THE FOUR BEASTS
(Message by Tanny Keng)
0. Introduction
a) Daniel had many dreams and visions he did not understand. He dreamed of four beasts, which represented four kingdoms of the world, and of a ram and goat, which depicted two of those kingdoms in greater detail. Daniel's visions reveal that the Messiah will be the ruler of a spiritual kingdom that will overpower and overshadow all other earthly kingdoms. These visions helps us see that we should interpret all of history in light of God's eternal kingdom.
b) Here we shall consider the vision of the 4 beasts in Daniel 7:1-8.
1. Text reference: Daniel 7:1-8
i) In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, telling the main facts. 2 Daniel spoke, saying, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. 3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other. 4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it. 5 “And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’ 6 “After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had 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, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. 8 I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words." (Daniel 7:1-8 NKJV)
2. What is the text all about?
a) Chronologically, Daniel chapter 7 takes place before chapter 5. At this time, Belshazzar had just been given a position of authority (553 B.C.) and Daniel was probably in his late sixties. The first 6 chapters of Daniel present history; the last 6 chapters are visions relating mainly to the future.
b) Daniel had a vision of 4 beasts, each representing a world empire. This was similar to Nebuchadnezzar's dream in Daniel chapter 2. Nebuchadnezzar's dream covered the political aspects of the empires; Daniel's dream depicted their moral characteristics. These nations, which would reign over Israel, were evil and cruel, but Daniel also saw God's everlasting, indestructible kingdom arrive and conquer them all.
c) The lion with an egale's wings represents Babylon with her seift conquests (statues of winged lions have been recovered from Babylon's ruins). The bear that ravaged the lion is Medo-Persia. The three ribs in its mouth represent the conquests of three major enemies. The leopard is Greece. Its wings show the swiftness of Alexander the Great's campaign as he conquered much of the civilized world in 4 years (334-330 B.C). The leopard's four heads are the 4 divisions of the Greek empire after Alexander's death.
d) The fourth beast points to both Rome and the end times. Many Bible scholars believe that the horns correspond to 10 kings who will reign shortly before God sets up his everlasting kingdom. These 10 kings had still not come to power (see Revelation 17:12).
@1. 12 “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. (Revelation 17:12 NKJV)
e) The little horn is a future human ruler or the antichrist (see 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). God is illustrating the final end of all worldly kingdoms in contrast to his eternal kingdom.
@1. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 NKJV)
The End ...
0. Introductiona) Daniel had many dreams and visions he did not understand. He dreamed of four beasts, which represented four kingdoms of the world, and of a ram and goat, which depicted two of those kingdoms in greater detail. Daniel's visions reveal that the Messiah will be the ruler of a spiritual kingdom that will overpower and overshadow all other earthly kingdoms. These visions helps us see that we should interpret all of history in light of God's eternal kingdom.
b) Here we shall consider the vision of the 4 beasts in Daniel 7:1-8.
1. Text reference: Daniel 7:1-8
i) In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, telling the main facts. 2 Daniel spoke, saying, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. 3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other. 4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it. 5 “And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’ 6 “After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had 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, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. 8 I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words." (Daniel 7:1-8 NKJV)
2. What is the text all about?
a) Chronologically, Daniel chapter 7 takes place before chapter 5. At this time, Belshazzar had just been given a position of authority (553 B.C.) and Daniel was probably in his late sixties. The first 6 chapters of Daniel present history; the last 6 chapters are visions relating mainly to the future.
b) Daniel had a vision of 4 beasts, each representing a world empire. This was similar to Nebuchadnezzar's dream in Daniel chapter 2. Nebuchadnezzar's dream covered the political aspects of the empires; Daniel's dream depicted their moral characteristics. These nations, which would reign over Israel, were evil and cruel, but Daniel also saw God's everlasting, indestructible kingdom arrive and conquer them all.
c) The lion with an egale's wings represents Babylon with her seift conquests (statues of winged lions have been recovered from Babylon's ruins). The bear that ravaged the lion is Medo-Persia. The three ribs in its mouth represent the conquests of three major enemies. The leopard is Greece. Its wings show the swiftness of Alexander the Great's campaign as he conquered much of the civilized world in 4 years (334-330 B.C). The leopard's four heads are the 4 divisions of the Greek empire after Alexander's death.
d) The fourth beast points to both Rome and the end times. Many Bible scholars believe that the horns correspond to 10 kings who will reign shortly before God sets up his everlasting kingdom. These 10 kings had still not come to power (see Revelation 17:12).
@1. 12 “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. (Revelation 17:12 NKJV)
e) The little horn is a future human ruler or the antichrist (see 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). God is illustrating the final end of all worldly kingdoms in contrast to his eternal kingdom.
@1. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 NKJV)
The End ...
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