The Christ Church Wednesday Bible Study Group is studying the book of Daniel. In this session we talk about Daniel's first vision. It takes place after the death of Nebuchadnezzar and before the handwriting on the wall incident of Session 4. In his vision Daniel sees four horrifying beasts coming out of the Mediterranean Sea. Each of the beasts symbolizes a nation or kingdom that impacts God's chosen people the Jews. There is also a hint of what will happen at the end times when God's chosen people are the church which includes both Jew and Gentile. Study along with us by reading these notes, and listening to the audio of the session.
Structure
The book has two main parts each part made up of six chapters. Part 1 chapters 1-6 are primarily history.
The prophecies of Daniel are contained in chapters 7-12.
The book is also divided in another way. The first seven chapters deal with primarily Gentile nations, their character, relations, succession, and destiny. Chapters 8-12 deal with The Hebrew nation, its relation to Gentile dominion, and its future in the plan of God
Daniel is the first great book of Apocalypse
The Greek word Apocalypse means "revelation", "an unveiling or unfolding of things not previously known. Apocalyptic literature presents the authors' visions of the end times as revealed by a heavenly messenger or Angel. The apocalyptic literature of Judaism and Christianity embraces a considerable period, from the centuries following the exile down to the close of the middle ages.
Daniel is the only Old Testament example and Revelation the only New Testament example of apocalyptic..
It is distinguished chiefly by: (1) The employment of visions. (2) Use of symbols predominantly as the vehicle of revelation usually interpreted (as the ram and goat of Dan 8), or left uninterpreted (as the woman clothed with the sun of Rev 12). (3) Prediction of the future of God's people (whether Israel or the Church) in relation to the nations of earth as consummated with the coming of Messiah. (4) Prose style rather than the poetic style characteristic of the other prophetic portions of the Old Testament.
Introduction
Ok let’s get started. I asked you to read chapter 7 last week in preparation for today. Did you have a chance to do that? .
Have you ever wondered if there was any order or plan to the course of human history?
Nations and empires rise, expand, degenerate and fall. Leaders live, rule and die. It sometimes looks as if there is no order or plan. However in reading chapter 7 there does appear to be a plan to the course of history. Man, because of his sin nature, may be disorderly, or do things out of order or their plans actually cause disorder, but God Almighty is a God of order with a definite plan. That plan ultimately included sending His Son Jesus at the perfect time to provide salvation to mankind, and as we will see here in Daniel God’s plan for how history will play out.
But where is everything headed?
That's the assurance God gave Daniel in what at first appeared to be a terrifying night vision!
This vision in chapter 7 fits historically about 553 BC between where Nebuchadnezzar has the dream about the tree that was cut down and the stump left, in chapter 4 and, chapter 5 during the reign of King Belshazzar.
2. In most prophetic visions God communicates his message through symbolism. We talked about the symbolism in Nebchaudzzer’s dream in Chapter 2 of the statue made up of various metals which eventually was destroyed.
Daniel 2:31-35 NLT “In your vision, Your Majesty, you saw standing before you a huge, shining statue of a man. It was a frightening sight. The head of the statue was made of fine gold. Its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were bronze, its legs were iron, and its feet were a combination of iron and baked clay. As you watched, a rock was cut from a mountain, but not by human hands. It struck the feet of iron and clay, smashing them to bits. The whole statue was crushed into small pieces of iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold. Then the wind blew them away without a trace, like chaff on a threshing floor. But the rock that knocked the statue down became a great mountain that covered the whole earth.
Daniel 2:36-45 NLT “That was the dream. Now we will tell the king what it means. Your Majesty, you are the greatest of kings. The God of heaven has given you sovereignty, power, strength, and honor. He has made you the ruler over all the inhabited world and has put even the wild animals and birds under your control. You are the head of gold. “But after your kingdom comes to an end, another kingdom, inferior to yours, will rise to take your place. After that kingdom has fallen, yet a third kingdom, represented by bronze, will rise to rule the world. Following that kingdom, there will be a fourth one, as strong as iron. That kingdom will smash and crush all previous empires, just as iron smashes and crushes everything it strikes. The feet and toes you saw were a combination of iron and baked clay, showing that this kingdom will be divided. Like iron mixed with clay, it will have some of the strength of iron. But while some parts of it will be as strong as iron, other parts will be as weak as clay. This mixture of iron and clay also shows that these kingdoms will try to strengthen themselves by forming alliances with each other through intermarriage. But they will not hold together, just as iron and clay do not mix. “During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all these kingdoms into nothingness, and it will stand forever. That is the meaning of the rock cut from the mountain, though not by human hands, that crushed to pieces the statue of iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. The great God was showing the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true, and its meaning is certain.”
