Chapter Seven In the first year of Belshazzar, king of Babylon, Daniel had a
dream and visions of his head upon his bed.
Then he wrote the dream and told the sum of the matters.
Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of
the heaven strove upon the great sea, and four great beasts came up from the
sea, diverse one from another.
The first was like a lion and had eagle's wings.
I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the
earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.
And behold, another beast, a second like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one
side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it.
And they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
After this I beheld, and lo, another like a leopard, which had upon the back of it
four wings of a fowl.
The beast had also four heads, and dominion was given to it.
After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and
terrible, and strong exceedingly, and it had great iron teeth.
It devoured and break in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of
it, and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.
I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another little
horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots.
And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking
great things.
I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of Days did sit,
whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure
wool.
His throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him.
Thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood
before him.
The judgment was set, and the books were opened.
I beheld then, because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake,
I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the
burning flame.
As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away,
yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.
I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of Man came with the
clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought him near before
him.
And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people,
nations, and languages should serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom
that which shall not be destroyed.
I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my
head troubled me.
I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this.
So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.
These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of
the earth.
But the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for
ever, even for ever and ever.
Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the
others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass,
which devoured, break in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet.
And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up,
and before whom three fell, even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake
very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.
I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them.
Until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given to the saints of
the Most High, and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,
which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth,
and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise.
And another shall rise after them, and he shall be diverse from the first,
and he shall subdue three kings.
And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints
of the Most High, and think to change times and laws.
And they shall be given into his hand until a time and times, and the dividing
of time.
But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to
destroy it unto the end.
And the kingdom and dominion and the greatness of the kingdom unto the whole
heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is
an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
Hitherto is the end of the matter.
As for me, Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in
me, but I kept the matter in my heart.