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Introduction
The prophet
Daniel's interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar's troubling dream is
the political map of the Plan of Salvation, and unsealed for us today.
Daniel's
interpretation confirms to us that Jesus' Kingdom of Heaven was
instituted on earth when He was crucified. Sequentially in Daniel's
prophecy, Jesus then ascended to His Father in heaven and was given
His Kingdom and dominion over the earth. However, His Kingdom that we
are currently running our way will never be one united Kingdom
until Jesus returns.
"Return
unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts." (Malachi
3:7)
Jesus made the
Kingdom of Heaven plain to us, but our ears would not hear and our
eyes would not see - until now when we can see we have no way
out of our human troubles but by brutality and destruction:
"And
I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will
build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever
thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever
thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matthew
16:18-19 KJV)
The divisive and
warlike nature of this final earthly Kingdom, run by us sinners who
were made kings and priests by the sacrifice of the Son of God, was
foretold by the prophet Daniel as follows:
Nebuchadnezzar's Dream:
"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; 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." (Daniel
2:28-29 KJV)
"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."
(Daniel
2:31-35 KJV)
Daniel's Interpretation
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Babylon
"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." (Daniel
2:37-38)
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Head
of gold: Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon, represented by the
head of gold, lasted from 612 BC to 539 BC, and was defeated at that
time by the Medo-Persian Empire.
Medo-Persia and Greece
"And
after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and
another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all
the earth." (Daniel
2:39) |
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Rome...
"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."
(Daniel 2:40)
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Fourth
kingdom: The Roman Empire. In the description of this
empire, Daniel says that the Roman Empire shall 'break in pieces
and bruise". Use of the word bruise ('crush' in
some translations) here is significant. It matches well with the
Genesis account of God's chastening of Eve, which contains a prophecy
of the Messiah:
"And
I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed
and her seed: he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." (Gen
3:15 ASV)
The heel to be
bruised is considered to be that of the Messiah. Indeed it was the
Roman Empire that had ultimate authority over Jesus' crucifixion.
...and The Kingdom Of God:
"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. 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."
(Daniel 2:41-43)
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The
feet were part of iron, and part of clay: The
feet of this image were of iron mixed with clay,
already broken and impossible to weld together. Thus the iron,
representing the power of Roman Empire over the common man, mixed
with the clay of the common man
- who
was strengthened
after Jesus crucifixion. Jesus after His crucifixion then ascended to
heaven and received His Kingdom from God.
The clay part
of the Kingdom of God
is the metaphoric comparison of the "Potter's clay",
as God described the people of Israel in the book of Isaiah:
"Surely
your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the
potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He
made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed
it, He had no understanding?" (Isaiah
29:16)
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They
shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: The iron
(First the Roman Church, then all Christian Churches) compassionately
mingling with the clay (non-Christians) is what has made unity among
Christians impossible - according to Jesus Words (See 'The
Twoedged Sword').
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They
shall not cleave one to another: Proven today by the over
34,000 different varieties of Christian groups. The disunity
resulting from our own misinterpretations
of Jesus' teachings
helped to spread the Gospel, preventing large religious blocs from
forcing fixed doctrine on God's people. This was part of the Plan of Salvation:
"Thou
shalt break them with a rod of iron;
thou shalt dash them in pieces like
a potter's vessel."
(Psalms 2:9 KJV)
Again, Jesus knew
us so well, was so familiar with how man loved to create doctrine and
lock himself into it, that He guided us - through teachings of Love -
to always question the doctrines of men and continue our search for Him.
The King Of Kings Disallows Further Empires Ruled By Men
Jesus was crowned
earthly King of the Jews by Pilate, then (sequentially, as recorded
in Daniel Chapter Seven) was given by God
complete dominion over all kingdoms of the Kingdom of Heaven when He
ascended to heaven. Consider the series of verses below:
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Jesus
is welcomed to Jerusalem: "And
when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of
Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and
praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had
seen; Saying, Blessed be the King
that cometh in the name of the Lord:
peace in heaven, and glory in the highest."
(Luke 19:37-38 KJV)
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Pilate
pronounces Jesus King of the Jews: "And
Pilate asked him, Art thou the King
of the Jews? And he answering said
unto him, Thou sayest it."
(Mark 15:2 KJV)
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"And
Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS
OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS."
(John 19:19 KJV)
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Jesus
tells the disciples He has been given all power: "And
Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto
me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever
I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end
of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:18-20 KJV)
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In
Acts Jesus ascends to heaven:
"And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was
taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight." (Acts
1:9 KJV)...
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In
Daniel Jesus
arrives in heaven,
and receives
His Kingdom: "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
7:13-14 KJV)
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Jesus
recognized and worshipped as King by Paul: "Howbeit
for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might
shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should
hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. Now
unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God,
be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen." (1
Timothy 1:16-17 KJV)
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Recognized
as King by John: "I John, who
also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the
kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is
called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ."
(Revelation 1:6-9 KJV)
The event of the
image's legs of iron, representing the Roman Empire, transitioning
into the feet of mixed iron and clay by His sacrifice was predicted
by Jesus. His own teachings were intended to educate men in the
principles of a brotherhood that did not rely on governments of men -
but only on the leadership of God.
