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The Church Before Pentecost – In Prophecy (2)

Daniel prophesied concerning the establishment of the church (Note Daniel 2:44). In the context of this verse we learn that Nebuchadnezzar had a dream in which he saw a great image with a head of gold, breast and arms of silver, belly and thighs of brass, and feet of iron and clay. Then he saw a stone, cut out without hands, strike the image upon its feet and destroy it; the stone went on to become a great mountain filling the earth. The king was troubled about the dream, but was unable to recall it. He asked his magicians to tell him both the dream and the interpretation thereof. Daniel volunteered to tell the king his dream and what it meant. He told Nebuchadnezzar that he as king of Babylon was the head of gold and that after him would arise another kingdom inferior to him; then a third kingdom would arise, followed by a fourth. Since the stone was to strike the image in the feet, and since the feet represents the fourth kingdom, it follows that the kingdom was to be established during the existence of the fourth kingdom. From secular history, we learn that the kingdom of Babylon was followed by the kingdom of the Medes and Persians under Cyrus and Darius in 538 B.C. The third world power to arise was that of Greece under Alexander the Great who conquered the Persians in 331 B.C. He died in 323 B.C. and left his kingdom to his generals and it fell into two divisions represented by the thighs of the image. Then in 30 B.C., one division of this kingdom was taken by Octavius Caesar and a few years later the other was overthrown by Pompey and the fourth world power of Daniel’s interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream was established. In the days of this fourth kingdom God would set up his kingdom which should never be destroyed nor left to another people. So, according to Daniel’s prophecy, the kingdom, which is the church of Christ, was to be built during the time of the kingdom of Rome, while Roman kings ruled. Let us briefly notice certain things about this kingdom:

1) It was to be established in the days of Roman kings – And in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, John came saying the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matthew 3:1-3; Luke 3:1-6).

2) This kingdom was to be established by the Lord – There is a sense in which all earthly kingdoms are set up and destroyed by the Lord (Daniel 4:17, 25), but this kingdom was to be the work of God in a way in which earthly kingdoms are not. The church was established by the Lord and is governed by him (Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 1:20-23).

3) The kingdom to be set up by the God of heaven was to supplant all other kingdoms in that it is to be the last world power – According to Daniel’s teaching, there is never to be another earthly kingdom with world-wide dominion; that belongs only to the kingdom of heaven (Daniel 2:44).

4) This kingdom is never to be destroyed – The kingdom Jesus built, the church, is to continue to the end of time. Jesus is king in his kingdom, head of his church, and is to reign until the last enemy, death, is overthrown by the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:24-28).

5) The kingdom described by Daniel was to have a “small” beginning and later “fill” the whole earth – Jesus spoke of his kingdom as having a small beginning like the mustard seed (Matthew 13:31-32). Then he speaks of his kingdom as leaven which is able to leaven all the meal in which it is placed (Matthew 13:33).

6) Isaiah foretold the establishment of the church (Isaiah 2:2-3) – The reader should study Micah 4:1-5 in this connection. The word, “mountain,” is to be understood in the sense of government, and this government of the Lord’s house (church) is to be exalted above all others. The term “latter days” or “last days”, refers to the time of the Messiah and his kingdom. Things the prophet said would come to pass in the “last days.” Peter declared this happened on Pentecost (Acts 2:15-21). So from this prophecy of Isaiah we learn that the church was to be established in the latter days, the last dispensation of time, the days of the Messiah. The Messiah lived and did his work on earth in the days of the last of the four kingdoms we read about in Daniel. so the two prophecies point to the same time for the building of the church. We learn the place for the beginning of the church. It is Zion, or Jerusalem where the kingdom, according to the prophets, is to be established (Isaiah 2:3; Micah 4:2; cf. Luke 24:47; Acts 2:14). All nations are to have a part in this kingdom. Being a Jew, Isaiah would hardly be expected to be so liberal in his attitude toward the Gentiles, so we know that the Lord was speaking through him revealing his purposes to save all men regardless of race or nationality in the kingdom of heaven.

In Isaiah 2:4, we learn who is to be the “judge” or ruler in that kingdom which the prophet said would be established in the latter days. “And he will judge between the nations, and will decide concerning many peoples.” In Isaiah 2:3, we are told that many peoples, all nations, will go up to the house of the God of Jacob, “and he will teach us of his ways.” Then immediately in Isaiah 2:4, we are told that the same “he” will judge, or rule in that kingdom. In our next lesson, we will see in detail the fulfillment of these prophecies. It is enough now to learn that the church was in the purpose of God and that prophets foretold its establishment hundreds of years before it was built.