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.”
Beginning in Daniel 7, the style of the book shifts from a historic approach to a straightforward recounting of the visions and prophecies that Daniel received from the Lord. Daniel experienced this dream in 553 BC, approximately fourteen years before the handwriting on the wall episode with King Belshazzar. You might look at Daniel this way: the first six chapters of Daniel are mostly history with a little bit of prophecy; the last six chapters are mostly prophecy with just a little bit of history. In Chapter 7 we have in this one chapter the outline for the whole history of the future of the world.
We have discussed this question before. Why God reveal this to Daniel and why did he wait this long to reveal this? Why did God wait until the Babylonia captivity before He revealed this massive, apocalyptic picture of the future? Why didn’t it come much earlier? Why does it occur at this point in human history and what was God’s purpose for it?
The Jewish people were convinced that God had set them apart and that God would enrich them and bless them and bestow his loving kindness on them forever, and that they would inherit the earth, and they would reign in a kingdom, and all would be theirs. And in the midst of all of this anticipation and hope, they had been taken captive because of their sin. And now they were captives and under the thumb of a pagan monarch and living within a pagan culture.
Jerusalem was in a shambles; their temple was destroyed; the walls of their city were broken down. They were really almost a nonexistent nation. And the question naturally comes to the mind, “Has God forsaken us? Has God violated His original promises and intentions, and are we now being set aside?”
Jeremiah 33:24 reads “Have you not observed that people are saying, ‘The Lord has rejected the two clans that he chose’? Thus, they have despised my people so that they are no longer a nation in their sight. Yet God still had a purpose for the Jewish people. In the midst of their captivity, God delivered His word through Daniel that there is yet future for them and He had not abandoned them.
God’s purpose in Daniel’s dream in Daniel 7 was to reveal His sovereign plan for human history, to reassure His people during oppression, and to unveil the coming of the Son of Man whose kingdom will ultimately replace all earthly empires.
God’s sovereignty throughout the book Daniel is displayed through a consistent pattern: God rules over kings, kingdoms, history, and even the forces of nature, and He proves this repeatedly in both the historical recount of the first six chapters and futuristic revelations in the last six chapters. The book’s central theological claim is that “the Most High rules the kingdom of men” (Daniel 4:17), and every major revelation reinforces that truth.
Book of Daniel absolutely reveals God’s Kingdom plan, and it does so more clearly and comprehensively than almost any other Old Testament book. Daniel presents a revelation of how God will guide human history toward the establishment of His everlasting kingdom and this is very evident in these last six chapters of Daniel.
The succession of world empires revealed in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2 and the four beasts in Daniel 7 shows that Babylon, Medo‑Persia, Greece, and Rome rise and fall under God’s direction. The prophecy of the “Son of Man” receiving an everlasting kingdom in Daniel 7:13–14 shows that God’s rule culminates in a final, eternal reign.
So how does this vision that Daniel have explain to the Jewish people that they still have a purpose in God especially in reestablishing His Kingdom as a restored Eden? What is the heart and soul of the vision? The major point of this vision is the coming of the King and the establishment of His eternal kingdom. That’s the theme of the vision: that there is coming a final monarch, a glorious King who will establish a glorious kingdom. And His kingdom and His kingship will be unlike anything they have ever known or unlike anything the world will ever experience. The kingdom is the key. Daniel 7 is not just symbolism—it is a theological declaration that God rules over every kingdom and will bring history to His intended climax by the establishing of His Kingdom. A core principal of the Book of Daniel is that God is sovereign and in control of human history for His glory and His purpose.
DANIEL’S VISION OF THE FOUR BEASTS
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. 2 Daniel declared, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. 3 And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another.
Daniel sees four beasts—symbolic of world empires—rising from the chaotic sea of nations. This vision reveals that human kingdoms rise and fall under God’s control, not by accident or human strength.
THE FOUR GREAT BEASTS CAME UP OUT OF THE SEA
Four Great Beasts: These beasts represent the named kingdoms that were previously identified in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2—Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. The ancient world frequently associated the sea with evil, and the writers of Scripture used the sea to represent the realm of satanic activity (see Isaiah 27:1). Something coming up out of the sea would immediately be suspicious in the minds of ancient people.
THE FIRST BEAST – THE LION AND WITH EAGLES’ WINGS
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 winged lion in Daniel 7:4 represents the Babylonian Empire, especially under Nebuchadnezzar, symbolizing its royal power, swift conquest, pride, and eventual humbling. The winged lion, whose eaglelike pinions are soon plucked so that instead of flying it stands on the ground. The lion was a symbol of Babylon, especially in Nebuchadnezzar’s time, when the Ishtar Gate entrance was adorned with yellow lions. The final detail—”the heart of a man was given to it”—may refer to the restoration of Nebuchadnezzar’s sanity after his seven-year dementia leading to the rest of Chapter 4 which led to his recovery and conversion. plucking the lion’s wings symbolizes the reduction of his pride and power at the time of his insanity that occurred in Chapter 4.
