On Tuesday, November 2, 2004, I attended a morning chapel service at Southern Seminary in Louisville. It was the day of a presidential election, as George W. Bush was seeking reelection against the Democrat challenger, John Kerry. The polls were extremely close, and so it was a time of great anticipation as our nation waited to see who would lead us for the next four years. During the service we sang together “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” We came to the fourth and final verse: “That word above all earthly powers no thanks to them abideth. The Spirit and the gifts are ours through him who with us sideth. Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also. The body they may kill; God’s truth abideth still. His kingdom is forever.” After we sang, I recall Dr. Albert Mohler, the president of the seminary, doing something I never saw him do at any other time. He walked up to the pulpit next to the song director and said into the microphone, “I would like us to sing that verse again. Let’s remember, there is one office that is not up for a vote today.” And so we sang it again, and it was the greatest fourth verse of “A Mighty Fortress” I have ever heard, as hundreds of people from the seminary community took a moment to delight together in the fact that King Jesus reigns, no matter who happens to hold power in our government.

Of course, 2016 is another election year. Presidential politics will dominate the headlines from now until November, and the reign of King Jesus will continue to be ignored. The Kingdom of God will remain largely hidden until Christ returns. Christians like me who take a great interest in politics will be tempted to place too much faith in the political process or in government, to think that the deepest problems we face might be solved by particular leaders, policies, and laws. On the other hand, as Christians in America face increasing opposition from the state because we refuse to conform to the new sexual orthodoxy (on questions of marriage, sexuality, and gender), we may be tempted to fear the state too much, leading us to compromise Christian conviction for the sake of self-preservation. As we hear more stories like that of Aaron and Melissa Klein in Oregon, who were fined a ruinous sum of money for failing to compromise Christian convictions as they operated a bakery, we will be tempted by the fear of man and may wonder at times if faithfulness to our Christian conviction is really worth the cost.

And so the two ditches of trusting the state too much and fearing the state too much lie on either side of our path. And we will fall into one ditch or the other if we invest ourselves too much in this present age. So how do we fight these temptations, and how do we map for ourselves a path of faithfulness in our present situation? We must take hold of the Bible’s teaching concerning the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God was the main theme of Jesus’ teachings, but it wasn’t something he just pulled out of nowhere. There is a rich Old Testament background to this concept, and the book of Daniel makes a significant contribution to that background. Here, as Daniel recounts and interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s dream to him, he introduces for the first time in the book a prophetic word about the coming kingdom of God, and it is a word that should lead us to seek first the kingdom of God, knowing that it is the only kingdom that will endure. This passage divides into a section on the dream and its interpretation, followed by Nebuchadnezzar’s response. So from these two sections I want to unpack two kinds of kingdom and two ways to live in light of them.

First, note from this dream and its interpretation

I. Two Kinds of Kingdom (vv. 31-45)

The two kinds of kingdom represented here are the Kingdom of Man and the Kingdom of God. They are different in almost every way.

We will look first at the Kingdom of Man, represented by the statue in the dream. Now doesn’t this statue actually represent four kingdoms, as Daniel says in his interpretation? Yes, it does. But notice that these four kingdoms are all represented by one single statue, which implies that these four kingdoms stand in continuity with one another and together form a single entity: the Kingdom of Man. What should we note about the Kingdom of Man?

First, note that it has an impressive appearance. Daniel describes it in verse 31 as “a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening.” Clearly, it was an image that would dwarf any man by its size and inspire awe in him. Moreover, it was composed mainly of gold, silver, bronze, and iron, all materials noted either for their great value or their great strength. So let’s acknowledge here what the Bible acknowledges: the Kingdom of Man is impressive, awe-inspiring, even threatening in appearance. It is not completely beyond our ability to understand why many people in the history of the world have given the state a godlike status, fearing and even worshiping the powerful kings and emperors who seemed to be able to do absolutely anything they wanted. The Kingdom of Man is nothing to scoff at.

