Historical
Daniel’s Vision of Four Beasts
7 In the first year of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was on his bed. He wrote down a summary of the dream. 2 Daniel said: “I was looking in my vision at night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were churning up the great sea. 3 Four huge beasts came up from the sea, each different from the others.
4 “The first was like a lion with eagle’s wings. As I watched, its wings were pulled off and it was lifted off the ground. It was made to stand upon two feet like a man, and the heart of a human was given to it.
5 “And behold there before me was another beast, a second one, like a bear. It raised itself up on one side; it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’
6 “After that I looked, and behold, there was another one like a leopard. On its back it had four wings like those of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.
7 “After this in my vision at night, I looked and behold there was a fourth beast—terrifying, frightening, tremendously strong, with large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed—and anything that was left it trampled with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that came before it; it had ten horns.[a]
8 “While I was pondering the horns, behold, another horn, a small one, sprang up between them, and three of the first horns were uprooted from before it. And behold, this horn had eyes resembling human eyes and a mouth speaking boastfully.[b]
Ancient of Days and Son of Man
9 “While I was watching,
thrones were set up,
and the Ancient of Days took his seat.
His garment was as white as snow,
and the hair of His head like pure wool.
His throne was ablaze with flames,
its wheels a burning fire.[c]
10 A river of fire was flowing and coming out from before Him.
Thousands of thousands attended Him
and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him.[d]
The court was seated,
and the books were opened.[e]
11 “I kept watching because of the boastful words that the horn was speaking. I continued watching until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. [f] 12 As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion had been taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
13 “I was watching in the night visions.
Behold, One like a Son of Man,[g]
coming with the clouds of heaven.
He approached the Ancient of Days,
and was brought into His presence.
14 Dominion, glory and sovereignty were given to Him
that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will never pass away,
and His kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.[h]
Interpretation of the Beasts
15 “As for me, Daniel, my spirit was disturbed within me, and the visions of my head alarmed me. 16 I approached one of those standing nearby and asked him the true meaning of all this. So he spoke with me and revealed the interpretation of these things: 17 ‘These large beasts, four in number, are four kings that will rise from the earth. 18 But the kedoshim of the Most High will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever—yes, forever and ever.’[i]
19 “Then I wanted to know the true meaning of the fourth beast that was different from all the others, exceedingly terrifying with iron teeth and bronze claws, which broke in pieces and devoured and then stomped with its feet anything that remained. 20 Of the ten horns on its head, the other horn that sprang up before which three others fell—that horn eyes and a mouth speaking arrogant things, and its appearance was more imposing than its companions. 21 As I was watching, that horn was waging war against the kedoshim and overpowering them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was rendered in favor of the kedoshim of the Most High—when the time came and the kedoshim possessed the kingdom.[j]
23 “Thus he explained: ‘The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on earth that will be different from all the other kingdoms. It will devour the whole earth, and trample it and crush it. 24 As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise. Another will arise after them, but he will be different from the previous ones; he will subdue three kings. [k] 25 He will speak words against the Most High, and will continually harass the kedoshim of the Most High,[l] and will try to change the appointed times and law. The kedoshim will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time. [m] 26 But the court will sit and he will be stripped of his power to be destroyed and abolished for all time. 27 Then the kingdom, power, and greatness of the kingdoms under all heaven will be given to the people of the kedoshim of the Most High.[n] Their kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions will serve and obey him.’
28 This is the conclusion of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly troubled me and the color drained from my face. But I kept the matter in my heart.”
Daniel’s Vision of a Ram and Goat
8 “In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar, a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after the one that had appeared to me earlier. 2 In the vision I saw myself in the citadel[o] of Shushan[p], which is in the province of Elam. In the vision I saw that I was beside the Ulai Canal. 3 I lifted up my eyes and looked up, behold, a ram with two horns was standing in front of the canal. The two horns were long but one was longer than the other, but the longer one grew up last. 4 I saw the ram charging toward the west and north and south. No animal could stand against him—none could deliver from his hand. So he did as he pleased and magnified himself.
5 “While I was contemplating this, behold, a male goat came from the west crossing the face of the whole earth without touching the ground! Now the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. 6 He came up to the two-horn ram that I had seen standing beside the canal, and charged it with raging strength. 7 I saw him attacking the ram furiously, striking the ram and shattering his two horns. Now the ram was not strong enough to stand against him, so he knocked the ram to the ground and trampled him. No one could rescue the ram from his power.
8 “The male goat became exceedingly great, but as soon as he became mighty, the large horn was broken, and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven.
9 “Out of one of them came forth a small horn, which grew extremely large to the south and the east, and toward the beautiful land. 10 It grew as high as the host of heaven and hurled some of the host and the stars down to the earth and trampled them. 11 It set itself up to be as great as the Prince of the host. It took away from him the daily offering and the place of his sanctuary was thrown down. 12 The host was given over along with the daily sacrifice, in the course of its rebellion. It will hurl truth to the ground and prosper in what it does.
13 “Then I heard a holy one speaking and another holy one said to the one who was speaking, ‘How long will the vision last, the daily sacrifice be forsaken because of rebellion, the sanctuary be surrendered and the host be trampled?’ 14 Then he said to me: ‘For 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be vindicated.’
Interpretation of Vision: Persian Ram and Greek Goat
15 “Now it happened that while I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, behold, standing before me was one with the appearance of a man. 16 Then I heard a human voice coming from between the banks of the Ulai, calling out saying, ‘Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.’
17 “He came near to where I was standing, and as he approached I was terrified and fell on my face. But he said to me, ‘Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the time of the end.’
18 “While he was speaking to me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face to the ground. But he touched me and stood me up, 19 and said: ‘Behold, I am going to inform you about what will happen later in the time of wrath, for the vision pertains to the appointed time of the end. 20 The ram that you saw with the two horns stands for the kings of Media and Persia. 21 The buck, the male goat, is the king of Greece; and the large horn between his eyes is the first king. [q] 22 The four horns that replaced the one that was broken represent four kingdoms that will arise from this nation, though not with its power.
23 “‘Now toward the end of their reign, when the measure of transgressions is completed, a stern-faced king, a master of intrigue, will arise. 24 His power will be mighty, but it will not be by his strength alone. He will cause extraordinary devastation, and succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy both the powerful and the holy people. 25 By his cunning he will cause deceit to prosper under his hand and he will consider himself superior. He will destroy many, taking them unaware. He will even stand up against the Prince of princes, yet he will be broken, but not by human
hands.
26 “‘Now the vision of the evenings and mornings that has been told to you is true, but seal up the vision for it concerns many days from now.’
27 “Then I, Daniel, was stricken and languished for days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business, but I was astounded at the vision and no one could explain it.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.