44 “But in the days of those kings, the God of heaven will raise up an everlasting kingdom that will be indestructible. Its rule will never pass to another people. It will shatter other kingdoms. It will put an end to all of them. It will stand firm forever” (Dan. 2:44, CEB)
The vision Daniel saw in this chapter was one Nebuchadnezzar, the emperor, had demanded be told back to him then interpreted. He wasn’t going to tell his seers what the dream was, then allow them to interpret. He wanted some seer to be so good they could tell him the dream then give the interpretation. Daniel’s life was literally on the line, since he was one of the seers. If someone didn’t step up to this unreasonable demand, they would all be executed.
The dream was of a statue that was gold at the top, but the material value in the statue went down until the toes were a mixture of iron and clay. It was brittle. The base of the statue, which should have been the strongest, was the most brittle. A stone cut from a mountain (but not by human hands) then struck the statue at the feet, causing the whole thing to collapse.
It is the prediction of a coming kingdom that no human can establish and no human can stop.
This is a word we need as the people of God today. Human systems will fail us. They are failing us right now. They will continue to fail us. Humanity’s hope for the world getting better by our own ingenuity, or by our ability to hold hands and sing songs, or whatever the “thrill of the day” might be, will not hold up. Human systems fail.
There is a kingdom being established that will not fail. This is the confidence of the people of God.
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe; 29 for indeed our God is a consuming fire. (Heb. 12:28-29, NRSV)
Too often our hopes are tied into this world’s system one way or another. May we keep our hope on what is eternal and can never be shaken.
Apprentice 2 Jesus 