Historical
Apocalypse: Visions of Daniel concerning the Future[a]
The Visions of the Beasts and the Son of Man[b]
Chapter 7
Four Great Beasts Come Up from the Sea.[c] 1 In the first year that Belshazzar was king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and experienced visions in his mind as he lay in bed. Then he wrote down his account of the dream as follows:
2 In the vision I saw during the night, I, Daniel, beheld the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. 3 Four huge beasts then emerged from the sea, each one different from the others. 4 The first was like a lion, but with the wings of an eagle. As I watched, its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet as if it were a human being. It was also given a human heart.
5 Then a second beast appeared that looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. The order was given to it: “Arise and gorge yourself with bodies.”
6 After this, as I watched, another beast appeared, like a leopard. On its back it had four wings like those of a bird, and it had four heads. This beast was given dominion.
7 After this, in my night visions, I beheld a fourth beast terrifying, fearsome, and exceedingly strong. With its great iron teeth it devoured and crushed its victims, and it trampled their remains with its feet. It was different from all of the preceding beasts, and it had ten horns.
8 While I was gazing up at these horns, I beheld another horn, a small one, sprouting in their midst. Three of the other horns were uprooted to make room for it. This horn had eyes like human eyes, and a mouth that spoke with arrogance.
One Like the Son of Man[d]
9 While I was watching,
thrones were set in place,
and the Ancient One sat on his throne.
His robe was as white as snow,
and the hair on his head was as pure as wool.
His throne was ablaze with fiery flames,
and its wheels were a burning fire.
10 A stream of fire surged forth
and flowed out from his presence.
Thousands upon thousands served him,
and myriads upon myriads stood before him.
The court was in session,
and the books lay open.
11 Then I continued to watch because of the arrogant words that the horn was speaking. And as I watched the beast was put to death. Its body was destroyed and thrown into the fire to be consumed. 12 As for the other beasts, they lost their dominion, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
13 As the night visions continued,
I beheld approaching on the clouds of heaven
one like a son of man.
He came before the Ancient One
and was presented to him.
14 Dominion and glory and kingship
were conferred upon him
so that all peoples and nations of every language
would become his servants.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that will never pass away,
and his kingdom is one
that will never be destroyed.
15 The Kingdom of the Holy Ones of the Most High. I, Daniel, experienced great anguish of spirit, and the visions that flashed through my mind truly terrified me. 16 Therefore, I approached one of those who were standing there and asked him what all this truly signified. He in turn revealed to me what all these things meant, 17 “These four great beasts represent four kingdoms that will arise from the earth. 18 But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive kingly power and possess it forever and ever.”
19 Then I expressed my desire to know about the fourth beast, since it was different from all the rest, and terrifying to behold with its iron teeth and bronze claws, and trampling underfoot and devouring its victims. 20 I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head, and why the other horn sprouted, before which three of them fell, the horn that had eyes and an arrogant mouth, and whose appearance was more imposing than that of the others.
21 As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy ones and prevailing over them, 22 until the Ancient One came and pronounced judgment in favor of the holy ones of the Most High, and the time came when the holy ones gained possession of the kingdom. 23 This is the explanation he offered:
“As for the fourth beast,
it signifies a fourth kingdom on earth
that will differ from all other kingdoms.
It shall devour the earth,
trample it underfoot, and crush it to pieces.
24 As for the ten horns,
from this kingdom ten kings shall rise,
and another shall arise after them.
This last king will be different from the earlier ones,
and he will overcome three kings.
25 He will insult the Most High
and oppress the holy ones of the Most High
in his stubborn determination
to change the sacred seasons and the law.
They shall be given into his power
for a time, two times, and half a time.
26 Finally the court will sit in judgment,
and his power will be taken away,
with his sovereignty completely destroyed forever.
27 Then kingship and dominion and the splendor
of all the kingdoms under the heavens
will be given to the holy people of the Most High,
whose kingdom will be everlasting,
and all dominions will serve and obey him.”
28 Here the account ends. I, Daniel, was greatly disturbed by my thoughts, and I turned pale, but I kept these things to myself.
Daniel’s Vision of a Ram and a Goat[e]
Chapter 8
Vision of the Ram and He-Goat. 1 In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar, I, Daniel, had another vision subsequent to the first vision that I had previously experienced. 2 In my vision I saw myself in the citadel of Susa[f] in the province of Elam, standing by the Ulai canal.
3 When I looked up, I saw a ram standing beside the river. It had two horns. Both of the horns were tall, but one was taller than the other, although the other had appeared first. 4 I observed the ram butting toward the west, the north, and the south. No beast could withstand it or escape from its power. It did as it pleased and became very strong.
5 As I was pondering this, a he-goat appeared from the west, skimming over the entire surface of the world without touching the ground, and between its eyes it had one prominent horn. 6 It approached the two-horned ram, which I had seen standing by the river, and charged it with savage fury.
7 I saw it charge the ram in a fit of rage and attack it with the full force of its fury, breaking both of its horns and leaving the ram powerless to withstand the attack. Having thrown the ram to the ground, it trampled it underfoot, and there was no one there to rescue the ram. 8 The he-goat then grew even more powerful but at the height of its strength the great horn shattered, and in its place there came forth four majestic horns pointing toward the four winds of heaven.
9 Out of one of these horns sprang forth a small horn which grew ever larger and poured forth its strength toward the south and the east and toward the beautiful land. 10 It grew until it reached the host of heaven, after which it flung down to the earth some of the host as well as some of the stars and trampled on them.
11 It even challenged arrogantly the power of the prince of the host. It abolished his right to offer the daily sacrifice and destroyed his sanctuary. 12 The army, too, was abolished, while the daily sacrifice was replaced by sin. It cast truth to the ground and succeeded in everything it did.
13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the speaker, “How long will it be before this vision is fulfilled—the vision of sacrifice, the desolation of transgressions, and daily trampling of the sanctuary and the host?” 14 The first one replied, “Until two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings have passed. Then the sanctuary will be purified.”
15 Interpretation of the Vision. While I, Daniel, tried to understand the vision that I had seen, I saw someone standing before me who had the appearance of a man. 16 Then I heard a human voice from the Ulai cry out, “Gabriel, explain to him the meaning of the vision.” 17 As he then approached the place where I was standing, I fell prostrate in terror. However, he said to me, “Understand this, son of man. The vision refers to the end time.”
18 As he spoke to me, I fell to the ground in a trance, face downward. However, he touched me and raised me to my feet. 19 “I will show you,” he said, “what will take place later in the period of wrath, for at the appointed time there will be an end.
20 “The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. 21 The male goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between its eyes represents the first king. 22 As for the horn that was broken and replaced by four other horns, four kingdoms shall rise from his nation but be lacking his power.
23 “At the end of their reign,
when their sins have reached their zenith,
a king will arise,
bold in countenance and skilled in intrigue.
24 His strength will continually increase,
but not by any power of his own.
He will wreak untold havoc
and succeed in whatever he does.
He will destroy mighty nations
as well as the holy ones, God’s people.
25 “By cunning and deceit,
he will succeed in his treacherous plans.
He will devise great schemes
and wreak havoc on unsuspecting people.
He will finally challenge the power
of the Prince of princes,
but he will be broken
without any human intervention.
26 The vision of the evenings and the mornings
that has been revealed is true.
However, you must keep this vision secret,
because it points to times far ahead.”
27 Then I, Daniel, was overcome by exhaustion, and I lay sick for several days. After that I arose and attended to the king’s business. But I was perplexed by the vision, which I was unable to understand.
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