The History of the World

History books intrigue me, especially the stories of kings and empires.

It is interesting to imagine yourself in another time, to try and picture life in those days.

Daniel lived in the 6^th century B.C., yet he saw a view of the entire world history – especially the parts that had not happened yet!

Daniel’s first vision tells of the world empires. God had given the same message through pagan King Nebuchadnezzar over 50 years earlier (see here), but this time He sent His message directly to Daniel. While Nebuchadnezzar saw a beautiful statue composed of precious metals, Daniel saw four terrifying monsters.

The first monster was like a lion with eagles’ wings. The wings were plucked off, the monster stood up and was given the mind of a man. This was the same head of gold in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, and it depicted the Babylonian empire.

The second monster was like a lopsided bear. This was the same silver arms and chest in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, and it depicted the Medo-Persian empire.

The third monster was like a four-winged leopard with four heads. This was the same bronze belly and thighs of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, and it depicted the Greek empire.

The fourth monster was beyond description. It had iron teeth and was “terrifying and dreadful”. This was the same iron legs and feet in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, and it depicted the Roman empire.

Daniel may have recognized this series of empires from when he was a young man. If the vision ended there, it would have been an interesting lesson in future history.

But then things got weird.

The final monster had ten horns. Then an eleventh horn grew up, pushing out 3 of the older horns. This new horn had eyes and spoke. It spoke against God. The horn fought against the people of God and won. All this time the horn kept boasting great things about himself.

The scene shifted. Daniel was no longer looking at the terrifying monster with the weird horns. The little horn’s ranting and expletives faded to background noise, and Daniel was in the throne room of God the Father. Who cares about that little horn when you are in the presence of God!

“As I looked,
thrones were placed,
and the Ancient of Days took his seat;
his clothing was white as snow,
and the hair of his head like pure wool;
his throne was fiery flames;
its wheels were burning fire.
A stream of fire issued
and came out from before him;
a thousand thousands served him,
and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him;
the court sat in judgment,
and the books were opened.

The little horn continued to curse until the Almighty God delivered the judgment. The monster was killed and its body destroyed.

But then, one is presented to God the Father. He is from mankind, yet he is eternal. He is given a kingdom that will never end!

“I saw in the night visions,
and behold, with the clouds of heaven
there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days
and was presented before him.
And to him was given dominion
and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
that shall not be destroyed.

Over 450 years later, a teacher rose up among the Jews. No one knew what to do with this new teacher, and he spoke like no one else. He taught that he was bringing a kingdom. He required total submission from anyone who would follow him. Above all, he had one phrase that he would use to describe himself:

“The Son of Man”

I don’t know if Jesus had a favorite verse, but this was one of the scripture references he used the most. When He talked about Himself, He would start with Daniel 7.

The world produces rulers and great men who fight against God. But the greatest of them is nothing more than a little, noisy horn.

While the little horn prattles on, the Ancient of Days sits in judgment. There will come a time when He will come and destroy the little horn.

The Son of Man – Jesus Himself – will rule a kingdom that will never end!

 

Remember!

The message of Daniel always comes back to perspective. God is not shaken by world events!

Jesus Himself will return some day and bring in a kingdom that will never end! May we look forward to that day!

Are we focused on the little horn or the throne room? While people shake their fists at God, He is sitting on his throne of fire!

 

Previous post: Politics and Bad Coworkers

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Daniel 7 

In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter. Daniel declared, “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 out of the sea, different from one another. The first was like a lion and had eagles’ wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it. And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side. It had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, ‘Arise, devour much flesh.’ After this I looked, and behold, another, like a leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it. After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.

“As I looked,
thrones were placed,
and the Ancient of Days took his seat;
his clothing was white as snow,
and the hair of his head like pure wool;
his throne was fiery flames;
its wheels were burning fire.
A stream of fire issued
and came out from before him;
a thousand thousands served him,
and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him;
the court sat in judgment,
and the books were opened. 

“I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.

“I saw in the night visions,
and behold, with the clouds of heaven
there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days
and was presented before him.
And to him was given dominion
and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
that shall not be destroyed.

