Daniel 7

1-8 Visions of the Four Beasts

1-3 In the first year of Belshazzar, Daniel has a dream about four beasts coming up out of the sea.

4 1st beast – like a lion with eagles’ wings, whose wings are plucked off, then it stands like a human, with a human mind.

5 2nd beast – like a bear, with 3 tusks, told to devour many bodies.

6 3rd beast – like a leopard, with 4 wings and 4 heads, given dominion

7-8 4th beast – greater than the rest, with destructive iron teeth and ten horns, out of which a little horn with human eyes and an arrogant mouth appears, while 3 other horns are plucked out.

9-14 Judgment before the Ancient One

9-10 As Daniel watches, an Ancient One with white clothing and hair appears in a throne of fiery flames with fiery wheels, served by 10,000 thousands, sitting in judgment, while the books are opened.

11-12 The beast is put to death and burned; dominion taken away from the other beasts, but their lives prolonged for a season and a time.

13-14 One like a human is presented by the Ancient One, given dominion over all people, with an everlasting kingdom.

15-28 Daniel’s Vision Interpreted

15-18 Daniel asks one of the attendants for an interpretation, and he tells him that the four great beasts represent four earthly kings, but the holy ones of the Most High will receive an eternal kingdom.

19-22 He is curious about the fourth beast, and as he watches, the small horn makes war with the holy ones, prevailing over them, until the Ancient One comes, and the holy ones possess the kingdom.

23-25 The fourth beast will be a kingdom different than the others, which will devour and break the earth. Out of this kingdom will come 10 kings, and then another one who will put down three kings, speak out against the Most High, attempting to change the law and overpower the holy ones.

26-27 When the court judges the fourth beast, his dominion will end, and the kingdom will be given to the holy ones, who will be served by all dominions.

28 Daniel’s thoughts terrify him, he turns pale, and keeps the matter in his own mind.

Simple interpretation of the preceding: It refers to the same kingdoms as in Daniel 2. The first four kingdoms are Babylon, Persia, Greece, and either Rome or Syria, with various sub-kingdoms. According to Matthew Henry,

Whether we understand the fourth beast to signify the Syrian empire, or the Roman, or the former as the figure of the latter, it is plain that these verses are intended for the comfort and support of the people of God in reference to the persecutions they were likely to sustain both from the one and from the other, and from all their proud enemies in every age; for it is written for their learning on whom the ends of the world have come, that they also, through patience and comfort of this scripture, might have hope.