◄ Daniel 7:3 ►
Then four great beasts came up out of the sea, each one different from the others:
Study Bible
Then four great beasts

Four successive world kingdoms would dominate the course of history and affect God’s covenant people. Their beastlike forms reveal the cruelty, pride, and appetite for dominion that mark human rule when it is exalted against God. Daniel 2 portrays the same succession as parts of a great statue: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. Human empires rise in splendor and strength, yet all remain under the judgment and authority of the Lord.

Dan 2:40-44 Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron;…
Rev 13:1-2 Then I saw a beast with ten horns and seven heads…
Rev 17:3-5 And the angel carried me away in the Spirit…

came up out of the sea,

The sea pictures the restless nations of the world, marked by conflict, upheaval, and rebellion against God (Isaiah 17:12–13; Revelation 17:15). These kingdoms did not emerge by peaceful human progress but through conquest, bloodshed, and political turmoil. God rules the raging waters and sets the limits of every ruler and nation (Psalm 89:9; Daniel 2:21).

Rev 17:15 Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw…
Isa 57:20-21 But the wicked are like the storm-tossed sea,…
Jer 51:42 The sea has come up over Babylon; she is covered…

each one different from the others:

Babylon displayed imperial majesty, Medo-Persia ruled through its vast law-bound administration, Greece spread its power and culture with astonishing speed, and Rome exercised unparalleled military and political authority. Though distinct in character and method, each kingdom shared the same fallen desire to rule apart from God. Their differences serve God’s unfolding purposes and lead toward the final triumph of the everlasting kingdom given to the Son of Man.

Dan 2:39-40 But after you, there will arise another kingdom…
Rev 13:11-12 Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth.…
1Co 15:41 The sun has one degree of splendor, the moon another,…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Daniel
The prophet who receives the vision. He is a key figure in the Old Testament, known for his faithfulness to God amidst exile in Babylon.

2. Four Great Beasts
Symbolic creatures that emerge from the sea, representing kingdoms or empires. Each beast is distinct, signifying different characteristics and roles in history.

3. The Sea
Often symbolizes chaos and the unknown in biblical literature. In this context, it represents the tumultuous nature of human kingdoms and their origins.
Teaching Points
Understanding Symbolism
The beasts symbolize earthly kingdoms. Recognizing the symbolic nature of biblical prophecy helps us discern God's message about the rise and fall of human powers.

God's Sovereignty
Despite the chaos represented by the sea and the beasts, God remains in control. This encourages believers to trust in God's ultimate authority over world events.

Faithfulness in Exile
Like Daniel, believers are called to remain faithful amidst worldly powers that may oppose God's kingdom.

Hope in God's Kingdom
The temporary nature of earthly kingdoms contrasts with the eternal kingdom of God, offering hope and assurance to believers.
Bible Study Questions
1. What do the four beasts represent, and how does this understanding affect our view of current world powers?

2. How does the imagery of the sea in Daniel 7:3 relate to other biblical passages that use similar symbolism?

3. In what ways can we remain faithful to God like Daniel, even when living in a society that may not align with our beliefs?

4. How does the vision of the four beasts encourage us to trust in God's sovereignty over history?

5. What practical steps can we take to focus on the eternal kingdom of God rather than the temporary nature of earthly kingdoms?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Revelation 13
The imagery of beasts rising from the sea is echoed in Revelation, where beasts also symbolize empires and powers opposed to God.

Daniel 2
The vision of the statue with different materials parallels the four beasts, as both represent successive kingdoms.

