Daniel Chapter 7 - Dream of 4 Beasts
Hello again friends. As we continue to look into the book of Daniel, some of you may be asking, "Why are we spending all
of our time here in Daniel. I thought this sight was about the book of Revelation?" Fair question. The book of Daniel gives
us some basic principles and needed information in order to properly understand Revelation. These two books go hand in hand.
There are many theologians and pastors of various denominations that will disagree with the interpretations that you will read
on this sight. We are well aware of this, but we believe that you, the reader, will be convinced by history and the Bible itself
that we are not erring in our interpretation of scriptures. In fact, not only are we using the rules that scripture itself has
given us about studying and understanding it, our conclusions are the same conclusions that many former teachers of the
reformation believed and died for. Our goal here at Revelation Speaks is to interpret the Bible based on the following rules:
1. Because the Bible was written by men of God that were inspired, it is wise to Pray for the Holy Spirit to be
our teacher and interpreter (Prayer and Humility are essential to properly understanding the scriptures).
2. Always read the verse, phrase, or word in its proper Context (Read before and after the word or phrase in
question).
3. Consult with other portions of scripture to double check the interpretation (Never base a theory on one or
two texts).
4. In order to make room for God to teach us, it is important that we surrender our preconceived ideas and allow
the Holy Spirit to correct any incorrect ideas or add more detail to already known facts.
How Daniel ties into Revelation
Before we get into Daniel, chapter 7, turn in your Bible to Revelation 14. From verses 6 to 12, John sees three angels flying
swiftly through the air, each with a very important message. Notice the third angels message (verses 9-12). This angel is warning
people of the results of receiving the mark of the beast. This takes place just before the Son of Man is seen sitting on a white
cloud (Revelation 14:14). We know from Revelation 1:7, I Thessalonians 4:15-17, etc. that this is referring to the Messiah's
second coming. Also note Rev. 14:16. It says that the earth is reaped. Therefore, those who receive the mark of the beast, do so
just before the second coming of Christ. We will look more closely at these events in future studies. For now, we will move back
towards Daniel 7. In Revelation 13:11,16, and 17, we are pointed to the beast who causes all to receive the mark. He does so by
deceiving and forcing the world into worshipping the first best, whose deadly wound was healed (Rev. 13:13-16,12). This first
beast refers to the beast found in the same chapter, Rev. 13:1-10. We know this because this beast receives a deadly wound which
later heals, then the world worships this beast and its image (Rev. 13:3,4).
Did you notice how the first beast of Revelation 13 (verses 1-10) is described? It has body parts from three different
animals: the body of a leopard, the feet of a bear, and a mouth like a lion (verses 1-4). It also has ten horns on its heads.
We will go into more details about this beast later, but for now, we will go back to Daniel 7. Take note that the beast of
Revelation 13 is made up of the body parts of the four beasts in Daniel 7:2-8. This is a key point to properly understanding
what the mark of the beast is. Please don't miss it. This is just one of many ties between Daniel and Revelation. We shall
see many more throughout our journey. With these things in mind, let us now turn to Daniel 7 and investigate what these
four beasts are.
The Mystery of the four beasts
During the first year of the reign of king Belshazzar, Daniel received yet another dream while he was sleeping. In his dream,
he sees four great beasts which come up out of the sea (Rev. 17:15 compares waters with large groups of people). These beasts
are a lion with wings, a bear with three ribs in its mouth, a four headed leopard with four wings, and a dreadful and terrible
beast with ten horns and iron teeth. After this, another horn comes up out of the head of the fourth beast. It is different
than the horns before it, for it has a mouth speaking blaspheme and two eyes like a man. It also destroys three of the ten
horns that were previously standing. By this time, I would be shaking in my boots, confused and concerned. So was Daniel.
However, God opens to his mind the promise that just after these four kingdoms fall, the Ancient of Days will take his seat and
the books will be opened (Dan. 7:9,10). After the Ancient of Days takes His seat, the Son of Man comes in before Him to receive
His kingdom, which will never pass away.
The order of this vision is identical to the order of Daniel, chapter 2. Do you remember what took place just after the legs
of iron became the feet, part iron and part clay. That's right, the stone cut without the aid of Human hands destroys the statue
and fills the whole earth. That stone, we are told, represents the kingdom of God. Do you see the pattern so far? Daniel chapter
two gives us the basic detail and Daniel chapter 7 goes over the same events, only with more detail as we shall discover.
What are these Beasts?
