STONES CUT OUT WITHOUT HANDS (Part 1)
“You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces.” (Daniel 2:34 NKJV)
The earth was created and intended by God to be an annexe or extension of the Kingdom of heaven. Man was created in God’s image and ordained as God’s regent on the earth.
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All things were placed under the feet of man.
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The Scripture clearly presents this truth.
Genesis 1:27-28 – NKJV
27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Psalms 8:4-6 – NKJV
4 What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?
5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet.
Psalms 115:16 – NKJV
16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD’S; But the earth He has given to the children of men.
Unfortunately, the fall of man through Adam’s disobedience to God’s command reversed the order of things on earth. As a result of the fall of man, the whole creation was led into the bondage of corruption (Rom. 8:20-21).
Satan usurped the throne and the position of man as the ruler of the earth and thus established himself as the ruler or god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4, John 14:30).
However, at the fullness of time God sent His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to reconcile the estranged man to God, to restore the fallen man to his exalted position and authority, and to destroy the works of the devil.
Through His death and resurrection the Lord Jesus Christ has completely defeated Satan and all his cohorts. Christ’s victory and authority over Satan and his cohorts and works now belong to all those who put their faith in Him.
1 Corinthians 15:57 – NKJV
57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Luke 10:19 – NKJV
19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. (NKJV).
The Scripture also states that Christ has “made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.” (Rev. 5:10 NKJV).
Having become spiritually united with Christ through the New Birth experience, the born-again believers are presently seated together in the heavenly realm in Christ Jesus, “far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.” (Eph. 1:21 NKJV).
According to the dream God gave to King Nebuchadnezzar which was interpreted by Daniel there would be a succession of human kingdoms, governments, and rulers on earth before the literal establishment of God’s kingdom on earth at the second coming of Christ (Dan. 2:28-45).
However, God’s kingdom is presently growing and expanding in the hearts of men amidst the kingdoms of this world. But at the end of the ages, all other kingdoms, governments, rule, and authority and power will come to an end and be made subject to Christ Jesus (Isa. 45:23, Eph. 1:10, Rom. 14:11).
The Scripture amply affirms this truth.
1 Corinthians 15:22-26 – NKJV
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.
24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.
25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet.
26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.
Revelation 11:15-17 – NKJV
15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”
16 And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God,
17 saying: “We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.
In Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, the succession of all the kingdoms and rulers that would dominate the earth before the arrival of God’s kingdom was depicted by an impressive image whose head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, and its feet partly of iron and partly of clay (Dan. 2:32-33).
The arrival of God’s kingdom on earth to overthrow, break in pieces and consume all the kingdoms of this world was depicted by a stone cut out without hands.
Daniel 2:34-35 – NKJV
34 “You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces.
35 “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.
The Lord Jesus Christ is “the stone cut out without hands” from heaven which came into the world to overthrow, consume and swallow up all other kingdoms. Christ has brought down and established the Kingdom of God in the hearts of men at His first coming.
The Kingdom of God is presently here on earth in the hearts of men!
All authority in heaven and on earth now belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ. Although God has put all things in subjection under Christ, leaving nothing out, “but now we do not yet see all things put under him.” (Heb. 2:8 NKJV).
Not all men and nations are presently operating under the lordship of Jesus Christ, obeying and following His teachings and instructions.
How then does God intend to spread, expand and advance His Kingdom on earth?
Through Christ’s disciples!
Before leaving the world Christ appointed His disciples and bestowed upon them His Kingdom.
Jesus said to them, “But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. “And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me.” (Luke 22:28-29 NKJV).
After His resurrection, Christ commissioned His disciples to go into all the world and make disciples of all the nations – to bring more sons into His Kingdom, to recruit more soldiers into His army, to occupy till He comes, and to spread the gospel of the Kingdom, thereby expanding and advancing the Kingdom of God on earth (Matt. 28:18-20, Luke 19:11-27).
This is the Great Commission of the Church!
In obedience to the Great Commission, the early Disciples of Christ went everywhere preaching the gospel of the Kingdom, demonstrating the power of the Kingdom of God, casting out demons, setting free the captives of the devil, and raising more disciples and soldiers for Christ.
They were rightly referred to as “men who turned the world upside down.” (Acts 17:6). They invaded and permeated the then world with the doctrines, principles and values of God’s Kingdom (Acts 5:28).
This is what is expected of us as Christ’s disciples today!
Sadly, unlike the early apostles, we have reduced God’s kingdom today to eating and drinking. Many servants of God today are mostly concerned about building empires and dynasties for themselves, and not about expanding, advancing and promoting God’s Kingdom.
Likewise, many believers today are mostly concerned about the ephemeral or fleeting pleasures and riches of this world, with little or no interest in promoting and advancing God’s kingdom.
Beloved, like Jesus Christ, you are also a stone cut without hands to confront and overthrow wickedness, crime, injustice, corruption, immorality, and such ills in your community, city and nation, and to spread, manifest, promote and advance the values and virtues of God’s Kingdom through the preaching of the gospel of Christ.
1 Peter 2:4-6 – NKJV
4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,
5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”
What does it mean to be a stone cut out without hands?
How did God cut out the believers without hands after Christ?
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Find out in the second part of this piece!
Prayer: My Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for making me a cut-out stone after Christ to overthrow anti-Christ kingdoms and establish Your Kingdom in my sphere of influence, in Jesus’ name. Amen.