Server Outage Notice: TheSeed.info is transfering to a new Server on Tuesday April 13th
| > Sermon Archive > Sermons by Author > Rev. Mendel Retief > The everlasting kingdom of Christ is coming | Previous Next Print |
| Order Of Worship (Liturgy) Old Book of Praise Ps. 135: 6 Ps. 112: 1 Ps. 89: 2, 12 Ps. 2: 1 – 4 Ps. 24: 4, 5
Scripture reading: Daniel 2 Text: Daniel 2: 27 – 45 |
The Kingdom of Christ is coming
Ps. 135: 6
Ps. 112: 1
Ps. 89: 2, 12
Ps. 2: 1 – 4
Ps. 24: 4, 5
Scripture reading: Daniel 2
Text: Daniel 2: 27 – 45
Beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Since the time of King David the LORD made known that there will come an eternal King whose kingdom will have no end.
The LORD said to David:
“…I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” – 2 Sam. 7: 12, 13
King Solomon came after David. He sat on David’s throne, and he built a house for the LORD, and said:
“…the LORD has fulfilled His word which He spoke; and I have filled the position of my father David, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised; and I have built a temple for the name of the LORD God of Israel.” – 1 Kings 8: 20.
But Solomon did not reign forever. In fact, after him the kingdom was divided and the house of David became smaller.
Yet, after king Solomon, the LORD continued to proclaim this promise which He made to David: A Son of David will reign on the throne of David forever.
The LORD spoke through the prophet Isaiah and said:
“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and to establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever…” – Isaiah 9: 6, 7
A Son of David who will be Mighty God; an everlasting Prince of Peace who will reign on the throne of David forever!
And all the prophets spoke of the coming of this Messiah, this Anointed, on the throne of David.
Finally, when the time was full, this great and long expected Son of David was born. The angel Gabriel announced His coming to Mary, saying:
“…behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the LORD God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” – Luke 2: 31 – 33
Dear congregation, it is this gospel of our eternal King, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of David – it is this gospel of His everlasting kingdom that is so clearly proclaimed here in the book of Daniel.
Daniel stands before Nebuchadnezzar, that mighty king of the greatest world empire ever, and tells him: Your mighty kingdom will fall and be grinded to dust, and the wind will blow it away. Your kingdom, mighty as it is, will not last. Other kingdoms will come, the one after the other, and they will all go backward from gold to clay.
And, when it comes to that mixture of iron and clay…
“…in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.” – Dan. 2: 44
There you have once more the announcement, the proclamation, of the eternal kingdom that is coming – the same eternal kingdom that was promised to David and proclaimed by the prophets; the eternal kingdom of the Son of David which God will establish.
But note the message to this great heathen empire: Your kingdom, Nebuchadnezzar, will not last; nor will any other kingdom of this world. The God of heaven will establish His kingdom on earth, a kingdom that will fill the whole earth and last forever.
Dear congregation, this is no gospel to the kingdoms of this world. It proclaims their destruction. They will all be utterly destroyed. None will last.
Christ’s kingdom alone will last and consume all the kingdoms of this world.
It is indeed gospel to us. It is gospel to Christ’s trampled people in this world. It is good news to the church, yes, the true church of Jesus Christ, which is a small and despised people in the midst of this world.
But it is a gospel that seems unreal to the human eye, for it is the very opposite of what our eyes can see.
What we do see with our eyes of flesh and blood is a miserable and small little church over against the mighty powers of this world.
What we see in this world is very disappointing to the believer; for is the true church of Christ not pitifully small and very much despised?
What visible evidence is there of the glory we expect?
Yes, note the context in which this gospel is being proclaimed.
God’s people in Jerusalem have suffered defeat.
The first captives are already in exile. God’s temple has been robbed and its holy vessels are now in the temple of Bel. And soon Jerusalem itself will be utterly destroyed.
David’s throne is about to fall. David’s throne will soon literally be a heap of rubble and dust.
What will then happen to the LORD’s promise that He will establish David’s throne forever, when there is nothing but a heap of ruins?
How can one still cling to that promise of an eternal King on the throne of David when the opposite seems to be reality?
Did the gods of Babylon not triumph over the God of Israel?
The fulfilment of God’s promises seems now so impossible. For, just look at the facts:
Jerusalem conquered; Babylon in power!
Congregation, it is within this context that God reveals the future of the kingdoms of this world and the future of His church. And the message is one of great comfort also to us. Babylon, and all the kingdoms of this world, will be utterly destroyed. The promised Messiah, the eternal King, yes, our Lord Jesus Christ, will crush and destroy the empires of this world, and establish His kingdom forever.
