Daniel 7: Introduction
Daniel’s vision is an enlargement of prophecy which was given to Nebuchadnezzar.
We find that Daniel 7 is highly symbolic. This chapter will introduce us to the 1,260-year prophecy, which is one of the three major prophecies in Daniel. There are a total of five prophecies:
- Daniel 7, time, times, and dividing of times; which converts to 1,260-days (using the 30-day month Hebrew calendar). Time equals 360 days, Times equals 720 days, and Dividing of Time equals 180 days.
- Daniel 8, 2,300-days, some versions refer to days as ‘evenings and mornings’. When we look in Genesis God designated a day as ‘evening and morning’ were the first day…etc.
- Daniel 9, 70-weeks, this is seventy-weeks converts to 490-days. 7 days in a week, multiplied by 70-weeks equals 490-days.
- Daniel 12, 1,290-days.
- Daniel 12, 1,335-days
Note: 2,300-days is the longest time prophecy in the Bible and all the other prophecies in Daniel fall within the 2,300-days. Some run consecutively, others run simultaneously. Charts will be provided in future posts as we continue our studies.
Introduction
Daniel is still in Babylon serving in the palace under Belshazzar, who is the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar and son of Nabonidus. It goes without saying, Nabonidus is the son of Nebuchadnezzar.
Daniel 7:1, “In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon….”
Wait a minute in chapter 5 we see Belshazzar losing the kingdom…remember the ‘writing on the wall’? And, we are told that Babylon fell. In chapter 6, we are reading about Darius as he is establishing rule of the Medo-Persian Empire. So, how can we in chapter 7 be reading about Daniel being in Babylon have his first dream? Chronologically it occurs before chapter 5, but prophetically speaking it right where it should be. We will see the same thing in chapter 8, where Daniel has another vision in the ‘third year of Belshazzar”. It too, chronologically occurs before chapter 5, but prophetically it is right where it should be as well. The chronological order then is: 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, and 12.
In addition, the vision in chapter eight enlarges upon the prophecy again, which is also received during Belshazzar’s reign.
A Continuation of Daniel 2 Prophecy
Daniel 7 is a continuation of Daniel 2. Babylon comes all the way through from the time of Nebuchadnezzar to the time when judgment is executed in Belshazzar’s reign. The other kingdoms after Babylon are further described and we will come to understand that as these kingdoms were conquered and their dominion taken away, their lives continued on in the aspects of their practice, customs, culture, traditions, religion, etc. in the succeeding kingdom. Babylon lives on clear down to the end of time in a spiritual sense…more on this in upcoming studies on Revelation.
We will find this is none other than the ‘little horn’ power. All the dots will be connected as we finish with Daniel and move into Revelation. There is another entity that will rise whom will partner with the sea beast…more on that in upcoming studies on Revelation. However, it is in the final power that Jesus destroys at his second coming.
The Beasts that Come from the Great Sea
We will find there are four beasts mentioned that rise from the sea which has the four winds of the heaven striving upon it:
- a lion
- a bear
- a leopard
- a non-descript beast
This is an enlargement of Daniel 2’s image of gold, silver, brass, iron and the iron which mixes with miry clay in the feet and toes. All of these animals are predators, this says a lot about these pagan world powers and their conquests.
We find the greatest emphasis / enlargement on the fourth beast and its ‘little horn’ for it continues till the end of time, as we will see. Here are some of the details of this beast power:
- dreadful, terrible, and strong non-descript beast
- iron teeth which devours and brakes
- stomps the residue with its feet
- different somehow from the previous beasts that were before it (lion, bear, leopard)
- has 10 horns
- a ‘little horn’ that comes up among the 10 horns – plucking up 3 of the them
- the “little horn” has the eyes of a man and a mouth speaking great things
We previously posted about the kingdoms which are symbolized here:
- Babylon (head of gold / lion),
- Medo-Persia (chest and arms of silver / bear),
- Greece (belly and thighs of brass / leopard), and
- Rome (legs of iron – political/pagan & feet, and toes of iron mixed with miry clay – a new phase, ecclesiastical).
