About 2,700 years ago, Nebuchadnezzar, ruler of the Babylonian Empire, had a dream.
In the dream, he saw a great image. The image's head was of gold, his chest and arms of silver, his stomach and thighs of brass, his legs of iron and his feet part of iron and part of clay. As Nebuchadnezzar watched, a stone cut out without hands hit the image's feet. The image was broken to pieces, while the stone became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
Daniel the prophet, who had been taken as a captive to Babylon from Israel, interpreted the dream for Nebuchadnezzar. (You can read the story in Daniel, chapter two.)
God, Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar, wants to show you what will happen in the days to come. You, he said to Nebuchadnezzar, are the head of gold. After you will come an inferior kingdom of silver, then a third kingdom of brass. The fourth kingdom of iron will break and bruise others. Then will come a divided kingdom, symbolised by the feet part of iron and part of clay. At that time God will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, but which will stand for ever.
The kingdom which followed Nebuchadnezzar was the empire of the Medes and Persians. The third kingdom was the Greek empire of Alexander the Great. The fourth kingdom was the Roman Empire. In this historical timeline, we are now in the days of the feet of iron and clay.
The stone cut out without hands is the Lord Jesus Christ. In these days He will return, destroy His enemies and set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed. His return will be the most momentous event since the crucifixion and resurrection 2,000 years ago.
Are you prepared?
