DANIEL - CHAPTER 7 - THE FOURTH BEAST
DANIEL – Chapter 7- THE FOURTH BEAST +
(Study notes on HAMAS)
Tuesday Morning Bible Study
October 24, 2023, the Year of Our Lord
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
I read through the feel-good teaching of chapter 6 of Daniel’s visitation of the angel who saved him from the Lion’s Den. As soon as we are no longer in warfare, I must preach it on a Sunday morning. Daniel was up in years, approaching ninety when He was betrayed and thrown in the lions’ den.
“For as long as the earth stands, The Lord has set in order His divine plan for the government of the nations of the earth. His divine providence took a young Hebrew boy from his native land and planted Daniel and his friends in Babylon. Through Daniel’s love and obedience to the Lord, at least three kings accepted God as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I have a notion that Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Dairus, and Cyrus will all be in heaven when we get there.”
I also found time to pursue a study of “Hamas (Strong’s H2555). I will attach my notes to this study (for prayer points) but follow through at a later time.
DANIEL – Chapter 7
Sunday Evening Service
November 20, 2011
By: Pastor Carolyn Sissom
THE FOURTH BEAST
Fourteen years (525 B.C.) before Babylon fell (539 B.C.), Daniel received this dream and visions. Daniel saw by visions the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea.
7: 1- 2: In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel saw a dream and visions in his mind as he lay on his bed; then he wrote the dream down and related the following summary of it. Daniel said, “I was looking in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea.”
The four winds of heaven are spiritual winds. Each wind, north, south, east, and west, performs a spiritual work of the Lord. In this vision of the night, Daniel saw all four winds were blowing. “The winds of heaven signified the providence of God and God’s sovereignty over human history. That the winds came from heaven meant that human history goes on within the boundaries of the divine will. Whatever rebellion the devil may raise, it will not change the course of human history” (Cho).
When the Spirit Winds of God blow, there is an upheaval of whatever is out of God’s order. Since all four winds have received the divine call to stir up the great sea, it would mean universal change.
I have been blessed to have a vision of the East Wind. It was the Most Holy Presence I have ever experienced in my life. I wanted everyone I loved to be touched by this wind. However, everyone whose lives were touched changed course forever. The breaking was almost more than the flesh could bear.
Winds are a revelation of visitation of the Holy Spirit and of God. The power and supremacy of Jehovah emerges in the picture of him soaring on the “wings of the wind”.
Psalm 18:10: He rode upon a cherub and did fly; yea, He did fly upon the wings of the wind.
Winds also picture the comprehensiveness of the Lord’s judgment as well as the blessing of His Holy Spirit.
The east wind will break us, but it will also deliver us. “Psalm 48:7: “You break the ships of Tarshish with the east wind.”
The North Wind brings discernment and Holy Ghost conviction (Jn. 16: 8-11; Song. 4;16).The only thing that can live in the presence of God is God. Everything outside of Christ is judged and removed by the north wind.
West wind: Strength, forgiveness, blessings, prosperity, a gentle breeze (Ez. 10:19).
South wind: Quiets the earth, soft warm or hot wind, whirlwind, comfort, growth, increase.
Throughout the Bible, the great sea often signifies the Mediterranean. However, metaphorically “sea” means unredeemed humanity. If this is literally the Mediterranean Sea, then it is prophetic of historic events by the providence of God which would unfold in the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. If the meaning is metaphorical, then it would indicate unredeemed humanity in the whole earth.
7: 3,4: And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another. The first was like a lion and the wings of an eagle. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, a human mind also was given to it.
This corresponds to the statute King Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream (Ch. 2). The first beast refers to Babylon. Sculptures of such a creature stood before the gate of the Babylonian palace. An eagle is king among the birds of the air, while a lion is king among the animals on the earth. So, this creature reflected the absolute power of the Babylonian monarch and the perfect organization of Babylonian bureaucracy.
The Second Beast:
7:5: And behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear. It was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth; and thus, they said to it, “Arise, devour much meat!”
This beast represented the kingdom of the Medes and Persians, which was to rise through the conquest of Babylon and last about two centuries to 331 B.C. Like a bear, the Medes and Persians were stupid and tactless but strong. When they waged a war, they needed little strategy; they just pushed with the power of the sheer numbers in their enormous army, which ranged from a hundred thousand up to a million. They were also cruel, conquering many countries, trampling them under their feet.
“Raised up on one side” shows that although the Medes and Persians were a coalition of two kingdoms, the empire leaned to one side, the side of Persia; for Persia, which was built later than Media came to supremacy and eventually defeated the Medes.
The three ribs between its teeth signifies the strong nations conquered by the Medo-Persian empire: Babylon, Lydia, and Egypt.
