“UNDERSTANDING THE BOOK OF DANIEL SERMON 8: CHAPTER 7 “A VISION OF FOUR BEASTS!”

INTRODUCTION:

1. Chronologically, this chapter takes place between Chapters 4 and 5 since it comes before the death of Belshazzar, but it is here because scholars have always divided the Book of Daniel into two parts… dealing with Nebuchadnezzar and the Kingdoms that followed him through Rome (1-6) and the Prophecies dealing with Israel in “the latter days.” (7-12).

2. It is vitally important to understand what are “the latter days…”

Both the Old Testament Hebrew: “אַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים” (acharit hayamim) and the New Testament Greek: “ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμερῶν” (eschaton ton hemeron) refer to the “end times” beginning with the passing of these four Kingdoms, First and Second Advents of Christ, and going through the end of the Millennial Kingdom.

3. THE KEY to understanding this Chapter is to remember that since there is only ONE FUTURE these 4 Beasts must be the same thing as the four Kingdoms of the great image in Chapter 2.

EXPOSITION:

7:1-14 GOD reveals the future Daniel in a dream!

* 7:1-8 The Parade of Nations! (Cf. 2:29-35) (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.

Beast #1 (7:4) A Lion with Eagles’ wings… This Beast represents Babylon and corresponds to the Head of Gold in 2:32a.

Beast #2 (7:5) A Bear with three ribs between its teeth… This Beast corresponds to the Medo-Persian Empire in 2:32b.

Beast #3 (7:6) A Leopard with Four Wings… This beast corresponds to the Greek Empire of Phillip and Alexander in 2:32c.

Beast #4 (7:7-8) A horrific Creature with Iron Teeth, Ten Large Horns and One Little Horn on its head… This beast corresponds to the Roman Empire and the Revived Roman Empire in 2:33.

* 7:9-10 The Ancient of Days! (9) “As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. (10) and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.”

Theological Note: This is a visible manifestation of GOD the Father WHO is seated on HIS throne to begin the judgment on the fourth Beast and his “armies.”

The first three Beasts: Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece were judged and passed out of existence when “the Roman army, led by Lucius Mummius, defeated the Achaean League in 146 BCE, resulting in the utter destruction of the city of Corinth.”

What is pictured here is the final judgment and destruction of the Fourth Beast (the Antichrist) at the battle of Armageddon at the end of the Great Tribulation!

* 7:11-12 The destruction of the Fourth Beast (the Antichrist, who is the leader of the Revived Roman Empire) and his allies “other beasts” that are described in Revelation 12 – 14

(11) “I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. (12) As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.

Theological Note: The “three beasts” in Revelation 12-14, (while called “Beasts”) represent three individuals rather than Nations:

“the great dragon” Revelation 12:3-4 is Satan, himself.

“The First Beast” in Revelation 13:1-9 is the Antichrist, Satan’s false imitation Christ.

“The Second Beast” in Revelation 13:11-18 is the False Prophet, Satan’s false imitation Holy Spirit.  

* 7:13-14 The LORD JESUS CHRIST comes before HIS FATHER and is given the Davidic (Millennial) Kingdom!

(13) “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. (14) And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.”

7:15-27 Daniel is given the Interpretation of the Dream!

* 7:15-18 A calming overview of what GOD is doing!

(15) “As for me, Daniel, my spirit within me was anxious, and the visions of my head alarmed me. (16) I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of the things. (17) ‘These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth. (18) But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.’   

* 7:19-27 GOD’s coming ultimate destruction of the Fourth Beast (the Antichrist’s Revived Roman Empire)

(19) “Then I desired to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrifying, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze, and which devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet,

(20) and about the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn that came up and before which three of them fell, the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things, and that seemed greater than its companions. (21) As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them, (22) until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom. (23) “Thus he said: ‘As for the fourth beast, there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all the kingdoms, and it shall devour the whole earth, and trample it down, and break it to pieces.          

(24) As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise, and another shall arise after them; he shall be different from the former ones, and shall put down three kings.

(25) He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time.

(26) But the court shall sit in judgment, and his dominion shall be taken away, to be consumed and destroyed to the end.”

Theological Note: 7:27 The Davidic (Millennial) Kingdom will follow the destruction of the Antichrist and GOD’s people will serve HIM in HIS Kingdom!

(27) “And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.’

7:28 It is OK to be alarmed by all of this… Daniel was!

(28) “Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly alarmed me, and my color changed, but I kept the matter in my heart.”

AMEN!