1 Daniel's dream of four beasts
1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Num. 12:6;Amos 3:7Daniel [a]had a dream and ch. 2:28visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the [b]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 Rev. 13:1came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
4 The first was Deut. 28:49;2 Sam. 1:23;Jer. 48:40;Ezek. 17:3;Hab. 1:8like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were pluckt, [c]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 ch. 2:39And behold, another beast, a second, like to a bear, and [d]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 ch. 8:8,22four heads; and dominion was given to it.
7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, ch. 2:40a 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; ch. 2:41;Rev. 13:1and it had ten horns.
8 I considered the horns, and behold, ch. 8:9there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns pluckt up by the roots: and behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes Rev. 9:7of man, Ps. 12:3;Rev. 13:5and a mouth speaking great things.
9 Rev. 20:4I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and Ps. 90:2the Ancient of days did sit, Ps. 104:2;Rev. 1:14whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, Ezek. 1:15and his wheels as burning fire.
10 Ps. 50:3;Is. 30:33;& 66:15A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: 1 Ki. 22:19;Ps. 68:17;Rev. 5:11thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: Rev. 20:4the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: Rev. 19:20I 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 [e]their lives were prolonged for a season and time.
13 I saw in the night visions, and behold, Ezek. 1:26;Mat. 24:30;Rev. 1:7one 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 Ps. 2:6-8;Mat. 28:18;John 3:35;1 Cor. 15:27;Eph. 1:22And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all ch. 3:4people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is Ps. 145:13;Mic. 4:7;Luke 1:33;John 12:34;Heb. 12:28an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
15 The dream explained
15 I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my [f]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 Is. 60:12;2 Tim. 2:11;Rev. 2:26the saints of the [g]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 [h]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, Rev. 17:14and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
22 Until the Ancient of days came, Rev. 1:6and 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 ch. 2:40the 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 Rev. 17:12And 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 Is. 37:23And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall Rev. 17:6wear out the saints of the most High, and ch. 2:21think to change times and laws: and Rev. 13:7they shall be given into his hand Rev. 12:14until a time and times and the dividing of time.
26 ver. 10,22But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.
27 And the ver. 14,18kingdom 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, Luke 1:33;John 12:34;Rev. 11:15whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, Is. 60:12and all [i]dominions shall serve and obey him.
28 Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, ch. 8:27my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I Luke 2:19kept the matter in my heart.
29 Vision of the ram, goat and horn
