And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations,

and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away,

and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. 

Daniel 7:14 

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 

And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 

Colossians 1:16-17

Daniel 7:1-28

Recurrent Thought

The Lord God (Yahweh), He is the Creator and Sustainer of All Things. Times and Seasons are in His Hands, and he  is in charge of how the future spans out

The mortal world will one day come to the end. Time as we know it, will stop. Eternity, which is timeless, will swallow the passage of time. Daniel Chapter 7 shows that the changes that happen in the human order do not change the eternal order. Instead, the narrative in Daniel shows that God’s eternal kingdom will one day take over the human political order.  What Daniel sees is the rise in succession of powerful kingdoms. One significant aspect is that God reveals this information through a dream. The Book of Daniel has the Dreams as the main form of communication to Kings and Daniel.

Dreams and Visions are one major way God speaks to human beings.  Here is a list of  ways God speaks to His Children:

1. Through the word of God: As you read the thoughts of God become a reality speaking to your issues of live (2 Timothy 3:16). God’s highest revelation of himself was given through his Son (Hebrews 1:1-2) and recorded in the Word of God
2. Dreams: Promised in the Outpouring of the Spirit Acts 2:1-4, 17. The Spirit of God can speak through Dreams. The Lord spoke Joseph (Genesis 37) through dreams.  The difficulty with dreams is that there must be inevitably capacity to interpret the dream. The Reality of Dreams: Write them those dreams that seem significant.
3. Visions: Various forms of vision including Trances, Present Vision realities; Pictures on your mind, Dan. 7:2,9,13; such as Ananias seeing a vision in Acts 9:11. 
4. Still small voice: This may be the voice of consciousness. Voice in your mind. 1 Kings 19:12, The experience of Elijah.
5. Audible Voices: This is a voice you also hear through the ears 1 Samuel 3: 1-10
6. Angelic visitations: At times angelic visitations happen. Some angels come as human beings and we do not recognize them; sometimes the angels in splendor (Daniel 10:6). Cornelius had an angelic visitation, Acts 10:30.
7. Having the mind of Christ: The wisdom of God that is saturated by following Jesus Christ, and gives you Deep impression of what to do: 1 Corinthians 2:16
8. Other People who speak to us through his word or through his Spiritual Gifts (Acts 9: 17 Ananias speaks to Paul)

Caution:

Any other means of spiritual communication must be confirmed, anchored and aligned to the principle and spirit of the Word of God

Background

• Chapter 1-6 gives the historical and chronological narrative of Daniels time in Captivity.
• While in the service of the kings had communication from the Lord through Dreams
• This Vision was in the first Year of Belshazzar, which is between Chapters 4-5. The last six Chapters are set as an addendum, while the actual historical narrative of Daniel is contained in the first six chapters. In the first six chapters, he interprets dreams given to kings; while the last chapters he reveals the dreams and visions God gave him about the Kingdoms.
• Daniel served close to 65 Years to various kings. His life demonstrates that you never retire to serve the Lord. As you grow older, the location and method of your ministry may change, but you should still minister.

