Thursday, December 5, 2013

The Vision Of The Four Beasts

Daniel 7:1-28

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.” (Daniel 7:1) 

About fifty years after being taken captive, Daniel had a vision.  Over the years he had given a number of prophecies, but a few including this one were obviously for the future, and he recorded them for future generations.  It is described in Daniel’s own words.

“Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.  And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.

 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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.  A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. 

I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.  As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. 

I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.  And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. 

I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.  I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.” (Daniel 7:2-16)

 In his dream, Daniel was upset by the sight of the little horn destroying and controlling the others,  the entire beast being destroyed, millions being judged, and a person like the Son of man being given power over all the world.  He asked one of the onlookers in the dream what was going on and what it meant and it was explained to him.

“These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.  But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.” (Daniel 7:17-18)

The four beasts represented four great empires, just as the different materials had done in Nebuchadnezzar’s first dream.  Again it started with the Babylonian Empire, which would end with Belshazzar’s death within about eight years.  It would be replaced by the Persian Empire in 539 BC, which would be far less considerate of other peoples customs and beliefs, focusing more on extracting what they could get as exemplified by the ribs and the command to devour much flesh.

The Greek empire would conquer the Persian Empire about 331 BC, under Alexander the great, eventually splitting into four separate nations under his generals and ultimately being overtaken by the Roman Empire  around 202 BC.  The Roman empire would technically end in 475 AD.

“Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. 

I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.

Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. 

And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.  And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.” (Daniel 7:19-25) 

The Other Empires started with rulers who wanted to expand their power.  The Roman Empire started as a republic, a democracy with laws to protect the rights of the minorities.  Over time it degenerated into a pure democracy with nothing to limit the power of the majority, who then enslaved those who opposed them.  The majority became increasingly demanding and less willing to do their part, eventually selecting leaders to make all the decisions for them as long as it benefited themselves.

This led to an increasingly violent and tyrannical system with only official Roman citizens considered as having rights and Rome attempting to control everything including people’s beliefs, forcing people to accept Catholicism or be killed.  When the empire collapsed, it split into two main divisions with the catholic church splitting as well to form the Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches.  The Byzantine and Holy Roman Empires would continue to wield great power for many centuries.  Structurally, the Byzantine Empire was very similar to the Holy Roman Empire, largely held together by Greek Orthodox religion while the Holy Roman Empire was held together by the Roman Catholic religion, the clay of Nebuchadnezzar’s vision.

Ten major world powers will grow out of the remnants of the Holy Roman and Byzantine Empires in the last day, and according to Revelation, will form a world government.  The little horn also arises from among them, destroying three of those world powers to gain control.  Though it arises out of the remnants of the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches, the government will be opposed to God, although not to religion, with Revelation telling us the leader will be worshiped himself as a god.  The government will try to destroy all who believe in God, both Jews and Christians.

“But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.  And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.  Hitherto is the end of the matter.” (Daniel 7:26-28a)

Despite the efforts of this little horn, often referred to as Antichrist,  God’s judgment will still occur.  His power will only last three and a half years, contrary to what many have taught.  We will see why in Daniel’s later prophecies.  Even with God’s explanation, Daniel was troubled by the vision.

“As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.” (Daniel 7:28b)

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