Page 206 - Daniel

revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the
living” (2:30). It seems that chapter 7 simply provides additional insight
into how God revealed His prophetic truth to Daniel.

The interpreter of Daniel’s vision first gave a general interpretation
(vv. 17–18). In the verses that follow, more details are given. The
summary statement in verse 17 is that the great beasts represent four
kings that shall arise out of the earth. Liberal scholars have criticized the

fact that the verse states twice that the beasts were four, and Charles
states, “The words ‘which are four’ are omitted by the Septuagint. They
are certainly unnecessary; for the seer knows perfectly well the number
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of the kingdoms.” The repetition of the number, however, is to make
clear that the four beasts, each individually, represent a king. The “four
kings” obviously refer to four kingdoms, as the beasts represent both a
king and a kingdom.

Criticism has also been directed at the statement “shall arise out of the
earth,” as if this were a conflict with the four beasts coming out of the

sea (Dan. 7:3). Charles says, “… the words ‘shall arise out of the earth’
are certainly corrupt. According to 7:3, they arise out of the sea: cf. Rev.
13:1, 4, Ezra 11:1.” He goes on to say, “By a careful study of the LXX
and Theod. we arrive at the following text: ‘These great beasts are four
kingdoms, which shall be destroyed from the earth.’” What Charles
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does not take into consideration is that the sea represents symbolically
the nations covering the earth, and what is symbolic in Daniel 7:3 is

literal in 7:17.
In verse 18, the interpreter stated that “the saints of the most High”

shall possess the kingdom forever. There has been considerable
discussion about the identity of these saints: this term would seem to
include the saved of all ages as well as the holy angels who may be
described as “the holy ones” (cf. Dan. 7:21, 22, 25, 27; 8:24; 12:7; cf.
Pss. 16:3; 34:9; Jude 14). In The Wars of the Sons of Light and the Sons of
Darkness, found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, the faithful Jews have
celestial warriors mingled with them in their ranks. The saints
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“receive” the kingdom, yet this is more than merely a passive reception.
This is implied in the statement that “Darius the Mede received the
kingdom” (5:31), meaning that he took aggressive steps to establish his
control. Daniel 7:18 goes on to emphasize that the saints possess the