The prophecy also relates to our time.
The prophecy had a first fulfilment in the ages from Babylon up to the time of Rome when Christ was born; but the four empires from Babylon to Rome returns in the book of Revelation and becomes a picture in the New Testament of the kingdoms of this world until the second coming of Christ – so that this prophecy has its second and final fulfilment during the time of the New Testament, with its final fulfilment on that great day when Christ will appear on the clouds of heaven in great power and glory to judge the world and to establish His kingdom forever.
That makes this prophecy most relevant for us and our time.
And so, from this text, I proclaim God’s Word to you with the theme:
The everlasting kingdom of Christ is coming
We will note…
- That there is only one living God
- That Christ will destroy the kingdoms of this world
- The coming of Christ’s everlasting kingdom
In the first place we note that…
There is only one living God
King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream and he is determined to know its meaning. He calls for the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers and the Chaldeans. These are the so-called “wise” men of Babylon. These magicians, astrologers and sorcerers claimed that they have contact with the spiritual world and with the gods.
But this time Nebuchadnezzar does not trust them.
It is to him of the utmost importance to know for sure the correct interpretation of his dream. He wants to make sure that they do not give him a deceitful interpretation according to their own imagination.
The king is convinced that the dream has come from the gods, but how will he know whether the interpretation is also from the gods?
The solution is simple: these men first have to tell him what he dreamt, then he will know for sure that the same gods who gave him the dream have also revealed the matter to his wise men.
These astrologers were the ones who claimed that they could tell the future by looking at the stars. These heathen prophets claimed to receive revelation from sun, moon and stars; revelation from the gods of Babylon.
Also the magicians and sorcerers claimed to receive their spiritual powers from the gods. And the Chaldeans boasted of having knowledge and understanding to understand even the deep and hidden things. Now then, now is the time to prove their powers and their knowledge, and to see whether they truly have contact with the gods as they claim.
First tell me the dream, then I will know that you are able also to give me the correct interpretation.
In the end these so called “wise men” – we may call them the prophets of Babylon – have to acknowledge their bankruptcy and deceit: they do not have contact with the gods and they receive no revelation from the gods.
They answer the king:
“It is a difficult thing that the king requests, and there is no other who can tell it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.” – verse 11
It’s a nice way of saying: the gods don’t speak to us, and we receive no revelation.
And indeed, their gods are only dumb idols. Therefore there is no revelation in Babylon. And the wise men of Babylon have no idea what the God of heaven has revealed.
No wonder that the king was enraged and furious. The deceit of his wise men has been exposed. Of what worth are these prophets who claim to know the future, if they have no contact with the gods? They receive no revelation from the gods; they even count it impossible to receive an answer from their gods!
Babylon receives no light or enlightment from above. When it comes to the knowledge most worth knowing, all the wise of this world know nothing.
Like the priests of Baal on Mount Carmel, so also these wise men of Babylon had to acknowledge that their gods do not hear or answer.
But there is a God in heaven, the living God, who speaks and reveals secrets; who makes known what man does not know.
Daniel stands before the king and proclaims this to him:
“…The secret which the king has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king. But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to king Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days…” – verse 28
Babylon was brought to the confession: the gods do not dwell with us; and we can expect no answer from them. But over against the dumb idols of this world stands the living God who speaks through His prophets and declare the future, revealing what man does not know.
God’s people may confess: God is with us, and He grants us the true wisdom and knowledge of His revelation.
Dear congregation, let us then not listen to the deceit of the prophets of Babylon and the so called wise men of this world as they proclaim in the media their own wisdom, but let us turn to the Lord and live in the light of His revelation.
For: there is no revelation in Babylon.
The wise men of this world are without knowledge, for their gods are dumb idols that do not speak.
We may live in the light of God’s revealed Word. We may live in the sure knowledge of the coming of our eternal King and His everlasting kingdom. We know our destiny and the destiny of this world. The living God has made known to us the glorious future of Christ and His kingdom.
In the second place we note that…
Christ will destroy the kingdoms of this world
“You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great image! This great image, whose splendour was excellent, stood before you; and its form was awesome.
This image’s head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.” (2: 31 – 33)
In the interpretation of the dream it is now explained that this image represents the four world empires that will be up to the coming of Christ. Four great kingdoms will rule on the earth, the one after the other, until Christ, the eternal King, will come.
The head of gold – that was the Babylonian Empire.
