3.2-  Discussion of Daniel 7, verses 12-14

>>> Verse 12: The other beasts, (the remaining empires without the Babylon/Rome empire) were allowed to go on living for a limited time, - (this is understood to be for the time of 1000 years: “the millennium”) - But without authority…. What happens at the end of this “limited” time we can see in Rev. 20 verses 7,-9: “After the thousand years are over, Satan will be set loose from his prison,   and he will go out to deceive the nations scattered over the whole world, that is, Gog and Magog. Satan will bring them all together for battle, as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. They spread out over the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people and the city that he loves. But fire came down from heaven and destroyed them. Then the Devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had already been thrown; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever”.  …. It is surprising and in the same time wonderful to note this indication of the period after the millennium. This is the moment when also the devil is thrown into the “lake of fire and sulfur”, after the “beast and the false prophet” had already been thrown in there 1000 years earlier. This is how far this vision goes into the future. The beast here represents the antichrist.

>>> Verses 13, 14: Jesus is shown here as coming surrounded by clouds. See also Mark 14 verse 62: “I am,” answered Jesus, “and you will all see the Son of Man seated at the right side of the Almighty and coming with the clouds of heaven”. Also Mathew 24 verse 30:” Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky; and all the peoples of earth will weep as they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory”. And many more texts refer to clouds surrounding Jesus when he appears. It is like a “code” to help us recognize Him when He returns. (See also Rev. 1 verse 7: “Look, he is coming on the clouds! Everyone will see him, including those who pierced him. All peoples on earth will mourn over him. So shall it be!”). … Verse 14 indicates that to Jesus “was given authority, honor, and royal power” and that there will be no end to His kingdom. See as reference: Rev. 20 verses 1-6, where I will copy only the most relevant parts: “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven…….   He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent—that is, the Devil, or Satan—and chained him up for a thousand years …... so that he could not deceive the nations any more until the thousand years were over. After that he must be set loose for a little while. Then I saw thrones, and those who sat on them were given the power to judge………. They had not worshiped the beast or its image……….. they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and they will rule with him for a thousand years”. ..… And after that, as we have seen above, Satan will be “thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur”, and Jesus will reign forever. 

3.1-  Discussion of Daniel 7, verses 9-11

>>> Verses 9, 10: Suddenly is there the promise to Daniel and to us: God Himself is going to judge these Babylonian, - these hostile- , world powers. We see his throne of judgment and there around more thrones. See revelation 20 verses 4 and 12:

“Then I saw thrones, and those who sat on them were given the power to judge”………… “And I saw the dead, great and small alike, standing before the throne. Books were opened, (see verse 10) and then another book was opened, the book of the living. The dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books”. This is the beginning of the final Day of Judgment, “the day of the Lord”. See revelation 1 verses 10-16: “On the Lord's day the Spirit took control of me, and I heard a loud voice, that sounded like a trumpet, speaking behind me. It said, “Write down what you see”……. I turned around to see who was talking to me, and I saw ……..what looked like a human being, wearing a robe that reached to his feet, and a gold band around his chest.  His hair was white as wool, or as snow, and his eyes blazed like fire;   his feet shone like brass that has been refined and polished, and his voice sounded like a roaring waterfall. His face was as bright as the midday sun”. This image from revelation 1 is very similar to the image given in Daniel 7 verse 9. These two persons are very closely related: Father and Son. Note also that both, in Revelation 1 verse 13, and in Daniel 7 verse 13 the words: “what looked like a human being” are used. These words refer to the Son: Jesus Christ.

