Scripture quotations on this page are from the World English Bible (public domain), shown in quotation marks; all commentary is written by Scripture Trove. Source: Daniel 7 · Commentary
Daniel 7 is the central summit of the book of Daniel, the high point of its Aramaic section, and the most important vision of the end-time kingdom in the entire Old Testament. In terms of genre: chapters 1-6 are court narratives, where "others have the dreams and Daniel interprets them"; from chapter 7 on, everything reverses, and "Daniel himself receives the vision while an angel interprets it for him." Through this structural reversal the narrator tells us that the "stage" of the first half now gives way to what happens "behind the scenes." In the first half we see the kings of the nations dreaming; in the second half we see God Himself drawing back the curtain.
Historical setting: the first year of Belshazzar, about 553 BC. This is earlier than the final-year feast of Belshazzar in Daniel 5 (539 BC) and the lions' den of Daniel 6 (about 538 BC). In other words, the narrative order of Daniel is not strictly chronological; the arrangement is theological. First the editor completes the whole witness of the "court narratives" in chapters 1-6, then he goes back to recount the "visions" of chapters 7-12. The reader first establishes the bedrock conviction that "God reigns even in a pagan court," and only then enters the end-time revelation of "the destiny of the nations."
In terms of its two-tiered structure, Daniel 7 forms an Aramaic-section mirror with Daniel 2: Daniel 2 is a pagan king's dream of a great statue, while Daniel 7 is the prophet's dream of four beasts. Two visions, one theme: the rise and fall of the nations and the certain coming of God's kingdom. But the vantage points differ. Daniel 2 looks from a human perspective, and the nations appear as a "splendid human figure" of gold, silver, bronze, and iron. Daniel 7 looks from heaven's perspective, and the nations appear as "terrifying wild beasts": lion, bear, leopard, and the iron-toothed beast. This is the dramatic contrast between "an earthly view and a heavenly view": the empire that looks splendid to human eyes is, in God's sight, nothing but "a monster rising out of the great sea."
Most crucial of all, this chapter contains one of the most important messianic prophecies in the whole Old Testament: 7:13-14, "one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven, brought before the Ancient of Days." In Mark 14:62 and Matthew 26:64 the Lord Jesus directly quoted this verse before the high priest, openly confessing that "He is the Messiah." This is the deepest Old Testament root of the New Testament title "Son of Man"; the roughly 80-plus times the Gospels use the self-designation "Son of Man" all trace back to this single verse.
The chapter has four sections:
Structural core:
Sections 1, 2, and 3 form the body of the vision: earth → heaven → mediator, the camera rising step by step. Section 1 fixes the focus on the sea and the beasts, the terror of the nations. Section 2 lifts the focus abruptly into heaven, "thrones were set in place," and the court is established. Section 3 shows the "Son of Man" receiving the kingdom from the Ancient of Days, the mediator completing the "earth-to-heaven connection." Section 4 reverses the camera, from the vision back to the prophet, as the angel interprets for Daniel: dramatically, the prophet moves from "terror" through "understanding" to "receiving the promise."
7:9 "“I watched until thrones were placed, and one who was ancient of days sat. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool. His throne was fiery flames, and its wheels burning fire."
Daniel 7:9（World English Bible）
7:13-14 "“I saw in the night visions, and behold, there came with the clouds of the sky one like a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. Dominion was given him, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which will not pass away, and his kingdom that which will not be destroyed."
Daniel 7:13-14（World English Bible）
7:18 "But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.’"
Daniel 7:18（World English Bible）
7:27 "The kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole sky, will be given to the people of the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions will serve and obey him.’"
Daniel 7:27（World English Bible）
Dear brothers and sisters, Daniel 7 is the most glorious vision in the whole Old Testament, and also its most weighty. Glorious, because "the Son of Man comes on the clouds, receives the kingdom, and is never destroyed." Weighty, because "the saints are trampled, the beast devours the earth, and the little horn torments them." These two sides, "glory" and "weight," the narrator does not let one cancel the other; he sets them side by side. This is the truth of the gospel.
Today we live in an age that bears the marks of "the last days of the fourth beast." The end-time reality of "globalized persecution," of "a worldwide reshaping of festivals and law," and of "the saints being trampled" takes different forms from ancient times, yet its inner spirit is the same. Facing such an age, Daniel 7 gives us three layers of comfort.
First layer · History is in His hands. "The wind stirs the sea, the beast rises from the sea." The "chaos" of the nations is not God losing control; it is His Spirit at work stirring. Even the most terrifying "iron-toothed beast" stays "within His time." This gives us the deepest inner stability about "the world situation of our day": He reigns.
Second layer · Time has an end. "A time, times, and half a time," the "3.5 period," tells us that God has set a "time limit" on persecution. Suffering has its season, but it does "not reach completeness"; "at the halfway point, it is cut short." This gives us strength to "endure to the end": hold on a little longer, "the time will come."
Third layer · The kingdom is already "prepared beforehand." "The saints will receive the kingdom, forever and ever." The Son of Man, the Lord Jesus, is already "seated at the right hand of the Father" (Acts 7:55-56; Heb 1:3). The "preparation of the kingdom" is already finished. What remains is only for "the saints to be made complete," and then "the last day arrives."
The deepest word of all is the Lord Jesus's own confession before the high priest (Mark 14:62): "I am. And you will see the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven." The Lord confessed that He is "the one who comes on the clouds," that He is "the Son of Man who receives the kingdom," that He is "the one for whom the saints hope." He "has already borne the cross for us," "emptying Himself" to become the foremost of "the trampled," in order to "conquer death" for us, so that we might "share His everlasting kingdom with Him."
Today, when you feel the crushing weight of "the saints being trampled," remember that Daniel 7 has already told you in advance: "the trampling is limited; the kingdom endures forever." May the "white hair and fiery throne" of the "Ancient of Days," and the "receiving of the kingdom and acceptance of worship" by the "Son of Man who comes on the clouds," become the deepest comfort in your waiting.
May God grant us Daniel's heart that "keeps the matter in his heart," "trembling, yet keeping it," until "the fulfillment comes."
When you look at "the world situation" today, do you see it like the "golden head of the statue" (the human view) or like the "lion-bear-leopard-beast" (God's view)? What difference in your inner life do these two perspectives bring?
"A time, times, and half a time" tells us that "suffering is limited." How long have you already borne the pain of an "unanswered" prayer? Are you willing to "keep on keeping it in your heart," waiting until "the time comes"?
Before the high priest the Lord Jesus directly quoted Daniel 7:13 and confessed Himself the "Son of Man who comes on the clouds." Why was the Lord "willing to confess His deity openly" at that moment? What calling does this place on your life of "confessing the Lord"?
"The saints share the kingdom with the Son of Man." Do your daily "life, work, and service" carry the outlook of those who "will reign"? Are you preparing your heart to "reign with Christ"?
"Speaking great boasts" is the deepest sin of the fourth beast and the little horn. Does "your own mouth" today lean toward "boasting" or "blasphemy"? Is "repentance of the mouth" deeper than "repentance of the hand"?
7:1 "In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head on his bed. Then he wrote the dream and told the sum of the matters."