The chest and arms of silver – that was the Medo-Persian Empire.
The belly and thighs of bronze – that was the Grecian Empire.
The legs of iron with the feet partly of iron and partly of clay – that was the Roman Empire.
“You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces.
Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.” (2: 34, 35)
The stone that will crush and grind all the kingdoms of this world to powder would come during the time of the fourth empire. That is: in the time of the Roman Empire. And it was indeed in the time of the Roman Empire that Christ was born. He came down from heaven without the doing of man.
But the coming of this stone does not only refer to the birth of Christ; it refers to the whole history of His first coming, which includes His death and resurrection and His ascension into heaven. It was also in the time of the Roman Empire that Christ was seated at the right hand of God and received all authority and power in heaven and on earth. To Him it was given to break the kingdoms of this world with an iron sceptre, and to dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel – Psalm 2.
Someone may object and say that the kingdoms of this world did not disappear at Christ’s coming. Christ did not utterly crush and destroy the kingdoms of this world at His first coming. But at this point we have to discern carefully, for the prophecy has a first and a second fulfilment.
The first fulfilment lies in the past. These four kingdoms have come – the Babylonians, the Medo-Persians, the Greeks and the Romans. They are gone.
But the same history is also described in Daniel chapter 7 where these four empires are compared to four beasts: the first like a lion, the second like a bear, the third like a leopard, and the fourth beast a monster with iron teeth; and their dominion was taken away and given to Christ at His ascension – Daniel chapter 7.
But then these four beasts, or empires, return in the book of Revelation to describe the world-powers of the last days! There the four kingdoms are combined into one great monster: a monstrous beast with seven heads, a leopard, a bear and a lion all in one – Revelation chapter 13.
So then, the four beasts of Daniel 7, representing the same kingdoms as here in Daniel 2, returns in the book of Revelation; it becomes a picture of the world powers in the latter days.
It is clear then that the four great world powers from Babylon to Rome – that is: until the first coming of Christ – also becomes a picture of the world powers in the last days.
The latter days, or last days – that is: from Christ’s ascension until the great day of His return.
That day when Christ will appear on the clouds of heaven in great power and glory will bring this prophecy to its final fulfilment. On that day His enemies will finally be crushed under His feet; so completely that no trace of them will be found on the earth – as we read here in our text.
In the meantime Christ has come, and His kingdom is growing, and expanding until it will, on the day of His return, fill the whole earth – the new heavens and the new earth where righteousness dwells. It is then that the Son of David, the Prince of Peace, will reign forever without any trace of the kingdoms of this present world.
So then, the prophecy here in Daniel chapter 2 has a first and a second fulfilment, but the first and the second fulfilment are here presented to us as one – one coming of Christ; one coming of His kingdom.
The prophecy does not discern or separate the first and second coming of Christ.
We find the same in Daniel chapter 7, where Christ’s ascension into heaven is described in such terms that it almost sounds like a description of His second coming. There again we have a first and a second fulfilment of the same prophecy – the first fulfilment referring to Christ’s ascension where He received the power to rule over the kingdoms of this world, and then the second and ultimate fulfilment of the prophecy at His second coming when He will crush all His enemies under His feet and reign forever.
Once we understand this, there is no reason to try and separate the feet from the legs to create a fifth empire.
Yes, many interpreters have tried to make the feet a fifth empire that will last until the second coming of Christ, the final judgment, when Christ will grind all the kingdoms of this world to powder. Some have even made the ten toes ten consecutive kingdoms to stretch the time until Christ’s second coming, for it is clear that this prophecy will have its final fulfilment at Christ’s second coming.
However, Daniel clearly speaks of four empires, not five; just as he describes the kingdoms with four great beasts: a lion, a bear, a leopard, and a monstrous animal with iron teeth.
The fourth empire is indeed different and is described in greater detail. At first the Roman Empire is described in terms of iron, but towards the end of this empire it became inherently divided. The iron represents the Romans themselves, while the clay represents the other nations that were later added to the empire, whereby the kingdom became brittle as it lost its unity. Even an attempt to combine the nations through intermarriage failed. The nations would not cleave to each other.
And thus we find that this impressive image, with its great splendour, has feet of clay!
It reminds us of the tower of Babel, for there the nations were divided, and all their plans to unite themselves, in order to build the eternal city and kingdom, came to nothing.
This theme, of the nations attempt and desire to unite themselves in one kingdom, does indeed re-appear in the book of Revelation, so that it also applies to the world powers of our own day.
