Daniel 2 & 7, parallels, pt. 3 - God's answer to His Fallen Church
Study:
Recall the 4th and 5th kingdoms, the last earthly kingdom and God's heavenly kingdom:
(An idol made of 4 metals)
(5 Kingdoms)
(4 unclean beasts)
& brass
& leopard
4th Earthly
divided
Only one thing remains to be discussed, the 5th kingdom!
"And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided;..." Daniel 2:41
"And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings [or kingdoms] that shall arise:..." Daniel 7:24
As was seen in the previous study, this is our time, the time of the kingdoms/nations of divided Europe or divided Rome, which began in 476 AD.
And in the days of these kings [or kingdoms] 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 [the kingdom] shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it [the stone] brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. Daniel 2:44,45
I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. ... I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. Daniel 7:9-14
First, notice that both Daniel 2's "mountain and stone" and Daniel 7's "judgment" result in a kingdom: "...the God of heaven set up a kingdom..." (vs. 2:44); "...and there was given him [one like a Son of Man, Christ, the king] ... a kingdom..." (vs. 7:14).
Second, notice that Daniel 2's "stone" is the kingdom for,
(Rome, Greece, European nations, Medo-Persia, Babylon)
Third, notice that both Daniel 2's "mountain and stone" and Daniel 7's "judgment" involve the supernatural or divine: "cut out without [human] hands" (vs. 2:45); "...the Ancient of Day [or God the Father]..." (vs. 7:9).
Note: this supernatural event takes place in heaven where the Ancient of Days is seen.
Finally, notice that Daniel 2's "mountain and stone" is Daniel 7's "judgement"! If the stone is the kingdom then what must be the mountain from which it is cut? No mention is ever made again of the mountain after the stone is cut out of it. It disappears from the narrative leading one to think it no longer has importance. If the mountain is cut away from the stone and discarded, and the stone is the kingdom, then the mountain must be the professed kingdom.
or
professed kingdom/church
or
undergoes a heavenly judgement
leaving
or
true kingdom/church
But this is the investigative phase of the judgment. Look! Daniel 2 & 7 also tell of the executive phase.
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 threshingfloors; 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. Daniel 2:34,35
I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the [non-descript] beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. Daniel 7:11,12
The most obvious connection or parallel between these two visions is that both describe two destructions:
- the destruction of the feet of iron and clay and of the non-descript beast with ten horns... both description of the destruction of the wicked of the current age, divided or papal Rome or the nations/kingdoms of divided Europe, and
- the destruction of the statue and of the remaining beasts... both description of the destruction of the wicked of previous ages.
Note: "...their lives were prolonged for a season and time." (vs. 7:12) implies later destruction of the other beasts.
There is one last thing to talk about before we are done here. The vision of Daniel 2 reveals a thing of importance that is missing in Daniel 7. What is that? The destruction of the statue involves a second destruction of the feet. How so? Notice it says, concerning the first destruction, "...smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces." The Hebrew word translated "break ... to pieces" means to pulverize or turn into powder. Notice it says, concerning the second destruction, "Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together..." "broken to pieces" is the same Hebrew word meaning pulverize or turn to powder. But look, clay is being pulverized. Clay only occurs in the feet. Weren't the feet and thus wasn't the clay pulverized all ready in the first destruction? How do you pulverize what has been pulverized all ready? The implication is that the feet are re-formed prior to the second destruction.
Summarizing what Daniel 2 & 7 reveal of the Judgment:
If this sounds like a familiar scenario... You are right. It is! It occurs in Revelation!
To be continued...
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