Daniel’s dream of four beasts
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📚In the first year✭ of Belshazzar, king of Babylon, Daniel, on his bed, had a dream and visions came to his mind. Then he wrote down the dream, relating the substance of the words.2 📚✭Daniel spoke and said, “I saw in my vision at night, and there appeared the four winds✭ of heaven stirring up the great sea. 3 📚✭And four great beasts came up from the sea, different from one another.
4 📚✭“The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched until its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made to stand on its feet like a man✭, and a man’s heart was given to it.
5 📚✭“And then appeared another beast, a second, like a bear; and it raised itself up on one side, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And this was said to it: ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’
6 📚✭“After this I looked, and another beast appeared, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. Also the beast had four heads✭; and dominion was given to it.
7 📚✭“After this I was watching in the night visions, and then a fourth beast appeared, dreadful and terrible, and exceedingly strong, and it had great iron✭ teeth. It was devouring and crushing✭, and trampling what remained with its feet. And it was different from all the beasts that preceded it; and it had ten✭ horns.
8 📚✭“I considered the horns, and then another horn, a little one, appeared, which came up among them. Before it three of the first horns were uprooted. And eyes appeared in this horn like a man’s eyes, and a mouth speaking big things.
9 📚✭“I watched until thrones✭ were set in place✭, and the Ancient of Days✭ sat down. His garment was as white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool. His throne was like a fiery flame, and its wheels✭ like blazing fire.
10 📚A stream of fire✭ came out, issuing from his presence. Thousands✭ upon thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court of judgment was seated, and the books✭ were opened.
11 📚✭“I watched then because of the sound of the great words which the horn spoke. I watched until the beast was slain, and his body destroyed and given to the blazing flame. 12 📚✭As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
13 📚“I watched in the night visions, and then one like the Son of man✭ appeared, coming with the clouds✭ of heaven; and he came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought him near before him. 14 📚✭And dominion, and glory, and a kingdom were given to him, so that all peoples, nations, and those of all languages, would serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which will not pass away, and his kingdom one which will not be destroyed.
The interpretation of the dream
15 📚“I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit within me,✭ and the visions coming to my mind troubled me. 16 📚I approached one of those✭ who stood by, and asked him the truth about all this.
So he told me, and made known to me the interpretation of these things:
17 📚“‘These great beasts, which are four, are four kings✭ who arise out of the earth. 18 📚But the saints✭ of the Most High will take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.’
19 📚“Then I wanted to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and whose nails were of bronze, which devoured, crushed, and trampled what remained with its feet; 20 📚and of the ten horns which were on its head, and of the other horn which came up, and before whom three fell, that horn which had eyes and a mouth that spoke big things, whose appearance was more imposing than his associates. 21 📚✭As I watched, the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them, 22 📚✭until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.
23 📚✭“‘He said this, “The fourth beast will be the fourth kingdom on earth. It will be different from all the kingdoms, and will devour the whole earth, and trample it down, and crush it. 24 📚And the ten horns are ten kings✭ who will arise from this kingdom, and another will arise after them; and he will be different from the earlier ones, and he will subdue three kings. 25 📚And he will speak✭ words against the Most High, and will wear out the saints✭ of the Most High, and plan to change times and laws. And they will be given into his hands✭ until a time and times and half a time✭.
26 📚“But the court of judgment will sit, and they will take away his dominion to consume and to destroy it forever. 27 📚✭And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heavens, will be given to the saints, the people of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; and all dominions will serve✭ and obey him.’
28 📚“This is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly troubled me, and the expression on my face changed, but I kept the matter in my heart”.