Daniel 7:1-8, Vision of the Four Beasts

This vision corresponds to the vision Nebuchadnezzar had in chapter 2, of the statue of various metals, depicting the four successive world dominating kingdoms, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. But this vision depicts them as rapacious beasts, violent and terrifying. Of course, Daniel would not have lived much past the Babylonian kingdom into the Medo-Persian kingdom, and this has caused some commentators to believe that the historical Daniel was not the author of this prophecy, but rather a later writer who observed the last of these kingdoms and crafted a “prophecy” from real time knowledge. There are extraordinary problems with this viewpoint, not the least of which is it presumes that God does not reveal His mind to humans in predictive prophecy. The first verse, however, states that this prophecy, this vision, was received by Daniel in the first year of Belshazzar, well before the fall of the Babylonian empire to the Medo-Persian empire.

^7:1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter. ² Daniel declared, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. ³ And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another. ⁴ The first was like a lion and had eagles’ wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it. ⁵ And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side. It had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, ‘Arise, devour much flesh.’ ⁶ After this I looked, and behold, another, like a leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it. ⁷ After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. ⁸ I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.

From this first verse it is apparent that Daniel is not directly writing this book, but is certainly giving it its content. In his position of power in both the Babylonian and the Medo-Persian empires Daniel undoubtedly had someone who could chronicle his amazing career. This is the person who says Daniel wrote down the dream and declared it to him to write this account.

The four beasts come out of the ocean, signifying the many Gentile or non-Jewish peoples who are in rebellion against the true and living God. The four winds of heaven are undoubtedly controlled by Yahweh who is stirring up nations and determining their fate in His sovereign will. This does not signify approval, for there is much to condemn in these nations.

The first nation, corresponding to the head of gold in Daniel 2, represents the Babylonian nation, a lion with eagle’s wings that give it a rapid way to sweep over many nations. But then the wings are plucked off, an allusion to the time recorded in Daniel 4 when Nebuchadnezzar lost his mind for seven years, only to be restored to standing like a man and being given his mind back by God after humbling himself.

The next beast, the bear, corresponds to the chest and arms of silver in Daniel 2, representing the kingdom made of two nations, Medo-Persia. It raises up on one side, the Persian half of the kingdom being the superior, and devours three nations (Babylonia, Lydia, and Egypt).

Next, the leopard, corresponding to the waist of bronze in Daniel 2, representing the Greek kingdom of Alexander the Great, who flew as with wings over the then known world, extending farther than any of the previous kingdoms. But Alexander died young and his kingdom was distributed between four rulers, as represented by the four heads on the leopard.

Finally, the fearsome beast, corresponding to the legs of iron and feet of iron and clay in Daniel 2, representing the Roman empire, more terrifying and gruesome than any previous kingdom, eventually weakening into a ten-nation confederacy, an admixture of strength and weakness. And one particular horn of the ten horns that are on its head “comes up” and supplants three of the ten. This could only represent the ultimate antichrist of a resurrected “Roman empire” in the future who is yet to be seen. He will not be a demon but will be a man, hence the “eyes like the eyes of a man,” and will speak “great” things, exalting himself, the book of Revelation and 2 Thessalonians 2 tells us, on a par with God. It is as if the “little” horn becomes a fifth kingdom, a kingdom, as Revelation makes apparent, has yet to come on the scene of world history.

Taking up my cross daily: Lord, I will not yield allegiance to any king or kingdom but You and Yours, despite the many human leaders who will seek such allegiance.