Yes, also our own day knows the desperate search for unity, but not the unity in Christ; a worldly unity in order to built the tower of Babel, the empire of this world.
Furthermore, we also have to note the retrogression and decline of the kingdoms.
The kingdoms of this world do not make progress; they slowly but surely go backwards!
It’s a decline from gold to clay; and from unity to disunity. Daniel expressly states that the change from gold to silver indicates a decline in glory. He says to Nebuchadnezzar:
“You, O king, are a king of kings. For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom , power, strength and glory; and wherever the children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field and the birds of the heaven, He has given them into your hand, and has made you ruler over them all – you are this head of gold. But after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours…” (2: 37 – 39)
Nebuchadnezzar is called the greatest king, “a king of kings”, whom God has clothed with glory, and therefore his kingdom is the head of gold.
The second kingdom would be inferior to the first, just as silver is inferior to gold – verse 39.
Yes, the kingdoms deteriorate from gold to the lower metals, until it ends in the impossible mixture of iron and clay.
Dear congregation, man is very confident of himself and of his own powers and potential. The world reckons that man is constantly making progress; that man has come of age and has become autonomous, independent of God! Just look at the progress of human science and technology. Is it not impressive?
Does the technological revolution, the space age, and the computer age, not confirm the progress of man? We live in a time of an information explosion. With the internet a vast world of knowledge is available at your finger tips, ready and sorted in one click!
Yet, the blindness and stupidity of man simply increases. For the nations drank the wine of Babylon and become drunk; and the chaos of Babel only increases.
Yes, Christ’s kingdom is presently expanding while the kingdoms of this world are going backwards, from gold to clay.
The world is not becoming better, but worse. The fourth kingdom does not have the glory and majesty of the first, but is described in chapter 7 as a monstrous beast with iron teeth; cruel and harsh.
The world’s desire for a golden age to come, its search for a glorious world empire that will last, and all attempts to reach such a unity and peace, will surely fail. The nations will not cleave to each other, as verse 43 states:
“As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay.”
The nations will not cling to each other. World unity will not be reached.
Only in Christ will there be unity and everlasting peace.
Only in Christ and in His kingdom will the nations be united; not in any future empire of this world.
The God of heaven has revealed to us what the end will be. And we note that in the last place…
The coming of Christ’s eternal kingdom
Daniel explains the meaning of the fourth empire – the legs of iron with feet of iron and clay – and says that the eternal kingdom of God will come in these days. That is: in the days of the Roman Empire.
“…in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.” – verse 44
And thus it happened. Christ came to this world in the time of the Roman emperors.
He was the stone that came from above without the doing of man.
Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream how this stone struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
Daniel now explains the meaning: the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.
So then, the coming of Christ, and the establishment of His kingdom, took place in the time of the Roman Empire.
To understand this we need to discern the various stages in which Christ’s kingdom comes.
His kingdom has come, is coming and will come.
The kingdom has come, for Christ is indeed now already seated at God’s right hand. All power and authority in heaven and earth has been given to Him. It is a present reality. Christ is now reigning with absolute and divine authority and power.
It is, however, a reality which we can now see only through the eyes of faith. We do not yet see the new heavens and the new earth where righteousness dwells. We are now still in this world. And although Christ is already reigning, His church is still in exile.
Yes, the book Revelation describes the New Testament church as being in exile, a despised and trampled people in the midst of this world.
But while we are waiting for the promised glory of Christ’s kingdom to come – which will suddenly come on the day of Christ’s appearance – His kingdom is in the meantime steadily growing; not in power and worldly splendour, but by means of the preaching of the gospel whereby Christ is gathering His church.
Yes, the stone is presently growing into a great mountain until it will fill the whole earth.
That the stone grows and becomes a mountain and fills the earth refers to the gathering of Christ’s church. Christ, being enthroned in heaven, is now in the present age gathering His church until that day when the number of the elect will be complete.
Thus, when we pray for the coming of the kingdom, we pray:
“Our Father in heaven…So rule us by Your Word and Spirit that more and more we submit to You. Preserve and increase Your church. Destroy the works of the devil, every power that raises itself against You, and every conspiracy against Your holy Word. Do all this until the fullness of Your kingdom comes, wherein You shall be all in all.” – Lord’s Day 48
This is what we confess about the coming of God’s kingdom.
Note that we do not confess that Christ’s kingdom will come by any visible increase of power for the church, or great church buildings, or massive Christian movements, or by gaining more political power; but that His kingdom is coming when we more and more submit ourselves to Christ and to His Word.