“As for me, Daniel, my spirit within me was anxious, and the visions of my head alarmed me. I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of the things. ‘These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.’

“Then I desired to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrifying, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze, and which devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet, and about the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn that came up and before which three of them fell, the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things, and that seemed greater than its companions. As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them, until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom.

“Thus he said: ‘As for the fourth beast,
there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth,
which shall be different from all the kingdoms,
and it shall devour the whole earth,
and trample it down, and break it to pieces.
As for the ten horns,
out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise,
and another shall arise after them;
he shall be different from the former ones,
and shall put down three kings.
He shall speak words against the Most High,
and shall wear out the saints of the Most High,
and shall think to change the times and the law;
and they shall be given into his hand
for a time, times, and half a time.
But the court shall sit in judgment,
and his dominion shall be taken away,
to be consumed and destroyed to the end.
And the kingdom and the dominion
and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven
shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High;
his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom,
and all dominions shall serve and obey him.’ 

“Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly alarmed me, and my color changed, but I kept the matter in my heart.”

 

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Daniel 7:1-3
In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter. Daniel declared, “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 out of the sea, different from one another.

The events in this chapter occurred in the first year of king Belshazzar. Therefore, we know that this prophecy came before the events of Daniel 5 and 6. This would have been at 553 B.C., or approximately 15 years before the fall of Babylon (see here).²

The prophecy in this chapter has a very close parallel to the image in Daniel 2. However, while the prophecy of Daniel 2 showed the different metals of a great image, Daniel 7 shows four terrifying beasts coming out of the great sea.³

Approximately 50 years have elapsed between Daniel 2 and Daniel 7. The prophecy of Daniel chapter 2 was given to a pagan king, very early in Daniel’s career. The prophecy of Daniel chapter 7 is given to Daniel himself as a much older man.

Daniel wrote down a summary of his actual dream. Note also that none of the beasts in this vision are actual animals, but are each “like” a lion, a bear, a leopard, etc.

“To human eyes, the nations of the world are like Nebuchadnezzar’s great image, impressive and important; but from God’s viewpoint, the nations are only ferocious beasts that attack and seek to devour one another.” – Wiersbe⁴

 

Daniel 7:4
The first was like a lion and had eagles’ wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it.

The first beast was like a lion with eagles’ wings. This corresponds to the golden head in Daniel 2:37-38, which we know to represent the Babylonian empire under Nebuchadnezzar. The lion was a common symbol of Babylon.¹

Most Bible scholars believe that the actions to the lion (wings plucked off, stand like a man, given the mind of a man) represent Nebuchadnezzar’s humiliation and restoration (Daniel 4).

It is important to remember that Daniel received this vision while under the final king of Babylon. Therefore, the events for this beast would have already occurred.

 

Daniel 7:5
And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side. It had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, ‘Arise, devour much flesh.’

The second beast was like a bear and would replace Babylon, which we know to be the Medo-Persian empire. This corresponds to the silver arms and chest of Daniel 2:39. This would have happened in Daniel’s lifetime, approximately 15 years from the time of this vision.

This beast also corresponds to the ram in Daniel’s vision in chapter 8. This ram is specifically identified as “the kings of Media and Persia” (Daniel 8:3-4, 20).

Most Bible scholars agree that the beast was raised up on one side to indicate that the Persians were the dominant partners in the alliance with the Medes. The same dominance is also shown in the ram’s lopsided horns in Daniel 8:3.

The beast had three ribs in its mouth, which may represent the three major military victories which started the Medo-Persian empire: Lydia, Babylon, and Egypt.⁵

The first beast was in Daniel’s past, but all subsequent beasts would have been in Daniel’s future. The second, third, and fourth beasts in the vision each had a statement showing that they would rise by military conquest and domination. The second beast is commanded to “devour much flesh”. The third beast was “given dominion” and the fourth beast “devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet”.

 

Daniel 7:6
After this I looked, and behold, another, like a leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it.

The third beast was like a leopard with four wings, which we know to be the Greek empire. This corresponds to the bronze belly and thighs in Daniel 2 and to the goat in Daniel 8:5-8. Daniel 8:21 also identifies this empire as Greece.

