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Daniel 7:2
ESV Daniel declared, "I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea.
NIV Daniel said: "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea.
NASB Daniel said, 'I was looking in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea.
CSB Daniel said, "In my vision at night I was watching, and suddenly the four winds of heaven stirred up the great sea.
NLT In my vision that night, I, Daniel, saw a great storm churning the surface of a great sea, with strong winds blowing from every direction.
KJV Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.
NKJV Daniel spoke, saying, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea.

What does Daniel 7:2 mean?

This begins the description of a dream Daniel had during the early rule of Belshazzar (Daniel 7:1). This verse switches from the third person point of view to Daniel writing as if he was speaking directly—the "first person" perspective. That change coincides with this book's change from concrete stories to the imagery and symbolism of prophecy.

The first thing Daniel saw in his dream was the sea being thrashed from the four cardinal directions, by winds controlled by heaven. As this is a dream, the description is not meant to imply anything about the nature of weather or wind in the real world. Scripture often pictures God revealing His presence or judgment in the wind (1 Kings 19:11; Psalm 18:10; 50:3; Amos 1:14). The mention of "the great sea" points to the Mediterranean, not the smaller Red Sea or the Sea of Galilee.

The scene where Daniel's dream takes place portrays the Mediterranean region; from there four tumultuous kingdoms emerged. These four kingdoms (Daniel 7:17) are described in subsequent verses as animal-like creatures. From God's standpoint each kingdom is bestial, brutal, immoral, savage, and ignorant of God. Just as Daniel saw heaven's winds influencing the sea, Scripture portrays God's ultimate control over the empires that emerged in human history.
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