Daniel 2:44: Commentary Comparison Between the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Christendom Interpretations.
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(Daniel 2:44-45) 44 “And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be brought to ruin. And the kingdom itself will not be passed on to any other people. It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, and it itself will stand to times indefinite; 45 forasmuch as you beheld that out of the mountain a stone was cut not by hands, and [that] it crushed the iron, the copper, the molded clay, the silver and the gold. The grand God himself has made known to the king what is to occur after this. And the dream is reliable, and the interpretation of it is trustworthy.”
First off, this is a world changing event also shown in the bible as the climax of the gathering of the nations by the rival sovereign human kings by the demons. Is it any wonder that after Satan is cast from heaven this ominous development begins?:
Satan Engineers Armageddon
(Revelation 16:13-16) … unclean inspired expressions… come out of the mouth of the dragon… wild beast and… false prophet. 14 They are… expressions inspired by demons… to the kings of the entire inhabited earth, to gather them together to the war of the great day of God the Almighty.
[The Stone hint?]
15 “Look! I am coming as a thief.
16 And they gathered them together to the place that is called in Hebrew Har–Magedon.
(Revelation 12:12) Woe for the earth and for the sea, because the Devil has come down to YOU, having great anger, knowing he has a short period of time.”
Now since Satan was cast from heaven when Jesus Kingdom came to birth in 1914, the Devil is angry and hell-bent on world destruction, his “woe for the earth” includes gathering these demon-driven megalomaniac earthly “kings” shown assembling at the “place” called Armageddon. This is shown biblically as a global situation of defiance of God’s Kingdom by violent potential of human kingdom, prior to the event of God’s war at that worldwide “place”. We see one of the reasons why God is coming down in battle, the human system condition has intensified to global catastrophe as that “woe” from Satan climaxes:
(Matthew 24:21-22) ..for then there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again. 22 In fact, unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short.
So great tribulation is one of the reasons God MUST cur human empires and catastrophic dysfunction short, here is the event:
(2 Thessalonians 1:6-10) ..it is righteous on God’s part to repay tribulation to those who make tribulation for YOU, 7 but, to YOU who suffer tribulation, relief…at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his powerful angels 8 in a flaming fire, as he brings vengeance upon those who do not know God and those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus. 9 These very ones will undergo the judicial punishment of everlasting destruction from before the Lord and from the glory of his strength, 10 at the time he comes to be glorified in connection with his holy ones and to be regarded in that day with wonder in connection with all those who exercised faith, because the witness we gave met with faith among YOU.
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Day of wonder? Angels, flames, war of God, what in the?
What would bring such a heated response upon mankind’s unrepentant ones? Well, these angels, and this Armageddon worldwide “place” is noted in connection with military expansion, to the point that people’s survival and social resources, such as food are “devoured” for investing in technologies of global war:
(Joel 3:9-12) 9 “Proclaim this, YOU people, among the nations, ‘Sanctify war! Arouse the powerful men! Let them draw near! Let them come up, all the men of war! 10 Beat YOUR plowshares into swords and YOUR pruning shears into lances. As for the weak one, let him say: “I am a powerful man.” 11 Lend YOUR aid and come, all YOU nations round about, and collect yourselves together.’”
[And Jehovah sends the holy angels on down to earth to meet this threat:]
To that place, O Jehovah, bring your powerful ones down.
[And Jehovah's Armageddon scale judgment proceeds upon ALL the national rival sovereigns and rebellious people:]
12 “Let the nations be aroused and come up to the low plain of Jehoshaphat; for there I shall sit in order to judge all the nations round about.
And climax it does:
(Zephaniah 3:8) “‘Therefore keep yourselves in expectation of me,’ is the utterance of Jehovah, ‘till the day of my rising up to [the] booty, for my judicial decision is to gather nations, for me to collect together kingdoms, in order to pour out upon them my denunciation, all my burning anger; for by the fire of my zeal all the earth will be devoured.
With what results? Absolute annihilation of the rival evil sovereignties:
(Daniel 2:35) . . .At that time the iron, the molded clay, the copper, the silver and the gold were, all together, crushed and became like the chaff from the summer threshing floor, and the wind carried them away so that no trace at all was found of them.
That is total obliteration, not a trace of these will eventually be found as the winds of that time blow them away permanently and forever.
We get the gist of the story.
No wonder this dream had a terrifying effect on King Neb:
(Daniel 2:1) And in the second year of the kingship of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams; and his spirit began to feel agitated, and his very sleep was made to be something beyond him.
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Christendom Commentary Samples
Now that we know the TRUE story of this interpretation as the greatest day of divine violent conquest of a veritable selective angelic firestorm upon human rival sovereignty, let’s have a look at some commentaries of Christendom. This is a small sampling of the thousands of guess they have taken a stab at in regards to Daniel 2:44 over the years- note the absurd, even comical ideas:
***Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Would it not appear from this that the kingdom here represented was to make its way by conquests in the same manner as the other kingdoms, rather than by a silent and peaceful influence? Is this language, in fact, applicable to the method in which the kingdom of Christ is to supplant all
others?
That it does not necessarily mean that there will be “physical” force…The kingdom of the Redeemer is a kingdom of “principles,” and those
principles will subdue the nations, and bring them into subjection.
It does not necessarily mean that the effect here described will be accomplished “at once.” It may be by a gradual process, like a continual
beating on the image, reducing it ultimately to powder.
[In other words the impotent " truth" and viral spread of the Christendom's undermining infiltration of lies is the stone pulverizing the image, but ever so slowly and ineffectually as the churches become part of the world, and not the other way around.]
