Daniel 7

The chapter follows a chiastic-like structure moving from a chaotic vision on earth to a serene courtroom in heaven, back to earth for the interpretation, and concluding with the assurance of the saints' eternal inheritance.

• The saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever (v. 18).
• The kingdom and dominion... shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom (v. 27).

• The little horn will speak great words against the Most High, and will wear out the saints, and seek to change times and laws (v. 25).

• Written during the first year of Belshazzar (c. 553 BC), the last king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire.
• The setting reflects a period where the Babylonian empire was beginning to lose its stability, and the rise of Medo-Persia was on the horizon.

• The use of 'beasts' to represent nations was common in ancient Near Eastern iconography, symbolizing power, savagery, and the lack of divine order in human governance.
• Matthew Henry observes that these empires are 'troubled by ambitious princes' and that their savage nature reflects their hateful, anti-divine character.

• The book of Daniel shifts from narrative (ch. 1-6) to apocalyptic prophecy (ch. 7-12).
• This vision expands on the statue in Nebuchadnezzar's dream (Daniel 2), providing a more detailed, 'beastly' view of the same historical sequence.

• The 'Son of Man' in v. 13-14 is the foundational text for Jesus’ frequent self-identification in the Gospels.
• The 'Ancient of Days' sitting on the throne in v. 9 links directly to the descriptions of God in Revelation 20:11-12.

• Revelation 13:1-2 (The beast rising out of the sea with multiple heads and horns mirrors Daniel's vision).
• Revelation 20:11-12 (The scene of the Great White Throne judgment).

• חֵזֵו [H2376] (vision/sight) is used alongside חֵלֶם [H2493] (dream) to emphasize the supernatural, revelatory nature of the experience.
• רוּחַ [H7308] (winds) often connotes 'spirit' or 'breath,' suggesting that the chaotic forces stirring the sea are not merely weather, but spiritual powers.
• רַבְרַב [H7260] (great/domineering) is used for the beasts, emphasizing their overwhelming and oppressive status over the earth.
• שְׁנָא [H8133] (different) is a crucial operative word; the fourth beast is not just more powerful, but qualitatively 'different' (alien/evil) from the others.

• The shift from the first person ('I Daniel') to the divine interpretative perspective.
• The significance of the 'little horn' having human eyes and a mouth, suggesting intelligence and persuasive, deceptive speech used for blasphemy.
• The contrast between the transitory 'seasons' given to the beasts and the 'everlasting' nature of the Son of Man's kingdom.

• While many historical-grammatical scholars identify the four beasts as Babylon, Media, Persia, and Greece, others debate the specific identities of the ten horns and the little horn, ranging from historical figures like Antiochus IV Epiphanes to an eschatological antichrist figure.