WHO WILL RULE THE WORLD? CHAPTER NINE

DANIEL'S gripping prophecy now takes us back to the first year of Babylonian King Belshazzar.  Daniel has long been an exile in Babylon, but never has he wavered in his integrity to to Jehovah.  Now in his 70's, the faithful prophet beholds "a dream and visions of his head upon his bed." And how those visions frighten him! - Daniel 7:1, 15. 

"See there!"  Exclaims Daniel.  "The four winds of the heavens were stirring up the vast sea.  And four huge beasts were coming up out of the sea, each one being different from the others."  What remarkable beasts!  The first is a winged lion, and the second is  like a bear. Then comes a leopard with four wings and four heads!  The unusually strong fourth beasts has large iron teeth and ten horns.  In among its ten horns rises a "small" horn having"eyes like the eyes of a man" and "a mouth speaking grandiose things." -Daniel 7:2-8.

Daniels' visions next turn heavenward. The Ancient of Days sits gloriously enthroned  as Judge in the heavenly Court. 'There are a thousand thousands that keep ministering to him, and ten thousand times ten thousand that keep standing before right before him.'  Judging the beasts  adversely, he takes rulership  away from them and destroys the fourth beast.  Lasting rulership; over "the peoples, national groups and languages" is vested in"someone like a son of man." -Daniel 87:9-14. 

"As for me," says Daniel, "my spirit was distressed within on account of it, and the very visions of my head began to frighten me."  So he seeks from an angel "reliable information on all this."  The angel indeed provides him "the very interpretation of the matters." (Daniel 7:15-28)  What Daniel saw and heard that night is of great  interest to us, for it outlined future world events reaching into our times, when "someone like a son of man" is given rulership over all  "peoples, national groups and languages."  With the help of God's Word and spirit, we too can understand the meaning of these prophetic visions. 

Next time: FOUR BEASTS COME OUT OF THE SEA

From the book: PAY ATTENTION TO DANIEL'S PROPHECY! 1999