Daniel

Daniel's Dream of 4 Beasts
Interpretation of the Dream

As Daniel lay on his bed…………

 

Daniel 7:1-8

In Daniel 5 we saw Babylon fall to the Medo Persion Kingdom fulfilling the vision of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 2.  Now, 2 chapters later, we're talking about a Babylonian king again.  As chapter seven begins, the text makes a substantial change.  Chapters 1-6 were a narrative of chronological history.  Chapter 7 is the beginning of apocalyptic literature, it took place during the time between Daniel chapters 4 and 5.  Daniel records it in 'first person'. 

 

The first year of Belshazzar's reign would be around 553B.C.  Daniel would be around 67 years old at the time of this vision.  As he lay on his bed, the Lord downloaded a vision into the mind of Daniel. He had 'a dream vision is mind' is the literal text.  The words 'pass through' were added by the translator for a proper sentence and to add a verb where he thought one was missing.  Daniel wrote down the 'substance' of it.  The word translated means the beginning part; this quite possibly could be the 'first' or main parts of the vision.  They were written for others to read and learn from.  It sounds as though Daniel had much more he could have told us but he only wrote down the main facts.

 

This was life in Babylon.  They served, worked; some prayed and worshiped.  They remined Jews when the Babylonians would have them assimilate.  They waited, God had made them promises.  There was a future and Israel would play a key part in it.  The writings would become a prophetic vision to provide hope and assurance beyond just Daniel at that place and time.  

 

In his vision, Daniel found the four winds of heaven before him.  These 'four winds' might be borrowed from Zechariah 6:5-7.  The four winds are the four points of the compass, showing the scope of the vision is not local.  These winds were well understood in the Babylonian culture.  The Enuma Elish, a Babylonian creation text, said that the sky god, Anu created the four winds to stir up the sea.  The stirring of the sea was unrest, turmoil and struck fear in people of that day because the unknown of the deep.  Four great beast came out of the sea of turmoil and unrest.

1. Lion: This first beast appeared like a lion, that had wings like an eagle.  And as Daniel watched, the wings were torn off.  As he continued to watch, the lion was lifted up and stood on two feet like a man.  He was given the mind of a man.
2. Bear: This second beast is then added to the picture.  It is before him without the first beast being gone.  This beast looked like a bear and was 'lifted up' to a standing position, as a man, as a bear ready for attack.  Some physical anomaly of the bear made this raising up more prominent on one side than the other.  The bear had 3 ribs in its mouth.  It was told to get up and eat by some unknown source.  There was a Babylonian dream book called Shumma Izbu.  This book listed many animals and beasts of physical oddities, some of which had many horns, some of which were raised up on one side.  This book would have been known by Daniel.  The vision takes these known beasts and defines them.
3. Leopard: Then there was another beast, again added to the picture with the other two.  This beast appeared as a leopard.  It had four wings like a bird on its back and four heads given authority to rule. 
4. A 10 horn, iron toothed beast:  This fourth beast brought Daniel to awe and terror, it was horrifying in appearance and strength.  The beast had iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled the remains.  This beast was different from the others.  He could think of no animal to compare it to.  It also had 10 horns. 

As Daniel saw this sight, he was taking the ten horns in consideration when a smaller horn rose up among them and uprooted three of the originals. 

 

Daniel 7:9-10

As Daniel watched, this small horn become prominent but that prompted the setting of the thrones and the arrival of the 'Ancient of Days'.  It is interesting that the 'thrones' are plural.  This is seen also in Psalm 122:5 and is consistent to the idea of a divine council of which the Lord presides over.  Daniel sees the thrones set in heaven and God arriving to sit upon the throne.  This corresponds with Revelation 4-5 where John sees a very similar vision.

 

Daniel shares the site of the Lord sitting on the throne;

• His clothing was white as snow
• His hair was white as wool
• His throne was flaming with fire
• The wheels of the throne were ablaze
• A river of fire flowed from Him and the throne

 

Compare Psalm 97:

¹ The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad;

let the distant shores rejoice.

² Clouds and thick darkness surround him;

righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

³ Fire goes before him

and consumes his foes on every side.

⁴ His lightning lights up the world;

the earth sees and trembles.

⁵ The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,

before the Lord of all the earth.

⁶ The heavens proclaim his righteousness,

and all peoples see his glory.

