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.
5. And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
6. 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.
7. 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 brake 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.
8. 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.
What do the four beasts signify?
A.) The lion, and it had eagle’s wings and it represents Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylonian Empire.
(Dan 7:4)
4. 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.
B.) The Bear is the Medo-Persians Empire that followed. It was raised on one side because the Persians were stronger that the Medes. The three ribs in its mouth indicate there conquest.
(Dan 7:5)
5. And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
C.) The Leopard, with four wings and four heads, was a picture of the Grecian Empire. Alexander the Great died and his empire was divided between his four Generals.
(Dan 7:6)
6. 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.
D.) The forth beasts described as dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly represents the Roman Empire.
(Dan 7:7)
7. 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 brake 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.
The Prophet is fascinated by the 10 horns which correspond to the ten toes on the image and especially by the little horn that rises later, portraying a powerful leader in the end time.
(Dan 7:24, 25)
24. 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.
25. 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.
The seventy weeks are weeks of years (70 x 7 = 490). This period of time is divided into three sections. The first division comprised of 7 weeks or a period of 49 years, and had to do with the rebuilding of Jerusalem.
(Dan. 9:25)
25. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
The second division of 62 weeks, or 434 years signaled the time of Christ’s death after the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Christ came on schedule and was rejected (cut off Verse 26) resulting in the crucifixion.
(Dan 9:26)
26. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
Now Israel must pay the price for rejecting her King. So a final week is coming when the anti Christ will confirm his peace covenant for one week, or 7 years.
(Dan 9:27)
27. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
This harmonizes with the calculations of the second half of the Tribulation hour described as a period of "42 months" or "1260 days".
(Rev 11:3)
3. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
When the anti Christ breaks all of his pledges to Israel and an era of unthinkable persecution breaks out for the Jews especially.
Between the weeks 69 and 70 is a parenthesis, unseen in Old Testament prophecy, which applies to the present age.
