daniel 7 and 8

Read Daniel 7 and 8 at Bible Gateway.

The Hebrew paragraph divisions:

Dan 7:1-14 {p} Daniel’s vision of four beasts/ 10 horns + 11th horn/ Son of Man’s everlasting kingdom
Dan 7:15-28 {p} Daniel greatly troubled/ the angel’s interpretation of the signs
Dan 8:1-27 {p} Daniel’s vision of the ram and the he-goat/ Gabriel’s interpretation of the signs

As for who Belshazzar is, and what had transpired in history between King Nebuchadnezzar’s reign and his reign, please see Daniel 7 and 8 historical notes.

The first beast was a winged lion. It just so happens that a winged lion is a symbol of Babylon, just as an eagle is a symbol of the United States. That the winged lion was made to stand on its feet like a man, with a man’s heart given to it, is a reference to the miracle we just read about: the sanity of King Nebuchadnezzar was restored to him. All who read of it were meant to understand that the first beast signified the kingdom of Babylon, the one and the same as the head of gold in Nebuchadnezzar’s vision of the great image.

The second beast was like a bear, and was raised up on one side. The bear represents the dual kingdom of the Medians and Persians, and that the bear was raised up on one side, refers to the fact that the Persian side of the kingdom was greater than the Median side. Cyrus, during the course of his wars, ended the great kingdoms of Lydia in Asia Minor, Media, and Babylonia, so that they did not arise again as independent kingdoms, and this may be the meaning of the three ribs in the bear’s mouth.

In the vision of Dan 8, Daniel is told that the ram with two horns, with one horn higher than the other, was the kingdom of Media and Persia. That the ram had one horn higher than the other, and the bear was raised up on one side more than the other, connected the two aspects of these visions together, so that it was understood that the bear and the ram both represented the kingdom of Media-Persia. And, just as the winged lion and the head of gold both represented Babylon, so the bear and chest and arms of silver, in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the great image, both represented the kingdom of Media-Persia.

The third beast was like a leopard, with four wings and four heads. The leopard represents the Greek kingdom founded by Alexander the Great. The leopard was Alexander’s symbol, who wore a leopard skin- covered helmet, and always rode his horse with a leopard- skin under his saddle. His empire broke into four kingdoms after his death, from which arose four kings, to the four points of the compass — the meaning of the four wings and the four heads.

In the vision of Dan 8, Daniel is told that the he-goat with the conspicuous horn was the kingdom of Greece, the conspicuous horn being its first king, which of course, was Alexander. When the great horn was broken, four horns came out of its place toward the four winds of heaven, meaning that four kings arose to govern the Grecian empire. The four horns toward the four winds, connects this vision with the four heads of the leopard with four wings representing the four points of the compass.

And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the beauteous land. Dan 8:9

In modern secular histories you will read that three kingdoms rose up to replace Alexander’s Empire, but in the old histories, you will read that it was at first four kingdoms. The modern histories skip that detail because of their anti-Biblical bias. Dan 8:9 does make clear that a king arises out of the four kingdoms, who becomes great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the west (Judea – the beautiful land), in other words, the four kingdoms become three. The king who rises up, who took away the daily sacrifices, was Antiochus IV Epiphanes, a king who came out of the Greek empire established by Alexander the Great. It was against his oppressive rule that the Macabbeans rose up, and liberated Judea from Grecian rule. So we see that Antiochus was a type of antichrist (as the events of Dan 8 have been long fulfilled).

That the leopard of Dan 7, and the he-goat of Dan 8, represent the Grecian kingdom, immediately following the Median-Persian kingdom, tells those who read it, that the Grecian kingdom corresponds to the belly of bronze in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the great image.

The fourth beast was so terrible it could not be compared to a symbolic animal. It was characterized by iron and bronze, by crushing and trampling in a way unknown in the earth before it. Ten horns arose from it, and then an eleventh horn after the ten, pompous and blasphemous, which made war against the saints, and prevailed against them, until the coming of the Ancient of Days.

He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,
Shall persecute the saints of the Most High,
And shall intend to change times and law.
Then the saints shall be given into his hand
For a time and times and half a time.
‘But the court shall be seated,
And they shall take away his dominion,
To consume and destroy it forever.
Then the kingdom and dominion,
And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven,
Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High.
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.’ Dan 7:25-27

And this beast shall continue in his dominion, until his kingdom is taken away, and it is given to the people who are the saints of the Most High. If the fourth beast is Rome, which it must be if it follows on the heels of the Greek kingdom, then the Roman kingdom is continuing today. When the Roman empire of the Caesars fell in 476 AD, the Roman system of government continued, including its characteristic of crushing and trampling the residue underfoot, in the Roman Catholic Church, the Holy Roman Empire, the Byzantine Roman empire, the Caliphates of the Muslim world, and the children of these empires in today’s world, the EU and the totalitarian governments of the 20th century.

The ten horns in this prophecy of Daniel, are repeated in the prophecy of John:

“The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.” Rev 17:12-14

In John’s day they had not arisen yet, according to the angel, but he lived during the fourth terrible beast of Rome, and they were prophesied by both Daniel and John, to arise from that beast.

Notice that the eleventh horn can be identified by 1) pompous words against the Most High; 2) persecution of the saints of the Most High; and 3) intention to change times and law.

These chapters of Daniel are in Aramaic, not Hebrew. Times is in Aramaic, Strong’s H2166, zeman, meaning “a set time.” But according the Gesenius Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon, its meaning is the same as holy times (feast days). That is the Hebrew word, moed, which means, “the appointed time of YHVH” (see Lev 23:2, the Hebrew word translated “feast” is Strong’s H4150, “a set time”). So we see that even though zeman is Aramaic and moed Hebrew, they both mean the same thing. Today, among the saints of the Most High, we no longer have a seventh- day Sabbath, or feast days of Passover, Unleavened Bread, Trumpets, or Tabernacles (Lev 23), but the church celebrates a first- day Sabbath (not even that anymore), Easter, Halloween, and Christmas. When did the set times of the Most High change? Good question – whoever caused that change, according to Daniel’s prophecy, was acting as the eleventh horn.

Likewise, law is in Aramaic, Strong’s 1882, dath, meaning, decree or law. But according to the Lexicon, again, its meaning is the same as the law of God. That is the Hebrew word, torah, which means, “teaching or instruction.” Today, among the saints of the Most High, we have been taught that saints need not pay attention to the Torah or Law of God, but that it has been changed. Saints are taught this, even though Jesus said that He would not change God’s Law, but that it would endure, and anyone who broke even the least commandment in the Law, and taught men to do so, would be least in the kingdom of heaven (Mat 5:17-19). When did the Law of the Most High change? Good question – whoever caused that change, according to Daniel’s prophecy, was acting as the eleventh horn.

Jesus, the apostles, and Paul, all kept Sabbath, celebrated the Lev 23 feast days, and obeyed the commandments of God (abstaining from unclean foods and the like). The change in times and law did not come from the New Testament. And if one were to search church history for the change in times and law, (please note I do not endorse everything said on this off site page, but the point about the Roman church is historically verified) see also if that same one ever spoke or speaks pompous words or persecuted the true saints – and there you will find, according the Daniel’s prophecy, one who was or is acting as the eleventh horn.

And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.” Rev 18:4