Daniel 7
The Four Great Beasts:
What or Who Are They?A VERY Controversial Study!
Lorraine Day, M.D.
“It is supposed and taught by many students of prophecy that Nebuchadnezzar’s vision of the great metallic image (Daniel, Chapter 2), and Daniel’s vision of the four wild beasts (Daniel, Chapter 7) represent the same kingdoms: the head of gold is identical with the lion with vulture’s (not eagle’s) wings, that is Babylon; the chest and arms of silver and the bear stand for the Medo-Persian empire; the belly and thighs of copper with the leopardess are to be taken for Greece; the legs of iron and feet of iron and clay are the same fourth monster with iron teeth, copper claws and ten horns.” Concordant Studies in the Book of Daniel, p 165
But further, in-depth study suggests strongly that these beasts do NOT represent the same political kingdoms represented by the metallic image of Daniel, Chapter 2. Here are the reasons:
1. These kingdoms are not consecutive. They do not follow one after another as do the political kingdoms in Daniel 2. The following verses show this to be true.
In verses 11 and 12 it is revealed that ALL four of the beasts persist to the end of time (Verse 13 – “the Son of man comes in the clouds”) and the first three beasts survive longer than the fourth beast.
Verse 11 I beheld then because of the sound of pompous words which the horn (of the fourth beast) spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.
Verse 12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away; yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.
2. Daniel does not understand the meaning of this vision given in Daniel 7
Verse 15 I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.
Verse 16 I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made known to me the interpretation of the things.
In Daniel Chapter 2, Daniel had told King Nebuchadnezzar the facts of the dream that the king had forgotten, as well as the interpretation of the king’s dream. Daniel understood all of the information of that dream very well.
But when Daniel saw the beasts, he obviously did NOT recognize any similarity to the metallic image and its interpretation in Daniel 2. Therefore, if the vision in Daniel 7 had the same general interpretation as the king’s dream in Chapter 2, Daniel would not have been troubled. He would have understood the vision.
The metallic image of Daniel 2 spans the time from Nebuchadnezzar to the advent of Jesus coming in the future. The beasts are not confined to the past, as the upper part of the metallic image is/was, but continue together until the time of the end.
3. A study of Revelation, Chapter 13, shows that these beasts of Daniel 7 unite and become the terrible wild beast depicted there. As this beast in Revelation 13 is a religious power (it demands to be worshiped), the beasts of Daniel 7 must be the same. Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece are not found in Revelation, but THESE beasts of Daniel 7 are all there, including the lion, the bear and the leopardess.
4. The kingdoms of the metallic image of Daniel 2 are clearly political powers. Daniel told King Nebuchadnezzar;
“You, O king, are this head of gold (Babylon)” Dan 2:38
But the four beasts of Daniel 7 are ALL feminine. The literal translation of
Daniel 7 from the Hebrew refers to them as a “lioness”, a “she-bear”, and a “leopardess.”In Revelation, religious powers are given the feminine pronoun and noun, and are depicted as “women,” the good woman of Revelation 12, representing the true followers of Christ:
And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. Rev 12:1
And the Harlot, in Revelation 17, representing the evil, false religion that persecutes and martyrs the true followers of Christ:
1 . . .Come hither: I will show you the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters. . .
4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth.
6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. . .
Revelation, the companion book of Prophecy in the New Testament to the book of Daniel in the Old Testament, clearly reveals that a “woman” represents a religious group, whether the followers of Christ, or the Apostate False religion that persecutes the followers of Christ.
Political powers are usually referred to in the masculine (“kings of the earth” – NOT “queens” of the earth), but religious powers are referred to in the feminine.
The literal Hebrew in Daniel 7 makes it very clear that these beasts are feminine creatures.
Summary:
In light of all this information, these four beasts CANNOT be a repeat, or enlargement, of the symbolism of the metallic image of Daniel 2, for the following reasons:
a) they are NOT consecutive
b) Daniel would have been totally familiar with the interpretation of those kingdoms of Daniel 2, rather than being “grieved” and without understanding,
c) these beasts all unite to become a RELIGIOUS power in Revelation 13,
d) the beasts are feminine – suggesting a religious interpretation, rather than the masculinity (“kings – NOT queens - of the earth”) of political powers, and
e) all four beasts continue until the end of time, the first three beasts actually persisting longer than the fourth “monster” beast. The political powers represented in the metallic image are clearly consecutive do NOT persist until the end of time.Identification of the Four Beasts
With this information in mind, we must now progress to identifying these four beasts.
