Read – Background on Daniel Chapter 7

Daniel so far interpreted others dreams, now dreams of his own.

This chapter is a dividing chapter for the book.

This chapter is a vision of world history.  It ‘gives the most comprehensive & detailed prophecy of future events to be found in the OT’ (Walvoord).  Daniel traces the course of 4 great world powers right up to the climax of world history in the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ.

This chapter takes place before  ch. 5 because Babylon hasn’t fallen yet. (553bc)

Chapter 2 dealt with these 4 powers from man’s view, but here, we have God’s view.

The Antichrist revealed; the final Gentile ruler

The Five Kingdoms

The beasts of Dan. 7 represent the same kingdoms as the image of Dan. 2.   In Dan. 7 we see the Gentile kingdoms as God sees them—vicious and wicked. History gives us the identity of these kingdoms.

  1. The lion represents Babylon of Daniel’s day (Jer. 50:17; Hab. 1:8). It began as a lion with wings, but the wings were

plucked. That is what happened to Babylon. It lost its power to move quickly and to overcome.

  1. The bear represents the Medo-Persian empire that conquered Babylon.
  2. One side of the bear is lifted up, because the Persian part of the kingdom was stronger than that of the Medes.
  3. The three ribs in his mouth are Susiana, Lydia, and Asia Minor, which it conquered.
  4. The leopard represents Greece.
  5. The leopard’s wings depict the speed with which Alexander conquered.
  6. The four heads represent the division of the Greek Empire following Alexander’s death into four parts, Syria,Egypt, Macedonia, and Asia Minor, each ruled by one of Alexander’s generals.
  7. The terrible beast represents Rome.
  8. It was exceedingly strong and its rule extended farther than that of the three kingdoms that preceded it.
  9. The 10 horns symbolize the 10 kings of the last days in the revived Roman Empire who will be ruled over by the Antichrist (Dan. 7:8, 23-25).
  10. The Son of Man for views the Messianic kingdom (Dan. 7:27).
  11. The Little Horn

The emphasis of the vision concerns the final kingdom and the powerful king who shall rule at the last (Dan. 7:15-25). The characteristics of this final Gentile ruler (The Antichrist) are given:

  1. He will arise out of and rule over the revived Roman Empire (Dan. 7:23-24).
  2. He will come to power through deception and violence (Dan. 7:8, 24; 11:21-23).
  3. He will speak great blasphemies against God (Dan. 7:8, 25).
  4. He will persecute the saints, i.e., the Jewish people and the Gentiles who will be converted through the ministry of the Jews (Dan. 7:21, 25; Rev. 11:7; 13:7).
  5. He will be allowed to rule for a specific period (Dan. 7:25). Rev. 13:5 tells us this will be 42 months or the final 3.5  years of Daniel’s 70th Week (Dan. 9:27).
  6. He will be overthrown by the coming of the Son of God (Dan. 7:13-14, 21-22). Compare Rev. 19:11-21 and 2 Th 2.8