Daniel 7:7

After this I saw in the night visions, and 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: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. AFTER THIS I SAW IN THE NIGHT VISIONS, AND BEHOLD A FOURTH BEAST, DREADFUL AND TERRIBLE, AND STRONG EXCEEDINGLY; AND IT HAD GREAT IRON TEETH. Since Daniel lived under the kingdom of the first beast, and therefore needed not to describe it, and as the second and third are described fully in the second part of the book, the chief emphasis falls on the fourth. Also, prophecy most dwells on the end, which is the consummation of the preceding series of events. It is in the fourth that the world-power manifests fully its God-opposing nature. AND IT WAS DIVERSE FROM ALL THE BEASTS THAT WERE BE...

There is greater difficulty in this Fourth Monarchy. Those who are endued with moderate judgment, confess this vision to be fulfilled in the Roman Empire; but they afterwards disagree, since what is here said of the fourth beast many transfer to the Pope, when it is added a Little Horn sprang up; but. others think the Turkish kingdom is comprehended under the Roman. The Jews for the most part incline this way, and they are necessarily compelled to do so, since Daniel will afterwards add — I saw the throne of the Son of Man; since it is clear, from this prediction, that Christ’s kingdom was erected by the overthrow of the Roman dominion, the Jews turn round, and, as I have said, join the Turkish monarchy with the Roman, since they do, not find their Christ according to their imagination. And there are some of our writers who think this image ought not to be restricted to the Roman Empire,...

1-8 This vision contains the same prophetic representations with Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The great sea agitated by the winds, represented the earth and the dwellers on it troubled by ambitious princes and conquerors. The four beasts signified the same four empires, as the four parts of Nebuchadnezzar's image. Mighty conquerors are but instruments of God's vengeance on a guilty world. The savage beast represents the hateful features of their characters. But the dominion given to each has a limit; their wrath shall be made to praise the Lord, and the remainder of it he will restrain....

Verse Daniel 7:7. _I SAW - A FOURTH BEAST - IT HAD GREAT IRON TEETH_] This is allowed, on all hands, to be the Roman empire. It was _dreadful,_ _terrible_, and _exceeding strong: it 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 _one hundred and sixty-eight_ years before Christ; the kingdom of _Perpamos_ about _one hundred and thirty-three_ years; _Syria_ about _sixty-five_; and _Egypt_ about _thirty_ 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 to pieces_; and became in effect, what the Roman writers delight to call it,...

AFTER THIS I SAW IN THE NIGHT VISIONS - The other beasts were seen also in a dream Daniel 7:1, and this probably in the same night, though as a subsequent part of the dream, for the whole vision evidently passed before the prophet in a single dream. The succession, or the fact that he saw one after the other, indicates a sucession in the kingdoms. They were not to be at the same time upon the earth, but one was to arise after another in the order here indicated, though they were in some respects to occupy the same territory. The singular character of the beast that now appears; the number of the horns; the springing up of a new horn; the might and terror of the beast, and the long duration of its dominion upon the earth, attracted and fixed the attention of Daniel, led him into a more minute description of the appearance of the animal, and induced him particularly to

EXPOSITION DANIEL 7:1 THE VISION OF THE FOUR BEASTS. This chapter begins the second section of the book. All before this has been narrative; visions are introduced into the narrative, but they were not given to Daniel himself, but to others; his _role_ was the secondary one of interpreter. These visions and the events connected with them are related more as incidents in the biography of Daniel, than as revelations of the future. With this chapter begins a series of revelations to Daniel personally. This chapter is the last chapter of the Aramaic portion of Daniel. Though thus linguistically joined to what has preceded, logically it is related to what follows....

AFTER THIS I SAW IN THE NIGHT VISIONS, AND BEHOLD A FOURTH BEAST,.... Not in another night, as Jarchi; but in the same night, and in the same visions of it; only after he had seen the other three successively, then last of all he saw this fourth beast; and more being said of this than of the rest, shows that this was the principal thing in the vision to be observed, as being to endure until, and having a close connection with, the kingdom of the Messiah; which, arising, shall destroy it, and take place of it: this is not the Turkish empire, as Aben Ezra, and others: nor the kingdom of the Seleucidae, as Grotius, and others; to which neither the characters, nor the duration of it, agree; but the Roman empire, which succeeded the Grecian, so Gorionides g: DREADFUL AND TERRIBLE, AND STRONG EXCEEDINGLY; exceeding powerful, as the Roman empire was, and terrible to all the kingdoms of the ear...

HORNS A horn symbolizes a king. Compare (Revelation 17:12)....

II. THE GREAT PROPHECIES OF DANIEL CHAPTER 7 The night visions of Daniel _ 1. The night vision of the three beasts (Daniel 7:1)_ 2. The night vision of the fourth beast (Daniel 7:7) 3. The judgment vision (Daniel 7:9) 4. The son of man and His kingdom (Daniel 7:13) 5. The interpretation of the visions given (Daniel 7:15) Daniel 7:1. The sea in the vision is the type of nations...

DANIEL 7. THE VISION OF THE FOUR BEASTS. From this point onwards the Book becomes purely apocalyptic. The vision of the four beasts is parallel to the vision of the image in Daniel 2. The beasts rise out of the sea. The first is a lion with eagle's wings, the second a bear, the third a leopard, the fourth a nameless and terrible creature with ten horns. Among the ten horns of the fourth beast there arises another little horn with the eyes of a man, which destroys three of the other horns. At this point the scene changes. A great assize is being held by the ancient of days. The fourth beast is slain. The other three are dispossessed. _A_ human figure appears and receives an everlasting kingdom. The rest of the chapter (Daniel 7:17) gives a partial interpretation of the vision. The four beasts are four kings (or kingdoms) which succeed one another and are followed by the kingdom of the sa