Daniel 7:1-3 NLT Earlier, during the first year of King Belshazzar’s reign in Babylon, Daniel had a dream and saw visions as he lay in his bed. He wrote down the dream, and this is what he saw. In my vision that night, I, Daniel, saw a great storm churning the surface of a great sea, with strong winds blowing from every direction. Then four huge beasts came up out of the water, each different from the others.
Remember I said that apocalyptic literature and prophecy is full of symbolism, so let’s let the bible interpret itself as we look at these verses.
For example in the bible a storm or strong winds winds represent the power of God by which he controls the nations.
Jeremiah 23:19 NLT Look! The Lord ’s anger bursts out like a storm, a whirlwind that swirls down on the heads of the wicked.
Jeremiah 49:36 NLT I will bring enemies from all directions, and I will scatter the people of Elam to the four winds. They will be exiled to countries around the world.
Zechariah 7:14 NLT As with a whirlwind, I scattered them among the distant nations, where they lived as strangers. Their land became so desolate that no one even traveled through it. They turned their pleasant land into a desert.”
The sea that was stirred up was the Mediterranean Sea.
Ezekiel 47:10 NLT Fishermen will stand along the shores of the Dead Sea. All the way from En-gedi to En-eglaim, the shores will be covered with nets drying in the sun. Fish of every kind will fill the Dead Sea, just as they fill the Mediterranean.
So the beasts are connected with the Mediterranean Sea area. Each nation has its own special characteristics, though all share in common their brutal, irrational, bestial character.
Daniel sees four beasts which represent four kingdoms.
Daniel 7:4-8 NLT The first beast was like a lion with eagles’ wings. As I watched, its wings were pulled off, and it was left standing with its two hind feet on the ground, like a human being. And it was given a human mind. Then I saw a second beast, and it looked like a bear. It was rearing up on one side, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And I heard a voice saying to it, “Get up! Devour the flesh of many people!” Then the third of these strange beasts appeared, and it looked like a leopard. It had four bird’s wings on its back, and it had four heads. Great authority was given to this beast. Then in my vision that night, I saw a fourth beast—terrifying, dreadful, and very strong. It devoured and crushed its victims with huge iron teeth and trampled their remains beneath its feet. It was different from any of the other beasts, and it had ten horns. As I was looking at the horns, suddenly another small horn appeared among them. Three of the first horns were torn out by the roots to make room for it. This little horn had eyes like human eyes and a mouth that was boasting arrogantly.
The four beasts closely correspond to the four parts of the statue in
Daniel 2:31-34 NLT “In your vision, Your Majesty, you saw standing before you a huge, shining statue of a man. It was a frightening sight. The head of the statue was made of fine gold. Its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were bronze, its legs were iron, and its feet were a combination of iron and baked clay. As you watched, a rock was cut from a mountain, but not by human hands. It struck the feet of iron and clay, smashing them to bits.
Who can see and describe that?
,
The lion is the same as the head of gold (Babylon). The bear is the chest and arms of silver (Medo-Persia). The leopard is the belly and thighs of bronze (Greece). And the fourth beast is the same as the legs of iron (Rome).
We know which nations they were and their order from non-biblical history.
We’ll talk about the little horn a little later because it has some relevance to the return of Christ and the establishment and consummation of His eternal kingdom, but that’s later.
Daniel 7:9-10 NLT I watched as thrones were put in place and the Ancient One sat down to judge. His clothing was as white as snow, his hair like purest wool. He sat on a fiery throne with wheels of blazing fire, and a river of fire was pouring out, flowing from his presence. Millions of angels ministered to him; many millions stood to attend him. Then the court began its session, and the books were opened.
