1In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote the dream and told the sum of the matters.
2Daniel spoke and said, “I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the sky broke out on the great sea. 3Four great animals came up from the sea, different from one another.
4“The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet as a man. A man’s heart was given to it.
5“Behold, there was another animal, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth. They said this to it: ‘Arise! Devour much flesh!’
6“After this I saw, and behold, another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The animal also had four heads; and dominion was given to it.
7“After this I saw in the night visions, and, behold, there was a fourth animal, awesome, powerful, and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth. It devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet. It was different from all the animals that were before it. 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 arrogantly.
9“I watched until thrones were placed,
and one who was ancient of days sat.
His clothing was white as snow,
and the hair of his head like pure wool.
His throne was fiery flames,
and its wheels burning fire.
10A fiery stream issued and came out from before him.
Thousands of thousands ministered to him.
Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
The judgment was set.
The books were opened.
11“I watched at that time because of the voice of the arrogant words which the horn spoke. I watched even until the animal was slain, and its body destroyed, and it was given to be burned with fire. 12As for the rest of the animals, 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 the sky one like a son of man, and he came even to the Ancient of Days, and they brought him near before him. 14Dominion was given him, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which will not pass away, and his kingdom one that will not be destroyed.
15“As for me, Daniel, my spirit was grieved within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. 16I came near to one of those who 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 animals, which are four, are four kings, who will arise out of the earth. 18But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.’
19“Then I desired to know the truth concerning the fourth animal, which was different from all of them, exceedingly terrible, whose teeth were of iron, and its nails of bronze; which devoured, broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet; 20and 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 spoke arrogantly, whose look was more stout than its fellows. 21I saw, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them, 22until 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“So he said, ‘The fourth animal will be a fourth kingdom on earth, which will be different from all the kingdoms, and will devour the whole earth, and will tread it down and break it in pieces. 24As for the ten horns, ten kings will arise out of this kingdom. Another will arise after them; and he will be different from the former, and he will put down three kings. 25He will speak words against the Most High, and will wear out the saints of the Most High. He will plan to change the times and the law; and they will be given into his hand until a time and times and half a time.
26“‘But the judgment will be set, and they will take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it to the end. 27The kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole sky, will be given to the people of the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions will serve and obey him.’
28“Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts troubled me greatly, and my face was changed in me; but I kept the matter in my heart.”
The “mouth speaking great things” points back to Daniel 7:25. The forty-two months looks at the second half of the Tribulation and connect back to Daniel’s prophecies. Also, his verbal attacks on God and heaven match the actions of the “horn” in Daniel’s vision. This indicates that the “beast out of the sea,” the Antichrist, will be a fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy and will rail against God as he seeks to kill any who follow Jesus.
The authority to rule every nation and people group is given to him by Satan. Some interpreters see God giving him this dominion. However, Satan will hold the nations in his hands till Jesus returns. The four-fold listing is parallel to the similar list in 7:9, intending to communicate the completeness of his control as well as his attempt to replace Jesus with himself.
John clarifies that, though the four-fold list of peoples indicates universal rule by the beast, only those earth-dwellers whose names are not recorded in the Lamb’s book of life will worship him. This distinction between those destined for heaven and the “earth dwellers” will be developed in the following chapters.
As in the letters to the seven churches, the call to heed is given again, “If anyone has an ear, let him hear.” Though the reference to the Spirit is dropped from this statement, it is still a warning. It is followed by going into captivity and being killed by the sword (dying a violent death). The Greek grammar is not clear. However, the warning seems to be that there is no escape from the power of the Antichrist for those living through the Tribulation. The promise of God’s vengeance was that those who led the saints captive or to death would meet the same destiny. Similarly, the “endurance” and “faith” of the saints indicate that they will face this fate at the hands of the beast, but will be victorious.