Scripture Focus
“And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another.” — Daniel 7:3 (ESV)
Devotional Thought
One of the fascinating things about the book of Daniel is that it contains two very different kinds of writing. The first six chapters are primarily historical narratives. We read about Daniel and his friends being taken into captivity, their refusal to compromise their convictions, Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams, the fiery furnace, the handwriting on the wall, and Daniel in the lions’ den. These are accounts of actual events, and while there are certainly lessons that require careful study, the narratives themselves are relatively straightforward.
But when we turn the page to Daniel 7, everything changes. Suddenly, we’re reading about strange beasts rising from the sea, terrifying visions, and symbols that seem more at home in the book of Revelation. We’ve entered the world of prophetic and apocalyptic literature.
I’ll admit that this is not the kind of biblical literature with which I’m most comfortable. I don’t claim to be an expert in interpreting prophecy, and I certainly don’t intend to pretend otherwise. So, as we work through these final six chapters, I’ll be relying heavily on the insights of faithful Bible scholars who have studied these passages before us. And perhaps we’ll learn something together along the way.
Before examining Daniel’s vision, we should understand something about its setting. Although chapter 7 follows the account of Daniel in the lions’ den, it actually takes us backward in time. Daniel 7:1 tells us that he received this vision during the first year of Belshazzar’s reign, before the events recorded in chapters 5 and 6.
We’ve already learned that God gave Daniel extraordinary wisdom and the ability to understand dreams and visions. Daniel 1:17 tells us that this ability was a gift from God. Now, instead of interpreting someone else’s dream, Daniel receives a vision of his own. And what a vision it was!
Daniel sees four great beasts rising from a turbulent sea. The first resembles a lion with eagle’s wings. The second looks like a bear with three ribs in its mouth. The third resembles a leopard with four wings and four heads. The fourth is so terrifying that Daniel doesn’t even compare it to a familiar animal. It has iron teeth, ten horns, and an appetite for destruction.
What are we supposed to make of all this? In verse 17, Daniel is told that these four beasts represent four kings, understood as earthly kingdoms. Traditionally, many interpreters have identified the first three with Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece. There is disagreement about the fourth, with some identifying it as Rome and others connecting it to the kingdoms that emerged from Alexander’s empire.
Matthew Henry, in his commentary on this passage, observes that these kingdoms are portrayed as beasts because of the brutality and tyranny that so often accompany the pursuit of earthly power. He also describes the troubled sea as a picture of the turmoil produced by competing rulers and nations. He writes, “This world is like a stormy tempestuous sea; thanks to the proud ambitious winds that vex it.” That observation caught my attention.
Think about the world in which we live. Nations compete for power and influence. Governments rise and fall. Wars break out. Leaders make decisions that affect millions of people who have little or no control over the outcome. Sometimes, when we watch the news, it seems as though the entire world is being tossed about on a stormy sea.
And perhaps that’s exactly how the people of God felt in Daniel’s day. They had been carried away from their homeland. Jerusalem had been conquered. The temple had been destroyed. They were living under the authority of foreign kings who worshiped foreign gods. And now Daniel receives a vision suggesting that the rise and fall of powerful earthly kingdoms would continue.
But there’s something in this passage that I don’t want us to miss. When Daniel describes the third beast, he concludes verse 6 with these words: “And dominion was given to it.” Notice that Daniel doesn’t say the beast seized dominion entirely by its own strength. Dominion was given to it. Those words remind us of a truth we’ve encountered repeatedly throughout this book. Earthly rulers may possess tremendous power, but they are never beyond the authority of Almighty God. Their kingdoms are temporary. Their strength is limited. Their authority is not ultimate.
Nebuchadnezzar had to learn that lesson the hard way. Belshazzar refused to learn it, even though he knew what had happened to his predecessor. And now, through Daniel’s vision, God reveals that the same truth applies to every earthly kingdom. I don’t know what the political landscape will look like ten years from now. I don’t know which nations will rise in influence or which will decline. I certainly don’t know every detail of how the prophetic visions of Daniel will ultimately be fulfilled.
But I do know this: The God who ruled over the kingdoms of Daniel’s day still rules over the kingdoms of our day. That doesn’t mean every decision made by an earthly ruler pleases God. The beasts in Daniel’s vision are hardly examples of righteous leadership! It means that even the ambitions and actions of powerful people cannot overthrow God’s ultimate purposes.
And that should bring tremendous comfort to those of us who belong to Him. The world may appear to be out of control, but it has never been outside of God’s control.
Reflection Questions
- When you look at the events taking place in our world, do you find yourself becoming fearful or anxious about the future?
- How does remembering God’s sovereignty over earthly kingdoms change the way you respond to political turmoil and uncertainty?
- Are you placing more confidence in earthly leaders and institutions than in the God whose kingdom will never end?
Closing Prayer Heavenly Father, when I look at the world around me, I sometimes become overwhelmed by the turmoil, conflict, and uncertainty I see. Forgive me when I allow fear to replace faith or place too much confidence in earthly leaders and institutions. Remind me that You are sovereign over every nation, every ruler, and every event in human history. Help me to live faithfully in this world without forgetting that my ultimate citizenship is in Your eternal kingdom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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