Daniel 7

Berean Standard Bible · Compare translations · 553 BC – 552 BC · Exile in Babylon · Tap a verse to copy, share or highlight ·

28 verses · 897 words · ~4 min read · ~6 min listen

Danielʼs Vision of the Four Beasts

Revelation 13:1–10

¹In the first year of the reign of Belshazzar over Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he lay on his bed. He wrote down the dream, and this is the summary of his account.

²Daniel declared: “In my vision in the night I looked, and suddenly the four winds of heaven were churning up the great sea. ³Then four great beasts came up out of the sea, each one different from the others:

⁴The first beast was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and given the mind of a man.

⁵Suddenly another beast appeared, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. So it was told, ‘Get up and gorge yourself on flesh!’

⁶Next, as I watched, suddenly another beast appeared. It was like a leopard, and on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.

⁷After this, as I watched in my vision in the night, suddenly a fourth beast appeared, and it was terrifying—dreadful and extremely strong—with large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed; then it trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the beasts before it, and it had ten horns. ⁸While I was contemplating the horns, suddenly another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like those of a man and a mouth that spoke words of arrogance.

Danielʼs Vision of the Ancient of Days

⁹As I continued to watch,

thrones were set in place,

and the Ancient of Days took His seat.

His clothing was white as snow,

and the hair of His head was like pure wool.

His throne was flaming with fire,

and its wheels were all ablaze.

¹⁰A river of fire was flowing,

coming out from His presence.

Thousands upon thousands attended Him,

and myriads upon myriads stood before Him.

The court was convened,

and the books were opened.

¹¹Then I kept watching because of the arrogant words the horn was speaking. As I continued to watch, the beast was slain, and its body was destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. ¹²As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was removed, but they were granted an extension of life for a season and a time.

Danielʼs Vision of the Son of Man

¹³In my vision in the night I continued to watch,

and I saw One like the Son of Man

coming with the clouds of heaven.

He approached the Ancient of Days

and was led into His presence.

¹⁴And He was given dominion,

glory, and kingship,

that the people of every nation and language

should serve Him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion

that will not pass away,

and His kingdom is one

that will never be destroyed.

Danielʼs Visions Interpreted

¹⁵I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit, and the visions in my mind alarmed me. ¹⁶I approached one of those who were standing there, and I asked him the true meaning of all this.

So he told me the interpretation of these things: ¹⁷‘These four great beasts are four kings who will arise from the earth. ¹⁸But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and possess it forever—yes, forever and ever.’

¹⁹Then I wanted to know the true meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others—extremely terrifying—devouring and crushing with iron teeth and bronze claws, then trampling underfoot whatever was left. ²⁰I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell—the horn whose appearance was more imposing than the others, with eyes and with a mouth that spoke words of arrogance. ²¹As I watched, this horn was waging war against the saints and prevailing against them, ²²until the Ancient of Days arrived and pronounced judgment in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for them to possess the kingdom.

²³This is what he said: ‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on the earth, different from all the other kingdoms, and it will devour the whole earth, trample it down, and crush it. ²⁴And the ten horns are ten kings who will rise from this kingdom. After them another king, different from the earlier ones, will rise and subdue three kings. ²⁵He will speak out against the Most High and oppress the saints of the Most High, intending to change the appointed times and laws; and the saints will be given into his hand for a time, and times, and half a time.

²⁶But the court will convene, and his dominion will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. ²⁷Then the sovereignty, dominion, and greatness of the kingdoms under all of heaven will be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will serve and obey Him.’

²⁸Thus ends the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts troubled me greatly, and my face turned pale. But I kept the matter to myself.”

Footnotes (3)

a v2 Perhaps the Great Sea, that is, the Mediterranean Sea
b v13 Or one like a son of man
c v13 See Matthew 24:30,Matthew 26:64,Mark 13:26,Mark 14:62,Luke 21:27,Revelation 1:13,and Revelation 14:14.

Study notes on this chapter · 6

Prophecy & fulfillmentDebated

Four beasts from the sea

Daniel sees four beasts rise from the sea: a lion with eagle's wings, a bear, a leopard with four wings, and a terrifying beast with iron teeth and ten horns, from which a little horn arises and speaks boasts. Then thrones are set, the Ancient of Days judges, and one like a son of man receives the kingdom. The four beasts are identified in different ways, and Revelation borrows their imagery for its beast.

When: Daniel, set c. 553 BC; proposed fulfillments from the 6th century BC to the end of the age.

Original passageDaniel 7:1–12Daniel 7:19–27

Echoed inRevelation 13:1–2Revelation 17:12–14

Ways people read this (4)

Babylon, Media, Persia, Greece, with the little horn as Antiochus IV (the usual critical reading).
Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, with the little horn as a future ruler or series of rulers (traditional Christian and many premillennial readings).
The fourth beast is Rome, and the little horn is the papacy (a historicist Protestant reading).
The beasts stand for empires generally, and the point is God's judgment on all tyrannical powers.

Editorial note by BibleWay. Interpretations vary; dates are approximate scholarly estimates.