Daniel saw a court in heaven.A very holy and powerful person sat on a throne. In the Aramaic language the Bible says that he was called ‘The Ancient of Days’. That is another name for God. God was the judge.
Daniel 7:11-12 NLT I continued to watch because I could hear the little horn’s boastful speech. I kept watching until the fourth beast was killed and its body was destroyed by fire. The other three beasts had their authority taken from them, but they were allowed to live a while longer.
This shows that God is always in control. He has the final say over all that man does. God has given man free choice but He is in final control. Nothing that happens is outside the knowledge of God. He knows the end from the beginning and He has a plan and that plan has been revealed in His Word the Bible.
God took away the power of the animals that Daniel had seen. He allowed the first three animals to live, but only for a certain time. He killed the animal that had the horns.
Daniel 7:13-14 NLT As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed.
The final figure to appear in Daniel's vision is "one like a son of man"an apparent description of the Lord Jesus.
Daniel continued to watch the court. Then he saw someone who seemed like a man. This person travelled on the clouds. Only God or an angel could do that. God gave him authority, honour and royal power. God made him the king and everybody served him. His kingdom will never disappear. We believe that this person is Jesus.
Jesus identified himself as this "son of man"
Structure
The book has two main parts each part made up of six chapters. Part 1 chapters 1-6 are primarily history.
The prophecies of Daniel are contained in chapters 7-12.
The book is also divided in another way. The first seven chapters deal with primarily Gentile nations, their character, relations, succession, and destiny. Chapters 8-12 deal with The Hebrew nation, its relation to Gentile dominion, and its future in the plan of God
Daniel is the first great book of Apocalypse
The Greek word Apocalypse means "revelation", "an unveiling or unfolding of things not previously known. Apocalyptic literature presents the authors' visions of the end times as revealed by a heavenly messenger or Angel. The apocalyptic literature of Judaism and Christianity embraces a considerable period, from the centuries following the exile down to the close of the middle ages.
Daniel is the only Old Testament example and Revelation the only New Testament example of apocalyptic..
It is distinguished chiefly by: (1) The employment of visions. (2) Use of symbols predominantly as the vehicle of revelation usually interpreted (as the ram and goat of Dan 8), or left uninterpreted (as the woman clothed with the sun of Rev 12). (3) Prediction of the future of God's people (whether Israel or the Church) in relation to the nations of earth as consummated with the coming of Messiah. (4) Prose style rather than the poetic style characteristic of the other prophetic portions of the Old Testament.
Introduction
Ok let’s get started. I asked you to read chapter 7 last week in preparation for today. Did you have a chance to do that? .
Have you ever wondered if there was any order or plan to the course of human history?
Nations and empires rise, expand, degenerate and fall. Leaders live, rule and die. It sometimes looks as if there is no order or plan. However in reading chapter 7 there does appear to be a plan to the course of history. Man, because of his sin nature, may be disorderly, or do things out of order or their plans actually cause disorder, but God Almighty is a God of order with a definite plan. That plan ultimately included sending His Son Jesus at the perfect time to provide salvation to mankind, and as we will see here in Daniel God’s plan for how history will play out.
But where is everything headed?
That's the assurance God gave Daniel in what at first appeared to be a terrifying night vision!
This vision in chapter 7 fits historically about 553 BC between where Nebuchadnezzar has the dream about the tree that was cut down and the stump left, in chapter 4 and, chapter 5 during the reign of King Belshazzar.
2. In most prophetic visions God communicates his message through symbolism. We talked about the symbolism in Nebchaudzzer’s dream in Chapter 2 of the statue made up of various metals which eventually was destroyed.
Daniel 2:31-35 NLT “In your vision, Your Majesty, you saw standing before you a huge, shining statue of a man. It was a frightening sight. The head of the statue was made of fine gold. Its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were bronze, its legs were iron, and its feet were a combination of iron and baked clay. As you watched, a rock was cut from a mountain, but not by human hands. It struck the feet of iron and clay, smashing them to bits. The whole statue was crushed into small pieces of iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold. Then the wind blew them away without a trace, like chaff on a threshing floor. But the rock that knocked the statue down became a great mountain that covered the whole earth.