 

The 'Ancient' of days is not about age, but beyond age.  It does carry the idea of being venerable, judicious and wise.  He always was, has been and ever will exists completely as God.  In His clothes we see the purity and righteousness of His being.  His hair of white adds to the idea of being a wise sage. 

 

Around the throne was blazing fire and the wheels of the throne were ablaze.  Our God is a consuming fire of holiness and judgment against sin (Deut. 4:24; Heb. 12:29; see Ps. 97:1–4).   Daniel tells of the fire around the wheels as if everyone knew the throne had wheels.  There are probably many theories regarding the meaning of the wheels.  In ancient times there were drawings of thrones with chariot wheels and they can be seen in various places across the ages.  The chariot throne was for the procession of the king.  From the throne came a river of fire, as if lava flowed from the throne. 

 

As the Lord God sat on his throne, He was attended to by thousands upon thousands as ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him (see also Deut 33:2).  This is a myriad of angels in attendance to serve the Lord as He brought judgment to little horn.  The books were opened.  Every kingdom kept books of the daily activities of their kingdom.  These books would be a record of their wicked deeds, failures and opposition to the Lord and His ways.  These are the divine books, kept in heaven, that detail the deeds of men. 

 

Daniel 7:11-12

Daniel saw this awesome and amazing sight of God's throne.  With his eyes on this, he heard the blasphemous words of the horn.  Daniel must have wondered who would talk this way in the presence of God?  The final beast was then slain and fed to the flames as the other beasts watched on.  The other beasts lost their dominion. 

 

Daniel 7:13-14

One like the 'Son of Man' then arrived on the scene, coming on the clouds.  He was ushered into the presence of the Ancient of Days.  The Son of Man was given authority and dominion over the nations of the earth.  This kingdom would be everlasting and rule supreme over the nations. 

 

This is the answer to the prayer, Thy kingdom Come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  This is what the Jews were waiting for.  They longed for the kingdoms to pass away and the kingdom of heaven to be set up on the earth. 

 

Note: John saw Jesus take the scroll from the Father, as He alone was worthy.  He held it ready to break the seal.  As Daniel saw the books were about to be opened, I wonder if he saw the lamb with the scroll in His hand. 

 

In Daniel 2 we saw the kingdom arrive as the stone cut without hands; cut from the mountain.  This stone would destroy the kingdoms and then that stone would grow to a great mountain, filling the whole earth.  He established that perfect and everlasting kingdom after man has tried for so long to figure it out and failed horribly at it; really only piling sin on sin and adding insult to injury.

 

Daniel 7:15

Daniel was grieved in his spirit.  The Aramaic texts says he was grieved 'in the midst of the sheath'.  The body was to the spirit what the sheath was to the sword.  What do you suppose grieved Daniel? He is deeply troubled by the vision.  I wonder if it was a man of God seeing and understanding clearly for the first time, a world that had rejected God and stood in the path of His wrath.  The visions struck fear in Daniel so he approached one of those standing in attendance and asked the meaning of all that he saw. 

 

The angel then gave Daniel the interpretation.  While the four beasts are kings that rule the kingdoms of man, the final kingdom will be the one God's people inherit.  In Daniel 2 we saw these kingdoms portrayed as a statue: The head of Gold was the Babylonian kingdom.  The shoulders of Silver was the Medo Persion kingdom.  The Thighs of brass was the kingdom of Greece.  The legs of Iron was the Roman kingdom. And the feet of iron mingled with Clay was the revived Roman empire.  Here in Daniel 7 these kingdoms appear differently.  In the eyes of a man, these kingdoms appeared as Gold, silver, bronze and iron. 

 

Daniel's vision is from another perspective.  This is how these kingdoms are viewed from perspective of the Jew in exile, the child of God and ultimately to God Himself.  They appear now as great beasts.  The beasts are all vicious; all of them seeking to rule by absolute power, all of them ruled by fallen men.  Each sought to rule sovereignly and for a lasting kingdom.  All failed.  The first 3 all have some resemblance to animals that Daniel can name.  The 4th is hideous and beyond description.  All of these beasts, all the rulers of these kingdoms thought they were equipped and able to rule, yet they failed.    

 

First Beast

In this vision, the first beast was like a lion and it had eagles wings.  We think of the lion as the king of its world.  The lion is fierce.  A lion with eagle's wings is an interesting picture.  Eagles are also majestic and rule their world.  We can picture a lion soaring on eagle's wings.  What a dangerous and ferocious thing because it was a beast with no moral compass, no guiding principles, no boundaries.  This was the Babylonian kingdom brought to it's peak of power by Nebuchadnezzar.

