Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Daniel’s Dream About Four Animals

7 During the first year that Belshazzar^[a] was king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream. He saw these visions while he was lying on his bed, and he wrote what he had dreamed. ² Daniel said, “I saw my vision at night. In the vision the wind was blowing from all four directions. These winds made the sea rough. ³ I saw four big animals and each one was different from the others. These four animals came up out of the sea.

⁴ “The first animal looked like a lion, but it had wings like an eagle. As I watched, its wings were torn off. It was helped up from the ground, and it stood up on two feet like a human. Then it was given a human mind.

⁵ “Then I saw another animal there in front of me 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. It was told, ‘Get up and eat all the meat you want!’

⁶ “After that I noticed another animal in front of me. It looked like a leopard, but it had four wings on its back. This animal had four heads. It was given authority to rule.

⁷ “After that, in my vision at night, I looked, and there in front of me was a fourth animal. It looked very cruel and terrifying. It looked very strong, with large iron teeth. This animal crushed and ate its victims and walked on whatever was left of them. This fourth animal was different from all the animals I saw before it. This animal had ten horns.

⁸ “While I was looking at the horns and thinking about them, another horn grew up among them. This was a little horn with eyes like a human. It also had a mouth that was bragging. Then the little horn pulled out three of the other horns.

The Meaning of Daniel’s Dream

¹⁵ “I, Daniel, was confused and worried. The visions that went through my mind bothered me. ¹⁶ I went to someone who was standing there and asked him what all this meant. So he explained it to me. ¹⁷ He said, ‘The four great animals are four kingdoms that will come from the earth. ¹⁸ But God’s holy people will receive the kingdom, and they will have the kingdom forever and ever.’

The One Who Comes From Heaven

³¹ “The one who comes from above is greater than all others. The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth. He talks about things that are on the earth. But the one who comes from heaven is greater than all others. ³² He tells what he has seen and heard, but people don’t accept what he says. ³³ Whoever accepts what he says has given proof that God speaks the truth. ³⁴ God sent him, and he tells people what God says. God gives him the Spirit fully. ³⁵ The Father loves the Son and has given him power over everything. ³⁶ Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. But those who do not obey the Son will never have that life. They cannot get away from God’s anger.”