Dan 7:1-14 NASB In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel saw a dream and visions in his mind as he lay on his bed; then he wrote the dream down and related the following summary of it. (2) Daniel said, “I was looking in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. (3) “And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another. (4) “The first was like a lion and had the wings of an eagle. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man; a human mind also was given to it. (5) “And behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear. And it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth; and thus they said to it, ‘Arise, devour much meat!’ (6) “After this I kept looking, and behold, another one, 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. (7) “After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. (8) “While I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great boasts. (9) “I kept looking Until thrones were set up, And the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow And the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, Its wheels were a burning fire. (10) “A river of fire was flowing And coming out from before Him; Thousands upon thousands were attending Him, And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; The court sat, And the books were opened. (11) “Then I kept looking because of the sound of the boastful words which the horn was speaking; I kept looking until the beast was slain, and its body was destroyed and given to the burning fire. (12) “As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but an extension of life was granted to them for an appointed period of time. (13) “I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. (14) “And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.

• What are the 4 great beasts?
• Whose kingdom is established and reins forever?
• What did the Ancient of Days look like? (Rev 1:14 NASB His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire.).
• What event do you believe verse 10 represents? (Mal 3:16-18; Rev 20:11-15)
• Compare the fate of the 4th beast with the other 3 as described in verse 12?
• What does the number around God suggest to you? (Rev 5:11)
• Do you think verses 13 and 14 have happened, are happening or will happen in the future? (Ephesians 1:18-23) What does this mean to your life right now?
• What attributes of God do you see in these verses?
• What are we to do with this revelation? What relevance does it have in our lives, today?

Dan 7:15-28 NASB “As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed within me, and the visions in my mind kept alarming me. (16) “I approached one of those who were standing by and began asking him the exact meaning of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things: (17) ‘These great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings who will arise from the earth. (18) ‘But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come.’ (19) “Then I desired to know the exact meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its claws of bronze, and which devoured, crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet, (20) and the meaning of the ten horns that were on its head and the other horn which came up, and before which three of them fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth uttering great boasts and which was larger in appearance than its associates. (21) “I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them (22) until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom. (23) “Thus he said: ‘The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it. (24) ‘As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings. (25) ‘He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. (26) ‘But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever. (27) ‘Then the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.’ (28) “At this point the revelation ended. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts were greatly alarming me and my face grew pale, but I kept the matter to myself.”

• Why did Daniel asked one who was standing by for an interpretation? Wasn’t Daniel known for interpreting dreams?
• The one gives a simple but powerful explanation for the whole dream in verse 17 and 18. Does this interpreter focus on the Highest One receiving the kingdom? Who does he say will receive the kingdom? What does this mean to you? How can the saints of the Highest One receive and possess the kingdom “forever, and for all ages to come?”
• Compare where the 4 kings arose from and from where the “Highest One” came from (verse 17 versus verse 13). What difference do you see in where they came and how they received their kingdoms?
• Is Daniel satisfied with the “one’s” summary explanation? Does “the one” respond to Daniel’s question? What does this reveal about God and His relationship with us, His people?
• Verse 21 indicates something very important about the war and who was winning before the Ancient of Days came. What is that? What did it take to stop the war (verse 22)? What else happened with the Ancient of Days came in addition to stopping the war? Who received the favorable judgment and what did they benefit from that judgment? Verses 21 and 22 describe what looks to be a hopeless situation until the Ancient of Days came. When He came, everything changed and the tables were completely turned; the vanquished became the victors. Do you have situations in your life where you are feeling vanquished? Is the Ancient of Days able to be victorious for you?
• Verse 24 describes a specific event where one king rises among 10 kings. That king subdues 3 other kings and then speaks out against the Most High and wears down the saints of the most high. He will then intend to change times and law (note that this is the Aramaic word for law, not the Hebrew word Torah – so it does not necessarily mean “God’s law”). What do you
• How long is a time, times and half a time (Rev 13:5).
• How is the blasphemer’s kingdom taken away? What is done to his kingdom?
• Who receives the dominion and greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven and how long will this last?
• Have you ever yearned for perfect justice and perfect leadership on earth? Have you thought about what that would be like? What do these verses mean to you?

REFERENCES

Mal 3:16-18 NASB Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard it,and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name. (17) “They will be Mine,” says the LORD of hosts, “on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.” (18) So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.

Rev 20:11-15 NASB Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. (12) And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. (13) And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. (14) Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. (15) And if anyone\’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Rev 5:11 NASB Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands,

Rev 1:17-18 NASB When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, (18) and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.

Joh 5:19-27 NASB Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. (20) “For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel. (21) “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. (22) “For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, (23) so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. (24) “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. (25) “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. (26) “For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; (27) and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.

Eph 1:18-23 NASB I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, (19) and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might (20) which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, (21) far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. (22) And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, (23) which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Rev 13:5 NASB There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him.