THE SECOND BEAST – THE BEAR
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 bear in Daniel 7:5 represents the Medo‑Persian Empire, shown as a powerful but uneven dual kingdom that conquered widely. With no explanation it apparently displaces the lion. The bear is described as “raised up on one side”, symbolizing the unequal partnership between the Medes and Persians, with Persia being dominant. One side of the bear was higher than the other, and it devoured three ribs from some other animal it had killed. The bear holds three ribs in its mouth representing three sections of the Babylonian Empire – Babylon in the east; Egypt in the south; and the Lydian kingdom in Asia Minor.
The Medo-Persian Empire, which succeeded the Babylonian Empire, played a crucial role in the history of the Jewish people. It was under the rule of Cyrus the Great, the founder of the Persian Empire, that the Jews were allowed to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple.
EZRA 1:1-4 – THE PROCLAMATION OF CYRUS
1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:
2 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem. 4 And let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.
2 CHRONICLES 36:22-23 – THE PROCLAMATION OF CYRUS
22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: 23 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may the Lord his God be with him. Let him go up.’”
THE THIRD BEAST – THE LEOPARD WITH FOUR WINGS
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 in Daniel 7 is a leopard with four wings and four heads, representing the Greek Empire under Alexander the Great, and its later division into four successor kingdoms. Alexander the Great was the king who created one of the largest empires of the ancient world by the time he was just 30 years old. He ruled from 336–323 BC, succeeded his father Philip II, and led an unbroken string of military victories that stretched Macedonian power from Greece to northwestern India.
THE FOURTH BEAST – TERRIFYING AND DREADFUL
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.
8 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 in Daniel 7 is the most violent, destructive, and symbolically weighty of all the creatures in Daniel’s vision. It represents a kingdom so unlike the others that Daniel cannot even compare it to an animal. The text emphasizes its terrifying, dreadful, and exceedingly strong nature, marking an escalation beyond the lion, bear, and leopard that came before. Its teeth were of iron; hence it would be more crushing in its military power, exploitation, and repression than the other three. Another difference is the ten horns. The ten horns symbolize a complete set of rulers or ten kings that emerge from the fourth kingdom, historically linked to Rome. This section has two historic representations. The first is the history of the emerging empire of Rome. It speaks of the Roman Empire, which would follow the Grecian Empire, in the end times reemerge. The fourth beast represents the final phase of human imperial power before the establishment of God’s everlasting kingdom.
There is an obviously a connection between these horns and the ten toes of the dream image in Chapter 2, and the mention of iron in the teeth suggests the legs and toes of iron in that image. Thus, the superior power of the colossus of Rome—as over against the less unified and weaker empires of Greece, Persia, and Babylon—is emphasized in the symbolism of this terrible fourth beast. Its ultimate form in a confederation of ten states is suggested by the horns.
The historic Roman Empire has passed away yet a manifestation will reemerge in the end times. The end times meaning of the fourth beast in Daniel 7 is that it represents a final phase of the Roman Empire, culminating in a ten‑king coalition and the rise of a blasphemous world ruler which Daniel calls the little horn, whom the New Testament identifies with the Antichrist. Paul defines this “man of lawlessness in 2 Thessalonians 2:1–12.
THE MAN OF LAWLESSNESS – 2 THESSALONIANS 2:1-12
Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, 10 and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, 12 in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
REVELATION 13:1-9
The First Beast – And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. 2 And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. 4 And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”
5 And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling,[a] that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7 Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them.[b] And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, 8 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. 9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear:
10 If anyone is to be taken captive,
to captivity he goes;
if anyone is to be slain with the sword,
with the sword must he be slain.
Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.
The Second Beast – 11 Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence,[c] and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. 13 It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, 14 and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of[d] the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. 16 Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave,[e] to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. 18 This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.
Daniel 7:7–8 undeniably points to the last days—but only in its final phase. The passage describes both a historical empire (Rome) which will have passed away by this time and a future, end‑time manifestation (the “little horn”). The text itself and most major interpretations seem to agree on this two‑stage pattern. The ten horns and the little horn are not fulfilled in ancient Rome. They point forward. The fourth beast begins in ancient Rome, but the ten‑horn phase and the rise of the little horn are future, culminating in the return of Christ and the establishment of His eternal kingdom.
