The
Prophetic Zoo
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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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2 Peter 1:19
We also have the prophetic word made more sure, which you
do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the
morning star rises in your hearts.
In this lesson, we will continue our study of Bible prophecy, an activity which
the Word of God strongly encourages.
But before beginning, we suggest you to review the lesson entitled «The Statue of Daniel», in order to correctly
understand all the elements which will be explained in this lesson.
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Daniel 2:1
Now, in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign,
Nebuchadnezzar had dreams.
In our lesson «The Statue of Daniel»,
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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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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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.
Acts 4:10,11
Jesus Christ (...) is the stone.
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.
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.»
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.
Revelation 17:15
And [the angel] said to me,
«The waters which you saw (...) are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.»
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.
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.
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.
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.»
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.
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.»
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!»
Daniel 5:28
Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes and
Persians.
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.
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!»
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.
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.
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?
The answer to this question is found in a second vision of Daniel.
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Daniel 8:5,7,20,21
A male goat came from the west (...) the goat had a
notable horn between his eyes. (...)
[He] attacked the ram, and broke his two horns. (...)
The ram which you saw, having the two horns - they are the kings of Media and Persia.
And the male goat is the kingdom of Greece.
The large horn that is between its eyes is the first king.
In another vision, Daniel saw again the kingdom of the Medes and Persians,
symbolized by a ram, and the kingdom of the Greeks, symbolized by a male goat.
The large horn of the male goat is the first king of Greece, Alexander the Great.
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Daniel 8:8,22
The male goat grew very great; but when he became strong,
the large horn was broken, and in place of it four notable ones came up. (...)
As for the broken horn and the four that stood up in its place, four kingdoms shall arise
out of that nation.
Just as the prophecy foretold, Alexander the Great died at the height of his
fame, in 323 B.C., at the age of 32, only a few years after the conquest of the
Medo-Persian kingdom. He was then succeeded by his four generals:
- Lysimachus;
- Cassander;
- Ptolemy;
- Seleucus.
We now understand why the leopard had four wings and four heads.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
Ezekiel 4:6
I have laid on you a day for each year.
This period of 1260 days, also found in Revelation, shows us that the
expression «times» really means «two times».
Now, according to the prophetic formula «1 day = 1 year» that we saw in the lesson «The 70 Weeks», these 1260 days represent 1260
years.
History teaches us that a power reigned 1260 years, from A.D. 538 to A.D. 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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Luke 11:9
Seek, and you will find.
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.
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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Let us 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.
Source of the Pictures of this Lesson
Screen 1: «Parrot fish eating coral.» In: «Deluxe Compton's
Interactive Encyclopedia CD - 1998 Edition», Compton's Home Library, 1997. Screen
2: Photo by P. BLEECKX. In: «Le Moniteur», Pacific Press Publishing
Association, First Quarter, 1999, front cover. Screen 3: STEEL, John. In:
«God Cares, volume 1» (MAXWELL, C.Mervyn), Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1981,
p.30. Screen 4: RUDEEN, Herbert. In: «The Bible Story, volume 6»
(MAXWELL, Arthur S.), Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1955, p.28. Table of
Screen 4: HARLAN, Russell. In: «The Bible Story, volume 6» (MAXWELL, Arthur
S.), Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1955, p.16. Screen 5: MANISCALCO,
Joe. In: «Images from the Bible and Sacred History CD», Chosen Works, MLI Software,
JM079.BMP. Screen 6: RUDEEN, Herbert. In: «Uncle Arthur's Bible Book»
(MAXWELL, Arthur S.), Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1968, p.273. Picture
edited by Cyberspace Ministry. Table of Screen 6: Unknown source.
Screen 7: BISHOP, Tom. «Stone strikes feet of image». In: «New Pictoral Aid
For Bible Study» (BREADEN, Frank), Australian Division of Seventh-Day Adventists, 1970,
chart #7. Screen 8: In: «The Watchtower» magazine (October 1,
1986), New York, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, p.1. Screen 9: In:
«The Bible Story, volume 6» (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), Pacific Press Publishing Association,
1955, p.61. Screen 10: Photo in: «Master Clips 500,000» by IMSI, CD
#16, SSGP5445.JPG. Screen 11: BISHOP, Tom. «Lion and bear of Daniel 7»
and «Leopard and fourth beast of Daniel 7». In: «New Pictoral Aid For Bible Study»
(BREADEN, Frank), Australian Division of Seventh-Day Adventists, 1970, charts #20 and #21.