Lets take a deeper look at the four beasts in chapter 7. Imagine yourself in the middle of this vision and now you see an
angel standing by. This is your chance to find out what these beasts represent. Keep in mind that Daniel is receiving this
vision nearly 50 years after the vision of chapter 2. He knows that the head of Gold is near the end of its reign and he is
wondering about the next kingdom, the arms and chest of silver. So God gives him another glimpse into the future starting in
the present. After seeing these strange beasts, Daniel asks one of the angels standing by in his vision what all these things
mean. So the angel of the Lord begins to explain the vision. The four beasts represent "four kings . . . " "But
the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever",
Daniel 7:17,18.
What were these kingdoms? The first kingdom represented by a lion with "eagle's wings" is Babylon. A fitting symbol
of Babylon considering if you were to visit the city of Babylon, you would have seen lions engraved in the walls of the city and
you would even find a statue depicting a lion about to devour a girl. The lion has been looked upon as the "king of the
jungle" for centuries. It's power and beauty have caused it to be respected by human and beast alike. Just as gold is the
most precious of all metals, so the lion is the most respected of all land mammals.
The bible says, "You, O king, are a king of kings. . ." "But after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to
yours", Daniel 2:37,39. Notice the exalted position that Babylon is given. One more strong proof that Babylon is the first
beast is the pattern of the visions of chapters 2 and 7. In both chapters, four kingdoms are depicted followed by the fourth
kingdom being divided into many parts and then the kingdom of God is set up. This lion was different from other lions in that it
had "eagle's wings", ibid. 7:3. These wings refer to the speed in which Babylon conquered. Habakkuk 1:6-8 describes the
Chaldeans (Babylonian kingdom) as "A bitter and hasty nation. . ." which "fly as the eagle that hastens to
eat." Clearly, these visions are covering the same ground. They span from Daniels time down through the ages to the end of
the world.
The Next beast was a bear. "It was raised up on one side . . ." and ". . . it had three ribs in its mouth" Daniel 7:5. Although
not directly mentioned in chapter 2, the kingdom to follow Babylon was the Medo-Persian kingdom. Daniel 5:30 tells us that Darius,
the Mede, captured the Babylonian kingdom. An interesting fact about the Medes and the Persians is that they ruled jointly. The
bear is raised up higher on one side because the Persians became greater that the Medes. The bear is a fitting symbol of Medo-Persia
for many reasons. Just as the bear is inferior to the lion, so the Medes and the Persians never achieved the wealth and brilliance
of Babylon. They also had another striking characteristic of bears. They were ruthless and cruel, destroying everyone and everything
in their path. The three ribs in the bears mouth represented the three kingdoms that contended with the Medo-Persians and were
overthrown. They are Egypt, Babylon, and Lydia.
Daniel 8:20,21 (which we will study later) tells us that Greece would be the kingdom to overthrow the Medes and the Persians.
It should be noted that Daniel was given this vision at the beginning of the Medo-Persian kingdom when he was an old man. This
kingdom ruled from 539 B.C. to 331 B.C. There is no way he could have known this fact if God had not chosen to reveal it. Greece
was denoted by a leopard with four heads and four wings. Have you ever seen such a beast? Once again, God uses an animal that is
a very fitting symbol. Alexander the Great, the one from world history class, was the General and king of the empire. In just 12
years, he managed to take over nearly all of the Medo-Persian kingdom and expand its borders. Although he was a mighty general
and considered to be unconquerable, he was never able to keep is passions and lusts in check and died by the age of 32. Although
he had a son, his son was not old enough to take the thrown so he split the Grecian empire between his four generals. The four
heads of the leopard represent the four generals who received the kingdom from Alexander.
The fourth beast, which Daniel was unable to recognize was the Roman empire. As we look into
To be continued . . .
Reviewing the visions
Below is a review of the visions of Daniel chapters 2 and 7 in chart form.
| Daniel 2 - The Image |
Daniel 7 - Four Beasts |
Daniel 8 - Ram, Goat, etc. |
The Head
of Gold |
Kingdom of Babylon |
Lion with wings |
Kingdom of Babylon |
|
|
| Arms & Chest of Silver |
Next Kingdom, Medo-Persia |
Bear raised on one side |
Kingdom of Medo-Persia |
|
|
Belly & Thighs
of Bronze |
Third Kingdom, Greece |
Leopard with four heads |
Kingdom of Greece |
|
|
Legs of
Iron |
Fourth Kingdom, Roman Empire |
Dreadful Beast with Ten Horns |
The Roman Empire |
|
|
Feet Partly
Iron, Partly
Clay |
Divided
Kingdom(s) |
Ten Horns of Beast |
Ten Divisions of Rome |
|
|
|
|
Little Horn with eyes, mouth |
To be identified later |
|
|
Stone cut
without
Human Hands |
Everlasting
Kingdom
of God |
Great event in Heaven |
Kingdom received by Son of Man |
|
|
All texts quoted are from the New King James Version (NKJV).
Written by Jason P Knarr
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