In response to my question about Daniel 2 a pastor told me that Daniel 2:44 was fulfilled when the Church was born on Pentecost and set in motion the defeat of the Roman Empire. Is this correct?
It sounds like this pastor was giving you an allegorical view of Kingdom prophecy. Here’s a literal view.
Daniel 2 is a representation of a time in world history Jesus called “the times of the Gentiles” in Luke 21:24. It was given in the form of a giant statue that Nebuchadnezzar dreamed about. Daniel’s interpretation of the statue was that there would only be four kingdoms between then and the time of the Lord’s eternal Kingdom.
History tells us these four Kingdoms are Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. Each came to power by conquering and absorbing the previous one. But Rome was never really conquered, and especially not by the Church. In fact, Rome became the Church and pretty much ruled the known world until the 1400’s when Spain, then England and now the US have taken their turns as Gentile world empires. Prophecies of the End of the Age tell us that some form of this Roman Empire will arise to world dominance again. Then, at the 2nd Coming, the Lord will establish His Kingdom and the times of the Gentiles will end. This will be the fulfillment of Daniel 2:44. How do we know this?
In John 18:36-37 Jesus said He came to be a King but His kingdom is not of this world. In Rev.11:15, which is still in our future, loud voices in Heaven will announce the fact that the kingdoms of the world have become the kingdom of our Lord, and according to Zechariah 14:9 on the day when the Lord returns He will be the King of the whole Earth. Between now and then the final days of the times of the Gentiles will be completed.