 See also Revelation 3 verse 21: “To those who win the victory I will give the right to sit beside me on my throne, just as I have been victorious and now sit by my Father on his throne”. And revelation 5 verse 11:” Again I looked, and I heard angels, thousands and millions of them! They stood around the throne, the four living creatures, and the elders”.  This is what it says also in verse 10 of Daniel 7: “and millions of people stood before him”

>>> Verse 11: The fourth beast is being killed. See 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 8: “Then the Wicked One will be revealed, but when the Lord Jesus comes, he will kill him with the breath from his mouth and destroy him with his dazzling presence”. This fourth beast, representing Babylon/Rome of the end times with its materialism, occultism, impureness, power, inquisition and more, will be judged as described in Rev. 18: 8-10: “Because of this, in one day she will be struck with plagues disease, grief, and famine. And she will be burned with fire, because the Lord God, who judges her, is mighty. The kings of the earth who took part in her immorality and lust will cry and weep over the city when they see the smoke from the flames that consume her”.

3.0- The Vision of the One Who Has Been Living Forever.

In Daniel 7 verses 9 through 14 we read:

“9 While I was looking, thrones were put in place. One who had been living forever sat down on one of the thrones. His clothes were white as snow, and his hair was like pure wool. His throne, mounted on fiery wheels, was blazing with fire,

 10 and a stream of fire was pouring out from it. There were many thousands of people there to serve him, and millions of people stood before him. The court began its session, and the books were opened.

11 While I was looking, I could still hear the little horn bragging and boasting. As I watched, the fourth beast was killed, and its body was thrown into the flames and destroyed. 12 The other beasts had their power taken away, but they were permitted to go on living for a limited time.

13 During this vision in the night, I saw what looked like a human being. He was approaching me, surrounded by clouds, and he went to the one who had been living forever and was presented to him.   14 He was given authority, honor, and royal power, so that the people of all nations, races, and languages would serve him. His authority would last forever, and his kingdom would never end”. 

2.3- Discussion of Daniel 7, verse 8.

>>> Verse 8: We see the appearance of a little horn coming up among the others of the fourth beast. This horn had human eyes and a mouth that was boasting proudly. We read about this same beast in Revelation 13 verses 5 and 6: “The beast was allowed to make proud claims which were insulting to God, and it was permitted to have authority for forty-two months. It began to curse God, his name, the place where he lives, and all those who live in heaven”. To better understand the significance of this beast, there are three more passages in revelation, which speak about this beast as follows:

-1^st: Revelation 13 verses 1-8, where the “beast from the sea” is shown as uniting all godless nations until the time of the antichrist. It had ten horns and seven heads (Satan). On each of its horns there was a crown…. See also revelation 12, verse 3: “Another mysterious sight appeared in the sky. There was a huge red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and a crown on each of his heads”.  (More about this beast in Daniel 7, verses 24 and 25).

-2^nd: Revelation 17 verses 1 through 12, where this beast is shown as being temporarily (see verse 16) united with Babylon. The famous prostitute represents Babylon. We read later on that the beast will hate the prostitute. There unison fails, as also is indicated in Daniel 2 verse 43: “You also saw that the iron was mixed with the clay. This means that the rulers of that empire will try to unite their families by intermarriage, but they will not be able to, any more than iron can mix with clay”.

-3^rd: Revelation 12 calls this beast the “dragon”. In verses 3, 4 and 5 of chapter 12 we read: “Another mysterious sight appeared in the sky. There was a huge red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and a crown on each of his heads.   With his tail he dragged a third of the stars out of the sky and threw them down to the earth. He stood in front of the woman, in order to eat her child as soon as it was born.   Then she gave birth to a son, who will rule over all nations with an iron rod”. We see how the dragon, - Satan -, threatens the woman that gives birth (Israel). Her child, the Messiah, will rule with an iron rod, see psalms 2 verse 9: “You will break them with an iron rod; you will shatter them in pieces like a clay pot”. 

2.2- Discussion of Daniel 7, verses 4-7

>>>Verse 4: Lion-eagle-human-human mind… “almost godly”, without God: ally of Satan. The lion with wings of an eagle is the image of Babylon. See Daniel 2 verse 37, 38: “Your Majesty, you are the greatest of all kings. The God of heaven has made you emperor and given you power, might, and honor. He has made you ruler of all the inhabited earth and ruler over all the animals and birds. You are the head of gold”.

