Daniel 7

CHAPTER 7THEME: Daniel’s vision of the four beasts; the visions of the Son of Man coming in clouds of heaven; the definition of the four beasts; the explanation of the fourth beastChapter 7 opens a new and different section of the Book of Daniel. The first six chapters contained the historic night with prophetic light; the last six chapters are prophetic light in the historic night. Whereas in the first section of the book the emphasis was upon the historical, the emphasis will now be on the prophetic, yet still with an historical background. God gives to Daniel several visions of four beasts which are quite remarkable. Daniel had these visions at different periods. The vision of chapter 7 was in the first year of King Belshazzar. In chapter 8 the vision was seen in the third year of the reign of Belshazzar. In chapter 9 it was in the first year of Darius; in chapter 10 it was the third year of Cyrus; and in chapters 11 and 12 the vision was seen in the first year of Darius. Daniel did not record these visions in the historical section but gathered these prophetic visions together in this second section of his book.

Daniel 7:1

DANIEL’S VISION OF THE FOUR BEASTSNebuchadnezzar of Babylon was a very brilliant man who found himself suddenly elevated to the position of the first great world ruler. He had territory on three continents. He had taken Egypt in North Africa, and he also had territory in Europe. He had a tremendous empire, greater than any the world had ever known. But Nebuchadnezzar wondered about the future: What would happen to him and to his empire? He dreamed a dream about a multimetallic image, and through Daniel God gave the interpretation of the dream (see Dan. 2). There were four different kinds of metals in Nebuchadnezzar’s imagenot five, but four metals. Daniel’s vision of the beasts is of four beaststhe lion, the bear, the panther (or leopard), and a composite beast which has been called a nondescript beast. The last was a wild-looking animal which has never been seen on land or sea or in the airit simply does not exist as a real beast. Well, after he had had visions and dreams like that, I don’t think Daniel slept much that night. He probably got a better night’s sleep in the den of lions than he did the night he had this dream! I imagine that, after God gave him Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and its interpretation, Daniel was quite puzzled. As a good student and follower of the Old Testament, Daniel knew of the covenant which God had made with Davidthat One was coming in his line who would be a world ruler. Now with the four world kingdoms of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream before him, he wondered how God’s plan and program of raising up a world ruler from David would fit into all this. The rest of the Book of Daniel is going to answer that question. It will give us world history prewritten, history that has been followed right down to the minutest detail for twenty-five hundred years since the time it was written. God speaks to Daniel through his vision of the four beasts to satisfy his heart and to give him the explanation he needed. In Daniel’s vision of the multimetallic image the outward splendor and glory of the kingdoms was demonstratedthat was what God knew would attract Nebuchadnezzar’s attention. But in the vision He gives to Daniel, God lets him in on the inward character and the true nature of these kingdoms. What are these kingdoms? These are like wild beasts, carnivorous in nature, and destructive killers every one of them. The four beasts of Daniel’s vision of course correspond to the four metals in the image of Nebuchadnezzar’s vision. In The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, the historian Edward Gibbon, who was not a Christian, said, “The four empires are clearly delineated; and the invincible armies of the Romans are described with as much clearness in the prophecies of Daniel, as in the histories of Justin and Diodorus.” The following chart summarizes the correspondence between the two visions and the four kingdoms they represent: MULTI-METALLIC IMAGEFOUR BEASTSNATIONS DESIGNATED-102(Chapter 2)(Chapter 7)-102Head of GoldLionBabylon-102Arms of SilverBearMedia-Persia-102Sides of BrassPanther (leopard)Graeco-Macedonia-102Legs of Iron; Feet of Iron and ClayComposite beastRomeThe time of this vision is pinpointed historically for us in the first year of Belshaszzar; that is, toward the end of the time that the head of gold, or Babylon, was ruling in the world. Belshazzar was reigning in Babylon the night Gobryas came with his army under the city wall, where the canal had once flowed, and took the city. “Visions” suggests that the first three beasts are given in the first vision, the second vision concerned the fourth beast only, and the third vision is a scene in heaven. Therefore, there are actually three visions which are recorded here. “He wrote the dream.” Daniel was in obscurity in Babylon at this time, and I think he had more opportunity to give attention to the Word of God and to writing. Perhaps it was in this period that he recorded the first part of the Book of Daniel.