Four Beasts Representing Four Kingdoms

1. They come out of the sea, just like in Revelation 13
2. .The Sea is a symbol of the world, the residence of People; sometimes it refers to the Gentile world (Psa. 74:13; Isa. 57:20) When it is in the sea, it is hidden when it comes out, it is revealed. So the beasts are only identified after their revelation
3. .Each had specific appearances therefore, with unique features
4. .The four beasts are four Kings (v17) who shall arise from the earth. Each will build an empire. Most Scholars believe that by hindsight these beasts represents the following Nations 
   • Lion with eagle’s wings: Bablylon. Wings cut off and tamed to be man. Jeremiah used the image of lion and eagle (Jer. 49:19-22)
   • Bear: Devouring three ribs. Very powerful. Representing the Medo-Persian. Persians more powerful than the Medes. Maybe the ribs stand for the conquest they did to Egypt, Babylon and Lydia (Turkey)
   • Leopard with Four Wings: Stands for Greek led by Alexander the Great. At 28 he had conquered the larger part of the known world. When he died, the kingdom split into four led by four Generals as represented by the four heads of the beasts
   • The Fourth Beast: Dreadful and terrible beast with iron teeth. Iron teeth legs of iron in Nebuchadnezzar’s vision. It represents the Roman Empire; it is full of strength, it is ruthless, and tramples everything in its way. Furthermore, it has ten horns, three are plucked out and a little horn arises. This is later seen in Rev. 13:1-7
5. .Historically, that is by hindsight, we don’t have a spawning off of ten kingdoms from the Roman Empire that disintegrated around 476 AD.
   • This is noticed as the Prophetic Statement of the times to come, End times
   • It seems that in times to come there will be a rise of a newer version of the Roman Empire that will have Ten Regions of rulership Revelation 13:17
   • The horn on the fourth beast represents a man who will rule in the last days before this judgment. He will be blasphemous to a point the world has never seen before.
   • Many passages describe his great boasting (Revelation 13:5). This character is widely considered the Antichrist. The fact that he is connected with the fourth beast shows us that there will be some version of a revived Roman empire in the last days.

Concluding Thoughts

1. .Despite the Changing Nations, God’s Reign Remains forever, His Throne remains forever,

   • He is the only one who is uncaused and caused everything to be.
   • Nations will tumble, his kingdom remains foever
2. Despite the Changing times, the Ancient of Days Remains forever
   • He is the uncaused cause including times and seasons. He remains the same
3. Time is in God’s hands. As terrifying the future can be, God is always in control.

Don’t Fear

.

Read Daniel 2:20-21

Daniel answered and said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. 

He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding;

he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him (Daniel 2:20-22). 

Scriptures for the Message

Daniel's Vision of the Four Beasts

Dan 7:1  In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter. 

Dan 7:2  Daniel declared, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. 

Dan 7:3  And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another. 

Dan 7:4  The first was like a lion and had eagles' wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it. 

Dan 7:5  And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side. It had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, ‘Arise, devour much flesh.’ 

Dan 7:6  After this I looked, and behold, another, like a leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it. 

Dan 7:7  After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. 

Dan 7:8  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 great things. 

The Ancient of Days Reigns

Dan 7:9  “As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. 

Dan 7:10  A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened. 

Dan 7:11  “I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. 

Dan 7:12  As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. 

The Son of Man Is Given Dominion

Dan 7:13  “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. 

Dan 7:14  And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. 

Daniel's Vision Interpreted

Dan 7:15  “As for me, Daniel, my spirit within me was anxious, and the visions of my head alarmed me. 

Dan 7:16  I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of the things. 

Dan 7:17  ‘These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth. 

Dan 7:18  But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.’ 

Dan 7:19  “Then I desired to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrifying, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze, and which devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet, 

Dan 7:20  and about the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn that came up and before which three of them fell, the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things, and that seemed greater than its companions. 

Dan 7:21  As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them, 

Dan 7:22  until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom. 

Dan 7:23  “Thus he said: ‘As for the fourth beast, there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all the kingdoms, and it shall devour the whole earth, and trample it down, and break it to pieces. 

Dan 7:24  As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise, and another shall arise after them; he shall be different from the former ones, and shall put down three kings. 

Dan 7:25  He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. 

Dan 7:26  But the court shall sit in judgment, and his dominion shall be taken away, to be consumed and destroyed to the end. 

Dan 7:27  And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.’ 

Dan 7:28  “Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly alarmed me, and my color changed, but I kept the matter in my heart.” 

The First Beast

Rev 13:1  And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. 

Rev 13:2  And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. 

Rev 13:3  One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. 

Rev 13:4  And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?” 

Rev 13:5  And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. 

Rev 13:6  It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 

Rev 13:7  Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, 

Rev 13:8  and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.