And yet, second, it is not everything it appears to be. The statue is made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, and a mixture of iron and clay. As you move down from the head, the materials become less and less valuable. Modern people like to think that as history progresses, the human race gets better and better. Our knowledge grows, our technology gets better, our ideals evolve, our cultures change. Over time, we enter more and more into a stage of true enlightenment. But the Bible presents no narrative of inevitable progress. If anything, this vision suggests that as we near the end, things will actually get worse. Sure, knowledge increases, and technology advances, but these often only provide us more creative ways to sin. Nebuchadnezzar’s dream indicates that the notion of inevitable human progress is a myth.

But even more indicative of the inherent weakness of the Kingdom of Man is its feet, which are made of both iron and clay. The mixture of two different elements indicates that the fourth kingdom of the vision (for each layer of the statue represents a different kingdom) will be one that lacks true unity and cohesion. As a result, it will have a weakness. Of course, iron is strong. Verse 40 draws specific attention to the strength of the fourth kingdom. But clay is weak. Think of how easy it is to smash a clay pot to pieces. And the fact that the statue is standing on feet made partly of clay indicates that the whole statue is at risk. If you can exploit the weakness of the feet, you can topple the whole thing. To this day, we still refer to strong, respected men who have one moral weakness as men with clay feet. So a closer look indicates that the statue that appears so awe-inspiring is actually quite vulnerable.

And third, I want to look at each layer of this statue. The head of gold is clearly identified for us in verses 37-38 as Nebuchadnezzar himself. But I assume that Daniel means not only Nebuchadnezzar, but also the kingdom of Babylon over which he rules, closely identifying the king with the kingdom. The reason I say that is because the remaining layers of the statue are not identified with particular kings but with kingdoms. So the head of gold represents King Nebuchadnezzar and his kingdom, Babylon. In verse 39, Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar that another kingdom, inferior to Babylon, will arise after it, represented by the chest and arms of silver. We know that the kingdom that conquered the Babylonians was the Medo-Persian Empire under King Cyrus the Great. Yet a third kingdom would follow, represented by the mid-section and thighs of bronze. Historically, we know that the Greek Empire under the rule of Alexander the Great succeeded the Medo-Persian Empire and expanded to a massive territory that fits the description of verse 39, “over all the earth.”

But the main focus falls on the fourth kingdom, represented by the legs of iron and the feet of iron and clay. It was the Roman Empire that succeeded the Greek Empire, and the depiction of the Romans as being as strong as iron certainly fits what we know of the strength of that empire. And so the layers each represent subsequent kingdoms foretold in advance by Daniel, but we shouldn’t think that the statue can only represent those four kingdoms and no others. These four kingdoms, united into one statue, seem to be representative of all the kingdoms of the world from the time of the end of the Davidic monarchy in Israel (which happened under Nebuchadnezzar) until the end of history. Thus, I see it as fitting to see the statue as a representative of the Kingdom of Man, in whatever empire, kingdom, or nation it may be represented in this present age.

On the other hand, we also have in this vision a picture of the Kingdom of God, presented very differently. If the Kingdom of Man has an impressive appearance but a fatal weakness, the Kingdom of God is just the opposite: it has an unimpressive appearance (at least in the beginning), but an invincible power. It appears first as a rock, which compared to a massive statue is nothing. And yet it ends as a mountain. It is similar to Jesus’ parable: The Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, so tiny in appearance that it is unnoticeable. And yet, if you plant it in the ground, it grows up large enough for birds to nest in. That which started as something unnoticeable becomes something that you can’t miss. And so it is here.

Note three characteristics of the Kingdom of God. First, it has a supernatural origin. Verse 34 notes that the stone that represents the Kingdom of God was cut out (of a mountain) “by no human hand.” The Kingdom of God has an origin from above. It is not something that we can plan, build, develop, or complete. As verse 44 notes, “the God of heaven” is the one who establishes his kingdom. When Jesus testified before Pontius Pilate at his trial, he said, “My kingdom is not of this world.” He didn’t mean that his kingdom has nothing to do with this world. He meant that it does not come from this world, and therefore it does not operate by the same principles of the kingdoms of this world. The Kingdom of God is God’s work, period. We can seek it, we can receive it, we can enter it, but we cannot create it. And that is why prayer is one of the primary activities of those who belong to the Kingdom of God. When we pray, “Your kingdom come,” we bring our own activity to a halt in order to call out to God to do what only God can do. As you seek first the Kingdom of God, be sure that your labor for the Kingdom never displaces your commitment to prayer for the Kingdom.

