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.
In the days of these kings - in the days of these kingdoms, i:e., of the last of the four. So Christianity was set up when Rome had become mistress of Judea and the world, (as marked by the decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world, including Judea, should be taxed, Luke 2:1, etc.) (Newton.) Rather, "in the days of these (ten) kings" answer to "upon his feet" (Daniel 2:34), i:e., the ten toes (Daniel 2:42), or ten kings, the final state of the Roman empire. For "these kings" cannot mean the four successional monarchies, as they do not co-exist as the holders of power: if the fourth had been meant, the singular, not the plural, would be used. The falling of the stone on the image must mean destroying judgment on the fourth Gentile power, not gradual evangelization of it by grace; and the destroying judgment cannot be dealt by Christians, because they are taught to submit to the powers that be; so that it must be dealt by Christ himself at His coming again.
Moreover, the visible "setting up of the KINGDOM" of glory on earth by the God of heaven is plainly here meant, not the unobserved setting up of the kingdom of grace. That kingdom of glory is only to come Christ's second advent (Acts 1:6). We pray, "Thy kingdom come." The kingdom was and is still preached as "at hand" (Matthew 4:17), but not yet come in manifestation (Luke 19:11-27). We live under the divisions of the Roman empire, which began 1,400 years ago, and which at the time of His coming shall be definitely ten. All that had failed in the hand of man shall then pass away, and that which is kept in His own hand shall be introduced. Thus the second chapter is the alphabet of the subsequent prophetic statements in Daniel (Tregelles).
Shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom - hence, the phrase, "the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 3:2).
Which ... shall not be left to other people - as the Chaldees had been forced to leave their kingdom to the Medo-Persians, and these to the Greeks, and these to the Romans (Micah 4:7; Luke 1:32-33).
Break ... all - (Isaiah 60:12; 1 Corinthians 15:24).