329. A Stone Was Torn Loose From the Mountain

Everything takes place naturally; nothing happens by chance. When large rocks become loose and tumble down a mountain, it is because cracks have been forming for years in advance, and then the catastrophe comes.

The stone that here was cut out without hands “struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.”

In his vision King Nebuchadnezzar saw a great image whose splendor was excellent; it stood before the king, and its form was awesome.

Daniel interprets the dream, saying, “‘You, O king . . . are this head of gold. But after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours; then another, a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others.

“‘Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay.

“‘And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.

“‘Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold—the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure.’

“Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face.”

The mountain is humanity. The “Son of Man” is cut out from this humanity, and all those who are transformed into His image become one body with Him. They all come to Him and become living stones. Just as Jesus Christ was rejected by people, those who come to Him and become living stones will also be rejected by people, yet they will become precious to God. This rejection by people causes cracks in the mountain. These are redeemed from the earth and from among people. Rev. 14:3-4. In the Spirit they have already been lifted up and placed in the heavenly Jerusalem. Heb. 12:22. That is why this stone can fall down from above. The fact that the stone falls on the feet lets us know that it will fall in the last days.

Now the time has come that all those who are one with the stone that will loosen are creating cracks around them. They follow the exhortation, “Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach.” Heb. 13:13. In other words, Jesus is outside the camp; He has been cut out from the mountain. All those who go out to Him and become one flesh and one body with Him will be a part of the stone which crushes the worldly image which Nebuchadnezzar saw in his vision. “Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.’” Jude 14-15.

“And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives [which] shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley. Then you shall flee through My mountain valley.” Zech. 14:4-5.

“The Lord also will roar from Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; the heavens and earth will shake; but the Lord will be a shelter for His people, and the strength of the children of Israel.” Joel 3:16.

“Assemble and come, all you nations, and gather together all around. Cause your mighty ones to go down there, O Lord.” Verse 11. In the valley of Jehoshaphat all the heathen nations will be judged by the mighty ones who came down.

After that, the stone which was cut out from the mountain will fill the entire earth with the knowledge of God. “And it will come to pass in that day that the mountains shall drip with new wine, the hills shall flow with milk, and all the brooks of Judah shall be flooded with water.”

When all the ungodly have been judged, and the people of the Lord take over the kingdom, the millennium will come. After that the people of the Lord will reign with Christ in all eternity.