Daniel 2 is one of my favorite prophecies in the Bible. It is about the interpretation of Prophet Daniel of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon’s dream about a very large statue made of different kinds of metal. The head was made of gold, the chest and arms were made of silver, the belly and thighs were made of bronze, and the feet and toes were made of a mixture of iron and clay. In the final scene of this dream, a large stone from heaven struck the feet of the metal statue and shattered it. Daniel told the king that the four parts of the image represented four kingdoms that would rise successively. Daniel also told King Nebuchadnezzar that his kingdom - the kingdom of Babylon - was the first kingdom represented by the head of gold.
The other parts of the Book of Daniel discuss the four kingdoms. It mentions the Medo-Persian Empire as the second kingdom (5:28; 8:20) and the Greek Empire as the third kingdom (8:21). In fact, we know from history that there were four successive kingdoms in that region: the Babylonian Empire, the Medo-Persian Empire, the Greek Empire, and the Roman Empire. Then Daniel said that the stone in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream would strike these kingdoms and grow into a mountain that would rule over the whole world.
Daniel 2:44 (NIV) “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.
Daniel declared that the stone would come to the world, crushing all other kingdoms before establishing the kingdom of God. Then, “the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth” (Dan. 2:35). Both the futurist view and the partial preterist view agree that Jesus Christ is the stone that will come to the world to establish the eternal kingdom of God. The only difference between these two views is when the stone will come to the world and when the kingdom of God will be established.
The Futurist view of the Seventh-day Adventist church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church believes that the stone refers to the future Second Coming of Christ. This is how the SDA 28 Fundamental Beliefs book explains it on page 376.
“Finally, the dream focuses on the dramatic climax: the setting up of God’s everlasting kingdom. The stone cut out without hands represents Christ’s kingdom of glory (Dan. 7:14; Rev. 11:15), which will be established without human effort at the Second Advent.”
According to the Seventh-day Adventist Church, there are two phases of the kingdom of God: 1) the kingdom of grace and 2) the kingdom of glory. When we say “kingdom of glory,” it refers to the future glorified kingdom that will begin at the Second Coming of Christ. They also believe that we are currently living in the “kingdom of grace” while waiting for the imminent “kingdom of glory”
We will demonstrate in this article why the stone that shattered the metal statue in Daniel 2 does not refer to the future Second Coming of Christ. The position held by the Former Adventist Fellowship Philippines regarding the stone in Daniel 2 is based on a deeper study of the Bible, particularly the Partial Preterist view, which believes that Jesus has been seated on the throne of the kingdom of God for 2,000 years since he ascended to heaven and sat at the right hand of God. Since then, the kingdom has been spreading throughout the world, and in the end, it will fill the whole world, like the mountain in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.
The Roman Empire is not the last world empire
It is important to understand who the prophecy was intended for. The purpose of the Book of Daniel was to prophesy the history of God’s people, the Jews, until the end of their covenant with God. It is a book by Jews, written by a Jew, and written for Jews living under the Old Testament. Therefore, the metal statue in Daniel’s prophecy did not cover the entire history of mankind, but only the history related to Jews living under the Old Testament.
That is why the scope of Daniel 2 is limited to the time of the pagan Roman Empire because of its significant connection to the Jews during the Roman Empire at the time of Jesus’ ministry on earth.
Seventh-day Adventists are not aware that there was another world empire that rose after the Roman Empire. The Ottoman Empire, which conquered the (eastern) Roman Empire in 1453, competed with Rome in size and power. Founded in 1299 AD, this empire conquered a vast region spanning three continents. At its peak, the Ottoman Empire controlled ten percent of the territory compared to the Roman Empire at its peak. The Ottoman Empire not only conquered the Middle East but also Arabia, Mesopotamia, Southern Russia, Southeastern Europe, and Northern Africa.