The two dominant characteristics of this beast are that it has great speed (wings, leopard) and it is divided into four parts. Bible scholars and historians point out that this is very closely aligned with what we know about the conquest of Alexander the great. Alexander conquered the world with incredible speed and power, but his empire was divided into four parts after his untimely death (see also Daniel 8:8).⁶

There is a story by Josephus that the Jewish High Priest and his companions met Alexander as he was marching toward Jerusalem. They showed him a copy of Daniel, where his conquest was predicted. Alexander was then said to have accepted their submission and granted them religious freedom and their city unharmed.⁷ We do not know the accuracy of this story but it shows the reverence that the Jews had for these prophecies of Daniel.

 

Daniel 7:7-8
After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.

The fourth beast is so terrible that Daniel cannot compare it to any known animal. It is terrifying, dreadful, and “exceedingly strong”. This corresponds to the iron legs and feet in Daniel 2 (note also the beast’s iron teeth). This beast was different from all the others.

There is no direct Biblical name for this beast, but we know from history that the Greek empire was supplanted by the Romans. The characteristics of strength, force, and brutality depict what we know about the Roman Empire.

The beast had ten horns. Then a new “little horn” sprouted, uprooting three of the other horns. This horn had eyes and a mouth, speaking great things. Of all that Daniel had seen, this part of the vision disturbed and perplexed Daniel the most.

 

Daniel 7:9-10
“As I looked,
thrones were placed,
and the Ancient of Days took his seat;
his clothing was white as snow,
and the hair of his head like pure wool;
his throne was fiery flames;
its wheels were burning fire.
A stream of fire issued
and came out from before him;
a thousand thousands served him,
and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him;
the court sat in judgment,
and the books were opened.

Another scene unfolded to Daniel while this little horn is speaking. Daniel saw the heavenly court of God the Father Himself as He sits down to judgement.

““Ancient of Days” (Daniel 7:9, 13, 22) is a name for God that emphasizes His eternality; He is the God who had existed from eternity past, has planned all things, and is working out His plan.” – Wiersbe⁴

The visual description of God Himself is beyond human ability to fully describe. God is timeless. His throne is of fiery flames, with wheels of fire, with streams of fire coming out from them! (Compare with Ezekiel’s vision of God in Ezekiel 1).

 

Daniel 7:11-12
“I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.

The little horn was still speaking his great words while the throne room of God was being set up. Daniel’s attention went back to the little horn where he saw that the terrible beast is killed and its body is destroyed.

The preceding empires (Babylon, Persia, and Greece) were never fully destroyed. Elements of each of these empires lived on in the succeeding empire. Therefore, the Roman Empire contained elements of all three previous empires, including their culture and territories.

The corresponding prophecy in Daniel chapter 2 tells of a stone which strikes the image in its feet (i.e. Rome) and destroys the entire image. This section and the next sections give more detail about the coming kingdom of the Messiah.

 

Daniel 7:13-14
“I saw in the night visions,
and behold, with the clouds of heaven
there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days
and was presented before him.
And to him was given dominion
and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
that shall not be destroyed.

The son of man will come with the clouds of heaven. He is presented to God the Father and is given a kingdom over all mankind that will never end.

When Jesus came to earth, he used this specific reference as “Son of Man” to describe Himself. The Jewish people knew that this would be the kingdom of their long-awaited Messiah. He was the son of man, so he would come from mankind, yet he would be given a kingdom over all people which would never end. This was the kingdom Jesus would promise to His own.

Jesus quoted this exact phrase from Daniel when he was on trial before the Jewish religious leaders. He was announcing to them that he was their Messiah and he would be coming in judgement on them (see here)!

See also Revelation 1:7, “Look, he is coming with the clouds!”

 

Daniel 7:15-18
“As for me, Daniel, my spirit within me was anxious, and the visions of my head alarmed me. I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of the things. ‘These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.’

This vision greatly alarmed Daniel. This was more than simply a dream because Daniel was able to interact with the angels who were present. Daniel’s first question was to ask what this was all about. The angel’s answer is a brief summary of the entire vision: there will be four kingdoms⁹ which will rise out of the earth, but God’s people will receive the final victory and will possess the kingdom forever.

