The Eschatological Perspective of the Prophets
A Lecture Presented on January 19,
1999
Westminster Institute
by
Jim Bordwine, Th.D.
Introduction
In my first lecture, last evening, I emphasized that God Himself established a perspective on the future when He confronted Adam, Eve and the serpent in the Garden after the fall. In the lectures given by Dr. Gentry and Mr. DeMar, it was made obvious that this perspective is found in the Psalms and in the New Testament. Now, we are going to turn to the prophets. In the prophets, we find quite a bit of detailed information relative to our study of the eschatological perspective of the Bible.
By definition, of course, the prophets deal with future events, some of which were realized prior to the coming of the Messiah, and many others which were fulfilled or began to be fulfilled with the first advent of Jesus Christ. Time allows me to consider only one prophet, namely Daniel, and only a portion of what Daniel has to say. However, it will be apparent that Daniel not only repeats the eschatological perspective which God gave in Gen. 3:15, he also elaborates upon it substantially.
In terms of historical detail, as I indicated, Daniel supplies some unique information that goes well beyond anything previously recorded. This book reveals information about the political landscape ranging from Daniel's time to the coming of Christ and the establishment of the Church. No other Old Testament book tells us as much about the rise and fall of leaders and nations during this period.
The prophecy that we are going to consider is one which presents a sweeping description of what is to unfold, politically speaking, between Nebuchadnezzar and the Advent of King Jesus; this prophecy is representative of Daniel's eschatology. In the second chapter of Daniel, we read that in the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that left him troubled. He was so disturbed by his dreams that he was unable to sleep (cf. v. 1). Nebuchadnezzar, therefore, gave orders to his magicians, conjurers, sorcerers and others to interpret his dreams. This was not at all an uncommon practice. Many of those called to interpret the dreams served the king precisely in that manner; they were responsible for providing spiritual advice and explanations of events.
After these men were assembled in the presence of the king, he told them of his anxiety (v. 3). As we might expect, these "experts" quickly boasted of their ability to help the king: "O king, live forever! Tell the dream to your servants, and we will declare the interpretation." (v. 4) These men could be confident because, we assume, in the past they were told about Nebuchadnezzar's dreams and gave any interpretation they wished—there was no one to challenge them and the king, of course, had no reason to doubt their abilities.
On this occasion, however, something changes. Nebuchadnezzar requires not only an interpretation, but also a report about the contents of the dream! And, he issues a stern warning for failure and a wonderful promise for success:
2:5... "The command from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you will be torn limb from limb, and your houses will be made a rubbish heap. 6 But if you declare the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts and a reward and great honor; therefore declare to me the dream and its interpretation."
Talk about "I've got good news and I've got bad news"! Obviously, the king was in no mood for delay or imprecision; he demands that his servants declare the dream and its meaning. If they could provide this information, then they would be richly rewarded; on the other hand, if they failed to provide the information, they would be destroyed. Nebuchadnezzar left no room for uncertainty. Realizing, of course, that they were in a difficult situation, the servants again appeal to the king to tell them the content of the dream, promising that they will supply the interpretation (v. 7).
The behavior of the advisors did not please king Nebuchadnezzar. He perceived that they were stalling for time, probably hoping that his harsh decree would be revoked before they had to admit that they could not do what he asked. Therefore, the king states again the seriousness of failure:
8... "I know for certain that you are bargaining for time, inasmuch as you have seen that the command from me is firm, 9 that if you do not make the dream known to me, there is only one decree for you. For you have agreed together to speak lying and corrupt words before me until the situation is changed; therefore tell me the dream, that I may know that you can declare to me its interpretation."
By this time, the delaying tactic of the advisors had run its course. The king would not tolerate further hesitation. These men are forced to admit to Nebuchadnezzar that they had no interpretation to offer:
10 The Chaldeans answered the king and said, "There is not a man on earth who could declare the matter for the king, inasmuch as no great king or ruler has ever asked anything like this of any magician, conjurer or Chaldean. 11 Moreover, the thing which the king demands is difficult, and there is no one else who could declare it to the king except gods, whose dwelling place is not with mortal flesh." 12 Because of this the king became indignant and very furious, and gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. 13 So the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they looked for Daniel and his friends to kill them.
