Section I. - Analysis of the Chapter This chapter contains an account of a remarkable prophetic dream which Daniel had in the first year of the reign of Belshazzar, and of the interpretation of the dream. After a brief statement of the contents of the chapter, it will be proper, in order to its mor... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE FIRST YEAR OF BELSHAZZAR KING OF BABYLON - On the character and reign of Belshazzar, see Introduction to Daniel 5 Section II. He was the last of the kings of Babylon, and this fact may cast some light on the disclosures made in the dream. DANIEL HAD A DREAM - Margin, as in Hebrew, saw. He sa... [ Continue Reading ]
DANIEL SPAKE AND SAID - That is, he spake and said in the manner intimated in the previous verse. It was by a record made at the time, and thus he might be said to speak to his own generation and to all future times. I SAW IN MY VISION BY NIGHT - I beheld in the vision; that is, he saw represented... [ Continue Reading ]
AND FOUR GREAT BEASTS CAME UP FROM THE SEA - Not at once, but in succession. See the following verses. Their particular form is described in the subsequent verses. The design of mentioning them here, as coming up from, the sea, seems to have been to show that this succession of kingdoms sprang from... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FIRST WAS LIKE A LION - It is to be assumed, in explaining and applying these symbols, that they are significant - that is, that there was some adaptedness or propriety in using these symbols to denote the kingdoms referred to; or that in each case there was a reason why the particular animal wa... [ Continue Reading ]
AND, BEHOLD, ANOTHER BEAST, A SECOND, LIKE TO A BEAR - That is, after the lion had appeared, and he had watched it until it had undergone these surprising transformations. There are several circumstances, also, in regard to this symbol, all of which, it is to be supposed, were significant, and all o... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTER THIS I BEHELD, AND, LO, ANOTHER, LIKE A LEOPARD - That is, as before, after the bear had appeared - indicating that this was to be a succeeding kingdom or power. The beast which now appeared was a monster, and, as in the former cases, so in regard to this, there are several circumstances which... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTER THIS I SAW IN THE NIGHT VISIONS - The other beasts were seen also in a dream Daniel 7:1, and this probably in the same night, though as a subsequent part of the dream, for the whole vision evidently passed before the prophet in a single dream. The succession, or the fact that he saw one after... [ Continue Reading ]
I BEHELD - “I continued looking on these strange sights, and contemplating these transformations.” This implies that some time elapsed before all these things had occurred. He looked on until he saw a solemn judgment passed on this fourth beast particularly, as if God had come forth in his majesty a... [ Continue Reading ]
A FIERY STREAM ISSUED AND CAME FORTH FROM BEFORE HIM - Streams of fire seemed to burst forth from his throne. Representations of this kind abound in the Scriptures to illustrate the majesty and glory of God. Compare Revelation 4:5, “And out of the throne proceeded lightnings, and thunderings, and vo... [ Continue Reading ]
I BEHELD THEN, BECAUSE OF THE VOICE OF THE GREAT WORDS WHICH THE HORN SPAKE - I was attracted by these words - by their arrogance, and haughtiness, and pride; and I saw that it was on account of these mainly that the solemn judgment proceeded against the beast. The attitude of the seer here is this... [ Continue Reading ]
AS CONCERNING THE REST OF THE BEASTS - They had been superseded, but not destroyed. It would seem that they were still represented in vision to Daniel, as retaining their existence, though their power was taken away, and their fierceness subdued, or that they still seemed to remain alive for a time,... [ Continue Reading ]
I SAW IN THE NIGHT VISIONS - Evidently in the same night visions, or on the same occasion, for the visions are connected. See Daniel 7:1, Daniel 7:7. The meaning is, that he continued beholding, or that a new vision passed before him. AND, BEHOLD, ONE LIKE THE SON OF MAN ... - It is remarkable that... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE WAS GIVEN HIM DOMINION - That is, by him who is represented as the “Ancient of days.” The fair interpretation of this is, that he received the dominion from him. This is the uniform representation in the New Testament. Compare Matthew 28:18; Joh 3:35; 1 Corinthians 15:27. The word dominion... [ Continue Reading ]
I DANIEL WAS GRIEVED IN MY SPIRIT - That is, I was troubled; or my heart was made heavy and sad. This was probably in part because he did not fully understand the meaning of the vision, and partly on account of the fearful and momentous nature of what was indicated by it. So the apostle John Revelat... [ Continue Reading ]
I CAME NEAR UNTO ONE OF THEM THAT STOOD BY - That is, to one of the angels who appeared to stand near the throne. Daniel 7:10. Compare Daniel 8:13; Zechariah 4:4; Revelation 7:13. It was natural for Daniel to suppose that the angels who were seen encircling the throne would be able to give him infor... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE GREAT BEASTS, WHICH ARE FOUR, ARE FOUR KINGS - Four kings or four dynasties. There is no reason for supposing that they refer to individual kings, but the obvious meaning is, that they refer to four dominions or empires that would succeed one another on the earth. So the whole representation l... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE SAINTS OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL TAKE THE KINGDOM - That is, they shall ultimately take possession of the rule over all the world, and shall control it from that time onward to the end. This is the grand thing which the vision is designed to disclose, and on this it was evidently the intention... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN I WOULD KNOW THE TRUTH OF THE FOURTH BEAST - I desired to know particularly what was symbolized by that. He appears to have been satisfied with the most general intimations in regard to the first three beasts, for the kingdoms represented by them seemed to have nothing very remarkable. But it w... [ Continue Reading ]
AND OF THE TEN HORNS ... - See the notes at Daniel 7:7. WHOSE LOOK WAS MORE STOUT THAN HIS FELLOWS - literally, “whose aspect was greater than that of its companions.” This does not mean that its look or aspect was more fierce or severe than that of the others, but that the appearance of the horn wa... [ Continue Reading ]
I BEHELD, AND THE SAME HORN MADE WAR WITH THE SAINTS - I continued to look on this until I saw war made by this horn with the people of God. This circumstance, also, is not referred to in the first description, and the order of time in the description would seem to imply that the war with the saints... [ Continue Reading ]
UNTIL THE ANCIENT OF DAYS CAME - Notes, Daniel 7:9. That is, this was to occur after the horn grew to its full size, and after the war was made with the saints, and they had been overcome. It does not affirm that this would occur immediately, but that at some subsequent period the Ancient of days wo... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS HE SAID ... - That is, in explanation of the fourth symbol which appeared - the fourth beast, and of the events connected with his appearing. This explanation embraces the remainder of the chapter; and as the whole subject appeared difficult and momentous to Daniel before the explanation, so it... [ Continue Reading ]
HITHERTO IS THE END OF THE MATTER - That is, the end of what I saw and heard. This is the sum of what was disclosed to the prophet, but he still says that he meditated on it with profound interest, and that he had much solicitude in regard to these great events. The words rendered hitherto, mean, so... [ Continue Reading ]