Daniel 7:1, The first three beasts
In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying on his bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream.
This vision occurs in the first year of a new ruler, Belshazzar. A new king would have upset the previous administration and surely Daniel had concerns about the direction of this new king and new administration.
Daniel 7:2-6, The first three beasts
Daniel said:
"In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.
"The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a man, and the heart of a man was given to it.
"And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, `Get up and eat your fill of flesh!'
"After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule."
All the beasts are vicious, frightening predators. The first beast seems to be a combination of lion and eagle, a flying lion? The second beast is a bear, with ribs in its mouth, already eating. The third is a winged leopard with four heads. The fourth and ultimate beast will be described in the next passage.
The vision begins with the "great sea" (the Mediterranean) being churned up by four winds. Then four beasts appear. Recall that the statue of Daniel 2 had four parts, four nations. Here too we have four beasts, presumably four nations. (It is possible that these four nations are not the same as in chapter 2, for there the first nation was that of Nebuchadnezzar. Old Testament scholars debate the identity of these four nations.)
Viewing nations as animals is not unusual. This was as common in the ANE as it is today. In Hosea 13:4-8, YHWH describes Himself as an animal among the nations; indeed as lion, leopard and bear.
Daniel 7:7-8, The fourth beast
"After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.
While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth that spoke boastfully."
The final beast is especially terrifying, but is not identified with a particular creature; it is noted for it large iron teeth and ten horns. Suddenly an eleventh horn, a smaller one, comes up and uproots three of the horns. Like all conquerors, this horn "spoke boastfully"; all these kings are arrogant and proud.
There is a combination of these creatures in the first beast of Revelation 13, see Revelation 13:1-10.
There have been many attempts to draw or paint these creatures. The seventeenth century artist Matthaus Merian (the elder) did an engraving of the four beasts and Daniel. The picture below is from the Wikipedia page on The Four Kingdoms of Daniel.
Daniel 7:9-10, The Ancient of Days
As I looked,
"thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat.
His clothing was as white as snow;
the hair of his head was white like wool.
His throne was flaming with fire,
and its wheels were all ablaze.
A river of fire was flowing,
coming out from before him.
Thousands upon thousands attended him;
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
The court was seated, and the books were opened.
While the beasts are present, the Ancient of Days, the One from the beginning of the world, takes His seat on the Throne. A judgment is about to occur.
House says that white clothing represents purity; white hair represents wisdom (attributed to great age.)
Daniel 7:11-12, The Ancient of Days
"Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.)
The powerful beasts are destroyed. The horn seems to be the first to go, thrown into a blazing fire. The others are destroyed eventually, but not right away.
Daniel 7:13-14, The Son of Man
"In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
The one called "son of man" now appears and is led into the presence of the Ancient of Days. This individual, the anointed one (in Hebrew, "Messiah") will bring an everlasting kingdom. The "son of man" title will be used in the New Testament as another term for the Messiah. (See, for example, Matthew 12:1-8.)
Daniel 7:15-18, The meaning of the four beasts
"I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me. I approached one of those standing there and asked him the true meaning of all this. "So he told me and gave me the interpretation of these things:
`The four great beasts are four kingdoms that will rise from the earth. But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever–yes, for ever and ever.'
Daniel asks one of the beings standing in the presence of YHWH and asks the meaning of the vision and events. Daniel is told that the four beasts are four kingdoms but not to worry -- those set apart for YHWH will receive an eternal kingdom. Indeed, they will "possess" (chasan) it forever. (Once again there is a suggested of a future resurrected life for the "saints".)
The identity of these four kingdoms in debated. House points out that the phrase "four kingdom that will rise..." indicates that all four kingdoms are in the future and so Belshazzar's kingdom is not in this list. Gleason Archer, however, identifies the four kingdoms as (1) Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar, (2) the Persian-Median Empire now coalescing under Cyrus, (3) the coming Greek Empire under Alexander, and (4) finally, the vast Roman Empire.
It is possible that the identification is intended to be fluid. But in the next chapter there will be a vision that is more precise.
Daniel 7:19-20, The meaning of the four beasts
"Then I wanted to know the true meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others and most terrifying, with its iron teeth and bronze claws the beast that crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and about the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell the horn that looked more imposing than the others and that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully.
The fourth and last beast seems to be the most significant. It defeats everything it faces. It has ten horns and then a new one that defeats three others. We learn here that the fourth beast, first described in verse 7, now has bronze claws.
Daniel 7:21-27, The End Times and the Fourth Beast
As I watched, this horn was waging war against the saints and defeating them, until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom.
"He gave me this explanation: `The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time. "
The little horn of the fourth beast is a threat to "the saints", presumably the righteous of Israel. The little horn appears to be winning ... until the Ancient of Days shows up. At that point, an eternal everlasting kingdom is set up.`But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.'
Daniel 7:28, The End Times and the Fourth Beast
"This is the end of the matter. I, Daniel, was deeply troubled by my thoughts, and my face turned pale, but I kept the matter to myself."
Daniel's vision frightens him. There will be more visions to follow.
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