Daniel 2.34-A Stone Cut Out But Not By Human Hands Struck The Feet Of The Statue And Broke Them In Pieces
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday April 5, 2012
Daniel: Daniel 2:34-A Stone Cut Out But Not By Human Hands Struck The Feet Of The Statue And Broke Them In Pieces
Lesson # 58
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 2:31.
This evening we will study Daniel 2:34, which records Daniel telling Nebuchadnezzar that in his dream he saw a rock cut out from a mountain but not by human hands, which stuck the iron and clay feet of the statue with the result that the rock crushed the feet.
Daniel 2:31 “You, O king, were looking and behold, there was a single great statue; that statue, which was large and of extraordinary splendor, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was awesome. 32 The head of that statue was made of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. 34 You continued looking until a stone was cut out without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them.” (NASB95)
“You continued looking until a stone was cut out without hands” is composed of the masculine singular peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active participle form of the verb ḥǎzā(h) (חֲזָה) (khaz-aw´), “looking” which is followed by the second person masculine singular peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active perfect form of the verb hǎwā(h) (הֲוָה) (hav-aw´), “you continued” and then we have the preposition ʿǎḏ (עַד) (ad), “until” and this is followed by the feminine singular hitpeʿel (Hebrew: qal) passive perfect form of the verb gezǎr (גְּזַר) (ghez-ar´), “was cut out” and then we have the feminine singular noun ʾě∙ḇěn (אֶבֶן) (eh´-ben), “a stone” which is followed by the particle dî (דִּי) (dee), which is not translated and followed by the negative particle lā(ʾ) (לָא) (law), “without” which is followed by the preposition b- (בְּ־) (beth), which is not translated and followed by the feminine dual noun yǎḏ (יַד) (yad), “hands.”
The noun ʾě∙ḇěn means “a stone, rock” referring to a hewn rock piece from bedrock.
Both, Daniel 2:34 and Daniel 2:45 say that this stone was cut out of a mountain but not by human hands signifying the divine character of this rock or stone.
In Daniel 2:34, the rock or stone refers to Jesus Christ, the God-man.
The noun ʾě∙ḇěn is the object of the preposition ʿǎḏ, which is a marker of attendant circumstance indicating that while Nebuchadnezzar was in a trance like state staring at the statue, simultaneously a rock cut out but not by human hands struck the feet of the statue.
The verb gezǎr means “to cut out or quarry rock” and is used with the rock as its subject which refers to Jesus Christ.
This verb gezǎr signifies a divine action and specifically an action accomplished by God, which is indicated by the fact that the rock was cut from a mountain but not by human hands.
It denotes that Jesus Christ and His millennial reign are an extension of God’s kingdom in heaven since Jesus Christ is the Son of God and His millennial reign constitutes the Father’s kingdom on earth.
This verb denotes that the Son and His millennial kingdom originates from the Father and His kingdom in heaven.
The noun yǎḏ means “hands” and is used by way of metonymy meaning that the word signifies human power.
This noun is the object of the preposition b-, which functions as a marker of means indicating that this stone was cut from a mountain but not “by means of” human hands, i.e. human power.
The meaning of this prepositional phrase is negated by the negative particle lā(ʾ) indicating that this stone or rock was cut from a mountain but “not by means of human hands,” i.e. not by means of human power.
This indicates that the rock, which signifies Christ’s millennial kingdom and is an extension of the Father’s kingdom in heaven, was not chosen by human agency but by God the Father to rule the earth.
The particle dî means “but” since the word is indicating that this expression is clarifying for the reader something about the rock or stone and denotes that the rock was cut out “but” not by means of human hands.
“And it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them” is composed of the conjunction wa (וְ) (waw), “and,” which is followed by the feminine singular peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active perfect form of the verb meḥā(ʾ) (מְחָא) (mekh-aw´), “it struck” and then we have the preposition lĕ (לְ) (lamed), which is not translated and its object is the masculine singular form of the noun ṣelēm (צְלֵם) (tseh´-lem), “the statue” which is followed by the preposition ʿǎl (עַל) (al), “on” and its object is the masculine plural construct form of the noun reḡǎl (רְגַל) (reg-al´), “feet,” which is modified by the third person masculine singular pronomial suffix hû(ʾ) (הוּא) (who), “its” and then we have the particle dî (דִּי) (dee), “of” which is followed by the masculine singular noun pǎr∙zěl (פַּרְזֶל) (par-zel´), “iron” and then we have the conjunction wa (וְ) (waw), “and” which is followed by the the masculine singular noun ḥǎsǎp̄ (חֲסַף) (khas-af´), “clay” and then we have the conjunction wa (וְ) (waw), “and,” which is followed by the feminine singular hafʿel (Hebrew: hiphil) active perfect of the verb deqǎq (דְּקַק) (dek-ak´), “crushed” and its direct object is the third person masculine plural pronomial suffix him∙mô (הִמֹּו) (him-mo´), “them.”
