Chapters 7-12 are straight prophecy.  The subject of chapter 2 and the subject of chapter 7 are the same - the rise and fall of world empires and kingdoms.  The difference is that chapter 2 is seen through the eyes of a heathen king. He saw the image as something magnificent and beautiful.  When Daniel dreams he sees the same story but as the servant of God he sees these kingdoms as vicious, wild, untamed beasts, hurting and harming as they march along the stage of history.

In chapter 7 God takes us beyond what was revealed in chapter 2.  Chapter 2 merely revealed the outline history of the 4 gentile kingdoms and the smiting of the kingdoms by the kingdom cut out without hands.  Chapter 7 shows us something new.  Coming up among the ten horns of the beast is a 'little horn'.  This little horn is the anti-Christ, the man of sin (the Papal system).

This chapter is the same chapter that John Knox preached on at St. Andrews in Scotland. He preached on Rome being the little horn and it launched the Reformation in Scotland.  The scene is set in the first year of Belshazzar's reign. Daniel was quite old. It is the era of history when the literal Babylon was coming to its end.

Daniel 7:1
In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, telling the main facts.

He sees four winds stirring up the sea.

Daniel 7:2
Daniel spoke, saying, "I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea.

The interpretation of symbols remains the same and this represents disturbance, violent turmoil and upheaval among the nations of the earth.  Matthew 24 and Luke 21 talk about the distress of the nations with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring.  You can read about the four winds in Ezekiel 37, Zech. 6:5 and Rev 7.

Daniel 7:3
"And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other".

The four beasts arise out of the masses of humanity.  In this case they were all symbolised by animals.  Animal symbolism is common to Israel and very much the mode of symbolism in Babylon itself.

Daniel 7:4
"The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man's heart was given to it.

The winged lion was the symbol of Babylon and beast number one is equal to the head of gold in chapter 2 and it represents Babylon.  Not only does it have the ferocity of a lion but the swiftness of an eagle that swoops on its prey. Deut. 28:49 gives this same description of Babylon.  The prophet Ezekiel leaves us in no doubt when he describes Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon as having wings of an eagle in Ezekiel 17:3.  It is interesting to note here the significance of the Eagle as the symbol of the age-old dynasty of Nebuchadnezzar and his successors.  It can be seen that the final syllable of the King's name is the origin of the modern titles Caesar, Czar, and Kaiser, reigning over portions of the Babylonian Empire and peoples as represented in Italy, Russia, and Germany, in later days.  The Eagle of Babylon became the double-headed Eagle of the Roman Empire, and later of Austria, Germany and Russia. 

"Man's heart" -  Remember Nebuchadnezzar was given the heart of an animal in Daniel 4:16, then in verse 34 his understanding was returned to him.

Daniel 7:5
"And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: 'Arise, devour much flesh!'

The bear in chapter 7 is equal to the silver in the image in chapter 2.  It represents Medo-Persia.  It is lop-sided because it was a shared monarchy with a federal system of government.  The 3 ribs in the mouth of the bear represent the 3 kingdoms that Medo-Persia devoured.  They were Babylon, the glories of ancient Egypt and the Asia-Minor kingdom of Lydia (modern day Turkey).

Daniel 7:6
"After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.

The leopard in chapter 7 is equal to the brass in chapter 2.  It represents the Greek empire of Alexander the Great.  Why a leopard? Because it is the swiftest of all beasts.  The Greek empire progressed swiftly.  It was hardly in existence at one point and within about 12 years Alexander the Great's army had conquered all of the known world.

The 'Four wings' are representative of the fact that the Greek empire began with four little provinces in ancient Greece. They were Athens, Sparta, Thebes and Macedonia.

The 'Four heads' are there because when Alexander died his kingdom was divided  between four of his generals. He had no heir of his own.  The four generals were Cassander, Lysimachuas, Seleucus and Ptolemy.

Daniel 7:7
"After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.

The terrible beast with the iron teeth is equal to the legs of iron in chapter 2.  This was pagan imperial Rome that ruled in Jesus' day.

The 'Ten horns' represent the ten toes on the feet of the image in chapter 2 and equate to the ten nations or kingdoms which arose within continental Europe when the Roman empire fell in 476 AD  Here is a list of those ten kingdoms.  Vandals - Ostrogoths - Visigoths - Alans - Suevi - Lombards - Burgundians - Alemanni - Franks - Bavarians.

Notice here that Anglo-Saxondom was not one of the ten toes.  The height of Roman power in Britain never went beyond Hadrian's Wall,  Scotland and Ireland were never subdued.  Britain has no place being in the E.C. or even the E.E.C.  God never meant it to be.

Daniel 7:8
"I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the  roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.

History tells us that when the Roman Empire disintegrated and the Dark Ages came upon Europe there emerged a kingdom amidst all the others that was different from them.  This kingdom was not just a monarchy, its king also claimed to be the Chief Bishop and the head of the church.  This kingdom was not just political it was also religious and it claimed to be spiritual.  This kingdom was the Roman Papacy.  In the midst of the turmoil in Europe one force emerged and began to dominate.  It was the little horn.

The Scripture tells us it would have '... eyes like the eyes of a man ...'.

The Roman Catholic Pontiff through his host of Priests, Cardinals and Bishops in the darkness and wickedness of the confessional looked into the heart, soul and mind of every Roman Catholic person - knew their thoughts, knew their actions, knew everything about them, their personal lives, their family lives but not only the lives of all individuals but governments and political powers.  The confessional became the greatest spy system in world history. Through it they could pry into the affairs of governments and kingdoms and Prime Ministers etc.  They could find out every state secret.  So the "little horn" had prying eyes. He could see everything that was going on.

Daniel 7:25
He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time.

