Daniel 7:15-28

The Vision Interpreted

15 "As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed within me, and the ¹visions in my mind kept ²alarming me.

16 "I approached one of those who were ³standing by and began asking him the exact meaning of all this. So he ⁴told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things:

17 'These great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings who will arise from the earth.

18 'But the ⁵saints of the Highest One will ⁶receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come.'

19 "Then I desired to know the exact meaning of the ⁷fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its claws of bronze, and which devoured, crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet,

20 and the meaning of the ten horns that were on its head and the other horn which came up, and before * which three of them fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth uttering great boasts and which was larger in appearance than its associates.

21 "I kept looking, and that horn was ⁸waging war with the saints and overpowering them

22 until * the Ancient of Days came and ⁹judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom.

23 "Thus he said: 'The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it.

24 'As for the ¹⁰ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings.

25 'He will ¹¹speak out against the ¹²Most High and ¹³wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make ¹⁴alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a ¹⁵time, times, and half a time.

26 'But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be ¹⁶taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever.

27 'Then the ¹⁷sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an ¹⁸everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will ¹⁹serve and obey Him.'

28 "At this point the revelation ended. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts were ²⁰greatly alarming me and my face grew pale, but I ²¹kept the matter to myself."

Daniel 7:15-28 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DANIEL 7

This chapter contains Daniel's vision of the four beasts, The time, place, manner, writing, and declaration of the vision, Da 7:1, the rise of the beasts, and the description of them, Da 7:2-8, the judgment of God upon them, especially the last, and the delivery of universal monarchy to his Son, Da 7:9-14, the interpretation of the vision at the request of Daniel, being greatly affected with it, Da 7:15-18, a particular inquiry of his about the fourth beast, concerning which a full account is given, Da 7:19-27, all which caused in him many thoughts of heart, and reflections of mind, Da 7:28.

Cross References

• 1. Daniel 7:1
• 2. Daniel 4:19; Daniel 7:28
• 3. Zechariah 1:9, 19; Revelation 5:5; Revelation 7:13, 14
• 4. Daniel 8:16, 17; Daniel 9:22
• 5. Dan 7:22, 25, 27
• 6. Psalms 149:5-9; Isaiah 60:12-14; Daniel 7:14; Revelation 2:26, 27; Revelation 20:4; Revelation 22:5
• 7. Daniel 7:7, 8
• 8. Revelation 11:7; Revelation 13:7
• 9. Daniel 7:10; 1 Corinthians 6:2, 3
• 10. Daniel 7:7; Revelation 17:12
• 11. Daniel 11:36; Revelation 13:6
• 12. Daniel 3:26; Daniel 4:2, 17, 34
• 13. Revelation 13:7; Revelation 18:24
• 14. Daniel 2:21
• 15. Daniel 12:7; Revelation 12:14
• 16. Revelation 17:14; Revelation 19:2
• 17. Isaiah 54:3; Dan 7:14, 18, 22; Revelation 20:4
• 18. Psalms 145:13; Isaiah 9:7; Daniel 2:44; Daniel 4:34; Daniel 7:14; Luke 1:33; Revelation 11:15; Revelation 22:5
• 19. Psalms 2:6-12; Psalms 22:27; Psalms 72:11; Psalms 86:9; Isaiah 60:12; Revelation 11:1
• 20. Daniel 4:19
• 21. Luke 2:19, 51

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "in the midst of" its "sheath"
• [b]. Lit "of my head"
• [c]. Lit "truth concerning"
• [d]. Lit "holy ones"
• [e]. Lit "and unto the age of the ages"
• [f]. Lit "truth concerning"
• [g]. Lit "of them"
• [h]. Lit "its appearance was larger"
• [i]. Lit "holy ones"
• [j]. Lit "given for"
• [k]. Lit "holy ones"
• [l]. Lit "holy ones"
• [m]. Lit "words"
• [n]. Lit "holy ones"
• [o]. I.e. the saints
• [p]. I.e. year(s)
• [q]. I.e. year(s)
• [r]. I.e. year(s)
• [s]. Lit "to annihilate and to destroy"
• [t]. Lit "to the end"
• [u]. Or "kingdom"
• [v]. Lit "holy ones"
• [w]. Lit "To here the end of the word"
• [x]. Lit "brightness was changing upon me"
• [y]. Lit "in my heart"