The Chaldeans in this group appear to have been the spokesmen; these were the astrologers among the king's advisors. They represent the dilemma rather dramatically, saying that "there is not a man on earth who could declare the matter for the king..." (v. 10) Realizing that their situation was not hopeful, the Chaldeans attempted to underscore the difficulty of the king's request by claiming that what he required was impossible. The implication, of course, is that they should not be punished as if they simply were incompetent. Only the gods, the advisors maintained, could declare the dream and its meaning.
This ploy did not work. Nebuchadnezzar wanted answers and, when his wise men failed to provide them, he ordered the implementation of his earlier decree. This is where Daniel is introduced to the story. Here is a classic case of guilt by association! It doesn't appear that Daniel had been involved in this matter prior to this time. Nevertheless, according to the king's decree, all the wise men of Babylon were to be executed with no exceptions. When the man in charge of the execution came to Daniel, the young prophet questioned the circumstances that led to this order by Nebuchadezzar:
14 Then Daniel replied with discretion and discernment to Arioch, the captain of the king's bodyguard, who had gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon; 15 he answered and said to Arioch, the king's commander, "For what reason is the decree from the king so urgent?" Then Arioch informed Daniel about the matter.
This exchange implies, as I noted, that Daniel, and perhaps many others, were unaware of Nebuchadezzar's dream; at the very least, it's obvious that Daniel had
not heard an account of the dream himself. Therefore, Daniel respectfully requests a brief delay in the carrying out of the king's order; he promises that he will provide the king with an interpretation shortly (cf. v. 16).
The writer adds a bit of information that is significant. Before appearing before the king, Daniel asks his friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, to pray to God and ask Him for compassion in this matter (cf. vv. 17, 18). Daniel desired that God would give him an interpretation of the dream and thus preserve his life and the lives of the rest of the wise men.
Soon, as Daniel had requested, God revealed to him the interpretation of the king's dream (v. 19); in response to God's kindness, Daniel spoke words honoring God. It's worth noting that Daniel pauses to give thanks to God before rushing to Nebuchadezzar with the interpretation of the dream; this is in spite of the fact that the king's edict was about to be implemented. Daniel understood, of course, that the wise men of Babylon had been spared by an act of God's mercy; therefore, Daniel offers a short psalm of praise before making use of the information revealed to him by God.
In this brief expression, recorded in vv. 20-23, Daniel speaks of God's name, which is to be blessed; he declares that all wisdom and power belong to God (v. 20). Daniel assigns to God the ability to arrange and change "times and epochs"; God "removes kings and establishes kings"; He gives wisdom and knowledge to men (v. 21). God alone knows the hidden things, Daniel says, and He is the only One who can reveal them to men (v. 22). Finally, Daniel offers his thanks and praise because God had given him the interpretation of Nebuchadezzar's puzzling dream (v. 23).
Daniel understood the importance of what was about to occur; he understood that he would be able to appease the king and prevent the murder of many men only because God had answered his prayer for wisdom. It was most appropriate, therefore, that Daniel recognize God in this manner before making use of what God had given.
Having received divine aid, Daniel is ready to see the king. Therefore, he contacts Arioch, the king's official, and says to him: "Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon! Take me into the king's presence, and I will declare the interpretation to the king." (v. 24) Needless to say, Arioch quickly arranges an audience with Nebuchadezzar. Daniel is introduced as "a man among the exiles from Judah who can make the interpretation known to the king." (v. 25) Nebuchadezzar, perhaps a bit weary of such promises, questions Daniel regarding his ability to interpret the dream (v. 26). Daniel's response is worth noting:
27 Daniel answered before the king and said, "As for the mystery about which the king has inquired, neither wise men, conjurers, magicians, nor diviners are able to declare it to the king. 28 However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days. This was your dream and the visions in your mind while on your bed. 29 As for you, O king, while on your bed your thoughts turned to what would take place in the future; and He who reveals mysteries has made known to you what will take place. 30 But as for me, this mystery has not been revealed to me for any wisdom residing in me more than in any other living man, but for the purpose of making the interpretation known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind."
