III.
The visions of the overcoming Daniel
7:1—12:13
A.
Concerning the four beasts out of the Mediterranean Sea
7:1-28
1.
The year of the vision (about 556 B.C.)
v. 1
Dan. 7
:1
7:1
In the
1first year of Belshazzar the king of Babylon Daniel saw a dream and
2avisions of his head upon his bed. Then he wrote down the dream; he related the sum of the matters.
2.
The four beasts out of the Mediterranean Sea
vv. 2-8, 11-12
Dan. 7
:2
7:2
Daniel responded and said, I was watching in my vision by night, and there were the
1four awinds of heaven, stirring up the
2Great Sea.
Dan. 7
:3
7:3
And four great
1beasts acame up from the sea, each different from the other.
Dan. 7
:4
7:4
The 1first was like a
alion and had the wings of an
beagle. I watched until its wings were plucked 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.
Dan. 7
:5
7:5
And there was
1aanother beast, a second one, resembling a
bbear. And it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth; and they said thus to it, Arise, devour much flesh.
Dan. 7
:6
7:6
After this I watched and there was
1aanother beast, like a
bleopard; and it had four wings of a bird on its back; and the beast had
cfour heads, and dominion was given to it.
Dan. 7
:7
7:7
After this I watched in the night visions, and there was a
1afourth beast, dreadful and frightful and exceedingly strong; and it had large iron teeth; it devoured and crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it; and it had
bten horns.
Dan. 7
:8
7:8
I was considering the horns; then there was another horn, a
1asmall one, which came up among them; and
bthree of the first horns were uprooted from before it. And there were
2eyes like the eyes of a man in this horn and a
2mouth speaking
cgreat things.
3.
God and His universal dominion
vv. 9-10
Dan. 7
:9
7:9
I watched
Until
athrones were set,
And the
bAncient of Days sat down.
His clothing was like
cwhite 1snow,
And the
dhair of His head was like pure
1wool;
His throne was flames of
2fire,
Its
ewheels, burning fire.
Dan. 7
:10
7:10
A astream of
bfire issued forth
And came out from before Him.
cThousands of thousands ministered to Him,
And ten thousands of ten thousands stood before Him.
The
1court of judgment sat,
And the
dbooks were opened.
Dan. 7
:11
7:11
I watched then because of the sound of the great things that the horn was
aspeaking; I watched until the
bbeast was
1slain and its body was destroyed and given to the burning fire.
Dan. 7
:12
7:12
And as for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but an
1extension of life was given to them for a season and a time.
4.
The coming of the Son of Man — Christ
vv. 13-14
Dan. 7
:13
7:13
I watched in the night visions,
And there with the clouds of heaven
One like a
1aSon of Man was coming;
And He came to the
bAncient of Days,
And they brought Him near before Him.
Dan. 7
:14
7:14
And to Him was
1agiven dominion, glory, and a
bkingdom,
That all the
cpeoples, nations, and languages might serve Him.
His dominion is an eternal dominion, which will not pass away;
And His kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.
5.
The interpretation of the vision
vv. 15-28
Dan. 7
:15
7:15
As for me, Daniel, my
aspirit within me was distressed, and the visions of my head alarmed me.
Dan. 7
:16
7:16
I came near to one of those standing by and asked of him the exact meaning of all this. So he told me and made the interpretation of the things known to me:
Dan. 7
:17
7:17
These great beasts, which are four, are four kings
who will arise from the earth.
Dan. 7
:18
7:18
But the
1asaints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, indeed, forever and ever.
Dan. 7
:19
7:19
Then I wished to know the exact meaning of the
afourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its claws of bronze,
which devoured, crushed, and trampled under the remainder with its feet,
Dan. 7
:20
7:20
And of the
aten horns that were on its head, and the other
bhorn that came up, and before which three
horns fell, even that horn that had eyes and a mouth speaking great things and whose appearance was greater than that of its companions.
Dan. 7
:21
7:21
I watched and that horn
1awaged war with the saints and prevailed against them,
Dan. 7
:22
7:22
Until the
aAncient of Days came; and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High; and the time came when the
bsaints possessed the kingdom.
Dan. 7
:23
7:23
Thus he said, The fourth beast will be the
afourth kingdom upon the earth, which will be different from all the
other kingdoms; and it will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it.
Dan. 7
:24
7:24
And as for the
aten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise, and
banother will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones; and he will subdue three kings.
Dan. 7
:25
7:25
And he will
aspeak things against the Most High and wear out the
bsaints of the Most High; and his intention will be to change the
1ctimes and the law; and they will be given into his hand for
2a dtime and times and half a time.
Dan. 7
:26
7:26
But the
acourt of judgment will sit, and they will take away his dominion, so as to
bannihilate and destroy
it unto the end.
Dan. 7
:27
7:27
And the
akingdom and dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; His kingdom is an
beternal kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.
Dan. 7
:28
7:28
Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts alarmed me greatly, and my countenance was changed, but I
akept the matter in my heart.