Daniel 2:36-45 NLT “That was the dream. Now we will tell the king what it means. Your Majesty, you are the greatest of kings. The God of heaven has given you sovereignty, power, strength, and honor. He has made you the ruler over all the inhabited world and has put even the wild animals and birds under your control. You are the head of gold. “But after your kingdom comes to an end, another kingdom, inferior to yours, will rise to take your place. After that kingdom has fallen, yet a third kingdom, represented by bronze, will rise to rule the world. Following that kingdom, there will be a fourth one, as strong as iron. That kingdom will smash and crush all previous empires, just as iron smashes and crushes everything it strikes. The feet and toes you saw were a combination of iron and baked clay, showing that this kingdom will be divided. Like iron mixed with clay, it will have some of the strength of iron. But while some parts of it will be as strong as iron, other parts will be as weak as clay. This mixture of iron and clay also shows that these kingdoms will try to strengthen themselves by forming alliances with each other through intermarriage. But they will not hold together, just as iron and clay do not mix. “During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all these kingdoms into nothingness, and it will stand forever. That is the meaning of the rock cut from the mountain, though not by human hands, that crushed to pieces the statue of iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. The great God was showing the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true, and its meaning is certain.”
Daniel 7:1-3 NLT Earlier, during the first year of King Belshazzar’s reign in Babylon, Daniel had a dream and saw visions as he lay in his bed. He wrote down the dream, and this is what he saw. In my vision that night, I, Daniel, saw a great storm churning the surface of a great sea, with strong winds blowing from every direction. Then four huge beasts came up out of the water, each different from the others.
Remember I said that apocalyptic literature and prophecy is full of symbolism, so let’s let the bible interpret itself as we look at these verses.
For example in the bible a storm or strong winds winds represent the power of God by which he controls the nations.
Jeremiah 23:19 NLT Look! The Lord ’s anger bursts out like a storm, a whirlwind that swirls down on the heads of the wicked.
Jeremiah 49:36 NLT I will bring enemies from all directions, and I will scatter the people of Elam to the four winds. They will be exiled to countries around the world.
Zechariah 7:14 NLT As with a whirlwind, I scattered them among the distant nations, where they lived as strangers. Their land became so desolate that no one even traveled through it. They turned their pleasant land into a desert.”
The sea that was stirred up was the Mediterranean Sea.
Ezekiel 47:10 NLT Fishermen will stand along the shores of the Dead Sea. All the way from En-gedi to En-eglaim, the shores will be covered with nets drying in the sun. Fish of every kind will fill the Dead Sea, just as they fill the Mediterranean.
So the beasts are connected with the Mediterranean Sea area. Each nation has its own special characteristics, though all share in common their brutal, irrational, bestial character.
Daniel sees four beasts which represent four kingdoms.
Daniel 7:4-8 NLT The first beast was like a lion with eagles’ wings. As I watched, its wings were pulled off, and it was left standing with its two hind feet on the ground, like a human being. And it was given a human mind. Then I saw a second beast, and it looked like a bear. It was rearing up on one side, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And I heard a voice saying to it, “Get up! Devour the flesh of many people!” Then the third of these strange beasts appeared, and it looked like a leopard. It had four bird’s wings on its back, and it had four heads. Great authority was given to this beast. Then in my vision that night, I saw a fourth beast—terrifying, dreadful, and very strong. It devoured and crushed its victims with huge iron teeth and trampled their remains beneath its feet. It was different from any of the other beasts, and it had ten horns. As I was looking at the horns, suddenly another small horn appeared among them. Three of the first horns were torn out by the roots to make room for it. This little horn had eyes like human eyes and a mouth that was boasting arrogantly.
The four beasts closely correspond to the four parts of the statue in
Daniel 2:31-34 NLT “In your vision, Your Majesty, you saw standing before you a huge, shining statue of a man. It was a frightening sight. The head of the statue was made of fine gold. Its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were bronze, its legs were iron, and its feet were a combination of iron and baked clay. As you watched, a rock was cut from a mountain, but not by human hands. It struck the feet of iron and clay, smashing them to bits.
Who can see and describe that?
,
The lion is the same as the head of gold (Babylon). The bear is the chest and arms of silver (Medo-Persia). The leopard is the belly and thighs of bronze (Greece). And the fourth beast is the same as the legs of iron (Rome).
We know which nations they were and their order from non-biblical history.
