Unlimited DestinySample

  

Our Lord's expression “kingdom of Heaven", synonymous with the “kingdom of God”, comes from Daniel. In Daniel chapter two, the prophet gives a description of the kingdom of Heaven: "A rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands" that "became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth" (Daniel 2:45,35, NIV). It's from here that our Lord drew the expression "the kingdom of Heaven" (see verse 44). His parables, and many of His instructions, are based on this kingdom theme.

We find Christ in the stone of Daniel 2. Jesus adopted this image when he said: 

Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder (Luke 20:18; Matthew 21:42,44 KJV). 

Jesus is using the exact words of the Greek translation of Daniel 2:45 onwards, about the stone smiting the image. He is applying the stone to Himself (See also Matthew 16:18).

The Hebrew word for stone is "eben." The word for son is "ben." Scholars have pointed out that “the Son of Man" pictured in Daniel 7:13 is already implicit in the stone of Daniel 2:34. This is “word punning” or paronomasia. Christ is the "eben" (stone) of Daniel 2, and the "ben" (Son) of Daniel 7.

Jesus saw Himself as centrally fulfilling the prophecies of the Daniel. You can also compare, for example Mark 14:61–62 with Daniel 7:13–14. How does this enhance your understanding of the book of Daniel?