the rest of the beasts: i.e. the three mentioned in verses: Daniel 7:4-7 as co-existing, they had, &c . = their dominion was caused to pass away. their lives were prolonged = a lengthening of their life was given to them: i.e. the remaining three after the fourth beast has been destroyed. for a season and time: i.e. for an appointed season. read more
Daniel 7:12. As concerning the rest, &c.— When the dominion was taken away from the rest of the beasts, their bodies were not destroyed, but suffered to continue still in being: but when the dominion shall be taken away from this beast, his body shall be totally destroyed, because other kingdoms succeeded to those, but none other earthly kingdom shall succeed to this. Ibid. read more
12. the rest of the beasts—that is, the three first, had passed away not by direct destroying judgments, such as consumed the little horn, as being the finally matured evil of the fourth beast. They had continued to exist but their "dominion was was taken away"; whereas the fourth beast shall cease utterly, superseded by Messiah's kingdom. for a season . . . time—Not only the triumph of the beasts over the godly, but their very existence is limited to a definite time, and that time the exactly... read more
2. The Ancient of Days and the destruction of the fourth beast 7:9-12 read more
The end of the prior three empires contrasts with the end of this fourth one. God took away the dominion of each of the earlier three kingdoms one by one, but they continued to exist, as realms of the kingdom that overcame them, for some time. However, God will cut off the fourth empire completely, and it will continue no longer (Daniel 7:11). Thus the end of the fourth kingdom will result in a totally new condition on the earth: Messiah’s thousand-year reign (cf. Revelation 19:19 to Revelation... read more
The Vision of the Four BeastsIn the first year of Belshazzar Daniel sees in a dream four beasts rising out of the sea (Daniel 7:1-3). The first is like a lion, with eagle’s wings (Daniel 7:4), the second like a bear (Daniel 7:5), the third like a leopard (Daniel 7:6), while the fourth is a unique and ferocious monster with ten horns (Daniel 7:7), Among the horns of the fourth beast there comes up a little horn with human eyes, which displaces three of the other ten, and carries itself proudly... read more
(12) The rest of the beasts—i.e., the three first beasts which Daniel had seen coming out of the sea. He now learns what had befallen them. Their dominions had passed away, and their lives had been prolonged up to that definite point and time which had seemed fit to God, and no further. The period of life allotted to them by God was only a little while. (On “times” and “seasons,” see Note on Daniel 2:21.) read more
Daniel 7:1 I am amusing myself with thinking of the prophecy of Daniel as a sort of allegory. All those monstrous, 'rombustical' beasts with their horns the horn with eyes and a mouth speaking proud things, and the little horn that waxed rebellious and stamped on the stars, seem like my passions and vain fancies, which are to be knocked down one after another until all is subdued with a universal kingdom over which the Ancient of Days presides the spirit of Love the Catholicism of the universe... read more
VISION OF THE FOUR WILD BEASTSWE now enter upon the second division of the Book of Daniel-the apocalyptic. It is unquestionably inferior to the first part in grandeur and importance as a whole, but it contains not a few great conceptions, and it was well adapted to inspire the hopes and arouse the heroic courage of the persecuted Jews in the terrible days of Antiochus Epiphanes. Daniel now speaks in the first person, whereas throughout the historical section of the Book the third person has... read more
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Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Daniel 7:1-14
7:1-12:13 DANIEL’S VISIONSAlthough the visions collected in this section of the book are in approximate chronological order, there is no obvious connection leading one on to the next. Each vision has a separate and distinct message.A vision of four beasts (7:1-14)In the first vision (whose chronological position would be between Chapters 4 and 5), Daniel saw a severe storm stirring up the sea, then, coming up out of the raging waters, four strange beasts. The meaning (partly explained later in... read more