If the beasts are world-wide religious powers that will persist to the end of time, they must be around now. What are the main religions of the world? They are the following:
Buddhism: 6 % of the world’s population, 376 million people
Hinduism: 14%, 900 million
Islam: 21%, 1.3 billion
Christianity: 33%, 2.1 billion
Judaism: 0.22%, 19 million
But there is another “religion” that Christians often forget, and that is Atheism/Communism/Judaism/Freemasonry/Illuminism, the “religion” that denies and despises Christ, whether they admit it or not. By denying the existence of Jesus Christ, by wanting to stamp out Christ, Christianity and eventually all Christians, they become the tools and worshippers of the Adversary of Christ, Satan!
This group, Atheism/Communism/Judaism/Freemasonry/Illuminism, comprises 16% of the world’s population, approximately 1 billion people, or 1/6th of the world’s population. This “religion” is larger than either Buddhism or Hinduism, and is only exceeded in size by Christianity and Islam. So, this “religion” must definitely be considered a “player.”
In Revelation 13, the Second Beast that comes up out of the earth and “looks like a Lamb, but speaks as the dragon”, we have identified as Apostate Christianity. This Second Beast is separate from the First Beast of Revelation 13, the one that is a union of the lioness, the she-bear, the leopardess and the feminine Monster beast of Daniel 7. So Apostate Christianity is not a part of the first beast of Revelation 13.
Now, let’s read the text of Daniel, Chapter 7.
Daniel, Chapter 7
1 In the first year of Belshazzar, king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, stating a summary of the matters.
2 Daniel is responding as follows: I saw in my vision by night, and behold, four winds of the heavens are rushing forth to the vast sea,
“The career of Satan, the ancient serpent and the Adversary (Rev 20:2) may be divided into eight distinct epochs: (1) Possibly he was among the sons of God who celebrated the creation. (2) Then we meet him in Eden, the source of all our sorrows, the deceiver of the human race. (3) Then he is found in heaven as well as on earth, as seen by the part he played in afflicting Job and in trying our Lord in the wilderness. (4) In the future, He will be cast down and left to rage for a brief period on the earth. (5) Then he will be confined to the abyss during a thousand years, (6) only to be released for a short time to deceive the nations and lead them to battle against the holy city. (7) Then he is cast into the lake of fire. (8) His last and final state will be when all of God’s creation are reconciled to Him, and the office of adversary and of Christ both become inoperative in the Kingdom of the Father, and God is All in all (Col 1:20; 1 Cor 15:28).
“The vision of Daniel is concerned with the third period, in which Satan still has access to heaven, yet claims the sovereignty and worship of the earth.
“But divine worship is for God alone (Luke 4:5-8). It is this that is at stake in Daniel, Chapter 7. It is the opposition to divine worship that send the four winds or spirits from heaven to earth (Satan still has access to heaven), to organize mankind and give them forms of worship that alienate them from God and prepare them for the worship of the Adversary.” Ibid p 187.
Eventually, there will be a war in heaven. Michael and His angels will defeat the hosts of darkness, and Satan, the Adversary, under the figure of a fiery-red dragon, will be cast down to the earth.
“The defeat of Satan and his hosts, and his fury, knowing that his time is limited (short), is the key to the change of figures from four beasts to ONE Monstress (feminine Monster beast). The religious powers of the earth unite to fight for the supremacy of Satan and his earthly, human representatives.
“The four winds and the dragon are clear and conclusive indications that the four beasts of Daniel are not merely earthly powers, but the expression of superhuman heavenly authorities, and have as their object the banishment of God and His worship from the earth. The striking difference between Daniel and Revelation is worth our consideration. In the earlier prophet, four winds of the heavens rush forth to the vast sea. Not only are the four beasts united to form the one monstress, but the four winds or spirits also unite to form one monstrous dragon. The words winds might be rendered spirits. It is so translated in this very chapter, when Daniel’s spirit is shuddering (Dan 7:15) As wind is a common figure for spirit, it comes to the same thing. The sea is a constant symbol for the moving masses of mankind.