Daniel 7:2

The four winds broke violently “upon the great sea,” that is, upon the Mediterranean Sea, for that is the name given to it. The “winds” speak of agitation, propaganda, public opinion, and disturbance. The “sea” suggests the masses, the mob, and the peoples of the Gentiles (see Mat_13:47; Rev_13:1; Isa_57:20). In Revelation we read: “And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgments of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters…. And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues” (Rev_17:1, Rev_17:15). The sea, therefore, is this conglomerate population of Gentiles throughout the world. Customarily the wind blows from only one direction at a time, but here it is a tornado of great violence with the wind coming from all directions. It refers not only to the disturbed conditions out of which these four nations arose, but particularly to the last stage of the fourth kingdom (vv. Dan_7:11, Dan_7:12, Dan_7:17) in which certain ideologies shall strive to capture the thinking of the disturbed masses of all nations and tribes. We are in that last stage of the fourth kingdom today. We are very close, apparently, to the time when the Roman Empire will be brought back together again. It still existsit lives in Italy, France, Germany, Spain, and all the nations in Europe which were in the Roman Empire.

All it needs is someone who will put it back together. We apparently are near that timehow near I do not think we even ought to speculate. All these nations are to be brought back together with their different ideologies, forms of government, and viewpoints. At this point we should call attention to the deadly parallel between the circumstances herein described and our own modern world situation. This is the reason I say we are evidently drawing toward the end of the age. Entire continents are awakening today, and all are demanding a place in the sun. People who have had a primitive civilization for centuries have suddenly been catapulted into the jet age. Radios and missiles have changed the thinking of the masses. New ideologies have captured their minds, and our disturbed world is desperately trying to avoid World War III. I wonder if you have noticed as you listen to radio and look at television today that we are being brainwashed? All kinds of propaganda are being given to us. The disturbed masses are being fed propaganda. I do not mind confessing that I am interested in giving out propaganda alsothe propaganda of the Word of God. I wish that I could brainwash everyone who reads this book and make him a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the “little horn” of this chapter who will succeed in capturing the minds of the masses. He is described as having “a mouth speaking great things” (v. Dan_7:8). He is going to sell himself to the world when he appears. He will be Satan’s man. The Lord Jesus said, “I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive” (Joh_5:43). Humanism today is glorifying mankind everywhere. They are glorifying public officials, and they are glorifying stage and screen actors (who also glorify one another). These are the people who are in control of the various media today. They have made the theater respectable, whereas it was clearly the theater which corrupted the morals of the Greeks and which is corrupting our morals today. I hear young people talking about their “freedom,” but they use the same line of talk and wear the same clothes that can be found everywhere across the country. They really have no freedom at all. People are brainwashed today. We would all be better off if we would get brainwashed with the Word of God. This is a frightful picture and a disturbed scene that Daniel is presenting to us. Don’t misunderstand meI am not saying that what we see today is a fulfillment of prophecy. I am simply saying that the winds are beginning to blow; it may be a pretty long storm.

Daniel 7:3

The four beasts are different kinds of beasts: the lion, the bear, the panther, and the beast with ten horns. I have never seen a beast with ten horns except in this book. These beasts represent kingdoms formed out of many peoples’ tongues, tribes, and nations.

Daniel 7:4

The lion with eagle’s wings represents Babylon in particular. King Nebuchadnezzar is intended also, as verse Dan_7:17 declares that the four beasts represent four kings. This lion had eagle’s wings, and that makes it an unusual lion. These eagle’s wings denote the ability that Babylon had of moving an army speeedily, which has been the secret of any great world power down through history. It was a Tennessean named Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest who, when he was asked how to win battles, said, “The one that gets there ’the first with the most’ is the one that is going to win.” Nebuchadnezzar had the ability to move an army speedily, and that was the thing which brought him to world power. Such was the secret of Alexander the Great, the Roman caesars, and of course Napoleon. The coming in of the airplane was significant in World War I, and then World War II was won largely by air power.