 

Daniel 7:19-22
“Then I desired to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrifying, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze, and which devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet, and about the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn that came up and before which three of them fell, the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things, and that seemed greater than its companions. As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them, until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom.

Daniel’s next question was more specific: what about the fourth beast and all the horns?

Daniel also added more detail about the fourth beast and the horns:

• The beast had teeth of iron and claws of bronze.
• The little horn not only replaced three horns but he subdued the other seven horns.
• The little horn fought with the and overpowered the saints of the Most High.
• The little horn continued to persecute the saints until God himself came in judgment.
• The saints will then possess the kingdom.

 

Daniel 7:23-27
“Thus he said: ‘As for the fourth beast,
there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth,
which shall be different from all the kingdoms,
and it shall devour the whole earth,
and trample it down, and break it to pieces.
As for the ten horns,
out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise,
and another shall arise after them;
he shall be different from the former ones,
and shall put down three kings.
He shall speak words against the Most High,
and shall wear out the saints of the Most High,
and shall think to change the times and the law;
and they shall be given into his hand
for a time, times, and half a time.
But the court shall sit in judgment,
and his dominion shall be taken away,
to be consumed and destroyed to the end.
And the kingdom and the dominion
and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven
shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High;
his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom,
and all dominions shall serve and obey him.’

The angel answered that the fourth beast is a fourth kingdom which will be different from the others. The ten horns are ten kings that will rise out of this fourth kingdom. Another king will arise who will supplant three kings.

This king will speak against the Most High God and will oppress His saints. He will change laws and religious observances and he will rule for three and a half years¹⁰. But God will judge him and destroy his kingdom.

The little horn is apparently the same person as the “lawless one” in 2 Thessalonians 2:8-10 and the “beast” in Revelation 13:1-10.¹

It is then that the Messiah will establish a new kingdom that will last forever. The kingdom will be given to the people of God and all people will serve and obey The Lord (Note that they obey a singular Lord; the nations do not serve the saints but the Most High).

“The gospel is not God’s way of bringing in the kingdom and converting the world. This will be brought about only through judgment.” – H.A. Ironside⁷

 

Daniel 7:28
“Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly alarmed me, and my color changed, but I kept the matter in my heart.”

The vision and the personal interview left Daniel so troubled that it affected him physically. The enormity of the vision would have been difficult to comprehend but Daniel kept the matter to himself.

“If divine truth doesn’t touch our own hearts and affect our conduct, then our Bible study is only an intellectual exercise to inflate our own ego.” – Wiersbe⁴

 

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Interpretations of the “Little Horn”

 

The final, “terrifying” beast in Daniel 7 has ten horns. Then another little horn rises up, uprooting three horns, and dominates the other seven. This little horn has the eyes of a man and a mouth which speaks great things.

We know from the interpretation in Daniel 7 that the “terrifying beast” is a world empire and that the horns are kings. Ten kings will rise out of the final world empire, then an eleventh king will rise up and subdue the others. This final king will defeat and persecute the saints of the Most High.

Then God himself comes in judgment and kills the beast. He then gives a kingdom over all nations to the Son of Man, who will rule with the saints forever.

This prophecy has generated a lot of discussion over the ages and I wanted to list here some of the most common interpretations:

 

Greek Historical view: This was Antiochus Epiphanes

This is a popular view among critics of the Book of Daniel, who believe that it was written in the second century B.C., during the oppression of the Greek rulers. This follows a preconception that the miracles and prophecies in Daniel are merely legends or fabrications.

In order to rule out fulfilled prophecy, the critics of Daniel require that the fourth beast must be Greece. They insert a separate Median empire as the bear and Persia as the leopard. According to these critics, the little horn was a past historical account of Antiochus Epiphanes, the Greek ruler who persecuted the Jews in the 2^nd century B.C.

There are several problems with this interpretation. There is no Biblical support for a separate Median empire, and the Medes and the Persians were united when they defeated Babylon. Both Daniel 5 and Daniel 6 speak of “The Medes and the Persians” as a single nation. The prophecy of Daniel 8 describes the empire of the Medes and the Persians as a ram. Therefore, there cannot be a separate Median empire.

