INTRODUCTION
Fulfilled prophecy is perhaps the greatest evidence that God exists. Through the prophet Daniel, God revealed the rise and fall of history’s great kingdoms to the time of the Roman empire and its division into the nations of Europe!
As everything has happened just as God said, we can be sure that the last great event will soon occur... The prophecy of Daniel chapter 2 outlines the history of this world from the kingdom of Babylon to the second coming of Christ.
There are four great lines of prophecy commencing in Daniel chapter 2 and repeated in Daniel 7, 8 and 11 with more detail added . These together with the book of Revelation identify those powers which have been intimately related with the people of God as persecutors or conquerors leading them into captivity.
It begins with the kingdom of literal Babylon and ends with the Roman Empire and its disintegration as the Barbarian hordes from the North carved up the landscape into the present day nations of Europe. The prophecy finally ends with the resurrection of the Roman Empire in the form of Papal Rome - the feet of Iron and Clay of Daniel chapter 2, which in Revelation chapter 17 is identified as Mystery Babylon.
Hence, the Daniel 2 image begins with Literal local Babylon and ends with Spiritual Babylon, a global power. It begins with the literal Babylon of King Nebuchadnezzar, the literal King of the North and ends with Spiritual Babylon of the Papacy, the Spiritual King of the North of the end-time which is struck by the stone cut without hand.
A REMARKABLE EXPOSITION OF BIBLE PROPHECY JUST 200 YEARS AFTER CHRIST.
Hippolytus (c170 - c235) a Christian Bishop lived 200 years after Christ and he had this to say (emphasis ours):
"28. The golden head of the image and the lioness denoted the Babylonians; the shoulders and arms of silver, and the bear, represented the Persians and Medes; the belly and thighs of brass, and the leopard, meant the Greeks, who held the sovereignty from Alexander's time; the legs of iron, and the beast dreadful and terrible, expressed the Romans, who hold the sovereignty at present; the toes of the feet which were part clay and part iron, and the ten horns, were emblems of the kingdoms that are yet to rise; the other little horn that grows up among them meant the Antichrist in their midst; the stone that smites the earth and brings judgment upon the world was Christ." Hippolytus on "Christ and Antichrist." NewAdvent.org, A Catholic Website.
Amazing, but the Roman Catholic Church, also referred to as Papal Rome, is in Bible prophecy. It is our prayer that through the pages of this website as we journey together in Bible prophecy you will find the God who created this world and the Son He sent to be our salvation and who will forever be a part of our humanity - Jesus the Christ, the Son of God and the Son of Man.
DANIEL CHAPTER 2
2:1 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.
2:2 Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to show the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.
2:3 And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.
2:4 Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.
2:5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.
2:6 But if ye show the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore show me the dream, and the interpretation thereof.
2:7 They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation of it.
2:8 The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.
2:9 But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, [there is but] one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can show me the interpretation thereof.
2:10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can show the king's matter: therefore [there is] no king, lord, nor ruler, [that] asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.
2:11 And [it is] a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.
2:12 For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise [men] of Babylon.
2:13 And the decree went forth that the wise [men] should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.
2:14 Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise [men] of Babylon:
2:15 He answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Why [is] the decree [so] hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.
2:16 Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would show the king the interpretation.
2:17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
2:18 That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise [men] of Babylon.
2:19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
2:20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:
2:21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:
2:22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what [is] in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.
2:23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast [now] made known unto us the king's matter.
2:24 Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise [men] of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise [men] of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will show unto the king the interpretation.
2:25 Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation.
2:26 The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name [was] Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?
2:27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise [men], the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, show unto the king;
2:28 But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;
2:29 As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came [into thy mind] upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.
2:30 But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for [any] wisdom that I have more than any living, but for [their] sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.
2:31 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness [was] excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof [was] terrible.
2:32 This image's head [was] of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
2:33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
2:34 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.
2:35 Then ws 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.
2:36 This [is] the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.
2:37 Thou, O king, [art] a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.
2:38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou [art] this head of gold.
2:39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
2:40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all [things]: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
2:41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
2:42 And [as] the toes of the feet [were] part of iron, and part of clay, [so] the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
2:43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
2:44 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 for ever.
2:45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it 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.
2:46 Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him.
2:47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth [it is], that your God [is] a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.
2:48 Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise [men] of Babylon.
2:49 Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel [sat] in the gate of the king.