A second characteristic of the Kingdom of God is that it is a kingdom that conquers. In Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, the stone strikes the statue at the one place where it is weak: the feet of clay. If I am correct that the fourth layer of the statue represents the Roman Empire, the fact that the stone strikes the feet indicates that the kingdom of God will be established in the days of the Roman Empire. The Christmas story begins in Luke 2:1 with these words: “In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.” Caesar Augustus was the first official Roman Emperor. Jesus was born during his reign. The Messiah came on the scene at a time when Rome, the fourth kingdom, dominated the known world, and he went around proclaiming that the Kingdom of God was at hand. Through his death and resurrection he established that Kingdom, and in doing so he struck a death-blow to the Kingdom of Man. As the feet of the statue are destroyed by the rock, the whole thing tumbles down, and when it does, the other layers crumble to dust and are blown away by the wind. At the end of the story, absolutely nothing will remain of the Kingdom of Man. As Revelation 11:15 declares will be at the sound of the seventh trumpet: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”

And that brings us to the third characteristic of the Kingdom of God: it is a kingdom that lasts. As verse 44 declares, “And in the days of those kings [probably a reference to the kings of the Roman Empire] the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever.” And this truth makes clear why it would be foolish for us to give our highest loyalty to the Kingdom of Man, either by trusting it too much or fearing it too much, to the point that it causes us to compromise our loyalty to Christ. I mentioned Aaron and Melissa Klein earlier. They were fined $135,000 for refusing to use their artistic abilities to create a wedding cake for a same-sex wedding, which they do not consider to be a real wedding because of their Christian conviction. Now, $135,000 is a lot of money. But think of it this way: in a million years, will $135,000 mean anything to me at all? No. It will be utterly worthless, a forgotten relic of an age that has long since passed away. But in a million years, will my obedience to Christ matter? Yes, absolutely. There is no reason to hesitate when faced with such a decision, if you really believe that the Kingdom of God will stand forever after all the kingdoms of this age have crumbled.

The upshot of this vision for us is really what Jesus said to his disciples in Matthew 10:28: “Do not fear those who destroy the body but cannot destroy the soul. Rather, fear him who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell.” We must learn to see the powers of this age through theologically informed eyes, through an imagination shaped by Scripture, which shows us that between the Kingdom of Man and the Kingdom of God, there is no comparison. Seek first the Kingdom of God.

And so moving on to the next section of the text, let us note

II. Two Ways to Live (vv. 46-49).

There is a contrast here between the two main characters of the story, and each one illustrates what it means to live for one kingdom or the other.

Nebuchadnezzar is an example of one who lives (at this point) for the Kingdom of Man. Of course, he says something true about God in verse 47: “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.” And the image of the most powerful man in the world humbling himself to pay homage to a Jewish exile had to be a stunning and encouraging one for Jews living under pagan oppression. And yet, we don’t see Nebuchadnezzar truly changed by this vision. For one thing, instead of seeking to learn more about this God who has so impressed him to find out how he might worship him properly, Nebuchadnezzar commands an offering and incense to be offered up to Daniel, which is an act of idolatry. And as we read into chapter 3, we will see Nebuchadnezzar subsequently demanding worship of an image that he makes, an image that in all likelihood was inspired by his dream in chapter 2! So Nebuchadnezzar’s statement about God in verse 47 is not an indication that he is a changed man, a true worshiper of the God of Israel. It is more an indication that he can make room for one more god among the gods that he already worships.

Moreover, the fact that Nebuchadnezzar seems to respond here with a measure of delight rather than fear and repentance is an indication that he was flattered by the fact that he was represented by the head of gold, the most valuable part of the statue. Sure, the whole statue was going to crumble one day, but that would be well past his time, so why worry about it? And in thinking that way, Nebuchadnezzar showed that his interest is in the present, not in the future. But those who seek first the Kingdom of God, so long as this present age endures, will always be those who live for the future.

