Daniel 7 - The 4 Beasts
Daniel 7: The 4 Beasts
This chapter starts with Daniel having a vision of 4 beasts, all different from each other, that come up out of the Great Sea. These 4 beasts represent 4 different kingdoms of the world. The Great Sea is most likely a reference to the Mediterranean Sea as each kingdom has a connection that that geographical area.
The First Beast (Daniel 7:4,17)
The first beast was like a lion with an eagle’s wings. The wings were plucked off. It was made to stand as a man and a man’s heart was given to it.
The animal descriptions given to this beast are of a lion and an eagle. Both of which are considered majestic and kingly animals.
This first kingdom represents Babylon and King Nebuchadnezzar himself. The eagle’s wings symbolize aggressiveness and swiftness in its victories, which aligns with the Babylonians’ fierceness in their conquests.
Both the lion and the eagle were used as a representation of King Nebuchadnezzar in Jeremiah 49:19-22
The lion was a symbolic characteristic of Babylon, especially during the time of King Nebuchadnezzar. The gates and entrances of the kingdom were adorned with a procession of lions.
The plucking of eagle wings can be symbolic of King Nebuchadnezzar’s temporary insanity brought on by God as a punishment for his pride. (Found in Daniel 4)
The Second Beast (Daniel 7:5,17)
The second beast was like a bear, with a large appetite. The beast was raised up on 1 side and had 3 ribs in its mouth.
This beast is not as majestic as the first. It is patterned after a bear which is slower, stronger, and more crushing than a lion. It also had an appetite for conquest.
The bear represents the Medo-Persian Empire, which succeeded the Babylonian Empire. Of the two nations, the Persians dominated the Medes, which is why the beast is said to be raised on 1 side.
The three ribs that are in the beast’s mouth may represent the empires that the first Persian king, Cyrus the Great, conquered.
Cyrus came into power around 558 BC. He, along with his son Cambyses II, conquered the Lydian Empire in 546 BC, the Babylonian Empire in 539 BC, and Egypt in 525 BC.
The Medo-Persian Empire, also known as the Achaemenid Empire, was a force to be reckoned with. They overwhelmed their opponents with their superior army size and crushing force. They were compared to the bear because of their cruelty and thirst for blood.
The Third Beast (Daniel 7:6,17)
The third beast was like a leopard with 4 wings and 4 heads. Dominion was given to it.
This beast is different in its attack method compared to the first two. The leopard is known for attacking unexpectedly and springs on its prey. It also has 4 wings and 4 heads, which indicates that it is very swift and clever/intelligent.
The leopard represents the Greek Empire, which succeeded the Medo-Persian Empire. The conqueror was Alexander the Great, a Macedonian ruler. When his father was assassinated, Alexander claimed the Macedonian throne at age 20 and killed his rivals before they could challenge him. Alexander the Great continued with his father’s vision of global domination and set off conquering different parts of the world.
Alexander the Great was swift in his conquest. Within 12 years, he was able to consolidate the Greeks, subdue Persian and Egypt, and move forward in conquering central Asia. He was clever enough to assimilate the cultures of all the empires he had conquered into one and created one Hellenistic empire.
When Alexander the Great died (at age 32), he had not named a successor, so leadership was divided among his 4 generals. This is another interpretation of the beast having 4 heads.
This led to struggles and divisions until the empire itself was divided into 4 smaller kingdoms - Greece and Macedon, Thrace and Asia Minor, Middle-East and Asia, & Egypt-Palestine.
The Fourth Beast (Daniel 7:7,8,11,12, 19-27)
The fourth beast was a dreadful and terrible one. It was very strong. This beast had iron teeth, broke things to pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet. It had 10 horns. Among those horns, a little one came up and replaced 3 of the horns that were on the beast. That little horn had the eyes of man and spoke pompous words.
This beast is different than the ones that came before it. There is no animal descriptor for it. It was so terrible that it could not be described. The descriptors used here are for strength, iron teeth and nails of bronze, devouring, breaking to pieces, and trampling.
This beast represents the Roman Empire, which may be the cruelest and strongest empire in history. This Empire was the most unified and lasted the longest compared to the others.
One of the main reasons for the Roman Empire’s conquering success was their army. Their army was the first paid full-time professional army in the world. They were successful because of their extensive training, ingenuity to invent new military tactics, and quick learning. They were known for being efficient and organized, with tactics employed by armies today.
Another reason for their success was their treatment of captured people. Rome offered them citizenship and essentially “Romanized” them, by adding bits and pieces of Roman culture to those areas (such as bathhouses, aqueducts, etc). They also used their technology to increase trade opportunities with the conquered lands to keep people happy.
We can see that this beast had 10 horns, which represents 10 kingdoms within the Roman Empire. This could mean countries, as we see today. From those 10, a little horn emerges which uproots 3 of the existing horns. This little horn represents the antichrist.
The little horn or the antichrist is seen to be very dominant, intelligent, and speaks boastfully. (Also found in Revelation 13:5,6)
He appears greater than those around him. He speaks blasphemous words against God. He persecutes God’s people and prevails against them. This shows that the antichrist will go against the Jewish people, God’s chosen. And during his reign, he will change the laws. That portion of his reign will be for a time, times, and half a time. This is interpreted to mean about 3.5 years.
Summary:
Daniel 7:17 - Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth.
These four beasts mentioned in Daniel 7 are representative of 4 great kingdoms in history. All of which have been fulfilled.
The first beast, which is the lion with eagle’s wings which were plucked off, represents the Babylonian Kingdom and King Nebuchadnezzar.
The second beast, which is the bear, represents the Medo-Persian Empire which conquered the Babylonians.
The third beast, which is the leopard with 4 wings and 4 heads, represents the Greek Empire, spearheaded by Alexander the Great, which conquered most of the known world.
The fourth beast, which is a terrible and dreadful creature with iron teeth and bronze nails, represents the Roman Empire which ruled with an iron fist and conquered a large portion of the world, and was the longest-lasting of the four empires.
The antichrist is represented by the little horn on top of the fourth beast, which lets us know that he will spring from what was the Roman Empire. It says that he will speak against God, persecute God’s people, and change the law. But his reign of terror will only be for 3.5 years.
Daniel 17:11,12 - “I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame. As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
The rest of the empires had their power stripped away, but some elements of their kingdoms still persist to this day. But the kingdom of the little horn, the antichrist, will be completely wiped away during Christ’s Second Coming. This is why it says that the beast is slain, its body destroyed and burned up.
Daniel 17:27 -
Then the kingdom and dominion,
And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven,
Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High.
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.’