Christ preserves and increases His church by the preaching of the gospel, and not by gaining worldly power or splendour, nor by the efforts of great ecumenical movements.
Instead, Scripture makes clear that the church will remain a trampled and despised people in this world until the end of days.
But finally Christ will come, and Babylon will fall.
When we read about the final judgement in the book of Revelation, we read:
“Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” – Rev. 14: 8
Yes, in this present age in which we are living, all the nations are drinking the wine of her fornication, and are properly drunk of the wine of Babylon.
And so we see how Babylon is a present reality in our day.
And God’s people are still a persecuted people in the midst of this Babylon.
But on the day of Christ’s coming Christ will totally wipe away the kingdoms of this world from the face of the earth. The whole earth will burn with fire and perish, and God will create new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells – 2 Peter 3. This final and complete destruction of the kingdoms of this world will not be a gradual process; it will happen suddenly and swiftly when Christ returns on the clouds of heaven. That is the day of glory and salvation we expect.
Dear congregation, we now have the full revelation of God in the completed Scriptures, and thus we also have the complete picture of the final fulfilment of this prophecy.
But even in the time of Daniel this dream and its interpretation must have been a terrible blow to king Nebuchadnezzar and to Babylon itself.
This mighty heathen emperor hears that his kingship and his kingdom will be short lived.
Your kingdom, king Nebuchadnezzar, will be grinded to powder and the wind will carry the dust of your kingdom away like chaff of the threshing floor!
The God of heaven will set up His kingdom, and destroy yours. Your kingdom will not last, but His kingdom will last for all eternity.
What a comfort to God’s trampled people in this world!
What a comfort to the captives in Babylon! God has not forgotten His people. Instead, He now spoke more clearly than ever before about the coming of the Messiah, the promised Son of David.
At that time it must have seemed to the human eye as if the throne of David has no future anymore, while the impressive glory of the golden empire, Babylon, seemed so sure and firm – a golden era, a world empire that will last.
But now the God of heaven, the living God, has spoken. His people may live in the comfort that Babylon will surely fall. We may live in the glad expectation and the assurance of the coming of our eternal King, the Prince of Peace on the throne of David. Of His kingdom there will be no end.
Congregation, the prophecy is also for us. Christ, the King of kings, is seated at the right hand of God. The prophecy is already being fulfilled, for the Son of David is now seated on the very throne of God: Mighty God, Prince of Peace!
Yes, Christ’s kingdom and sovereign reign is a present reality, by which we are comforted in the midst of this world.
Yet, we still live by faith. For who is able to see Him on the throne? We cannot see with our eyes of flesh and blood the glory of His kingdom now and here on this earth.
Not yet. Our eternal King is presently governing all things to the benefit of His church, but to the naked eye the church experience nothing but shame and disgrace in this world. What a small pitiful church over against the mighty powers of this world!
Yet, we live in the glad expectation and the comfort of this prophecy, for Christ’s kingdom will surely come in great power and glory.
Brothers and sisters, we are either citizens of Babylon or Zion. We either live for the passing glory of this world, or the lasting glory of Christ’s kingdom.
We either try to turn this whole image into gold, as Nebuchadnezzar tried, or we expect the Rock that will crush it and fill the earth.
Through this prophecy we gain the correct perspective of the world-politics also of our own day. There is in the last analysis only two kingdoms: a collapsing Babylon over against a New Jerusalem; the kingdoms of this world over against Christ’s kingdom.
Let us rejoice, for our Lord Jesus Christ is coming. Unto us a Child has been born, unto us a Son has been given. The government is upon His shoulder. His name is Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and to establish it with judgement and justice, from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this – Isaiah 9.
The coming of Christ’s kingdom also contains a warning: repent and believe the gospel!
Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.
There comes an end to the history of this world in which we live.
And as the apostle Peter says, this expectation has an effect on our lives here and now. If we expect the kingdoms of this world to be consumed at the coming of Christ, and His kingdom to last forever, then our lives will show it. For he says:
“…since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God…”– 2 Peter 3.
Dear congregation, God has revealed to us what will happen in the latter days. The God of heaven, the living God, has revealed to us the secrets of the future.
The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure.
Let us then with the church of all ages pray: “Our Father in heaven…let Your kingdom come…for Yours is the kingdom, the glory and the power forever…”
Amen.
* As a matter of courtesy please advise Rev. Mendel Retief, if you plan to use this sermon in a worship service. Thank-you.
(c) Copyright, Rev. Mendel Retief
Please direct any comments to the Webmaster
