The Appointed Day - Part Six

We’ve seen that the first 3½ years of Christ’s millennial reign brings God’s wrath and vengeance against evil—particularly the Antichrist and his coalition of forces coming against Israel. A vision of this coalition is recorded in Daniel 2. It is known as Nebuchadnezzar’s statue of the times of the Gentile empires. Only Daniel, an Israelite captive in Babylon, was able to interpret the king’s dream of the statue. But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made know to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days (Daniel 2:28).
 
The head of the statue represents the then current kingdom of Babylon. Despite being the head, it would not reign for long. It would be replaced by empire after empire—the Medes and Persians (torso and arms), the Greeks (thighs), and the Romans (legs, representing the western and eastern empires). The feet and ten toes represent the modern-day extension and final manifestation of the fourth empire in the image. It represents the Antichrist and His coalition that comes to power near the end of the age this age (end of the 6th Day).  It is the last stage of the Gentile kingdoms that is described in Revelation 12 as the Beast.
 
Thankfully, that is not the end of the vision. Daniel goes on to explain, “You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.”
 
The stone cut out of the mountain without hands is “the Man”—Christ the Head with the Church, His Body, “called out” in the rapture from the nations. Together we are the stone, the one new Man, that strikes the image. The “Stone” then becomes a great “mountain” and fills all the earth (Micah 4:1-2). In case you haven’t guessed, this is Christ’s millennial reign, the 7th great Day, the Day of the Lord.
 
This is part of our heavenly calling as the General Assembly and the Church of the Firstborn before the throne of God (Hebrews 12:23). Notice that the vision cannot be fulfilled until the Stone is complete on the last Day. This is further confirmation that the rapture occurs as the last great Day, the Day of the Lord, dawns.
 
Notice, too, that our reigning begins with judging. Our declarations before the throne bring justice to the earth. So even though the counterfeit kingdom of this world appears to be winning through their deceptions, calling evil good and good evil, we have a sure word of prophecy. Revelation 19:10 reminds us that “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” He is our sure foundation. When we build upon this rock of revelation, we need not be shaken.
 
Understanding the times means we recognize the events that must take place, yet we know what follows. We don’t have to succumb to confusion, fear, and the “fog of war.” Instead, we can stand firm in the comfort, hope, and victory that is ours in Christ.

---