So, literally, four spirits from heaven enter among men and cause the emergence of the four great religious movements that are figured by the four ferocious beasts.
“Those who know the great religions of the world firsthand, and realize how sorely they misrepresent God and alienate mankind from His heart, may rest assured that the God Who traced their history for us in His Word is not merely allowing them to continue their evil career, but needs them in His great Plan. Apart from Him, they are ferocious, fearful, destructive, and devastating. In His hands they will work the weal of man and win him for the worship of God.” Ibid. p 188,189
3 and four monstrous beasts are coming up from the sea, different one from another.
4 the first is a lioness, and she has the wings of a vulture. I perceived until her wings were scraped off, and she was tilted up from the earth and set up on her feet as a mortal and the heart of a mortal was given to her.
Admittedly, the interpretation of these religious powers is difficult. As time progresses, we may have more information that will allow these beasts to be more clearly identified. But, for the present, here is an interpretation that comes from the Concordant Studies on the Book of Daniel.
Is Buddhism the Lioness?
“Theoretically, Buddhism is an effort on the part of man to conquer himself and exercise love to all. It takes no account of God, and seeks to escape from suffering and attain nirvana, which is its highest concept of salvation, by meditation and indifference to the austerities and joys of life. It holds that existence is a curse, not to be ended by death, for this only leads to existence in another form, as a person, a spirit, an animal, an insect, a plant, or even an inanimate thing. . . Buddhism itself does not acknowledge God or a Creator, but concentrates on its system of ethics. In Buddhism, man is his own god. He is himself the center and object of his religion.
“Buddhism, though the result of spirit forces from above like the rest, is the most human of all religions. Its great emphasis is on morals, so as to make everything right among men. It seeks to inculcate right faith, right judgment, right language, right purpose, right practice, right obedience, right memory, right meditation. Its object is benevolence.
“There is, of course, much cruelty among them, as among the rest of mankind, but comparatively, broadly speaking, their religion is more human than the rest.” Ibid p 220.
What about the “vulture” wings of the Lioness? Wings can denote swiftness, symbolizing the fact that Buddhism spread rapidly at first, but then went into decay. (The wings were later “scraped off” of feathers.) Two wings may also point to the division of Buddhism into northern and southern branches that differ considerably from one another.
5 And behold another beast, a second, like a she-bear; one part is set up, and three ribs are in her mouth between her teeth. Thus are they saying to her, “Rise! Devour huge amounts of flesh.”
Is Hinduism the She-Bear
“Orthodox Hindus believe that their ancient religious books are the work of Brahma, the supreme Hindu god. Brahma, so Hinduism taught, created the first man, out of whose head came the Brahmanas, the dominating priestly caste; out of his hands came the rulers and warriors; out of the lower parts of his body, the merchants; furthermore those engaged in menial occupations involving manual labor. This was the original of the four different castes.
“Brahmanas as the priestly caste dominate and live upon the efforts of the others. This is what seems to be indicated by that which is said about the bear. We read that “one part is set up.” The highest caste, the Brahmanas proper, are in fact “set up” above the others. “Three ribs are in her mouth between her teeth. Thus they are saying to her, ‘Rise” Devour huge amounts of flesh.’” The three ribs might well represent the three lower castes, for, spiritually, these are cruelly treated by the priests and furnish them with their sustenance.
“The Brahmanas live upon the others, who are as three ribs in the she-bear’s mouth. The caste system is universally recognized as one of the most cruel institutions in any religion.” Ibid p 222.
6 And behold, I saw another beast, as a leopardess; she has four flyer’s wings on her arched back, and four heads has the beast and jurisdiction is being granted to her.
Is Islam the Leopardess?
The swiftness with which Islam spread has probably no parallel among the religions and may account for the four wings on the Leopardess. Islam is still moving swiftly, making inroads into the African jungle and even in the U.S. So there is no clipping of its wings, as in the case of the lioness.
This beast has four heads, and authority (jurisdiction) is granted to her. Islam was the basis of the whole Moslem empire in the beginning, and it was spread with the sword, as no other religion. It has been the state religion of many a nation.
