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.

Vision of the Ancient of Days

¹¹ “I watched then because of the sound of the ^[f]pompous words which the horn was speaking; ^(T)I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame. ¹² As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.

Daniel’s Visions Interpreted

¹⁵ “I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit ^[g]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 ^[h]kings which arise out of the earth. ¹⁸ But ^(Y)the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.’

¹⁹ “Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet; ²⁰ and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke ^[i]pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows.

²¹ “I was watching; ^(Z)and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, ²² until the Ancient of Days came, ^(AA)and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.

²³ “Thus he said:

²⁸ “This is the end of the ^[k]account. As for me, Daniel, ^(AN)my thoughts greatly troubled me, and my countenance changed; but I ^(AO)kept the matter in my heart.”

The Throne Room of Heaven^(A)

4 After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing ^(B)open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a ^(C)trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”

² Immediately ^(D)I was in the Spirit; and behold, ^(E)a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. ^3 [a]And He who sat there was ^(F)like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; ^(G)and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. ^4 (H)Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, ^(I)clothed in white ^[b]robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. ⁵ And from the throne proceeded ^(J)lightnings, ^[c]thunderings, and voices. ^(K)Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are ^(L)the^[d] seven Spirits of God.

⁶ Before the throne there ^[e]was ^(M)a sea of glass, like crystal. ^(N)And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. ^7 (O)The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. ⁸ The four living creatures, each having ^(P)six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:

⁹ Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, ^(T)who lives forever and ever, ^10 (U)the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:

The Lamb Takes the Scroll

5 And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne ^(Y)a scroll written inside and on the back, ^(Z)sealed with seven seals. ² Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, ^(AA)“Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” ³ And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.

⁴ So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open ^[i]and read the scroll, or to look at it. ⁵ But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, ^(AB)the Lion of the tribe of ^(AC)Judah, ^(AD)the Root of David, has ^(AE)prevailed to open the scroll ^(AF)and ^[j]to loose its seven seals.”

⁶ And I looked, ^[k]and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood ^(AG)a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and ^(AH)seven eyes, which are ^(AI)the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. ⁷ Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand ^(AJ)of Him who sat on the throne.

Worthy Is the Lamb

⁸ Now when He had taken the scroll, ^(AK)the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the ^(AL)prayers of the saints. ⁹ And ^(AM)they sang a new song, saying:

¹¹ Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, ¹² saying with a loud voice:

¹³ And ^(AS)every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:

¹⁴ Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the ^[p]twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped ^[q]Him who lives forever and ever.