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 to death,  for  that  there  was  no  other  God  who  had  power  to save. The three  young  men  were  raised  to  high  dignities  in Babylon.

The object  of  the  revelation  made  to  Nabuchodonozor.  Only  an obscure  revelation  was  made  directly  to  the  heathen  king. This filled him with  fear,  and  made  him  anxious  and  ready  for  its  further  interpretation, which  was  to  be  given  by  a chosen  prophet  of  God. The object of  this  revelation  was  manifold. Its first  object  was  to  make known to  the  king  and  wise  men  the  greatness  and  wisdom  of  God. This object  was  so  far  gained  that  Nabuchodonozor  professed  himself to be  convinced  that  the  God  of  the  Jews  was  greater  and  more powerful than  the  gods  of  the  heathen. Secondly, it  was  to  make known to  the  proud  king,  for  his  humiliation,  that  his  great  kingdom would not  last  for  ever,  but  would  fall  after  his  death. Thirdly, it was  meant  to  turn  the  eyes  of  the  whole  world  to  the  Messias,  and the everlasting  kingdom  which  He  was  to  found. Such were  the  chief objects of  the  revelation  made  to  Daniel. It is  essentially  a promise of the  Messias.

This twelfth  promise  of  the  Messias treats  of  the  kingdom  of  God (i. e.  of  the  Messias)  in  contradistinction  to  the  kingdoms  of  this  world. The first  part  of  the  vision  foretold  that  three  great  kingdoms  would in succession  follow  Nabuchodonozor ’s  Babylonian  empire. This came to pass. The Medo-Persian  empire  followed  that  of  Babylon;  to  that succeeded the  Macedonian  empire,  and  to  that  again  the  Roman  empire. This last  was  an  iron  empire,  being  kept  together  by  the  power  of  the sword; its  feet,  or  foundation,  were  of  iron  mixed  with  earth,  and  on account  of  this  weakness  it  fell,  first  into  two  separate  empires,  and finally into  many  separate  states. It would  be  at  this  stage  of  the  world’s history, God  said,  that  He  Himself  would  found  another  kingdom,  which would overthrow  paganism,  and  itself  remain  standing  for  ever;  this kingdom being  the  kingdom  of  the  Messias. The stone  which,  without any intervention  on  the  part  of  man,  rolled  down  the  mountain,  signifies the Son  of  God,  who  came  down  from  heaven,  and  by  the  operation of the  Holy  Ghost  became  Man. He founded  a spiritual  kingdom which fills  the  whole  earth,  and  which  will  last  for  ever,  namely  the Catholic Church. Our Lord  calls  Himself  a stone  (Mat.  21,  42),  and St. Peter  calls  Him  the  “stone  which  is  become  the  head  of  the  corner” (Acts 4,  11).

The Church  is  Catholic. According  to  Daniel’s  prophecy,  the kingdom of  the  Messias,  which  was  to  overcome  its  worldly  enemies and last  for  ever,  was  to  be  universal  as  to  time  and  place,  or,  in  other words, Catholic. The prophecy  finds  its  fulfilment  only  in  the  Roman Catholic  Church. For she  was  originally  small,  but  afterwards  spread