See also “The Time of Daniel” here for a longer treatment of why a later date of Daniel is contrary to what the Bible says.

 

Roman Historical View: This was a past Roman leader

This view is more consistent with Scripture and believes that the terrible beast must be the Roman Empire. According to this view, the little horn was a leader from Rome, either during ancient or medieval times.

One variation of this view is that the little horn was a Roman emperor, such as Nero. Others believe that the little horn is the Papacy or a specific pope from the Roman Catholic Church.

Although this view shows higher regard for scripture, there are problems with this view:

• There have been no obvious events in Roman history which had ten kings at once, then an eleventh king came up, supplanting three kings and subduing the other seven. Therefore, you need to either force scripture to conform to obscure historical references or to spiritualize what does not fit. Either way, you are forcing a history which does not fit the text.

• It is an even harder fit to interpret this as the Pope or other members of the Catholic church. Daniel 7 specifically lists these horns as “kings”.

• Jesus directly quoted Daniel 7 that the Son of Man would come in the clouds of heaven (Matthew 26:63-66; Mark 14:61-64). This is part of the final drama as described in Daniel 7 but it has not happened yet.

• The Messiah will bring in a kingdom which will never end. Since our world is not under the physical kingdom of the Messiah now, we are left with only two options:
  • Option 1: The kingdom of the Messiah must be spiritual. But this is inconsistent with the prophecies of Daniel 2 and Daniel 7. All of the other kingdoms are physical, military powers. We cannot start an interpretation as physical events and then abruptly switch to spiritual events. We cannot interpret the first four kingdoms as physical but make the fifth kingdom spiritual.
  • Option 2: The kingdom of the Messiah has not happened yet. Therefore, this must be a future event.

 

Future View: This is a Roman leader who is yet to come

This view also believes that the little horn is a king who will grow out of the Roman Empire. However, the ten kings and the eleventh king have not yet happened.

This view expects that there will be a resurgence of the Roman Empire in the last days. Any ideas regarding the identity of this empire or how it is connected to the ancient Roman empire is purely conjecture.

The little horn is also known as the “lawless one” in 2 Thessalonians 2:8-10, the “beast” in Revelation 13:1-10, and the “Antichrist” in 1 John 2:18.

 

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[1] Frank E. Gaebelein, Editor, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Volume 7 (Zondervan, 1985), Daniel 6, pages 77-84

[2] Nabonidus came to the throne in 556 B.C. but we do not the exact date for when he established Belshazzar as a coregent. Assuming that this happened early in the reign of Nabonidus, the first year of Belshazzar would have been about or 556-555 B.C.¹

[3] The “great sea” was probably the Mediterranean Sea. But Revelation 13:1 uses the sea to represent the Gentile world.¹

[4] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: Old Testament (David C. Cook, 2007), Daniel 7, pages 1368-1372

[5] The Medes and the Persians had three major conquests under Cyrus and Cambyses¹:

• Lydian kingdom in Asia Minor (546 B.C.)
• Chaldean Empire (539 B.C.)
• Egypt (525 B.C.)

[6] “Alexander’s untimely death in 323 left him without a successor, and his kingdom was divided into four parts and assigned to his leaders. Palestine and Egypt went to Ptolemy I; Syria was ruled by Seleucus I; Thrace and Asia Minor were assigned to Lysimachus; and Macedon and Greece were governed by Antipater and Cassander.” – Wiersbe⁴

[7] H.A. Ironside, Lecture 7, THE FOUR GREAT WORLD EMPIRES AND THE WESTERN LITTLE HORN, Daniel 7

[8] The term, “Son of Man” is used 82 times in the gospels!⁴

[9] The word is literally, “four kings”, but the context makes it plain that this represents four kingdoms. In prophetic Scripture the term “king” is very frequently used for “kingdom.”⁷

[10] Daniel 7 describes this same three-and-a-half-year period of persecution as “time, times, and half a time” (Daniel 7:25). Other references to the same period of time:

• “half a week” (Daniel 9:27)
• 42 months (Revelation 11:2, 13:5)
• 1260 days (Revelation 12:6, 11:3).

See also the notes here.