The Gospel in Daniel

Daniel 2:1: And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.

Daniel had finished his special three years of university education. Now the Lord opened the way for him to help those people in Babylon who did not know of His truth, or understand His character of love. He had chosen His people Israel to be missionaries to proclaim the gospel to their dark world, but they had failed Him. Now He is about to circumvent their unbelief in a fantastic way.

Daniel 2:2-4: Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.

The king was proud of his empire, and his beautiful capital city, Babylon. He hoped it would remain forever. He knew very well, however, as all men know, that some day he must die. Then what would happen to his kingdom?

He was a pagan king, and knew nothing about the one true God of heaven. His only contact had been through God's unfaithful people, the Jews, whom Nebuchadnezzar had been able to conquer and take captive. Since he conquered the Jews, who could blame him for thinking that he was greater than their God?

The people of Israel had loved themselves more than others, and thought that they alone could be saved. Poor Nebuchadnezzar! In his paganism, he knew no better than to do many wrong things. But God could see that his heart was honest.

Although the king was well educated in the wisdom of the world, he did not know the wisdom of heaven. This strange dream made a deep impact on his heart. He could not even remember its details, but God was working to prepare a way to humble the philosophers of Babylon who professed to know true science. He gave Daniel an opportunity to open their minds to reality. Note the method God employed.

What the Babylonians called "higher education" was foolishness. Some of the "wise men" professed to talk with dead people. Some were "astrologers" who professed to read the future through the movements of the stars. It was their custom, when the king asked wisdom from them, to ask him many questions skillfully crafted in order to draw him out to learn what he was thinking. Then they would invent some answer, hopefully to satisfy him. This they tried to do now.

Daniel 2:5-13: The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill. But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof. They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation of it. The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me. But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof. The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king's matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean. And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh. For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.

At last Nebuchadnezzar wakes up to these tricks. Sensing that some supernatural Being is trying to tell him something significant, he is tired after several days and nights without rest. He worries over the dream. He can't control his temper with his wise men. Have not these "wise men" professed to talk with "gods" who did not "dwell with human flesh?" And now they confess before the king that all they have is only the ordinary ignorance of human beings!

Now comes a battle between the education of the world and that which comes only from God. Here are the wisest men of the world in the kingdom of Babylon, educated in every possible branch of learning of their time. On the other side stands Daniel, a youth despised, coming from a people who are conquered slaves. But Daniel had received the education and knowledge of God.

We cannot approve of the anger and cruelty which Nebuchadnezzar shows toward his professed "wise men." But we must remember that this is the anger of an autocrat who has been deceived by those whom he has trusted. And all the while, he is basically an honest man.

However, this terrible cruelty is an evidence of the truthfulness of the book of Daniel. Ancient historians such as Herodotus tell of Eastern rulers notorious for the barbarity of their punishments, especially the Assyrians and Persians. Dismemberment, tearing bodies apart, is portrayed in Assyrian bas-reliefs on stone, and is also described in the law codes of Babylonia and Assyria. The picture Daniel gives us is supported by history.

Note that these were pagan "wise men" who believed that God's "dwelling is not with flesh." In the end of time there will be only two basic religions in the world:

(1) That "faith of Jesus" which declares (as Scripture says) that in His incarnation the Son of God "was made in the likeness of men," that "God [sent] His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh," that He was "in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin," that He "condemned sin in the flesh" by denying self all His life up to Gethsemane and even to His cross. (Philippians 2:5-8; Romans 8:3, 4; Hebrews 4:14; John 5:30, 6:38; Matthew 26:39) And

(2) this belief of the pagan "wise men" of Babylon in a "god" who does not "dwell with flesh," that the Son of God did not "take" our fallen, sinful flesh upon Himself, but was cut off from DNA identity with the human race through some dogma of an Immaculate Conception, so He could not be "in all points tempted like as we are," thus removing from humanity our Savior from sin and substituting for us a savior in sin.

Daniel 2:14-18: Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon: He answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel. Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation. Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

Do not forget that Daniel has received the summa cum laude in the examination at the close of his three-year university course. He was enthusiastically listed as "ten times wiser" than the others; and yet he humbly seeks God for wisdom and asks his friends to pray with him and for him. True education does not allow anyone to be proud.

It was good that the king had apparently forgotten about Daniel when he called his "wise men" to tell him what the dream was. Had he called him first, there would have been no opportunity to expose the empty pretensions of these "wise men." Daniel probably remembered the promise of David in Psalm 25:12-14: "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant." Perhaps he remembered the promise in Proverbs 3:25-26: "Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken." In severe crisis, he chose to believe the Good News in God's promises. He is one of the heroes listed in Hebrews 11 who "pleased God" because they believed what He said (vs. 6).

