Page 209 - Daniel

THE INTERPRETATION OF THE VISION OF THE FOURTH BEAST

(7:23–25)

7:23–25 “Thus he said: ‘As for the fourth beast, there shall be a fourth
kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all the kingdoms, and
it shall devour the whole earth, and trample it down, and break it to
pieces. As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise,
and another shall arise after them; he shall be different from the
former ones, and shall put down three kings. He shall speak words
against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High,

and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be
given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time.’”

The interpreter of the vision states plainly in verse 23 that the fourth
beast represents the fourth kingdom, which will be different from the
preceding kingdoms and will be worldwide in its sway. In the process, it
will tread down and break in pieces the preceding kingdoms. This
interpretation eliminates the idea that the fifth kingdom refers to the

rule of God in the new heavens and the new earth (Rev. 21 and 22), or
that it is merely a spiritual kingdom that gradually gains sway by
persuasion, such as the kingdom of God on earth at the present time. By
its terminology verses 23–27 demand that, for the fifth kingdom to
overcome the fourth, the fifth must be a sovereign and political
kingdom, whatever its spiritual characteristics. They also demand that
this be a future fulfillment, since nothing in history corresponds to this.

The ten horns of the vision are declared to be ten kings that shall
arise. They clearly are simultaneous in their reign because three of them

are disrupted by the little horn who is another ruler, but not given the
title of king here. He also will be different from the ten horns, and shall
subdue three of them.
If the ten kings are in power at the end of the age, which also seems to

be supported by the ten kings of Revelation 13:1; 17:12, it follows that
they must still be future. The fact that they appear in the book of
Revelation, written long after the fall of the Greek Empire, plainly
relates them to the Roman Empire in its final stage.

Just as there is special emphasis upon the fourth beast in the vision, so