The Fourth Beast

Daniel 7:15-28

Review• Daniel had a vision of four human empires

– Babylonian – Lion with eagle’s wings– Medo-Persian – Bear– Greek – 4-headed Leopard– Roman – the beast of Dan 7:7-8

• During this fourth empire God, the Ancient of Days, would set up a kingdom ruled by the Son of Man who is also God

• Daniel wants to know more

Seeking more information• Dan 7:15-18

– Daniel is grieved in his spirit and troubled by the visions he saw

– Asks for the truth (certainty) of the visions – The angel confirms the certainty

• Explains the four beasts as kings/kingdoms

• Explains the final kingdom, God’s kingdom, as one which would belong to the saints forever

– This should be good news– Same outcome as prophesied in Dan 2:44

The fourth beast• Dan 7:19-20

– What is bothering Daniel isn’t the outcome, but the description of the fourth beast• Exceedingly dreadful (devours, tramples, and

breaks the whole earth)

• Ten horns on its head

• The little horn – Before which three horns fell– Which had eyes and a mouth speaking pompous

words– Whose appearance was greater than his fellows

A more detailed vision• Dan 7:21-22

– The little horn making war against the saints, prevailing against them

– Until the Ancient of Days came • With judgment in favor of the saints of the Most

High

• And it was time for the saints to possess the kingdom

• But what does it mean?

The interpretation• Dan 7:23

– The beast represents a fourth kingdom – Rome• It will be different than other kingdoms

– Roman laws, government, and armies were different than any of the preceding kingdoms

• It will devour, trample, and break the whole earth– Rome conquered– “earth” means “land or ground”

» Not the globe

The interpretation• Dan 7:24

– 10 horns = 10 kings– Little horn is the eleventh king who knocks

down 3 preceding kings• A lot of fanciful interpretations are made about

these kings– But the simplest is probably the best

» After all, God is trying to explain the vision, not complicate it

The interpretation• Therefore, the Roman empire would have 10

kings, then an eleventh king who removes 3 predecessors– The only complication would be to know from

what point in Roman history to begin numbering the kings• Could start from when Rome conquers the land

of Israel (63 BC – the first triumvirate)• Could start from either the first practical emperor

(Julius Caesar) or acknowledged emperor (Augustus Caesar)

• Or could count backward from the emperor who killed 3 predecessors in what is called “the year of four emperors” (AD 68-69)

The interpretation• 11- Vespasian (AD 69-79) – the little horn• 10- Vitellius (AD 69) ]• 9- Otho (AD 69) ]- the three fallen horns• 8- Galba (AD 68-69) ]• 7- Nero Caesar (AD 54-68)• 6- Claudius Caesar (AD 41-54)• 5- Caligula Caesar (AD 37-41)• 4- Tiberius Caesar (AD 14-37)• 3- Augustus Caesar (30 BC – AD 14)• 2- Marcus Antonius (2nd triumvirate) (44-30 BC)• 1- Julius Caesar (1st triumvirate) (66-44 BC)

The little horn• Not like the preceding horns

– Vespasian was a Flavius, not a Caesar (though he took Caesar as a title)

• Dan 7:25– He shall speak pompous words against the Most

High – He shall persecute the saints of the Most High– He shall intend to change times and law– Into whose hands the saints shall be given for a

time, times and half a time

The little horn• Vespasian

– Led the army against the Jews in AD 66– The army (under his son Titus) eventually sacked

Jerusalem and destroyed the temple– Jewish War actually lasted 7+ years

• Killed hundreds of thousands of Jews including many Christians who did not heed the warning of Lk 21:20-24

– Declared himself to be the Jewish Messiah, as well as various prophesied demigods from many nations and religions

• Ordered Titus’ army to hunt down and kill all descendants of David

– Rewrote large sections of Roman law– Claimed he was becoming a god

The eternal kingdom• Dan 7:26-28

– Although Vespasian (and the Roman empire) thought he was triumphing over God• In reality God’s kingdom triumphed over the

empire

• The vision returns to the same scene already noted (Dan 7:13-14)

– God’s court seated– The dominion of earthly empires judged and

condemned– The kingdom belongs to the saints, led by the Son

of Man who rides upon the clouds

Conclusion• Daniel had been granted an extraordinary

vision of a time more than 500 years in the future– A time when the kingdom of God and the Roman

empire would come into conflict• But God and His kingdom would triumph

• His kingdom continues even now– Won’t you become part of God’s kingdom?