For centuries, Ottoman Empire ships dominated the Mediterranean Sea. The Ottoman Empire was also one of the major economic powers, controlling trade routes between Europe, Asia, and Africa. The empire lasted for six centuries and finally ended in 1923. This empire not only competed with Rome but also surpassed the size and power of earlier empires known in the Book of Daniel, including Greece, Medo-Persia, and Babylon.
Therefore, the Ottoman Empire was a vast superpower that dominated Palestine and many parts of the civilized world for six centuries. Having such an empire contradicts the idea of Seventh-day Adventists that the metal statue in Daniel 2 depicts the rise and fall of all world empires until the Second Coming of Christ. Clearly, it does not mention all empires. It only shows the empires that existed during the Old Testament period of the Jews.
As additional evidence, there was another world empire that ruled the world before the Ottoman Empire emerged. This was the Mongol Empire. It was founded in 1206 AD and ruled the world for more than 150 years until it collapsed in 1368. This vast empire was the largest empire ever established in the world. On the right is a picture showing its coverage. It spanned from the Pacific in the east to Eastern Europe in the west. It included China, Mongolia, South and West Russia, Persia, Mesopotamia, Pakistan, Kashmir, parts of Turkey, and even countries in Eastern Europe such as Poland and Romania. It covered an area more than twice the size of the Roman Empire at its peak.
The existence of these vast empires, including the Ottoman Empire, is evidence that the image in Daniel is not intended to cover the entire history of mankind, but only the history related to Jews living under the Old Testament. According to Seventh-day Adventists, there is no other world empire after the Roman Empire. This is what we can read on page 376 of the SDA 28 Fundamental Beliefs book:
“Ever since the days of Christ interpreters have identified the empires as Babylon (605-539 B.C.), Medo-Persia (539-331 B.C.), Greece (331-168 B.C.), and Rome (168 B.C.-A.D. 476). As prophesied, no other empire succeeded Rome.”
According to the SDA book, pagan Rome, which is the fourth and final kingdom according to Daniel 2, lasted only from 168 BC to AD 476. The SDA book emphasized that “as prophesied, no other empire succeeded Rome.” Concerning this, Daniel explained that the stone that would come would strike the fourth kingdom, none other than the Roman Empire.
Daniel 2:33-34, 40 (NIV) its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay.n While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them…Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron—for iron breaks and smashes everything—and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others.
In short, no other kingdom will be affected by the coming of Christ’s Kingdom of Stone except the pagan Roman Empire.
Seventh-day Adventists argue that according to Daniel’s prophecy, the Stone that struck the feet made of “iron and clay” of the statue will be fulfilled in the “nations of Europe” that separate the Roman Empire and its divided kingdom, which they call modern “nations of Europe.” This is a direct contradiction to what the Bible says.
Daniel 2:40-42 (NIV) 40 Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron—for iron breaks and smashes everything—and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others. 41 Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. 42 As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle.
We can see from what Daniel said that there is only ONE fourth kingdom (singular) mentioned in this passage. No ten kingdoms are mentioned here! The Bible reports ONE kingdom that was divided (not conquered!) after an element of “clay” mixed with the “iron” kingdom.
The “clay” mixed with the “iron”
Unlike the complete change from Babylon (gold) to Persia/Medes (silver), in the division of the Roman Empire, the iron remains. This shows the continued rule of the Roman Empire but with an additional element (clay). Therefore, the Feet of Iron/clay is not a new or different kingdom but a division of the former kingdom with new territories of power.
As mentioned earlier, the Bible says that the feet of iron and clay are part of the same iron kingdom (Rome), but with a mixture of clay. The clay represents weaker states that have some internal autonomy but still serve under the power of the Roman Empire. We should also understand that the book of Daniel was written by a Jew for Jews, and it describes the experience of Jews in their covenant relationship with God. The entire focus of the Book of Daniel is on the Jews and their relationship with various pagan powers in the world that owned the land promised to them by God. Therefore, we must interpret the statue of Daniel 2 in the context of the time of the Jewish nation. So, we should look for the interpretation of the feet of iron and clay as a power that relates to the Jewish nation before their destruction in 70 AD.
