In Daniel 2, the king of Babylon has a puzzling dream. God reveals the meaning to Daniel, who then explains it to the king. 

In short, the king has seen a big statue made of different materials: gold, silver, bronze, iron, and clay.

At the end of the dream, a stone (or rock) hits the image and breaks it apart. The stone becomes a great mountain filling the whole earth (verse 35). Clearly, there is something special about the stone.

In verse 44 Daniel goes on to explain what the stone represents: “the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people.”

Roughly 600 years later, Jesus would be born. And guess what? The New Testament specifically calls him a “rock” and “cornerstone.” We find this in passages like Matthew 21:44, Luke 20:18, Romans 9:33, and 1 Peter 2:6-8.

What we know now, therefore, is that the kingdom of Christ is growing. All the kingdoms of the world will pass away, and the full and final kingdom “that shall never be destroyed” will be that of Jesus!

In Daniel’s day, the point of the dream was that even though Babylon was strong in the 6th century B.C., it would one day come to an end. All human kingdoms have an end date, but not the kingdom of God.

Today, we can continue to take comfort in this. Are you disappointed in the governments of the nations? Are you upset and frustrated with the kingdoms of this world? If so, you’re not alone. However, all of them will come to an end. Their power, plans and plodding will expire. The kingdom of God—which, in Christ, you and I are a part of—will outlast them all! And this is a source of unending hope.

If you watch, listen to, or scroll the news, it’s easy to be discouraged. I understand. But the powers of this world are not the only powers that exist. They are not ultimate. And they will not last. 

Only the kingdom of Jesus will endure forever. As he himself says in Mark 13:31: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”

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Notes:

-The Up Devotional is published 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) and returns on January 26, 2026.
-Bible quotes are from the ESV.