 

So we see a kingdom that seemed to be so powerful and so widespread and so majestic that it was out of reach.  Jeremiah also described this kingdom as a both an eagle and a lion.  Some of the world's museums house statues of winged lions that came from the palaces of some of the Babylonian kings.  Daniel saw the wings were plucked off as Nebuchadnezzar was humbled.  This lion was humbled; made to stand like a man.  It was given a man's heart.  This kingdom that seemed beyond even God's reach to men was nothing in the eyes of God. It was made to fall in one night.

 

Second Beast

Then another beast rose up, this one was like a bear.  This is the Medo Persion kingdom.  It was raised up on one side; lopsided.  The Persian side overwhelmed the Medo side of this kingdom.  This kingdom was bearlike, fierce, but slower in its conquest; more methodical in its ways.  IN Nebuchadnezzar's dream, this kingdom was inferior to the first.  Yet, when it set out to conquer it was also vicious, more bloodthirsty for conquest.  'Arise, devour much flesh!'  The 3 ribs in this bears mouth probably represent the 3 great conquests of the bear.  That would be Babylon, Egypt and Lydia.

 

Third Beast

This beast is likened to a leopard.  This is the kingdom of Greece with Alexander the great.  This leopard had 4 wings of a bird.  We know a leopard conquers with sudden attacks; brutal and decisive and unexpected.  A leopard with 4 wings would be especially capable of covering great territory.  We know from history that Alexander the Great moved swiftly across the world.  He had conquered it all by the age of 28.  Daniel saw this leopard kingdom had four heads.  Some see the 4 heads as the four parts the kingdom, or the four generals that it was divided to, upon the death of Alexander. 

 

Fourth beast

The fourth empire is likely the Roman Empire, it was a beast of another kind.  It was like no other.  The description of having iron teeth is an apt description of the Roman conquest.  They were ruthless and merciless grinding through opposing armies.  This beast was truly terrifying as it devoured its victims and trampled what was left. 

 

After this fourth beast would come another kingdom, one that was everlasting.  The 'holy people' will possess this kingdom forever and ever.  Who are these 'holy people'?  The angels?  Jews?  The Christians?  By definition, it will be those set apart for His service.  It is not about who will be included by definition, but who will be excluded by their own choice.  Jesus portrayed this as a narrow way.  Wide was the road that led to destruction, a road laid down by the kingdoms of this world as they searched and longed for perfection.  The wide road is one of frustration for lack of contentment; a road that, in spite of appearance, never went anywhere.  Its inclusivity made it wide, without boundary but also without hope.  The road was made extra wide by including anyone and everyone, so no one was left out or offended.  In doing so, it departed from any means of finding answers that give real and lasting meaning and purpose to life.  Obedience, commitment and dying to self were traded for self-worth, self-gratification and a god of their own making.  No one could claim an exclusivity and no one would be offended.  Mankind will always be drawn to ruling our self, doing what is right in our own eyes.  Lines of morality will be erased, boundaries of ethics will be tossed.  Lawlessness will grow worse and worse as we lose any foundational idea of right and wrong given to us by our maker.  We will always be left longing for something greater. 

 

The narrow way is exclusive but all are invited.  It is exclusive to those who would lay down their life to be take up a new life found in Christ, resurrection life.  It is exclusive for those 'born again'.  To be born again one must die to self.  This is to confess our failure to rule our self and claim a new Lord.  It is to step away from the citizenship of the kingdoms of the world and becoming a citizen of the kingdom of God; the everlasting kingdom.

 

There will be one final kingdom that will be eternal.  This idea is rejected by most of the world.  Even those who confess and accept it tend to chase after the things of this world.  Even as citizens of heaven, we live in this world.  It is so difficult to be in this world and not be of this world.  Daniel felt the same way.  The promise on the horizon was great, but the place on which he stood and the road ahead was daunting and scary. 