The one who can move the quickest with the greatest power will be the world ruler. This was true of Babylon in the past, and it will probably be the determining factor in the future. “The wings thereof were plucked” evidently refers to the humbling of Nebuchadnezzar in his mental lapse and loss of identity. “And made stand upon the feet as a man"denotes Nebuchadnezzar’s restoration. He became like a beast and acted like one, but his mind was restored, and he was brought back to sanity. “A man’s heart was given to it.” I believe this refers to Nebuchadnezzar’s conversion. I think he came to know the living and true God. The lion corresponds to the head of gold, Babylon. Today she is a heap of ruins; but, as predicted by Jeremiah, those very ruins bear eloquent testimony to the outward glory that was hers. Among those ruins one can see a proud lion standing on a pedestal; it was the thing which represented that great empire. Excavation of the city of Babylon reveals the glory that was once there. The hanging gardens of Babylon were one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Nebuchadnezzar had married a girl from the hill country, but since Babylon was built down on a plainjust like west Texashe built the hanging gardens for her so that she wouldn’t be homesick.

It was a thing of great beauty. There was also a great ziggurat evidently patterned after the Tower of Babel. It was made of brick, and around it like a corkscrew ran a runway that went to the top. There at the top were altars on which were offered human sacrifices. The Babylonians had a postal system second to none. They had interior bathtubs with brass plumbing.

They were a literate people with a tremendous library there in the city. Around the city was a three hundred foot high wall, wide enough that four chariots could ride abreast upon it, and which well protected the entire city. While the head of gold on the multimetallic image represents the outward glory of this advanced civilization, the cruel nature of the lion describes the brutal paganism of this kingdom, which is clearly illustrated in chapters 2 and 3 of the Book of Daniel.

Daniel 7:5

The bear, representing the kingdom of Medo-Persia, corresponds to the arms of silver of Nebuchadnezzar’s image. As the bear raised itself up on one side, the image was ambidextrous. First he struck with the strong left hand of Medes, conquering Babylon; then he followed through with the right uppercut of the Persians, who took over Egypt and the rest of the world, which had been ruled by Babylon. “Three ribs in the mouth” are the three kingdoms that constituted this empire: Babylon, Lydia, and Egypt. There are no wings on this bear, but it was told, “Arise, devour much flesh.” The army of the Medo-Persians moved like a great, lumbering, and rumbling bearthey even took their families along with them. It was Xerxes who led about 300,000 men and three hundred ships against Greece at Thermopylae and was defeated. His fleet was destroyed by a storm because God did not intend the East to control the West at that particular time.

Daniel 7:6

“Leopard” would perhaps be better translated “panther.” A panther, which leaps with suddenness upon its helpless prey, represents the Graeco-Macedonian empire of Alexander the Great. “Four wings” further accentuates the ability of Alexander to move his army with rapidity and to strike suddenly. In comparison it would have made Nebuchadnezzar’s army look like it was on a slow train through Arkansas. Strong nations which have gained world dominion have developed the ability to move and strike with great speed. Today, in the cold war, we are witnessing a missiles race as a further refinement of the process of adding more “wings” to a nation. The “four heads” depict the division of Alexander’s empire at the time of his death in his early thirties. Babylon went down in a drunken orgy and so did Alexanderthey both went the same way. Our nation is going down the same path today. We are living in a day when the social drink is accepted. Our people don’t want their young people on drugs, but they don’t mind if they go out drinking. Following the death of Alexander, four of his generals divided the world empire which he had carved out, because each of them knew they could not control the whole. Cassander took Macedonia; Lysimachus took Asia Minor; Seleucus took Syria (out of which came the “little horn” of Daniel 8, Antiochus Epiphanes, who wrought such havoc with the temple in Jerusalem); and finally, Ptolemy took Egypt, and of course, Cleopatra came along later in that line. Scripture does not give us a historical record of the Graeco-Macedonian kingdom. It falls chronologically between the Old and New Testamentsthe period known as the intertestament period. It was, however, the time when the remnant in Palestine endured the greatest suffering at the hands of Egypt and Syria.

