Daniel 7:7

Behold, a fourth beast, &c.— The fourth kingdom is represented by a fourth beast, dreaded, terrible, and exceeding strong. Daniel was curious to know particularly what this might mean, Daniel 7:19 and the angel answers him, Daniel 7:23. This kingdom can be no other than the Roman empire, which answers this emphatical description better than any of the former kingdoms. The beast devoured, and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue, that is, the remains of the former kingdoms, with its feet. It reduced Macedon into a Roman province about 168 years, the kingdom of Pergamus about 133 years, Syria about 65 years, and Egypt about 30 years before Christ. And besides the remains of the Macedonian empire, it subdued many other provinces and kingdoms; so that it might, by a very usual figure, be said to devour the whole earth, to tread it down, and break it in pieces; and become in a manner what the Roman writers delighted to call it, "The empire of the whole world." The words of Dionysius Halicarnassus are very apposite to this subject: "The city of Rome (says he) ruleth over all the earth, as far as it is inhabited; and commands all the sea, not only that within the Pillars of Hercules, but also the ocean, as far as it is navigable; having first and alone, of all the celebrated kingdoms, made the east and west the bounds of its empire: and its dominion hath continued longer than that of any other city or kingdom." This fourth was diverse from all the beasts; and thus Rome was different from all the kingdoms, not only in its republican form of government, but also in power and greatness, length of duration, and extent of dominion. See Bishop Newton, Dr. Chandler's Vindication of Daniel, and the note on Daniel 7:24.