Isaiah 17
The sea as a symbol of chaos and nations is also seen in Isaiah, where the tumult of peoples is likened to the roaring of the sea.
Sermons
A Vision of Human ViolenceJ.D. Davies Daniel 7:1-8
Brute RuleH.T. Robjohns Daniel 7:1-12
Modes of Communication with GodCharles Popham Miles, B.A.Daniel 7:2-3
People
Belshazzar, Daniel
Places
Babylon
Topics
Animals, Beasts, Different, Diverse
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Daniel 7:1-7

     7735   leaders, political

Daniel 7:1-18

     1469   visions

Daniel 7:2-7

     1670   symbols

Daniel 7:2-8

     4627   creatures

Daniel 7:3-7

     4609   beast, the

Library
Christ's Own Testimony Concerning Himself.
THERE is but one rational explanation, of this sublime mystery; and this is found in Christ's own testimony concerning his superhuman and divine origin and character.[49]49 This testimony challenges at once our highest regard and belief from the absolute veracity which no one ever denied him, or could deny, without destroying at once the very foundation of his universally conceded moral purity and greatness. Christ strongly asserts his humanity, and calls himself; about eighty times in the Gospels, …
Philip Schaff—The Person of Christ

The Christ of the Gospels. By Rev. Professor Schaff.
THE life and character of Jesus Christ is truly the Holy of Holies in the history of the world. Eighteen hundred years have passed away since he, in the fullness of time, appeared on this earth to redeem a fallen race from sin and death, and to open a never-ceasing fountain of righteousness and life. The ages before him anxiously awaited his coming as "the Desire of all nations;" the ages after him proclaim his glory, and ever extend his dominion. The noblest and best of men under every clime hold …
Philip Schaff—The Romance of M. Renan, and the Christ of the Gospels

The Apocalypse.
1. The word Apocalypse (Greek Apokalupsis) signifies Revelation, the title given to the book in our English version as well from its opening word as from its contents. Of all the writings of the New Testament that are classed by Eusebius among the disputed books (Antilegomena, chap. 5. 6), the apostolic authorship of this is sustained by the greatest amount of external evidence; so much so that Eusebius acknowledges it as doubtful whether it should be classed among the acknowledged or …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

The Captivity of Judah.
Eze., Dan., Lam. The Ten Tribes Lost. After the fall of Samaria we hear but little of the ten tribes. They were carried off into the regions of Ninevah by the Assyrians. All effort to locate them has failed and no doubt will fail. Sargon, in an inscription found at Ninevah, said that he carried away into captivity 27,290. These were perhaps leaders of Israel whom he thought might lead a revolt. He sent others back to take their place and the Israelites seemed to have mingled with the races about …
Josiah Blake Tidwell—The Bible Period by Period

Communion Again Broken --Restoration
Cant. v. 2-vi.10. The fourth section commences with an address of the bride to the daughters of Jerusalem, in which she narrates her recent sad experience, and entreats their help in her trouble. The presence and comfort of her Bridegroom are again lost to her; not this time by relapse into worldliness, but by slothful self-indulgence. We are not told of the steps that led to her failure; of how self again found place in her heart. Perhaps spiritual pride in the achievements which grace enabled her …
J. Hudson Taylor—Union and Communion

The Ecclesiastical Trial
Over the Kedron, up the slope to the city, through the gates, along the silent streets, the procession passed, with Jesus in the midst; midnight stragglers, perhaps, hurrying forward from point to point to ask what was ado, and peering towards the Prisoner's face, before they diverged again towards their own homes.[1] He was conducted to the residence of the high priest, where His trial ensued. Jesus had to undergo two trials--the one ecclesiastical, the other civil; the one before Caiaphas the …
James Stalker—The Trial and Death of Jesus Christ

Jesus at Capernaum.
Beset by an idea, gradually becoming more and more imperious and exclusive, Jesus proceeds henceforth with a kind of fatal impassibility in the path marked out by his astonishing genius and the extraordinary circumstances in which he lived. Hitherto he had only communicated his thoughts to a few persons secretly attracted to him; henceforward his teaching was sought after by the public. He was about thirty years of age.[1] The little group of hearers who had accompanied him to John the Baptist had, …
Ernest Renan—The Life of Jesus

The Danger of Deviating from Divine Institutions.
"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." St. Paul was the apostle of the Gentiles. The care of the churches gathered among them devolved particularly on him. At the writing of this epistle he had no personal acquaintance with the church to which it is addressed.* Epaphras, a bishop of the Colossians, then his fellow prisoner at Rome, had made him acquainted with their state, and the danger …
Andrew Lee et al—Sermons on Various Important Subjects