Daniel 7:7

This nondescript beast with ten horns represents the Roman Empire, just as the legs of iron of Nebuchadnezzar’s image did. We will find this interpreted in detail in verses Dan_7:19-28. We want to get the explanation that the Spirit of God has given to us, and that will deliver us from any speculation. More attention is given to the fourth beast than to all of the other three put together. This section is very important to us because we are living in the time of the fourth beastthe time when the ten toes and horns are beginning to manifest themselves. The fourth beast is altogether different from the others, and he is given in a separate vision. All the other beasts have counterparts in the jungles and zoos today. We all have seen a lion, or a bear, or a panther, but we have never seen a beast like this on land or sea or in the air. This is really an unusual beast. After you have had a night of dreaming about beasts like this, I don’t think an aspirin tablet or a sleeping pill would do you any good at all! I think you would be awake the rest of the night. The beast is described as “dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly.” This beast which represents the Roman Empire is characterized by strength. It incited dread and terror, and it bore no resemblance to any beast that preceded it. “It had great iron teeth,” and this identifies it with the legs of iron of the image visionwhich is the Roman Empire. The iron heel of Rome was on the neck of this world for one millennium. A great deal has been said about the Roman Empire, and even to this day it amazes historians. Gibbon has said of it: “The empire of the Romans filled the world, and when the empire fell into the hands of a single person, the world became a safe and dreary prison for his enemies. To resist was fatal and it was impossible to fly.” Another writer, Dr. Robert D. Culver, who has a very fine book on Daniel entitled Daniel: Decoder of Dreams, has made this statement: “Two millennia ago, Rome gave the world the ecumenical unity which the League of Nations and the United Nations organizations have sought to give in our time. The modern attempts are not original at all (as many of our contemporaries suppose), but are revivals of the ancient Roman ideal which never since the time of Augustus Caesar has been wholly lost.” The Roman Empire simply fell apart; it lives on in many nations of Europe, in those nations which border the Mediterranean and in North Africaall those which were a part of the Roman Empire. No one overcame Rome, but it fell apart into these different nations. This unusual beast had ten horns, which obviously correspond to the feet of the image with ten toes. The emphasis is not upon the origin of this empire, but rather upon the end timethe period of the ten horns. The vision of this fourth beast is made even more important to us because it is yet unfulfilled. Apparently we are living in some period toward the end of time. The visions of the three beasts have been fulfilled, which means that three-fourths of this prophecy has already been literally fulfilled; there remains for the future only the time of the “horns.” The fourth kingdom of Rome has already appeared. Although it fell apart, it will come back together in ten kingdoms. It will be put together by the one whom the Word of God has labeled the Antichrist.

