The statue in Daniel chapter two represents what Luke in chapter twenty-one verse twenty-four calls the times of the Gentiles. It was prophesied during the Babylonian exile that Israel and Jerusalem would not have sovereign control over itself until the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth.
Daniel's prophecies are all rather amazing in their clarity of detail. Daniel, some five to six hundred years before Christ, prophesied the exact year of Christ's appearance. This would we like Christopher Columbus declaring in 1492 that man would put men on the moon in 1969. Daniel prophesied that after the Babylonian occupation of Israel, that the Media & Persia Empire would come, and then Greek Empire would come, and lastly there would be the terrible kingdom, that is, the Roman Empire.
It is funny how history records the "Glorious Roman Empire", but God says that it is so evil that he would not even compare it to an animal, instead it is called the terrible monster. The world looks good in its eyes, but the wise person accepts what the Lord says about a matter.
Now it is important to understand that the statue prophecy in Daniel chapter two has the same "hidden hole" as all the others. This is the hidden church age that we discussed in the study titled "The Hidden Age". There have been many more kingdoms to occupy Israel, the Ottoman, Arabic, the British, the French, but all of these occurred during the hidden age.
It is interesting that this prophecy in Daniel chapter two makes no reference to Jesus' First Advent. The Coming is the Second Coming of Christ. It is at his Second Coming that he smashes the four kingdoms and they blow away in the wind. It is at his Second Coming that he establishes the kingdom on earth.
During this age the Gospel has been given to the Gentiles, but this will not always be the case. In the next age, the kingdom age, the Israelites will be restored as the covenant nation. When the Church is "caught-up" to be with the Lord, in what is commonly called the "rapture," the people of Israel become the object of God's blessings once again.
Romans 11:25-31
I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. 27 And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins."
28 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, 29 for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable. 30 Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God's mercy to you. (NIV)
God does not want us to be ignorant of the fact that Israel is still God's chosen people. People in the Church incorrectly teach that Israel has been rejected and that the church is now God's Israel. The above passage in Romans will come to pass at the appointed time, the true church, that is, those that are obedient to the teachings of Christ, will be "raptured" up into the air, to be with Christ forever. Then all Israel will be saved!