Daniel does three important things in this response. First, he admits what the king already knows, namely, "neither wise men, conjurers, magicians, nor diviners are able to declare [the dream] to the king." (v. 27) We have to appreciate Daniel's boldness; he knows that the king has ordered the execution of all the wise men because of their failure to interpret his dream. We might expect that Daniel would have spoken some word defending the wise men; instead, he tells the truth to Nebuchadezzar. This action, of course, put Daniel in an even more precarious position; nevertheless, he speaks the truth knowing that he can deliver what the king wants, even though the source of the interpretation is not what the king is expecting.
The second important thing accomplished by Daniel's response is his declaration of a supreme God who "reveals mysteries." (cf. vv. 28, 29) As Daniel continues and interprets the dream, this piece of information becomes critical; Daniel is going to tell Nebuchadezzar that the true God has decreed the course of history and only because He has decreed the course of history can He make known what is going to come to pass before it comes to pass. Daniel is preparing the great king Nebuchadezzar to meet the sovereign God of the universe; this meeting will result in a confession from the king that changes his life and his kingdom.
I should note that Daniel tells the king that his dream has to do with what will take place "in the latter days." This is the first indication we have that the dream is a revelation of what will unfold during the reign of Jesus Christ, which Scripture describes as "the latter days." As we are going to see, Nebuchadezzar's dream has to do with what will transpire from this point in history through the founding of the Church and the beginning of the Church's world-wide expansion.
The third thing to be noted about Daniel's response to Nebuchadezzar is his insistence that the ability to interpret the king's dream did not reside within him; the revelation of the dream had been given to Daniel so that he might relate it to the king (v. 30). Later, when Daniel tells Nebuchadezzar what the dream means, this point also is going to become particularly significant. The dream is a revelation of what God has determined for Nebuchadezzar and the world powers which will follow him. Daniel wants Nebuchadezzar to understand that the interpretation is sure, not because he gave it, but because the God who decrees the end from the beginning gave it. Daniel sees himself as little more than a messenger sent to deliver God's word to the king. If Nebuchadezzar understands now, before the interpretation is given, that this is a matter involving the sovereign God, then he will be better prepared to accept what he is told with humility; this is, in fact, what happens.
Daniel begins his explanation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream with an exact recounting of what the king saw; then, the prophet announces to Nebuchadnezzar the interpretation of the dream as revealed to him by God. Let's follow Daniel's lead and acquaint ourselves with the elements of the dream first and then examine Daniel's divinely-provided exposition.
31 You, O king, were looking and behold, there was a single great statue; that statue, which was large and of extraordinary splendor, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was awesome. 32 The head of that statue was made of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. 34 You continued looking until a stone was cut out without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and crushed them. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed all at the same time, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
The dream is quite simple, in terms of it's components. Nebuchadnezzar saw a statue standing in front of him, a statute whose parts were composed of various substances. Daniel notes that the statue was "a single great statue... which was large and of extraordinary splendor..." (v. 31) Moreover, this figure's appearance was "awesome." The word translated "awesome" is an Aramaic term meaning "dreadful" or "terrible"; it describes that which causes one to be afraid. Nebuchadnezzar had seen an imposing shape in his dream, one whose size alone filled him with anxiety. In his dream, this statue loomed over the king, Daniel implies, which was a situation foreign to the mighty Nebuchadnezzar.
Next, Daniel describes the composition of the statue; it was not made of the same material throughout. The head was made of gold, the breast and arms of silver, the belly and thighs of bronze, the legs of iron and the feet a mixture of iron and clay (vv. 32, 33). The make-up of this statue was, itself, a curiosity. The mere size of the figure left Nebuchadnezzar shaken and the composition must have left him puzzled even after his fear subsided. The fact that Daniel concentrates on the composition of the statue indicates the importance of this aspect of the dream; this becomes clear in Daniel's interpretation. Although the size of this figure was considerable, this is not the main point of the dream.
