The Eternal Reign of the Lord

Vision of the Four Beasts

7 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, ^(A)Daniel ^[a]had a dream and ^(B)visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, telling ^[b]the main facts.

² Daniel spoke, saying, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. ³ And four great beasts ^(C)came up from the sea, each different from the other. ⁴ The first was ^(D)like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a ^(E)man’s heart was given to it.

^5 (F)“And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’

⁶ “After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had ^(G)four heads, and dominion was given to it.

⁷ “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, ^(H)a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, ^(I)and it had ten horns. ⁸ I was considering the horns, and ^(J)there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes ^(K)of a man, ^(L)and a mouth speaking ^[c]pompous words.

Daniel’s Visions Interpreted

¹⁵ “I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit ^[a]within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. ¹⁶ I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things: ¹⁷ ‘Those great beasts, which are four, are four ^[b]kings which arise out of the earth. ¹⁸ But ^(A)the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.’

^31 (A)He who comes from above ^(B)is above all; ^(C)he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. ^(D)He who comes from heaven is above all. ³² And ^(E)what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. ³³ He who has received His testimony ^(F)has certified that God is true. ^34 (G)For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit ^(H)by measure. ^35 (I)The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. ^36 (J)He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the ^(K)wrath of God abides on him.”