 

Daniel 7:19-22

Hearing of this eternal kingdom must have been a blessing to Daniel, yet, it was the fourth kingdom he wanted to hear more of.  It was this 4th kingdom that was bothering him.  All the kingdoms of man were as vile beasts that consumed and devoured; they trampled down and made war on earth.  Daniel had seen much of this across his life.  But now, this fourth beast would be even worse.  The other kingdoms were corrupted with sin.  This one has evil at its very core.  Daniel was particularly bothered by the ten horns and the one that came up replacing three of them.  This one horn became larger and more prominent than the others and it spoke boastfully.  This little horn was blasphemous and proud.  Daniel was bothered by the prospect of this little horn making war against the holy people, of the iron teeth devouring God's people and trampling them.  This went on until the Lord came and brought His judgment against the little horn.  This brought the end of man's kingdoms and ushered in the kingdom of God.   

 

Daniel 7:23-25

The angel gave the following information, regarding this final beast:

• The whole earth would be affected by this beast. Trampling down and crushing it. 
• The 10 horns are 10 kings.
• Then another, different king comes from the kingdom.
• This one will be instrumental in replacing 3 of the original kings.
• He will speak against God & His people. 
• He will impose new laws to replace those given from God.
• He will impose a new calendar.

 

Most scholars see this 4th beast as the Roman Empire.  The angel said this kingdom would be different.  Besides being exceedingly dreadful, it's also different in that it was never defeated.  The Roman Empire is said to have declined.  It's as if it went into hiding.  In a sense, none of the first three beasts were defeated.  In Daniel's vision, each beast was added, but the others remained.  It's as if the previous beast was merely absorbed by the subsequent until this fourth and final beast was the culmination and combination of all the previous kingdoms and beasts.

 

We can certainly see the affects of these kingdoms on our culture today:

• From the Babylonians: 
  • The code of Hammurabbi established ethics and responsibilities in dealing with contracts, wages, property, liability and more dealing with law & even religion.
  • The mathematicians were famous; they developed trigonometry. 
  • The clock & calendar and calendar were developed.
• From the Persians:
  • A crude form of air conditioning was employed as far back as 3000B.C.  They invented the windmill for grinding grain.  It was under the reign of Darius that Polo was invented.  It was under the reign of Darius that the took to constructing the first royal road, a sort of thoroughfare to move the king around his empire.
• From the Greeks:
  • The first thing we might think of is philosophy or mythology.  The Greek gods and the philosophers like Plato, Aristotle and Socrates certainly left their mark.  Pythagoras, whose life was defined by politics and religion, left us math and trigonometry.   However, the idea of democracy came from the Greeks.  Theater came from the Greek culture.  One of my favorites, the library first came about from the Greeks (first in Alexandria Egypt under Greek rule).  We should at least mention the Olympics and athletic contests.  And finally, the development of the Alphabet, as we know it today.
• From the Romans:
  • It was Julius Caesar who ordered the printing of the first newspaper. The Roman republic was created with two elected consuls advised by a senate.  This republic led to our current legislative structure of democracy.  The Romans also influenced our legal systems and court proceedings.   Roman culture influenced architecture and technology; they created the aqueduct bringing running water to the city and to homes.  How about mass entertainment; at the Coliseum you might see battling gladiators, theatrical naval battles or Christians thrown to the lions.  It as the Romans that brought us the idea of the three course meal – an appetizer, main course and dessert.   

 

Even though these kingdoms have fallen they live on in some fashion; through the culture, their gods, traditions, art, music, etc.  Here we are a few thousand years later and we can see the influence of each of these in our lives.  These kingdoms all continue on as if they have melded into one.  Is it possible for us to say the Roman empire is still exists behind the scenes? 

 

Listen to this paragraph from an article regarding the Roman Empire:

Because of the Empire's vast extent and long endurance, the institutions and culture of Rome had a profound and lasting influence on the development of language, religion, architecture, philosophy, law, and forms of government in the territory it governed, particularly Europe, and by means of European expansionism throughout the modern world.

 

That's interesting since the angel tells Daniel this kingdom will devour the whole world (v.23).  The Roman Empire didn't devour, crush and trample the entire world.  A 'little horn' never became prominent.  All these things are future.  This is fascinating as we watch a world system today that seems to be policed by the media and held fast by politics of many nations.  Its basis is in humanism. 

 

Listen to the reasons given for the decline of the Roman Empire.

• Antagonism between the Senate and the Emperor (Political deadlock)
• Decline in Morals
• Political Corruption
• Fast expansion of the Empire
• Constant Wars and Heavy Military Spending
• Failing Economy
• Unemployment of the Working Classes
• Decline in Ethics and Values
• Natural Disasters
• Christianity infiltrated the kingdom.

