Daniel 7:1-14

Daniel’s Dream of Four Beasts

1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying in bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream.

2 Daniel said: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea.

3 Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.

4 “The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a human being, and the mind of a human was given to it.

5 “And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up and eat your fill of flesh!’

6 “After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.

7 “After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.

8 “While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being and a mouth that spoke boastfully.

9 “As I looked, “thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze.

10 A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened.

11 “Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire.

12 (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.)

13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man,^[a] coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence.

14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

Daniel 7:1-14 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. S Daniel 5:1
• 2. S Ezekiel 40:2
• 3. S Daniel 1:17
• 4. Psalms 4:4; S Daniel 4:13
• 5. S Jeremiah 36:4
• 6. S Ezekiel 37:9; Daniel 8:8; Daniel 11:4; Revelation 7:1
• 7. Revelation 13:1
• 8. S 2 Kings 24:1; Psalms 7:2; Jeremiah 4:7; Revelation 13:2
• 9. S Ezekiel 17:3
• 10. Daniel 2:39
• 11. Revelation 13:2
• 12. S Ezekiel 40:2
• 13. S Daniel 2:40
• 14. Daniel 8:10
• 15. Daniel 8:7
• 16. S Revelation 12:3
• 17. Daniel 8:9
• 18. Revelation 9:7
• 19. S Psalms 12:3; Revelation 13:5-6
• 20. ver 22
• 21. S 1 Kings 22:19; 2 Chronicles 18:18; Matthew 19:28; Revelation 4:2; Revelation 20:4
• 22. S Matthew 28:3
• 23. Revelation 1:14
• 24. S Ezekiel 1:15; Ezekiel 10:6
• 25. Psalms 50:3; Psalms 97:3; Isaiah 30:27
• 26. S Deuteronomy 33:2; Psalms 68:17; Jude 1:14; Revelation 5:11
• 27. S Exodus 32:32; S Psalms 56:8; Revelation 20:11-15
• 28. Revelation 13:5-6
• 29. Revelation 19:20
• 30. S Ezekiel 1:5; S Ezekiel 2:1; Matthew 8:20*; Revelation 1:13*; Revelation 14:14*
• 31. Isaiah 13:6; Zephaniah 1:14; Malachi 3:2; Malachi 4:1
• 32. Matthew 24:30; S Deuteronomy 33:26; S Revelation 1:7
• 33. S Matthew 28:18
• 34. Psalms 72:11; Psalms 102:22; 1 Corinthians 15:27; Ephesians 1:22
• 35. S Isaiah 16:5
• 36. S Daniel 2:44; Hebrews 12:28; Revelation 11:15

Footnotes

• [a] The Aramaic phrase "bar enash" means "human being" . The phrase "son of man" is retained here because of its use in the New Testament as a title of Jesus, probably based largely on this verse.