But in the days of those kingdoms, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, and his kingdom shall not be delivered up to another people: and it shall break in pieces, and shall consume all these kingdoms: and itself shall stand for ever.
וּֽבְיוֹמֵיה֞וֹן דִּ֧י מַלְכַיָּ֣א אִנּ֗וּן יְקִים֩ אֱלָ֨הּ שְׁמַיָּ֤א מַלְכוּ֙ דִּ֤י לְעָלְמִין֙ לָ֣א תִתְחַבַּ֔ל וּמַ֨לְכוּתָ֔ה לְעַ֥ם אָחֳרָ֖ן לָ֣א תִשְׁתְּבִ֑ק תַּדִּ֤ק וְתָסֵיף֙ כָּל־אִלֵּ֣ין מַלְכְוָתָ֔א וְהִ֖יא תְּק֥וּם לְעָלְמַיָּֽא׃
5 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Gather the Jews to me at this location. How will they interpret this prophecy? It is evident that human empires cannot last forever; nonetheless, there must be one that is referred to in this manner. If you assert that God the Father is the subject here, pay attention to the phrase "in the days of those kingdoms," referring specifically to the Romans.
This kingdom is not destined for the Jewish people. Although it was enigmatically prophesied in the Maccabees, which spoke of the subjugation of the Greek kingdom, the true fulfillment of this prophecy is found in our Lord.
During the reigns of those kings, characterized by a blend of clay and iron and connected by familial ties, there was a lack of true unity among them. The God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will endure eternally, one that will not be handed over to others; He will dismantle and disperse the entire realm, transforming it into a lasting dominion. See Dan. 2:45
After a brief period, following the reign of the Antichrist, a Stone will descend from heaven. This Stone will strike the body and shatter it, symbolizing all kingdoms, and will deliver the kingdom to the saints of the Most High. It will be transformed into a great mountain, filling the entire earth. Regarding this, Daniel speaks: "I saw in a dream at night, and behold, in the clouds of heaven, like the Son of Man was coming; and even to the Ancient of Days he came and was brought before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed" (Dan. 7:13-14).
The kingdom being discussed stands in stark contrast to the four earthly kingdoms previously mentioned, which were all characterized by idolatry. Each of these kingdoms, tainted by idolatry, was under the sway of the prince of this world, Satan. This dominion will be shattered by the stone that is hewn from the mountain—that is, by Christ, who is also referred to in various passages of the Old Testament as a stone and a cornerstone (Psalm 117:22, Isaiah 28:16). In the Gospel, Christ Himself identifies this Old Testament prophecy regarding the cornerstone as referring to Him, lamenting that the Jewish people in disbelief overlooked this stone (Matthew 21:42). The Apostles further attributed this prophecy to Christ (Acts 4:11, 1 Pet. 2:6, Rom.
9:33), designating Him as the cornerstone, indicating that the Church is built upon Him (Eph. 2:20). The stone destined to crush the realm of the devil will emerge from the mountain without human intervention; this reflects the belief that Christ was born of the Blessed Virgin Mary through the Holy Spirit. "An unarmed stone from an unarmed mountain is cut away from thee, O Virgin, the cornerstone, Christ uniting the disparate natures." Here, the Blessed Virgin is likened to a mountain due to her elevated dignity, for as the Mother of the incarnate Son of God, she is exalted above all cherubim and seraphim by virtue of her moral excellence. Christ will obliterate the clay, iron, bronze, silver, and gold that constitute the statue—symbolically representing His ultimate victory over the devil's kingdom, the destruction of idolatry in earthly realms, and the submission of rulers and nations to His spiritual reign. The Psalms poignantly depict Christ's victory over Satan’s domain. "I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance, saith God the Father unto His Son, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel" (Psalms 2:8-9; Psalms 109:1-2). The rod of iron symbolizes the might of truth, the grace transforming hearts, alongside the miraculous signs that confront all falsehood and evil.
From the ruins of the devil’s kingdom, shattered by Christ, the God of heaven will establish an everlasting kingdom of truth that will not be divided, unshaken by human tyranny. This signifies the eternality of Christ's reign. The church instituted by Christ is destined to endure until the end of the age, as He promised, remaining invincible against the gates of hell. Unlike earthly kingdoms, which are subject to change through different kings and dynasties, Christ's kingdom will perpetually rest under His sovereign authority (not yielding to others), for Christ is King, the same yesterday, today, and forever. Initially, the kingdom of truth may appear small and insignificant, but it will steadily expand across the globe, akin to how the stone cut from the mountain, though initially unassuming, grows into a mountain that fills the earth. This passage is read during the Nativity of Christ celebration because the Nativity marks the inception of the spiritual kingdom or Church of Christ, which the passage reflects; it also parallels the miraculous birth of Christ from the Virgin, echoing the image of the stone being cut from the mountain without human aid.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS