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Four Beasts
Most want to tie the beasts of Daniel 7 to the statue of Daniel chapter 2. These are two separate visions and have little to do with each other. These, in Daniel 7, are not four successive kings/kingdoms but rather four kings/kingdoms that co-exist (during the same timeframe) when the Antichrist begins his reign.
We know that these beasts are contemporaneous because we're told that once the Antichrist is thrown into the Lake of Fire, the other three beasts are allowed to remain for a period of time.
In summary, there are four beasts coming up from the sea (humanity): [1] like a lion, [2] like a bear, [3] like a leopard, and finally [4] a ten-horned beast. These beasts are "four kings [and kingdoms, see below] who will [or shall] arise from the earth" (Dan 7:17).
I believe these four are related to the four "conspicuous horns" of:
Dan 8:8-9 Then the male goat magnified himself exceedingly. But as soon as he was mighty, the large horn was broken; and in its place there came up four conspicuous horns [four kingdoms of Daniel 7 below] toward the four winds of heaven. Out of one of them [the fourth one of Daniel 7] came forth a rather small horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Beautiful Land.
There are four beasts of which the Antichrist eventually takes control of one of them (which has ten rulers). He will conquer and rule all four and eventually rules as the beast of Revelation 13:1-2.
If you take the beasts in Daniel 7, that is a lion with wings, a bear, a four headed leopard, and a ten-horned beast, and you combined them all into one beast, you would have a seven-headed ten-horned beast with characteristics of a bear, a leopard and a lion, exactly what we see in Revelation 13.
CLICK HERE! for an index to previous blogs.
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Four Beasts
Most want to tie the beasts of Daniel 7 to the statue of Daniel chapter 2. These are two separate visions and have little to do with each other. These, in Daniel 7, are not four successive kings/kingdoms but rather four kings/kingdoms that co-exist (during the same timeframe) when the Antichrist begins his reign.
We know that these beasts are contemporaneous because we're told that once the Antichrist is thrown into the Lake of Fire, the other three beasts are allowed to remain for a period of time.
[Dan 7:12 LSB] “As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but an extension of life was given to them for an appointed season of time.
I believe these four are related to the four "conspicuous horns" of:
Dan 8:8-9 Then the male goat magnified himself exceedingly. But as soon as he was mighty, the large horn was broken; and in its place there came up four conspicuous horns [four kingdoms of Daniel 7 below] toward the four winds of heaven. Out of one of them [the fourth one of Daniel 7] came forth a rather small horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Beautiful Land.
There are four beasts of which the Antichrist eventually takes control of one of them (which has ten rulers). He will conquer and rule all four and eventually rules as the beast of Revelation 13:1-2.
If you take the beasts in Daniel 7, that is a lion with wings, a bear, a four headed leopard, and a ten-horned beast, and you combined them all into one beast, you would have a seven-headed ten-horned beast with characteristics of a bear, a leopard and a lion, exactly what we see in Revelation 13.
All four beasts are indirectly seen in Revelation 13.
Daniel 7 represents the Antichrist's early career and Revelation 13 his late career. Daniel 11:36-45 is our source for his early career and guides us to what we should be watching for in the coming days. What we have in Daniel 2, Daniel 7, and Revelation 13 is a before, during, and after snapshot of the Antichrist's career.
There is a division of world power into fourths just before the Antichrist begins his reign at the midpoint of Daniel's 70th Week. Each of these four beasts have dominion over the entire earth.
Dan 7:1
The opening passage tells us that this vision occurred in the time of the kingdom of Babylon, during the first year of the reign of Belshazzar. Belshazzar was also Babylon’s last king according to Daniel 5 (Dan 5:30-31).
There is a division of world power into fourths just before the Antichrist begins his reign at the midpoint of Daniel's 70th Week. Each of these four beasts have dominion over the entire earth.
Dan 7:1
The opening passage tells us that this vision occurred in the time of the kingdom of Babylon, during the first year of the reign of Belshazzar. Belshazzar was also Babylon’s last king according to Daniel 5 (Dan 5:30-31).
