VII. Daniel’s Visions and Their Interpretation (Daniel 7:1-28)

VII. Daniel’s Visions and Their Interpretation (7:1-28)

7:1-3 It’s important to note that the events in Daniel are not always presented in chronological order. This particular vision is said to have occurred in the first year of King Belshazzar (7:1), who was dethroned at the end of chapter 5. Later, in chapter 9, we will return to the time period of Darius.

In the first half of the book, Daniel interpreted the visions of others. In the second half, Daniel’s own visions needed interpreting. Years after addressing King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream concerning the four great world powers (see chapter 2), Daniel had a vision related to these same four kingdoms. It’s fascinating to see the difference in perspective between the dream of a pagan king and the vision given to God’s servant. While the sequence of the kingdoms and their eventual destruction are the same, there’s an extraordinary difference in the way they are presented. In Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, these powers were represented by a glorious, awe-inspiring statue (2:31). But, in Daniel’s dream (7:1), these Gentile kingdoms were huge beasts coming up from the sea (7:3), bent on dominion.

7:4-5 The first beast represents Babylon, portrayed as a lion with eagle’s wings. But, the wings were torn off this beast (7:4)—which is perhaps a reference to God reducing Nebuchadnezzar to madness until he learned to humbly give God glory (see 4:28-37). The second beast represents the Medo-Persian Empire, pictured as a bear that was told to gorge itself on flesh. Why was the bear raised up on one side (7:5)? Probably because the Persians defeated the Medes and absorbed them into the empire. Combined, their forces were able to defeat Babylon. The three ribs in the bear’s mouth (7:5) symbolize the three great enemies that Persia defeated in its conquest: Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon. All of them were gobbled up by the Medo-Persian Empire, which ruled for some two hundred years.

7:6 The Greek Empire established by Alexander the Great is represented by the third beast—a leopard. Leopards are incredibly fast, but this one had four wings, thus indicating it could move with lightning speed. The Greeks under Alexander defeated the Medo-Persians in a matter of a few months in 334 BC, and Alexander had conquered the world by the time he was thirty years old. The four heads that Daniel saw refer to the four kingdoms into which Alexander’s domain was split after his death.

7:7-8 The fourth beast of Daniel’s vision corresponds to the Roman Empire. God gave Daniel a much more complete picture of it than received in Nebuchadnezzar’s day, because we find that the Roman Empire will appear in history again, except in a different form—during the great tribulation. This beast was frightening and dreadful, and out of it came ten horns (7:7)—that is, ten kings or kingdoms. Daniel noticed that a little horn appeared among them, obviously of great importance. The key to identifying this figure is that it has the eyes of a human and a mouth that was speaking arrogantly (7:8). This figure is the Antichrist, called “a beast” in Revelation 13:1. He is the final world ruler whose reign of terror during the tribulation will bring to completion the times of the Gentiles, when Israel is trodden down by the nations.

7:9-14 Two other persons appear in Daniel 7, putting everything else in eternal perspective. There is hope for God’s people in every age because the Ancient of Days (7:9) and the son of man (7:13), God the Father and God the Son, have everything under control. Until these two have acted, the story isn’t over. God is called “the Ancient of Days” here because he is the timeless one. As chaos occurs on earth, he is seated on his throne. Daniel was shown a scene from the great tribulation, particularly the final three-and-a-half years when the Antichrist will break his covenant with Israel and demand that the world worship him on pain of death. The tribulation chaos will end when Jesus Christ returns in glory with his saints, defeats the Antichrist and his armies, and consigns all of his enemies to the burning fire (7:11).

That Daniel saw one like a son of man . . . coming with the clouds of heaven is certainly a reference to God the Son because Jesus applied this passage to himself during his ministry (7:13; see Matt 26:64; Mark 14:62; Luke 21:27). Daniel saw him approach the Ancient of Days, who presented the Son with an everlasting dominion (7:13-14). This is a prophetic picture of God the Father handing over the kingdoms of this world for the Lord Jesus Christ to rule in fulfillment of the dominion mandate given to man (see Ps 8:3-8).

7:15-28 The visions were so overwhelming and troubling that Daniel was unable to interpret them. Therefore, he asked one of those who were standing by, probably an angel, to let him know the interpretation (7:15-16). The four beasts were in fact the four kings/kingdoms (7:17; see 2:39-40) that Nebuchadnezzar had seen in his dream. But, Daniel was especially distressed by the fourth beast, which was different from all the others and extremely terrifying (7:19). He was right to ask, because the Roman Empire did not fade away into history as did the other three kingdoms. The angel revealed to Daniel that a future form of the Roman Empire would emerge, characterized by ten horns (7:20): ten kings . . . will rise from this kingdom (7:24).

At that time, the other horn (7:20), the Antichrist, will arise, wage war, and subdue three kings in his march to power (7:24). Once he has seized world power, he will blaspheme the Most High and oppress the saints for his allotted three-and-one-half years—time, times, and half a time (7:25). Nevertheless, Christ will return in triumph, crush the Antichrist and his armies, and receive his everlasting kingdom (7:26-27). In spite of the trials to come, God reigns over his creation and will end rebellion once and for all. Daily we can rejoice because we know how the story ends.