Composite picture by Cyberspace Ministry. Screen 12: BISHOP, Tom. «Lion
and bear of Daniel 7». In: «New Pictoral Aid For Bible Study» (BREADEN, Frank),
Australian Division of Seventh-Day Adventists, 1970, chart #20. Screen 13: In:
«The Bible for Children - Retold by Bridget Hadaway & Jean Atcheson», London,
Octopus Books Limited, 1973, p.170,171. Picture edited by Cyberspace Ministry.
Screen 14: BISHOP, Tom. «Lion and bear of Daniel 7». In: «New Pictoral Aid For
Bible Study» (BREADEN, Frank), Australian Division of Seventh-Day Adventists, 1970, chart
#20. Picture edited by Cyberspace Ministry. Screen 15: In: «The
Watchtower» magazine (December 1, 1988), Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, p.10.
Screen 16: BISHOP, Tom. «Lion and bear of Daniel 7». In: «New Pictoral Aid For
Bible Study» (BREADEN, Frank), Australian Division of Seventh-Day Adventists, 1970, chart
#20. Screen 17: BISHOP, Tom. «Ram and he-goat of Daniel 8». In: «New
Pictoral Aid For Bible Study» (BREADEN, Frank), Australian Division of Seventh-Day
Adventists, 1970, chart #33. Screen 18: Unknown source. Picture edited by
Cyberspace Ministry. Screen 19: BISHOP, Tom. «Leopard and fourth beast
of Daniel 7». In: «New Pictoral Aid For Bible Study» (BREADEN, Frank), Australian
Division of Seventh-Day Adventists, 1970, chart #21. Screen 20: STEEL,
John. In: «God Cares, volume 1» (MAXWELL, C.Mervyn), Pacific Press Publishing
Association, 1981, p.150. Screen 21: BISHOP, Tom. «Four horns and little
horn of Daniel 8». In: «New Pictoral Aid For Bible Study» (BREADEN, Frank), Australian
Division of Seventh-Day Adventists, 1970, chart #34. Picture edited by Cyberspace
Ministry. Screen 22: BISHOP, Tom. «Leopard and fourth beast of Daniel
7». In: «New Pictoral Aid For Bible Study» (BREADEN, Frank), Australian Division of
Seventh-Day Adventists, 1970, chart #21. Screen 23: BISHOP, Tom.
«Leopard and fourth beast of Daniel 7 (detail)». In: «New Pictoral Aid For Bible
Study» (BREADEN, Frank), Australian Division of Seventh-Day Adventists, 1970, chart #21.
Screen 24: BISHOP, Tom. «Map of European kingdoms». In: «New Pictoral Aid For
Bible Study» (BREADEN, Frank), Australian Division of Seventh-Day Adventists, 1970, chart
#6. Screen 25: Unknown source. Screen 26: CONVERSE,
James. In: «God Cares, volume 1» (MAXWELL, C.Mervyn), Pacific Press Publishing
Association, 1981, p.108. Picture edited by Cyberspace Ministry. Screen 27: BISHOP,
Tom. «Identification of the little horn». In: «New Pictoral Aid For Bible Study»
(BREADEN, Frank), Australian Division of Seventh-Day Adventists, 1970, chart #22.
Screen 28: Unknown source. Screen 29: «Hourglass and Shadow».
Photo from the Web site: www.corbis.com. Image ID: CB007962. Screen 30: BLAKE,
William. «The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed with the Sun» (detail), c.1805,
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. In: «Revelation - Art of the Apocalypse»
(GRUBB, Nancy), Abeville Press Publishers, 1997, p.71. Screen 31: Picture
Collection «Corel Gallery Magic» by Corel, 1997, CD #2, CC39.CMX. Picture edited by
Cyberspace Ministry. Screen 32: RUDEEN, Herbert. In: «The Bible Story,
volume 7» (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1956, p.26.
Screen 33: BISHOP, Tom. «The New Earth». In: «New Pictoral Aid For Bible
Study» (BREADEN, Frank), Australian Division of Seventh-Day Adventists, 1970, chart #12.
Screen 34: STEEL, John. In: «God Cares, volume 1» (MAXWELL, C.Mervyn), Pacific
Press Publishing Association, 1981, p.106. Picture edited by Cyberspace Ministry.
Table of Screen 34: In: HALFORD, John A., «Introduction à la Prophétie»,
Worldwide Church of God, 1990, p.10. Screen 35: «A lake reflects Mount
McKinley in the Alaska Range.» In: «Deluxe Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia CD - 1998
Edition», Compton's Home Library, 1997.
Any copyrighted images not bearing a statement of permission, are used
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The test of Lesson 34 is waiting for you!