The Four
Mythical Beasts
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Let's ask for God's assistance:
O Father,
As we delve more and more deeply into the book of Daniel, we ask You to
grant us wisdom and discernment, so that we may understand the meaning of these important
prophecies, and so that our study of Your word may guide us closer and closer to You.
In Jesus Christ we pray.
Amen.
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Hebrews 5:13,14
For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in
the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.
But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use
have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
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As we have seen in the lesson «How to Study
Prophecy», one of the seven keys to a proper understanding of Bible prophecy is: We
must study simple prophecies first, then complex ones.
So, let's quickly review the content of our last lesson about Daniel chapter 2, before
going on with Daniel chapter 7.
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Daniel 2:1
Now, in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign,
Nebuchadnezzar had dreams.
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In our last lesson «The Giant with Feet of
Clay», we saw that Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had a dream which greatly
impressed him, but whose content he completely forgot.
The prophet Daniel, inspired by God, revealed to him the content of his dream: a great
statue made of different materials, that was finally destroyed by a stone which became a
great mountain.
Let's look at a schematic drawing of the statue the king had seen.
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Let's sketch out the statue King Nebuchadnezzar
had seen :
#oo#
##<>## --------------------> 1. The head of gold.
[[[[[]]]]]
[[[[[[]]]]]] -------------------> 2. The chest and arms of silver.
[] [[[]]] [] +-----------------> 3. The belly and thighs of bronze.
`' &&&&&& `' | +--------------> 4. The legs of
iron.
&&&&&& ----+ | +-----------> 5. The
feet partly of iron and
[] [] -------+ | ####
partly of clay.
[] [] |
###### ---> 6. The stone that breaks the statue in
@@@@ @@@@ --------+ ####
pieces and becomes a great mountain.
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Daniel 2:36
This is the dream. Now we will tell the interpretation of
it before the king.
----------------------------------------------------
After having revealed to him the content of his dream, Daniel explained to King
Nebuchadnezzar its meaning.
The statue represented a succession of universal empires, from Babylon until the end of
the world, and the stone becoming a great mountain symbolized the establishment of the
eternal kingdom of God at Christ's second coming.
Now, let's look at the summary of this stunning interpretation.
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Let's summarize the interpretation of the king's
dream :
#oo# ---------> 1. The head of gold.
##<>##
==> The Babylonian Empire (606 B.C. - 539 B.C.)
[[[[[]]]]] -------> 2. The chest and arms of silver.
[[[[[[]]]]]] ==> The
Medo-Persian Empire (539 B.C.- 331 B.C.)
[] [[[]]] [] +------> 3. The belly and thighs of bronze.
`' &&&&&& `' |
==> The Greek Empire (331 B.C. -
168 B.C.)
&&&&&& --+ +----> 4. The legs of iron.
[] [] |
==> The Roman Empire (168 B.C. - A.D. 476)
[] [] ----+ +--> 5. The feet partly of iron and partly of
clay.
@@@@ @@@@ ----+ ==> The 10
nations (A.D. 476 until today)
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Daniel 2:45
Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the
mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the
silver, and the gold.
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Acts 4:10,11
Jesus Christ (...) is the stone.
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The symbol of the stone is often used in the Bible to represent Jesus Christ.
The return of Jesus Christ, «the stone cut out of the mountain»,
will put an end to this world, wiping out all the earthly kingdoms.
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Daniel 7:1
In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel
had a dream.
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Many years later, while Belshazzar was the new king of Babylon, Daniel also had
a prophetic dream.
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Daniel 7:2,3
Daniel spoke, saying,
«I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the
Great Sea.
And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other.»
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Just as Nebuchadnezzar saw a statue whose succession of metals represented
universal kingdoms until the end of the world, Daniel saw a succession of four great
beasts, also bearing a prophetic message.
First, we see that the beasts are coming up from the sea: does it mean something?
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Isaiah 17:12,13
Woe to the multitude of many people who make a noise like
the roar of the seas, and to the rushing of nations that make a rushing like the rushing
of mighty waters!
The nations will rush like the rushing of many waters.
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Revelation 17:15
And [the angel] said to me,
«The waters which you saw (...) are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.»
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The Bible gives its own keys to prophecy: waters represent peoples, nations.
Thus the beasts coming up from the sea come from inhabited places.
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Daniel 7:17,23
Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings. (...)
The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth.
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Just like the metals of the statue, the four beasts represent four earthly
kingdoms which would succeed one another.
Let's look at these beasts one by one.
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Daniel 7:4
The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings.
I watched till its wings were plucked off; 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.
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The first beast was a lion with eagle's wings.