After accurately describing the appearance of the statue in the king's dream, Daniel tells what else Nebuchadnezzar saw (cf. vv. 34, 35). This is where we begin to get an idea of the meaning of this statue and its various parts. The statue, by definition, represents a whole; it represents something connected. The presence of gold, silver, bronze, iron and clay represent a degree of diversity and character within this whole, whatever it is. The destruction of the feet results in the destruction of the whole statue, which supports what I've just said about a connection among the various parts. The destruction of the feet also serves as a time indicator; what I mean is that the destruction of the figure comes after it is complete. The whole statue is standing before Nebuchadnezzar and when its feet are destroyed, the entire thing falls.
Anyone familiar with the Bible is going to be alert to the mention of the stone "cut out without hands." This is a reference to the Messiah found first in the Old Testament and then repeated in the New Testament (cf. Psa. 118:22; Isa. 28:16; Acts 4:11; Rom. 9:32, 33; etc.). Therefore, we know that this dream has something to do with the coming of Christ. Already we know that His coming means destruction for the statue, whatever that stature represents.
Before we look at Daniel's interpretation, verse by verse, let me give you an overview. This dream is a description of what will occur from the time of Nebuchadnezzar to the coming of Christ and the establishment of the Church. The parts of the statue represent successive kingdoms, beginning with the domain of Nebuchadnezzar and ending with the establishment of Christ's kingdom on earth. This dream, therefore, reveals that one kingdom will follow another until Christ appears; at that time, He will put an end to man-made kingdoms on the earth and will establish His own kingdom, the duration of which is left open in the dream.
Daniel's interpretation begins with an acknowledgement of Nebuchadnezzar's greatness:
37 You, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength, and the glory; 38 and wherever the sons of men dwell, or the beasts of the field, or the birds of the sky, He has given them into your hand and has caused you to rule over them all. You are the head of gold. 39 And after you there will arise another kingdom inferior to you, then another third kingdom of bronze, which will rule over all the earth. 40 Then there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron; inasmuch as iron crushes and shatters all things, so, like iron that breaks in pieces, it will crush and break all these in pieces. 41 And in that you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, it will be a divided kingdom; but it will have in it the toughness of iron, inasmuch as you saw the iron mixed with common clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of pottery, so some of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be brittle. 43 And in that you saw the iron mixed with common clay, they will combine with one another in the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, even as iron does not combine with pottery.
Nebuchadnezzar's renown was obvious; he was ruler of the world, for all practical purposes. Daniel attributes the king's eminence to the favor of God who had given Nebuchadnezzar his dominion. According to Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar is the head of gold which appeared in the dream. From this we know, as I stated, that this dream is about the unfolding political landscape beginning with the present ruler, Nebuchadnezzar.
Gold, of course, is the most precious of the elements seen in the statue. Nebuchadnezzar, therefore, represents a high point among earthly rulers. In some significant ways, his kingdom would never be surpassed. This is evident when Daniel moves to the next part of the statue, which was the breast and arms of silver, and says: "After you there will arise another kingdom inferior to you..." (v. 39) Without commenting further on that kingdom, Daniel says, "then another third kingdom of bronze, which will rule over all the earth."
Notice the progressive degradation which is represented in the gold, silver and bronze. Each kingdom will be less stable than the one before it. Gold is superior, silver is inferior to gold and bronze is inferior to silver. Nevertheless, let's note that this third kingdom will be a formidable kingdom; it will be a world power, but it will not match the strength and character of the one before it.
The fourth kingdom is represented in the legs of iron (v. 41). There is an interesting transition to be noted here. Although not the most costly, iron is the strongest of the materials listed; Daniel observes that "iron crushes and shatters all things." This fourth kingdom is going to be strong, in terms of military power, and even ruthless, the prophet indicates ("it will crush and break all these in pieces"). This is the character conveyed by iron. But it will not have the prestige of Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom, which is represented by gold. This fourth kingdom is going to be an unmatched militant empire.
