Daniel 7:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: “I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire.

NIV: 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.

NASB: Then I kept looking because of the sound of the boastful words which the horn was speaking; I kept looking until the beast was killed, and its body was destroyed and given to the burning fire.

CSB: "I watched, then, because of the sound of the arrogant words the horn was speaking. As I continued watching, the beast was killed and its body destroyed and given over to the burning fire.

NLT: I continued to watch because I could hear the little horn’s boastful speech. I kept watching until the fourth beast was killed and its body was destroyed by fire.

KJV: I 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.

NKJV: “I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame.

This directly associates the judgment previously mentioned (Daniel 7:10) with blasphemy. These corrupt words (Daniel 7:20, 25) were spoken by the "little horn" which came from the fourth beast (Daniel 7:3–7) in Daniel's vision (Daniel 7:1). Daniel sees this fourth beast incinerated. The others are spared, temporarily, to continue their allotted, limited time on earth (Daniel 7:12).

Some interpreters suggest this part of prophecy was fulfilled when the Greek ruler Antiochus Epiphanes was killed in battle in 164 BC. Others look to the collapse of the Roman Empire in AD 476. In our view, this part of Daniel more likely points to the judgment recorded in Revelation 19:20. There, the beast and false prophet are thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. This judgment will mark the end of the times of the Gentiles that began with Nebuchadnezzar. To be sure, no human being or nation is so strong that God cannot dispose of him or it in an instant. Men and nations may grow strong, but God is eternally omnipotent.

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.