So contrast Daniel’s example. Throughout chapters 1-2, Daniel has modeled what it means to trust in God and obey him no matter what the cost may be, and he will demonstrate it again in chapter 6 under another king. Daniel is a man whose greatest hope is that he may one day enter the Kingdom of God. Refusing to violate the food laws of the Mosaic Covenant in chapter 1, and refusing to give up his practice of praying to the God of Israel in chapter 6, Daniel clearly shows that, even though he lives in Babylon, his identity remains with Israel. And that is what it looks like to seek first the Kingdom of God: to draw your identity from God’s people. Your life should be dedicated to building up the church for the sake of the mission that Christ has given us. Let your prayers, your energy, your money, your gifts, be invested first and foremost, not in personal advancement or achieving the American dream, but in the task of making disciples of Jesus Christ among all the nations of the world. That means you must be invested in the task of planting churches and building up churches of Jesus Christ, until the day that he returns.

But notice that Daniel’s commitment to the Kingdom of God doesn’t mean that he has no commitment at all to the Kingdom of Man while it still stands. This passage does not say that the statue is nothing but evil and that God’s people can have nothing do with it, as though we should withdraw from society and form our own insulated community. If that were the case, then Daniel himself would be sinning by accepting and serving in a high position in the Babylonian government. Even though Daniel’s highest allegiance was to God, his particular call was to serve well in the Babylonian government and to seek the good of his nation. We are in a similar situation. We live in the United States of America, and so long as we do, we are called to seek the good of our nation. We must be good citizens who pay our taxes, obey the laws, pray for our leaders, vote for the election of good leaders, and serve daily in our individual vocations for the good of our neighbors. But the reason we should do these things is not because we are too invested in this present age, but because that is part of what it looks like to be fully invested in the age to come. Seek first the Kingdom of God, and—as long as it still stands—serve the Kingdom of Man for the good of your neighbors.

In Matthew 28:18, the risen Christ appears to his disciples on a mountain in Galilee, and he says to them in light of his death and resurrection, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Six-hundred years earlier, Nebuchadnezzar had removed a son of David from the throne in Jerusalem. At that moment Jesus of Nazareth, the true and final Son of David, undid what Nebuchadnezzar had done by claiming his throne. And he now reigns over every square inch of creation at the right hand of the Father. Yet his reign remains largely hidden. He is not here physically. He has no standing army in this world. He doesn’t give speeches in front of the cameras or turn bills into laws with his signature. And so it’s not surprising that the press ignores him while talking endlessly about those who are running for President this year. But make no mistake: one day, the mustard seed-like Kingdom over which he reigns will be openly revealed before the world, and every knee will bow to him, and every tongue confess that he is sovereign Lord of all.

Are you living for that day, or are you living for today? That really is the question this dream of Nebuchadnezzar’s forces us to ask. Is your greatest desire to enter the Kingdom of God when it comes, or are you, like Nebuchadnezzar, more or less content with what you have now? I want you to know what Jesus demands from you: everything. He will accept nothing less. Unless you are willing to die to yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow him, you cannot be his disciple. But I urge you in his name to do so. Turn from your sins, turn to him for forgiveness, and you will belong to the kingdom that cannot be shaken. When the Kingdom of Man is swept away in the coming judgment, you will be left standing with the Lord who loves you, who died for you, who was raised for you, and who has given himself to you forever. Come to Jesus, and proclaim your faith in him through baptism.

Baptism declares definitively that we have changed our loyalty from the Kingdom of Man to the Kingdom of God. The Lord’s Supper declares that we continue to seek first the kingdom because we continue to place our only hope in the King, crucified and risen for us. If you are a baptized believer in good standing with a local church, you are invited to eat and drink with us today. As we eat and drink, let us remember that in 2016, just as in 2004, and just as in every election year, there remains one office that is not up for a vote.

A Crumbling Statue and a Coming Kingdom