Which kingdom is symbolized by this description?
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Jeremiah 50:43,44
The king of Babylon (...) shall come up like a lion from
the flooding of the Jordan against the habitation of the strong.
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Ezekiel 17:3,12
A great eagle with large wings and long pinions (...).
Do you not know what these things mean? Tell them,
«Indeed the king of Babylon went to Jerusalem and took its king and princes.»
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Gold, king of metals, designates the kingdom of Babylon.
Likewise, the lion, king of beasts, with eagle's wings, designates this same kingdom.
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Daniel 7:4
I watched till its wings were plucked off; 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.
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Now, what does this symbolic description of the king of Babylon mean?
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Daniel 4:16,28,34
Let his heart be changed from that of a man, let him be
given the heart of an animal, and let seven times pass over him. (...)
All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. (...)
«And at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my
understanding returned to me.»
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One day, in spite of Daniel's warning, Nebuchadnezzar boasted about his power.
For this reason, he went out of his mind for seven years, thinking he was an ox.
After that time, his understanding returned to him, and he gave glory to God: in this way,
his «man's heart» was given back to him.
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Daniel 7:5
And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was
raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth.
And they said thus to it, «Arise, devour much flesh!»
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Daniel 5:28
Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes and
Persians.
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Knowing that the lion with eagle's wings is the kingdom of Babylon, we can
easily identify the bear: it is the kingdom of the Medes and the Persians.
But why was the bear raised up on one side?
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Daniel 8:3,20
There, standing beside the river, was a ram which had two
horns, and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other. (...)
The ram which you saw, having the two horns - they are the kings of Media and Persia.
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In another vision of Daniel, the kings of Media and Persia are symbolized by a
ram with two horns, one being higher than the other, meaning the superiority of some in
comparison with others (indeed, the Persians were soon to dominate the Medes).
This is why the bear was raised up on one side.
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Daniel 7:5
[The second beast] had three ribs in its mouth between
its teeth.
And they said thus to it, «Arise, devour much flesh!»
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Isaiah 13:17,18
Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who will
not regard silver; and as for gold, they will not delight in it.
Also their bows will dash the young men to pieces, and they will have no pity on the fruit
of the womb; their eye will not spare children.
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The bear devouring much flesh accurately describes the bloody attacks of the
Medes and Persians. Their three main conquests,
- Babylon,
- Lydia,
- Egypt,
are represented by the three ribs in the bear's mouth.
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Daniel 7:6
After this I looked, and there was another, like a
leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird.
The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.
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The third beast is a leopard with four wings and four heads, representing the
kingdom which succeeded the Medes and Persians: Greece, whose empire was founded in 331
B.C. by Alexander the Great.
What do the four wings and the four heads mean? We will discover the answer in our next
lesson.
Let's go on with the fourth kingdom.
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Daniel 7:7
After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a
fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong.
It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue
with its feet.
It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.
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The fourth kingdom is Rome: the Roman empire succeeded the Greek empire in 168
B.C.
Iron is once again associated with Rome: first by the iron legs of the statue, then by a
beast with huge iron teeth.
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Daniel 7:7,23,24
[The fourth beast] was different from all the beasts that
were before it, and it had ten horns. (...)
The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all
other kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, trample it and break it in pieces.
The ten horns are ten kings who shall arise from this kingdom.
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Like the ten toes of the statue, the beast had ten horns, symbolizing the ten
kings which succeeded Rome.
Indeed, as we have already seen, the Roman empire was divided into ten parts in the fifth
century A.D.
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The Roman Empire divided in ten parts:
1. The Saxons, originating the
English nation.
2. The Franks, originating the French nation.
3. The Alamanni, originating the German nation.
4. The Visigoths, originating the Spanish
nation.
5. The Suevi, originating the Portuguese nation.
6. The Lombards, originating the Italian nation.
7. The Burgundians, originating the Swiss
nation.
8. The Heruli, who disappeared in A.D. 493.
9. The Vandals, who disappeared in A.D. 534.
10. The Ostrogoths, who disappeared in A.D. 538.
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Daniel 7:8
I was considering the horns, and there was another horn,
a little one, coming up among them.
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As the vision draws to a close, an additional detail is given, absent from the
vision of the statue: the appearance of a last power, symbolized by a little horn.
This power comes up among the ten horns, that is, from the ten nations of Europe.
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Daniel 7:8,24
I was considering the horns, and there was another horn,
a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out
by the roots. (...)
The ten horns are ten kings who shall arise from this kingdom.
And another shall rise after them; he shall be different from the first ones, and shall
subdue three kings.
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The little horn will pluck out three of the ten kings.