Daniel 7:8

Our attention is now directed to the ten horns. Notice that they do not represent a fifth kingdom: they grow out of the head of the fourth beast and are the last development of the fourth beast. In the toes of the first vision, the vision of the image, they are iron and clay. Iron is still thereRome is still there, but the clay, the weakness, is there also. I think the iron represents the autocratic rule of one man, and the clay represents the crowd, a democracy. Very candidly, we see that type of weakness in democracy today. We are proud of the freedom we haveI thank God we have itbut it is almost a joke to talk about how important John Q. Public is. You and I are not very important, to tell the truth. Oh, every now and then when it’s time for elections, the politicians tell us how important and wonderful and educated we are. However, we have very little to do with the control of our government or with the choice of our president. The lobbyists and the politicians are making the choices. I thank God for the liberty we have, but we have been brainwashed to think as they think. God’s ideal government is not a democracyit is a real dictatorship. When Jesus Christ rules on this earth, He is not going to ask anyone what he wants done. He is going to make the choices, and this earth is going to be run the way He wants to run it. That is the reason it would be best if you and I would become conformed to His image; otherwise we will be very uncomfortable under His dictatorship. Actually, He will put out of His Kingdom anything that offends, anyone who is in rebellion against Him. We are to bow to Him and to His absolute rule. Rome fell apart because of internal corruption and rottenness and drunkenness. All four of these empires went down with drunkenness. In our own country we say drugs are a problem, but liquor is legal. Who are we kidding? My friend, there are millions of alcoholics trying to hold down jobs today. That is only part of the problem, because that does not include the number of housewives and even children who are alcoholics but are not represented in the statistics. No one knows about them until they commit suicide or need to be put into a mental institution. That is the picture of America in the dark hour in which we live. Rome is going to be put together again, and it is interesting that men are looking for someone who will be able to do it. The German historian Hoffman has said this: “When Germans and Slavs advanced partly into Roman ground, anyhow into the historical position of the Roman Empire, their princes intermarried with Roman families. Charlemagne was descended from a Roman house; almost at the same time the German Emperor Otho II and the Russian Grand-Prince Vladimir intermarried with daughters of the East-Roman Emperor. This was characteristic for the relation of the immigrating nations to Rome; they did not found a new kingdom, but continued the Roman. And so it continues to the end of all earthly power, until its final ramification into ten kingdoms. To attempt now to mark out these would be as misplaced as to fix the Coming of Christ (with which they stand connected) tomorrow or the next day.” “Another little horn” becomes the key to the entire situation. He uproots three of the ten horns and establishes himself over all. I do not know who the ten kingdoms are, but they come from the disintegration of the Roman Empire. “In this horn were eyes,” denoting human intelligence and genius. “A mouth speaking great things” denotes the blasphemy of this man.

Daniel 7:9

THE VISIONS OF THE SON OF MAN COMING IN CLOUDS OF HEAVENThe scene shifts to heaven, and the throne of God is revealed. This is the same scene described in chapters 4 and 5 of the Book of Revelation. It is the preparation for the judgment of the Great Tribulation and the second coming of Christ to the earth. “I beheld till the thrones were cast down [placed]” corresponds to Rev_4:4. While in revelation John gives the number of the elders and other details, Daniel is not concerned with such since his subject does not include the church and its future. “The Ancient of days” is the eternal God. “Whose garment was white as snow” refers to His attributes of holiness and righteousness. “The hair of his head like the pure wool” speaks of His infinite wisdom. “His throne was like the fiery flame” speaks of judgment (see Rev_4:5). “His wheels as burning fire” speaks of the resistless energy and restless power of God (cf. Eze_1:13-21).

Daniel 7:10

This is not the Great White Throne judgment which occurs after the Millennium, but is the setting for the judgment of the Great Tribulation and the return of Christ to establish His millennial Kingdom here upon earth (see Rev_5:11-14).

Daniel 7:11

While God is setting the judgment scene in heaven to determine who will enter the Kingdom, on earth “the little horn” is blaspheming and boasting the loudest (see Rev_13:5-6). However, his judgment is fixed and his kingdom is doomed. The emphasis with this kingdom, represented by the last beast, is not on its beginning but on its end. The appearance of “the little horn” is shortly before Christ comes to judge living nations and individuals. This period is the Great Tribulation period.

Daniel 7:12

Although the first three beasts were destroyed, the ideology and philosophy of the kingdoms they represent apparently live on and will be manifested in the Great Tribulation period.

Daniel 7:13

The Son of God in heaven is here invested with the authority to take the kingdoms of this world from the Gentiles and establish His Kingdom. Jesus referred to this passage when He was put on oath at His trial before the Sanhedrin: “…Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven” (Mar_14:61-62). The angel prophesied at the time of His birth: “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David” (Luk_1:32). Therefore what we have here is a very clear-cut statement that the Lord Jesus is that “stone cut out without hands” which smites the imageHe will establish His Kingdom here upon earth. In the second Psalm we read: “I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee” (Psa_2:7). He was begotten from the deadthis refers to His resurrection, not to His birth in Bethlehem. The apostle Paul gives us this interpretation in Act_13:33. The psalmist goes on to say: “Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession” (Psa_2:8). Jesus Christ is going to take over the kingdom.