The “little horn” of Daniel 7 is directly connected to the “beast” of Revelation 13. They are not identical passages, but they describe the same end‑time ruler, the same kingdom, and the same pattern of blasphemy, persecution, and global authority. In Daniel 7 the little horn rises from the fourth beast, a final phase of the Roman world order. In Revelation 13 the beast rises from the sea, combining features of Daniel’s four beasts.
- Daniel 7:7 — the fourth beast has ten horns
- Revelation 13:1 — the beast has ten horns
In both books, the ten horns represent ten kings who exist at the end of the age.
- Daniel 7:24 — “Ten kings shall arise”
- Revelation 17:12 — “The ten horns… are ten kings”
Daniel’s little horn: “speaks great things” and “speaks against the Most High”
Revelation’s beast: “was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies” and “opened his mouth in blasphemy against God”
John seems to be intentionally echoing Daniel’s language.
Both persecute the saints
Daniel 7: “He shall wear out the saints of the Most High” and in Revelation 13: “It was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them”
Both rule for a limited, identical period
Daniel: “a time, times, and half a time” (3½ years) and in Revelation: “42 months” (3½ years)
Both are destroyed by the direct intervention of God
Daniel: The little horn is judged when the Ancient of Days sits in judgment, and The Son of Man receives the kingdom.
Revelation: The beast is destroyed at the coming of Christ (Rev. 19)
Both visions end with: the defeat of the final ruler and the establishment of God’s everlasting kingdom.
DANIEL 7:9-14
THE ANCIENT OF DAYS REIGNS – THE HEAVENLY COURTROOM
9 “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.
10 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.
11 “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. 12 As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
Daniel sees the Ancient of Days seated on a fiery throne, opening the books of judgment. This scene shows that God is not passive—He will actively judge these evil powers. Attention is now directed toward Him, “the Ancient of Days”. The title “Ancient of Days” first appears here in Daniel 7:9, where Daniel is describing his vision of heaven. Then 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.” This imagery describes the One who defines purity, wisdom, and eternal existence. The Ancient of Days describes the only one that has existed before all of creation. God is often represented as ancient, as He is described as “from everlasting to everlasting” in Psalm 90:2 and as “the first and the last” in Isaiah 44:6.
It is now a time of judgement before the flaming throne. There can also be no doubt that the reference in Daniel 7 is to God as Judge. A similar description occurs in Revelation 1:12-15. 12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters.” It is Christ, however, who at this point, is about to judge the seven churches of Revelation.
Daniel’s vision now flashes forward to the divine throne from which judgment will come on the fourth kingdom. Let’s flash forward:
JUDGMENT BEFORE THE GREAT WHITE THRONE
REVELATION 20:11-15.
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Daniel 7:10 portrays this very heavenly courtroom where God begins judgment over the world’s empires. A stream of fire flowed out from before him, and angelic attendants surrounded him. This fiery river shows His purifying justice, the countless attendants show His unmatched authority, and the opened books show that every deed is known and will be judged.
This enormous crowd stands by as the heavenly court convenes for the examination and conviction of the rebellious little horn and his followers. The record books that are opened presumably contain the sins of the little horn and his adherents. The blasphemous beast spews out his boastings against humans and God till the very moment he is dragged before the heavenly tribunal. 11 “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.
CHAPTER 7:12 – GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY REIGNS SUPREME.
12 As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
This verse shows that God’s sovereignty not human power controls human history. Their dominion ended exactly when God decreed, and their continued existence also lasted only as long as He allowed. His sovereignty in this case is mentioned in Daniel 2:21: God “removes kings and sets up kings.” This was a fixed but unspecified period—a boundary set by God. God here demonstrates divine patience before final judgment. The three earlier empires lost their authority under God’s judgment when they lost their ruling authority when they were conquered: Babylon by Persia, Persia by Greece, and Greece by Rome. Their lingering existence served His purposes in history.
Daniel recounts “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. (Daniel 7:11).
The survival of the first three beasts contrasts with the total destruction of the fourth beast. It is important to realize that all human kingdoms ultimately give way to the everlasting kingdom of the Son of Man in Daniel 7:14.
THE SON OF MAN IS GIVEN DOMINION – DANIEL 7:13-14
13 “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.
14 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.
Daniel sees “one like a son of man”. The messianic Son of Man is brought before the throne of the Ancient of Days to be awarded the crown of universal dominion. Jesus often referred to Himself as the Son of Man. There are 86 references where He refers to Himself as the “Son of Man”. I am not going to read all 87, however here is a sampling:
Matthew 8:20 – 20 And Jesus said, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
Matthew 9:6 – 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.”
Matthew 10:23- 23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
Matthew 12:8 – 8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
Matthew 12:40 – 40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Mark 8:31 – 31 And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.