Daniel 7:1（World English Bible）
"The first year of Belshazzar," Aramaic בִּשְׁנַת חֲדָה לְבֵלְאשַׁצַּר (bi-shnat chadah le-Velshatzar, "in the first year of Belshazzar"), about 553 BC, Belshazzar's first year as co-regent king with Nabonidus. This time marker carries two layers of importance:
"Visions of his head on his bed," Aramaic חֵזֶו רֵאשֵׁהּ עַל־מִשְׁכְּבֵהּ (chezev resheh al-mishkeveh, "the visions of his head, on his bed"). "Dreaming" and "seeing a vision" overlay two modes of "nighttime revelation." The "bed," the posture of "deepest rest," receives the "most unsettling" of images. This is exactly like Nebuchadnezzar "dreaming on his bed" in Daniel 2. The narrator deliberately uses the same "bed" image to hook the structural mirror between Daniel 2 and Daniel 7: a pagan king on his bed dreams of the nations, and a prophet on his bed dreams of the nations. "One stage, two perspectives."
"Wrote the dream and told the sum of the matters," Aramaic כְּתַב חֶלְמָא רֵאשׁ ("wrote the dream, told the beginning of the words"). "Writing" and "telling": first he writes it down, then he passes it on by word of mouth. These are the two deepest dimensions of the prophetic office: "writing" is for later generations, "telling" is for the present one. Daniel deliberately preserved this dream because he knew it "was not only for me, but for future generations." In the New Testament, Revelation 1:11 the Lord commands John, "What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches," fully in line with Daniel 7:1.
7:2 "Daniel spoke and said, “I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the sky broke out on the great sea." 7:3 "Four great animals came up from the sea, different from one another."
Daniel 7:2（World English Bible）
"The four winds of heaven," Aramaic אַרְבַּע רוּחֵי שְׁמַיָּא (arba ruchei shemayya, "the four winds of heaven"); ruach ("wind, spirit") is a Hebrew and Aramaic double-meaning word: "wind" and "the Spirit of God" share the same term. "Four winds" means "a universal stirring." In apocalyptic literature, "four" is the number of "universality" (four directions, four corners, four living creatures, four horses; Rev 4:6, 7:1, 6:1-8 repeatedly). The narrator tells us that this "stirring of the nations" is no "human accident"; it is "the Spirit of God stirring the whole world." The rise and fall of the nations is rooted in "His Spirit at work stirring." This is the most dramatic picture of "God's sovereignty in history."
"The great sea," Aramaic יַמָּא רַבָּא (yamma rabba, "the great sea"). In ancient Near Eastern myth, the "sea" is "chaos, the power not bound by order." In the Babylonian creation myth Enuma Elish, Marduk conquers the sea-monster Tiamat; the "sea" is "the primeval, untamed hostility." Scripture overturns this image. Genesis 1:2, "the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters," shows that "His Spirit tames the waters," that His sovereignty reigns "over the sea." Daniel 7:2 takes up this image again: "the wind stirs the sea," the nations rise out of "chaos," yet "His Spirit is still stirring." "The nations may rage, but He has not lost control."
"Four great beasts came up from the sea," Aramaic חֵיוָן רַבְרְבָן סָלְקָן מִן־יַמָּא ("great beasts, came up, from the sea"). "Beast" and "sea," two "anti-images" laid one upon the other, let us see this: the empire that looks splendid to human eyes is, in God's sight, "a monster rising out of chaos." This forms the deepest contrast with the "splendid statue" Nebuchadnezzar saw in Daniel 2. The "golden head, silver chest" beauty in the pagan king's eyes becomes the "lion-bear-leopard-iron-tooth" terror in the prophet's eyes. "An earthly view and a heavenly view": the "true nature" of the nations is "beast," not "statue."
"Different from one another," Aramaic שָׁנְיָן דָּא מִן־דָּא (shanyan da min-da, "this one different from that one"). Each of the four beasts has a different form, preparing for the distinct traits of the four kingdoms below: the swiftness of the lion, the heaviness of the bear, the agility of the leopard, the terror of the iron-toothed beast. "Each nation has its own evil," yet "all are beasts." "Different in form, the same in nature."
7:4 "“The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made to stand on two feet as a man. A man’s heart was given to it."
Daniel 7:4（World English Bible）
"Lion, eagle's wings," Aramaic אַרְיֵה וְגַפִּין דִּי־נְשַׁר (aryeh ve-gappin di-neshar, "a lion, with eagle's wings"). This is "Babylon," the most certain correspondence. There are three reasons:
"Wings plucked, made to stand on two feet, given a man's heart" is the most dramatic stroke in the whole passage. Aramaic נְטִילַת גַּפַּיהּ וּנְטִילַת, a three-step transformation:
The narrator deliberately lets "Babylon," the first beast, carry the mark of "having already repented." What deep pastoral love this is. The first beast of the vision of the nations is not a "pure beast"; it is "a beast that God has made human." It tells the exiled people: "Even the most terrifying Babylon is in God's hands. He can give it a man's heart. The 'beastliness' of the nations is not their final nature. He can subdue it; He can redeem it."
7:5 "“Behold, there was another animal, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth. They said this to it: ‘Arise! Devour much flesh!’"
Daniel 7:5（World English Bible）
"Bear," Aramaic דֹּב (dov, "bear"). The bear is "heavier and slower" than the lion, but "stronger in raw power." This fits "Medo-Persia": vast armies (Xerxes' campaign against Greece numbered in the millions), heavy and lumbering in movement, yet "unstoppable." "The lion dies quickly, the bear endures long" — the contrast is especially deep: Babylon "shone for 70 years and fell," while Persia "was heavy yet endured 200-plus years." "Form determines lifespan."
"Raised up on one side," Aramaic לִשְׂטַר־חַד הֳקִמַת (li-stra chad hoqimat, "stood up on one side"), "higher on one side, lower on the other." This points to the imbalance within the "Mede-Persia" alliance, where "Persia was strong and Media weak." In Daniel 5:31 Darius the Mede first enters Babylon; Daniel 6:28 names "the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus," two kings standing together, with Persian Cyrus eventually dominant. "Raised up on one side" is the precise picture of this history: "two sides, but one rises up." Prophecy and history match completely.
"Three ribs," Aramaic תְּלָת עִלְעִין (telat il'in, "three ribs"). The traditional interpretation is three great conquests:
"Arise! Devour much flesh!" Aramaic קוּמִי אֲכֻלִי בְּשַׂר שַׂגִּיא ("arise, eat much flesh"). Who gives the command? The text does not say plainly, but the "passive voice, a divine command" clearly points to the arrangement of "the Most High." "The devouring of the nations is not self-generated; it is by His permission." "He sets the scope of the instrument of judgment." "He numbers the ribs." This is the deepest confession that "the expansion of the nations is under His sovereignty."
7:6 "“After this I saw, and behold, another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The animal also had four heads; and dominion was given to it."
Daniel 7:6（World English Bible）
"Leopard," Aramaic נְמַר (nemar, "leopard"). The leopard is the "most agile" of the beasts. Hosea 13:7 uses the leopard to picture the "speed" of judgment. The military conquest of "Alexander," who "swept across the entire Persian Empire in 13 years," was the fastest military expansion in human history; the "leopard's" speed corresponds precisely.
"Four wings," double the "two wings" of the first beast, "the speed of speed." Alexander's "lightning conquest," in 13 years spanning the three continents of Asia, Africa, and Europe, Hellenizing the whole Greek cultural sphere, was a speed without precedent.
"Four heads," Aramaic אַרְבְּעָה רֵאשִׁין (arba'ah reshin, "four heads"). Here is the precise point of the prophecy: Alexander died in 323 BC, and his successors (the Diadochi) divided the empire into four kingdoms:
"Dominion was given to it," Aramaic שָׁלְטָן יְהִיב לַהּ (shaltan yehiv lah, "dominion was given to it"), the passive voice. Once again, dominion is "given," not "seized." However heroically Alexander conquered, the "giver" is still "the Most High." "The most glorious human hero also receives passively," holding a station no higher than "a servant who passively receives a reward." This is the deepest irony aimed at "heroism."
