Daniel 7

King James Version

Full text for Daniel Chapter 7

1¶ In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, [and] told the sum of the matters.

2Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.

3And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.

4The first [was] like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.

5And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and [it had] three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.

6After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.

7After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it [was] diverse from all the beasts that [were] before it; and it had ten horns.

8I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn [were] eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.

9¶ I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment [was] white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne [was like] the fiery flame, [and] his wheels [as] burning fire.

10A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

11I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld [even] till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.

12As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.

13I saw in the night visions, and, behold, [one] like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

14And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion [is] an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom [that] which shall not be destroyed.

15¶ I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of [my] body, and the visions of my head troubled me.

16I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.

17These great beasts, which are four, [are] four kings, [which] shall arise out of the earth.

18But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.

19Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth [were of] iron, and his nails [of] brass; [which] devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;

20And of the ten horns that [were] in his head, and [of] the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even [of] that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look [was] more stout than his fellows.

21I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;

22Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.

23Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.

24And the ten horns out of this kingdom [are] ten kings [that] shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.

25And he shall speak [great] words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

26But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy [it] unto the end.

27And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom [is] an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

28Hitherto [is] the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Daniel 7 records Daniel's dream of four great beasts emerging from the sea, symbolizing four successive earthly kingdoms. This vision culminates in the Ancient of Days sitting in judgment, where the fourth beast is destroyed. Subsequently, one like the Son of Man receives an everlasting dominion, and the interpretation reveals that the saints of the Most High will ultimately possess an eternal kingdom.

Medium Summary

In the first year of Belshazzar, Daniel dreamed of four diverse beasts rising from the great sea: a lion with eagle's wings, a bear with three ribs, a leopard with four wings and heads, and a dreadful fourth beast with iron teeth and ten horns. Among these horns, a "little horn" arose, speaking great things and plucking up three others. Daniel then saw the Ancient of Days preside over a heavenly court, where the fourth beast and the little horn were judged and destroyed. Following this, one like the Son of Man was presented and given an everlasting kingdom. An angel interpreted these visions, explaining that the beasts represent four earthly kingdoms, but ultimately, the saints of the Most High will receive an eternal and indestructible dominion.

Long Summary

In the first year of Belshazzar, Daniel received a profound dream and visions. He saw four great beasts ascend from the sea, each distinct: the first, a lion with eagle's wings, which was humbled; the second, a bear, commanded to devour much flesh; the third, a leopard with four wings and four heads, granted dominion; and the fourth, a dreadful, terrible, and exceedingly strong beast with great iron teeth, which devoured and crushed all in its path, possessing ten horns. From among these ten horns, a "little horn" emerged, uprooting three of the first horns, and this little horn had eyes like a man and a mouth speaking great things. Daniel then witnessed a divine judgment scene: the Ancient of Days, robed in white and enthroned in fire, sat, and thousands ministered before Him as the books were opened. The fourth beast, particularly the little horn, was judged and its body destroyed by burning flame, though the other beasts had their dominion taken, their lives prolonged for a season. Following this judgment, Daniel saw one like the Son of Man come with the clouds of heaven, brought before the Ancient of Days. To Him was given an everlasting dominion, glory, and a kingdom that all peoples, nations, and languages would serve, a kingdom that would never pass away or be destroyed. Troubled by these visions, Daniel sought interpretation from an angel. The angel explained that the four beasts represent four kings or kingdoms that would arise from the earth. Crucially, the saints of the Most High would ultimately take and possess an everlasting kingdom. Daniel pressed for more detail concerning the dreadful fourth beast, its ten horns, and the blasphemous little horn. The angel revealed that the fourth beast would be a fourth kingdom, diverse from all others, devouring and breaking the whole earth. The ten horns signify ten kings, and the little horn, a king arising after them, would be diverse, subdue three kings, speak great words against the Most High, wear out the saints, and attempt to change times and laws for a specific period. However, judgment would sit, and his dominion would be consumed and destroyed, with the everlasting kingdom and dominion under heaven finally given to the people of the saints of the Most High.

Core Concepts

  • Four BeastsThe vision describes four distinct beasts emerging from the sea, which an angel interprets as four successive kings or kingdoms that shall arise out of the earth.
  • The Little HornA significant figure arising from the fourth beast, characterized by eyes like a man and a mouth speaking great things, who makes war with the saints and attempts to change times and laws.
  • Ancient of DaysA majestic and eternal divine figure, depicted as a judge with a fiery throne, before whom a heavenly court is assembled and judgment is set.
  • Son of ManA celestial figure who comes with the clouds of heaven, is brought before the Ancient of Days, and receives an everlasting dominion and an indestructible kingdom.
  • Everlasting Kingdom of the SaintsThe ultimate outcome of the divine judgment, where the kingdom and dominion under the whole heaven are given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is eternal.
  • Divine JudgmentThe process by which the oppressive earthly powers, particularly the fourth beast and the little horn, are judged, their dominion taken away, and their existence consumed and destroyed.
  • Persecution and EnduranceThe 'little horn' is prophesied to make war with the saints and wear them out, but their suffering is temporary until the Ancient of Days comes and judgment is given to them, leading to their possession of the kingdom.