Daniel 7 · WEB
The Four Beasts and the Son of Man
Listen — WEB narration 0:00 / 0:00 Narration: World English Bible (David Williams), public domain — AudioTreasure.
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In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head on his bed. Then he wrote the dream and told the sum of the matters.
2Daniel spoke and said, "I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the sky broke out on the great sea.
3Four great animals came up from the sea, different from one another.
4"The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings. I saw until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made to stand on two feet as a man. A man's heart was given to it.
5"Behold, there was another animal, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth. They said this to it: 'Arise! Devour much flesh!'
6"After this I saw, and behold, another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The animal also had four heads; and dominion was given to it.
7"After this I saw in the night visions, and, behold, there was a fourth animal, awesome and powerful, and strong exceedingly. It had great iron teeth. It devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet. It was different from all the animals that were before it. It had ten horns.
8"I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots: and behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.
9"I watched until thrones were placed, and one who was ancient of days sat. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool. His throne was fiery flames, and its wheels burning fire.
10A fiery stream issued and came out from before him. Thousands of thousands ministered to him. Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The judgment was set. The books were opened.
11"I watched at that time because of the voice of the great words which the horn spoke. I watched even until the animal was slain, and its body destroyed, and it was given to be burned with fire.
12As for the rest of the animals, their dominion was taken away; yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
13"I saw in the night visions, and behold, there came with the clouds of the sky one like a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
14Dominion was given him, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which will not pass away, and his kingdom that which will not be destroyed.
15"As for me, Daniel, my spirit was grieved within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.
16I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth concerning all this. "So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.
17'These great animals, which are four, are four kings, who will arise out of the earth.
18But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.'
19"Then I desired to know the truth concerning the fourth animal, which was different from all of them, exceedingly terrible, whose teeth were of iron, and its nails of bronze; which devoured, broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet;
20and concerning the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, and before which three fell, even that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spoke great things, whose look was more stout than its fellows.
21I saw, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
22until 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.
23"Thus he said, 'The fourth animal will be a fourth kingdom on earth, which will be different from all the kingdoms, and will devour the whole earth, and will tread it down, and break it in pieces.
24As for the ten horns, ten kings will arise out of this kingdom. Another will arise after them; and he will be different from the former, and he will put down three kings.
25He will speak words against the Most High, and will wear out the saints of the Most High. He will plan to change the times and the law; and they will be given into his hand until a time and times and half a time.
26"'But the judgment will be set, and they will take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it to the end.
27The kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole sky, will be given to the people of the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions will serve and obey him.'
28"Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts troubled me much, and my face was changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart."
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Summary
In the first year of Belshazzar, Daniel dreams of four beasts rising from the sea — a lion, a bear, a leopard, and a terrifying fourth beast with ten horns and a boastful little horn. He then sees the Ancient of Days take his throne in judgment, and one like a Son of Man receives an everlasting kingdom from him. An interpreter tells Daniel the beasts are four kingdoms, but the saints of the Most High will ultimately possess an eternal kingdom.
Themes
- God's sovereignty over world empires
- The Son of Man and his everlasting kingdom
- The Ancient of Days as judge
- Suffering and vindication of the saints
- Prophetic visions of the end
Key verses
- Dan 7:13 — “There came with the clouds of the sky one like a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days.”
- Dan 7:14 — “His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which will not pass away, and his kingdom that which will not be destroyed.”
- Dan 7:18 — “The saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever.”
- Dan 7:9 — “I watched until thrones were placed, and one who was ancient of days sat. His clothing was white as snow.”
Context & background
Chronologically this vision precedes chapters 5-6, occurring in the first year of Belshazzar's co-regency in Babylon (modern central Iraq), around 553 BC. Chapter 7 begins the Aramaic apocalyptic section that parallels Nebuchadnezzar's statue in chapter 2 — four kingdoms commonly identified as Babylon, Medo-Persia (modern Iran/Iraq), Greece (Alexander's empire), and Rome. The "one like a son of man" receiving an everlasting kingdom becomes Jesus' favorite self-designation, claimed explicitly before the high priest in Mark 14:62.
Cross-references
- Daniel 2:31-45 — Nebuchadnezzar's statue parallels the four-kingdom sequence
- Matthew 24:30 — The Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven
- Matthew 26:64 — Jesus claims the Son of Man title from Daniel 7:13
- Revelation 13:1-2 — A beast combining features of Daniel's four beasts
- Revelation 1:13-14 — Jesus portrayed with imagery blended from Dan 7:9 and 7:13