'O Fools and Slow of Heart to Believe.'

 If you were to ask me why I believe in God and Jesus Christ, I'd have to tell you that my beliefs were solidified by prophecy. Jesus did this…

'Then he (Jesus) said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.  But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.  And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.' 

Luke 24:25-35

Jesus said- 'slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken' 

The prophets speak what? Prophecy. They predict, they teach, they guide. 

Jesus spoke of prophets. If Jesus our Savior spoke of the prophets, aren't we supposed to listen? The prophets- prophecy- prophecies concerning Jesus.

Do you realize that Jesus was PROPHESIZED, and this is so important for us to comprehend! How do we NOT understand that Jesus' beginning, His ministry, His end on earth, His resurrection, His heavenly work and His return for His people, and His eternity with His people- ALL of this is PROPHECY. 

We need to know prophecy. Please, may we let the Lord teach us prophecy, all we need to know, all by the Holy Spirit, through the mercy and grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ now and forever!!!!!!! AMEN!

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CHAPTER VII. THE KINGDOM AND THE KING

Continued…

We now return to the words of the young prophet in the explanation of the dream. Verse 41. "And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes part of potter's clay and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided." 

The iron kingdom was to be divided into different kingdoms, according to the number of toes on the image of a man. Daniel had a vision, recorded in chapter seven, in which he saw four great beasts, which also represent four great kingdoms the same as the four metals of the great image, and the fourth beast had ten horns, which are said to be ten kingdoms. Verse 24. The ten toes of the image represent the same ten kingdoms.

"But there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay." 

The fourth kingdom was not overthrown in the manner in which the preceding ones were, so as to let the power or dominion pass to another territory. It was to be divided, and the iron was to remain in the divisions; the power of the same dominion was to be exercised by ten kingdoms instead of by one universal empire.

Verses 42, 43. "And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly broken. 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."

It would not be possible to find figures more appropriate than these to indicate that these kingdoms should never again be united. Go to the founders where the molten iron is poured into the clay. Sometimes the moulds are imperfect, become broken, and the iron finds its way in every direction--literally mingles with the clay; but they will never cleave to one another. When the mass cools, every particle of the iron can be picked out and separated from every particle of the clay. Partly strong and partly broken or brittle, well represents the condition of the several kingdoms which sprung up on the territory of the Roman empire. Bishop Lowth, in his "Commentary on Daniel," says:-- "The toes of the image signify the ten kingdoms who were in after times to divide the kingdom among themselves. . . . This partition of the Roman empire

will divide its strength, and by consequence be a diminution of its power."

This dividing is another fact in the identification of the fourth kingdom as the Roman empire. It was not true of either of the other great kingdoms that it was broken into ten kingdoms and thus stood for a long time. The Grecian empire was divided into four parts, as will be seen in Daniel seven and eight and as noticed in all history. But the Roman empire was divided into half a score of kingdoms, most of which remain unto this day. And there would be scarcely any earthly limit to their power were it not for one thing: the word of prophecy long ago declared, "They shall not cleave one to another." They may enter into confederacies and form alliances, but they shall not stand. Ambitious men, as Charlemagne, Napoleon, etc., may think to hold the kingdoms in their own power,--to unite the nations in their own interests, to serve their own purposes; but look again, and where are they ? Now proudly riding on the waves of victory, they think that they can make a map of the world which shall remain as a monument of the success of their schemes. But

suddenly their schemes have perished with them. 

"Iron and clay" still expresses the condition of those who occupy the old Roman dominion. But the climax, the great object of this prophecy, remains to be noticed. Thus the young captive in Babylon said:-- 

"Verse 44. "And in the days of these kings shall the God of Heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed ; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever."

And thus, besides the four great empires represented by the gold, the silver, the brass, and the iron, another universal kingdom is to succeed them, represented by the stone, which shall be set up by the God of Heaven. In the dream it was shown that the stone became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. It is no other than the kingdom and throne of David restored in the hands of his seed, the first dominion recovered from the power of the enemy, and from the curse which has so long rested upon it. The prophecy concerning this kingdom, revealing its features, must yet be examined.

(From Eden to Eden-A Historic and Prophetic Study. By J. H. Waggoner. 1890.)