The four heads may symbolize the four distinct orthodox schools of jurisprudence, predominating in the Arab world (Hanbali in Saudi Arabia, Hanafi in Turkey and India, Maliki in North Africa and Upper Egypt, Shafii in southern Arabia and Indonesia).
“These four divisions in their jurisprudence separate chiefly in regard to civil and religious law, and are stable throughout most of their history..” Ibid p 224
7 And after this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and exceedingly strong; and she had monstrous iron teeth devouring and pulverizing and stamping upon the remainder (residue – remnant?) with her feet: and she was different from all the beasts that were before her; and she had ten horns.
This beast is the most vicious, dreadful and terrible and is exceedingly strong. She devours and pulverizes and stamps on the true followers of Christ.
The ONLY religion that hates Christ, Christianity and Christians, and states in their holiest book, the Talmud, that Jesus Christ is boiling in hot excrement in hell, and that “even the best of the Gentiles should be killed” is Judaism.
And it is Judaism/ Zionism that is behind the Illuminati, Free-masonry, Atheism, and Communism.
This Fourth Beast MUST be Judaism (the force behind the Illuminati; 70% of all members of the Illuminati are Jewish, Freemasonry; begun and controlled – even today – by Jews, Atheism - most Jews are Atheists, and Communism – Communism comes right out of the Jewish Talmud and the Bolshevik revolution in Russia was JEWISH.) Eighty percent of ALL the leaders of the Bolshevik revolution were Jewish, including Lenin (real name: Vladimir Illych Ulyanov) Leon Trotsky (real name: Lev Bronstein) and Karl Marx.
And it is the Talmudic Jewish culture that believes in torture (they’re teaching and overseeing the torture techniques at Abu Ghraib and other U.S. run prisons in other countries), and in genocide (of the Palestinians, of the Iraqis, of the Sudanese, of the Vietnamese under Pol Pot, of the black Africans of Zimbabwe under Mugabe, of the South African whites under the Communist Mandela, and virtually everywhere else in the world where people are being tortured and killed).
Their religion is the farthest from Jesus Christ, because they are the only ones who HATE Jesus Christ. The other religions believe He was an Avatar, a Prophet, or a “good man.”
Also, note that this beast, as the First Beast in Revelation, has Ten Horns. The First Beast in Revelation is the One World (godless) Religion controlled from behind by Jewish Zionism. So this Fourth Beast of Daniel 7, having the same characteristics, must also be Secular Humanism (a religion that worships man and hates Jesus Christ) that is controlled from behind by Jewish Zionism.
8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them a bit of a horn, and three of the horns are felled to stumps before it. And lo, eyes as the eyes of a mortal are in this horn, and a mouth declaring monstrous things, and it is making war with the saints.
A “bit of a horn” emerges. The Jews are one of the smallest sects on earth, 18 million world-wide, but the horn grows in strength until it becomes stronger than all the others (verse 20). It destroys three of the other horns, it declares monstrous things against Jesus Christ, and makes war against the true followers of Christ (attempts to destroy Christianity and all Christians).
9 I beheld until the thrones were put in place and the Ancient (literal = Transferrer) of Days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head as immaculate wool; His throne was as a flaring flame, and His wheels (rollers) as a flashing flame.
10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him: thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him; the Court was seated and the books were opened.
Here we see the description of Christ as given in Revelation, Chapter 1:
1 “The Revelation of Jesus Christ. . .”
14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes were as a flame of fire
15 And His feet like unto fine brass, as if they were refined in a furnace Rev 10:1 “and His feet were as pillars of fire”
White stands for righteousness and justice. Fire is the most thorough cleanser known. The great throne before which all the dead must stand for judging is white (Rev 20:11).
“But if white is the color of righteous judgment, flame and fire are the symbols of devastating condemnation. What can be more awful than a throne of flaring flame? What is more terrible than its rollers of flashing flame? And what is more appalling than a stream of flame going forth from before Him? Thus is the stage set for the investigation of human religions.” Ibid p 233
The “Ancient of Days” should be more accurately translated as “Transferrer of Days.” “Ancient” infers great age or antiquity, but the term” Transferrer” is a title filled with significance. “Hitherto, man has had his day, but now the crisis has come when man’s day must give place to the day of Jehovah. The change from one to another is accomplished at this time by the action of the great Transferrer of Days. He transfers the authority and the kingdom to Christ in the day of Jehovah. Henceforth all the peoples and leagues of clans and language-groups shall serve Him.” Ibid p 232.