How will He do it?“Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel” (Psa_2:9). When He comes to the earth, the Millenium will not be there waiting for Him. He will put out all rebellion, and those who are obedient will enter into the Kingdom.

Daniel 7:14

This prepares the way for the coming of Christ and the smashing of the image by the “stone cut out without hands” (see Rev_19:11-16). “An everlasting dominion” seems to contradict the idea of a millennial Kingdom of one thousand years. However, at the end of the thousand years, which is a test period with Christ ruling, there will be a brief moment of rebellion against Him when Satan is released for a brief season, and then the Kingdom will go right on into eternity. Rev_20:6 says, “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” The thousand-year Kingdom is but a phase of the everlasting Kingdom. The steps are outlined clearly in Revelation 20: Christ reigns a thousand years on the earth under heavenly conditions. After this period, Satan is released. The unregenerate human heart, still in rebellion against God, rallies to Satan’s leadership, and he assembles them to make war against Christ. Satan and the rebellious betrayers are cast into the lake of fire. The lost dead are raised for judgment before the Great White Throne.

After this, the eternal aspect of the Kingdom comes into purview (see v. Dan_7:27). The Word of God makes it very clear that the location of this Kingdom is on the earth. In Mic_4:2 we read: “And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.”

Daniel 7:15

THE DEFINITION OF THE FOUR BEASTSAs the dream of the image troubled Nebuchadnezzar, this vision disturbs Daniel. He approaches one of the heavenly creatures for an explanation.

Daniel 7:17

These four beasts are not only kingdoms but kings. Nebuchadnezzar, together with his kingdom of Babylon, was represented by the head of gold and the two-winged lion. Alexander the Great, synonymous with the Graeco-Macedonian Empire, is depicted by both the sides of brass and a panther. These wild beasts of prey, with their carnivorous and voracious natures, are representative of the character of both the king and the kingdom.

Daniel 7:18

The identity of “the saints” is the important factor of this statement. There are five verses in this chapter which mention them (see also vv. Dan_7:21-22, Dan_7:25, Dan_7:27). Reference to them occurs again in Dan_8:24. Immediately one school of prophetic interpretation assumes they are New Testament saints. A great many people think even narrower than that; they feel that their denomination or their little group is the saints.

My friend, God has a pretty big family. In the Old Testament He had Old Testament saints. The nation Israel was called saints; the Gentiles who came in as proselytes were called saints of God. That’s a different company from New Testament saints today who are in the church. Don’t get the idea that your little group is the only group that will be saved or even the idea that believers in this dispensation of grace are the only ones to be saved. God saved people before the Day of Pentecost, and He is going to be saving people after the Rapture.

God is in the saving business; maybe the church is failing to reach people with the gospel as it should be, but God is not failing at all. Dan_8:24 says, “His power shall be mighty, but not by force of arms; in astonishing ways he shall bring ruin. He shall succeed in what he undertakes. He shall destroy mighty opponents; also the holy people.” The “holy people” are the saints. Exo_19:6 identifies Israel as the holy nation or saints: “And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation …” The Greek word for “saints” is hagios, and it occurs two hundred times in the New Testament. Ninety-two times hagios is translated “holy” in combination with “spirit,” for the Holy Spirit. It is also used to speak of believers in the church who are called “saints” or “holy ones.” In the New Testament, “saints” are the sinners who have been declared righteous because of their faith in Christ (see Rom_1:7). Hagios is used likewise for Old Testament believers (see Mat_27:52-53) and for tribulation saints (see Rev_13:7). In the Book of Daniel, therefore, “the saints” refer to people of Israelnot to all Israel but to the believing remnant only. That the church saints are not in view here is evident since Daniel does not refer to the church in any sense.

