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THE MATTER OF THE MINGLING

Part III

In the Matter Of The Mingling of the iron and the clay (found in Daniel 2:31-35), we have examined the identity of the allegorical potter's clay (Isaiah 64:8), and found the Scripture conclusively associates it with Israel. The fact that the Roman Empire, pictured as the iron in the imagery of the composite statue of kingdoms (Babylon as gold, Persia as silver, Greece as brass, and Rome as iron), does not blend well with the Israelite clay should surprise no one, as the seething resentment of the Roman occupation of Jerusalem eventually boiled over into a cataclysmic rebellion.

"And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay" (Daniel 2:43).

The Roman Empire, like its Grecian predecessor under Alexander the Great, sought to assimilate conquered peoples and nations into components of the massive Mediterranean power, which would then develop into integral parts of the military giant. Evidence of this political doctrine is widespread in historical accounts. As a case in point, many are unaware of the fact that when Roman legions were dispatched to put down the Jerusalem rebellion (which lasted from 66 to 70 AD), the historian Flavius Josephus tells us that auxiliary troops from previously conquered areas in Syria were heavily deployed.

As the imagery in the prophecy tends to focus attention on the kingdoms represented by the statue seen in Nebuchadnezzar's prophetic dream, the fact that the passage includes a sequential series of progressively developing events is often overlooked. Not only does the text outline centuries of activity (spanning the rise and decline of each of the four kingdoms), the epic announcement specifying the timing of the arrival of the Kingdom of God takes us well past the destruction of Jerusalem in the showdown with Rome, as the scope of the prophecy terminates during the time when the LORD's power has destroyed the earthly empires depicted in the prophecy.

"[The kingdom of God] shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and [The Kingdom of God] shall stand for ever" (Daniel 2:44).

Significantly, this last aspect of the prophecy decisively precludes the deeply flawed idea of the so called "Revived Roman Empire" – an erroneous prophetic fiction which asserts some form of Roman hegemony will return in modern times, characterized by the supposed union of ten kings located in Europe. Politically speaking, utilizing various associations (mostly monetary in nature), European states have long envisioned a federalization of the continent, in the hope a union will make the combined nations stronger. However, the Scriptures conclusively tell us the ancient military and political power of Rome will never return.

Utilizing the symbolism of a great stone which smashed all the components of the statue (which were specifically stated to represent the Empires of Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome), Daniel tells us the kingdom of God will supersede the earthly kingdoms, and they will not return.

"Then was the iron [Roman Empire], the clay [Israel], the brass [Grecian kingdom], the silver [Persian Union], and the gold [Babylon], broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff [dust] of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them" (Daniel 2:35).

The Scriptures assure us the so called "Revived Roman Empire" is a fable, which is theologically positioned to propagate a larger series of false doctrines; but that has never deterred the huge number of "Christian" false prophets of our time. Hal Lindsay, a best-selling prophecy author, is the quintessential deceiver along these lines. Lindsay, who became a millionaire when he originally popularized the theory in the 1970's (it was taught even earlier at the seminary he attended), simply modified the idea every time a political development occurred which invalidated the unscriptural premise.

In the 1970's, when European efforts at union encompassed six nations, many evangelical prophecy figures said the number would grow to ten. They claimed this was prophesied by the fact the statue dream included ten toes – and they likened the ten toes to an adjacent prophecy which relates to ten kings associated with the Antichrist Beast seen in the book of Revelation.

"[I] saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns…and the ten horns are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet" (Revelation 13:1, 17:12).

The false prophets all simply ignored the fact the prophecy never connects the toes of the statue with any union at all, nor does it even hint that Rome will attempt to rise again – let alone suggest that toes symbolize kings. As just stated, the Bible clearly states the Roman Empire (as well as its predecessors) will become like dust in the wind, dissolved forever – but Christians have been indoctrinated into believing it's not Christ-like to challenge brazen liars who twist the Scriptural facts. Thus, Hal Lindsay and his ilk continued to build media empires on the vaporware of failed prophecies.

25 years after prophesying Europe would unite with a ten king confederation, the continent had continued its politically predictable efforts at streamlining trade functions through unification, achieving an economic cartel consisting of twelve nations. Undaunted by the fact that twelve does not equal ten, fanciful explanations emerged, even as the European Community continued to expand. For instance, in the year 2000, Lindsay wrote the following:

"For most Europeans, `the United States of Europe' is becoming more of a reality every day. And this emerging entity bears more than a striking resemblance to the revived Roman Empire" (Planet Earth-2000 AD, Hal Lindsey, page 220, emphasis mine).

After hitting thirteen members, the false prophets went to yet another unrelated prophecy, and said three of the thirteen will be conquered, and will be forced to leave the European Community (EC). Obviously, that prediction failed to occur as well, even as the EC went to fourteen members, then fifteen members, and so on – but the false prophets kept on coming up with new explanations, in a never ending parade of lucrative prophecy books, videos, and broadcasts. By 2016, the European Community had twenty-eight members, even as a bloated bureaucracy caused an exasperated United Kingdom, to withdraw – and the EC is now expected to collapse as other members are currently holding referendums which are considering following the UK lead, as many are very unhappy with the straight-jacket of being ruled by politicians in a distant country.

