Daniel 7:3

"And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. The first was like a lion, and had eagles' wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made to stand upon two feet as a man; and a man's heart was given to it."

These beasts do not represent individual kings, but kingdoms. Scholars of all schools agree that Babylon was this first beast. We have already noted that Babylon was noted for its identity with this beast, the king of animals. There is some disagreement about what is meant by "a man's heart being given to it" (Daniel 7:4); but Young's view that, "The change that came upon the beast evidently has reference to the event of Nebuchadnezzar's madness and his subsequent restoration,"[10] is as good as any.