7:7 "“After this I saw in the night visions, and, behold, there was a fourth animal, awesome and powerful, and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth. It devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet. It was different than all the animals that were before it. It had ten horns."
Daniel 7:7（World English Bible）
"Awesome and exceedingly strong," Aramaic דְּחִילָה וְאֵימְתָנִי וְתַקִּיפָא יַתִּירָא ("dreadful, terrifying, strong, beyond measure"), three adjectives stacked together. The first three beasts were compared only to real animals, "lion, bear, leopard." The fourth beast has "no real animal to compare it to"; it can only be described by the three-fold "awesome, terrifying, strong." This stroke stresses that "the fourth beast is fundamentally different from the first three," a "leap in kind." The first three are "known evil"; the fourth is "unknown evil."
"Iron teeth devouring, feet trampling," Aramaic שִׁנַּיִן דִּי־פַרְזֶל לַהּ ("iron teeth, great, eats, crushes"). "Iron" hooks back to the "iron legs" of the statue in Daniel 2:40. The two visions use the same iron image for the "fourth kingdom," surely no coincidence. "Iron" means "the hardest, the most crushing." "The first three beasts 'bite' with their teeth; the fourth beast 'devours and crushes' with iron teeth and 'tramples' with its feet." A double of "destruction and humiliation."
"Different from all the beasts before it," Aramaic מְשַׁנְּיָה מִן־כָּל־חֵיוָתָא דִּי קָדָמַהּ ("different from all the beasts before it"). A "break in the era." The fourth beast is "evil without precedent." The narrator deliberately marks a "break," preparing for the "end-time character" of the "little horn" below: "This is no ordinary empire; it is the harbinger of the last day."
"Ten horns," Aramaic קַרְנַיִן עֲשַׂר (qarnayin asar, "ten horns"). In apocalyptic literature "ten" = "the ultimate, the complete" (recurring in Rev 12:3, 13:1, 17:3, 17:12; "the beast with ten horns" is "the end-time political conglomerate"). "Ten kings" are the ten "derivative powers" springing from the fourth beast. Scholars hold two main interpretations:
7:8 "“I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots: and behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things."
Daniel 7:8（World English Bible）
"Little horn," Aramaic קֶרֶן זְעֵירָה (qeren ze'erah, "little horn"). "Little," at first drawing no notice, gradually grows and seizes the power of the other horns. Scholars hold two main interpretations:
"Three horns plucked up," Aramaic מִן־קַרְנַיָּא קַדְמָיָתָא אֶתְעֲקַרוּ מִן־קֳדָמַהּ ("the first horns, from before it, were plucked up by the roots"). "Three horns plucked up": before seizing power, Antiochus removed three rivals:
"Eyes and a mouth," Aramaic עַיְנִין כְּעַיְנֵי אֲנָשָׁא ("eyes like the eyes of a man, a mouth speaking great things"). "Eyes" mean "insight, scheming"; "mouth" means "speech, blasphemy." "The eyes of a man" carry the cunning of "human wisdom," laid over "beastliness." "Beast plus human wisdom" is "the most terrifying evil among men," the deepest anti-Christ image.
"Speaking great things," Aramaic רַבְרְבָן (ravreven, "great boasts"). This word recurs throughout Daniel 7-12 (7:8, 11, 20, 25; 8:11; 11:36-37) as the distinctive marker of "self-exaltation, blasphemy." It is fully in line with Isaiah 14:13-14, where the king of Babylon would "ascend to heaven, make himself equal with the Most High"; with Ezekiel 28:2, where the king of Tyre "makes himself like God"; and with 2 Thessalonians 2:4, where the man of sin "sits in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God." "The deepest evil" always carries a "presumptuous" mouth.
7:9 "“I watched until thrones were placed, and one who was ancient of days sat. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool. His throne was fiery flames, and its wheels burning fire." 7:10 "A fiery stream issued and came out from before him. Thousands of thousands ministered to him. Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The judgment was set. The books were opened."
Daniel 7:9（World English Bible）
This is the most glorious heavenly picture in the whole chapter, in the whole book of Daniel, in the whole Old Testament. The camera rises abruptly from the beasts in the sea below to heaven above: "thrones were set in place." In a single sentence the narrator completes the "leap from an earthly to a heavenly view," one of the most dramatic "perspective shifts" in all of biblical literature.
"Thrones were set in place," Aramaic כָּרְסָוָן רְמִיו (korsavan remiv, "thrones, set in place"), with "thrones" in the plural. Why? There are three main interpretations:
"Ancient of Days," Aramaic עַתִּיק יוֹמִין (Attiq Yomin, "the Ancient One of Days"), the rarest title for God in the whole Old Testament, appearing only in Daniel 7:9, 13, 22. It means "older than all days," "existing before time." This is fully in line with Psalm 90:2, "from everlasting to everlasting You are God," and Isaiah 41:4, "I am the first, and I am the last." This title deliberately stresses "His eternity": "the nations may change, but He does not change." "The lion rises, the bear rises, the leopard rises, the iron-toothed beast rises, the little horn rises; all these 'new risings' are before His face, and He is 'older' than them all." This is the deepest reverse comfort against the threat of the nations.
"Clothing white as snow, hair like pure wool," Aramaic לְבוּשֵׁהּ כִּתְלַג חִוָּר ("his clothing like snow, white, the hair like wool, pure"). "White" means "holiness, eternity"; "white hair" means "most ancient"; "snow, wool" means "without any impurity." These two images are directly inherited by the New Testament: Revelation 1:14, "His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow," almost word for word. But note: Revelation 1 applies this picture to the "Son of Man," while Daniel 7:9 applies it to the "Ancient of Days." This quotation in Revelation is the "interpenetration" of the "image of the Father" and the "image of the Son," and the deepest Old Testament root of the New Testament truth that "Father and Son share one deity" lies right here.
"Throne of fiery flames, its wheels burning fire," Aramaic כָּרְסְיֵהּ שְׁבִיבִין דִּי־נוּר ("his throne, flames of fire, wheels, burning fire"). The "wheels": the throne has wheels. This stroke directly hooks back to Ezekiel 1:15-21, "the four living creatures, the fiery wheels," the "moving throne" Ezekiel saw during the same exile period; it reappears here in Daniel 7:9. "His throne has wheels and can 'move.' He is not confined by the temple, nor confined by any place." This is the deepest Old Testament picture of "His reign even in the land of exile."
"A fiery stream issued from before Him," Aramaic נְהַר דִּי־נוּר נָגֵד ("a river of fire, flowing, out, from before Him"). The "river of fire" is "the cleansing power of judgment": like river water that "washes away filth," His holiness "burns away sin." This is fully in line with Isaiah 6:6-7, where "a burning coal touched the prophet's lips and his guilt was taken away"; with Malachi 3:2-3, where "He is like a refiner's soap, a silversmith's fire"; and with Hebrews 12:29, "our God is a consuming fire."
"Thousands of thousands, ten thousand times ten thousand," Aramaic אֶלֶף אַלְפִין יְשַׁמְּשׁוּנֵּהּ ("thousands of thousands minister, ten thousands stand"). "Thousands of thousands" means "millions," "ten thousand times ten thousand" means "tens of millions," the innumerable "armies of angels." This is fully in line with Psalm 68:17, "the chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands"; with Hebrews 12:22, "tens of thousands of angels"; and with Revelation 5:11, "thousands upon thousands of angels, their voices saying the Lamb is worthy." This is the picture of "heaven already full." "The earth may rage, but heaven is ordered and fully staffed." "The fullness of heaven and the emptiness of earth," the deepest contrast.