Daniel 7:19

THE EXPLANATION OF THE FOURTH BEASTThe emphasis is placed on the fourth beast. Here is where Daniel put the emphasis and where God put the emphasis. We ought to also, as our period in history fits somewhere in the time of the fourth beast. Everything here speaks of power and fierceness. The ferocity of the beast, with its iron teeth and brass nails, is noted again. Rome was hated by her captive nations. Hannibal vowed vengeance against her cruel power and lived to execute it; yet he was finally subdued by Rome. Rome rejected the Son of God, the Savior, through her puppet Pilate, who asked the cynical and contemptuous question of Jesus, “What is truth?” Rome crucified Jesus and persecuted the church. The ten horns grow out of the beast, denoting a later development, not a separate kingdom. Note that the horns do not grow out of a dead beast. Rome lives in the fragmentation of the empire in the many existing nations of Europe and North Africa, including perhaps some of Asia. However, I do not think we can specifically identify the nations. At the time of the end, three of the horns will fall before “the little horn” who is dominant in personality, ability, propaganda, and public appeal. “The little horn” is Antichrist, the Man of Sin (2Th_2:3-4), and the first Beast (Rev_13:3-6).

Daniel 7:21

It should be noted that Rome will again be a world power under Antichrist. We are told in Rev_13:7"And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.” This will be a brief period in the last part of the Great Tribulation (see Rev_11:3; Rev_12:6; Rev_13:5). The church will be removed before the Tribulation begins. The Romans have been a warlike people. Our ancestors in Europe have been warlike people for fifteen hundred years, and we still are. You cannot go into any city or small town in this country today without seeing a monument to our war dead. G. K. Chesterton said, “One of the paradoxes of this age is that it is the age of pacifism, but not the age of peace.” Oh, people carry placards about peace, but we are not a peaceful people.

The Bible says, “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape” (1Th_5:3). War is in our hearts, In recorded history man has engaged in fifteen thousand wars and has signed some eight thousand peace treaties; yet in all that time, he has enjoyed only two to three hundred years of true peace. Man is a warlike creature. The Roman Empire is to be put together again, and the Antichrist will be the one to do it. He will march to world power and will become the world ruler. We are told he will blaspheme the God of heaven: “And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven” (Rev_13:6). What is the picture in Europe today? Early in the 1950s a University of Oklahoma professor traveled through Europe, and although it was less than a decade since the close of World War II with all of its death and destruction, he reported that there was ample evidence the people were looking for a strong man, a leader like Hitler or Napoleon, who would restore their nations to the grandeur and glory and prosperity they once knew. Even a man like Bishop Fulton J. Sheen made this statement: “The Antichrist will come disguised as the great humanitarian. He will talk peace, prosperity, and plenty, not as a means to lead us to God but as ends in themselves. He will explain guilt away psychologically and make men shrink in shame if their fellowmen say they are not broadminded and liberal. He will spread the lie that men will never be better until they make society better.” My friend, the world is moving toward the time when Europe will come together. I don’t know how far away it is. The Common Market is evidence that Europe is moving in that direction; yet it does not mean that we have come to the end. Another thing has happened in Europe that provides the psychological basis for its coming together. The young people of Italy, France, and Germany, for instance, do not want to be called Italians, French, and Germans. They like to be called Europeans. What a preparation for the coming of Antichrist! Europe today is like ripe fruit hanging on a treeall the Antichrist needs to do is come and pick it. However, he is not going to come until the Lord removes the church from the world as we read in 1 and 2 Thessalonians.

Daniel 7:22

“The Ancient of days” is Christ; He is the only One Who is going to be able to put down Antichrist. “The saints.” Again, we are not talking about New Testament saintsthis is the Old Testament. Let the Bible say what it wants to say and don’t try to make it fit your little jigsaw puzzle of doctrine.

Daniel 7:23

The fourth beast is identified here as a kingdom and in verse Dan_7:17 as a king. It is impossible to separate the king from his kingdom; both belong together like two sides of a door.