Prophecy & fulfillmentLinked by the New Testament

One like a son of man coming with the clouds

Daniel sees a human figure come with the clouds of heaven and receive an everlasting kingdom from the Ancient of Days. Jesus' favorite self-description, 'the Son of Man', draws on this, and before the high priest he says he will be seen 'coming on the clouds of heaven'.

When: Daniel (traditionally c. 550–530 BC; many scholars date the book to c. 165 BC); Jesus' trial, c. AD 30–33.

Original passageDaniel 7:13–14

Where the New Testament applies itMatthew 26:63–64

Echoed inMark 13:26

Editorial note by BibleWay. Interpretations vary; dates are approximate scholarly estimates.

Prophecy & fulfillmentDebated

A time, times and half a time

Daniel says the holy ones will be handed over to the little horn for 'a time, times and half a time', and Daniel 12 repeats the period. Revelation gives the same span as 1,260 days and 42 months. Interpreters disagree on whether it is three and a half literal years, a symbolic period, or a period of years.

When: Daniel; Revelation, c. AD 90s.

Original passageDaniel 7:25Daniel 12:7

Echoed inRevelation 11:2–3Revelation 12:6Revelation 12:14Revelation 13:5

Ways people read this (4)

Three and a half literal years, as in Antiochus IV's persecution (167–164 BC) or a future tribulation.
A symbolic period for a limited time of persecution, symbolizing half of seven (incomplete, cut short).
1,260 years in some historicist readings, using the day-year principle.
The period of the church's witness between Christ's first and second comings (some amillennial readings).

Editorial note by BibleWay. Interpretations vary; dates are approximate scholarly estimates.

Prophecy & fulfillmentDebated

Some standing here will not taste death

Jesus tells his disciples that some standing there will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. The saying is followed in all three synoptic gospels by the account of the transfiguration. What event Jesus means is debated.

When: Jesus' teaching at Caesarea Philippi, c. AD 29–30.

Original passageMatthew 16:27–28Mark 9:1

Echoed inMatthew 17:1–8Daniel 7:13–14

Ways people read this (4)

The transfiguration, a preview of Christ's glory, which follows within about a week.
The resurrection and ascension, or Pentecost, as the start of the kingdom's power.
The destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, as a vindication of the Son of Man.
The spread of the church and the kingdom in the apostolic generation.

Editorial note by BibleWay. Interpretations vary; dates are approximate scholarly estimates.

Prophecy & fulfillmentDebated

This generation will not pass away

After describing signs, the coming of the Son of Man and the gathering of the elect, Jesus says, 'This generation will not pass away until all these things take place.' The statement is among the most discussed in the gospels, since 'this generation' and 'all these things' can be read in several ways.

When: Jesus' Olivet discourse, c. AD 30–33.

Original passageMatthew 24:32–35Mark 13:28–31

Echoed inIsaiah 13:10Isaiah 34:4Daniel 7:13–14

Ways people read this (5)

'This generation' means Jesus' contemporaries, and the events (destruction of the temple, the coming of the Son of Man in judgment) happened in AD 70 (preterist).
'This generation' means the generation that sees the signs begin, which will also see the end.
'Generation' means 'race' or 'people' (the Jewish people will survive until the end).
'Generation' refers to an evil kind of people, as in Matthew 12:39, 45, and 'these things' are the signs, not the end itself.
Jesus speaks of the destruction of the temple as a first stage and the final coming as a later one, with verse 36 marking the change.

Editorial note by BibleWay. Interpretations vary; dates are approximate scholarly estimates.

Prophecy & fulfillmentDebated

The beast and the number 666

Revelation 13 describes a beast from the sea with ten horns and seven heads, given authority by the dragon, and a second beast that makes people worship the first and mark their hands or foreheads. John says the number of the beast is 666, 'a human number'. Some manuscripts read 616. Interpreters have offered many solutions.

When: Revelation, c. AD 90s (or c. AD 68–70, in some readings).

Original passageRevelation 13:1–18

Echoed inDaniel 7:2–8Daniel 7:25

Ways people read this (5)

Nero Caesar: his name in Hebrew letters adds to 666 (and to 616 in the Latin spelling), so the first readers would have known him (preterist and many scholars).
Domitian or the Roman imperial cult as a whole, which demanded worship.
A future individual, the antichrist, with a future system of control (futurist).
A symbol: 666 falls one short of 777 seven times over, standing for humanity's pretense to divinity.
A religious-political system throughout history (historicist and idealist).

Editorial note by BibleWay. Interpretations vary; dates are approximate scholarly estimates.

See all prophecy & fulfillment notes →

Daniel 7

Danielʼs Vision of the Four Beastsⓘ

Danielʼs Vision of the Ancient of Daysⓘ

Danielʼs Vision of the Son of Manⓘ

Danielʼs Visions Interpretedⓘ

Study notes on this chapter · 6

Four beasts from the sea

One like a son of man coming with the clouds

A time, times and half a time

Some standing here will not taste death

This generation will not pass away

The beast and the number 666

Danielʼs Vision of the Four Beasts

Danielʼs Vision of the Ancient of Days

Danielʼs Vision of the Son of Man

Danielʼs Visions Interpreted