Chapter 2

The Times of the Gentiles

When the kingdom was taken fpm Israel (Ezek. 21:24-27), a charter of world empire was given to the Gentiles. It was as broad as that given to Adam and Eve and embrace all creatures and peoples, "wheresover the children of men dwell" Pan. 2:37-38). God took great care that its origin, course, and conclusion in the world should be plainly set forth. He caused Nebuchadnezzar, the great Chaldean king, to have a dream (Dan. 2:31-35) in which the entire time of human world-government in the earth was portrayed. The king saw a great metalic image: as for this image, its head was of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of brass, Its legs of iron, its feet part of iron, aid part of clay." God took, as it wee, this great and imposing figure; He laid it prone on the ground; its head of gold touched the feet of the king and the body and legs and feet sketched far away from him. The head represented unity in an absolute monarchy; the ten toes represented a federated empire of ten kings. There was marked degeneration in value and disunity in dominion. The ten kings, represented by the ten toes, proclaimed the utmost reach of what Jesus called "the times of the Gentiles" (Luke 21:24). "In the days of those kings" God from heaven will set up His kingdom in the earth, and such will displace the kingdoms of this world (Dan. 2:44; Rev. 11:15).

"It shall break in pieces and consume"...

Many Bible pictures are not inspired, but here is one that is inspired just as much as the explanation found interwoven with it. We present in the chart a transcript of this image in its prone position, the most convenient way to perceive its meaning. A surface lesson, looking at the figure, is that of degeneration and disunity from origin to exit. A second look and one observes the insecurity of its very existence; how delicate are those feeble feet? Nebuchadnezzar was evidently displeased with this degeneration and disunity and frailness of standing, for the next chapter records how he made a great image entirely of gold.

In the interpretation the king was made to understand that the different kinds of metal, ending with the iron mixed with clay, represented succession of kingdoms. The king's idea was to consolidate his kingdom and defeat the succession; this is seen in the fact that his image showed no succession of kingdoms. History has fallen into this groove of prophecy so accurately that we can say with assurance that God's prophecy is "History written in advance." In fulfilment we have not yet arrived at the toe-section of the image, but we are doubtless in the feet of iron and clay. The very brittleness of the present world-governments makes men's hearts fear. And well may the present Gentile powers tremble for the time seems drawing near when the Lord Jesus Christ will set up that kingdom i which "shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever."

"A stone was cut out without hands"

It it well to watch that little stone, cut out of the mountain without hands. We shall give a whole lesson to this stone, a little later in this series, but for the present we wish to observe that it becomes the displacing element. It has two periods in its existence, that of preparation and that of occupation. The cutting out without hands goes on while the image still stands. When complete, this stone strikes the image on its feet and the whole image is broken, consumed and displaced.

There is a strange thing in the picture; with this single account there would be no explanation. We introduce it and intimate the explanation and wait till later in the series for the fuller revelation. It is very prominent in the picture and the interpretation that the image represents a succession of kingdoms, which we now know covers many hundred years. The gold-section of the image was displaced by the silver, and the silver by the brass, and the brass by the iron more than two thousand years ago. The feet and toes are still in existence and the stone has not done its crushing world. When the stone strikes, the whole image of iron and clay and brass and silver and gold is broken in pieces together. This prophecy as it stands intimates that the elements of human government represented by this image will be reassembled in the government of the world at the judgment of the end-time. What is here merely fore-shadowed is later revealed. To that we shall come presently.

"The time came that the saints possessed the kingdom"...

The dream and the interpretation of the dream ends with the setting up of a kingdom by the God of heaven. This in indicated on the chart by the section designated as "The Reign of the Son and the Saints." In the making of the chart this section was prepared from an intimation of the text in hand and a full knowledge of a clear revelation in another chapter. The intimation in this text is that the stone embraces not only the King of the kingdom but His fellows cut from the same mountain during the preparation process. The sure, clear revelation is found in Daniel 7: 18,22, 27, which will come for further study in our next lesson. The charter of world-dominion, given to the Gentiles in 606 B.C., is running out before our eyes.

(Original Editorial Note. Our position is that we are witnessing the foreshadowing of the ten-toed kingdom and other tribulational events. However, we believe that the church will be caught up before the great tribulation begins.)