Daniel 2:34

_ _ stone — Messiah and His kingdom (Genesis 49:24; Psalms 118:22; Isaiah 28:16). In its relations to Israel, it is a “stone of stumbling” (Isaiah 8:14; Acts 4:11; 1 Peter 2:7, 1 Peter 2:8) on which both houses of Israel are broken, not destroyed (Matthew 21:32). In its relation to the Church, the same stone which destroys the image is the foundation of the Church (Ephesians 2:20). In its relation to the Gentile world power, the stone is its destroyer (Daniel 2:35, Daniel 2:44; compare Zechariah 12:3). Christ saith (Matthew 21:44, referring to Isaiah 8:14, Isaiah 8:15), “Whosoever shall fall on this stone (that is, stumble, and be offended, at Him, as the Jews were, from whom, therefore, He says, ‘The kingdom shall be taken’) shall be broken; but (referring to Daniel 2:34, Daniel 2:35) on whomsoever it shall fall (referring to the world power which had been the instrument of breaking the Jews), it will (not merely break, but) grind him to powder” (1 Corinthians 15:24). The falling of the stone of the feet of the image cannot refer to Christ at His first advent, for the fourth kingdom was not then as yet divided — no toes were in existence (see on Daniel 2:44).

_ _ cut out — namely, from “the mountain” (Daniel 2:45); namely, Mount Zion (Isaiah 2:2), and antitypically, the heavenly mount of the Father’s glory, from whom Christ came.

_ _ without hands — explained in Daniel 2:44, “The God of heaven shall set up a kingdom,” as contrasted with the image which was made with hands of man. Messiah not created by human agency, but conceived by the Holy Ghost (Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:35; compare Zechariah 4:6; Mark 14:58; Hebrews 9:11, Hebrews 9:24). So “not made with hands,” that is, heavenly, 2 Corinthians 5:1; spiritual, Colossians 2:11. The world kingdoms were reared by human ambition: but this is the “kingdom of heaven”; “not of this world” (John 18:36). As the fourth kingdom, or Rome, was represented in a twofold state, first strong, with legs of iron, then weak, with toes part of iron, part of clay; so this fifth kingdom, that of Christ, is seen conversely, first insignificant as a “stone,” then as a “mountain” filling the whole earth. The ten toes are the ten lesser kingdoms into which the Roman kingdom was finally to be divided; this tenfold division here hinted at is not specified in detail till the seventh chapter. The fourth empire originally was bounded in Europe pretty nearly by the line of the Rhine and Danube; in Asia by the Euphrates. In Africa it possessed Egypt and the north coasts; South Britain and Dacia were afterwards added but were ultimately resigned. The ten kingdoms do not arise until a deterioration (by mixing clay with the iron) has taken place; they are in existence when Christ comes in glory, and then are broken in pieces. The ten have been sought for in the invading hosts of the fifth and sixth century. But though many provinces were then severed from Rome as independent kingdoms, the dignity of emperor still continued, and the imperial power was exercised over Rome itself for two centuries. So the tenfold divisions cannot be looked for before a.d. 731. But the East is not to be excluded, five toes being on each foot. Thus no point of time before the overthrow of the empire at the taking of Constantinople by the Turks (a.d. 1453) can be assigned for the division. It seems, therefore, that the definite ten will be the ultimate development of the Roman empire just before the rise of Antichrist, who shall overthrow three of the kings, and, after three and a half years, he himself be overthrown by Christ in person. Some of the ten kingdoms will, doubtless, be the same as some past and present divisions of the old Roman empire, which accounts for the continuity of the connection between the toes and legs, a gap of centuries not being interposed, as is objected by opponents of the futurist theory. The lists of the ten made by the latter differ from one another; and they are set aside by the fact that they include countries which were never Roman, and exclude one whole section of the empire, namely, the East [Tregelles].

_ _ upon his feet — the last state of the Roman empire. Not “upon his legs.” Compare “in the days of these kings” (see on Daniel 2:44).