The vision was prophetic, with most of it fulfilled already. The lion represented Babylon. The bear represented the Medo-Persian Empire. The leopard represented Greece under Alexander the Great. After his death, the empire had four heads: Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt and Macedonia. The fourth beast was Rome - which is a twofold prophecy.
In the future - in the Tribulation - "Rome" will have ten horns. The little horn represents the Antichrist, who will be manipulated and/or possessed by Satan...
(Daniel 7:1-8) In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel saw a dream and visions in his mind as he lay on his bed; then he wrote the dream down and related the following summary of it. 2 Daniel said, “I was looking in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. 3 And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another. 4 The first was like a lion and had the wings of an eagle. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man; a human 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 thus they said to it, ‘Arise, devour much meat!’ 6 After this I kept looking, and behold, another one, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird; the beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it. 7 After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying 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 ten horns. 8 While I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great boasts.
Now Daniel's vision "went" to heaven where he saw God (the Ancient of Days) sitting on His throne. The thousands and thousands are probably angels. The myriads and myriads probably represent all believers of all times after the rapture.
Meanwhile on earth, the Antichrist, who will have been doing the work of Satan, will gear up to fight God's children at the battle of Armageddon. When Jesus (the Son of Man) returns to earth and has the victory, the beast (the Antichrist) will be thrown into the Abyss. Satan will be bound for a thousand years.
Jesus will set up the Millennial kingdom. At the end of that, Satan will be released for a short time to deceive the nations into trying to conquer Jesus again. Jesus' victory will be quick, and Satan will be forever thrown into the lake of fire...
(Daniel 7:9-14) “I kept looking until thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow and the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, its wheels were a burning fire.
10 “A river of fire was flowing and coming out from before Him; thousands upon thousands were attending Him, and myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; the court sat, and the books were opened.
10 “A river of fire was flowing and coming out from before Him; thousands upon thousands were attending Him, and myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; the court sat, and the books were opened.
11 Then I kept looking because of the sound of the boastful words which the horn was speaking; I kept looking until the beast was slain, and its body was destroyed and given to the burning fire. 12 As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but an extension of life was granted to them for an appointed period of time.
13 “I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven
One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him.
14 “And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.
One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him.
14 “And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.
In the vision, it seems like Daniel went to talk to an angel to get an explanation.
The vision of the fourth beast, the Antichrist is described further. During the first half of the Tribulation's seven years, the Antichrist will be setting up his kingdom, and in the second half of the Tribulation, he will have succeeded in conquering the entire earth. Not only will he set up a worldwide government, but he will establish himself as the only one to worship.
The Antichrist's main focus will be to change the outcome of these prophecies. His anger towards God will be aimed at anyone becoming a believer during that time period. Satan's main desire to fight against God and win. But he won't!...
(Daniel 7:15-28) “As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed within me, and the visions in my mind kept alarming me. 16 I approached one of those who were standing by and began asking him the exact meaning of all this. So he 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 saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come.’
19 “Then I desired to know the exact meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its claws of bronze, and which devoured, crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet, 20 and the meaning of the ten horns that were on its head and the other horn which came up, and before which three of them fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth uttering great boasts and which was larger in appearance than its associates. 21 I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them 22 until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom.
23 “Thus he said: ‘The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it. 24 As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings. 25 He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. 26 But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever. 27 Then the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.’
28 “At this point the revelation ended. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts were greatly alarming me and my face grew pale, but I kept the matter to myself.”
From this we see:
- there are at least thousands and thousands of angels (at least) (7:10)
- Satan and his followers are boastful (7:11)
- Satan and his followers are dreadful and bring disaster (7:19)
- Satan and his followers fight to wear down God's children (7:21, 25)
- Satan will have a lot more power on earth during the Tribulation, especially during the last half of the Tribulation (7:23-24)
- Satan is intent on changing the outcome of the prophecies (7:25)
- Satan will be bound for a thousand years, and then released at the end of the Millennium for a very short time to deceive the nations into trying to fight God at the last battle (7:12)
- Satan will be destroyed and thrown into the lake of fire forever (7:26)
Personal experience: from all my experiences, what I've noticed is that some demons are stronger or seem stronger than others. I remember one day, just sitting in my room, wrapping Christmas presents, when I sensed an evil presence. I was tired at that point, and so annoyed and exasperated, I simply said, "Get lost!" And it left.
I guess that surprised me a little, given that just a few months before, I had the biggest spiritual battle of my life (thus far). More on that in a few days.
But there is a spiritual battle. Satan will be mostly attacking where the "threat" is the biggest, like on mission fields or in churches that are growing spiritually. And Satan will definitely be focusing on God's children - Christians as well as the Israelites. So we know that the demonic activity will be very strong in Israel.
Today's takeaway: in the Bible, we are told to pray for our spiritual leaders, our fellow believers, as well as for Israel...
(Psalm 122:1-9) I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
2 Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem,
3 Jerusalem, that is built as a city that is compact together;
4 To which the tribes go up, even the tribes of the Lord—an ordinance for Israel—to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
5 For there thrones were set for judgment, the thrones of the house of David.
2 Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem,
3 Jerusalem, that is built as a city that is compact together;
4 To which the tribes go up, even the tribes of the Lord—an ordinance for Israel—to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
5 For there thrones were set for judgment, the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.
7 “May peace be within your walls, and prosperity within your palaces.”
8 For the sake of my brothers and my friends, I will now say, “May peace be within you.”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good.
7 “May peace be within your walls, and prosperity within your palaces.”
8 For the sake of my brothers and my friends, I will now say, “May peace be within you.”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good.
(James 5:16) Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
(Colossians 4:2-4) Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; 3 praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; 4 that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.
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