Daniel 7 “The Big Picture”

This chapter will be different than my usual course of study. The entire chapter is describing this vision which Daniel received. He relates its basic elements first, then records the explanations he is given. One has to read the entire chapter to actually piece together everything Daniel wants to say about the vision. That being the case, one needs to study the chapter as a total unit. It doesn’t necessarily lend itself to my usual simple verse by verse consideration.

All of that said, I will first present here my fairly literal translation of the entire chapter, then only refer back to it as I try to draw helpful truths from what it teaches:

Chapter 7

¹In the first year to Belshazzar, the king of Babel, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head upon his bed. Then he wrote the dream. He told the sum of the matters. ²Daniel, answering and saying, “Seeing I was in my vision with the night and behold, the four of the winds of the heavens [were] stirring up the great sea, ³and four great beasts [were] coming up from the sea, being changed this from this. ⁴The first [was] like a lion and wings of an eagle [were] to it. One seeing I was until its wings were plucked off and it was lifted up from the earth and on feet like a man it was made to stand and a heart of a man was given to it. ⁵And behold, another beast, a second, one resembling a bear, and to one side it was raised up and three ribs [were] in its mouth between its teeth and thus ones saying to it, ‘Rise up! Eat much flesh!’ ⁶After this, I was seeing and behold, another like a leopard and to it four wings of a bird on its side and four heads to the beast and dominion was given to it. ⁷After this, I was seeing in the visions of the night and behold, the beast the fourth, fearful and terrifying, and exceedingly strong and [it had] great teeth of iron to it, one devouring and one crushing and the remainder in its feet one trampling, and it [was] one differing from the all of the beasts which [were] before it and [it had] ten horns to it. ⁸I was considering in the horns and behold, another little horn came up between them and three from the first horns were uprooted from before it and behold, eyes like the eyes of a man [were] in this horn and a mouth speaking great things. ⁹I was one seeing until thrones were set up and [the] Ancient of Days sat. His robe [was] white as snow and the hair of His head [was] like pure wool. His throne [was] flames of fire. Its wheels [were] burning fire. ¹⁰A river of fire [was] flowing, coming out from before Him. The court sat and [the] books were opened. ¹¹I was one seeing then from the sound of the great words which the horn [was] speaking, I was seeing until the beast was slain and his body was given to the burning of the fire, ¹²and [as for] the rest of the beasts, their dominions were taken away and lengthening in life was given to them until a time and a season. ¹³I was seeing in the visions of the night and behold, with the clouds of the heavens, [One] like a Son of Man was coming and until the Ancient of Days He came and before Him they brought Him near. ¹⁴And to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom and the all of the peoples, the nations, and the languages will serve Him. His dominion [is] an eternal dominion which will not pass away and His kingdom will not be destroyed.

¹⁵As for me, Daniel, my spirit in the midst of its body was distressed, and the visions of my head alarmed me. ¹⁶I approached upon one from the ones standing and I asked the truth from him upon the all of this and he spoke to me and the meaning of the things he informed me. ¹⁷“These great beasts which those four [are] four kings. They will arise from the earth, ¹⁸and the holy ones of [the] Most High (pl.) will receive the kingdom and they will take possession of the kingdom until the forever and until the forever of the forever.”

¹⁹Then I desired to make certain upon the fourth beast which one differing from all of them, very frightening, its teeth which [were] iron and its claws which [were] bronze, one devouring, one crushing, and the remainder in its feet trampling, ²⁰and upon the ten horns which [were] in its head and [the] other which came up, and three fell from before it, and that horn and eyes to it, and a mouth saying great things and its appearance [was] great from its fellows. ²¹I was seeing and that horn [was] one making war with [the] holy ones and overpowering them, ²²until the Ancient of Days came and the judgment was given to [the] holy ones of [the] Most High (pl,), and the time came and [the] holy ones took possession of the kingdom.

²³So he said, “The fourth beast, the fourth kingdom, will be in the earth which will differ from the all of the kingdoms and it will devour the all of the earth and trample it and break it to pieces, ²⁴and the ten horns from this kingdom [are] ten kings. They will arise and another will rise after them and he will differ from the former ones and three kings he will bring low. ²⁵And he will speak words to the side of the Most High and the holy ones of [the] Most High (pl.) he will wear away and he will intend to change times and law, and they will be given in his hand until a time and times and one half of a time, ²⁶ and the court will sit and his dominion they will take away to annihilate and to destroy until the end. ²⁷And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of [the] kingdoms under the all of the heavens will be given to the people, the holy ones of [the] Most High (pl.). His kingdom [will be] an eternal kingdom and the all of the dominion will worship and obey Him.”

