The Prophetic Zoo

1. The prophet Daniel, in the 7th chapter of his book, describes the vision he had: a succession of four great beasts coming up from the sea. According to the Bible, what is the meaning of this prophetic symbolism? (Check off all the right answers.)
   A beast represents a kingdom, a political power.
   A beast represents a church, a religious power.
   The sea symbolizes a desert place, sparsely populated.
   The sea symbolizes peoples, nations.

2. The first prophetic beast of Daniel chapter 7 is described this way: «The first was like a , and had eagle's wings.» Now, the prophet Jeremiah helps us to identify that first beast: «The king of (...) shall come up like a from the flooding of the Jordan against the habitation of the strong.»

3. Still speaking about the first kingdom, the prophet Daniel says: «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.» Which event is depicted by this symbolic passage?
   The first heart transplant.
   The decay of Alexander the Great.
   The fall of the Roman empire into the hands of Barbarian tribes.
   The madness of King Nebuchadnezzar, and his recovery.

4. The prophet Daniel then saw a bear devouring much flesh, which accurately describes the bloody attacks of the Medes and Persians. This bear had three ribs in its mouth, representing their three main conquests. Among the following list, please indicate the kingdom which is not one of the three main conquests of the Medo-Persian empire:
   Babylon.
   Assyria.
   Lydia.
   Egypt.

5. Daniel chapter 7 goes on with the third prophetic beast: «After this I looked, and there was another, like a , which had on its back wings of a bird. The beast also had heads, and dominion was given to it.» This beast represents the kingdom which succeeded the Medo-Persian empire, that is, .

6. The prophet Daniel then saw «a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong». Which kingdom does this strong beast represent?
   Rome.
   Greece.
   The Medo-Persian empire.
   Babylon.

7. Concerning the fourth beast, the prophecy of Daniel adds: «The fourth beast shall be a fourth on earth, which shall be different from all other kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, trample it and break it in pieces. The horns are kings who shall arise from this kingdom.» Just as foretold, this empire was divided into parts, into the hands of the Barbarian nations.

8. As the vision draws to a close, we see the appearance of a last power, symbolized by a little horn, «before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots.» Exactly as announced, this power annihilated three of the Barbarian nations. Please indicate, in the following list, which Barbarian nation was not annihilated by the little horn:
   The Heruli.
   The Vandals.
   The Visigoths.
   The Ostrogoths.

9. Daniel chapter 7 even tells us how long would be the reign of the power symbolized by the little horn: «Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time.» This prophetic period corresponds to a length of:
   666 years.
   1260 years.
   1440 years.
   1600 years.

10. Finally, the prophecy of Daniel chapter 7 announces how this succession of earthly kingdoms will end: «The kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the of the Most High. His kingdom is an kingdom.»

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