Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

The Lord Reigns

Daniel's Vision of the Four Beasts

7 In the first year of ^(A)Belshazzar king of Babylon, ^(B)Daniel saw a dream and ^(C)visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter. ² Daniel declared,^[a] “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, ^(D)the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. ³ And four great beasts ^(E)came up out of the sea, different from one another. ⁴ The first was like a lion and had eagles' wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it. ⁵ And behold, ^(F)another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side. It had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, ‘Arise, devour much flesh.’ ⁶ After this I looked, and behold, another, like a ^(G)leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and ^(H)dominion was given to it. ⁷ After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, ^(I)terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; ^(J)it devoured and broke in pieces ^(K)and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and ^(L)it had ten horns. ⁸ I considered the horns, and behold, ^(M)there came up among them another horn, a little one, ^(N)before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and ^(O)a mouth speaking great things.

Daniel's Vision Interpreted

¹⁵ “As for me, Daniel, my spirit within me^[a] was anxious, and ^(A)the visions of my head alarmed me. ¹⁶ I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of the things. ^17 (B)‘These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth. ¹⁸ But ^(C)the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.’

^31 (A)He who comes from above ^(B)is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and ^(C)speaks in an earthly way. ^(D)He who comes from heaven ^(E)is above all. ^32 (F)He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, ^(G)yet no one receives his testimony. ³³ Whoever receives his testimony ^(H)sets his seal to this, ^(I)that God is true. ³⁴ For he whom ^(J)God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit ^(K)without measure. ^35 (L)The Father loves the Son and ^(M)has given all things into his hand. ^36 (N)Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; ^(O)whoever does not obey the Son shall not ^(P)see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.