The feet of iron and clay are explained by Daniel as the latter end of this great fourth kingdom; it will become a divided kingdom (cf. v. 41). It will retain the strength of iron, but the presence of clay will inevitably bring about its ruin (cf. vv. 42, 43). This means that the unity of the fourth kingdom will give way to political partitioning.
Daniel continues with an explanation of the stone which fell upon the feet of the statue with such force that the whole statue was reduced to dust. This stone represents yet another Kingdom, the characteristics of which we will consider later (cf. vv. 44, 45). Finally, Daniel concludes his interpretation by assuring Nebuchadnezzar that this information has been declared by God: "... the great God has made known to the king what will take place in the future; so the dream is true, and its interpretation is trustworthy." (v. 45) As I said earlier, this portion of the book of Daniel details the political landscape from Nebuchadnezzar's time to the coming of Christ and the founding of His Kingdom. God has ordained that Nebuchadnezzar will fall and that those who come after him will, likewise, rise and fall until Christ comes to destroy the last great empire among men.
It remains for us to identify the kingdoms indicated in Nebuchadnezzar's dream. As already indicated, the head of gold represents Nebuchadnezzar, or more precisely, the Babylonian empire. We know that Daniel is talking about the Babylonian kingdom, as well as Nebuchadnezzar, because of what he says in v. 39: "And after you there will arise another kingdom inferior to you, then another third kingdom of bronze..." I take the position that the second kingdom is that of Medo-Persia. This identification is taken from the transition of power which took place after the death of Nebuchadnezzar.
In time, the throne of the Babylonian kingdom passed from Nebuchadnezzar to Belshazzar; when Belshazzar died, we are told that Darius the Mede took control. Darius is later joined by a Persian named Cyrus. Together, Darius the Mede and Cyrus the Persian ruled what had been Nebuchadnezzar's empire; thus we have the designation, Medo-Persian kingdom. Daniel notes the transition in leadership, but all indications are that it was a smooth change that did little to disrupt the empire built by Nebuchadnezzar. The Medo-Persian kingdom added territory to Nebuchadnezzar's domain, but it was troubled by political instability; this is probably what Daniel has in mind when he says that the kingdom to follow Nebuchadnezzar would be "inferior" to him.
The third kingdom generally is recognized as that of Greece, led by the able Alexander. Alexander left no appointed successor; upon his death, his generals vied for control, but no single leader emerged. Instead, Alexander's kingdom was divided into independent states on monarchies. The fourth kingdom, of course, is Rome. Daniel provides more detail concerning this kingdom than any of the others for one primary reason: this is the earthly kingdom that will exist when Christ establishes His kingdom upon earth. Therefore, Daniel gives a lengthy description of the character of the Roman empire.
The prophet says that the fourth kingdom will be "as strong as iron." I pointed out earlier the progressive inferiority of the metals seen in the statue. In terms of monetary worth and in terms of preciousness in the sight of men, iron is the least valuable and the least desirable. There is a reason why armies have never used gold clubs; if you want to do damage, then iron is what you want! This fourth kingdom will be marked by unique strength. Daniel indicates that nothing will stand in the way of this kingdom; we know, of course, that nothing did stand in the way of the Roman machine.
There is a serious flaw in this kingdom, however, and it doesn't come directly from the implied moral inferiority. Political instability will be one of the chief marks of this fourth kingdom. As we know, the Roman empire endured much political turmoil even during her glory days. Moreover, Daniel says, the attempt of Rome to unite the world under one government will fail (v. 43).
It is during the existence of this fourth kingdom that an unusual Kingdom is established. Now we return to Daniel's description of this Kingdom:
44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever. 45 Inasmuch as you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold, the great God has made known to the king what will take place in the future; so the dream is true, and its interpretation is trustworthy.
Before identifying this Kingdom historically, let me list its characteristics; there are two chief attributes to be noted: First, this Kingdom is unique because it is directly established by God. Every other kingdom in Nebuchadnezzar's dream is man-made, so to speak; every other kingdom is the result of political and military maneuvering. This Kingdom, however, is set up by the "God of heaven." Second, this Kingdom is unique because it will never be destroyed or left for another people. The preceding kingdoms met identical fates, in a sense; each one was conquered by a stronger foe.
