DANIEL 7

Daniel 7:1 This chapter is a transition between the first and second half of the book. It starts over chronologically back in Babylon under Belshazzar. These visions are unlike the previous ones in that Daniel himself has the visions and is the one in need of an interpreter. But we will also see that there are some similarities in these visions to the first six chapters also.

Daniel 7:2 The sea usually represents forces of chaos. The winds themselves may be angels, showing that what is going to happen is initiated by God and totally under His control.

Daniel 7:3 Four living creatures and image of a beast out of the sea will appear again in Revelation in somewhat different context. We are now entering the world of biblical apocalyptic which is filled with symbols. The various pictures we see are obviously not to be taken literally (It is specifically stated later that the bizarre beasts stand for human kingdoms), but what about the numbers? Look at the biblical numerology below showing the probable symbolic numbers all derived from 3, 4 and 1,000:

3 = God

4 = creation (4 winds, 4 corners of the earth)

1,000 = a symbolically large number

7 = 3 + 4 = everything, complete(ly)/completion, perfection

3 ½ = 7/2 = an incomplete time, temporary time of testing

6 = 7-1 = less than perfection, imperfection, man

666 = a trinity of imperfection masquerading as the perfect Trinity

12 = 4 x 3 = God acting through creation (tribes and judges in the OT, apostles in the NT, etc.)

24 = 12 + 12 = key representatives of God's people in the OT and NT

144,000 = 12 x 12 x 1,000 = all those saved from OT and NT times

Daniel 7:4 We will find out in a bit that the four beasts stand for four kingdoms, just as in the vision of the statue with feet of clay. There is the same controversy as to which four kingdoms these are. I will go with one of the possibilities. The first beast takes on human characteristics just as Nebuchadnezzar took on beastly characteristics and probably stands for the Babylonian empire. Mixtures of different animals was looked on as an abomination by the Jews (Leviticus). Again, it is a picture of unnatural chaos against the order of God's creation.

Daniel 7:5-7 The bear probably represents the Medes, who attacked Babylon; the leopard is then Persia; and the “robo-beast” is Greece. There were roughly ten kings of Greece from Seleucus I to Antiochus IV. Horn usually stands for power in the Bible.

Daniel 7:8 Antiochus IV usurped the throne from his brother Seleucus IV's heir Demetrius. Seleucus IV had been murdered by his own prime minister Heliodorus, and Antiochus murdered Heliodorus. “Speaking arrogantly” – we will talk later about Antiochus' arrogance.

Daniel 7:9-10 We now switch from earth to heaven (just as in Revelation) to see God's throne and His judgment seat. This is the only time God is pictured in the OT as an old man. White for purity. Wheels on throne indicate God's omnipresence (Ezekiel 1 and 10). “Thrones” is in the plural — why? See Matthew 19:28 and Revelation 20:4, also in the context of judging.

Daniel 7:13-14 “One like the son of man” When Jesus uses this term in regard to himself, it may only mean the same as “a man,” or he may be referring to this passage in Daniel. And verse 14 shows that this person will be given dominion over all the world. Read Matthew 26:63-65: the reaction of the high priest shows that it is the latter. The psalm of praise in verse 14 is almost identical to that of King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4 and King Darius in Chapter 6.

Daniel 7:21-22 “War against the holy ones” This could refer to God's angels, or to the Jews at the time of Antiochus IV. Under the Maccabees, the Jews took control back from Greece.

Daniel 7:25 Antiochus was the first Hellenistic king to call himself god on his coinage. He tried to do away with all Jewish practices. 3 ½ years was roughly the time period during which he oppressed the Jews. But there is also a symbolic meaning to this time period. Look at numerical symbolism above.

Daniel 7:27 Here the vision goes beyond known historical time periods and proceeds into the last days. This is similar to other OT prophecies which often follow short term prophecies directly with longer term events.