Daniel / Vision of Four Beasts and the Son of Man

Vision of Four Beasts and the Son of Man

Daniel 7:1-14

Chapter 7

¹ In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions in his head upon his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and the main words and said them. ² Daniel answered and said: I saw in a vision of the night, and behold, the four winds of the heavens were bursting forth upon the great sea. ³ And four great wild animals came up from the sea, one from this and one from that. ⁴ First, it had the wings of an eagle and was like a lion; I was beholding until its wings were plucked off and it was lifted from the earth, and it was made to stand on feet like a man, and a man's heart was given to it. ⁵ And I saw a living creature after it, a sea monster resembling a bear, with one side raised up and three ribs between its teeth. And they said to it, "Arise, devour much flesh." ⁶ After this I was beholding, and behold, another like a leopard, and it had four wings of a bird on its back, and the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it. ⁷ After this I was seeing in a vision of the night, and behold, a fourth wild animal, terrifying and frightening and exceedingly strong, with great iron teeth; it was devouring and crushing and trampling with its feet, and it was different from all the wild animals that were before it, and it had ten horns. ⁸ I was beholding the horns, and behold, another little horn came up between them, and three of the former horns were uprooted from before it, and behold, eyes like the eyes of a man were in this horn, and a mouth speaking great things. ⁹ I was beholding until thrones were set up and the Ancient of Days sat down. His clothing was like snow, and the hair of his head like clean wool. His throne was flames of fire, its wheels a burning fire. ¹⁰ A river of fire was flowing out from before him; thousands upon thousands were serving him, and ten thousand times ten thousand were standing before him. The judgment was seated, and books were opened. ¹¹ Then I was beholding because of the sound of the great voice that the horn was speaking. I was beholding until the beast was killed and its body destroyed and given to the burning fire. ¹² As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away; it was given to them to have life until a time and a time. ¹³ I was beholding in night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven one like a son of man was coming. He approached the Ancient of Days, and they brought him before him. ¹⁴ And to him he gave dominion and glory and a kingdom, and all the peoples, nations, and languages shall serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom that will not be destroyed.