Daniel (Greek) 2:36-43: a reflection

Interpreting the king's dream of a great statue made of different metals, Daniel reveals that even the greatest kingdoms rise and pass away, one succeeded by another, all of them ultimately temporary. Daniel tells the king he is the head of gold, but after him another kingdom will arise, and then a third, and a fourth, each succeeding the last, and the last a divided kingdom, partly strong and partly brittle. However great the king's empire, it too would pass, giving way to others; and all these kingdoms, whatever their strength, were ultimately temporary, part of a succession, none of them lasting. This shows that even the greatest human kingdoms and powers are temporary and pass away. Even the greatest kingdoms rise and pass away. Human powers, however great, are temporary. No earthly kingdom lasts; all give way to others. The mightiest empires are ultimately passing.

Notice the sweep of Daniel's interpretation: a succession of kingdoms, each rising and then giving way to another. The king ruled a great empire, the head of gold; and he might have imagined it would last forever. But Daniel reveals that it too would pass, succeeded by another kingdom, and that by a third, and a fourth, in a succession of rising and falling powers. And the last was a divided kingdom, partly strong and partly brittle, unable even to hold together. The message is clear: even the greatest human kingdoms and powers are temporary; they rise, and they pass away, giving place to others; none of them lasts. This is worth remembering in a world that often treats the great powers and structures of the age as permanent and all-important. The empires, nations, powers, and structures that seem so solid and enduring in any age are in fact passing; they rise and fall, and none of them lasts forever. This should hold us loosely to the powers of this world, not overawed by them as though they were permanent, nor despairing when they seem to dominate, for they too will pass. And it points us, as the dream goes on to show, to a kingdom that will not pass, God's kingdom. The powers of this world are passing; hold them loosely. No earthly power is permanent, however solid it seems. The kingdoms that dominate an age will pass like those before. Set your hope on God's kingdom, which does not pass.

That is worth taking to heart, for even the greatest human kingdoms and powers are temporary and pass away, and we do well to hold the powers of this world loosely and set our hope on God's kingdom, which lasts. We can be overawed by the great powers and structures of our age, treating them as permanent and all-important, or despair when they seem to dominate; but Daniel showed that even the greatest kingdoms rise and pass away in succession, none of them lasting. The powers of this world are passing. Do not be overawed by the powers of this world as though permanent, nor despair when they dominate; they too will pass, and God's kingdom endures. Hold the powers of this world loosely and set your hope on God's kingdom which endures, remembering that even the greatest human kingdoms and powers are temporary and pass away, as Daniel, interpreting the king's dream of a statue of different metals, revealed that the king's great empire, the head of gold, would be succeeded by another kingdom, and that by a third and a fourth, each giving way to the next, and the last a divided kingdom partly strong and partly brittle; for however great an empire seems, it too will pass, and all these kingdoms, whatever their strength, are ultimately temporary, part of a succession of rising and falling powers, none of them lasting, which is worth remembering in a world that treats the great powers and structures of the age as permanent and all-important, since the empires, nations, and powers that seem so solid and enduring are in fact passing, so that we should not be overawed by them as though permanent, nor despair when they seem to dominate, but hold them loosely and set our hope on the kingdom of God, which does not pass.