The Image

We've looked at several different lessons to be learned from Daniel and the way he responded in the face of difficulty. Now let's take a closer look at the king's dream:

"You looked, O king, and there before you stood a large statue-an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. The head of the statue was made of pure 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 baked clay. While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth." (Dan 2:31-35)

The vision? Future history! The head of gold represented Babylon (Dan 2:36-38). But Babylon would not last forever, and it would be overtaken by another world empire, the chest of silver. This one would be overcome by yet another, the belly and thigh of bronze, which would then fall into the hands of a fourth world empire, the legs of iron (Dan. 2:39,40). But then the empire would break up and become a mixture of races, some weak and some strong (Dan 2:41-43).

The Bible tells us (Dan 5) that Babylon was, indeed, overcome by the Medes and the Persians. History then records that the Persian empire was overtaken by the Greeks, which was then overcome by the Romans. The Roman empire then crumbled, and today the world is no longer ruled by a single world empire. Instead, there are many, some strong, some weak. My friends, WE are living in "foot times"! We live in the era of the mixture of iron and clay!

So what does all of this mean? It's interesting, of course, to note where we stand in history, but even more interesting to note is that there is only one more thing that will happen! The stone: Dan 2:44-45 "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands-a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces."

We now await the Rock -- the Rock that will destroy the image and then grow until it encompasses the entire World -- The Rock of Ages, the Kingdom of the Lord! Time is running out, my friends! Are you ready for the Rock? Remember: "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts . . ." (Heb 3:15) " . . . for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, 'Peace and safety,' destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape." (1 Thess 5:2-3).

And just what do you have to do to be ready? Acts 16:31: "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved . . ." Remember, the Bible tells us that "it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast." (Eph. 2:8-10)

Don't let "The Rock" of King Nebuchadnezzar's dream catch you unawares, my friend! If you have never accepted Jesus into your heart, then answer the Savior's Call -- Today!!! To do so, just click on the following link: Click here (http://answers2prayer.org/saviors_call.html)