Daniel.7:1-7 Dan 7:1) 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. The book of Daniel is divided into two parts, the narratives and the prophecies. The narratives are in chapters 1-6, and the prophecies are in chapters 7-12. The narratives are in chronological order, taking us from Daniel’s youth to his old age. The prophecies beginning in chapter seven start a new time-schedule, beginning in the first year of Belshazzar’s reign, that is, before the narrative of chapter five. Dan 7:2) Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. Dan 7:3) And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. Scripture must be interpreted literally, except when the text warrants a symbolic interpretation. Verse 17 states this vision to be symbolic. The beast represent four kings, that is, the same four kingdoms of Nebuchadnezzar’s image in chapter 2. Dan 7:4) 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. Daniel is still living under the kingdom of Babylon, which was represented by the head of gold. It is clear that Babylon is the lion. Dan 7:5) 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. Daniel 2 does not identify the second kingdom, the one to follow Babylon, but chapter 6 does. The bear represents the kingdom of Medo-Persia, which followed Babylon. Just as the arms of the image in chapter 2, and the two horns of the ram in chapter 8, represent the two divisions of the kingdom, the Medes and the Persians, the bear raising itself on one side represents the two sides of the kingdom. The ribs and the eating of flesh graphically refers to the fate of the provinces of Babylon, Lydia, and Egypt before the onslaught of the Persians. Babylon fell to the Medes and Persians in 538 B.C. and the kingdom of Medo-Persia continued to the battle of Arbela in 331 B.C. Dan 7:6) 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.The rise of Alexander is represented by the leopard' The first kingdom is identified in Daniel 2 as Babylon. The second and third kingdoms are identified in Daniel 8 as Medo-Persia and Grecia. That is how we know what these first three beasts are. The fourth kingdom, however, is not identified by name in the text of the book of Daniel. We have to identify it by its time, place, and characteristics. (Dan 7:7) 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. This kingdom arises after the depredations of the Grecian kingdom. It corresponds to the legs of iron in the image of Daniel 2. The next world empire to rule the city of Jerusalem was the Roman empire, which came to have influence in Palestine from the year 161 BC, after conquering Macedonia in the year 168. Father we give you thanks always for the kindness that you have shown towards your people , we praise you for who you are, in Jesus Christ you are the revelation knowledge by Holy Spirit who take from you and openly define to mankind , thanks you for visiting us your people in the midnight hours in vision and dreams, openly revealing your heart to those who are open to received and gain knowledge of spiritual things .What great priviledge and honor it is to serve you our king .thank you for imparting and shedding light of just a minute glimpse of the past -present -future by your vision and word we give all glory to you and forget not to say we love you in Jesus Christ, we adore you for your amazing love . AMEN |