We will follow this consecutive order from Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome (including the ‘little horn’) and Divided Rome down to the judgment, which does not leave any room for any other kingdom to be fitted into the prophecy because the consecutive order is being followed. For example, this is not Russia who has the symbol of a bear, overthrowing England who has the symbol of a lion; neither fit the time context of this prophecy and nations that have already been identified by scripture. This history will complete it’s cycle when Jesus returns, so all the history that the Bible records does not stop its progression until we reach the end of its cycle. So, it does not get interrupted, we cannot throw another kingdom in the mix, etc.
Rome – Political/Pagan to Ecclesiastical
The kingdom that follows Greece is the Roman Empire. It is different from the previous beasts in that there is a significant change where it continues, but in a different form. We are going to receive, from scripture, a great deal of information about the second phase, if you will, of the political/pagan Roman Empire.
We will see that there is a shift from horizontal geographical conquests to vertical, meaning heavenly. In verses 7 and 8 we read how it attacks without mercy. History confirms that the Roman Empire employed brutal warfare tactics in their attacks. Atrocity, mass slaughter, and enslavement were fundamental modalities of military practice. The death penalty included being buried alive, impaling and, of course, crucifixion. This also served as a deterrent against rebellion. The Romans did not hesitate to torture before putting someone to death. Towards the end of verse 8 we read about a “little horn” who came out of this beast. As it rose in power it plucked up three of the existing ten horns. What was done to these three tribes is atrocious and we will learn more of that in a later post. It has, “…eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.” This is the beginning of another phase. In verses 19-21 the shift becomes clear because its eyes* and mouth that speaks very great things** are mentioned again, and it made war with the saints and prevailed against them.
*Eyes: In the Bible a prophet is called a ‘seer’. (Jer. 1:11-13; 1 Sam. 1:9,11; 2 Sam. 24:112 Chron. 9:29; Acts 7:55-56; Rev. 1:12-16). Seers in the Bible possessed a unique gift as God vividly communicated with and through them, they see with God’s eyes – this represents wisdom and understand which translates into divine teaching (Eph. 1:18). In the case of the ‘little horn” it sees with the eyes of man, so it bases it philosophies and human tradition from the eyes of man (Mark 7:2-9; 1 Peter 1:17-19; Col. 2:8, 22-23; Matt. 15:1-9; Mark 7:11-13; Rom. 10:13; 1 Tim. 4:7; 2 Tim. 4:4; Deut. 12:32).
**Mouth speaking very great things: In Daniel 7:8, 20, 25, we see the little horn speaking ‘great thing’, very great thing”, and “great words against the most High”. So, what are these ‘great things/words”? Revelation 13:5-6 tells us, “And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. 6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.” Now, our questions should be, What is blasphemy? The Bible gives us a clear answer, in fact this is what Jesus was accused of:
Jesus was accused of blasphemy by the scribes for telling the paralytic man that his sins were forgiven (Mt 9:1-8)(Mk 2:1-12)(Lk 5:17-26). This is a direct accusation.
The Jews accused Jesus of blasphemy, and were going to stone Him for “making Himself God” (Jn 10:30-33). This is a direct accusation.
The High Priest accused Jesus of blasphemy for claiming to be “the Christ, the Son of God” (Mt 26:63-66)(Mk 14:61-64)(Lk 22:67-71). This is a direct accusation.
The Jews wanted to “kill” Jesus for saying “that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.” This was an indirect accusation. (Jn 5:17-18)
The Jews were going to stone Jesus for calling Himself the “I AM.” This is an indirect accusation. (Jn 8:58-59)
We find that God repeats and enlarges in this fashion. From this point forward we not only have the literal events that occurred in Daniel’s day, but we begin to receive characteristics and details of the fourth beast and its little horn which are both Rome; how it is behaving towards God, what it is doing to God’s word and His people through the ages with an end-time emphasis.