Today’s passage: Daniel 7:1-14
Helpful thoughts:
- Daniel’s dream occurred before the events of Daniel 5 and 6. The first 6 chapters of Daniel are more historical and biographical (though they do contain some prophecy from Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams). The final 6 chapters are more prophetic in nature. The book is outlined first by style of content, then in chronological order.
- The four beasts:
- A lion with eagles wings. The wings were plucked off. It was lifted off of the ground and stood on two feet, receiving the mind of a man.
- Perhaps this made you think of King Nebuchadnezzar after his time of beastly insanity…
- Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar were depicted even in those days by a lion with eagle’s wings.
- A bear with three ribs in his mouth.
- Some believe the bear being raised up on one side is symbolic of the Persian superiority over the Medes in their jointly held empire.
- A leopard with four wings and four heads.
- Greece, led by Alexander the Great, swept across the Middle East in conquest. After Alexander’s death in 323 B.C., the empire was divided into four parts.
- A terrifying beast with iron teeth. It did not look like anything closely enough for Daniel to say!
- Rome was exceedingly strong, trampling under their feet every enemy. There were no other empires like it.
- Horns are typically symbolic of kings in biblical prophecy. The number ten could be specific (Ten literal kingdoms/nations), or it could be symbolic (Holistic/total rule).
- The eleventh horn will speak “great things”, meaning that he will boast of himself.
- A lion with eagles wings. The wings were plucked off. It was lifted off of the ground and stood on two feet, receiving the mind of a man.
- The Ancient of Days is God the Father.
- The Son of Man is Jesus Christ.
Questions to consider:
- How does this dream compare to the dream of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 2? Why does it make sense that the other parts of the statue remained and the previous beasts didn’t cease to exist but simply dropped out of view/prominence? How does that allow for this fourth beast to still have parts of this prophecy left to be fulfilled?
- How does a passage like this give you confidence in the accuracy of the Bible? If everything the Bible has prophesied so far has come to pass, what can we be confident of moving forward?
- Is God going to be worried about the events of the end times? How is all of this going to end? How should these truths change the way we live?