Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

The Majesty of the Lord.

Vision of the Four Beasts

7 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a ^(A)dream and visions ^[a]in his mind as he lay on his bed; then he ^(B)wrote the dream down and told the ^[b]following summary of ^[c]it. ² Daniel ^[d]said, “I was ^(C)looking in my vision by night, and behold, the ^(D)four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. ³ And four great ^(E)beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another. ⁴ The first was ^(F)like a lion but had the wings of an eagle. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and set up on two feet like a man; a human ^[e]mind also was given to it. ⁵ And behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear. And it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth; and they said this to it: ‘Arise, devour much meat!’ ⁶ After this I kept looking, and behold, another one, ^(G)like a leopard, which had on its ^[f]back four wings of a bird; the beast also had ^(H)four heads, and dominion was given to it. ⁷ After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a ^(I)fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed, and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ^(J)ten horns. ⁸ While I was thinking about the horns, behold, ^(K)another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the previous horns were plucked out before it; and behold, ^[g]this horn possessed eyes like human eyes, and ^(L)a mouth uttering great boasts.

The Vision Interpreted

¹⁵ “As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed within ^[a]me, and the ^(A)visions ^[b]in my mind kept ^(B)alarming me. ¹⁶ I approached one of those who were ^(C)standing by and began requesting of him the ^[c]exact meaning of all this. So he ^(D)told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things: ¹⁷ ‘These great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings who will arise from the earth. ¹⁸ But the ^[d](E)saints of the Highest One will ^(F)receive the kingdom and take possession of the kingdom forever, ^[e]for all ages to come.’

³¹ “^(A)He who comes from above is above all; ^(B)the one who is only from the earth is of the earth and speaks of the earth. ^(C)He who comes from heaven is above all. ³² What He has seen and heard, of this He ^(D)testifies; and ^(E)no one accepts His testimony. ³³ The one who has accepted His testimony ^(F)has certified that God is true. ³⁴ For He whom God ^(G)sent speaks the words of God; ^(H)for He does not give the Spirit ^[a]sparingly. ^35 (I)The Father loves the Son and ^(J)has entrusted all things to His hand. ³⁶ The one who ^(K)believes in the Son has eternal life; but the one who ^(L)does not ^[b]obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”