Daniel 2:44

Mark those words, "in the days of these kings." They are a complete answer to those who have tried to make this the birth of Christ. They call that moment the start of the kingdom of grace. At the time here spoken of, the empire is broken up and divided. Was that the case when the Lord was born? Nothing of the sort. Rome was then at its fullest power. There was not the smallest crack anywhere in the empire. There was only one ruler, and only one will in control... What then does the verse refer to? I believe it points to the closing scene of the Roman Empire: not to the time when Christ was born, but to when the Lord Jesus comes with divine power to judge. No doubt He is the stone; but this is a destructive stone, wiping out the kingdoms of the earth.

I differ from Mr. Myers in referring "these kings" (not to the four kingdoms, but) to the toes of the great image, that is, to the ten rulers of the revived Roman empire in the last days, existing at the same time, whose judgment makes way for the universal prevalence of God's kingdom, which Christ in person shall administer.

I am well aware that many expounders of the Word of God have tried to make out that this is the Gospel. I do not see how they make it out at all. I do not think the Gospel is very destructive, as this falling stone certainly is. And I ask you this: Did the Gospel ever smite the image? Never — the image smote Christ. It was the Roman power that killed the Lord Jesus. The Gospel has never set aside the civil power in this world. On the contrary, the Gospel has always suffered, and it will suffer right on to the end.

The little stone cut out without hands does not become a mountain until it has judged, broken in pieces and destroyed the image. And note: striking the image and then filling the whole earth is not the setting up of Christ's kingdom on the day of Pentecost. It is not an influence that changes the gold, the silver and the rest into the character of the stone. It is the sudden execution of judgment on the image — a blow that breaks it in pieces and leaves no trace of it behind.

The effort to find gradual and successive steps in Dan. 2:44, Dan. 7:26, and 2 Thess. 2:8 is unworthy of sound scholarship, and contradicts the plain object of the three texts, which describe nothing else or less than a sudden and complete extinction. Consuming in a slow way and by evangelical means is ruled out by the least approach to exact criticism, as well as by spiritual judgment.

It is as "the God of heaven" that God acts in giving power to the Gentiles. As "God of the earth" His throne was at Jerusalem, and will be when He again makes Himself known in that way. But His earthly throne has been set aside. Those who were responsible for holding and administering His authority acted wickedly. So He now acts as "God of heaven," giving authority to the Gentile monarch.

This kingdom set up from heaven is the kingdom of Christ (see Daniel 7:1-14). Its first act will be to break the "image" in pieces. Then, when Christ Himself formally establishes it in power, it will grow until it fills the whole earth. It will have no successor, for it will stand for ever.

The description of it as "a great mountain" suggests its permanence and stability... Sin has ravaged the world for centuries, and man has tried to dethrone God. In that same world there will be righteousness, peace and gladness.

Christians are called to live apart from the world, to suffer, to stay separate and to submit, like the crucified Lord here below. Now if Daniel 2:44 is wrongly applied to a kingdom already set up, the church has to subdue and destroy the imperial powers... Through that error the church becomes a rebel in Christ's name, instead of a holy sufferer, as Christ and His servants taught and practised.