THE DREAM & ITS INTERPRETATION
Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness [was] excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof [was] terrible. This image's head [was] of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. 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. This [is] the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. Thou O king, [art] a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou [art] this head of gold. And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all [things]: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
And [as] the toes of the feet [were] part of iron, and part of clay, [so] the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
THE INTERPRETATION
Thou O king, [art] a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou [art] this head of gold.
BABYLON
(gold head)
King Nebuchadnezzar, symbolised by the head of Gold represented the kingdom of Babylon. The words 'King' and 'Kingdom' used interchangeably in prophecy
THE FALL OF BABYLON
But God had said to King Nebuchadnezzar: "And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee," And just as foretold, the Medes & Persians conquered the Babylonian empire. The narrative is found in Daniel chapter 5 "PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians." The Chest of Silver represents the kingdom of the Medes & Persians.
DANIEL CHAPTER 5
5:17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.
5:18 O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour:
5:19 And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.
5:20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:
5:21 And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling [was] with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and [that] he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.
5:22 And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; 5:23 But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath [is], and whose [are] all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:
5:24 Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.
5:25 And this [is] the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
5:26 This [is] the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.
5:27 TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.
5:28 PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
5:29 Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and [put] a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
5:30 In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.
5:31 And Darius the Median took the kingdom, [being] about threescore and two years old.
MEDES & PERSIANS
(silver chest)
GRECIA CRUSHES THE MEDES AND PERSIANS
Daniel continues the explanation of King Nebuchadnezzar's dream: "...and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth." was to arise and conquer the Medes & Persians and bear rule over all the earth. This part of the prophecy is found in Daniel chapter 8 in the symbols of the Ram (Medo-Persia) & the He-Goat (Grecia) doing battle with the Persians falling to the Kingdom of Alexander the Great - GRECIA. The brass torso represents the Grecian kingdom.
GRECIA
(brass torso)
DANIEL CHAPTER 8
8:1 In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, [even unto] me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first.
8:2 And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I [was] at Shushan [in] the palace, which [is] in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai.
8:3 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had [two] horns: and the [two] horns [were] high; but one [was] higher than the other, and the higher came up last.
8:4 I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither [was there any] that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great.
8:5 And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat [had] a notable horn between his eyes.
8:6 And he came to the ram that had [two] horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power.
8:7 And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand.
8:8 Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and
when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.
8:9 And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant [land].
8:10 And it waxed great, [even] to the host of heaven; and it cast down [some] of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them.
8:11 Yea, he magnified [himself] even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily [sacrifice] was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.
8:12 And an host was given [him] against the daily [sacrifice] by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practiced, and prospered.
8:13 Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain [saint] which spake, How long [shall be] the vision [concerning] the daily [sacrifice], and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?
8:14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. 8:15 And it came to pass, when I, [even] I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man.
8:16 And I heard a man's voice between [the banks of] Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this [man] to understand the vision.
8:17 So he came near where I stood: and when
he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end [shall be] the vision.
8:18 Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright.
8:19 And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end [shall be].
8:20 The ram which thou sawest having [two] horns [are] the kings of Media and Persia.
8:21 And the rough goat [is] the king of Grecia: and the great horn that [is] between his eyes [is] the first king.
8:22 Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.
8:23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.
8:24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
8:25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify [himself] in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.
8:26 And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told [is] true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it [shall be] for many days.
8:27 And I Daniel fainted, and was sick [certain] days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood [it].
'TO THE STRONGEST'
It is said that when Alexander the Great was dying, his four generals came to him and asked, "to whom shall the kingdom go" and in typical Alexander fashion he replied, "to the strongest". However, the prophecy foretold the kingdom would be divided into four parts - like beasts, horns in Bible prophecy symbolise kingdoms, nations or powers (Daniel 8:20, 22) Alexander's four generals, Cassander, Lysimachus, Ptolemy & Seleucus divided his empire among themselves.
8:8 Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.
8:21 And the rough goat [is] the king of Grecia: and the great horn that [is] between his eyes [is] the first king.
8:22 Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power. The great horn is the first King of Grecia, Alexander the Great. “Philip of Macedon [Alexander’s father] never bore the title of king in relation to Greece, he was only the hegemon [chief or leader] of the association of Grecian peoples and cities. Alexander freely used the title king.” W.H. Boulton, Greece and Rome, p73] And when the great horn was broken (Alexander died) four more horns came up, in other words the Grecian empire was divided into four kingdoms.
