I will watch eagerly for the great mountain that will one day fill the whole earth.

As you looked on, a stone was cut out, not by human hands, and it struck the statue 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 all broken in pieces and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
Daniel 2:34-35

In preparation for a class I am taking next semester, I have begun rereading the book of Daniel. The last time I read this portion of Scripture in its entirety was during my first year of college at the age of 18. And while it may have only been a little over four years ago, I am a totally different person now than I was then. I may have the same reason for reading Daniel (school), but this time around I am reading with more than just my mind: I am reading with my heart.

This particular passage struck me with hope and awe. One day, all the fallen and miserable kingdoms of this world will end. They will not just fade away, though. They will shatter and crumble beneath the great and coming reign of God. This is not a picture of the old being quietly replaced with the new. It is a vision of the power and supremacy with which God will establish his glorious kingdom. Does this not excite you?

Previously, I was more inclined to favor the idea of God peacefully sweeping aside his enemies, not crushing them with a giant stone and grinding them to bits. However, I must concede that God is not safe (remember Aslan?), and he confronts every one of us with the truth of himself. It may just be that the kingdoms of mankind will only acknowledge him in the face of so great a blow.

God is not just a God of wrath, though. He ultimately destroys the other kingdoms so that his may be established. In his kingdom, there is peace and joy; no pain or strife is present; and we can experience the ultimate union and communion with him. Let us await this coming day–not in fear of God’s judgment but with hope in his making-things-right.