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***Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible
The stroke which thus destroyed idolatry in the Roman empire is continual in its effects; and must be so till idolatry be destroyed over the face
of the earth, and the universe filled with the knowledge of Christ.
This smiting has been continued by all the…the dissemination of Christianity, from the time of Constantine to the present: and particularly now,
by means of the British and Foreign Bible society…by Christian societies to almost every part of the globe. Thus far the kingdom of the stone.
Bibles are sent out by millions into heathen countries..Let us..send missionaries after the Bibles..God is mightily at work in the earth.
[In other words the blatant idolatry of the Papal system, replaces the blatant idolatry of the pagan system, and that is the Kingdom of God: The Idol Monopoly, Catholicism and bibles.]
***Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
..whatsoever kingdoms shall exist, when this shall be set up, shall be either broke to pieces, and utterly destroyed, or become subject to it..
..this is the kingdom of the Messiah, as is owned by both ancient and modern Jews..
[In other words, the old covenant is still active and valid, the fleshly Jews have been rewarded with Kingdom of God for disobeying God, breaking the old covenant and killing the Son of God.]
***Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
The stone cut out without hands represented the kingdom of Jesus Christ, which should be set up in the world in the time of the Roman empire…upon the ruins of Satan’s kingdom…
The gospel-church is a kingdom…It is a kingdom not of this world, and yet set up in it; it is the kingdom of God among men.
The kingdom of God…taken from the Jews…given to the Gentiles…it was Christianity that ruled, the kingdom of the Messiah. The Christian church is still the same;
[In other words the mighty stone of God destroying all word rival sovereignties permanently in an almighty display of conquering divine super-power, is actually that obelisk spiked empty church up the street with all the weeds and flaking paint, and "within" the misled believing this tale. In these worldlings, part of the world, exists "God's Kingdom of Power".]
Now for the Truth.
The Interpretation from Christ’s Anointed and Jehovah’s Witnesses Related Globally
*** Pay Attention to Daniel’s Prophecy chap. 4 p. 62 pars. 35-36 The Rise and Fall of an Immense Image
God’s heavenly Kingdom will soon strike the symbolic image on its feet. As a result, all the kingdoms pictured by it will be broken to pieces, bringing them to an end. Indeed, at “the war of the great day of God the Almighty,” that “stone” will strike with such crushing impact that the image will be ground to powder and the wind of God’s storm will sweep it away like the chaff of a threshing floor. (Revelation 16:14, 16) Then, like the stone that grew to mountainous size and filled the earth, God’s Kingdom will become the governmental mountain that will affect “the whole earth.”—Daniel 2:35.
36 Though the Messianic Kingdom is heavenly, it will extend its power toward our globe for the blessing of all obedient inhabitants of the earth. This stable government “will never be brought to ruin” or be “passed on to any other people.” Unlike the kingdoms of dying human rulers, “it itself will stand to times indefinite,” forever. (Daniel 2:44) May you have the privilege of being one of its subjects eternally.
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*** What Does the Bible Really Teach chap. 8 pp. 81-84 pars. 16-21 What Is God’s Kingdom?
Consider the prophecy found at Daniel 2:44. There we read: “In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be brought to ruin. And the kingdom itself will not be passed on to any other people. It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, and it itself will stand to times indefinite.” What does this tell us about God’s Kingdom?
17 First, it tells us that God’s Kingdom was to be established “in the days of those kings,” or while other kingdoms still existed. Second, it tells us that the Kingdom will last forever. It will not be conquered and be replaced by some other government. Third, we see that there will be war between God’s Kingdom and the kingdoms of this world. God’s Kingdom will be victorious. In the end, it will be the only government over mankind. Then humans will enjoy the best rulership they have ever known.
18 The Bible has much to say about that final war between God’s Kingdom and the governments of this world. For example, it teaches that as the end approaches, wicked spirits will spread lies to deceive “the kings of the entire inhabited earth.” For what purpose? “To gather them [the kings] together to the war of the great day of God the Almighty.” The kings of the earth will be gathered together to “the place that is called in Hebrew Har–Magedon.” (Revelation 16:14, 16) Because of what is said in those two verses, the final conflict between human governments and God’s Kingdom is called the battle of Har–Magedon, or Armageddon.
19 What will God’s Kingdom achieve by means of Armageddon? Think again about what God’s will is for the earth. Jehovah God purposed that the earth be filled with a righteous, perfect human race serving him in Paradise. What prevents that from happening right now? First, we are sinful, and we get sick and die. We learned in Chapter 5, however, that Jesus died for us so that we can live forever. Likely you remember the words recorded in the Gospel of John: “God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.”—John 3:16.
20 Another problem is that many people do wicked things. They lie, cheat, and commit immorality. They do not want to do God’s will. People who do wicked things will be destroyed during God’s war of Armageddon. (Psalm 37:10) Yet another reason why God’s will is not being done on earth is that governments do not encourage people to do it. Many governments have been weak, cruel, or corrupt. The Bible frankly says: “Man has dominated man to his injury.”—Ecclesiastes 8:9.
21 After Armageddon, mankind will be under just one government, God’s Kingdom. That Kingdom will do God’s will and bring wonderful blessings. For example, it will remove Satan and his demons. (Revelation 20:1-3) The power of Jesus’ sacrifice will be applied so that faithful humans will no longer get sick and die. Instead, under Kingdom rule they will be able to live forever. (Revelation 22:1-3) The earth will be made into a paradise. Thus the Kingdom will cause God’s will to be done on earth and will sanctify God’s name. What does this mean? It means that eventually under God’s Kingdom everyone alive will honor Jehovah’s name.
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So Christendom has many interpretations. Many errors. Jehovah’s witnesses have one interpretation. The truth of Daniel 2:44; the truth.
