I do believe it was Christ at his first coming.
I’ve not considered that view but I will look into it.
I don’t agree with this, I believe the second coming was the resurrection of Jesus and Jesus has conquered all.
I have never heard anyone treat the resurrection as His second coming.... not that it is wrong, but I do not put His resurrection as a second coming. I view His arrival on the first day of the 70th week to be the first coming where He will fulfill all of 9:24, establish His church on the earth, send His Holy Spirit to us. The resurrection is the third fulfillment of the first 4 Spring Feast days that He will complete before His return to His Father. His second return will be where He fulfills the last 3 fall feast days.
I don’t agree with that part but I would like to get your thoughts on what mingling themselves with he seed of men means.
Dan 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.
Here is a cut / paste that speaks to verse 41. I will send the discussion on 42 and 43 later ... they will not fit in one response. By the way, if you notice in this and the next few verses, there is a distinct difference between the order of the iron and the clay within these verses. This should add further support for the contention the Stone broke apart ONLY the iron and the clay within the feet. God will discuss these symbols as they will take place after the cross. The iron and clay, in that order reflects pagan Rome, while the clay and iron represents the change in power from pagan to papal Rome over time.
The fourth kingdom begins with pagan Rome (verse 40) and will continue in various forms until the end of time. This period encompasses part of the second-time bracket and the entirety of the third-time bracket within God's plan of salvation. The second-time bracket covers the seventy-weeks-of-years prophecy, which starts during the Medes-Persian Empire after the Jews return to Jerusalem (457 BC) and concludes 3.5 years after the crucifixion, around 33/34 AD.
The third and final time bracket begins after the end of the 70 weeks of years prophecy and continues until the end times, culminating in the second coming of the Messiah. This final period includes the remaining 400 years of the pagan Roman Empire. In the late fifth century AD, pagan Rome transitions into Papal Rome, representing the divided form of the fourth kingdom. This transition signifies a shift in power and influence, from the unified pagan Rome to the fragmented Papal Rome, which continues to exert its influence throughout history until the end times.
The next few verses in Chapter 2 are quite complex and require careful interpretation. Verse 41 has four parts that need specific attention:
41a: "Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and iron,"
41b: "The kingdom shall be divided,"
41c: "Yet the strength of the iron shall be in it,"
41d: "Just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic (miry) clay,"
These elements provide a framework for understanding the divided nature and enduring strength of the fourth kingdom.
41a and 41B
In verse 33 of the dream sequence, Daniel describes the feet of the fourth kingdom as being partly iron and partly clay, in that order, but he doesn't specify the type of clay or mention the toes. This represents the feet of pagan Rome before the stone (the Messiah) strikes them, breaking the iron and clay into pieces (verse 34). Nebuchadnezzar sees the feet in his dream, but not the toes, as they are not visible to him. Later, in verse 41d, Daniel clarifies that the clay in the feet of pagan Rome is ceramic clay.
To Nebuchadnezzar, the feet would have appeared as a mix of iron and hardened ceramic clay, completely hiding or encasing the ten toes. The identity of these ten toes is revealed in Chapter 7, but Nebuchadnezzar would not recognize their existence.
The breaking of the iron and clay elements within the symbolic feet of pagan Rome allows the Lord (the Potter) to select and mold pieces of clay (potter's clay) according to His will. These pieces represent those of His people who accept Jesus as their Messiah and spread the Good News within the pagan Roman Empire. In verse 41a, the "potter’s clay" primarily consists of Jews, but later includes millions of Gentiles who accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Verse 41a reveals a change in the order of the two elements within pagan Rome, with the potter's clay taking a superior position to that of the iron. This new movement within the fourth kingdom marks the beginning of the Jewish/Christian church. Jesus came to divide, not to destroy. The ceramic clay represents those Jews who do not accept Jesus as their Messiah. The cross symbolizes the event that causes the division of the fourth kingdom (the kingdom shall be divided).
41C and 41D
In its early days, the Jewish/Christian church had no military power and faced severe persecution. Despite their oppression the church will grow exponentially and in the early part of the 4th century, Constantine would come to power and end their persecution. He would decree that Christianity was an acceptable religion within pagan Rome and within fifty years, it would become the official religion of the Empire. However, this is when we find the “strength of the iron shall be in it” (41c). The growing church has moved from a Jewish/Christian church to a Gentile/Christian church with “iron within it.”
In verse 41d, Daniel confirms that the "strength" within this divided kingdom is similar to what he saw in the fourth kingdom of pagan Rome (verse 33). However, this does not mean that clay, whether ceramic or potter’s clay, will ever truly combine with iron in either pagan Rome or the divided kingdom of Papal Rome. The differences between clay and iron highlight the ongoing division and instability within the kingdom.
Even after pagan Rome is replaced by Papal Rome, this fourth kingdom, now divided, will continue to use military power to exert its influence and enforce its religious authority across the world. This divided fourth kingdom would use all its powers to carry out its mission.
As a result, this divided kingdom (Papal Rome) would not be mild or passive. Whether the fourth kingdom of Rome is made of iron and ceramic clay (pagan Rome before and after the cross but before the time of Constantine) or of potter’s clay and iron (after Constantine and the rise of Papal Rome), both versions of the fourth kingdom will rely on the strength of iron available to them. The transition from ceramic to potter’s clay or the change in their order of prominence does not reduce their dependence on or use of military-like power. Daniel could not have fully understood the profound implications of these visions. These verses foreshadow the crucifixion of his God, the non-military division of the fourth kingdom of pagan Rome, the establishment of His kingdom after the cross, and the eventual assimilation of His church by the little horn within the first 500 years of its growth. Jesus came not as a conquering king but as a humble servant, to divide rather than to destroy.
The Scriptures in Jeremiah, Romans, Isaiah, and Luke speak about the "potter’s clay." In Jeremiah 18:1-6, we read about how God, as the potter, shapes and reshapes the clay, symbolizing His authority and ability to mold His people according to His will. Romans 9:20-21 discusses how the potter has the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use, highlighting God's sovereignty. Isaiah 64:8 reminds us that we are the clay, and God is our potter, emphasizing our dependence on Him. Luke 12:7 tells us that even the very hairs of our head are all numbered, assuring us of God's intimate care and knowledge of us. In these passages, the metaphor of the potter’s clay illustrates God's control and care, aligning with the vision in Daniel where the potter’s clay represents those who accept Jesus as their Messiah and spread the Good News.
