from Rachel: Four Beasts out of the Sea

Reread Daniel 7:9-14. If you participated in the session, what was the most meaningful to you about the court scene? If you didn’t view the session which part of this segment intrigues you most?

“I agree with Daniel’s incredulity that the little horn doesn’t stop boasting even as the Ancient of Days and His entire court assemble, try, and convict him.”

How did these beasts emerge (vv. 2-3)?

“They ‘came up out of the sea’ (3)”

Look ahead to 7:17. What do the four great beasts represent?

“‘four kingdoms that will rise from the earth’”

From where will the four beasts rise? “the earth”

Gentile Empires	Symbolized in Daniel 2	Symbolized in Daniel 7
“Babylonian”	“Head – Gold”	“Lion with Eagle’s Wings”
“Medo-Persian”	“Chest & Arms – Silver”	“Lopsided Bear”
“Greek”	“Belly & Thighs – Bronze”	“Four-Headed, Four Winged Leopard”
“Roman”	“Legs – Iron (& Feet – Iron and partly baked Clay)”	“Unidentified Beast with Ten Horns”

Now, let’s concentrate on the third column. Each of the first three beasts in Daniel 7 has peculiarities. Look carefully in verses 4-6. Note each peculiarity.

The lion had “the wings of an eagle”
The bear “had three ribs between its teeth (also was raised up on one of its sides)”
The leopard had “four wings [and] four heads”

According to Daniel 7:7, what made this [fourth] beast different from all the former beasts? “iron teeth and ten horns”

How does Daniel 7:24 identify the 10 horns? “ten kings”

Dearest Rachel –

And now we move out of the realm of the well-known childhood Sunday School stories, and into the strange symbolism of Daniel’s actual prophecies, prophesies he only saw the tiniest portion of which come true. To be sure, most prophets would foretell of distant events as well as imminent ones – which I guess might have made it difficult for their contemporaries to verify whether they were prophets, since only 100% accuracy was sufficient proof of their divine provenance (which is why I take issue with the alleged online ‘prophets’ our Daniel listens to) – but the prophet Daniel was made aware from nearly the outset of his ‘ministry’ (which could be interpreted in both a spiritual and political way, however different those two aspects of his life were in practice, and the fact that the words has those two different meanings) that the multiple kingdoms he foresaw ruling over the world would take their place in history long after his was over.

Granted, he did live long enough to see the transition from gold to silver (Babylon to Medo-Persia), but that was much later in his life; the likelihood is that, while the first six chapters are in chronological order, the rest of the book could have been written at any point in his life (indeed, this particular chapter categorically states that it took place before the events of chapter five, as Belshazzar was just taking the reins in Babylon. One would also expect the ‘four kingdoms’ motif that appears throughout the prophetic section of his book to have been influenced by the events in chapter two; clearly, his boss Nebuchadnezzar wasn’t the only one affected and troubled by that dream).

Basically, his actual ‘prophecies’ are written down out of chronological sequence to his biography, being an entirely separate section of his life; perhaps the biography is meant as an introduction to the man (who, after all, did not prophesy to the people of Israel directly, and may have had to be introduced to them by way of the first half of the book). Certainly, the miracles surrounding his life could serve as his prophetic bona fides, as well as an example of how to live one’s life as one who fears God in a godless society; an example that would be necessary for the children of Israel to consider both before and after the arrival of the Individual who claimed to be their Messiah (and showed up according to Daniel’s – but we’ll get to that later in the book), whose claim they decided not to accept, to the benefit of the rest of the world.

You’ll notice there’s not much commentary about your answers on this particular day’s homework. There’s not a whole lot personal about it; just a straightforward summation of this or that segment of scripture, sometimes quoted verbatim, occasionally stated in your own words. It’s a necessary exercise in order to understand and refresh one’s mind about the text, but as there’s little direct application to your own life, there isn’t much more to be added to what you’ve said here.

So I’ll let it all stand as it is, honey, and check in again with you some time between now and this time tomorrow. Until then, keep an eye on me, and wish me luck; I’m going to need it.