The voice which said, “Devour flesh, much” represented the divine grant given to the empire to have dominion over many neighboring countries. This empire lasted for more than two centuries, but the empire finally fell, and the third beast appeared.
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.
This creature referred to Alexander the Great, the Greek general who conquered Medo-Persia and gained control of much of the world. He was the greatest conqueror the world had ever seen, occupying a vast territory in a short time. Alexander rose from Macedonia in Europe and conquered large portions of Asia and Africa, sweeping like a storm all the way to the borders of India.
Legend has it that Alexander wept, sitting at the bank of the Indus River, because there was no more land to conquer. The Indus River originates in Western China (Tibet- the highest region on earth) and flows through Pakistan and India into the Arabian Sea. Soon after that he died of a fever in Babylon at the age of thirty-three.
The strongest spirit over any region will always occupy the highest tower or mountain. At the mouth of the Indus River is Tibet and is reported to be the highest region on earth. That this strong spirit in Alexander the Great was driven to this place indicates the strength of the demonic force driving him.
The Prince of Grecia is the satanic ruler prince of the Grecian Empire that caused Alexander The Great to be so successful in 13-years as to destroy the Medo-Persian Empire completely.
The Prince of Grecia is further identified as the Destroyer (the third part of the unholy trinity to kill, steal and to destroy.) The destroyer’s name is “Abaddon”.
Rev. 9:11: They had a king over them which is the angel of the bottomless pit, who name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon…and the sixth angel sounded his trumpet,
Abaddon is first mentioned in the Bible in Job 26:6 R.S. “Sheol (death) is naked before God and Abaddon (destruction) has no covering.” Abaddon is also named as destruction in Job 28:22 and Proverbs 15:11. He is further identified as the prince of Grecia in Daniel 10:20-21:
The fours heads of this leopard referred to the four generals of Alexander the Great; that is, the collective leadership system of his empire. After Alexander’s death they divided the entire Greek kingdom among themselves. These four kingdoms constantly warred against each other.
Fourth Beast with Ten Horns:
7: 7- 8:
After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. While I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, this horn possesses eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth uttering great boasts.
This beast refers to the Roman empire, which succeeded Greece and brought the whole known world under its sway. By the turn of the second century B.C., it had already conquered Spain and Carthage. Then it continued to further its conquests, adding Macedonia, Greece, Asia Minor, Syria, Jerusalem, Great Britain, France, Belgium Switzerland, and Germany. Its power reached to the border of India. Rome succeeded in building the largest empire in human history. Yet even Rome fell to invading armies in A.D. 410. No human kingdom lasts forever. In the wake of the Roman armies, civilization was often reduced to ashes.
The description of the ten horns does not correspond to any known historical aspect of the Roman empire. This is believed to be the future extension of the Roman empire. It has now been over 2000 years since the time of the Roman Empire. Interestingly all the other kingdoms only survived 200 + years. Since the time of the Roman Empire, (9) world empires have oppressed the Jews (counting Hitler) in the time of the Gentiles. However, it is believed by most scholars there will be ten kingdoms yet to arise.
NINE KINGDOMS WHICH HAVE OPPRESSED ISRAEL IN THE TIME OF THE GENTILES SINCE THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE:
1. Byzantine Empire – grew out of the East roman Empire.
2. Moslem Empire – originated with the Arabs.
3. Seljuk Turks
4. Christian Crusaders
5. Marmadukes of Egypt
6. Ottoman Turks
7. Nazis
8. British and Arab Guerilla fighters
9. Arabs (Islam)
Jesus came to this world in the age of Rome. The past 2011 years is the age of the Gospel Church (the establishing of the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven), the period in which all humankind can be delivered by the cross of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ Kingdom is the stone cut out of the mountain without hands and has broken to pieces all the other kingdoms. Daniel 2:44-45: And in the days of these kings shall the God of Heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.”
7: 9-14: 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 to Him, and ten thousand times then 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 spoke; 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 take away; yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. I saw in the night visions and beheld 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.”
From the horror of the horned beast, Daniel was turned to the solemn splendor of the heavenly court. There sat one Ancient of Days, venerable, entirely pure purging and consuming wrong. Knowing all that had passed in history, and all that He has ordained for the future. He is qualified to judge the latest upstart as He had judged others before. Judicial authority was displayed in the river of fire, and the requisite power in the innumerable thousands at His call. Beside the Divine Judge were various thrones set in place.
Before this court the books recording the deeds of the accused were opened. (Heavenly records of human activities are alluded to by many ancient writings). The accused is this one man in whom is embodied all the evil of the devil manifest in the antichrist. “Then I was watching from the sound of the great words which the horn spoke. I was watching until the beast was slain…Nothing could distract the seer until the dream ended with the accused punished in the fire of justice. Three beasts remained powerless but set aside for a set time.