"The books were opened," Aramaic דִּינָא יְתִב וְסִפְרִין פְּתִיחוּ ("judgment, sat, books, opened"). The "books" are "the heavenly records of human deeds." This image is directly inherited by Revelation 20:12: "The dead stood before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books." The two passages picture the "last-day judgment" with striking similarity; Daniel 7 is the direct Old Testament root of the "New Testament last-day judgment."
7:11 "“I watched at that time because of the voice of the great words which the horn spoke. I watched even until the animal was slain, and its body destroyed, and it was given to be burned with fire." 7:12 "As for the rest of the animals, their dominion was taken away; yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time."
Daniel 7:11（World English Bible）
"The little horn speaks great boasts," Aramaic מִן־קָל מִלַּיָּא רַבְרְבָתָא (min-qal millayya ravrevata, "because of the voice of the great words"). Note that the narrator deliberately stresses: it is "slain because of the 'great boasts.'" Not because of "military force," not because of "political scheming," but because of "the boastful words," "the presumptuous mouth," "blasphemy." This is the deepest sin that "moves the Most High to judgment." It is fully in line with Isaiah 14:14, the king of Babylon's "I will ascend above the clouds, I will make myself like the Most High," and Ezekiel 28:2, the king of Tyre "making himself like God." "The presumption of the word" always "precedes the judgment of the body." "The word is the root of sin, and also the doorway of judgment."
"Body destroyed, given to be burned with fire," Aramaic וְהוּבַד גִּשְׁמַהּ וִיהִיבַת ("the body destroyed, given to the burning fire"). "Burned with fire" is the deepest Old Testament picture of the last-day "eternal fire." It is fully in line with Isaiah 66:24, "their worm will not die, and their fire will not be quenched"; with Matthew 25:41, "depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil"; and with Revelation 19:20, "these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur." The end of the "fourth beast and the little horn" directly foreshadows the end of the end-time antichrist: "the presumptuous one must enter the eternal fire."
"The rest of the beasts, their lives preserved," Aramaic וּשְׁאָר חֵיוָתָא הֶעְדִּיו ("the rest of the beasts, dominion taken away, lives prolonged"). This is a remarkable stroke. The first three beasts (lion, bear, leopard; Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece) have their dominion taken away, yet their "lives are still preserved" "for the appointed time." This means that the "culture, peoples, and influence" of the nations continue even after their "political power" ends. "Today's Iran is ancient Persia, today's Greece is ancient Greece, today's Iraq is ancient Babylon." The "peoples and cultures" remain, "until the appointed time."
"Until the appointed time and season," Aramaic עַד־זְמַן וְעִדָּן (ad-zeman ve-iddan, "until a time and a season"). "Time and season" prepares for the "time structure" of 7:25 below, "a time, times, and half a time." "He has an appointed time." "He governs the measure of time." "The nations may linger on, yet always 'within His time.'"
7:13 "“I saw in the night visions, and behold, there came with the clouds of the sky one like a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him."
Daniel 7:13（World English Bible）
This is the most important messianic prophecy in the whole Old Testament, the central summit of the entire book of Daniel, and the direct Old Testament root of the title "Son of Man" that appears 80-plus times in the New Testament. In a single verse the narrator changes the eschatological shape of the whole Bible and prepares all the core of the New Testament identity of "Christ."
"One like a son of man," Aramaic כְּבַר אֱנָשׁ (ke-Bar Enash, "like a son of man"). "Bar Enash" means "son of man," that is, "a human being." Note: the Aramaic "Son of Man" differs in form from the Hebrew "son of man" (Ben Adam, which Ezekiel repeatedly uses of himself), but the meanings overlap; both refer to "a human." The key lies in "like" (ke). It does not simply say "Son of Man"; it says "one like a son of man." Why? Because "this one" is human in form, yet "comes with the clouds of heaven," so His "function is not merely human." "He is 'like' a man, yet 'more than' a man." This is the deepest Old Testament foreshadowing of the doctrine of "two natures," "fully man and fully 'beyond man.'" The New Testament truth that "Christ is true man and true God" is rooted in these three words, "like a son of man."
"Coming with the clouds of heaven," Aramaic עִם־עֲנָנֵי שְׁמַיָּא (im-ananei shemayya, "with the clouds of heaven"). "Coming on the clouds" is the most glorious use of the "cloud" image in the whole Old Testament. In the Old Testament the "cloud" means "the presence of God":
The Lord Jesus's most dramatic self-confession, Mark 14:62 and Matthew 26:64: when the high priest asks, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?", the Lord answers, "I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven." The Lord deliberately merges two Old Testament passages: Psalm 110:1, "sit at my right hand," and Daniel 7:13, "coming with the clouds." This composite of "the two core messianic passages" means "He declares Himself to be 'the Son of Man who comes on the clouds.'" "He directly confesses that He is this very one." Why did the high priest at that moment "tear his clothes" and cry "He has spoken blasphemy"? Because the Jews fully understood Daniel 7:13. "Coming on the clouds" means "God." "This man confesses Himself to be God." This is the most dramatic moment of the Lord Jesus "claiming His own deity," and it is rooted in Daniel 7:13.
Other major New Testament echoes:
"Brought before the Ancient of Days," Aramaic וְעַד־עַתִּיק יוֹמַיָּא מְטָה ("to the Ancient of Days, He came, before Him, He was brought near"). "Coming, being brought." This "Son of Man" does not "come of His own accord"; He is "led forward," there is "a guide." Who guides? The text does not say plainly; it could be "an angel" or "the invitation of the Ancient of Days Himself." The key lies in the "two persons face to face": the "Son of Man" and the "Ancient of Days," "two persons." At this moment, the "face to face of the two persons, Father and Son," is the deepest "two-person" picture in the whole Old Testament, foreshadowing the New Testament "two persons of Father and Son," one of the Old Testament roots of the "Trinity."
7:14 "Dominion was given him, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which will not pass away, and his kingdom that which will not be destroyed."
Daniel 7:14（World English Bible）
"Dominion, glory, kingdom," Aramaic שָׁלְטָן וִיקָר וּמַלְכוּ (shaltan vi-yqar u-malkhu, "dominion, honor, kingdom"), a triple gift. The first three beasts receive only "dominion" (shaltan); the fourth beast receives "dominion and strength." But the "Son of Man" receives a "triple gift": "dominion, glory, kingdom," the "complete ruler." "Glory" is used of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 2:37, "He has given you the kingdom, the power, the might, and the honor"; in Daniel 7:14, "what was once given to Nebuchadnezzar is today given to the Son of Man, and 'forever.'" "The fleeting glory of the kings of the nations and the everlasting glory of the Son of Man," the deepest contrast.
"All peoples, nations, and languages serve him," Aramaic כֹּל עַמְמַיָּא אֻמַּיָּא ("all peoples, nations, languages, serve him"), a triple of peoples. This is the core triad of the book of Daniel: "all peoples, nations, and languages" (or "all peoples, nations, and tongues"), recurring 7 times across Daniel 3:4, 3:7, 3:29, 4:1, 5:19, 6:25, 7:14. The first 6 times are all used of "a pagan king's command to all peoples" ("a proclamation to all to worship the golden image," "a proclamation to all of what I have done"). At the 7th occurrence, in 7:14, the "dominion of the Son of Man" appears: "the vain proclamations of the kings of the nations all give way to the true rule of the Son of Man." "The pagan kings say 'proclamation,' mere empty words; the Son of Man 'receives,' and that alone is real." This is the deepest contrast between "empty words and reality."