Daniel 2:19-23: Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changes the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: He revealeth the deep and secret things; he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast made known unto us the king's matter.

Notice:

(1) Daniel's confidence that truly the Lord had revealed to him the dream of the king. He would not ask the king timidly whether this might be his dream or not. Instead he praises the Lord for revealing it to him. He risks everything on this faith.

(2) We are reminded that in our prayers to God we should praise Him for the accomplished fact of His goodness and mercy to us.

(3) We see how Daniel understood that this revelation came in response to the prayers of his friends as well as his own. He did not take the honor to himself alone. The true Christian will not deprive others of the credit which belongs to them.

Note also how Daniel confesses that true wisdom comes only from the God of heaven. Magic and witchcraft are not its sources. Astrology deserves to be classed with "science falsely so called" (1 Timothy 6:20). These currently popular superstitions are modern examples of the ancient ignorance of the Babylonians of Daniel's day. Daniel is an up-to-date book!

Daniel 2:24-25: Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him: Destroy not the wise men of Babylon; bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation. Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation.

Thank God Daniel is magnanimous enough to ask to have the lives of the foolish "wise men" saved, although they do not deserve mercy. Daniel hopes that among them there might be found some willing to listen to truth and find salvation through the story of the king's dream. Their lives are saved because of Daniel, a servant of God: in the same way today God spares the lives of many wicked people because of the few righteous ones among them. (See Genesis 18:26-32 for an example of how God works even now.)

Daniel 2:26-30: The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof? Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; but there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these; as for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass. But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.

The dream given to Nebuchadnezzar reveals "what shall be in the latter days." It extends to our days. Daniel is not ancient history. It's more modern than tomorrow's TIME magazine.

As a servant of God, Daniel takes no credit to himself for his understanding. He gives it all to God. His motive: that the king also might learn to believe the God of truth. He makes certain at the very beginning of his lecture before what was probably a packed house that the thoughts of all who are listening might be directed not to himself but to the God of heaven. At last God has a youth whom He can trust!

Then Daniel goes on to tell the dream and then explain it, the king listening anxiously in confidence, obviously breathless with interest.

Daniel 2:31-35: Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

Because Nebuchadnezzar is an idolater, he is at first pleased to see this image. But when he sees the image broken to pieces and blown away by a hurricane, he is shocked. Is all his worship of images worthless?

As the feet of the image are of clay, so the foundation of worldly riches and worldly greatness is only dust. Its end: to be blown away.

We can imagine how fascinated the king is to hear this confident youth explain carefully the mysterious dream which he had forgotten. We can almost hear him exclaiming with excitement, "Yes, that's my dream! Thank you! Please go on; tell me what it means."

Daniel 2:36-38: This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.

The king is patriotically proud as he realizes that his kingdom, "the glory of kingdoms," is represented by the head of gold. But Daniel quickly reminds him: all his wealth and authority and honor in which he rejoices, is not his because of his valor and skill at arms. It was given to him by the great King, the God of Heaven, in trust for the good of mankind. For the first time in his life, the king begins to realize that there is a "Savior of the world," a plan of salvation for the world; and he is called to serve that Savior as His agent for the good of the world. Great thoughts begin to illuminate his mind.

The First Great World Empire

The wonder of the ancient world, it was bigger than ordinary cities of that time, being about 10 miles in circumference. The Euphrates flowed through it. Massive walls surrounded the city. Huge brass gates guarded entrances by way of the river. Slaves kept gardens and magnificent palaces in pristine condition. Two palaces were built one on either side of the Euphrates, joined by a tunnel under the river to allow people to go back and forth. Saddam Hussein probably got his idea of numerous palaces in modern Iraq from Nebuchadnezzar's architectural exploits. Babylon said, "I shall be a lady forever. ... I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children" (Isaiah 47:7-8). This kingdom of Babylon was indeed the head of gold, the world's richest, ever. Let's not underestimate the driving force of the psychic drive of modern Iraqis; they hold memories of their history.

Daniel 2:39: "And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth."

After ruling for forty-three years Nebuchadnezzar was succeeded by kings who drove the empire downhill. The last was Belshazzar (see chapter 5). He was the co-ruler on the night when the Medes and Persians surrounded the city, found entrance through the river and captured the kingdom. Daniel was still living at that time, now a very old man.

The prophet Isaiah had clearly prophesied the fall of Babylon nearly two hundred years before. He was so precise in his prophetic foreknowledge that he mentioned the name of the second kingdom of the world, the Medes and the Persians (Isaiah 13:17-19). Further, in his prophecy he mentioned the name of the king, Cyrus, who would humiliate the proud city (Isaiah 44:28; 45:1-3).