Mark 8:38 – 38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Mark 9:9 – 9 And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
Mark 9:31 – 31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.”
Luke 6:22 – 22 “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!
Luke 12:8 – 8 “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God.
Luke 12:40 – 40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
Luke 17:26 – 26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man.
John 1:51- 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you,[a] you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
John 3:13 – 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.
John 6:27 – 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”
John 6:53 – 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
John 8:28 – 28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.
Let’s continue this in Daniel. As the Son of Man is brought before the “Ancient of Day” He is 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.” Chapter 7:14.
To Him was given the crown of universal dominion. His appointment is as the absolute Lord and Judge by virtue of his atoning ministry as God incarnate—the One who lived a sinless life, paid the price for the redemption of the human race, and was vindicated by his bodily resurrection as Judge of the entire human race. So also, his ascension into heaven means that he will be enthroned in glory till all his enemies have been subdued: Hebrews 10:12-13: 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.
Jesus is currently waiting right now—from His ascension until His Second Coming—for the moment when God brings every enemy under His authority in a final, visible way. This “waiting” began the moment He sat down at the Father’s right hand and continues until the last enemy, death, is destroyed. The final subjugation of all hostile powers—spiritual, earthly, and cosmic. Hebrews 2:8 tells us “At present we do not see everything subjected to Him”. We can clearly see that as we look at the world today. The waiting ends at the Second Coming, when: Christ openly subdues every enemy, the last enemy, death, is destroyed, which will be when “the Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” Psalm 110:1. It is then that the New Heavens and New Earth, God’s restored Kingdom will usher in a world without sin, death, pain, or curse, reversing everything introduced by the Fall. It will be the eternal home of God’s people, where God dwells directly with humanity. It will be the culmination of God’s redemptive plan, anticipated by prophets and fulfilled by the end of fallen mankind’s earthly history. It will be restoration — that is: Eden restored and surpassed. It will be God’s fulfillment of His restored Kingdom – a complete renewal of creation. The story that began in Genesis 1 ends with a new Genesis.
DANIEL’S VISION INTERPRETED CHAPTER 7:15-27
15 “As for me, Daniel, my spirit within me was anxious, and the visions of my head alarmed me. 16 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. 17 ‘These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth. 18 But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.’
19 “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, 20 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. 21 As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them, 22 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.
23 “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.
24 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.
25 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.
26 But the court shall sit in judgment,
and his dominion shall be taken away,
to be consumed and destroyed to the end.
27 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.’
Daniel is deeply troubled by the vision and asks for an explanation, probably from an angel. Despite the terror of the beasts, the angel emphasizes the main point: God’s holy people will ultimately receive an everlasting kingdom. His greatest anxiety was about the fourth beast. In particular he wondered about the ten horns and the little horn that emerged and overcame God’s holy people. Despite the assurance that the ultimate victory would be the Lord’s and that his people would finally prevail, Daniel was deeply concerned about their impending persecution.
Daniel is distressed and asks the angel what this all means. The angel focuses on the fourth beast, the little horn, the suffering of the saints, and the final triumph of God’s kingdom. He is told that the four great beasts are four kings that will arise from the earth (7:17). Verse 18 then declares: “But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come.” We see here the connection between the kingdom of the Son of Man and what this means for the saints of God. When the kingdom of the Son of Man arrives, those who are His saints will participate in this reign.
One can understand Daniel’s concern. John in Revelation had the same concern. Revelation 17:6 “And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I marveled greatly.”
The angel assures Daniel that the ultimate sovereignty over the world would be granted to “the saints of the Most High” (cf. v.27). The reason for emphasizing the participation of God’s people in the final kingdom may be because it is a literal, earthly kingdom rather than a spiritual domain. Despite the terror of the beasts, the angel emphasizes the main point: God’s holy people will ultimately receive an everlasting kingdom.
God’s ultimate point in Daniel 7 is this: All human kingdoms—no matter how powerful, violent, or terrifying—will fall, but God will give an everlasting kingdom to the Son of Man and to His saints. Everything in the chapter points toward the single truth. God is telling His people: “Do not fear the beasts. I will judge them, My Messiah will rule, and you will reign with Him forever.”
God is sovereign: History is not random. Evil has limits. God has a timetable. Judgment is certain. The Messiah’s kingdom is unstoppable. The saints’ suffering is temporary. And the saints’ reign will be eternal. The “one like a Son of Man” who receives everlasting dominion will be divine and given all authority. The phrase “one like a son of man” is intentionally used by Jesus to reveal His own identity, and the New Testament treats this figure as Jesus Himself, the divine Messiah who receives everlasting dominion from the Ancient of Days.
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