The Prophet Daniel

⭑ Catholic Public Domain Version 2009 ⭑

- Chapter 7 -

(Revelation 13:1–10)

In the first year of Belshazzar, king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and a vision in his head on his bed. And, writing down the dream, he understood it in a concise manner, and so, summarizing it tersely, he said:

I saw in my vision at night, and behold, the four winds of the heavens fought upon the great sea.

And four great beasts, different from one another, ascended from the sea.(a)

The first was like a lioness and had the wings of an eagle. I watched as its wings were plucked off, and it was raised from the earth and stood on its feet like a man, and the heart of a man was given to it.(b)

And behold, another beast, like a bear, stood to one side, and there were three rows in its mouth and in its teeth, and they spoke to it in this way: “Arise, devour much flesh.”(c)

After this, I watched, and behold, another like a leopard, and it had wings like a bird, four upon it, and four heads were on the beast, and power was given to it.(d)

After this, I watched in the vision of the night, and behold, a fourth beast, terrible yet wondrous, and exceedingly strong; it had great iron teeth, eating yet crushing, and trampling down the remainder with his feet, but it was unlike the other beasts, which I had seen before it, and it had ten horns.(e)

I considered the horns, and behold, another little horn rose out of the midst of them. And three of the first horns were rooted out by its presence. And behold, eyes like the eyes of a man were in this horn, and a mouth speaking unnatural things.(f)

(g)

Daniel’s Vision of the Ancient of Days

I watched until thrones were set up, and the Ancient of days sat down. His garment was radiant like snow, and the hair of his head like clean wool; his throne was flames of fire, its wheels had been set on fire.

A river of fire rushed forth from his presence. Thousands upon thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times hundreds of thousands attended before him. The trial began, and the books were opened.(h)

I watched because of the voice of the great words which that horn was speaking, and I saw that the beast had been destroyed, and its body was ruined and had been handed over to be burnt with fire.(i)

Likewise, the power of the other beasts was taken away, and a limited time of life was appointed to them, until one time and another.

Daniel’s Vision of the Son of Man

I watched, therefore, in the vision of the night, and behold, with the clouds of heaven, one like a son of man arrived, and he approached all the way to the Ancient of days, and they presented him before him.

And he gave him power, and honor, and the kingdom, and all peoples, tribes, and languages will serve him. His power is an eternal power, which will not be taken away, and his kingdom, one which will not be corrupted.

Daniel’s Visions Interpreted

My spirit was terrified. I, Daniel, was fearful at these things, and the visions of my head disturbed me.

I approached one of the attendants and asked the truth from him about all these things. He told me the interpretation of the words, and he instructed me:

“These four great beasts are four kingdoms, which will rise from the earth.

Yet it is the saints of the Most High God who will receive the kingdom, and they will hold the kingdom from this generation, and forever and ever.”

After this, I wanted to learn diligently about the fourth beast, which was very different from all, and exceedingly terrible; his teeth and claws were of iron; he devoured and crushed, and the remainder he trampled with his feet;

and about the ten horns, which he had on his head, and about the other, which had sprung up, before which three horns fell, and about that horn which had eyes and a mouth speaking great things, and which was more powerful than the rest.

I watched, and behold, that horn made war against the holy ones and prevailed over them,

until the Ancient of days came and gave judgment to the holy ones of the Supreme One, and the time arrived, and the holy ones obtained the kingdom.

And thus he said, “The fourth beast will be the fourth kingdom on earth, which will be greater than all the kingdoms, and will devour the whole earth, and will trample and crush it.

Moreover, the ten horns of the same kingdom will be ten kings, and another will rise up after them, and he will be mightier than the ones before him, and he will bring down three kings.

And he will speak words against the Supreme One, and will exhaust the holy ones of the Most High, and he will think about what it would take to change the times and the laws, and they will be given into his hand until a time, and times, and half a time.(j)

And a trial will begin, so that his power may be taken away, and be crushed, and be undone all the way to the end.

Yet the kingdom, and the power, and the greatness of that kingdom, which is under all of heaven, shall be given to the people of the holy ones of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all kings will serve and obey him.”

And here is the end of the message. I, Daniel, was greatly disturbed by my thoughts, and my mood was changed in me, but I preserved the message in my heart.

Footnotes

(a)7:3 Four great beasts:Viz., the Chaldean, Persian, Grecian, and Roman empires. But some rather choose to understand the fourth beast of the successors of Alexander the Great, more especially of them that reigned in Asia and Syria.(Challoner)

(b)7:4 The word leaena is clearly and deliberately the feminine word for lion. This word choice indicates that the group of nations represented by the lioness will have at least one prominent nation that will be led by a woman at this point in time. The wings of an eagle represent the United States and its military air power.(Conte)

(c)7:5 The three rows in its mouth and in its teeth represent three branches of government and three branches of the military, all of which are saying to the country to go to war and to conquer and annex other nations (growing fatter as when one devours much food).(Conte)

(d)7:6 Pardus can mean leopard or panther.(Conte)

(e)7:7 Ten horns:That is, ten kingdoms, (as Apoc. 17:12,) among which the empire of the fourth beast shall be parcelled. Or ten kings of the number of the successors of Alexander; as figures of such as shall be about the time of Antichrist.(Challoner)

(f)7:8 The word ingentia can mean unnatural or monstrous or enormous. In this case, since this kingdom and its leader are unlike any other, it cannot mean merely great or enormous things, because many arrogant leaders have spoken as if they were greater than they were. The false prophetess is the one who speaks unnatural things, things contrary to nature and God, monstrous things against all good order and reason. The eyes of a man in this horn refers to the Antichrist, and the mouth is the false prophetess who speaks on his behalf.(Conte)

(g)7:8 Another little horn:This is commonly understood of Antichrist. It may also be applied to that great persecutor Antiochus Epiphanes, as a figure of Antichrist.(Challoner)

(h)7:10 Or “millions ministered to him and billions attended before him.” Iudicium sedit literally means the judgment sat or the trial sat, i.e., the trial began. This refers to the Day of Judgment.(Conte)

(i)7:11 The translation here avoids saying that the beast (the Antichrist) was killed, because the Book of Revelation clearly states, about the beast and the false prophet: “These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with brimstone.” (Rev 19:20).(Conte)

(j)7:25 A time, and times, and half a time:That is, three years and a half; which is supposed to be the length of the duration of the persecution of Antichrist.(Challoner)