"Serve," Aramaic פְּלַח (pelach, "serve, worship"). In Aramaic this word carries a double meaning: "to labor for someone" and "to worship." Daniel 3:12-18 uses the same word for the three friends who "do not serve the golden image"; in 7:14, "serving the Son of Man" includes "worship." "The Son of Man receives the 'worship' of all." Note: in the Old Testament, "worship" belongs only to God. A man who accepts worship is presumptuous (Acts 12:23, Herod struck by worms); "an angel does not accept worship" (Rev 22:9); the Lord Himself says, "you shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only" (Matt 4:10). In Daniel 7:14, "the Son of Man accepts 'worship,'" a direct confession that "the Son of Man is God." This is the deepest Old Testament confession of "the deity of the Son of Man," laid over the "coming on the clouds" of 7:13 and the "head white as snow" image, completing the argument that "the Son of Man is God."
"His dominion and kingdom will not be destroyed," Aramaic שָׁלְטָנֵהּ שָׁלְטָן עָלַם ("his dominion, an everlasting dominion, which will not pass away, his kingdom, which will not be destroyed"). "Everlasting, indestructible." This is the deepest reversal of the "fourth beast and the first three beasts." The first three beasts had their "dominion taken away," the fourth beast had its "body destroyed and thrown into the fire," and all the kingdoms of the nations are "destroyed"; but the kingdom of the Son of Man "will not be destroyed." This is fully in line with Daniel 2:44, "this kingdom will stand forever and will not be left to another people"; with Daniel 4:34, "His kingdom is everlasting"; and with Revelation 11:15, "the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever." This is "His kingdom will not be destroyed," the deepest hope of the saints.
7:15 "“As for me, Daniel, my spirit was grieved within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me." 7:16 "I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth concerning all this. “So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things."
Daniel 7:15（World English Bible）
"Spirit grieved, visions troubling," Aramaic אֶתְכְּרִיַּת רוּחִי (etkriyat ruchi, "my spirit, grieved"). "Spirit grieved" means "deep-seated unease." The prophet sees a glorious picture, yet his response is not "joy" but "grief." Why? Because, though the vision reaches a "glorious summit," its "process is full of beastliness, suffering, and the trampling of the saints." "The receiving is certain, yet the 'passing through' is hard." The prophet's grief is grief "borne for the saints of the future."
"Those who stood by," Aramaic חַד מִן־קָאֲמַיָּא (chad min-qa'amayya, "one of those standing"). The "standing ones" are "angels," hooking back to 7:10, "ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him." The prophet "enters the vision," "drawing near" the angels standing in heaven. "The vision is not watched from outside; the prophet himself 'enters' the picture." This is the special experience of "vantage and participation" in apocalyptic literature.
7:17 "‘These great animals, which are four, are four kings, who will arise out of the earth." 7:18 "But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.’"
Daniel 7:17（World English Bible）
"Four kings," Aramaic אַרְבְּעָה מַלְכִין (arba'ah malkhin, "four kings"). The angel says "kings" rather than "kingdoms." "Kings" mean "kingdoms," the ancient Near Eastern thinking in which "the king represents the kingdom." The key: "will arise." For Daniel, the first one (Babylon) is already the present; the latter three "will" arise. The prophet stands in the "present" and looks at the "future," with the whole history of the nations "laid open in His hands."
"The saints of the Most High," Aramaic קַדִּישֵׁי עֶלְיוֹנִין (Qaddishei Elyonin, "the saints of the Most High"). "Elyonin" ("Most High") is in the plural (an Aramaic reverential usage, similar to the majestic plural of the Hebrew Elohim); "saints" means "the consecrated people," "those set apart for Him." This title recurs throughout Daniel 7 (7:18, 21, 22, 25, 27). The "saints" are "the faithful remnant who trust in Him," directly foreshadowing the New Testament "saints" (hagioi, used repeatedly in Paul's letters: Rom 1:7; 1 Cor 1:2; Eph 1:1). The New Testament counterpart of the "saints" is "the church," all those who are "justified by faith and set apart as holy." This is the deepest Old Testament root of "the church."
"Will receive the kingdom and possess it," Aramaic וִיקַבְּלוּן מַלְכוּתָא (vi-yqabblun malkhuta, "they will receive the kingdom"). "Receiving the kingdom": the "saints" act as "heirs." "The kingdom does not belong to themselves; it is 'received.'" This is fully in line with the New Testament Romans 8:17, "if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ," and Matthew 25:34, "come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." "The Son of Man receives the kingdom," and "the saints receive it together with the Son of Man." "The Son of Man reigns, the saints reign with Him," the direct Old Testament root of the New Testament "sharing in Christ's glory."
"Forever and ever," Aramaic עַד־עָלְמָא וְעַד עָלַם עָלְמַיָּא ("to forever, to forever and ever"). "Forever and ever," the superlative of forever. It is fully the same as Revelation 11:15, "forever and ever," and Revelation 22:5, "they will reign forever and ever." "The saints' receiving of the kingdom" is greater than "the fleeting span of the nations" by "forever and ever."
7:19 "“Then I desired to know the truth concerning the fourth animal, which was different than all of them, exceedingly terrible, whose teeth were of iron, and its nails of brass; which devoured, broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet;" 7:20 "and concerning the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, and before which three fell, even that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spoke great things, whose look was more stout than its fellows." 7:21 "I saw, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them," 7:22 "until the ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High, and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom."
Daniel 7:19（World English Bible）
"Iron teeth, bronze nails," Aramaic שִׁנַּיהּ דִּי־פַרְזֶל וְטִפְרַיהּ דִּי־נְחָשׁ ("iron teeth, bronze nails"). Beyond the "iron teeth" of 7:7, this adds "bronze nails." "Iron and bronze" hook back to the "gold, silver, bronze, iron" of the statue in Daniel 2:32-33. The "fourth beast" is both the "iron legs" and the "bronze belly," a fusion of two kingdoms. This means the fourth beast is not only "Rome" but also includes "the continuation of Greece," structural support for the "two-tiered application."
"Made war with the saints, prevailed against them," Aramaic עָבְדָה קְרָב עִם־קַדִּישִׁין ("made war with the saints, prevailed over them"). This is the most weighty stroke of the whole passage. The saints "are prevailed against," the reality of "defeat." "In history the saints will pass through being 'trampled.'" This matches word for word the New Testament Revelation 13:7, "it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them," yet it also carries the deepest comfort: this "prevailing" is "temporary." By 7:22, "the Ancient of Days comes to render judgment, and the saints receive the kingdom." "Defeat" is only "the waiting before victory."
"The Ancient of Days comes to vindicate the saints," Aramaic דִּינָא יְהִב לְקַדִּישֵׁי עֶלְיוֹנִין ("judgment given to the saints of the Most High"). "Judgment is given to the saints": "the saints also share in judging." This is fully in line with the New Testament 1 Corinthians 6:2, "do you not know that the saints will judge the world?", and Revelation 20:4, "I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom authority to judge was given." "The saints judge together with the Son of Man," the direct Old Testament root of the New Testament "reigning with Christ."
"The time came that the saints possessed the kingdom," Aramaic וְזִמְנָא מְטָה וּמַלְכוּתָא ("the time came, and the saints received the kingdom"). "The time came": "the waiting has an end point." This is the deepest promise to "the waiting saints": "though they wait, 'the time will come.'" It is fully in line with Isaiah 40:31, "those who wait for the Lord will renew their strength," and Galatians 6:9, "let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up."
