Daniel 7.11-The Destruction of the Fourth Beast
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday May 15, 2013
Daniel: Daniel 7:11-The Destruction of the Fourth Beast
Lesson # 210
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!’ 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. 7 After this, I was continuing to stare in a trance like state because of these night visions as behold, a fourth beast, intimidating, yes even terrifying as well as extremely powerful, possessing two large rows of iron teeth. It devoured as well as crushed. Specifically, it violently crushed the rest with its feet. Indeed, it was characterized as different from all the beasts which were before it in the sense of possessing ten horns. 8 I was contemplating in a trance like state because of these horns as behold, another little horn emerged out from among them. Then, the first three originating from the horns was torn out by being in the presence of it. In fact, behold, on this horn, were eyes like a human being’s eyes as well as a mouth speaking boastfully. 9 I was continuing to stare in a trance like state when thrones were set up. Then, the One Ancient in Days sat. His clothing was white like snow. Also, the hair of His head was like lamb’s wool. His throne was fiery flames. Its wheels were a blazing fire. 10 A river composed of fire was flowing, yes issuing forth from His presence. A thousand times a thousand were continually rendering worshipful service to Him. In fact, ten thousand times ten thousand were continually standing in His presence. The court convened resulting in scrolls being opened.” (My translation)
Daniel 7:11 “Then I kept looking because of the sound of the boastful words which the horn was speaking; I kept looking until the beast was slain, and its body was destroyed and given to the burning fire.” (NASB95)
Daniel under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is employing the figure of “asyndeton” in order to emphasize the statement here in verse 11 in which Daniel describes himself as in a trance like state staring because of the sound of the boastful words which the little horn was speaking.
The Holy Spirit uses this figure because He wants the reader to dwell upon this description of the little horn.
So the Holy Spirit employs this figure in order that the reader might understand why God rendered the decision to kill the fourth beast from which the little horn originated.
“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” and refers to Daniel looking at the little horn with studious attention and with open mouth wonder and amazement as a result of the arrogant words which the little horn was speaking.
The verb hǎwā(h) denotes Daniel’s trance like state as a result of the arrogant words which the little horn was speaking.
“Then” is composed of the preposition bĕ (בְּ) (beh), which is not translated and is followed by the temporal adverb ʾěḏǎ∙yin (אֱדַיִן) (ed-ah´-yin).
The preposition b- is prefixed to the temporal adverb ʾěḏǎ∙yin in order to function as an adverb of time and thus means “at that time” or “at that moment” since it is designating a point of time.
This temporal coordinator indicates to the reader that Daniel was continuing to stare in a trance like state “at that time” because of the sound of the boastful words the little horn was speaking.
“The horn” is referring to the little horn mentioned in Daniel 7:8.
Once again, Daniel under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is employing the figure of “asyndeton” in order to emphasize the next statement here in Daniel 7:11.
The second statement in this verse has Daniel again describing himself as continuing to stare in a trance like state when this time the fourth beast from which the little horn originated, was killed and its body destroyed and burned with fire.
The Holy Spirit uses this figure because He wants the reader to dwell upon this statement which describes the destruction of the fourth beast which consequently resulted in the destruction of the little horn.
So the Holy Spirit employs this figure in order that the reader might understand that the fourth kingdom and this little horn will be judged by God and thus destroyed.
“I kept looking” emphasizes that Daniel was in a trance like state and could not take his eyes off the vision of the fourth beast being killed and its body destroyed by fire.
“Until the beast was slain,” is composed of the preposition ʿǎḏ (עַד) (ad) which is followed by the particle dî (דִּי) (dee), which together are translated “until” and then we have the third person feminine singular peʿil (Hebrew: qal passive) perfect form of the verb qeṭǎl (קְטַל) (ket-al´), “was slain” which is followed by the feminine singular form of the noun ḥê∙wā(h) (חֵיוָה) (khay-vaw´), “the beast.”
The preposition ʿǎḏ is employed with the particle dî as a marker of duration with reference to another point of time.
Here it denotes Daniel was in a trance like state staring “when” or “as” the fourth beast was destroyed by the Ancient of Days resulting in the destruction of the little horn which originated from this beast.
The noun ḥê∙wā(h) refers to the fourth beast since Daniel is speaking in the context of the little horn which Daniel 7:8 describes as originating from this fourth beast.
“And its body was destroyed” is advancing upon and intensifying the previous description of the fourth beast being killed.
The advancement and intensification is that Daniel goes from describing the fourth beast being killed to telling the reader that the body of this fourth beast was burned with fire which emphasizes a complete destruction and that the Roman Empire represented by this fourth beast will never again appear on the pages of history.
“And given to the burning fire” explains in detail how the fourth beast was destroyed.
Daniel 7:11 “I was continuing to stare in a trance like state at that time because of the sound coming from the boastful words which the horn was making a habit of speaking. I was continuing to stare in a trance like state when the beast was killed. In fact, its body was destroyed. Specifically, it was given over to the consuming fire.” (My translation)
Following the vision of the Ancient of Days in verses 9-10, Daniel receives further revelation regarding the little horn and the fourth beast from which he came from.
Here in verse 11, Daniel resumes a discussion of the little horn which he left off describing in verse 8.
Daniel tells the reader in verse 11 that he was continuing to stare in a trance like state at that time because of the sound coming from the boastful words which the little horn was speaking.
