THE BEASTS OF DANIEL 7

In the next few blog posts (since it is far too long for one post), I will present a “new to me” perspective on Daniel 7.  Once I started researching to make sure that this was definitely a better understanding of this chapter, I soon found that this view has been around in varying forms for years.  As always, be a Berean and do your own study to determine if you agree with me.  I am always very slow to accept changes in what is considered more mainstream understandings of scripture.  I continually pray that the LORD will help me to see the truth in scripture and not miss out when He chooses to provide better understanding.

Dan. 7:1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters.

Obviously, this book does not read chronologically.  This chapter jumps back to the time of the beginning of Belshazzar’s reign.  The timing is about three years before the events recorded in chapter 6.

This time Daniel had a dream and visions and made a written record of it all.  The fact that he records having a dream and visions seems to emphasize how vivid and clear the experience was to him even though it occurred during his sleep.

Dan. 7:2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.

This verse immediately made me think of Revelation 7:1, where we are told of four angels holding the four winds of the earth (north, south, east, west).

Revelation 7:1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth….

It would seem that the angels are used of God in management of all the things pertaining to mankind.  In Daniel’s dream the winds are causing havoc on the great sea, usually a reference to the Mediterranean.

Numbers 34:6-7 And as for the western border, ye shall even have the great sea for a border: this shall be your west border.  And this shall be your north border: from the great sea ye shall point out for you mount Hor….

(These verses are defining the borders of the land of Israel to Moses, the western border of which is the Mediterranean Sea.)

Ezekiel 47:20 The west side also shall be the great sea from the border, till a man come over against Hamath. This is the west side.

(This verse is part of the revelation given Ezekiel regarding the borders of the land at the time of the millennial temple, again the western border of which is the Mediterranean Sea.)

Joshua 9:1 And it came to pass, when all the kings which were on this side Jordan, in the hills, and in the valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea over against Lebanon….

(The Mediterranean is the only “great sea” bordering Lebanon.)

The prophet Zechariah supports connecting the wind to angels.

Zechariah 6:1–5 “And I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass. In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses; And in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses. Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my lord? And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth.”

The word “spirits” is defined as “wind.”

Dan. 7:3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.

Great beasts = kings (v17) = kingdoms (v23)

Like Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel dreamed about four kingdoms.  I have always been taught that the parts of the statue in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream seem to line up with the four beasts in Daniel’s dream.  Until now, that has made the most sense to me.  I listened to a teaching by Joe Focht several months ago that challenged that understanding.  After thinking about it on and off and listening to it again recently, I am looking at this chapter from a fresh perspective.  He presents these kings/kingdoms as co-existent with the “little horn,” the Antichrist.  As I began to do more research, I was surprised to find that this theory was not new at all—only new to me.

These kings will eventually be “humbled” or “abased” by the Antichrist under his rule.  Since Daniel is not told who they are as in chapters 2 and 8, establishing their identities is open to speculation.  In fact, that they are not identified and Daniel didn’t connect these kingdoms with those in with Nebuchadnezzar’s dream seems to strengthen the thought that they are not the same. 

Since all four of these beasts are singled out for notice, they must represent pretty significant kings/kingdoms on the world scene.  I believe the context of the chapter will show them to be impact players during end times that will eventually morph into one beast—the Antichrist and his kingdom.

Focht threw out the possibility of identifying Great Britain and Russia as the first two beasts, and I think they are good candidates.

Dan. 7:4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.

Britain’s recognized emblem is a lion that is often pictured standing tall like a man.  The fact that it is pictured with eagle’s wings is thought provoking in that the United States, which began as a British colony, is associated with the eagle.  That the wings were plucked from off the lion seems to picture the fact that the United States rose to power after forcefully separating from Britain.  After the United States declared their independence, Britain began changing from a voracious lion wanting to conquer the world with their powerful navy to being pictured as a man that was no longer a threat to world dominion.

Dan. 7:5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.

The bear is the official symbol of Russia, and that nation is often referred to as the Russian bear.  This bear is rising up to take action and “devour much flesh.”  Though the nation of Russia suffered a setback with the break up of the U.S.S.R., she is once again rising up as a major world power of influence.  I am not sure how to identify the three ribs, but I think it is likely that they are nations over which she eventually extends sovereignty.

“they said” – who?  Its leaders?  A reference to the winds of heavens (v2)?  Messenger angels?

Psalms 104:4 Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire….

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible makes the following comment on this verse:  “The meaning here literally would be, "Who makes the winds his messengers," or "his angels;" that is, who employs them to execute his purpose; who sends them out as messengers or angels to do his will.”

I think the significant point is that the bear is being told what to do, and we know that God is the supernatural sovereign ruler that uses both men and nations to accomplish His purposes. 

Dan. 7:6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.

I think it is significant to note that this beast has four heads.  This seems to indicate that it is a coalition of leaders or nations into one kingdom that are united with a common goal.  It is also noted that this kingdom was “given” its empire, its sphere of authority. 

The Aramaic for “wings” states:  “to arch; the back; by extensive the body or self:—+ highest places.”   This could denote pride and arrogance as depicted by its leaders.  I can’t help but want to connect it in some way to the Muslim world since they are such important players on the world stage in these end times.  I also thought of Turkey but could not logically make a connection with four heads unless it becomes one member of such a Muslim coalition.

If the proposed identification is correct, then it seems likely that the beasts are presented in the order in which they arose to power.

Dan. 7:7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.

Dan. 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.

Daniel is given explanation regarding this fourth beast in the next few verses.

“dreadful” = causes fear

“terrible” = burly, mighty

“strong” = powerful

Iron teeth to devour and break; brass nails to tear apart

Not compared to a known animal; it is unique from the rest.

This beast has 10 horns; as Daniel continues to look, he sees another little horn come up.  This little horn is responsible for destroying three of the first ten.  This horn is identified as a man, but a man whom the Aramaic would indicate is very compelling and domineering in his character and speech.  Because “another little horn” is a man, it makes sense that the other ten horns be men.

Bullinger describes the little horn as “a horn of small beginnings.”

There seems to be a direct connection to Revelation 13 that introduces a beast from the sea (Antichrist) with ten horns and having the characteristics of a leopard, bear and lion (as represented by the rulers/kingdoms of this chapter in Daniel. 

Revelation 13:1–2 “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.”

It is quite obvious that in Revelation the four beasts are pictured as being one beast.  This seems to be telling us that the Antichrist, the fourth beast, rises to power by subduing, unifying and gaining control of the first three beasts.

Chris White made an interesting observation:  “If you take the beasts in Daniel 7, that is a lion with wings, a bear, a four headed leopard, and a 10 horned beast, and you combined them all into one beast, you would have a 7 headed ten horned beast with characteristics of a bear, leopard and a lion, exactly what we see in Revelation 13.”

Because of how the beasts are presented in Daniel’s dream, I do not think the first three beasts are the same as any of the ten horns.  They obviously identify with the heads of the beast in Revelation.

“like the eyes of man” – The description seems to be inferring that this horn or king has eyes like a man, yet is different.  Note that in Revelation this beast is empowered by the dragon.  Scripture is clear in identifying this dragon.

Revelation 12:9 “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”

(to be continued…)