Daniel 7:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: After this I looked, and behold, another, like a leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it.

NIV: "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.

NASB: After this I kept looking, and behold, another one, 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.

CSB: "After this, while I was watching, suddenly another beast appeared. It was like a leopard with four wings of a bird on its back. It had four heads, and it was given dominion.

NLT: Then the third of these strange beasts appeared, and it looked like a leopard. It had four bird’s wings on its back, and it had four heads. Great authority was given to this beast.

KJV: After 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.

NKJV: “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.

The third beast of Daniel's dream (Daniel 7:1–3) also represents a powerful nation and king of the Mediterranean region (Daniel 7:17). The first, a winged lion, symbolized the graceful and elegant Babylon (Daniel 7:4). The second, a powerful but clumsier bear, depicted Medo-Persia (Daniel 7:5).

The kingdom symbolized here is that of Macedonian-ruled Greece under Alexander the Great. The beast is a leopard with four wings and four heads. Scripture makes note of leopards for their speed (Habakkuk 1:8); Alexander was noted for how quickly he conquered territory from Egypt to India, from a relatively young age. When he died, his conquered territories were initially split into four nations ruled by his generals: Cassander, Lysimachus, Seleucus, and Ptolemy. These immediately fell into infighting and would eventually be overcome by the Roman Empire.

Further references to this empire are made in Daniel (Daniel 8:8, 22; 11:3–4). Greece was depicted as the midsection of bronze in Nebuchadnezzar's dream (Daniel 2:32, 39).

Daniel 7:1–12 looks back to a time before the story contained in chapter 6. This passage describes a dream Daniel had during the rule of Belshazzar (Daniel 5:1, 30). His visions contained information about various kingdoms leading up to a dreadful, strong kingdom in the end times. The images also pictured God, "the Ancient of Days," who judges the final Gentile kingdom. An angel's explanation of the dream and visions follows in the next passage.

Daniel experiences a troubling vision in the form of a dream. He sees animal-like beasts representing successive kingdoms. The last of these is uniquely powerful and led by a mysterious figure. This person, depicted as a "little horn," will be known for usurping power, blasphemy against God, and intense persecution of the saints. Yet his time will be short and it will end in God's successful judgment.

This chapter is the intersection of two different divisions in the book of Daniel. This is the last passage written in Aramaic, the common language of the world at that time. It is also the first segment focusing on prophecy, shifting from a record of events in the past to show a glimpse of the future. This passage connects to other descriptions of the end times, such as those found in Revelation chapters 13, 19, and 20.

The book of Daniel contains famous Old Testament stories and prophecies. Daniel was taken from the Israelite people and made an advisor for a conquering empire. He demonstrates faithfulness and wisdom during many years serving in this role. Though Daniel does not deliver a public message, Jesus refers to him as a "prophet" (Matthew 24:15). The first portion of the book mostly describes Daniel's interpretations of dreams and other events. The second portion looks ahead to the end times. Daniel is classified in English Bibles as a "major" prophet, meaning the book is relatively long and the content has broad implications. The book of Revelation echoes and expands on many of the same themes.