(In part 1, we discussed what each section of the statue meant. If you need to catch up on part 1, click the link at the bottom of this teaching.)

In Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, the statue was destroyed by a giant stone. But what does this giant stone represent?

We read in Daniel that Jerusalem, the people, and the holy temple are in trouble. The people were taken captive by the Babylonians as punishment for their disobedience to God. But even during those rough times, God kept his promises. Kings and kingdoms may rise to power, but God still has the last word and is working on His plan.

At this time, Babylon was the most powerful kingdom and controlled everything. Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar that an everlasting kingdom will rise and this kingdom will not be overthrown by any man. The stone in the dream pointed to the Messiah that God promised to Israel. This would be a Savior, a Redeemer, and an Everlasting God who would redeem the people and bring them into a closer relationship with God. Jesus Christ fulfilled all the promises of the God of Daniel. Jesus came, died, and rose again. He then went back to Heaven to receive the promise of the kingdom that Jesus spoke about in Luke 19:11-12. Jesus will come back as this mighty stone to destroy all human kingdoms and set up His eternal kingdom.

Daniel made several important points when he interpreted the dream to Nebuchadnezzar:

1. The stone refers to Jesus Christ. He is the stone and we as believers and followers of Jesus Christ are part of this stone. The stone continues to grow and will fill up the entire earth. Every born-again believer who is ever born and who has received Christ as Lord and Savior are part of the everlasting kingdom. Old Testament saints are included.
2. A stone struck the image. The statue represents all of the kingdoms that have been on the earth, are currently on the earth, or will be on the earth in the future. The whole statue is broken into pieces and carried off into the wind.
3. The stone becomes larger. The stone is described as becoming as large as a mountain that filled the corners of the earth. Believers in Christ become part of the stone along with Jesus. The number of believers will steadily increase until the time comes for Jesus to return.
4. All earthly kingdoms will be destroyed. The kingdom of Jesus Christ will wipe out any kingdom that exists now or has ever existed in history. There will be no human kingdoms after the return of Jesus, only the Kingdom set up by Jesus Himself.
5. An eternal kingdom will rise. Jesus came to fulfill God’s promise to mankind. This kingdom began when Jesus went to Heaven and took his blood to his Father as a payment for all human sins. His blood redeemed all mankind past, present, and future. All sins are totally paid in full by the blood of Christ.

The stone becomes the foundation for the future everlasting kingdom that began when Jesus came to this earth, died, resurrected, and rose from the dead. After He ascended to Heaven, His kingdom began and is still going strong today. Many generations of Christians have come and gone, but Jesus’s kingdom will continue to expand as time goes on making the stone bigger as it fills the whole earth just as Daniel described it.

This is why Hebrews 1:1-4 will echo for generations:

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

Hebrews 1:1-4 helps link the past to the present and where Jesus links into the dream.

In these last days, God speaks to us by his Son (Hebrews 1:2). These verses also break down several points about who Jesus is and what He has done:

• God appointed Him as an heir of all things.
• He made the world.
• Jesus brings the brightness of God’s glory to the world.
• Jesus is the image of God.
• He upholds God’s power and purges our sin.
• Jesus sat down at the right hand of His Father.

Jesus’s eternal kingdom is already alive in Heaven and will eventually come to the earth to set up the eternal kingdom on earth. Jesus Christ is our stone, our deliverer, and our everlasting King. He brings our redemption and our joy. He is Lord and our God forever.

The dream speaks to the verses spoken in Hebrews. After the stone destroyed the statue, the stone continued to grow and fill the entire world. No human hand will be able to destroy the stone. Daniel saw what was going to happen 600 years before Christ stepped foot on the earth.

Almost 50 years later, Daniel had a vision that expanded on the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar. In our next part, we will look at the vision and how the dream and the vision link together.

Part 1- Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream Statue