In my vision at night I looked, four great beasts

Daniel 7:1-14

Daniel said: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.

The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a human being, and the mind of a human was given to it.

And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up and eat your fill of flesh!

“After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.

After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.

Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire.

In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

Like chapter 2 Daniel's first vision is a pictorial representation of history. Again there are four successive empires, and then the kingdom of God is established. The winged lion is Babylon; and verse 4 has Nebuchadnezzar, particularly in mind. Verse 6 depicts the Greek Empire of Alexander the Great, on his death divided among his four generals. Seleucus founded a dynasty in Syria, Ptolemy founded a dynasty in Egypt. The other two kingdoms were Greece and Asia Minor. The ten horns equate with the toes of the image in chapter 2, though the precise identification has been much debated. V9-12 picture God's judgment of the world empires. God gives total dominion to 'one like a sound of man' This was Jesus' favorite title for himself. The kingdom inaugurated at Christ's first coming will be finally realized when he returns.

Why?

Daniel has a dream which is similar to the image of king Nebuchadnezzar, but later the image of a son of man should be Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ was given authority, glory, and sovereign power. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away. In contrast, four beasts, and four great kingdoms will be destroyed.

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1-6章講讓兩個王知道神在人的國中掌權，第七章起藉著異象講神在人的國中掌權

四風指全地，猶太人認為海是不平靜的，危險的，代表4個獸是興風作浪的。地方沒有一個動物像這四個獸，代表地上的政權，自我膨脹、擴張權力長的四不像，不是神所創造的動物樣子

獅子是地上霸主，鷹是天上的霸主。熊吃完其他東西還不夠，想再吃，是無肉人民的君主。豹的帝國行動快速，代表希臘國，第四個獸長相無法描述，吞吃吃不完還用腳踏，自己吃不完也不給別人吃，指的是羅馬帝國。如前面巨人的十個腳指。

寶座的出現代表審判展開，這些帝國政權都跨台，留人的生命，給人機會悔改。

只有神的權柄，神的國永存。

人被付予能力、權柄，我們人被付予權力，我們如何運用呢?有一天要交帳，要被審判。最小的腳指也驕傲，即使沒有能力的人也會驕傲，連神也管不了我，沒有什麼能力，只有一張嘴，話卻會傷人，這也是驕傲。

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How?

Jesus Christ is our salvation, a son of man, his kingdom endures forever.