"He spoke pompous (great blasphemous) words against the Most High. The parallel to this prophecy is in The Revelation 13.  Have a look at the next few paragraphs.  You'll see those great words of blasphemy used by this unholy dynasty.

Pope Innocent - When he was crowned, the priests of Rome said to him at his coronation, "Most holy and blessed father, head of the church, ruler of the world, to whom the keys of the kingdom of heaven are committed, whom all the world adores, we especially venerate, worship and adore you."

Pope Boniface said - "The Roman Pontiff judges all men but he is judged by none. We declare, assert and pronounce that to be subject to the Roman Pontiff is for every creature altogether necessary to salvation. I have the authority of the King of kings, I am all, in all and above all. So that God himself, and I his vicar, have but one essence. I am able to do almost anything that God can do, what else can you make of me but God."

This is the church with which they want us to unite.

Pope Pious X said "I am not only the representative of Jesus Christ, I am Jesus Christ under the veil of the flesh. Does the Pope speak? It's Jesus Christ who speaks. Does the Pope accord a favour or pronounce a curse? It's Jesus Christ who pronounces a curse or accords a favour. When the Pope speaks you have no business to examine, only to obey. We have no right to criticize his decisions or discuss his commands. Therefore all who would wear the crown ought to submit to his divine right."

Daniel 7:9,10
"I watched till thrones were put in place, and the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire; A fiery stream issued And came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, and the books were opened.

This moves the whole story to the end of time. The coming of the Lord and the judgment of the nations.  The 'Ancient of Days' is our Lord in His full Deity.  Read The Revelation 1:13-17a.

Daniel 7:11,12
"I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame.  "As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.

Even though we are called on to contend for the faith and fight the Papal church system it will be with us right up until Jesus comes.  What does it mean "the lives of the other beasts were prolonged?"  It means the heathen philosophies, political, economical and religious, of each kingdom would be passed onto the next.  Now when we come to today, at this end time, we find Satan having one last ditch attempt. Today's New World Order incorporates all of the worst of the beastly systems that have preceded it.

Daniel 7:13,14
"I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they  brought Him near before Him.  Then 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 the one which shall not be destroyed.

Here we see a vision of Jesus. 'Christ in His humanity'.

Six times in the New Testament reference is made to Jesus in a cloud.  Here are the Scriptures  Matt 29:30, 26:64; Mark 13:26, 14:62; Luke 21:27; Rev 1:7.  Some more verses on the 'everlasting dominion,' Luke 1:33, Rev 11:15 and Jesus took on the title 'Son of Man' Luke 22:69, Rev 1:13, 14:14. 

Daniel 7:15-17
"I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.  I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things: "Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth".

'four kings which shall arise ...'  Some people will tell you that this is all yet to happen, after the Rapture.  The literal interpretation is, 'These are four kings which are arising'.  PRESENT TENSE.

Check the center margin in your Bible on 'kings'.  It means "kingdoms". If this be the case the 'little horn' 'anti-Christ' is not one man far out in the future - a Stalin or Hitler - but a dynasty of monarchs. A dynasty of popes from the first one, right up to the one reigning in the Vatican today.

Daniel 7:18
'But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.'

It takes the destruction of that system before the saints can possess their full inheritance.  We have 'title deed' to that kingdom. A foretaste and a down-payment of the kingdom through the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.  But we are withstood from possessing the kingdom in fullness because the resurrection hasn't yet come and we haven't put on immortality.  The 'little horn' beastly system has not yet been destroyed.  Since the time of the Reformation it has been on a down hill path and it will come to an end at Christ's return.

Daniel 7:19,20
"Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet,  and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows".

The 'little horn' came to dominate Europe.  It uprooted 3 Italian kingdoms in order to make way for its own.  Those kingdoms were the Vandals, the Ostrogoths and the Lombards.

'Made war on the Saints'  - Over 100 million saints murdered by the Roman Catholic church.  So much so that in 1514 in a Council in Rome they said, "No-one is left to oppose us any more".

Daniel 7:21-24
"I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and  prevailing against them, until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favour of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.  Thus he said: 'The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all other kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, trample it and break it in pieces.  The ten horns are ten kings who shall arise from this kingdom. And another shall rise after them; He shall be different from the first ones, and shall subdue three kings.

The Pope wears the triple crown because he subdued the 3 kingdoms  also.  He claims to be the ruler of heaven, earth and hell.

Daniel 7:25
He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time.

'... he will think to change the times and laws.'

The calendar we have was thought up by the Pope of Rome. A papal calendar.  The Pope of Rome took and abolished the Holy feast days of Israel that God had commanded to be observed - Pentecost - Passover and Tabernacles - wiped them out of the calendar and brought his own feast days in.  What church has more feast days, holy days and more festivals than the Roman Catholic church.

'Power until time, times and 1/2 a time'.  This prophetical time period of the Roman Church is the same one in Rev. 11:2,3 and Rev. 13:5-7.  As we learnt earlier it would be a period of 1260 years and in this case 1260 years when the church of Rome would hold complete power.

TIME MEASURE 1

TIME MEASURE 2

TIME MEASURE 3

TIME MEASURE 4

TIME MEASURE 5

TIME MEASURE 6

Daniel 7:26,27
'But the court shall be seated, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and destroy it forever.  Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.'

Repentant Christian Israel shall inherit the kingdom under the whole heaven and this kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.  Hallelujah!

Daniel 7:28
"This is the end of the account. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly troubled me, and my countenance changed; but I kept the matter in my heart."

Daniel wasn't allowed to reveal the dream he had but today the seal is broken and the Book is open.  We are living in the time of the end that Daniel prophesied about.  We are the generation that will live to see Babylon fall.

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