Babylon's end must come. Cyrus and his army surround the walls of the city to take it by force. The Babylonian soldiers and people inside are celebrating a holiday, something like our Christmas. The food stored within the city they think is sufficient for twenty years, and there are ample gardens for growing more. There is no army that can break down walls so thick, nor destroy such gates of brass. But the prophecy says that Babylon shall be destroyed. In a way that those who defended the city could never understand, the word of the Lord is fulfilled completely. Cyrus, clever and brilliant militarily, having received news that on a certain day the city is to be given up to drunkenness and feasting, purposes to overthrow them while they are having great fun.

He turns aside the Euphrates river into a low place in the ground, to make a lake outside the city. As the waters slowly and silently subside, he and his soldiers stealthily creep under the gates of brass to enter the city at midnight, walking on the river bottom. Lo! they find the gateways leading up from the river into the city left open by drunken watchmen, just as the Lord has promised he should find them (Isaiah 45:1). Brandishing their swords and screaming, soldiers rush upon their drunken Babylonian victims. Tonight the Babylonian king Belshazzar is slain upon his throne together with the rulers of his kingdom. The second empire, of silver, the kingdom of the Medes and Persians, now begins to rule the world.

Second Great World Kingdom

They ruled for about two hundred years, beginning in 538 B.C. But the seeds of destruction were already sprouting within their kingdom. Their pride and cruelty, together with their drunkenness, conquered their own government. The Bible book of Esther details the moral lassitude of the empire. Now they must in turn be conquered by a small nation from the west, a nation of courage and vigor ruled by a king who was a mere youth. Although the Medes and Persians were wealthy and could afford a tremendous military, and although their soldiers were many in number, they were overmastered by these few Greeks under Alexander the Great. The fall came in 331 B.C.

Alexander's soldiers spent a whole month gathering the spoils of the battle. Now the third world empire of the Greeks has begun to bear rule over all the earth. History has now passed from the breast and arms of silver to the thighs of brass of the image. Aside from Daniel, in no other book ever published is world history portrayed so clearly in so brief a manner.

The Third Great World Kingdom

"He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city" (Proverbs 16:32). The enemy of Alexander was his own self; his weakness was his love of passion. Some times he had killed his own friends in drunken debauches. One day he encouraged twenty of his soldiers to drink themselves to death. History says he became ill after one of his drunken spells and died on June 13, 323 B.C. at the age of only 32. He tore down that which he himself had built up. Now comes the greatest of all world empires.

Daniel 2:40: And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.

By 168 B.C. the Greeks were conquered by another nation, also small and courageous, who came from still further west. This was the kingdom of the Romans. Thus the kingdom has passed from the thighs of brass to the legs of iron, the Romans.

The Fourth Great World Kingdom

"The arms of the Roman Republic, sometimes vanquished in battle, always victorious in war, advanced with rapid steps to the Euphrates, the Danube, the Rhine, and the ocean; and the images of gold, or silver, or brass, that might serve to represent the nations and their kings, were successively broken by the iron monarchy of Rome."

Rome ruled over a larger section of the earth than any previous kingdom, conquering parts of Africa, Asia, Asia Minor, and Europe.

Daniel 2:41-42: And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. 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.

Rome itself, although the strongest of kingdoms, could not last forever. By the year 476 A.D. it was broken into different parts represented by the ten toes of the feet of the image which were iron and clay mixed together. Some of these portions still remain to this day, such as England, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. (More will be said about them in chapter seven).

Daniel 2:43: 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.

Rome would be the last kingdom to rule the entire world. Men have tried repeatedly to unite these portions of the old Roman Empire into one. They have thought that if Alexander could conquer the whole world, they could also. But all their efforts have been in vain. "They shall not cleave one to another" proves to us that the book of Daniel was written by the inspiration of the Spirit of God.

Every effort possible has been made in Europe to break this prophecy. From time to time, kingdoms have arisen retaining some of the strength of the old Roman Empire (the "iron" is still mixed with the "miry clay"), but the strong ones have never been able to conquer the weak ones permanently.

Charlemagne tried to resurrect the empire of Rome, and was even crowned emperor by the pope in Rome on Christmas day, 800 A.D. But his kingdom soon disintegrated. In the days of Luther, Charles V tried; he also failed, for the Muslims banging on the gates of Vienna continually distracted him. In the days of France's prosperity, Louis XIV proudly tried to unite Europe into one empire; he also failed. Napoleon almost succeeded after frightening all of Europe and even England, but in the end as he lay upon his death bed he is said to have cried out, "O God, you have been too strong for me!" These few words of the Holy Scriptures were stronger even than the arms of England: "they shall not cleave one to another.