The Heavenly Court has been convened to judge this one man. I would also conclude without too much presumption that it will include his followers who are likeminded.
Contrasting with the beasts which were inherently hostile to God, stood this visionary figure, like a human being. That would be Jesus. Nebuchadnezzar saw Jesus in the setting of his earthly judgment. Daniel saw a human being (Jesus – one like the Son of Man) in the place of God’s justice. This figure came with the clouds of heaven. The clouds of heaven are the glorified saints who have passed on into Heaven before the living.
Daniel was greatly alarmed by what he saw and was determined to fully understand the full importance of this terrifying message. In the midst of his distress, he received a reassuring promise from an angel who, in bold affirmation of God’s sovereign control over the affairs of men and empires loudly declared, “but the high holy ones of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever; for all ages to come.”
“Remember, every word of Daniel’s prophecies has come true regarding the four great Gentile kingdoms---Babylon, Medes and Persia, Greece, and Rome. The revived feet and toes kingdom prophesied by Daniel (Ch. 2) is nascent but growing here on earth today, aggressively seeking to extend its authority over more and more of the nations of the earth” (B.B.).
7: 15-16: I, Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. I came near to 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.
Excerpt from Covenant the End-Times Prophecy of Daniel by Baruch Battelstein:
1. The fourth beast will be a Fourth Kingdom that will arise upon the earth (first manifested by ancient Rome, but with a second, more complex incarnation yet to come---the feet and toes).
2. The fourth Kingdom will be different from all the other kingdoms before it.
3. The fourth Kingdom will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it (a historical first, as no previous empire has ever dominated the entire earth at one time).
4. Another king will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings.
5. Once he is firmly established in his power and authority, he will speak out against the Most High God.
6. He will intend to make alterations in times and in law.
7. He will wear down the high holy ones of the Highest One.
8. The whole earth will be given into his hand for a time, two times, and half a time (three and a half years).
We know from history that what Daniel prophesied in these verses has not yet taken place. For no king has yet arisen who has devoured the whole earth, trodden it down, crushed it, ruled for three and a half years, and after this time been destroyed by the Messiah, ruling and reigning over His earthly kingdom…
Out of this kingdom ten kings, or leaders, will arise. After them a king will rise who will subdue three kings and begin his three-and-a-half-year reign over the whole earth” (End of quote B.B.).
7:20: 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 unto his hand until time and times and the dividing of time.
The antichrist will try to change the set times and the laws. He will dislike the present name of our era, A.D. or “Anno domini,” which means “The year of the Lord.” Thus, he will be loath to hear words like A.D. 2023 because this means “the year of the Lord 2023,” a year in the era whose beginning is Jesus Christ. He will also change laws to place himself at the center of law, and he will institute a new era.
We saw this spirit manifest in the Jaguar, who has the spirit of antichrist. He said that “In God we trust is no longer our national motto”. He tried declaring that “E Pluribus Unum” (e pluri bu su num) which means “from many one,” is now our national motto. When congress wrote a resolution confirming In God we Trust, he mocked congress.
7:20b: Of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spoke very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. The word for stout here is “power.” I would also conclude it means “intimidating.” Another reason why saints must not be intimidated by anyone.
7:21-22: 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.”
Until the appointed time of his judgment, the horn was overcoming the saints. The Ancient of days will not allow this to continue.
7:26: But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it to the end. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under 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. So far 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.
Pastor Carolyn Sissom, Eastgate Ministries Church, 10115 West Hidden Lakes Lane, Richmond, TX
Scripture from K.J.V.; quotes from Daniel by: Paul Yonggi Cho; Covenant by: Baruch Battelstein; F. F. Bruce Bible Commentary; Comments and conclusions are my own and not meant to reflect the views of those who I entered into their labors.
HAMAS
(Study notes)
Violence – Strong’s H2555 = Hamas in the Hebrew. (violent destruction, the violent man, oppression, unjust gain, cruel, false, injustice, unrighteous,
Psa. 55 3-11: Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked; for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me. My heart is sore pained with me; and the terrors of death are fallen upon me. Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me… (vs 9) Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues; for I have seen violence (HAMAS) and strife in the city. Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof; mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it. Wickedness is in the midst thereof; deceit and guile depart not from her streets.
Psa. 74:20: Have respect unto the covenant for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty (HAMAS- H2555).
Psa. 140:1 – Deliver me O lord from the evil man; preserve me from the violent (HAMAS) man.
Haman was an Amalekite (Philistine) (war like dweller.) He was the son of Hammedatha “who troubles the law, agitator of the law”. The Agagite (violent, high warlike flame). Haman was a descendant of Esau.