The image and the stone.
The king's dream as interpreted by Daniel shadows forth the history of successive monarchies, and the final overthrow of them by a greater unearthly kingdom. On the face of it it teaches the broad lesson that history is made by higher destinies than the will of kings; that it is determined beforehand according to a Divine scheme. The character of the successive monarchies, and the part they take in the general order of events, is expressed by the appearance of the various parts of the image. The character and missions of the later victorious kingdom is more vaguely revealed in the description of the mystic stone, unhewn by human hands, which destroys the image, and grows to a mountain filling the whole earth and lasting for ever. Notice—
I. THE CHARACTER AND DESTINY OF THE OLD WORLDLY MONARCHIES. The image represents one monstrous, incongruous, materialized human form and nature. So there was a certain continuity in the history of the successive monarchies, and yet no real harmony and organic unity such as characterizes the progressive civilization of Christendom. In them humanity was degraded by reliance, not upon just institutions, but upon material force. They afford a terrible evidence of the paralyzing, deadening effects of mere power uninfluenced by political enlightenment and moral character.
1. Their aspect was brilliant but terrible. (Verse 31.) There was a barbaric splendour about these old pagan empires, but behind the pomp and glitter, brutal cruelty, injustice and selfish tyranny, ran riot. The king was not a father to his people, but a master of a world of slaves; the misery of the nations subdued and crushed by his unscrupulous ambition was mournful beyond description.
2. Their glory was destined to constant deterioration. The first kingdom is the head; the others are lower, and, like the less honourable members of the body, of inferior dignity. The lessening value of the series of minerals (gold, silver, brass, iron, and clay) suggests the same idea more plainly. In the last the deterioration has gone so far that the unity of the central government is lost (verse 33). The progress of humanity is linked to moral character and true religion. Where these are absent, nations are either stationary or retrogressive. In our own day the progressive races are, in the main, the Christian.
3. Their supremacy was temporary, and they were all subject to final disintegration. One kingdom arises after another (verse 39). The last is the most violent and destructive, and contains the seeds of decay from its origin (verse 42). The whole image is destroyed by the mystic stone. History shows how these monarchies were corrupted by luxury and overthrown by newer ambition. There is nothing stable in unjust power. Where great resources are not directed by high principles they are often squandered by a self-indulgent prodigality which brings its own ruin. A Divine retribution awaits all such gross abuses of power. The old order changeth, yielding place to new."
II. THE NATURE AND MISSION OF THE NEW UNEARTHLY MONARCHY. The mystic stone symbolizes one kingdom which is to destroy all the old tyrannies and rule in their stead. This prediction is being fulfilled by the "kingdom in heaven" which Christ founded and is now maintaining among us.
1. It is unearthly in origin. The stone is not hewn" with hands" (verse 34). Christ's kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36; Revelation 21:2).
2. It is aggressive in action. Christ is the 'Prince of Peace," and he came to bring peace on earth, yet not by allowing evil to go on unmolested, but by first making war on it and overcoming it, and only establishing his peace after complete victory over evil (Matthew 10:34).
3. Though small at first, it is destined to become universal in extent. The stone becomes "a great mountain, and fills the whole earth" (verse 35). So the grain of mustard seed grows into a great tree (Matthew 13:31, Matthew 13:32; see also Isaiah 2:2, Isaiah 2:3; Micah 4:1). Christianity began in the manger at Bethlehem and the upper room at Jerusalem, but it has grown immensely since then, and it shows increasing signs of vitality, encouraging our faith in its destiny to conquer the whole world (1 Corinthians 15:25; Ephesians 1:21, Ephesians 1:22).
4. It is everlasting in duration. "It shall stand for ever" (vet, 44). All earth-born powers are subject to decay. The kingdom of Christ is eternal because
HOMILIES BY H.T. ROBJOHNS