We’ll talk about the little horn a little later because it has some relevance to the return of Christ and the establishment and consummation of His eternal kingdom, but that’s later.
Daniel 7:9-10 NLT I watched as thrones were put in place and the Ancient One sat down to judge. His clothing was as white as snow, his hair like purest wool. He sat on a fiery throne with wheels of blazing fire, and a river of fire was pouring out, flowing from his presence. Millions of angels ministered to him; many millions stood to attend him. Then the court began its session, and the books were opened.
Daniel saw a court in heaven.A very holy and powerful person sat on a throne. In the Aramaic language the Bible says that he was called ‘The Ancient of Days’. That is another name for God. God was the judge.
Daniel 7:11-12 NLT I continued to watch because I could hear the little horn’s boastful speech. I kept watching until the fourth beast was killed and its body was destroyed by fire. The other three beasts had their authority taken from them, but they were allowed to live a while longer.
This shows that God is always in control. He has the final say over all that man does. God has given man free choice but He is in final control. Nothing that happens is outside the knowledge of God. He knows the end from the beginning and He has a plan and that plan has been revealed in His Word the Bible.
God took away the power of the animals that Daniel had seen. He allowed the first three animals to live, but only for a certain time. He killed the animal that had the horns.
Daniel 7:13-14 NLT As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed.
The final figure to appear in Daniel's vision is "one like a son of man"an apparent description of the Lord Jesus.
Daniel continued to watch the court. Then he saw someone who seemed like a man. This person travelled on the clouds. Only God or an angel could do that. God gave him authority, honour and royal power. God made him the king and everybody served him. His kingdom will never disappear. We believe that this person is Jesus.
Jesus identified himself as this "son of man"
Mark 14:62 NLT Jesus said, “ I Am . And you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven. ”
Matthew 24:30 NLT And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
So we have talked about the vision now let’s look at its interpretation, because Daniel is perplexed and doesn’t understand what he has just seen.
Daniel 7:15-18 NLT I, Daniel, was troubled by all I had seen, and my visions terrified me. So I approached one of those standing beside the throne and asked him what it all meant. He explained it to me like this: “These four huge beasts represent four kingdoms that will arise from the earth. But in the end, the holy people of the Most High will be given the kingdom, and they will rule forever and ever.”
Let’s quickly go back to Daniel 2:34-35
Daniel 2:34-35 NLT As you watched, a rock was cut from a mountain, but not by human hands. It struck the feet of iron and clay, smashing them to bits. The whole statue was crushed into small pieces of iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold. Then the wind blew them away without a trace, like chaff on a threshing floor. But the rock that knocked the statue down became a great mountain that covered the whole earth.
That fifth kingdom the Messianic Kingdom is represented by that stone that breaks from the mountain without a hand touching it
Daniel 2:45 NLT That is the meaning of the rock cut from the mountain, though not by human hands, that crushed to pieces the statue of iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. The great God was showing the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true, and its meaning is certain.”
Now Daniel was particularly interested in the fourth beast because it was so unusual and violent and even more strange looking than the first three.
Daniel 7:7 NLT Then in my vision that night, I saw a fourth beast—terrifying, dreadful, and very strong. It devoured and crushed its victims with huge iron teeth and trampled their remains beneath its feet. It was different from any of the other beasts, and it had ten horns.
Daniel was particularly interested in the fourth beast because it was so unusual and violent and even more strange looking than the first three.
Daniel 7:19-22 NLT Then I wanted to know the true meaning of the fourth beast, the one so different from the others and so terrifying. It had devoured and crushed its victims with iron teeth and bronze claws, trampling their remains beneath its feet. I also asked about the ten horns on the fourth beast’s head and the little horn that came up afterward and destroyed three of the other horns. This horn had seemed greater than the others, and it had human eyes and a mouth that was boasting arrogantly. As I watched, this horn was waging war against God’s holy people and was defeating them, until the Ancient One—the Most High—came and judged in favor of his holy people. Then the time arrived for the holy people to take over the kingdom.
