Study # 1
April 24, 2018
Moss Bluff, Louisiana
(Download Audio)
1769 KJV Translation:
1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, [
and] told the sum of the matters.
2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.
3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
4 The first [
was] like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.
5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and [
it had] three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.
7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it [
was] diverse from all the beasts that [
were] before it; and it had ten horns.
8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn [
were] eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment [
was] white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne [
was like] the fiery flame, [
and] his wheels [
as] burning fire.
10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld [
even] till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.
12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.
13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, [
one] like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion [
is] an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom [
that] which shall not be destroyed.
15 I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of [
my] body, and the visions of my head troubled me.
16 I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.
17 These great beasts, which are four, [
are] four kings, [
which] shall arise out of the earth.
18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
19 Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth [
were of] iron, and his nails [
of] brass; [
which] devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;
20 And of the ten horns that [
were] in his head, and [
of] the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even [
of] that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look [
was] more stout than his fellows.
21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom [
are] ten kings [
that] shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
25 And he shall speak [
great] words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy [
it] unto the end.
27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom [
is] an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
28 Hitherto [
is] the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.
1901 ASV Translation:
1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream and told the sum of the matters.
2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of heaven brake forth upon the great sea.
3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made to stand upon two feet as a man; and a man's heart was given to it.
5 And, behold, another beast, a second, like to a bear; and
it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
6 After this I beheld, and, lo, another, like a leopard, which had upon its back four wings of a bird; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.
7 After this I saw in the night-visions, and, behold, a fourth beast, terrible and powerful, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth; it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.
8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, 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 a mouth speaking great things.
9 I beheld till thrones were placed, and one that was ancient of days did sit: his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, [
and] the wheels thereof burning fire.
10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousands of thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
11 I beheld at that time because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake; I beheld even till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed, and it was given
to be burned with fire.
12 And as for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
13 I saw in the night-visions, and, behold, there came with the clouds of heaven one like unto a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
15 As for me, Daniel, my spirit was grieved in the midst of
my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.
16 I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.
17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, that shall arise out of the earth.
18 But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
19 Then I desired to know the truth concerning the fourth beast, which was diverse from all of them, exceeding terrible, whose teeth were of iron, and its nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet;
20 and concerning the ten horns that were on its head, and the other [
horn] which came up, and before which three fell, even that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake great things, whose look was more stout than its fellows.
21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
22 until the ancient of days came, and judgment was given
to the saints of the Most High, and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all the kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall
tread it down, and break it in pieces.
24 And as for the ten horns, out of this kingdom shall ten kings arise: and another shall arise after them; and he shall be diverse from the former, and he shall put down three kings.
25 And he shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High; and he shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and half a time.
26 But the judgment shall be set, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.
27 And the kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High: his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
28 Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts much troubled me, and my
countenance was changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.
- I. The Structure of the Text.
- A. 7:1a The timing: the first year of Belshazzar, king of Babylon.
- B. 7:1-14 Daniel's Vision.
- 1. 7:1-8 He saw four great beasts arise out of the great sea.
- a. Four winds broke forth upon the great sea.
- b. Four great beasts arose from the sea.
- 1) A lion with the wings of an eagle.
- a) Its wings were plucked.
- b) It was lifted up from the earth.
- c) It was made to stand upon two feet.
- d) It was given the heart of a man.
- 2) A bear.
- a) Raised up on one side.
- b) Three ribs were between its teeth.
- c) "They" said, "Arise, devour much flesh".
- 3) A leopard.
- a) It had four wings on its back.
- b) It had four heads.
- c) Dominion was given to it.
- 4) A fourth beast.
- a) Terrible, powerful, exceedingly strong, with great iron teeth.
- b) It devoured, broke in pieces, and stamped the pieces with its feet.
- c) Diverse from all the previous beasts.
- d) Had ten horns, eyes like those of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.
- 2. 7:9-12 He saw The Ancient of Days judge the fourth beast.
- a. Thrones were set up.
- b. The Ancient of Days took His seat.
- 1) His clothing was snow white.
- 2) His hair like pure wool.
- 3) His throne was fiery flames and its wheels burning fire.
- 4) A fiery stream issued forth from Him.
- 5) Thousands of thousands ministered to Him.
- 6) Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him.
- 7) Judgment was established and "the books" were opened.
- c. Daniel's attention was drawn by the "horn's" great words.
- 1) He saw the beast slain, its body destroyed, and given to the flame.
- 2) The other beasts lost their dominion but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
- 3. 7:12-14 He saw a Son of Man given an everlasting kingdom by The Ancient of Days.
- a. He came with the clouds of heaven.
- b. He came up to The Ancient of Days.
- c. They brought Him before Him.
- d. He was given an everlasting dominion over all peoples, nations, and languages and His kingdom was one that would never be destroyed.
- C. Daniel's Reaction
- 1. 7:15 He was grieved and troubled.
- 2. 7:16-28a He sought and received an "interpretation".
- a. He asked "one of them that stood by" for the truth.
- b. He was told the interpretation of the things.
- 1) The four beasts signified four kings that shall arise out of the earth (the sea??).
- 2) The saints of The Most High (The Ancient of Days) shall receive the kingdom and possess it forever and forever.
- c. He sought to understand the truth about the fourth beast.
- 1) Diverse from the others.
- 2) Exceedingly terrible.
- 3) Iron teeth; nails of brass
- a) Devoured.
- b) Broke the others into pieces.
- c) Stamped the pieces with its feet.
- 4) Ten horns.
- a) Horns on its head.
- b) A latter horn that came up displacing three.
- i. It had eyes.
- ii. It had a mouth speaking great things.
- iii. It was more "stout" than its contemporaries.
- iv. It made war with the saints and prevailed against them until The Ancient of Days came. When He came He exercised His judgment and gave the saints of The Most High possession of The Kingdom.
- 5) The interpretation.
- a) The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom upon the earth.
- i. It will be different from the previous kingdoms.
- ii. It shall devour the whole earth, tread it down and break it into pieces.
- b) The ten horns are ten kings that shall arise with an "eleventh" arising after they have arisen.
- i. This "eleventh" will be different from the ten and shall displace three of them.
- ii. He shall speak words against the Most High.
- iii. He shall wear out the saints of the Most High.
- iv. He shall "think to change the times and law" and will succeed for "a time, times, and half a time".
- v. But he will be judged, his dominion taken away, consumed and destroyed.
- c) The entire world will be given to the people of the saints of The Most High Whose kingdom and dominion are everlasting and all will serve and obey Him.
- 3. 7:28b He was troubled and changed but kept the matter in his heart.