7:23 "“Thus he said, ‘The fourth animal will be a fourth kingdom on earth, which will be different than all the kingdoms, and will devour the whole earth, and will tread it down, and break it in pieces." 7:24 "As for the ten horns, ten kings will arise out of this kingdom. Another will arise after them; and he will be different than the former, and he will put down three kings." 7:25 "He will speak words against the Most High, and will wear out the saints of the Most High. He will plan to change the times and the law; and they will be given into his hand until a time and times and half a time."
Daniel 7:23（World English Bible）
"Devour the whole earth," Aramaic תֵּאכֻל כָּל־אַרְעָא (tekhul kol-ar'a, "devour the whole earth"). "The whole earth" means "universality." The "domain" of the fourth beast is wider than the first three: "devouring the whole earth," Rome's Mediterranean world, and the "global" rule of the end-time antichrist, a two-tiered application.
"He will speak words against the Most High," Aramaic וּמִלִּין לְצַד עִלָּאָה יְמַלִּל ("words, against the Most High, he will speak"). "Speaking great boasts against the Most High," "raving directly against heaven." This is the deepest expression of "presumption," deeper than Nebuchadnezzar's boast, "is this not great Babylon, which I have built?" (Dan 4:30). "Raving against the Most High," "openly challenging God," is the deepest mark of the end-time antichrist.
"Wear out the saints of the Most High," Aramaic וּלְקַדִּישֵׁי עֶלְיוֹנִין יְבַלֵּא (u-le-Qaddishei Elyonin yevalle, "the saints of the Most High, he will wear out"). "Wear out" (yevalle), literally "to wear down, to consume," means "slowly consuming the faith of the saints." "It is not a single massacre, but a 'day after day' pressure." This is fully in line with the New Testament Revelation 13:10, "if anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword he must be slain. Here is the endurance and faith of the saints." "Endurance" means "being slowly worn down without changing one's heart," the deepest character of the "end-time saints."
"Change the times and the law," Aramaic וְיִסְבַּר לְהַשְׁנָיָה זִמְנִין וְדָת ("he will think to change the times, the law"). "Times" means "the times of worship," "law" means "the content of worship." The end-time antichrist "changes worship," using "his own festivals, his own law" to replace the worship of the true God. This is the deepest persecution at the "spiritual level." Antiochus IV's "forcing the Jews to eat pork, setting up an image of Zeus in the temple, banning the Sabbath, banning circumcision" fulfills word for word "change the times and the law," and the "global religious unification" of the end-time antichrist is the eschatological escalation of the same prophecy.
"A time, times, and half a time," Aramaic עִדָּן וְעִדָּנִין וּפְלַג עִדָּן ("a time, times, and half a time"), = the 3.5 period. This number recurs throughout Daniel and Revelation: Daniel 7:25, Daniel 12:7, Revelation 11:2-3, Revelation 12:6, 14, Revelation 13:5, again and again as "3.5 / 1,260 days / 42 months," all meaning "a limited period of persecution." "3.5" = "half of 7," meaning "half of the complete period." "Persecution does not reach 'completeness'; only to the 'halfway point,' and then it is cut short." This is the deepest eschatological comfort that "suffering is limited."
From Antiochus IV desecrating the temple (winter 167 BC) to Judas Maccabeus cleansing the temple (winter 164 BC) is about three years and more, close to the "3.5 period." To this day the Jews commemorate it as the "Feast of Dedication" (Hanukkah, around December, "the lights of the temple's dedication"). The "already fulfilled" of the "3.5 period" and the "future fulfillment" of the last-day "antichrist persecution" form an "already / not yet" two-tiered fulfillment.
7:26 "“‘But the judgment will be set, and they will take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it to the end." 7:27 "The kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole sky, will be given to the people of the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions will serve and obey him.’"
Daniel 7:26（World English Bible）
"The judgment will be set," Aramaic וְדִינָא יִתִּב (ve-dina yittiv, "the judgment sits"), hooking back to 7:9-10, "He sat to render judgment, and the books were opened." Judgment "sits down": "the judicial proceeding formally begins," the picture of "the court convening." "Judgment will in the end 'sit,' will 'convene,' will be 'made public.'" "The waiting has its season, but there comes a moment when judgment sits down."
"Dominion taken away, consumed, destroyed, to the end," Aramaic שָׁלְטָנֵהּ יְהַעְדּוֹן לְהַשְׁמָדָה ("his dominion, taken away, to destruction, annihilation, to the end"), a four-fold. "Taken away, consumed, destroyed, to the end," "utterly, utterly, utterly." "The kingdom of the antichrist has no road back," "complete annihilation." This is fully in line with Revelation 19:20-21, "the beast and the false prophet were captured and thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur," and Revelation 20:10, "they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."
"The kingdom, the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole sky will be given to the saints of the Most High," Aramaic וּמַלְכוּתָה וְשָׁלְטָנָא וּרְבוּתָא ("the kingdom, the dominion, the greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven, given to the saints of the Most High"). "Kingdom, dominion, greatness," a triple. This echoes the triple of 7:14, where the Son of Man "receives dominion, glory, and a kingdom." "The Son of Man receives a triple, the saints receive a triple." "The Son of Man reigns, the saints share in it," the deepest Old Testament root of "sharing in Christ's glory" (Rom 8:17).
"His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom," Aramaic מַלְכוּתֵהּ מַלְכוּת עָלַם (malkhuteh malkhut alam, "his kingdom, an everlasting kingdom"). "His kingdom": does "His" here refer to "the Most High" or to "the Son of Man"? Both, "as one." For "the kingdom of the Son of Man" is "the kingdom of the Most High." "Father and Son share one kingdom." "The kingdom is His, and the saints', and the Son of Man's," a "triple receiving," in "complete unity." The New Testament Revelation 11:15, "the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever," directly takes up this line.
"All dominions will serve and obey Him," Aramaic וְכֹל שָׁלְטָנַיָּא לֵהּ ("all dominions, serve and obey Him"). "All dominions": "the kings of the nations before, the first three beasts, the fourth beast, all 'serve' and 'obey' the Son of Man." This is the final resolution of the whole vision: "at first the 'kings of the nations' 'exalt themselves'; in the end 'all' 'bow down' and serve." It is fully in line with Philippians 2:10-11, "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord." "The universal bowing of the whole cosmos at the last day" is rooted in Daniel 7:27.
7:28 "“Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts much troubled me, and my face was changed in me; but I kept the matter in my heart.”"
Daniel 7:28（World English Bible）
"Here is the end," Aramaic עַד־כָּה סוֹפָא דִי־מִלְּתָא (ad-kah sofa di-milleta, "here, the end of the matter"). "The end of the matter," the formal conclusion of Daniel 7, and also the conclusion of the "Aramaic section" (2:4b-7:28). The narrator uses "end" to hook the close of the "Aramaic section"; from the next chapter, Daniel 8, the text returns to Hebrew, and the "Israel-centered visions" begin.
"Troubled in heart, face changed," Aramaic רַעְיוֹנַי שַׂגִּיא יְבַהֲלֻנַּנִי ("my thoughts, many, troubled me, my countenance, changed, upon me"). The prophet's physical reaction. Seeing both glory and cruelty, "his thoughts are troubled, his countenance changes." "The vision has weight." It is not an "entertaining picture"; it is a "reality to be carried." This is fully in line with Daniel 8:27, "I fainted and was sick for some days," and Daniel 10:8, "my face turned deathly pale, and I had no strength." The prophet who carries the vision "pays a price in body and spirit."