Here’s the interpretation;
Daniel 7:23-27 NLT Then he said to me, “This fourth beast is the fourth world power that will rule the earth. It will be different from all the others. It will devour the whole world, trampling and crushing everything in its path. Its ten horns are ten kings who will rule that empire. Then another king will arise, different from the other ten, who will subdue three of them. He will defy the Most High and oppress the holy people of the Most High. He will try to change their sacred festivals and laws, and they will be placed under his control for a time, times, and half a time. “But then the court will pass judgment, and all his power will be taken away and completely destroyed. Then the sovereignty, power, and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be given to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will last forever, and all rulers will serve and obey him.”
Let’s talk about the interpretation and what some scholars say about this fourth beasts and the 10 horns. We have already said that the beast represents Rome or the Roman Empire.
But what about the 10 Horns?
The fourth beast has 10 horns which represent 10 kings that come from the Roman Empire or the geographic area covered by it. These kings are not successive like the other four kingdoms one coming after the other. These kings will rise and reign at the same or nearly the same time.
Some have said that these 10 kings or kingdoms are the successors to Alexander the great but that doesn’t really correspond to the origin being Rome. All we know is that they represent 10 kingdoms that may or may not have happened yet. I say that because the little horn that appears on the fourth beast has been identified by almost all theologians, Jewish and Christian as the Anti-Christ which we know has not yet appeared, at least where we would know him, so it may not be really logical to say that those horns represent any kingdoms that have existed previously. Now maybe they exist today but there is no proof that is the case either. The prophecies regarding the Gentiles which this prophecy clearly indicates that the Anti-Christ will come before the Ancient of Days holds court and gives the kingdom that is everlasting and under which all rulers will serve.
So perhaps God is telling us through this prophecy what will happen without identifying the players. It tells us the characteristics of the players but not who they are and because much of the things that the prophecy says will happen hasn’t happened we really can’t identify those 10 horns. Man has been trying to figure out from as far back as Daniel, and especially after the Revelation given to John exactly when all these things of the end time will happen. If God had wanted us to know that don’t you think He would have been clear? Even Jesus said He didn’t know when He would return and destroy Satan and His earthly rule would start.
However if that is true then the Anti-Christ would have to come from one of those kings and that hasn’t happened yet. If we agree that the fourth beast represents the Roman Empire then perhaps these ten kings represent ten end-time rulers or nations that will in some way be related to the territory of the old Roman Empire. How or who or what or when is not clearly revealed, making speculation useless.
Let’s get back to the “other horn” or “little horn”
Daniel 7:20-22, 24-26 NLT I also asked about the ten horns on the fourth beast’s head and the little horn that came up afterward and destroyed three of the other horns. This horn had seemed greater than the others, and it had human eyes and a mouth that was boasting arrogantly. As I watched, this horn was waging war against God’s holy people and was defeating them, until the Ancient One—the Most High—came and judged in favor of his holy people. Then the time arrived for the holy people to take over the kingdom. Its ten horns are ten kings who will rule that empire. Then another king will arise, different from the other ten, who will subdue three of them. He will defy the Most High and oppress the holy people of the Most High. He will try to change their sacred festivals and laws, and they will be placed under his control for a time, times, and half a time. “But then the court will pass judgment, and all his power will be taken away and completely destroyed.
The little horn is not another kingdom but an individual that comes from one of the 10 who because he is intelligent and arrogant is able to subdue 3 of the existing kingdoms so he appears to be an astute politician who the uses great military might to become dominant in this group of kingdoms or nations which is now less than 10. He also goes on a campaign against people described as the holy ones.
I think here, since we have identified the “little horn” as the Anti-Christ, the holy ones are those who are subjects of Jesus when He is given authority by the Ancient of Days (God). That would mean the believers.
What is the moral and spiritual character of the "other horn"?
Arrogant -
Daniel 7:20 NLT I also asked about the ten horns on the fourth beast’s head and the little horn that came up afterward and destroyed three of the other horns. This horn had seemed greater than the others, and it had human eyes and a mouth that was boasting arrogantly.
Blasphemer -
Daniel 7:25 NLT He will defy the Most High and oppress the holy people of the Most High. He will try to change their sacred festivals and laws, and they will be placed under his control for a time, times, and half a time.