He Himself
sacrificed everything not only to save us, but also to be an example
for us of the power of True Love. He showed us that death is a
temporary state, and that dying in the cause of Love, without
resorting to violence ourselves, is the most holy act we are capable of:
"Greater
love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John
15:13)
One of the effects
of this teaching has been that no empire since the Roman Empire has
been able to oppress people for the length of time or to the extent
that kings and emperors had oppressed the Jews (and their spiritual
lives) before Christ's ministry.
Through faith in
Jesus Christ, The martyrs of God, through death and determination,
have accomplished all of the freedom we enjoy today - a freedom that
is rapidly disappearing under Lucifer's rule of fear.
All of this was
prophesied in the Old Testament and confirmed in the New Testament by Jesus:
"Thou
shalt break them with a rod of iron;
thou shalt dash them in pieces like
a potter's vessel."
(Psalms 2:9 KJV)
"He
shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of
the needy, and shall break in pieces
the oppressor." (Psalms
72:4)
"Thou
art my battle axe and weapons of war: for
with thee will I break in pieces the nations,
and with thee will I destroy kingdoms" (Jeremiah
51:20)
"But
I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till
it be accomplished! Suppose ye that I
am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:
For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three
against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided
against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against
the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law
against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her
mother in law." (Luke
12:50-53)
After Peter's
vision in which God allowed the apostles to preach to the Gentiles,
the entire earth became Spiritual Israel with Jesus as King of
the Kingdom of Heaven, with all nations and tongues under His
dominion, and we remain so today.
And we, His
subjects, are Spiritual Jews. Because of the teachings of
Christ, there are now over 200 nations in the world - none that can
be called empires.
Iron and clay
cannot be held together.
He Shall Reign Until The End
"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." (Daniel
2:44 KJV)
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And
in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom:
What kings? You and I. We were all made kings and priests by Jesus,
who said: "All
power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." (Matthew
28:18 KJV)
"Unto
him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And
hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him
be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." (Revelation
1:5-6 KJV)
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And
it shall stand for ever:
Understanding that Jesus' Spiritual Kingdom has been ruled by Him
since the crucifixion opens the Bible to us, allowing us to
clearly see the Plan of Salvation and the hope of those who worked
for us to reach this point in history.
All that's left is
for us to clearly see that this point - the of that "Wicked"
being exposed - has been reached! The following verses reflect the
apostles knowledge of what has largely been denied by us until now.
"And
I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now
is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God,
and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast
down, which accused them before our God day and night." (Rev
12:10 KJV)
"And
he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That
there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of
death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power."
(Mar
9:1 KJV)
- This is the Power of the Holy Spirit as promised by Jesus in Acts: "But
ye shall receive power,
after that the Holy Ghost
is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in
Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost
part of the earth." (Acts
1:8 KJV)
"Giving
thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of
the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from
the power of darkness, and hath
translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son..." (Col
1:12-13 KJV)
"And
hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be
glory and dominion for ever and ever."
(Rev 1:6 KJV)
"But
every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they
that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall
have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall
have put down all rule and all authority and power. For
he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet." (1Co
15:23-25 KJV)
"For
unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government
shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful,
Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of
Peace. Of the increase of his
government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David,
and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment
and with justice from henceforth even for ever.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this." (Isa
9:6-7 KJV)
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The Stone Cut Out Of The
Mountain Without Hands
"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." (Daniel
2:42-45 KJV)
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The
stone was cut out of the mountain without hands: The stone is Jesus,
when He returns. It is cut out 'without hands' because His
return will be triggered by people who are seeking His return,
people who do not cling loyally to any doctrine other than
that of Jesus Himself.
These people will
be 'virgins, not defiled with women' - women being the churches of
spiritual Babylon related in Revelation.
The mountain that
grows and fills the earth afterwards is God's Mount Zion, populated
by God's people now with the Truth.
To all those who
believe the Truths of Jesus over the doctrines of all other men, I
hope even so that you will begin to pray for His return and sanctify
His name once more:
"For
thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; The
daughter of Babylon is like a threshingfloor,
it is time to thresh her: yet a little while, and the time of her
harvest shall come. Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon hath devoured
me, he hath crushed me, he hath made me an empty vessel, he hath
swallowed me up like a dragon, he hath filled his belly with my
delicates, he hath cast me out. The violence done to me and to my
flesh be upon Babylon, shall the inhabitant of Zion say; and my blood
upon the inhabitants of Chaldea, shall Jerusalem say. Therefore thus
saith the LORD; Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance
for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry." (Jeremiah
51:33-36 KJV)
"Ho,
ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the LORD:
for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith
the LORD. Deliver thyself, O Zion,
that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon.
For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me
unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth
the apple of his eye. For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them,
and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that
the LORD of hosts hath sent me. Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion:
for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD." (Zechariah
2:6-10 KJV)
Isaiah 42 and 43 explain the Plan of Salvation of the past 2000
years in prophetic prose.
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