Awesome Truths and Amazing Facts
Richard Vaughn

Today: “Prophecy – The future told in advance – Daniel 7 - Part 1”
Last week we concluded studying Daniel chapter 2. We learned about the great metal man King Nebuchadnezzar saw in a dream and Daniel interpreted the dream to him. We understood it to prophesy in advance the 3 successive ruling world empires that would follow Babylon – the head of gold, which was in power at the time of the dream, Medo-Persia – the chest and arms of silver, Greece – the thighs of brass and finally Rome – the legs of iron and clay. Then the breakup into 10 nations represented by the feet of iron and clay. The image is struck on the feet by a stone. That dream in 603 BC, over 2600 years ago when Daniel was a youth, accurately predicted the future in advance. We are now living in the toes. 
Starting today and over the next few weeks we will be looking at history from another perspective and expand on what was foretold in this great prophecy of Daniel chapter 7, written around 553 BC when Daniel was about 70 years old.
Before we start we must understand that the Bible will interpret itself. Since much of Daniel and Revelation are books that complement each other and are both filled with symbolism, we will use scripture to give us the meaning of some of those symbols. “Winds” in prophecy represent strife, commotion, ex:"winds of war" (See Jeremiah 25:31-33; 49:36,37; 4:11-13; Zechariah 7:14). “Waters” in prophecy represent existing inhabited areas, people, populated nations. (See Revelation 17:15) A “beast” in prophecy represents a kingdom, government, a political power. (See Daniel 7:17,23)
That said, let’s begin with the first three verses.
1.	In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, telling the main facts.
2.	Daniel spoke, saying, 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 from the sea, each different from the other.
What Daniel saw was four Kingdoms (beasts) that came up in populated areas (sea), the result of significant battles or wars (winds). We will see how this prophecy parallels the metal man image of Daniel chapter 2. What was the first beast like? Verse 4 
4.	The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.
Wings in prophecy denote speed, great haste. Habakkuk 1:8. This beast, a lion with eagles wings, represents the first world kingdom, Babylon, and the speed which propelled it to power. It was the head of gold in Daniel 2. Babylon ruled from 606 BC to 538 BC.
What was the second beast like? Verse 5
5.	And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’
The second beast represented the Medo-Persian empire that ruled the world from 538 BC to 331 BC. The Bear was raised up on one side to denote the fact that the Medes were the weaker of the two. The three ribs represented the three nations they conquered to come into power, Lydia, Babylon and Egypt. It was the chest and arms of silver in Daniel 2
What was the third beast like? Verse 6
6.	After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.
This leopard represented the third world empire, Greece. The four wings represented the great speed with which Alexander conquered the world. Greece ruled the world from 331 BC to 168 BC. The four heads represented the four generals to which the kingdom was divided after the death of Alexander. They were Cassander, Lysimachus, Seleucus, and Ptolemy. Alexander died in a drunken brawl in his early 30's. Greece was represented by the thighs of brass in Daniel 2.
In next week’s article we will get into Daniel’s painful account of the fourth dreadful beast in Daniel chapter 7. 
Next Week: “Prophecy – The future told in advance – Daniel 7 - Part 2”