History teaches us that a power, appearing in Europe, annihilated three of the ten
barbarian nations:
- the Heruli, in A.D. 493;
- the Vandals, in A.D. 534;
- the Ostrogoths, in A.D. 538.
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Daniel 7:8,19,20,25
And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a
man, and a mouth speaking pompous words. (...)
I wished to know the truth about (...) that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke
pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows. (...)
He shall speak pompous words against the Most High.
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This power, led by a man, would speak pompous words, even against God Himself.
It would also have a far more impressive appearance than all the preceding kingdoms.
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Daniel 7:21,25
The same horn was making war against the saints, and
prevailing against them. (...)
[He] shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and
law.
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Also, this power would persecute the «saints of the Most
High», the people desiring to remain faithful to the teachings of the Word of God.
Even more, it would try to change the law of God.
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Daniel 7:25
Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time
and times and half a time.
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The little horn's kingdom lasted a time, times (meaning two times, as we will
see in a moment), and half a time: in total, 3½ times.
The Aramaic expression «times» (iddam) means a year of 360 days. So we have:
A time, that is, 360 days
+ Two times, that is, 720 days
+ Half a time, that is, 180 days
= 3½ times, that is, 1260 days.
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Revelation 12:6,14
The woman fled into the wilderness where she has a place
prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.
(...)
But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness
to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the
presence of the serpent.
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This period of 1260 days, also found in Revelation, shows us that the
expression «times» really means «two
times».
Now, let's try to understand the meaning of a period of 1260 days in Bible prophecy.
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Numbers 14:34
According to the number of the days in which you spied
out the land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty
years.
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Ezekiel 4:5,6
For I have laid on you the years of their iniquity,
according to the number of the days, (...) you shall bear the iniquity of the house of
Judah forty days.
I have laid on you a day for each year.
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The prophetic formula «1 day = 1 year» shows that 1260 days represent 1260
years.
Now, History teaches us that a power reigned 1260 years, from A.D. 538 to 1798.
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So, who is the little horn? Here are the identifying marks:
1. It came up among the ten nations (DANIEL
7:8).
2. It rose after the ten nations, that is, after A.D. 476 (DANIEL 7:24).
3. It has a greater appearance than the ten nations (DANIEL
7:20).
4. A man sits at its head (eyes like the eyes of a man) (DANIEL
7:8).
5. It plucked out three nations (DANIEL 7:8,20,24):
- Heruli, in A.D. 493;
- Vandals, in A.D. 534;
- Ostrogoths, in A.D. 538.
6. It blasphemed against God, speaking pompous words (DANIEL
7:8,20,25).
7. It made war against the saints (DANIEL 7:21,25).
8. It intended to change times and law (DANIEL 7:25).
9. It reigned during exactly 1260 years, from 538 to 1798 (DANIEL 7:25).
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John 16:12
I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot
bear them now.
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We will discover the identity of the little horn in a future lesson. Meanwhile,
we encourage you to think about it.
Do not hesitate to consult history books and encyclopedias: with the help of the
identifying marks provided by the Word of God, you will surely discover the identity of
the power symbolized by the little horn.
You might be quite surprised...
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Daniel 7:17,18,27
Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which
arise out of the earth.
But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever
(...).
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.
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Just like the vision of the statue, the prophecy of Daniel 7 ends happily.
God destroys the earthly kingdoms, and establishes His eternal kingdom, for the benefit of
those who have accepted His invitation.
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Comparisons between Daniel 2 (the statue) and Daniel 7 (the beasts):
Daniel 2 (the
statue) | Daniel 7 (the beasts) | Power symbolized
---------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------
Head of gold |
Lion with eagle's wings | Babylon
Chest and arms of silver | Bear with three ribs |
Medo-Persia
Belly and thighs of bronze | Leopard with four heads |
Greece
Legs of iron
| Beast with iron teeth | Rome
Feet of iron and of clay | 10 horns of the beast | The
10 nations
-----------
| Little
horn |Identity to come...
Stone breaking the statue | Destruction of nations, | Kingdom of God
and becoming a mountain | reign of God's people |established
forever
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Let's pray together:
Our Father,
What a priceless privilege You give us to probe the future through Your inspired Word, and
we are grateful to You.
As we continue our study, please help us to identify the kingdom symbolized by the little
horn, that our understanding of biblical prophecy may be deepened.
Above all, we humbly ask You to keep a place for us in Your eternal kingdom, by Your Son's
precious blood which cleanses us from all sin, transforming us day after day into Your
image.
This is our prayer, in Jesus Christ.
Amen.
The test of Lesson 17 is waiting for you!