"Kept the matter in his heart," Aramaic וּמִלְּתָא בְּלִבִּי נִטְרֵת (u-milleta be-libbi nitret, "the matter, in my heart, I kept"). "Kept," "guarded, preserved." Though the prophet trembled, he "did not forget"; he "kept it in his heart, waiting for the 'fulfillment.'" This is fully in line with Luke 2:19, "Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart." "Keeping" is "the preparation of faith": "when the time comes, the 'vision' and the 'event' correspond, and faith is confirmed."
The narrator uses "keeping" to close the whole chapter, and this is also the "key" of the whole book of Daniel: "the task of the believer is to 'keep,' to store His promise 'in the heart,' until 'the fulfillment comes.'" This is the deepest practice of "the theology of waiting," and the deepest exhortation a pastor can offer to "the saints in tribulation" today.
| Term | Aramaic / Hebrew | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ancient of Days | עַתִּיק יוֹמִין | Attiq Yomin | "The Ancient One of Days," the title of God's eternality; appears only in Dan 7:9, 13, 22 in the whole Old Testament |
| Son of Man | בַּר אֱנָשׁ | Bar Enash | "Son of man," the Aramaic form; Hebrew Ben Adam; Christ's most important self-designation |
| Like | כְּ | ke | "Like / as," the key preposition of Dan 7:13; "like a man" yet "more than a man" |
| With the clouds of heaven | עִם־עֲנָנֵי שְׁמַיָּא | im-ananei shemayya | "With heaven's clouds," cloud = the mark of God's presence; "coming on the clouds = divinity" |
| Saints of the Most High | קַדִּישֵׁי עֶלְיוֹנִין | Qaddishei Elyonin | "The saints of the Most High," plural Elyonin = majestic plural; the saints = the Old Testament root of the New Testament "church" |
| Great boasts | רַבְרְבָן | ravreven | "Great / presumptuous," recurring throughout Dan 7-12, the marker of the presumptuous mouth |
| A time, times, half a time | עִדָּן וְעִדָּנִין וּפְלַג עִדָּן | (transliteration omitted) | "Time + times + half a time," the 3.5 period, the limited duration of persecution |
| Judgment | דִּינָא | dina | "Verdict / court," recurring in Dan 7:10, 22, 26, the last-day court |
| Fourth beast | חֵיוְתָא רְבִיעָאָה | cheyveta revi'a'ah | "The fourth beast," Rome / end-time antichrist, two-tiered application |
| Those who stood by | קָאֲמַיָּא | qa'amayya | "Standing ones" = angels, the picture of "attending," the heavenly council |
| The abomination that makes desolate | הַשִּׁקּוּץ מְשׁוֹמֵם | ha-shiqqutz meshomem | Embryonic in Dan 7:25, complete in Dan 9:27, 11:31, 12:11; Antiochus + last-day, two-tiered |
| Kingdom | מַלְכוּ | malkhu | "Rule / sovereignty," the Son of Man receives + the saints receive + forever |
Daniel 7 is a "classic sample" of "apocalyptic literature," with the following key system of symbols.
| Symbol | Meaning | Biblical Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Sea | Chaos / the nations / the human world not yet under order | Gen 1:2; Isa 17:12-13; Rev 17:15 |
| Wind | The Spirit of God / the stirring force of history | Ezek 37:9; John 3:8; Acts 2:2 |
| Beast | The nations / a regime hostile to God | Dan 7:3-7; Rev 13:1-2 |
| Horn | Kingship / power | Deut 33:17; 1 Sam 2:1, 10; Rev 17:12 |
| Eye | Insight / wisdom | Zech 4:10; Rev 5:6 |
| Mouth / word | Judgment / creation / the root of sin | Gen 1:3; Matt 12:34-37; Rev 19:15 |
| Fire | Judgment / holiness / cleansing | Ex 24:17; Deut 4:24; Heb 12:29 |
| Cloud | The presence of God / the mark of divinity | Ex 13:21; 1 Kings 8:10; Dan 7:13 |
| White robe / white hair | Eternity / holiness / most ancient | Dan 7:9; Rev 1:14; Rev 7:9 |
| Throne | Rule / judgment | 1 Kings 22:19; Isa 6:1; Rev 4:2 |
| Books | The book of life / the record of deeds | Dan 7:10; Mal 3:16; Rev 20:12 |
The first year of Belshazzar (553 BC). Belshazzar was the eldest son of Nabonidus (Nabonidus, the last king of Neo-Babylon), a "co-regent king." Nabonidus long resided at Tema (Teima) in Arabia, leaving Belshazzar in Babylon as "acting regent." At that time Neo-Babylon was already in decline, the Mede-Persia alliance to the north was rising, and Cyrus was gathering strength; 14 years later (539 BC) he would breach the city of Babylon. Daniel, standing in the "decline of Neo-Babylon," sees "the future Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome." This vision carries "the true weight of 'prophecy.'"
Scholars hold two main mainstream interpretations.
Both interpretations have biblical-theological and historical reasons. The evangelical tradition holds to View 2, mainly for these reasons:
Eight fragmentary scrolls of the book of Daniel were found at Qumran:
The earliest manuscript dates to about 125 BC, only 40 years from the Maccabean period (165 BC). The "Maccabean authorship" school faces a major challenge: in such a short time, how could the book of Daniel have been "recognized as 'canonical'" and also "regarded by the Qumran community as the key to end-time prophecy"? This is the Dead Sea Scrolls' deepest challenge to the "late authorship" school.
The division between the "Aramaic section and the Hebrew section" in the Qumran fragments fully matches the Masoretic Text. The "bilingual layout" is not a "later editorial" feature; it is the "original structure."
Daniel 7 is the "highest expression" of this theme. Earlier, 4:17, 25, 32 (Nebuchadnezzar) + 4:34-35 ("His kingdom is everlasting") + 5:21 (Belshazzar, "the Most High rules in the kingdom of men") lead up to 7:14, "the Son of Man receives the kingdom, His kingdom will not be destroyed," the "complete eschatological expression" of "the Most High reigns." He does "not only 'raise up and bring down the nations'"; in the end He gives the kingdom "to His own Son of Man and to the saints." "The sovereignty over the nations" is elevated into "the messianic kingdom."
Daniel 7 stands alongside Daniel 2 as the "two great visions" of "the predetermined end." Daniel 2 uses "the stone smashing the statue"; Daniel 7 uses "the Son of Man coming on the clouds to receive the kingdom." The "two images" point to "the same end": "the kingdom of the Son of Man will come, and the nations will end." The Son of Man is that stone (compare Matthew 21:42-44, "the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone... the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces," where the Lord directly makes a double reference to Daniel 2 and Daniel 7).
Daniel 7:25, "a time, times, and half a time," + 7:21, "made war with the saints and prevailed against them," + 7:22, "the Ancient of Days vindicates them, and the time comes for the saints to receive the kingdom," show that "suffering is limited and hope reaches to the end." This stands together with Daniel 12:1-3, "there will be great distress, the saints will be saved, and many who sleep will rise," the "two great summits" of the "theology of suffering."
This is the most theological issue of the whole chapter, and one of the direct Old Testament roots of the New Testament doctrine of the "Trinity."