"In our days various European rulers have tried to unite Europe under one government. Queen Victoria married her children and grandchildren among the various royal families of Europe, hoping if all the ruling families of Europe were related to one another, they would be one big happy family and would never think of war. But her plan gave birth to a sad surprise: the first World War, 1914-1918. The Kaiser of Germany also was defeated.

Then the League of Nations was conceived for the purpose of uniting all nations of Europe into one peaceful organization. This plan ended in shameful failure; World War II followed soon after. Hitler and his armies carried fire and destruction to all parts of Europe. For a time he threatened England, which had never previously been conquered. The hearts of many brave people trembled. Some who read the Bible began to fear that perhaps, after all, this prophecy would prove to be a failure. But at tremendous sacrifice, the armies of Germany were thrown back, and Daniel's prophecy stood vindicated once again.

Finally in our day, while we are writing these words, the world is looking toward the United Nations as its last hope, or to the new "Roman empire," the United States. Under the dark shadows of terrorism and nuclear war, various governments of the world realize that future wars will wipe out all civilization; hence their earnest desire to unite together. But the words of the prophet Daniel still say, "they shall not cleave one to another."

Not only do the nations of Europe find it impossible to unite together, it's also true of the nations of the Middle East, the Far East, and Africa. Even Muslim nations that profess to be united in a religious brotherhood disagree and fight among themselves. And Kwame Nkrumah's dream of a "United States of Africa" never came true.

Many believed that Russia would succeed where Hitler failed, and would unite the world under Communism. The pope and President Reagan put an end to that dream. The word of God cannot be broken. Like a rock rising out of the stormy waves of the ocean, that word has withstood the attacks of men and armies for well over two thousand years. Though all the kingdoms and all the armies of the world should try to prove the word of God false, they will only fail; "they shall not cleave one to another."

The Holy Spirit inspired this simple figure of "iron and clay." Not only is this constant disuniting process true in a military or political sense, it is also true of attempts to unite religion to the state. In the Dark Ages, popes attempted to unite the kingdoms of Europe to their church; the "dark" part of those Ages was the result—persecution was horrible.

God is the Author of liberty; He does not add His blessings to attempts to unite religion and the state, whether apostate Christianity tries to do it, or whether Islam tries. As we come close to the end, God wants every person to be free to decide according to his own heart whether he/she will conscientiously choose to unite with the Lord and serve Him in His kingdom.

The Kingdom of God is Next

No one else can sit upon the throne of a world empire. God gave this dream to king Nebuchadnezzar for this purpose: to turn our attention away from the vain hopes and councils of men, and that our faith should be established on the sure and certain hope of the word of God.

There is coming a government of peace with happiness and righteousness for all who submit to its rulership (Isaiah 9:6, 7).

Daniel 2:44, 45: 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 for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

The establishment of this eternal kingdom will bring an end to sin. The signal for its establishment is Christ's success in leading a people to "overcome even as [He] also overcame" (Rev. 3:20). All human history for all past ages has been moving to this day. All who dwell upon the earth will see the establishment of this kingdom. Not only will the remnants of the empire of Rome be broken to pieces by this "stone cut out without hands." All nations upon the face of the earth will be included. In the end, there is nothing that will be left except that great stone which was cut out of the mountain "without hands." This will be the eternal kingdom of God.

When and how will this kingdom be established? This kingdom of glory was not established when Christ was here upon the earth, for He said it would come later (Matthew 26:29; Acts 1:6). Flesh and blood cannot inherit it (1 Corinthians 15:50). It will be established in the time when Jesus judges both the living and the dead "at His appearing," when He comes the second time (2 Timothy 4:1). Then He will come in His own glory with the glory of His angels (Matthew 25:31-34).

Thus we see clearly that this stone "cut out without hands," which strikes the image upon the feet represents the second coming of Jesus Christ in power and glory. "Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet" (1 Corinthians 15:24).

When Jesus hung upon the cross crucified, one of two thieves crucified with Him pleaded, "Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom." Reader, will you also join in this prayer?

It is now that God is preparing the subjects of His coming kingdom. It is now that He sends the Holy Spirit to men and women everywhere, calling them to consecrate all to Him, that He may rule over them as the king of Love. Jesus is the only King in all world history who has conquered, not by force of arms, but by the power of love. Millions would die for Him today.

Daniel 2:46-49: Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him. The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret. Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon. Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.

We are happy to know that Daniel did not become proud after such honor. His early home training when a child, the teachings of self-control and humility which his mother taught him, and his education in the knowledge of the King of heaven, all these preserved him from falling into vanity when he was elevated to a position of honor and responsibility so high above his fellows. What great Good News this is, that today as the Holy Spirit works in all the world He is training youth who will, like Daniel, endure such honor in humility.

Daniel's book lives on! And it continues to bear rich fruitage in hearts and lives changed by the much more abounding grace of Christ.