ROME ENTERS THE PROPHECY
The prophecy declared: "And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all [things]: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise." Alexander's empire was eventually divided among his four generals when he died. These finally succumbed to the might and power of ROME. Luke 2:1 - "And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed." The legs of Iron represent the iron monarchy of ROME. This fourth kingdom is identified in Daniel chapter 8.
ROME
(Legs of Iron)
After the death of Alexander the Great his kingdom was divided among his four generals symbolised by the four horns which arose on the head of the He-Goat after the great horn (Alexander) was broken.
Daniel 8:8-11 Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven. And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant [land]. And it waxed great, [even] to the host of heaven; and it cast down [some] of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them."Yea, he magnified [himself] even to the prince of the host, ..."
The power that arose after the the division of the Grecian kingdom is described as a little horn which became "exceeding great", i.e. greater than Medo-Persia [which became "great"] and Grecia [which became "very great"]. This power persecuted and killed many of God's people. (verse 10) and it crucified Christ, the Prince of the host. (verse 11). Christ was born in the timeline of this power - Luke 2:1 and died when this power was ruling - see study on the 70 week prophecy of Daniel 9. This power is ROME. See studies on Daniel 7 and 8
'THE KINGDOM SHALL BE DIVIDED'
History tells us the Roman empire crumbled over the years under the attacks of the various barbarian hordes. The prophecy predicted this would happen.
2:41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
2:42 And [as] the toes of the feet [were] part of iron, and part of clay, [so] the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
2:43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
The western Roman Empire finally resolved itself into ten kingdoms. But there is an interesting addition to the make up of the feet and it is the symbol of CLAY. The legs of IRON represented the Pagan Rome of the Caesars hence in order to remain true to the interpretation the symbol, the iron portion of the feet of the iron and clay must still represent ROME. But what sort of Rome? The addition of the the clay is the clue as to the sort of Rome this is.
PAPAL ROME - THE FEET OF IRON & CLAY
The symbol of CLAY in the Bible represents religion. IRON represents the state power of ROME. The CLAY mixing with it represents the union of religion, the CHURCH, with the STATE. The IRON of the legs (ROME) extends into the feet and is therefore still ROME, symbolising the STATE. The CLAY is something that is "mixed" in with the iron. Whenever religion, whatever that might be, combines with the STATE, that religion can then be seen as fulfilling the symbol IRON & CLAY and is a fitting representation of the ROMAN PAPACY, a religio-political power, a union of CHURCH & STATE according to the prophecy.
Isaiah 64:8 But now, O LORD, thou [art] our father; we [are] the clay, and thou our potter; and we all [are] the work of thy hand. Jeremiah18:4-6 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make [it]. Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay [is] in the potter's hand, so [are] ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.
The symbol of the IRON mixed with CLAY for the feet is a representation of religion united with the state which is a fitting symbol of Papal Rome - a union of church and state. "whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay." The legs of iron represented the pagan Rome of the Caesars, therefore the feet which is partly iron represents Rome but a different type of Rome following the addition of CLAY. Clay as noted is a representation of a people in relationship to God but not just any people but those professing Bible religion. In other words it is professed Christianity (clay) but still Roman (iron) - the Catholic church of Rome.
THE STONE STRIKES THE FEET OF IRON & CLAY
2:44 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 for ever.
2:45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it 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.
At the time the kingdom of God is set up, there will be a plurality of kings existing contemporaneously. They cannot refer to the four preceding kingdoms; for it would be absurd to use such language in reference to a line of successive kings, since it would be in the days of the last king only, not in the days of any of the preceding, that the kingdom of God would be set up. The Kingdom of God was set up after the stone hit the image on the feet. The stone striking the image's feet cannot refer to Christ’s first advent but to His second coming because when Christ came the first time Rome was one united superpower whereas the stone hit the image upon the feet AFTER Rome had divided into the feet & toes of iron & clay (the 10 nations of Europe) (A.D.476).
Christ is the stone which at His second coming will pulverize the image. Speaking of Himself Christ said, “And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.” Matt 21:44
“Without hands” means by Divine power. cf. Heb 9:11, 24; 2 Cor 5:1; Col 2:11). Christ’s kingdom is not to be brought in by human devising. Thus all efforts to establish Christ's kingdom by political or military means are mis-directed. Mountains represent kingdoms (cf. Dan 2:35). The stone is Christ. The mountain from which he was cut is the great universal kingdom of God.