The Interpretations of Daniel (2)
Daniel 7: 1 – 28
King James Version (KJV)
Four Beasts
7 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.
2
Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds
of the heaven strove upon the great sea.
3
And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
4
The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings
thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon
the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.
5
And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on
one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and
they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
6
After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of
it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given
to it.
7
After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and
terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and
brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was
diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.
8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
"Ancient of Days"
9
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.
10
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.
11
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.
12
As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet
their lives were prolonged for a season and time.
13
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.
14 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.
"Interpretation of the Four
Beasts"
15 I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.
16 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.
17
These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of
the earth.
18
But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom
for ever, even for ever and ever.
19
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;
20
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.
21
I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against
them;
22
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.
Interpretation of the Fourth Beast
23 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.
24
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.
25
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.
26
But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume
and to destroy it unto the end.
27
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.
28 Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.
KINGDOM DYNAMICS
Old
Testament: Possessing the Kingdom. PROPHECY AND THE KINGDOM. Daniel’s prophecy
in Ch. 7 not only spans the spiritual struggle coving the ages through
Messiah’s First and Second Coming, but it uses two terms important to
perceiving the biblical truth of the kingdom of God: "dominion" and
"possess" "Dominion" (from
Chaldee, shelet, "to govern, prevail dominate") is in the hands
of world powers (vv. 6, 12) until the Coming of the Son of Man, at which time
it is taken by Him forever (vv. 13, 14).
But an interim struggle is seen between the First
and Second Coming of Messiah. During this season, the saints
"possess" (Chaldee, chacan,
"to hold on or occupy") the kingdom. This communicates a process
of long struggle as the redeemed ("saints") "possess" what
they have "received" (v. 18). The scenario reads:
1.
After the “judgment was given to the saints" (a forecast of the pivotal impact of
Christ’s Cross upon which hinged both man’s redemption as well as his
reinstatement to the potential of his rule under God), an extended struggle
ensues.
2.
This struggle is described as the "time [which]
came that the saints possessed the kingdom." They do battle against sinister adversaries
and experience a mix of victories and apparent defeats (v.25). The prophecy
unveils the present age of the kingdom, which is one of ongoing struggle – with
victory upon victory for the church. Yet it withholds its conclusive triumph
until Christ comes again.
This prophecy also balances the question of
divine sovereignty and human responsibility.
1.
God’s sovereignty accomplishes the foundational victory
(v.22) and in the Cross achieves the decisive victory allowing the saints new
dimensions for advance and conquest.
2.
He entrusts the responsibility for that advance to His
own to "possess the kingdom,"
entering into conflict with the adversary, at times at the expense of their
apparent defeat (v.26).
3.
However, movement toward victory is theirs as they
press the "judgment" of the "court" (vv.22, 26) and seize
realms controlled by evil. They wrestle the dominion from hellish powers
continuing the warfare until the ultimate seating of the Son of Man (vv.14,
27).
Prophetic systems vary as to how and when these
words unfold on the calendar of church history, for the passage is subject to
different schemes of interpretation, each with different projected
chronologies. But the foundational fact
remains that an age long struggle between "the saints" and the power
of evil in the world calls each believer to a commitment to steadfast battle, a
mixture of victories with setbacks, and a consummate triumph anticipated at
Christ’s coming. In the meantime, we "receive" the kingdom and pursue
victories for our King, by His power, making intermittent gains - all of which are based on "the
judgment" achieved through the Cross. See Rev. 12: 10, 11.
Ѱ CLASSICAL
INTERPRETATION: Classical interpretation sees the fourth kingdom and another
little horn as representing Greece and Antiochus Epiphanes.
In either case, this little one clearly embodies the antichrist spirit and becomes an
archetype of the Antichrist on the Book of Revelation (see vv. 21-27)
Janet Thomas
Founder/President/CEO
Bible Stories Theatre of
Fine & Performing Arts
www.biblestoriestheatre.org
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