Twice the heavenly interpreter emphasizes that the last king will be tried and condemned by God Himself
Daniel 7:22, 26 NLT until the Ancient One—the Most High—came and judged in favor of his holy people. Then the time arrived for the holy people to take over the kingdom. “But then the court will pass judgment, and all his power will be taken away and completely destroyed.
How was Daniel affected by all that was revealed to him?
Daniel 7:28 NLT That was the end of the vision. I, Daniel, was terrified by my thoughts and my face was pale with fear, but I kept these things to myself.
Things to think about this week
What steps can you take to hand over your fears to the Lord?
Next week we will start in chapter 8. This begins the prophecies that are specific, for the most part to the Hebrews or nation of Israel. Most of the things in these prophecies have already happened or been fulfilled and we will talk about them.
Matthew 24:30 NLT And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
So we have talked about the vision now let’s look at its interpretation, because Daniel is perplexed and doesn’t understand what he has just seen.
Daniel 7:15-18 NLT I, Daniel, was troubled by all I had seen, and my visions terrified me. So I approached one of those standing beside the throne and asked him what it all meant. He explained it to me like this: “These four huge beasts represent four kingdoms that will arise from the earth. But in the end, the holy people of the Most High will be given the kingdom, and they will rule forever and ever.”
Let’s quickly go back to Daniel 2:34-35
Daniel 2:34-35 NLT As you watched, a rock was cut from a mountain, but not by human hands. It struck the feet of iron and clay, smashing them to bits. The whole statue was crushed into small pieces of iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold. Then the wind blew them away without a trace, like chaff on a threshing floor. But the rock that knocked the statue down became a great mountain that covered the whole earth.
That fifth kingdom the Messianic Kingdom is represented by that stone that breaks from the mountain without a hand touching it
Daniel 2:45 NLT That is the meaning of the rock cut from the mountain, though not by human hands, that crushed to pieces the statue of iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. The great God was showing the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true, and its meaning is certain.”
Now Daniel was particularly interested in the fourth beast because it was so unusual and violent and even more strange looking than the first three.
Daniel 7:7 NLT Then in my vision that night, I saw a fourth beast—terrifying, dreadful, and very strong. It devoured and crushed its victims with huge iron teeth and trampled their remains beneath its feet. It was different from any of the other beasts, and it had ten horns.
Daniel was particularly interested in the fourth beast because it was so unusual and violent and even more strange looking than the first three.
Daniel 7:19-22 NLT Then I wanted to know the true meaning of the fourth beast, the one so different from the others and so terrifying. It had devoured and crushed its victims with iron teeth and bronze claws, trampling their remains beneath its feet. I also asked about the ten horns on the fourth beast’s head and the little horn that came up afterward and destroyed three of the other horns. This horn had seemed greater than the others, and it had human eyes and a mouth that was boasting arrogantly. As I watched, this horn was waging war against God’s holy people and was defeating them, until the Ancient One—the Most High—came and judged in favor of his holy people. Then the time arrived for the holy people to take over the kingdom.
Here’s the interpretation;
Daniel 7:23-27 NLT Then he said to me, “This fourth beast is the fourth world power that will rule the earth. It will be different from all the others. It will devour the whole world, trampling and crushing everything in its path. Its ten horns are ten kings who will rule that empire. Then another king will arise, different from the other ten, who will subdue three of them. He will defy the Most High and oppress the holy people of the Most High. He will try to change their sacred festivals and laws, and they will be placed under his control for a time, times, and half a time. “But then the court will pass judgment, and all his power will be taken away and completely destroyed. Then the sovereignty, power, and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be given to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will last forever, and all rulers will serve and obey him.”
Let’s talk about the interpretation and what some scholars say about this fourth beasts and the 10 horns. We have already said that the beast represents Rome or the Roman Empire.
But what about the 10 Horns?
The fourth beast has 10 horns which represent 10 kings that come from the Roman Empire or the geographic area covered by it. These kings are not successive like the other four kingdoms one coming after the other. These kings will rise and reign at the same or nearly the same time.