11 I beheld then – because of the sound of the monstrous matters that the horn is declaring – seeing am I until the beast is slain, and her body destroyed and given to the burning flame.
The Fourth Beast is slain first and given to the flames of purification.
12 And the remainder of the beasts – their authority is taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
The three remaining beasts (the lioness, she-bear, and the leopardess) are allowed to remain alive a little longer.
Note that they ALL remain until Jesus comes, eliminating the possibility that these beasts could be the same as those political kingdoms symbolized by the metallic image of Daniel, Chapter 2.
13 I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient (Transferrer) of days, and they brought Him near before Him.
14 And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages, should serve Him; His dominion is an eonian dominion, that will not pass away, and His kingdom shall not be confined (destroyed).
“All peoples, nations, and languages shall serve Him.” Obviously this is Universal Restoration. God has promised to save ALL!
15 I Daniel was grieved (am shuddering) in my spirit and the visions of my head troubled (flustered) me.
Notice again that Daniel does NOT understand this vision. If it had the same interpretation as the statue in Daniel, Chapter 2, this vision would be clear to him.
16 I came near unto one of them and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me and made known the interpretation to me.
Daniel had to ask for the interpretation.
17 These monstrous animals, the four of them, are four kingdoms which will perish from the earth.
18 Yet the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and they will safeguard the kingdom unto the eon even unto the eon of the eons.
19 Then I would know the truth concerning the fourth beast that is different from them all, exceedingly dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his claws of brass (copper) which devoured, pulverized, and stamped the remainder (remnant?) with her feet.
20 And concerning the Ten Horns that are on her head; and concerning another horn that comes up and the three before it fall, even the same horn with its eyes and a mouth declaring monstrous things, and the vision of it is larger than its partners.
21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them.
22 Until the Ancient (Transferrer) of Days came and judgment was made in favor of the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints safeguarded the kingdom.
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be different from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall thresh it and pulverize it.
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise; and another shall rise after them; and he shall be different from the first, and shall abase three kings;
The entire world is now being carved into the Ten Kingdoms, symbolized by the Ten Horns. Please see the picture of the map at the end. These Ten Kingdoms are controlled, from behind the scenes, by Jewish Zionism.
25 And he shall make declarations to set aside the Supreme God; and to persecute the saints of God; he will intend to change times and laws; and the saints shall be given into his hand for a time (year), times (2 years), and the dividing of time (1/2 year) (Total: 3 1/2 years)
There will be a terrible time of persecution of the true followers of Christ, apparently world-wide, for 3 1/2 years, NOT the 7 years that is incorrectly promoted by the Evangelical Christians.
This plan to destroy Christianity and remove all vestiges of it, and Christians, from the face of the earth is in full swing in many countries of the world, and is now going into high gear in America. The Zionist Jews are the ones behind the Plan.
26 But the Court shall sit, and they shall take away his authority, even to exterminate and to destroy until the end.
Jesus is the one who will destroy this Fourth and most terrible beast. It cannot be done by Christians. All we can do is “Stand” for the Lord and exhibit His character. Christ does not ask us to be activists, to picket, to join demonstrations, to write to our Congressmen and Senators, or to take up arms and fight. He asks us to learn to know Him, and to let Him fight for us, just as He did for the Israelites as He was bringing them out of Egypt. The Israelites were caught between the Red Sea in front of them, a mountain beside them, and the angry Egyptians coming up behind them. Terrified, they became angry at Moses for bringing them there “to die.”
And Moses said unto the people, Fear not, STAND STILL, and see the deliverance of the Lord, which He will show to you today. . . the LORD shall fight for you, and you shall BE QUIET! Exodus 14:13,14
27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the majesty of the kingdom under the entire heavens will be granted to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an eonian kingdom, and all other authorities shall serve and hearken to them.
God will win His children back from the Adversary. Everyone, eventually, will become a saint of the most High.
28 Furthermore, as this is the termination of the matter, I, Daniel – my thoughts much troubled (flustered) me, and my countenance changed in me; but I kept the matter in my heart.
© Lorraine Day, M.D. 2006. All Rights Reserved.
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