By the mid 1990's, presumably embarrassed by their ongoing inability to see the future, the "Christian" false prophets shifted the emphasis away from the alleged ten toe/kings, and began to emphasize the part of the prophecy which spoke of a mysterious "they" who would seek to mingle their essence with the "seed of men." Further, the flashy subject of the Fallen Angels who bred with the daughters of men in Genesis 6, had become a hot topic through a series of best-selling books by author Zechariah Sitchin, who claimed these Fallen Angels (Nephilim in the Hebrew) were actually ancient aliens who had promised to return someday.

As the supposed "Revived Roman Empire" debacle had already unscripturally moved this attempted mingling into the modern era, and the seemingly miraculous resurrection of the contemporary state of Israel continued to move the world towards a cataclysmic military confrontation, Christian churches moved even further away from what the Scriptures actually teach on the subject of the Mingling.

One of the more intriguing aspects of this study is how the prophecy indicates that the empires of Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome will permanently fade away – broken in pieces by the "stone" which permanently pulverizes the earthly kingdoms. Further, it was during the days of the Roman Empire -- many centuries after the time of Daniel's amazing prophecy --- that JESUS CHRIST also spoke about how the rulers of this world reject the reality of the allegorical "stone."

Speaking during a time when Rome was still reigning, the LORD Jesus Christ addressed how the stone was unstoppable – regardless of the efforts of the worldly powers to resist it. This was an allusion to Daniel's prophecy of how God would set up His kingdom during the days of the Roman Empire, and that kingdom (read the allegorical "stone" which would crush the nations) was about to arrive.

Actually, long before Daniel's prophecy of a great stone was recorded, the same imagery was used in one of the Psalms. The original reference to the stone which was rejected by the "builders" – read the architects of worldly dominion – is found in the Psalms:

"The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner" (Psalm 118:22).

Centuries later, Jesus told a story about corrupt workers who were managing a vineyard – a thinly veiled tale of how Israel had been given dominion over the Gentile nations (the allegorical vineyard), but had become completely unworthy of the honor of being the LORD's chosen, shining His light to the rest of the nations.

"Thou art my servant O Israel…I will also give thee for a light to the gentiles" (Isaiah 49:3).  

After detailing how the vineyard managers murdered the son of the owner of the vineyard -- so they could retain control of the operation (an element of the parable which was actually a prophecy which anticipated how the Jews were going to murder Him), Jesus categorically stated that the LORD was going to destroy those wicked men, and place others in charge of the vineyard. As He concluded the parable of the vineyard, Christ quoted the above Psalm, which said even though the "stone" was rejected, it was about to become the centerpiece of everything (the foundational cornerstone in the parable).

"Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner…Therefore I say unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof" (Matthew 21:42, 43).

It is in the very next verse that Jesus removes any doubt He has just referenced Daniel's prophecy of the stone which smites the kingdoms of the world, breaking them into pieces which become like dust – a powder which is then carried away by the wind, never to be seen again.

"And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder" (Matthew 21:44).

It is important that we see the "builders" (the Jerusalem leadership of Israel) had to reject Christ (the "stone" in the parable) before He was given the Kingdom by the Father, in order for this prophecy to be fulfilled. This is why Jesus tied His statement concerning the stone which was rejected becoming the cornerstone, to His prediction that the LORD was going to take the Kingdom of God away from those who had been entrusted with it, and give it to others.

"The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof" (Matthew 21:43).

At the risk of redundancy, the reader who can follow this thread of thought will find it instructive as I reiterate the interaction between rist and the Jewish leaders, because the LORD specifically connected His imminent death and resurrection to the stone, which was the subject of Daniel's prophecy – a prophecy which included the Matter of the Mingling.

Daniel's prophecy speaks of a sequential cycle, in which four Gentile Empires rise and fall – with the fourth empire obviously identified with the Roman Empire. The key passage tells us it is in the days of "these kings" – the only kings mentioned in the entire chapter – when the Kingdom of God arrives.

"And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed" (Daniel 2:44).

In the latter part of the Roman Empire (seen as the iron legs and partially iron feet of the image), the potter's clay is mingled with the iron, and the prophets conclusively identified the potter's clay as Israel, and the "potter" as the LORD. Unlike other conquered people, Jerusalem did not assimilate into the Roman Empire, as the people of Judaea, in rebellion to the LORD, had become ungovernable.

In Daniel, the stone which represents the Kingdom of God in the image grows, and it destroys all the Gentile kingdoms – including Israel, which is represented by the clay.

"Thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold" (Daniel 2:45).

In short, the prophecy predicts that Jerusalem was going to be destroyed, because they were destined to reject the stone -- a fact that Jesus was obviously aware of when He mentioned the stone the builders rejected, even as He told the Jewish leaders the Kingdom of God will be taken from them, and given to others.

"The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof…[because] the stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner…And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder (Matthew 21:43, 44).

-- James Lloyd

To Be Continued

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