In the Old Testament, Israel is referred to by the prophets in the Bible as clay. In the book of Isaiah, we can see:
Isaiah 64:8 (NIV) “Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.
For the Jews, clay is not only a symbol of humanity (Job 10:9, 33:6; Isa. 29:16, 45:9), but more importantly, it represents Israel (Isa. 64:8; Jer. 18:4-6). Daniel’s reference to clay can be understood as a reference to his own country.
What is the ‘Stone’ and its fulfillment?
Seventh-day Adventists commonly believe that Daniel 2 describes the Second Coming of Jesus. They are unaware that Daniel prophesied the beginning of the Kingdom in the days of the pagan Roman Empire.
Daniel 7:13-14 (NIV) 13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory, and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
But read carefully what Daniel said:
- Christ is seen going up, not down!
- The Son of Man is going to the Ancient of Days, not coming from Him!
- He does not descend from the clouds to the earth, but ascends from the clouds to His Father!
Daniel does not indicate the Second Coming of Christ, but His First Coming, where, after paying for sins and defeating death and Satan, the Lord Jesus ascended into the clouds of heaven to sit at His Father’s right hand (Acts 1:9-11).
When the disciples asked Jesus, ‘What will be the sign of your coming?’ (Matthew 24:3), their question to Jesus meant, ‘When will you come to your kingdom?’ ‘When will you stand up and declare yourself king?’ When did that happen? After Jesus died, rose again, and ascended into heaven, He sat on the throne at the right hand of God. He was given full authority, in heaven and on earth. Jesus entered His kingdom when He ascended into heaven and sat down at the right hand of the Father. This happened almost two thousand years ago, in the time of the disciples.
To prove this, read Jesus’ words in Matthew 16:28:
Matthew 16:28 (NIV) “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
Likewise, Mark reported the words of Jesus:
Mark 9:1 (NIV) And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.”
Apostle Peter understood that the meaning of Jesus’ Ascension to Heaven was the enthronement of Christ in his kingdom as the King of Heaven. About a prophecy by King David, Peter said:
Acts 2:30-36 (NIV) 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. 33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, “‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand 35 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’ 36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
It is important to understand the Bible’s interpretation of Christ’s throne. David speaks of Christ’s throne in heaven. This is the heavenly enthronement prophesied by King David in Psalms 110:1, as stated by Peter to his listeners on the Day of Pentecost. From His throne in heaven, Christ reigns over the world.
Apostle Paul also wrote about the Ascension of Christ, stating that:
Ephesians 1:20-23 (NIV) 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
Now, if Christ is seated above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and if everything is under His feet, why the Seventh-day Adventist church is still waiting for His Kingdom to come in the future?
According to Paul,
According to Paul,
Colossians 1:13 (NIV) For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.
The Bible states that the Kingdom has already come, while Seventh-day Adventists claim that it has not. Who should we believe, the SDA or the Bible?
However, our Seventh-day Adventist friends still object to the idea that Christ began to reign 2000 years ago. This is what their book says:
“Christ’s kingdom is not to exist simultaneously with any human empire. When He was on earth during the sway of the Roman Empire, the stone kingdom that crushes all nations had not yet come. Only after the phase of the iron and clay feet—the period of the divided nations—would it arrive. It is to be set up at the Second Advent when Christ separates the righteous from the wicked (Matt. 25:31-34). When it comes, this stone or kingdom will strike the "image on its feet of iron and clay,” and "it shall break in pieces and consume all these king doms,” leaving not a trace of them (Dan. 2:34, 35, 44). Indeed, the Second Advent is an earth-shaking event.” (SDA 28 Fundamental Beliefs (2005) p.376)
The book of SDA states that “Christ’s kingdom is not to exist simultaneously with any human empire,” which is a direct contradiction to the Bible. As we mentioned in Peter’s discourse in Acts 2:30-36, Psalm 110:1 prophesies that the kingdom of the Son of God will reign even while his enemies are still alive.