²⁸Here is the end of the matter. I, Daniel, my thoughts greatly alarmed me and my countenance was changed upon me and I kept the matter in my heart.

I note again that this is a fairly literal translation. I have tried to pretty much translate word for word from the Aramaic. Where I had to insert words to make it at all intelligible, I placed them in brackets, such as including “[were]” where that verb simply is not expressed in the Aramaic. As I have often related, the ancient languages tended to be picture languages. In English we are trying to be very technical and precise and we have to say, as it were, every single word necessary to convey our thought. In the ancient languages, it is more as if they were painting pictures with their (few) words, and those pictures convey their meaning. If you go back and read through my translation, disregarding my “[…]” insertions, you might be able to see how what is presented is really a series of pictures, not a linearly logical, technically precise composition.

Looking at this chapter, first of all, I want to step back and consider what we may observe from the entire thing. Obviously, in this vision, the Lord shows Daniel the entire sweep of human history from then until eternity itself. The vision, in that sense, is obviously the same as Nebuchadnezzar’s dream from chapter 2. From both we learn that human history will consist of four major kingdoms which will be brought to an end when the Messiah (the “Son of Man”) returns to establish His eternal kingdom.

The huge difference in the two visions is that in the first, the four kingdoms are represented as precious metals of declining value, from the golden head down to the legs and feet of iron, with finally feet of iron mixed with clay. Precious metals. That is how the world sees itself. I’m sure Nebuchadnezzar liked having his kingdom represented as gold. However, here in Daniel 7, it is as if the same vision is being related, only from God’s perspective. The four kingdoms thus are beasts.

We should observe that the Lord is not impressed with us! We think all we do in this world is gold and silver. The Lord sees it all as bestial. We are impressed with this world’s “glory” and “pomp.” The Lord is not. Guess who is right.?

As observed before, Daniel would be about 67 years old here in the first year of Belshazzar’s reign, so he is receiving this vision essentially as an old man. However, I would suggest that he a long time ago realized these things for himself. He was drug here to Babylon to live and work in a palace literally plated in gold and silver, surrounded by every delight and pleasure known to man. Yet he obviously was not deceived by it all. Somehow he saw it as the same “drunken whore” as it is described in Revelation 19.  We are impressed by riches and power. Daniel was not. In the big scheme of things, this vision would teach us to view this world like the Lord and like Daniel. May we be reminded, right off the bat, to “set our affections on things above, not on the things of this world.” As Jesus warned us, “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of things he possesses.” Paul said, “They that would be rich (like the rest of the world) pierce themselves through with many sorrows.” Instead, “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” Let us be reminded that the grand sweep of human history is racing toward God’s eternal kingdom and build our lives around what really matters!

Then ponder for a moment the fact that the Lord did give us these visions (Nebuchadnezzar’s and Daniel’s). What a kindness on His part. Here I sit as a believer with what I believe is a pretty clear understanding of “the big picture.” I know we are living in the time near the end of the Fourth Beast’s kingdom, that it will only get worse, but that, for sure, the day is coming when the “stone cut without hands” will smash the kingdoms of this world, and Jesus will reign forever.

Contrast that with the average “man on the street.” They have no idea. To the rest of the world, this is all a totally random tumbling of some evolutionary accident where we are all just overgrown amoebas. We might actually amount to something or (more likely) will finally “push the button” and totally destroy ourselves. Nothing is certain. No one is guiding the ship.

How kind of the Lord to give us these visions from the book of Daniel (along with the other prophecies of the Bible), so that we can live our lives knowing all day every day there is Someone guiding the ship, that our future is certain, and that God’s kingdom is the right one to live for! Because we know “the big picture,” Jesus’ words can make perfect sense to us: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.”

This world is a scary place. For me, if it wasn’t for God’s Word, I personally would have no hope for the human race. I personally do not see things getting “better and better.” We invent a few new toys every year, then turn them into bombs. We create a world wide web, then use it to “hack” and “phish” and spy literally right into people’s bedrooms and hound them with ads. To me, it’s not pretty.

But I know it’s not forever. It’s all just the “drunken whore,” “deceiving the nations,” but Jesus is what really matters. God gives us a view of the big picture so that we can live in certainty

I don’t know that I have ever paused to appreciate this kindness of the Lord. Having worked my way slowly through Daniel chapter 7, I’m amazed what a blessing this is.

Thank you, Lord!