Daniel Chapter 7 Verse 5

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.’

This second beast is the combined Medo–Persia empire that both Daniel and secular history say followed the Babylonians. Recall that in chapter 2, Medo–Persia was represented by the breast and arms of silver on the giant statue.

Note that one side of the bear is higher than the other side. This stresses the point that in the Medo-Persian empire, the Persians were dominant.

This beast is like a bear and is told to continue eating even before it has finished its last meal. It is voracious and greedy.

The three ribs may simply add to the picture of the greedy starving bear, or they may depict the three major Medo-Persian conquests that occurred under Cyrus and his son Cambyses.

Lydian kingdom in 546 BC

Chaldean kingdom in 539 BC

Egypt in 525 BC

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Daniel Chapter 7 Verse 4

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 upon two feet like a man; and the mind of a man was given to it.

This first beast is Babylon – the same kingdom that was represented by the golden head of the statue we saw in chapter 2. (Chapter 7 parallels chapter 2 in many ways.)

A winged lion was a very common symbol for Babylon, especially during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar. ALL commentators agree on this point.

Like Babylon, this beast was hindered and humiliated by God.

In historical fact, the king of Babylon was a man who was given the heart of a beast. In the vision, Babylon is pictured as a beast who is given the heart of a man.

Daniel Chapter 7 Verses 2-3

2 Daniel said, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. 3 And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another.

The wind often denotes the action of God. Like God, the wind is invisible yet can have very dramatic effects.

Psalm 18:10 He rode on a cherub, and flew; he came swiftly upon the wings of the wind.

Hosea 13:15 Though he may flourish as the reed plant, the east wind, the wind of the Lord, shall come, rising from the wilderness; and his fountain shall dry up, his spring shall be parched; it shall strip his treasury of every precious thing.

The sea often denotes the restless nations of the world as they toss and churn.

Isaiah 17:12-13 Ah, the thunder of many peoples, they thunder like the thundering of the sea! Ah, the roar of nations, they roar like the roaring of mighty waters! 13 The nations roar like the roaring of many waters, but he will rebuke them, and they will flee far away, chased like chaff on the mountains before the wind and whirling dust before the storm.

Thus, the wind on the sea would denote the action of God on the restless nations of the world.

In verse 3 these four beasts come up from the sea. Later in verse 17 we will see that they also come up from the earth.

Coming from the sea means that these beasts will arise from the restless nations of the world.

Coming from the earth means that these beasts are of human origin.

Daniel Chapter 7 Verse 1

1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had 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.

Notice that chronologically this vision occurred before the events that we studied in chapter 6. In fact, this vision occurred prior to the defeat of the Chaldeans by Cyrus.

The first year of Belshazzar probably refers to the year 553 in the 6th century BC when Nabonidus left the city of Babylon for 14 years to live in North and Central Arabia. Thus, the first year of his reign would refer to the first year of his coregency.

This book states very clearly that this vision was given to Daniel in the 6th century BC. The late-date crowd states very clearly that this vision was made up in the 2nd century BC. Who are we to believe? To believe the late-date crowd requires us to believe that the author of Daniel was guilty of a deliberate lie. (If he lied he certainly had Jesus fooled! See Matthew 24:15.)