What does Nebuchadnezzar learn about God’s hand in human history?
Daniel 2:34-35
In Daniel 2, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon had a dream that terrified him, and he yearned to know what it meant. To be certain of the dream’s meaning, he commanded his wise men, astrologers, and counselors to tell him what the dream was in order to earn the right to give him the interpretation. He promised lavish rewards for anyone who could do this, but he also threatened death by torture to any who could not. God graciously granted to Daniel the miraculous knowledge of the king’s dream and the certain interpretation of its meaning.
The dream was of a statue of a man, great and tall, which represented the unfolding of human history from Nebuchadnezzar on—a succession of mighty empires one after the other. The statue had a head of gold, chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, legs of iron, and feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. The head of gold represented Nebuchadnezzar and the awesome Babylonian Empire. The chest and arms of silver represented the next empire to follow—the Medo-Persian. After that came the next empire—the Greeks. Then the Romans came next, followed by an agglomeration—mingled kingdoms of many aspects.
Suddenly, while Nebuchadnezzar was watching in the dream, a rock was cut out but not by human hands. It flew in like a missile right at the statue, striking it at its weakest point—its feet of clay. This resulted in the entire statue crumbling to the earth, falling in a huge pile. Then a mighty wind came along, sweeping all remnants of the statue away like chaff from a threshing floor. But the rock that struck the statue became a lofty mountain that filled the entire world.
“Suddenly, while Nebuchadnezzar was watching in the dream, a rock was cut out but not by human hands. It flew in like a missile right at the statue, striking it at its weakest point—its feet of clay.”
The rock that was cut out but not by human hands represents Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God. He was “cut out” meaning shaped and prepared, made ready for his mission to the earth. But that shaping and preparation was not by human hands—but only by the power of God. Christ was conceived in the Virgin Mary’s womb by the direct power of God the Spirit (Luke 1:35), and his very existence in this world was a miracle done only by the power of God. So also the growth and development of his worldwide empire of peace, love, and truth was done only by the power of God, not by human hands. It will someday fill the whole world, for “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.” (Hab. 2:14) The growth of Christ’s kingdom to the end of the earth fulfilled the statement, “Not by power, nor by might, but by my Spirit, says the Lord.” (Zech. 4:6) The growth of the kingdom from something small to something vast is seen in the growth of the holy embryo in Mary’s womb to the final outcome, a multitude greater than anyone can count standing around Christ’s heavenly throne in white robes celebrating their salvation bought by his blood. From a tiny miracle invisible to the human eye to a worldwide empire of glory stretching from sea to sea. That is what Daniel 2 predicts in this Christmas rock cut out but not by human hands.
