71 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel hath seen a dream, and the visions of his head on his bed, then the dream he hath written, the chief of the things he hath said. 2 Answered hath Daniel and said, 'I was seeing in my vision by night, and lo, the four winds of the heavens are coming forth to the great sea; 3 and four great beasts are coming up from the sea, diverse one from another. 4 The first 'is' like a lion, and it hath an eagle's wings. I was seeing till that its wings have been plucked, and it hath been lifted up from the earth, and on feet as a man it hath been caused to stand, and a heart of man is given to it. 5 And lo, another beast, a second, like to a bear, and to the same authority it hath been raised, and three ribs 'are' in its mouth, between its teeth, and thus they are saying to it, Rise, consume much flesh. 6 'After this I was seeing, and lo, another like a leopard, and it hath four wings of a fowl on its back, and four heads hath the beast, and dominion is given to it. 7 'After this I was seeing in the visions of the night, and lo, a fourth beast, terrible and fearful, and exceedingly strong; and it hath iron teeth very great, it hath consumed, yea, it doth break small, and the remnant with its feet it hath trampled; and it 'is' diverse from all the beasts that 'are' before it; and it hath ten horns. 8 'I was considering about the horns, and lo, another horn, a little one, hath come up between them, and three of the first horns have been eradicated from before it, and lo, eyes as the eyes of man 'are' in this horn, and a mouth speaking great things.
9 'I was seeing till that thrones have been thrown down, and the Ancient of Days is seated, His garment as snow 'is' white, and the hair of his head 'is' as pure wool, His throne flames of fire, its wheels burning fire. 10 A flood of fire is proceeding and coming forth from before Him, a thousand thousands do serve Him, and a myriad of myriads before Him do rise up, the Judge is seated, and the books have been opened. 11 'I was seeing, then, because of the voice of the great words that the horn is speaking, I was seeing till that the beast is slain, and his body hath been destroyed, and given to the burning fire; 12 and the rest of the beasts have caused their dominion to pass away, and a prolongation in life is given to them, till a season and a time. 13 'I was seeing in the visions of the night, and lo, with the clouds of the heavens as a son of man was 'one' coming, and unto the Ancient of Days he hath come, and before Him they have brought him near. 14 And to him is given dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, and all peoples, nations, and languages do serve him, his dominion 'is' a dominion age-during, that passeth not away, and his kingdom that which is not destroyed.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Daniel 7:1-14
Commentary on Daniel 7:1-8
(Read Daniel 7:1-8)
This vision contains the same prophetic representations with Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The great sea agitated by the winds, represented the earth and the dwellers on it troubled by ambitious princes and conquerors. The four beasts signified the same four empires, as the four parts of Nebuchadnezzar's image. Mighty conquerors are but instruments of God's vengeance on a guilty world. The savage beast represents the hateful features of their characters. But the dominion given to each has a limit; their wrath shall be made to praise the Lord, and the remainder of it he will restrain.
Commentary on Daniel 7:9-14
(Read Daniel 7:9-14)
These verses are for the comfort and support of the people of God, in reference to the persecutions that would come upon them. Many New Testament predictions of the judgment to come, have plain allusion to this vision; especially Revelation 20:11,12. The Messiah is here called the Son of man; he was made in the likeness of sinful flesh, and was found in fashion as a man, but he is the Son of God. The great event foretold in this passage, is Christ's glorious coming, to destroy every antichristian power, and to render his own kingdom universal upon earth. But ere the solemn time arrives, for manifesting the glory of God to all worlds in his dealings with his creatures, we may expect that the doom of each of us will be determined at the hour of our death; and before the end shall come, the Father will openly give to his incarnate Son, our Mediator and Judge, the inheritance of the nations as his willing subjects.