The conjunction wa is a marker of a sequence of closely related events meaning that it is introducing a clause that marks the next sequential event that took place after the rock was cut out from the mountain but not by human hands.
The verb meḥā(ʾ) means “to strike” in the sense of hitting an object and here it is used of the rock in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream “striking” the feet of the great statue.
Here the verb represents Jesus Christ at His Second Advent striking antichrist and his revived form of the Roman Empire with the result that it was destroyed indicating that Jesus Christ at His Second Advent will employ physical violence to overthrow antichrist and his empire.
As was the case in Daniel 2:31-32, the noun ṣelēm here in verse 34 means “statue” and not “idol” and was in human form as indicated by Daniel’s description of it in verses 31-33.
The noun reḡǎl means “feet” and is the object of the preposition ʿǎl, which functions as a marker upon the surface of an object indicating that the rock struck the statue “on” or “upon” its feet.
The Scriptures teach that the feet represent a yet future Revived Form of the Roman Empire, which will be composed of a ten-nation confederacy which can be described as a United States of Europe, which is indicated by several factors.
First of all, the feet of the image Nebuchadnezzar saw were composed of a mixture of iron and clay.
The iron in the feet indicates that the empire represented by the feet is related to the lower legs of the statue, which we noted were composed of iron, which represented the Roman Empire.
Also, Daniel does not say that the feet represent a fifth empire, which further indicates that the feet represent an empire which is connected to the Roman Empire.
The ten horns mentioned in Daniel 7:24 were ten kingdoms, out of which one horn will arise who will destroy three of the other kingdoms and lead the other seven and persecute believers in Jesus Christ.
Daniel 7:26 says that this one horn called the “little horn” will be destroyed by God.
Daniel 2:44-45 teaches that this ten nation confederation depicted as ten toes of the feet of the statue will be destroyed by the Second Advent of Christ, which is depicted as a stone cut of the mountain without hands.
Daniel 9:26 indicates that this little horn will be a Roman dictator as indicated by the phrase “the people of the prince who is to come.”
“The people” were the Romans who destroyed the temple forty years after the death of Christ.
“The prince” refers to the little horn, i.e. the antichrist indicating that the antichrist will be a Roman.
This verse teaches that he will come to power after 483 prophetic years, which ended with the death of Christ on the cross.
Daniel 9:27 says that he will make a seven-year treaty with the leaders of Israel, which will begin the final seven prophetic years called the seventieth week.
During the middle of this seventieth week after three and a half years, he will break the treaty and stop the sacrifices in the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem and declare himself God.
Nothing in history corresponds to the events described during this seventieth week.
The Second Advent of Christ has yet to take place.
Therefore, a comparison of Daniel 2:44-45 with Daniel 7:24 and 26 as well as Daniel 9:26-27 and Revelation 13 indicates that in the future, the little horn, i.e. the antichrist will be the head of a ten-nation confederacy since he will be a Roman ruling over other nations which are close in proximity to him.
Just as toes on a person’s feet are right beside each other so this ten-nation confederacy will be geographically beside each other.
Some commentators have attempted to find a ten-toe state of the statue in the fifth and sixth centuries A.D.
However, the facts of history do not fulfill the ten toes of the statue.
The noun pǎr∙zěl means “iron” and is used with the noun ḥǎsǎp̄, “clay” to describe the yet future Revived Form of the Roman Empire under antichrist, which is represented by the feet of the statue.
The iron describes this yet future empire as possessing the same character of authority and rule of the Roman Empire, depicted by the lower legs on the statue.
Also, the iron describes this yet future empire as possessing some of the power or strength of the Roman Empire.
As was the case in Daniel 2:33, the noun ḥǎsǎp̄ here in Daniel 2:34 means “clay” and is used to describe the yet future Revived Form of the Roman Empire under antichrist, which is represented by the feet of the statue and will be destroyed by Jesus Christ at His Second Advent.
The clay describes this yet future empire as not possessing the same character of authority and rule of the Roman Empire, depicted by the lower legs on the statue.
Also, the clay describes this yet future empire as not possessing the same power or strength of the Roman Empire indicating that the power of this yet future Revived Form of the Roman Empire under antichrist will possess some of the strength and power of the Roman Empire but will be very fragile.
Therefore, the strong yet fragile composition of the feet of the statue indicates that the power and strength of the Revived Form of the Roman Empire is inferior to Rome.
The second wa in the clause is a marker of result meaning that it is introducing a statement which presents the result of the rock striking the iron and clay feet of the statue Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream.
The verb deqǎq means “to crush” something into small pieces and here it refers to the rock in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream “crushing” the iron and clay feet of the great statue as a result of being struck by the rock.
This represents Jesus Christ destroying the Revived Form of the Roman Empire under antichrist at His Second Advent indicating that Jesus Christ’s victory over this empire will be total and complete.
