And like ezekiel, the difficult nature of these prophecies has resulted in a wide variety of conflicting interpretations. Four beasts come out of the sea, the ancient of days sits in judgement over them, and one like a son of man is given eternal kingship. Thus, this is not chronological for we know chapter 6 dealt with the reign of. Today we begin a new book of the bible, a book i am excited about studying, and one which i believe we can learn a great deal from. It is amazing what you learn when you actually study complete books of the bible. The interpretation describes persecution by elements of the fourth beast kingdom, with ultimate victory by the.
Daniel 7 niv daniels dream of four beasts in bible. Daniel 7 commentary commentary critical and explanatory. What did daniels vision represent, and what does it mean for us today. We also meet three men who are truly profiles in courage. Daniel 7 bible commentary matthew henry concise christianity. Apocalyptic language is composed of symbols that are often lurid in. In chapter 2 we saw the image of four metals symbolizing the four great world empires from daniels day to the end of time. Like ezekiel, the book of daniel contains a number of enigmatic prophecies. Daniel 3, new living translation nlt the bible app. They depict four distinct principalities of government, contemporary one with the. Commentary on daniel chapters 1 6 matthew janzen serve yahweh in all circumstances daniel pt.
The book of daniel begins with king nebuchadnezzar, the ruler of babylon, ransacking jerusalem. In the first year of belshazzar king of babylon daniel saw a dream and visions in his mind as he lay on his bed. At this time daniel had sunk into complete obscurity, as chapter 5 bears witness. The vision to be exposed in chapter 7 is dated during the year 553 b. This could be the meaning of the wings being plucked. The book is also an eschatology, meaning a divine revelation concerning the end of the present age, a moment. Chapter 7 of daniel describes four beasts coming up from the mediterranean sea. But there the four kingdoms, and messiahs final kingdom, were regarded according to their external political aspect, but here according to the mind of god concerning them, and their moral features.
He wrote down the substance of his dream2 daniel said. Notice in verse 1 that daniel has this dream with visions during the 1st year of the reign of king belshazzar. The seventh chapter of the book of daniel records an unusual vision that he received. You can find the best commentary on daniel for you using the tools on the right side. The prophetic chapters of the book of daniel date to 167164 bc, with daniel 7 dated somewhat earlier than the rest. Bible study commentary on the book of daniel chapter 7 concerning his vision and prophecy of the coming world empires. The second involves a judgment by the ancient of days, and the coronation of the son of man 914. These 4 beasts are possibly, the kingdoms of the image in chapter 2 of daniel. Daniel 7 commentary matthew henry commentary on the.
The seventh chapter of the book of daniel records an unusual vision that he received in the first year of the babylonian king belshazzar 555556 b. He especially desired to know respecting the little horn, which made war with the saints, and prevailed against. Chapter seven daniel 7 in daniel 5, we had the record of the last year, indeed of the last hours, of the kingship of belshazzar. In my vision at night i looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. Daniel 7 the seventh chapter of the book of daniel tells of daniels vision of four worldkingdoms replaced by the kingdom of god. But thou, 0 daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end.
Hes the one thrown into the blazing fire in daniel 7. Daniel and the hebrew boys taken captive to babylon. That takes us back to the time frame of chapter 5 and the handwriting on the wall. Here, however, only two of the four kingdoms of daniel 2 see notes and daniel 7 are in view the medopersian and the greek clearly identified in verses 2021.
The six former chapters of this book were historical. Daniel 7 this chapter presents a vision of four beasts arising from the sea. May the spirit of god reveal the meaning of this prophecy to us and. An examination of the best commentaries can be helpful in sorting through the.
Who are the four beasts in daniel 7 and what is the deal with this little horn. As the expositors bible commentary explains, the lion symbol was. Daniel 7 tells of daniels vision of four worldkingdoms replaced by the kingdom of god. Commentary on daniel chapters 710 ministers of the. The book of daniel belongs to a category of literature called. A careful study of the text helps reveal the identity of this supernatural being. The phrase ancient of days is unique to the book of daniel. Commentary critical and explanatory on the whole bible. One of the central themes of this book is the absolute sovereignty of god and his love for his people. These boys were to be, children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skillful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand. David guzik commentary on daniel 7 explains the vision king belshazzar has.
Daniel 7 commentary, one of over 110 bible commentaries freely available, this. In this chapter, we discover what it means to take a stand for the lord and to refuse to compromise with the gods of this world. A commentary on the book of daniel by cooper abrams. This time daniels vision involves a ram and a goat. An angelic guide interprets the beasts as kingdoms and kings, the last of whom will make war on the holy ones of god, but he. Daniel 7 commentary matthew henry commentary on the whole. Practically all scholars, whether liberal or conservative, are convinced that the prophecy of this chapter follows the same pattern as that in dan. The text refers to the first year of belshazzar son of and coregent with nabonidus, last king of babylon 555539 bce. As we leave the first six chapters and enter chapter 7, we are leaving historical narrative behind and entering an apocalyptic section. Previous index next the book of daniel chapter seven in the first year of belshazzar 552 b. As we open chapter 7, we are carried back to the first year of his reign. Daniel 712 new international version niv daniels dream of four beasts. From our place in time, daniel 7 switches from history to prophecy after verse 7.
As such, its structure parallels that of the book of daniel as a whole. How is the vision of beasts in daniel 7 similar to the dream of an image in daniel 2. The outward political history had been shown in its general features to the world. This chapter treats of the same subject as the second chapter. As with all of scripture, the book of daniel is profitable for our study 2 ti 3. Daniels prayer, and the vision of the seventy weeks 9. God keeps a record in heaven and that is what is spoken of by the books were opened.
The parts of the image and the various beasts represent the same successive earthly kingdoms. The lack of consensus presents a challenge for the reader, but it is not necessarily an insurmountable one. He wrote down the substance of his dream 2 daniel said. Chapter 8 contains a prophecy that has already been fulfilled.
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