Babylonian Empire. These four beasts represent the same kingdoms that we saw in Daniel 2. The first one is a winged lion.     The first was like a lion and had the wings of an eagle. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man; a human mind also was given to it. (NASB) Dan. 7:4   The lion with wings represents the Babylonian Empire. Historical references tell us that Babylon had many statues of winged lions guarding the gates to the royal palace. There were also lions along the walls of the Ishtar Gate. Babylon had even placed a lion on the back of its silver shekel - a coin - just as many nations place a significant symbol on the back of their coins. The lion was a symbol of the Babylonian Empire.      This is no ordinary lion. It has the wings of an eagle. It can stand up like a man, and it has a human mind. Now we need to ask, “Who lived and ate like an animal with hair like eagle’s feathers for seven years before returning to his senses?” The answer is Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 4:28-33). This winged lion symbolizes the Babylonian Empire.      Medo-Persian Empire. The second beast is a bear.     And behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear. And it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth; and thus they said to it, ‘Arise, devour much meat!’ (NASB) Dan. 7:5   This beast represents the Medo-Persian Empire which was initially led by Darius and Cyrus (Dan. 5:30-36). It is important to note that one side of the bear was higher than the other. This refers to the fact that Cyrus was the greater of the two leaders. Cyrus was a Persian (Dan. 6:28) and Darius was a Mede (Dan. 11:1). Darius died after the first year and then Cyrus was the only ruler. The two men had come together to form a new empire, but history only refers to it as the Persian Empire. The three ribs are three kingdoms which the Medo-Persian Empire defeated: the Lydian Kingdom (546 B.C.), Chaldean Empire (539 B.C.) and the Egyptian Empire (525 B.C.).   Courtesy of CyberMuseum       Grecian Empire. The leopard is the third symbol.     After this I kept looking, and behold, another one, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird; the beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it. (NASB) Dan. 7:6   It is a symbol of speed and power. This symbol represents the empire of Greece. Alexander the Great was the military leader who pushed his army to establish this empire with blazing speed. But as soon as he established this empire, he also died. His empire was split among his four generals: Lysimachus, Cassander, Seleucius Nicanor, and Ptolemy. Lysimachus ruled Thrace and Bithyna. Cassander ruled Macedonia, and Seleucius Nicanor had Syria, Babylon, and India. Ptolemy ruled Egypt, Petra and Palestine. These generals are the four heads to whom dominion was given.     Roman Empire. The last beast is not an animal.         < Back   Next >
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