The destruction of the feet by this stone represents His Second Advent, which will bring an end to Daniel’s Seventieth Week, all Gentile rule over Jerusalem and the world and will establish His millennial reign.
In Daniel 2:35, the stone becomes a great mountain and fills the earth which refers to the millennial reign of Christ which constitutes God’s kingdom on earth.
The stone striking the feet of the statue establishes God’s kingdom on earth forever according to a comparison of Daniel 2:34-35 with Daniel 2:44-45.
The chronology found in Daniel 2:34-35 and 2:44-45 teaches that the Second Advent establishes God’s kingdom on earth, which corresponds to what is taught in Revelation 19:11-20:6 and Zechariah 14:1-11.
That the stone refers to Jesus Christ and the stone destroying the feet of the statue refers to His Second Advent and the stone becoming a great mountain filling the earth coincides with these two passages of Scripture.
First of all, Daniel 2:44-45 makes clear that by this stone destroying the feet of the statue which represents the yet future Revived Form of the Roman Empire, God will establish His kingdom on earth, which will never be destroyed.
Secondly, the chronology found in Revelation 19:11-20:6 teaches that at His Second Advent, Jesus Christ will destroy antichrist and the false prophet, imprison Satan for a thousand years and establish His millennial reign.
Also, the chronology of Zechariah 14:1-11 teaches that Jesus Christ will establish His millennial reign by means of His Second Advent.
The first seven verses of Zechariah 14 prophesy of Christ’s Second Advent and verses 9-11, speak of His millennial reign.
Zechariah 14:12-15 parallels Revelation 19:11-21, which both speak of Christ’s Second Advent whereas Zechariah 14:16 speaks of the millennial reign of Christ, which parallels Revelation 20:1-6, which does the same.
Therefore, in Daniel 2:34 and 2:44-45, the stone refers to Jesus Christ and the destruction of the feet by this stone represents His Second Advent, which will establish His millennial reign, which constitutes God’s kingdom on earth.
In Scripture a rock often refers to Jesus Christ, Israel’s Messiah (Psalm 118:22; Isaiah 8:14; 28:16; Matthew 21:33-45; 1 Peter 2:4-8).
Daniel 2:34 tells the reader that this rock was cut out but not by human hands and Daniel 2:45 says that it was cut from a mountain, which refers to God’s kingdom, thus, the rock originates from God’s kingdom and Jesus Christ of course belongs to God’s kingdom in heaven.
Since the ancient Orientals regarded kings and kingdoms synonymously, the rock or stone of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream must represent not only the future kingdom of God but also its King who will be the Messiah (Psalm 2:2, 6) and the Bible teaches that Jesus Christ is that person (Matthew 16:16; 26:63-64).
Therefore, the rock or stone represented the future kingdom of God and Jesus Christ Himself and so Jesus Christ’s millennial reign is an extension of God’s kingdom in heaven, thus the prayer of the Lord “thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” will be fulfilled during Christ’s millennial reign.
The fact that rock was cut from a mountain but not by human hands signifies divine action and specifically an action accomplished by God the Father.
The rock being cut from the mountain but not by human hands refers to the Father’s decision in eternity past to rule planet earth through His Son Jesus Christ, which is indicated by the fact that the rock strikes the feet of the statue, which refer to the yet future Revived Form of the Roman Empire under antichrist.
The rock destroys the statue with this action, which refers to the Second Advent of Christ which establishes His millennial reign.
The mountain refers to the Father and His kingdom and the rock refers to Jesus Christ and His millennial kingdom and thus for this rock to be cut from this mountain signifies the act of the Father choosing His Son to establish His kingdom on earth.
Thus, Daniel 2:34 is teaching that Jesus Christ and His millennial reign are an extension of God’s kingdom in heaven since Jesus Christ is the Son of God and His millennial reign constitutes the Father’s kingdom on earth.
It denotes that the Son and His millennial kingdom originates from the Father and His kingdom in heaven.
At His “Second Advent,” the Lord Jesus Christ will destroy the Tribulational armies, have Antichrist and the False Prophet thrown into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 19:11-19), will imprison Satan for a thousand years (Rev. 20:1-3) and will establish His millennial reign on planet earth (Rev. 20:4-6).
The “Second Advent” of Jesus Christ is taught in both the Old and New Testaments (Deuteronomy 30:3; Psalm 2:1-9; 24:7-10; 96:10-13; 110; Isaiah 9:6-7; 63:1-6; Jeremiah 23:1-8; Daniel 2:44-45; 7:18-27; Zechariah 12; 14:1-9; Matthew 19:28; 24:27-31; Mark 13:24-30; Luke 12:35-40; 17:24-37; 18:8; 21:25-28; Acts 1:10-11; 15:16-18; Romans 11:25-27; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; 2:8; 2 Peter 3:3-4; Jude 14-15; Revelation 1:7-8; 2:25-28; 16:15; 19:11-21).