Daniel 7:9-10 depicts the "Ancient of Days": "clothing white as snow, hair like pure wool, fiery throne, fiery wheels, thousands of thousands ministering." This is the clearest picture of the "image of the Father" in "the whole Old Testament." This picture is directly inherited by the New Testament:
Daniel 7:13-14 depicts "one like a son of man": "coming with the clouds of heaven, before the Ancient of Days, receiving dominion, glory, and a kingdom, all peoples, nations, and languages serving Him, never to be destroyed." This is the clearest picture of the "image of the Son" in "the whole Old Testament." This picture is directly confessed by the Lord Himself and inherited by the New Testament:
Daniel 7:13, "brought before the Ancient of Days," "two persons" face to face, the "dual-person" picture of "Father and Son." This is the deepest Old Testament confession of the New Testament "Trinity."
But note: Daniel 7 does not explicitly show "the Holy Spirit." Yet some scholars see in Daniel 7:2, "the four winds of heaven," a metaphor for "the Holy Spirit" ("wind" = ruach = "Spirit," and "stirring history" is "the work of the Holy Spirit"). This reading is not the consensus of all schools, but with "the wind stirring" and "the two persons face to face," the faint framework of "three persons" already appears.
The "Son of Man" "has the form of a man," yet shares the "same image" as the Ancient of Days (Rev 1:14, "hair white as snow," applied to the Son of Man), accepts "worship" (a word that belongs only to God), and receives "the everlasting kingdom" (a kingdom that belongs only to God). All of this "points to His deity," completing the argument that "the Son of Man is God."
This density of divinity prepares for the New Testament: John 1:1-3, "in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God"; Colossians 1:15-17, "the beloved Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn, before all creation"; Hebrews 1:8, "of the Son He says, 'Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.'" "The deity of the Son," all the New Testament arguments, are rooted entirely in Daniel 7.
This is the most dramatic New Testament fulfillment of this chapter, and the most direct "already fulfilled" of the "Son of Man" prophecy.
Place: the house of the high priest in Jerusalem Time: spring AD 30/33, the night before the Passover (the night before the Lord's passion) People: Caiaphas (the high priest), the Sanhedrin (Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes), the Lord Jesus
Again the high priest asked Him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" Jesus said, "I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."
At that moment the Lord made the most dramatic "self-confession" of His whole ministry. For the previous three and a half years, the Lord repeatedly avoided "directly claiming to be the Messiah," the "messianic secret" ("tell no one"; Mark 8:30; 9:9, repeatedly). At this moment, facing "the judgment of death," the Lord "directly confesses that He is the one."
Note: the Lord deliberately "merges" two core messianic passages:
"Sitting at the right hand" (Ps 110) and "coming with the clouds" (Dan 7), the two "deepest messianic images," combined and applied to Himself. This is the clearest and most dramatic moment of the "Lord confessing that He is 'the one.'"
The high priest tore his clothes and said, "Why do we still need witnesses? You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?"
They all condemned Him as deserving death.
Why "tear his clothes" and call it "blasphemy"? Because the Jews fully understood Daniel 7:13. "Coming on the clouds" means "God." "This man claims to be the 'Son of Man who comes on the clouds,' which means 'He is God,' 'blasphemy.'" This is precisely the high priest "understanding" the Lord's words, "openly acknowledging that what the Lord said is indeed 'He is God.'" Though the Jews "did not accept" it, their "understanding was not wrong."
At this moment the Lord, "for this one sentence, was willing to 'be condemned to death.'" "The Son of Man comes on the clouds," "He was willing to die 'for confessing His deity.'" This is the deepest "self-confession of deity by the Lord" in the whole of the Gospels: "because He said 'He is the Son of Man who comes on the clouds,' He was crucified."
All the New Testament prophecies of "the coming of the Son of Man" hook to this moment: the Lord's "first coming" is as "the trampled Son of Man," and His "second coming" is as "the Son of Man who comes on the clouds." Two comings, the same Son of Man, "first emptying Himself, then receiving the kingdom," precisely the full picture of Philippians 2:6-11, "emptying Himself, then exalted."
Today, when we "confess the Lord," we confess Him as "the Son of Man who comes on the clouds," we confess Him as "the true God." This "confession," like the Lord's, has "a cost," has "persecution," but "at the last day, we too will share His kingdom with Him." This is the deepest "faith" of "confession."
| Daniel 7 | New Testament Echo | Connection |
|---|---|---|
| 7:9 clothing white as snow / hair like wool | Rev 1:14, head and hair white / like snow | The "image of the Ancient of Days" applied to the risen Christ, "the interpenetration of Father-Son deity" |
| 7:9 fiery throne / fiery wheels | Rev 4:5, seven fiery lamps before the throne + 20:11, the great white throne | The direct Old Testament root of "the last-day court" |
| 7:10 the books opened | Rev 20:12, the books opened + the book of life | The classic picture of the last-day judgment |
| 7:10 thousands of thousands standing | Rev 5:11, thousands upon thousands of angels + Heb 12:22 | The full staffing picture of the angelic armies |
| 7:13 coming with the clouds | Mark 14:62 + Matt 26:64 (the Lord's self-confession) + Matt 24:30 + Rev 1:7 + Rev 14:14 | The single root of the whole New Testament's "the Lord's return" prophecy |
| 7:13 one like a son of man | The Gospels 80+ times, the Lord's self-designation "Son of Man" | The Lord's most frequent self-designation, rooted in Daniel 7 |
| 7:14 receives dominion / kingdom / never destroyed | Matt 28:18, "all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me" + Rev 11:15 | The authority declaration of the risen Christ |
| 7:14 all peoples, nations, languages serve Him | Phil 2:10-11 + Rev 5:13 + Rev 7:9 | Universal worship |
| 7:18 the saints receive the kingdom | Luke 12:32, "it is the Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom" + Rom 8:17 + Matt 25:34 | "The saints receive the kingdom," the elevation of the New Testament "inheriting the land" |
| 7:21 made war with the saints / prevailed | Rev 13:7, "made war with the saints + conquered them" | The prophecy of the saints being "temporarily prevailed against" at the last day |
| 7:22 judgment given to the saints | 1 Cor 6:2, "the saints will judge the world" + Rev 20:4 | "The saints judge together," reigning with Christ at the last day |
| 7:25 change the times and the law | Matt 24:15, "the abomination that makes desolate" + 2 Thess 2:4 | The deepest "spiritual persecution" of the end-time antichrist |
| 7:25 a time, times, half a time | Rev 11:2-3 + Rev 12:6, 14 + Rev 13:5 | 3.5 / 1,260 days / 42 months, "suffering is limited" |
| 7:27 the kingdom given to the saints | Rev 22:5, "they will reign forever and ever" | The deepest promise of the saints reigning with Christ |
| Point | Scripture | Revelation |
|---|---|---|
| God is King over the nations | 7:14, 27 | "Received dominion, glory, and a kingdom"; the rise and fall of the nations is all in His hands |
| History seen from heaven's view | 7:3-7 | To human eyes a "golden-headed statue," to heaven's eyes "lion-bear-leopard-beast"; "human wisdom and God's view" |
| Suffering is limited | 7:25 | "A time, times, and half a time"; He sets a time limit on persecution |
| Judgment established | 7:9-10, 26 | "Thrones set in place, the books opened"; the last-day court will surely convene |
| The deity of the Son of Man | 7:13-14 | "Coming with the clouds, accepting worship," "like a man" yet "enjoying God's presence" |
| The saints receive the kingdom | 7:18, 22, 27 | "The saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom, forever and ever," the deepest hope of believers |
| Foreshadowing of the Trinity | 7:9-10, 13-14 | "The Ancient of Days + one like a son of man," two persons face to face, the Old Testament root of the New Testament Father-Son relationship |
| Presumption must fall | 7:8, 11, 25 | "Speaking great boasts, the little horn slain because of its great boasts," the presumption of speech = the doorway of judgment |