Some have said that these 10 kings or kingdoms are the successors to Alexander the great but that doesn’t really correspond to the origin being Rome. All we know is that they represent 10 kingdoms that may or may not have happened yet. I say that because the little horn that appears on the fourth beast has been identified by almost all theologians, Jewish and Christian as the Anti-Christ which we know has not yet appeared, at least where we would know him, so it may not be really logical to say that those horns represent any kingdoms that have existed previously. Now maybe they exist today but there is no proof that is the case either. The prophecies regarding the Gentiles which this prophecy clearly indicates that the Anti-Christ will come before the Ancient of Days holds court and gives the kingdom that is everlasting and under which all rulers will serve.
So perhaps God is telling us through this prophecy what will happen without identifying the players. It tells us the characteristics of the players but not who they are and because much of the things that the prophecy says will happen hasn’t happened we really can’t identify those 10 horns. Man has been trying to figure out from as far back as Daniel, and especially after the Revelation given to John exactly when all these things of the end time will happen. If God had wanted us to know that don’t you think He would have been clear? Even Jesus said He didn’t know when He would return and destroy Satan and His earthly rule would start.
However if that is true then the Anti-Christ would have to come from one of those kings and that hasn’t happened yet. If we agree that the fourth beast represents the Roman Empire then perhaps these ten kings represent ten end-time rulers or nations that will in some way be related to the territory of the old Roman Empire. How or who or what or when is not clearly revealed, making speculation useless.
Let’s get back to the “other horn” or “little horn”
Daniel 7:20-22, 24-26 NLT I also asked about the ten horns on the fourth beast’s head and the little horn that came up afterward and destroyed three of the other horns. This horn had seemed greater than the others, and it had human eyes and a mouth that was boasting arrogantly. As I watched, this horn was waging war against God’s holy people and was defeating them, until the Ancient One—the Most High—came and judged in favor of his holy people. Then the time arrived for the holy people to take over the kingdom. Its ten horns are ten kings who will rule that empire. Then another king will arise, different from the other ten, who will subdue three of them. He will defy the Most High and oppress the holy people of the Most High. He will try to change their sacred festivals and laws, and they will be placed under his control for a time, times, and half a time. “But then the court will pass judgment, and all his power will be taken away and completely destroyed.
The little horn is not another kingdom but an individual that comes from one of the 10 who because he is intelligent and arrogant is able to subdue 3 of the existing kingdoms so he appears to be an astute politician who the uses great military might to become dominant in this group of kingdoms or nations which is now less than 10. He also goes on a campaign against people described as the holy ones.
I think here, since we have identified the “little horn” as the Anti-Christ, the holy ones are those who are subjects of Jesus when He is given authority by the Ancient of Days (God). That would mean the believers.
What is the moral and spiritual character of the "other horn"?
Arrogant -
Daniel 7:20 NLT I also asked about the ten horns on the fourth beast’s head and the little horn that came up afterward and destroyed three of the other horns. This horn had seemed greater than the others, and it had human eyes and a mouth that was boasting arrogantly.
Blasphemer -
Daniel 7:25 NLT He will defy the Most High and oppress the holy people of the Most High. He will try to change their sacred festivals and laws, and they will be placed under his control for a time, times, and half a time.
Twice the heavenly interpreter emphasizes that the last king will be tried and condemned by God Himself
Daniel 7:22, 26 NLT until the Ancient One—the Most High—came and judged in favor of his holy people. Then the time arrived for the holy people to take over the kingdom. “But then the court will pass judgment, and all his power will be taken away and completely destroyed.
How was Daniel affected by all that was revealed to him?
Daniel 7:28 NLT That was the end of the vision. I, Daniel, was terrified by my thoughts and my face was pale with fear, but I kept these things to myself.
Things to think about this week
- God revealed Himself to Daniel through dreams and visions. How does God usually speak to us today?
- What are some of the negative, ungodly forces in our society today?
- How are some troubled nations dishonoring God?
- How does Daniel’s vision portray God’s control in the affairs of the world?
- To whom does God hand over the dominion of the world?
- In what ways are some Christians persecuted in our country?
- When have you felt defeated as a Christian?
- What does it mean to you to be part of the kingdom of God?
- How does the Lord come to your rescue when you are down?
- How can the nations of the world become a part of your daily prayer life?
What steps can you take to hand over your fears to the Lord?
Next week we will start in chapter 8. This begins the prophecies that are specific, for the most part to the Hebrews or nation of Israel. Most of the things in these prophecies have already happened or been fulfilled and we will talk about them.
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