Beginning with the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar, one dominion after another rises and then falls. This last Kingdom, however, will be established and will never fall. As a matter of fact, this Kingdom "will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever." This certainly implies the everlasting nature of this Kingdom which, in turn, means that this Kingdom is the last Kingdom to be established among men. There will never be another world-wide dominion once this Kingdom is set up by the God of heaven.
The key to identifying this last Kingdom is the reference to the "stone." Let's remind ourselves of what Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream. Earlier, when relating the substance of the dream to the king, Daniel said:
34 You continued looking until a stone was cut out without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and crushed them. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed all at the same time, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
The appearance of the stone marks the end of the fourth kingdom, but it means more than that. It is not just the fourth kingdom which is destroyed by the stone, it is the very concept of world-wide dominion. When the stone falls upon the feet of the statue, all the kingdoms are turned to dust and blown away by the wind. The statue represents the attempts of man to be united under one government; the destruction of the statue in Nebuchadnezzar's dream represents the futility of these attempts. Notice that Daniel says "not a trace of them was found." All that is represented in the successive kingdoms, from Nebuchadnezzar to Rome, is annihilated. This last Kingdom is not simply going to subdue the previous kingdoms, it is going to replace them with a dominion of a different nature.
The certain success and endurance of this Kingdom is indicated when Daniel continues: "But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth." Interestingly, Daniel combines two significant figures in this statement; he speaks of the stone and "a great mountain." As I stated earlier, the stone is known to be a reference to the Messiah who would come to establish God's righteousness on earth. The "great mountain," however, also appears prominently in certain key eschatological passages. For example, Isa. 2 says:
2 Now it will come about that in the last days, the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills; and all the nations will stream to it.
This is, I believe, a reference to the people of God, the Church, in the days of the Messiah. From this perspective, Nebuchadnezzar's dream encompasses the coming of the Savior and the establishment of the Church as that institution through which the holy law of God will be dispensed to the peoples of the world. The rule of Christ, then, manifested most obviously and directly in and through the Church, is the last Kingdom, the Kingdom that will endure forever and put an end to all of man's attempts to unify the race. In the Church, the nations of the world find unity. This is the future decreed by God, as Daniel said in his interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The king's dream, therefore, covers the period beginning with his own rule and ending with the founding and indefinite progress of Christ's Kingdom on earth.
We know for a fact, of course, that the Church was founded by the apostles of Jesus Christ; we know that this institution was marked by supernatural attributes from the beginning. We know also that the Church began growing numerically and influentially from the Day of Pentecost and has never stopped growing numerically and influentially. The Church has done exactly what was predicted in Nebuchadnezzar's dream and Daniel's interpretation. The Church was founded during the days of the fourth kingdom, Rome; and the Church outlasted that kingdom and was, in fact, largely responsible for the demise of that empire.
There has not been another world-wide empire since the founding of the Church and there never will be such an empire; the Church is here to stay and the Church is only getting stronger and more powerful with each passing century. Let us not forget that what is today an institution which reaches around the world started in the streets of Jerusalem when one man, namely the apostle Peter, stood up and proclaimed the gospel.
Conclusion
Centuries before Christ was born, long before Peter made the first public declaration of the gospel following the resurrection of the Savior, long before thousands repented and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, God gave a dream to the King of Babylon; and in this dream, God revealed the course of history from that time forward. This dream was an elaboration upon the promise of Gen. 3:15; it was an elaboration upon what God taught to Noah and Abraham; the subject of this dream is what Psa. 2 is about and it is what Jesus taught the disciples.
We live in a day when, as we look back, we know that the seed of the woman has, indeed, conquered and is continuing to conquer. There can be no other outcome of history, there can be no other destiny for the Church, because, as Daniel declared, "there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries and He has made known what will take place in the latter days." And, my dear brothers and sisters, what God has made known is not the defeat of the gospel or the failure of the Church; what God has made known is the establishment of a Kingdom in which our fallen race will be restored by the grace and power of the Lord Jesus Christ who is our Savior and our King.