Daniel 7.6-Daniel Describes the Third Beast
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday May 2, 2013
Daniel: Daniel 7:6-Daniel Describes the Third Beast
Lesson # 205
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 7:1.
Daniel 7:1 During Belshazzar’s, Babylon’s king, first year, Daniel saw a dream specifically visions in his mind on his bed. Then, he wrote down the dream. He declares the beginning of the account. 2 Daniel began to speak and said, “I was in a trance like state, staring because of my vision during the night as behold the heaven’s four winds were blowing violently against the great sea. 3 Then, four great beasts, one different from the other, came up out from the sea. 4 The first beast was like a lion with eagle’s wings attached to it. I was in a trance like state staring when its wings were torn off. Then it was lifted up from the ground for the purpose of it standing on two feet like a human being. A human mind was also given to it. 5 Next, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear with it raised up to one side with three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. Then, they issued orders to it, ‘Arise, devour much flesh!” (My translation)
Daniel 7:6 “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.” (NASB95)
“After this” is composed of the preposition b- (בְּ־) (beh) and its object is the masculine singular noun ʾǎṯǎr (אֲתַר) (a-tar), which together are translated “after” and is followed by the demonstrative pronoun denā(h) (דְּנָה) (dane-awe), “this.”
The preposition b- is employed with the noun ʾǎṯǎr and together they are used in a temporal sense meaning “after.”
They are introducing a clause that presents the next beast which appeared to Daniel “after” the bear.
The demonstrative pronoun denā(h) means “this” since it is anaphoric meaning that it is pointing back to the immediate preceding context, which records Daniel telling the reader that after the first beast which looked like a lion, a second beast appeared to him in a vision which resembled a bear.
“I kept looking” is composed of the masculine singular peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active participle form of the verb ḥǎzā(h) (חֲזָה) (khaz-aw´), “looking” which is followed by the first person masculine singular peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active perfect form of the verb hǎwā(h) (הֲוָה) (hav-aw´), “I kept.”
The verb ḥǎzā(h) means “to stare” in the sense of steadily looking at something with studious attention and with openmouthed wonder and amazement.
It is used of course with Daniel as its subject and refers to Daniel looking at the third beast with studious attention and with open mouth wonder and amazement as it appeared out of the great sea.
The verb hǎwā(h) denotes Daniel’s trance like state when he saw the third beast appear out of the great sea.
“And behold” is composed of the conjunction wa (וְ) (waw), “and” which is followed by the interjection ʾǎrû (אֲרוּ) (ar-oo´), “behold.”
The conjunction wa means “when” or “as” since it is used as a temporal marker relating points of time indicating that “when” or “as” Daniel was staring in a trance like state, a third beast appeared to him in his vision.
The interjection ʾǎrû means “behold” since it is used as a discourse marker to introduce a description of the third beast which Daniel describes as resembling a leopard coming up out of the great sea and is implying emphasis.
It draws the attention of the reader in order to mark that what Daniel saw was impressive and astounding to him.
“Another one, like a leopard” is composed of the feminine singular form of the adjective ʾā∙ḥǒrān (אָחֳרָן) (okh-or-awn´), “another” and then we have the preposition k- (כְּ־) (kee) “like” and its object is the masculine singular noun nemǎr (נְמַר) (nem-ar´), “a leopard.”
The adjective ʾā∙ḥǒrān means “another one” and indicates that this third beast is distinct and different from the first and second beasts in that its appearance was like a leopard.
The noun nemǎr means “leopard” referring to a large strong cat of southern Asia and Africa that is adept at climbing and usually tawny or buff with black spots arranged in rosettes.
The word is the object of the preposition k-, which is a marker of comparison and is comparing the appearance of the third beast with a leopard.
“Which had on its back four wings of a bird” presents a description of the third beast which goes along with the previous description that it had the appearance of a leopard.
“And dominion was given to it” is advancing upon and intensifying the previous description of the third beast indicating that Daniel goes from describing the third beast to identifying for the reader that it refers to a human kingdom since God does not give governmental dominion to a leopard but to men.
“Dominion” is the masculine singular construct form of the noun šā∙leṭān (שָׁלְטָן) (shol-tawn´), which means “governmental dominion” referring to supreme, sovereign authority or power which was given to this kingdom represented by the third beast.
“Was given” is the third person masculine singular peʿil (Hebrew: qal passive) perfect form of the verb yehǎḇ (יְהַב) (yeh-hab´), which denotes the third beast in Daniel’s vision was “given” governmental dominion by God indicating that this beast is a kingdom.
Daniel 7:6 “After this, I was staring in a trance like state as behold, another one, was like a leopard with it having four bird’s wings on its back. Also, the beast had four heads. Indeed, governmental dominion was given to it.” (My translation)
The leopard represents Greece since it corresponds to the bronze belly and thighs of Nebuchadnezzar’s image in Daniel chapter two and was noted for its speed and cunning in attacking its prey, which characterized Alexander the Great’s conquests that were without precedent in the ancient world.
The four wings on this leopard emphasizes a speed beyond its capacity, which characterized Alexander the Great’s lightening fast conquest of the civilized world from Macedonia to Africa and eastward to India.
The four heads depict the four-fold division of Alexander’s empire after his death between four of his generals (Daniel 8:8, 22).
The fact that governmental dominion was given to this kingdom indicates that it did not achieve its conquests by ordinary means but that it achieved its rapid success because of the God of Israel.
This would indicate that Alexander was truly a man of destiny and that God gave him is rapid success so that the world was at his feet by the age of 32.
Alexander the Great began to rule in 336 B.C. and defeated the Persians and conquered many nations while at the same time spreading Greek culture and language throughout these territories.
He attempted to follow the Babylonian example, but this led to gross immorality and early death in 323 B.C. at the age of thirty-three.
In Daniel 8:5-8, Alexander the Great’s empire is described under the figure of the shaggy goat with a big horn, which was followed by four horns according to this passage which represented Alexander’s four generals who divided his empire after he died.
To Ptolemy was given Egypt and parts of Asia Minor and to Casander was given the territory of Macedonia and Greece while Lysimachus was given Thrace and parts of Asia Minor (western Bithynia, Phrygia, Mycia and Lydia).
Seleucus was given the remainder of Alexander’s empire which included Syria, Israel and Mesopotamia.
There has been some controversy among interpreters regarding this third empire since some have argued that Greece is the fourth empire, and they treat the Medes as a separate kingdom which is partly due to denying the possibility of prophesy.
It is also the result of assuming that Daniel was written about 164 B.C. when the Roman Empire had not come to the forefront yet.
However, Media and Persia are usually regarded as one empire.
The Median kingdom had been mostly absorbed by the Persians by the time Cyrus II conquered Babylon in 539 B.C.
Most conservative scholars identify them as Media-Persia, Greece, and Rome.