"Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth." 8 In the explanation of this part of the king's dream, the prophet says that it denotes the eternal kingdom of God, which shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms.' 66 How foolish to admire and fill the mind with these feet of iron and clay! How much soever they are exalted by men, yet they are just as weak and worthless as ever. Indeed the kingdoms of this world stand on frail feet. How much they are praised! yet their destruction is unavoidable. The great God of heaven has passed judgment upon them, and that cannot be changed. When the mighty stone from the God of heaven smites the image upon its feet and breaks them to pieces, then the whole building resting upon the feet must fall. Each kingdom will be so thoroughly destroyed that no place will be found for it any more. Only one kingdom remains, and that is immortal. The government of this kingdom "shall not be left to other people. Christ alone will be king, and he alone shall be exalted in that day. "11 All people, nations, and languages shall serve him. 'His dominion is an everlasting dominion." 12 "10 As foolish and unreasonable as it is to suffer ourselves to be carried away by earthly greatness and interest, so good and praiseworthy is it to accept Jesus as our king, and let him come into our hearts. No one can show too much interest in that which brings souls into his kingdom. No one 8 Dan. 2: 34, 35. 10 Dan. 2: 44. 12 Dan. 7: 14. 9 Dan. 2 44. 11 Isa. 2: II. is too zealous for his cause and truth. The mightiest monarchs on earth can give us no comfort in death; but Jesus will raise his friends from the realm of death and give them everlasting life. The Word of God Stands Fast. Human wisdom and skill is of little worth compared to the word of God. When the Lord speaks, it is done. His thoughts are eternal thoughts. His words are the words of almighty power. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. His body-guard is made up of millions of mighty angels, who cannot die.13 One of his warriors was sufficient to destroy a whole army." The captain of the Lord of hosts, 15 Michael, the great prince, 16 will soon come with all his holy angels to execute the judgment of the Lord." The King of kings and Lord of lords will come with all the armies of heaven 18 to destroy that wicked.” 19 Then all the kingdoms of this world, and all their glory and power shall be before him "like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors." The wind shall carry them away and no place be found for them forever. God has said of the remnants of the Roman kingdom that they are iron and clay, and never shall be united together; therefore we know that this never can take place. And just as surely we know that the kingdoms of this world with all their splendor and terrible corruption, soon shall pass away and make room for a better kingdom, even an eternal. 13 Dan. 7: 10. 17 Matt. 25 31. 19 2 Thess. 2: 8. 142 Kings 19:35; Ex. 14:24, 25. 16 Dan. 12: 1. 18 Rev. 19: 14-16. CHAPTER III. W THE ETERNAL KINGDOM OF GOD. HEN we see that all things on this earth are so corrupt, imperfect, and perishable, it rejoices our hearts to read in the word of God what the prophet says: "And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.' 1 The Kingdom of Grace and the Kingdom of Glory. "These kings" here spoken of are the ten kingdoms or ten divisions of Rome which are represented by the feet and toes of iron and clay. The pronoun "these" points to that which has been last spoken of. The kingdom which the prophet says that God should set up cannot be the kingdom of grace, because that has existed ever since the fall. Neither can it be the dispensation of the gospel, for that began with Christ, and Rome was not divided until in the fourth century after Christ. Neither is the kingdom of grace of such a nature that it would break in pieces and consume all other kingdoms. The weapons used by Christ, and which he left his followers to use in the kingdom of grace, are truth, patience, love, faith, and hope. He has not given them carnal, but spiritual weapons. He has not committed to them the work of overturning earthly kingdoms, but of gathering believing hearts here and there among all people. He has 1 Dan. 2:44. |