>>> Verse 5: “The second beast looked like a bear”. This is the representation of the kingdom of the Medes and Persians. See also Daniel 2verse 39a: “After you there will be another empire, not as great as yours”, (silver). And Daniel 8 verse 20: “The ram you saw that had two horns represents the kingdoms of Media and Persia”. The ram and the bear both represent the Medes and the Persians.

>>> Verse 6: The leopard with wings.  Representing the Greek/Macedonian empire. The leopard is an animal capable to run very fast, simulating the speed at which Alexander the Great conquered the world of that time. See also Daniel 2 verse 39b: “and after that a third, an empire of bronze, which will rule the whole earth”. Daniel 8 verse 21: “The goat represents the kingdom of Greece, and the prominent horn between his eyes is the first king”.

The goat and the leopard both represent Greece.

>>> Verse 7: A fourth beast, powerful, horrible and terrifying. It had iron teeth. This represents the Roman empire. See Revelation 13 verses1.2: Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads; on each of its horns there was a crown, and on each of its heads there was a name that was insulting to God.   The beast looked like a leopard, with feet like a bear's feet and a mouth like a lion's mouth”. Daniel 2 verse 40. “And then there will be a fourth empire, as strong as iron, which shatters and breaks everything”. 

2.1- Discussion of Daniel 7, verses 1-3

>>>Verse 1: 555 BC. Belshazzar was the last king of Babylon (555-536 BC). … See chapter 5: Belshazzar's last Banquet, with the writing on the plaster wall of the palace…

>>>Verse 2: Spiritual battle (winds from all directions) has trapped the nations. These winds are Gods spirit, and can be for the world as a blessing, but also as a judgment. See Revelation 7 verses 1, 2: “After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds so that no wind should blow on the earth or the sea or against any tree. 2 And I saw another angel coming up from the east with the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels to whom God had given the power to damage the earth and the sea”. Zechariah 6 verse 5: “He answered, “These are the four winds; they have just come from the presence of the Lord of all the earth.” John 3verse 8: “The wind blows wherever it wishes; you hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. It is like that with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

In proverbs it says that the winds are controlled by Gods hands; Proverbs 30 verse 4; “Have any ever mastered heavenly knowledge? Have any ever caught the wind in their hands?

These winds also are there for help and support, as indicated in Hebrews 1 verse 7: “But about the angels God said, “God makes his angels winds, and his servants flames of fire."

>>>Verse 3: These beasts represent earthly powers that come from the nations: “the ocean”. In other words, political, military or spiritual powers (see verse 17). Also see Revelation 13 verses 1-8: “Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads; on each of its horns there was a crown, and on each of its heads there was a name that was insulting to God….. “

2.0- Daniel's Vision of the Four Beasts.

In Daniel 7, verses 1-8 we read:

“1 In the first year that Belshazzar was king of Babylonia, I had a dream and saw a vision in the night. I wrote the dream down, and this is the record 2 of what I saw that night: Winds were blowing from all directions and lashing the surface of the ocean. 3 Four huge beasts came up out of the ocean, each one different from the others.  4 The first one looked like a lion, but had wings like an eagle. While I was watching, the wings were torn off. The beast was lifted up and made to stand up straight. And then a human mind was given to it.

5 The second beast looked like a bear standing on its hind legs. It was holding three ribs between its teeth, and a voice said to it, “Go on, eat as much meat as you can!”

6 While I was watching, another beast appeared. It looked like a leopard, but on its back there were four wings, like the wings of a bird, and it had four heads. It had a look of authority about it.

7 As I was watching, a fourth beast appeared. It was powerful, horrible, terrifying. With its huge iron teeth it crushed its victims, and

then it trampled on them. Unlike the other beasts, it had ten horns.

8 While I was staring at the horns, I saw a little horn coming up among the others. It tore out three of the horns that were already there. This horn had human eyes and a mouth that was boasting proudly”.