Dan 7:2-7 Daniel said, "I was looking in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up [H1519 - guach, to rush, or break forth] the great sea. And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another.
Notice above that they are coming up together as the four winds were "stirring up the great sea".
The "four winds" is also another phrase found throughout Scripture to describe the entire known world (Jer 49:36; Dan 8:8; Dan 11:4; Mat 24:31; etc.). It is also associated with north, south, east, and west.
All of the beasts arise out of the sea. What is the sea?
Rev 17:15 And he said to me, "The waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.
These beasts will arise from humanity (Isa 17:12-13; compare Rev 13:1 with Rev 13:11; compare Rev 17:1 with Rev 17:15).
Many claim that Daniel has nothing to do with future events and they would be wrong. They ignore many verses in Daniel similar to the one below stating that these events are concerning the future end-time events.
The text of Dan 7:17 has been ignored because its true interpretation clashes with the popular idea that the first beast is exclusively ancient Babylon - which I've shown in other blogs is wrong.
We've already seen above that cannot be the case and are also told:
Dan 7:17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which SHALL ARISE out of the earth.
Beasts & Details
Before trying to identify any kings, or nations, or any symbols, let's just take some time to see what Scripture says, and compare with Scripture.
What we do know is that these four beasts are four kings or kingdoms:
Dan 7:17 'These great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings who will arise from the earth.
The angel also refers to them as kingdoms later in the explanation. Kings have kingdoms, and kingdoms have kings, so these are interchangeable here in Daniel 7.
Dan 7:4
[1] The first was like a lion and had the wings of an eagle. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man; a human mind also was given to it.
This lion, king of the jungle (Dan 2:37-38), had wings of an eagle. Those wings are eventually plucked and the beast is lifted from four, to two feet like a man. A human mind is also given to it.
Once this beast has it's dominion taken, the former "beast" is no longer terrifying but has lost it's power and is but a man now.
Note that this beast is downgraded from his power as a lion to that of a mere man.
A quick study will reveal that lions are described in Scripture as strong, fearless, stealthy, frightening, destructive, and protective of their territory.
Eagles are noted for their swiftness of flight high in the air, strength, it's setting of nests in high place, and it's power of vision.
Both of these animals have been utilized by God to accomplish destruction, and judgment upon Israel, by means of their individual traits.
A king like a lion with wings of an eagle is a strong and swift king:
2Sa 1:23 "Saul and Jonathan, beloved and pleasant in their life, and in their death they were not parted; they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.
Scripture also tells that a lion's heart is valiant, and bold (2Sa 17:10; Pro 28:1).
In summary, we're looking for a strong king who was swift in action, bold, and one who will have those characteristics taken from him.
[2] And behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear. And it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth; and thus they said to it, 'Arise, devour much meat!'
This king resembles a "lop-sided" bear, with three ribs in its mouth between it's teeth. Notice "they said to it". The "they" is likely the four winds of Heaven which are stirring up humanity (see Rev 7:1).
Dan 2:39 informs us that the second kingdom was inferior to the first which could also be said of a lion versus a bear.
In Scripture, bears are native to mountainous regions, they're protective of their cubs, and they also are ferocious - especially when robbed of their cubs.
This bear is raised up on one side... the original language gives us the sense of another force raising it up, not the bear raising itself up.
Three ribs between it's teeth reminds us of:
Hos 13:7-8 So I will be like a lion to them; like a leopard I will lie in wait by the wayside. I will encounter them like a bear robbed of her cubs, and I will tear open their chests; there I will also devour them like a lioness, as a wild beast would tear them.
Scripture usually speaks of the bear ferociousness when it's cubs are threatened.
This king may be acting ferociously out of self-defense and protection of the people of his kingdom. We should be keeping an eye out for this during the rise of the coming Antichrist.
[3] After this I kept looking, and behold, another one, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird; the beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.
This king resembles a leopard with four bird wings on it's back. It also has four heads, and dominion was given to him. These four heads represent the combination of all four beasts.
By now, you should be noticing a progression. The lion had two wings of an eagle, the bear had three ribs, this leopard has four heads and four wings.