This parallels his last statement at the end of verse 8 in which he emphatically states that this little horn had eyes like a human being’s eyes as well as a mouth speaking boastfully and this would indicate to the reader that verses 9-10 are parenthetical.
These verses are also indicating to the reader who is behind the destruction of the fourth beast and the little horn, namely the Ancient of Days.
Then, in verse 11, after telling the reader he was continuing to stare in trance like state because of the sound of the boastful words which the little horn was making it a habit of speaking, he describes the destruction of the fourth beast, from which the little horn had originated.
Daniel describes the beast being killed and then emphatically states that its body was burned and specifically it was given over to the consuming fire.
Remember that this fourth beast had ten horns from which emerged the little horn.
So when this fourth beast is killed and burned with fire, all the horns including the little horn perished as well since they were attached to this fourth beast.
The fact that a river of fire was coming out from throne of the Ancient of Days and that the body of this fourth beast was given over to the consuming fire makes clear that the destruction of the fourth beast and the little horn was the direct result of the Ancient of Days judging them.
As we have noted in previous studies, the Ancient of Days describes in symbolic terms God the Father, the little horn is a reference to the Antichrist and the fourth beast is the Roman Empire.
Specifically it speaks of the final form of this empire since the Antichrist will rule this final form of the Roman Empire during Daniel’s Seventieth Week.
Daniel 7:11 does not speak of the death of the Antichrist because Revelation 19:11-21 makes clear that he will be taken alive at the Second Advent of Christ and deposited into the Lake of Fire but rather, it speaks of the destruction of the final revived form of the Roman Empire during Daniel’s Seventieth Week.
This description of the fourth beast in Daniel 7:11 corresponds with the destruction of the image in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel chapter two (Daniel 2:34-35; cf. 44:45).
Specifically, it corresponds to the supernatural rock striking the feet of the statue in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.
Therefore, Daniel 7:11 and Daniel 2:34-35 and Daniel 2:44-45 are describing in symbolic or apocalyptical terms the Lord Jesus Christ destroying the Revived Form of the Roman Empire under Antichrist at His Second Advent, which terminates not only Daniel’s Seventieth Week but also the Times of the Gentiles.
In Daniel chapter 2 and 7, the Holy Spirit through Daniel is describing a violent overthrow and destruction of Antichrist and the final form of the Roman Empire.
This indicates that Jesus Christ will violently overthrow and destroy this final form of Gentile power.
Daniel 2 and 7 along with Revelation 19-20 make clear that the premillennial interpretation of the Bible is the correct one and not amillennial or post-millennial since these passages teach that the millennial reign of Christ takes place after the destruction of all Gentile power at His Second Advent.
These passages teach that the millennial kingdom is brought about through the Second Advent of Christ and not by the actions of the church.
They teach that the Father through His Son will first destroy all Gentile power and then will come the millennial kingdom.
At His “Second Advent,” the Lord Jesus Christ will destroy the Tribulational armies, have Antichrist and the False Prophet thrown into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 19:11-19), will imprison Satan for a thousand years (Rev. 20:1-3) and will establish His millennial reign on planet earth (Rev. 20:4-6).
At that time, the Lord and His armies will orbit the earth before landing on the Mount of Olives, which was the site of His Ascension (Acts. 1:9-11).
There will be a great earthquake when our Lord’s foot touches the Mount of Olives (Zech. 14:1-8) and will be a unique day having neither day nor night (Zech. 14:7).
The Lord Jesus Christ describes the Tribulation period in detail and His Second Advent in Matthew 24:29-31 and Luke 21:25-28.
There are three major views describing the relationship between the Second Advent of Christ and the millennium: (1) Premillennial (2) Postmillennial (3) Amillennial.
The term “premillennialism” derives its meaning from the belief that the Second Advent of Christ will be premillennial or in other words, that it will be before the millennium.
“Premillennialism” is a system of doctrine that is based upon a literal interpretation of Scripture and prophecy.
The “premillennial” view is the biblical view and therefore, correct view since it is consistent with the prophecies that the Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled literally during His First Advent and reflects a normal, literal interpretation of the Scriptures.
The chronology of events recorded in Revelation 19:11-20:7 reveal quite clearly that Christ’s Second Advent will take place before His millennial reign.
“Postmillennialism” teaches that Christ’s kingdom is now being extended throughout the world through the preaching of the gospel and that a majority of people will be converted to Christ resulting in a consequent Christianization of the current world’s society.
“Post-millennialism” contends that Christ will return after the millennium.
This view believes that the current age in which we live is the millennium and that through spiritual means there will be a progressive growth of righteousness, prosperity and development in every sphere of life as a growing majority of Christians eventually subdue the world for Christ.
Then after Christianity has dominated for a long time, which they call the churches glorious reign of victory, Christ will return.
World War II brought about the demise of this system of theology.
The “amillennial” view holds that there will be no literal millennium on the earth following the Second Advent of Christ and the church is fulfilling all the prophecies concerning Israel and the kingdom.
This view teaches that from the ascension of Christ in the first century until His Second Advent (they don’t believe in the rapture), both good and evil will increase in the world as God’s kingdom parallels Satan’s kingdom.
The destructiveness of this view is that it denies a literal reign of Christ upon the earth and contends that Satan was bound at the First Advent.
This view contends that the present church age between the first and second advents is the fulfillment of the millennium and of course, this does not fit the facts of human history.