Daniel 7:24

There are ten horns that come out of this fourth beast, and they denote the final form of the fourth kingdom. Each of these kings represents a kingdom. An eleventh king, “the little horn,” will arise. He is going to be diverse from the others and will move to world power by subduing three of the kings. He will actually become the dictator of the entire world. This is the picture that is given to us in Rev_13:7"And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations." He is the Man of Sin, the Antichrist, and he is going to rule the world during the Great Tribulation period, which is a period of seven years.

Daniel 7:25

The little horn is a blasphemer. “And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven” (Rev_13:5-6). One of the characteristics of Antichrist is that he is against God and against Christ. That is one of the meanings of “antichrist”; the other meaning is to imitate Christ. I believe that the two beasts of Revelation 13 represent these two aspects of Antichrist: (1) that he is against Christ and a blasphemer; and (2) that he is a false prophet and attempts to imitate Christ; although he acts like a lamb, he really is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. We are also told that he “shall wear out the saints of the most High.” That doesn’t mean like some of us preachers wear out the saints on Sunday mornings! It means literally to afflict and persecute the saints (see Rev_12:13-17). “And think to change times and laws"the little horn will change customs and laws. The period of the little horn’s reign is of short duration: “they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.” -102"Time"1 year-102"Times"2 years-102"Dividing of time"1/2 year-10231/2 yearsIt is during the last three and one-half years of the Great Tribulation that he will reign over the earth (see Rev_11:2-3; Rev_12:6; Rev_13:5).

Daniel 7:26

“The judgment shall sit” reminds us of the scene in heaven in Revelation 4 and 5 where thrones are depicted. It is determined by the One on the central throne and by the Lamb who is the executor of the judgment, and it is the agreement of all God’s created and redeemed intelligences of heaven that the beast must be put down. His dominion must be ended and he himself judged. “The judgment shall sit"this cannot be changed. This judgment continues through the Great Tribulation and is consummated by the return of Christ to the earth to establish His Kingdom (see Rev_19:11-21). Thus will end “the times of the Gentiles” which began with Nebuchadnezzar and will continue until the return of Christ.

Daniel 7:27

This is a reference to the eternal Kingdom which appears first in its millennial aspect (see Rev. 20) and then opens up into eternity. Those who find fault with the premillennial position say that the Millennium is not an accurate interpretation but that the Kingdom is an eternal Kingdom. However, the Millennium is simply a thousand-year period of testing such as we are in today, and it leads and eventuates into the eternal Kingdom. This is the statement of Irenaeus, one of the early church fathers: “But then this Antichrist shall have devastated all things in this world, he will reign for three years and six months, and sit in the temple at Jerusalem; and then the Lord will come from heaven in the clouds, in the glory of the Father, sending this man and those who follow him into the lake of fire; but bringing in for the righteous the times of the kingdom, that is, the rest, the hallowed seventh day; and restoring to Abraham the promised inheritance in which kingdom the Lord declared that ‘Many coming from the east and from the west should sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob….’” It is wearisome to hear men try to dissipate and dissolve the Millennium and God’s dispensational program for this world by saying that the early church fathers were not premillennial. Note also this statement by the historian, Philip Schaff: “The most striking point in the eschatology of the ante-Nicene age is the prominent chiliasm, or millenarianism, that is their belief of a visible reign of Christ in glory on earth with the risen saints for a thousand years, before the general resurrection and judgment. It was indeed not the doctrine of the church embodied in any creed or form of devotion, but a widely current opinion of distinguished teachers.” May I say to you, you are in good company today if you believe we are going to have a Millennium here on earth.

Daniel 7:28

Daniel did not divulge to his contemporaries the visions and their contents since they belonged to the end time. They were disturbing to Daniel, however, and made such an impression upon him as to alter his entire outlook. This was something brand new to him. The study of prophecy in this day is not for the selfish gratification of idle curiosity or vain knowledge. Rather, the careful, prayerful study of prophetic Scripture has a transforming effect upon the life of a believer.