 

Doesn't that all sound familiar?  These problems sound more like characteristics of that empire and not causes.  It's almost as if the presence of Christianity has kept this beast in check for some period of time.  But as Christianity and God are pushed away by the culture the Roman Empire is being revived.

 

All the things that Rome held dear are becoming more prominent right before our eyes.  The world is getting smaller and destined to become a New World Order under one ruler.  One of the things Rome held dear was the 'paux romana'; the peace of Rome.  This idea of world peace will bring the little horn of Daniel's prophecy to power.  He will bring a false peace to the middle east.  More and more pressure is coming to bear on the idea of peace and conforming to a set of common ideals.  These ideals affect religion, finance, environment, military, politics and contain details regarding family, marriage, education, church; right down to what we can think and should think. 

Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. ⁴ He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

⁵ Don't you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? ⁶ And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. ⁷ For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. (2 Thess 2:3-7)

 

The beast seems to be growing right before our eyes.  So much of what we once held dear is being trampled down and it seems to be accelerating.  The proponents of the trampling are becoming more vocal and emboldened.  The only thing this movement lacks is an official owner.  While we know the power behind this beast, we don't know who this anti-Christ is.  It's simply a matter of time before the Lord completely removes the restraining force.  Then the little horn, the anti-Christ will completely devour, break down and trampled everything underfoot. 

 

This kingdom will just overwhelm the world.  This Empire will have 10 kings of some type.  We see this same number 10 in the toes of the stature in Daniel 2.  This seems to show a confederation of 10 nations or leaders.  Then from these 10 horns another comes up and takes out or subdues 3.  This horn is a man.  He is the anti-Christ.  He will be famous for his pompous words which just seem to stun Daniel!!  This anti-Christ will speak boldly, he will be a dynamic speaker and a leader.  People will be looking for leadership and they will follow him and empower him.  At first, we might think, How can this happen?  Won't people realize he is evil?  Go back and look at the frenzied mobs that worshiped Hitler.  This leader will be dynamic and speak the words people want to hear.  He will be praised and worshiped and followed because he will appear to be meeting the needs of a world of people focused on themselves.

 

In Daniel 9 we see this man will make a covenant of peace for 7 years.  This will be the one who appears to bring peace to the Middle East between the Muslim nations and Israel.  He will be hailed as a deliverer; able to do what no one has ever done.  Then this man will break the covenant.  He will defile the temple and set himself up as God and demand to be worshiped.  This man will make war against God and the saints. That was hard to imagine happening not all that long ago, but not anymore.  What will the world think of a Christian in just 5 more years?

 

I'm convinced that what bugged Daniel was that the world would follow this blasphemous destroyer, leading a kingdom that devours and tramples down. 

 

Daniel 7:26-27

The time of this little horn seems to be short, even though it is severe.  The court will sit and The Ancient of Days will strip this king of his power and authority.  The kingdoms of man will come to an end and the power will transfer to a new king, a perfect king and an everlasting kingdom.  This is the transfer of dominion from man and the 4 kingdoms to the perfect Kingdom that is everlasting. 

 

Oh, how Daniel must have longed for the messiah, to come and set things straight.  He saw the 'One like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven' who would receive the all glory, authority and sovereign power.  His appearance as a man may have been what kept Daniel from recognizing Him as his messiah. 

 

Daniel 7:28

Daniel ended his account of this apocalyptic vision, covering only the main facts.  It leaves us wanting to know more detail, but the Holy Spirit inspired Daniel to write just this.  The whole thing troubled Daniel.  This is probably the affect any prophecy should have.  It should deeply affect us and this should cause each of us to consider ourselves today.

 

Wherever you sit (or stand spiritually) today, this study has given you a pretty clear picture of a day that is coming; the day the thrones are set in place.  Many will stand before that throne as the kingdoms of man are called to account.  And the stone cut without hands from the mountain will crush them all.  We need to be sure we are trusting in the kingdom that is coming and not any manmade kingdom.

 

The foundations of all those old kingdoms will be crushed.  All they are built on will be burned away and exposed as fraudulent and without hope.  The kingdom that is coming will be built on the holiness and righteousness of God.  The bible tells us when these events start they will progress rapidly.  We need to make sure we are ready (Is there oil in your lamp?  Matthew 25).

 

©2018 Doug Ford