shall not cleave together, as the iron does not mix itself with earthenware. To obliterate nationalities has always been the conquering despot’s effort, ... and it always fails. MacLaren.
I am inclined to believe that the phrase, the seed of men, refers to the non-Christian theological teachings of the Roman Catholic church and the false teachings of the Muslims. However, iron does not mix with clay and when such a combination is attempted the mixture loses its strength and the statue crumbles. All manmade dominions will crumble when Jehovah comes to set up His kingdom.
6. in the days of these kings, (the rulers of various countries, the man appointed rulers of the earthly church, and the leaders of the Muslim community) the God of Heaven shall set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed. The kingdom of the Holy One, blessed be He, which will never be destroyed, is the kingdom of the Messiah. Rashi's Commentary.
In our studies of the Major Prophets, we have repeatedly come across this teaching: there will be an unconquerable earthly kingdom set up by Jehovah and administered by Christ.
In our studies of the Major Prophets, we have repeatedly come across this teaching: there will be an unconquerable earthly kingdom set up by Jehovah and administered by Christ.
the kingdom shall not be left to other peoples. as the Babylonian monarchy to the Medes and Persians; the Persian monarchy to the Greeks; and the Grecian monarchy to the Romans; but this shall not be left to a strange people, but shall be given to the saints of the most High; Gill.
And the kingdom and rulership, and the greatness of the kingdom under all the heavens, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, (those whom Jehovah sees as saints, not necessarily all those, and not only those, who have been canonized by the Roman Church) whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. 7:27.
And the kingdom and rulership, and the greatness of the kingdom under all the heavens, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, (those whom Jehovah sees as saints, not necessarily all those, and not only those, who have been canonized by the Roman Church) whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. 7:27.
but it, the new kingdom, shall crush and destroy all these previous kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Because you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain (some say, Mt. Zion) without hands, not like all former kingdoms and religious denominations, which were man-made. The man-made, aspect of the Christian church will be pulverised together with all other kingdoms of the earth.
and that it crushes the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. And they became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors. And the wind carried them away, so that no place was found for them. 7:39-45. At Christ's return, all former political devices and all other forms of government will be blown away like chaff on a very windy day.
the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. After Christ's return, there will be only one government and only one system of belief and that government will not be a democracy.
the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. After Christ's return, there will be only one government and only one system of belief and that government will not be a democracy.
It is fascinating that the Church of the Latter Day Saints claims that they are the stone cut out of the mountain and that their system of belief will, in the end, destroy all other kingdoms and systems of belief. Such egotism!
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