Psalms 110:1-2 (NIV) 1 The LORD says to my lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” 2 The LORD will extend your mighty scepter from Zion, saying, “Rule in the midst of your enemies!”
This passage refers to the ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven after his resurrection. Psalm 110:1 declares that the Lord will raise Jesus to his right hand, where he will reign until all his enemies are defeated. The “enemies” in this passage are the Jewish leaders who rejected Jesus and the Roman Empire who crucified him on the cross, which also persecuted the early Christians. The “footstool” is a symbol of Christ’s victory over his enemies. Therefore, anyone who says “Christ’s kingdom is not to exist simultaneously with any human empire” is incorrect1.
This interpretation is supported by the New Testament writers. For example, in 1 Corinthians 15:24-28, it is stated that:
1 Corinthians 15:24-28 (NIV) 24 Then the end will come when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority, and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For he “has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. 28 When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.
This passage states that the Son continues to reign from his throne in heaven by putting all his enemies under his feet. The ultimate enemy to be defeated is death. These words are inconsistent with the Seventh-day Adventist teaching that “Christ’s kingdom is not to exist simultaneously with any human empire.” However, how can Jesus subdue his enemies under his feet if he is not yet reigning?
The kingdom of God will fill the world until the end of time. However, evil will remain in the world until the second coming of Jesus. This is illustrated in the parable of the sower, where a man sowed seeds in his field. The seeds grew and bore fruit, but an enemy sowed weeds in the same field, and these weeds also grew. As Jesus explained this parable to his disciples, it became clear that both good and evil are present in the world. Good and evil will be allowed to grow together until the day of Jesus’ return when they will be separated from each other (Matthew 13:24-43).
In another parable, Jesus compared the kingdom of God to a mustard seed that grew and became the largest tree in the garden. Similarly, the kingdom of God grows in the world and will one day become the largest and most influential kingdom in the world, even though other plants are not part of the kingdom of God.
Matthew 13:31-33 (NIV) 31 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” 33 He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”
This is exactly what we see happening in history since Jesus ascended to his throne. Christianity began in a small region in the Middle East with only one Leader and twelve followers. Now, two thousand years later, it is the largest religion that envelops the world. Of the six billion people, more than two billion people declare themselves Christians today.
Conclusion:
From a careful study of Daniel 2, we understand that the stone that struck the statue of metal to destroy it refers to the inauguration of God’s kingdom through Christ in the first century while the Roman Empire was in power. This is also the fulfillment of prophecies from many Old Testament passages such as Daniel 7:13-14 and Psalm 110:1-2, which were supported by the apostles in their writings in the New Testament where they teach that Christ returned to heaven and sat on his throne at the right hand of God after he rose from the dead. Therefore, Jesus has been reigning among his enemies from 2000 years ago until now, and we are now waiting for him to subdue his ultimate enemy, death, at his second coming in the future.
May this truth be given attention by our Seventh-day Adventist friends, and may they abandon the wrong interpretation in Daniel 2 to better understand God’s great plans for their salvation and glorify the Lord Jesus to the fullest as their personal Lord and Savior. I would like to remind you of the wise advice of your renowned prophet, Mrs. Ellen G. White, which is to not assume that your doctrines are infallible, but rather to accept the new light that you have come to understand.
“There is no excuse for anyone in taking the position that there is no more truth to be revealed and that all our expositions of Scripture are without an error. The fact that certain doctrines have been held as truth for many years by our people, is not a proof that our ideas are infallible. Age will not make error into truth, and truth can afford to be fair. No true doctrine will lose anything by close investigation.” (Christian Writers and Editors p.35)
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