A leopard is noted in Scripture as mountainous, spotted (or mixed colors), fierce, lies patiently in wait and watches it's prey, and is very fast.
We also know that the final beast "was like a leopard" mainly, but had the feet of the bear, and the mouth of the lion (Rev 13:2). This should lead us to believe that the Antichrist's main characteristics will be those of the leopard.
If leopards "lie in wait" (Hos 13:7) that may suggest a certain amount of patience with this king. This king (beast) also has dominion over four others (heads).
This beast will likely be a patient coalition which is able to act very quickly.
[4] After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.
Daniel emphasizes this beast's nature through the expressions of "dreadful", "terrifying", and "extremely strong".
Bronze is also noted in Mic 4:13 and may refer to their strength, or hardness.
We also know that this beast "will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it" (Dan 7:23; Rev 13:7-8).
For now, simply note that Islam pulverizes everything it seizes and demolishes it to the point that it is no longer recognizable as it once was. An example can be seen in today's headlines as ISIS demolishes any ancient artifacts that it deems offensive to allah. You either submit to Islam, or you die. The very name Islam actually means submission to the laws of allah (the muslim god), and the practices of Muhammad, their prophet.
Zec 14:16 Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths.
This beast has ten horns (kings) which shall arise from this fourth kingdom. The kingdom from which Antichrist comes will have the power and authority of the ten kings. Three of the ten he will eventually subdue, but note that they are three from the ten of this last kingdom (Dan 7:24).
Dan 7:8 While I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great boasts.
Little Horn
Then from among the ten horns, Daniel saw a little horn emerge.
This horn uprooted three horns.
The little horn (Dan 7:8) is the Antichrist. Notice in this verse this little horn possessed "eyes like the eyes of a man and mouth uttering great boasts". This little horn also makes war against the saints and prevails (Dan 7:21; Rev 13:7). It has been decreed that the saints have been given into Antichrist's hand for 3.5 years (second half of Daniel's 70th Week - Dan 7:25), but we know that will not happen to the full extent... close (6th-7th seal), but not the full 3.5 years:
Mat 24:22 Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
Christians will be caught up before God's wrath commences with the blowing of the first of seven trumpet judgments, which doesn't occur until after the seventh seal. We are with Yeshua between the sixth and seventh seal.
While this little horn (with the big mouth) is "uttering", the Ancient of Days (Jehovah) is preparing (Dan 7:9-10).
We can see in Dan 7:11-12 that the fourth beast and the little horn are defeated (by Christ at His appearance - Dan 7:13-14), and eventually "given to the burning fire" (Lake of Fire - Rev 19:19-20).
Let's review what we know up to this point.
The first three beasts have their dominion stripped but are allowed to remain for an "appointed period of time" which tells us that the three are not only alive before Christ's return, but also allowed to remain after His return and after the Antichrist is destroyed at the Battle of Armageddon.
While the kingdom of the Antichrist will be destroyed by the Messiah, the other kingdoms would not suffer such an immediate and absolute destruction. We know from Scripture that there will be those existing outside of the Millennial Kingdom. They will be a part of the earthly judgment found in the separation of the sheep and goats (Mat 25:31-36).
This fourth beast will reign over, and is a combination of, the first three beasts and acts as single unit (Rev 13:1-2). The beast of Rev 13:1-10 is this fourth beast of Daniel 7.
This beast coming out of the sea represents the Antichrist and/or the Antichrist’s kingdom, and is described further in Revelation 17. There we find a picture of the same beast as the one in Rev 13:1-2, being ridden by a woman named Mystery Babylon. See my blogs: Woman and Beast.
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That's it for Daniel 7. I have notes which go into detail concerning comparisons with Daniel 2, but I think it best to leave them out for now.
Moving on to Daniel 8...
Some of these excerpts are from my personal notes copied from 30+ years of studying... some of these notes are direct copies of various sources - I do not claim to have authored every word of this... it's just a mass collection I've tucked away over the years for my own personal studies... I didn't consider a bibliography at the time I directly copied small excerpts from various authors. Also, any emphasis (underlines, bold text, all CAPS, etc.) noted above was only meant to capture my personal attention as I studied...
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