The Beasts of Daniel and Explaination of the Kingdoms

The Beasts of Daniel and Explaination of the Kingdoms

You see above the four images and table depicted in Daniel chapter 7 of the Bible.

They identify what image is associated with what kingdom and the principal king of that empire. The ten horns on top of the beast to the right represent the same kingdoms as the ten toes of Daniel chapter 2’s statute or image, and they are yet to appear on the world scene. What image is not shown is the little horn and what kingdom and king matches it. Also, we will not try to depict the “Ancient of Days” or the one “like the son of man.” (the Father and the Son)

Are the kingdoms of each of the four animals of Daniel 7 the same four kingdoms of the image of Daniel 2? Yes, the lion with plucked wings who stands up is Nebuchnezzar of Babylon, the head of gold.

The Terrible Beast, the fourth.

However, just because there are four kingdoms in Daniel chapter 2 and four kingdoms in Daniel chapter 7, we cannot just assume that they are the same. I would start with the portion of Daniel 2 that talks about the legs, the fourth kingdom, Rome. Daniel 2 uses almost the same wording for the fourth kingdom as does Daniel 7 for its fourth kingdom:

And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: inasmuch as iron breaketh in
pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break
in pieces and bruise.(Daniel 2:40)

…(B)behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it
had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue
with the feet of it:…” (Daniel 7:7)

I think we can safely say that the fourth kingdom, Rome, is the same subject in both passages.

The Lion Who Stood Like a Man, the First Beast.

But, you might say, how did you link the lion with the head of gold. You may remember that Nebuchadnezzar lost his right mind and was deposed from his kingdom. The powers that were with him when he went insane drove him out into the rural area where his hairs grew eagle feathers and he ate grass.

He was still a king and aptly represented by a lion. After a period of time Nebuchadnezzar had been greatly humbled and realized, when God restored his right mind, that God’s might was of consequence, not his own might. His hair-like eagle feathers were taken from him, and he was lifted up by God and made to stand like a man.

Since we have confirmed that Babylon was the first kingdom, and that Rome was the fourth in chapters 2, 4 and 7 of Daniel, we can fairly safely assume that the second and the third kingdoms are the same as Daniel 2 as well – Medes and Persians and Greeks.

The Bear Rising on His Side, the Second Kingdom.

If you think about it for a moment you would probably agree that a bear that was, say,
lying on his back trying to again walk would roll to his stomach and stand on all four legs or to a sitting position to stand perhaps first on his back legs. Rising to two legs on one side would be awkward, it seems to me.

The whole point of a bear rising on one side is to emphasize the side. Rather than the beginning-to-rise of the bear on the Media side as it had with Darius, the Media, it rose on the Persian side, indicating with Cyrus, the great, a Persian, that Persia rather than the Media is now in control. Cyrus destroys three rival kingdoms standing in his way, as indicated by the three ribs in his mouth.

The Leopard with Four Heads and Four Wings, the Third Kingdom.

The leopard stands for Alexander, the great who sped to victory over Medes and Persians by the wings of strength of four of his generals. Alexander died at an early age and his heirs were slain.

After a period of turmoil of constant wars, four generals, the four heads, of Alexander held the territories of Greece, Thrace, Syria, and Egypt. Thrace, after a short time, ceased to be Greek territory. Greece became a minor power. That left two strong powers: Syria and Egypt. That is the reason in the statute or image of Daniel 2 depicts two thighs of brass following Alexander, the great.

The Ten Horns on the Terrible Beast, End Time Kings.

The ten horns on the Terrible Beast symbolize two things. The ten horns represent the ten kingdoms who give their power to the little horn, the Antichrist, in the very last days.
(Revelation 17:13) The ten horns grow out of the head of the fourth kingdom, Rome. The ten kingdoms will be geographically located in the areas of Rome and Istanbul. They will not be strong as the Roman empire for they, also, are made of iron and clay.

The Little Horn, End Time Antichrist.

The little horn does not come from or out of the ten horns. Although it is contemporary with the ten horns, Daniel chapter 7 makes it very clear that the little horns grows out of one of the horns of animal representing Greece. Since it appears at the same time as the ten last kingdoms, it associates with them, plucking up or subduing three of ten horns of kingdoms on the head of symbol representing Rome. The little horn rules and comes against God’s people (and is allowed by God to overcome them for three and one-half years) and all that represents God.

The depiction of the white throne judgment fills me awe. We have no idea how big the throne of God is, probably miles wide. In front of the throne issues forth fire for who knows how many miles. In front of that will be saints sitting in judgment of sinners of all times and all areas except Israel, who will have the twelve apostles sitting in judgment.

Facing the throne of God and the saints will lines of evil angels, demons, and sinners, perhaps, by country and by time. The brighter-than-the-sun white of God, his pulsing, consuming fire violently roaring will fill the damned with terror. In addition will be the yellow-blue tongues of fire roaring, black smoke billowing and fetid sulfur belching from the lake of fire.