Jesus Stills the Storm.
(Sea of Galilee; Same Day as Last Section) ^A Matt. VIII. 18-27; ^B Mark IV. 35-41; ^C Luke VIII. 22-25. ^b 35 And that day, { ^c one of those days,} ^b when the even was come [about sunset], ^a when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side. { ^b he saith unto them, Let us go over unto the other side.} [Wearied with a day of strenuous toil, Jesus sought rest from the multitude by passing to the thinly settled on the east side of Galilee.] ^a 19 And there …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

A vision of the King.
ONE of the most blessed occupations for the believer is the prayerful searching of God's holy Word to discover there new glories and fresh beauties of Him, who is altogether lovely. Shall we ever find out all which the written Word reveals of Himself and His worthiness? This wonderful theme can never be exhausted. The heart which is devoted to Him and longs through the presence and indwelling of the Holy Spirit to be closer to the Lord, to hear and know more of Himself, will always find something …
Arno Gaebelein—The Lord of Glory

The Situation after the Council of Nicæa.
The council (a) had testified, by its horrified and spontaneous rejection of it, that Arianism was a novelty subversive of the Christian faith as they had received it from their fathers. They had (b) banished it from the Church by an inexorable test, which even the leading supporters of Arius had been induced to subscribe. In the years immediately following, we find (c) a large majority of the Eastern bishops, especially of Syria and Asia Minor, the very regions whence the numerical strength of the …
Athanasius—Select Works and Letters or Athanasius

A Treatise of the Fear of God;
SHOWING WHAT IT IS, AND HOW DISTINGUISHED FROM THAT WHICH IS NOT SO. ALSO, WHENCE IT COMES; WHO HAS IT; WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS; AND WHAT THE PRIVILEGES OF THOSE THAT HAVE IT IN THEIR HEARTS. London: Printed for N. Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, over against the Stocks market: 1679. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," and "a fountain of life"--the foundation on which all wisdom rests, as well as the source from whence it emanates. Upon a principle …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

The Birth and Early Life of John the Baptist.
(Hill Country of Judæa, b.c. 5.) ^C Luke I. 57-80. ^c 57 Now Elisabeth's time was fulfilled that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. 58 And her neighbors and her kinsfolk heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy towards her [mercy in granting a child; great mercy in granting so illustrious a child] ; and they rejoiced with her. 59 And it came to pass on the eighth day [See Gen. xvii. 12; Lev. xii. 3; Phil. iii. 5. Male children were named at their circumcision, probably …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Second visit to Nazareth - the Mission of the Twelve.
It almost seems, as if the departure of Jesus from Capernaum marked a crisis in the history of that town. From henceforth it ceases to be the center of His activity, and is only occasionally, and in passing, visited. Indeed, the concentration and growing power of Pharisaic opposition, and the proximity of Herod's residence at Tiberias [3013] would have rendered a permanent stay there impossible at this stage in our Lord's history. Henceforth, His Life is, indeed, not purely missionary, but He has …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

History of the Interpretation.
1. AMONG THE JEWS. This History, as to its essential features, might, a priori, be sketched with tolerable certainty. From the nature of the case, we could scarcely expect that the Jews should have adopted views altogether erroneous as to the subject of the prophecy in question; for the Messiah appears in it, not in His humiliation, but in His glory--rich in gifts and blessings, and Pelagian self-delusion will, a priori, return an affirmative answer to the question as to whether one is …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

His Future Work
The Lord Jesus Christ, who finished the work on earth the Father gave Him to do, who is now bodily present in the highest heaven, occupying the Father's throne and exercising His priesthood in behalf of His people, is also King. To Him belongeth a Kingdom and a kingly Glory. He has therefore a kingly work to do. While His past work was foretold by the Spirit of God and His priestly work foreshadowed in the Old Testament, His work as King and His glorious Kingdom to come are likewise the subjects …
A. C. Gaebelein—The Work Of Christ

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