John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 7. After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast , etc.] Not in another night, as Jarchi; but in the same night, and in the same visions of it; only after he had seen the other three successively, then last of all he saw this fourth beast; and more being said of this than of the rest, shows that this was the principal thing in the vision to be observed, as being to endure until, and having a close connection with, the kingdom of the Messiah; which, arising, shall destroy it, and take place of it: this is not the Turkish empire, as Aben Ezra, and others: nor the kingdom of the Seleucidae, as Grotius, and others; to which neither the characters, nor the duration of it, agree; but the Roman empire, which succeeded the Grecian, so Gorionides f271 : dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly ; exceeding powerful, as the Roman empire was, and terrible to all the kingdoms of the earth; its armies, wherever they came, struck terror among the nations, and threw them into a panic, killing, wasting, robbing all they met with f272 ; and especially it was terrible to Christians, by their persecutions of them, as both Rome Pagan and Rome Papal have been. Rome has its name from strength with the Greeks, and from height with the Hebrews, as Jerom observes: it had great iron teeth ; which may design its generals and emperors, such as Scipio, Pompey, Julius Caesar, and others; which crushed and devoured all that came in their way: this monarchy answers to the legs and feet of iron in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it ; it devoured nations, broke kingdoms in pieces, and brought them in subjection to them; reducing them to the greatest servitude, and obliging them to pay heavy taxes and tribute: it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it : in its original, language, laws, customs, and forms of government; it was such a monster, that no name could be given it; there was no one beast in nature to which it could be compared; it had all the ill properties of the other beasts, for craft, cruelty oppression, and tyranny; and therefore John describes this same beast as being like a leopard, having the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion. ( Revelation 13:2): and it had ten horns ; which are explained of ten kings or kingdoms, ( Daniel 7:24), the same with the ten toes in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and with the ten kings that received power as kings with the beast or ten kingdoms, into which the Roman empire was divided about the time of the rise of antichrist,(see Gill on “ Revelation 17:12”).
Matthew Henry Commentary
- Daniel's vision of the four beasts. (Dan. 7:1-8) and of Christ' kingdom. (Dan. 7:9-14) The interpretation. (Dan. 7:15-28)
Dan. 7:1-8 This vision contains the same prophetic representations with Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The great sea agitated by the winds represented the earth and the dwellers on it troubled by ambitiou princes and conquerors. The four beasts signified the same fou empires, as the four parts of Nebuchadnezzar's image. Mighty conqueror are but instruments of God's vengeance on a guilty world. The savag beast represents the hateful features of their characters. But the dominion given to each has a limit; their wrath shall be made to prais the Lord, and the remainder of it he will restrain.
Dan. 7:9-14 These verses are for the comfort and support of the people of God, in reference to the persecutions that would come upon them Many New Testament predictions of the judgment to come, have plai allusion to this vision; especially Rev. 20:11,12. The Messiah is her called the Son of man; he was made in the likeness of sinful flesh, an was found in fashion as a man, but he is the Son of God. The grea event foretold in this passage, is Christ's glorious coming, to destro every antichristian power, and to render his own kingdom universal upo earth. But ere the solemn time arrives, for manifesting the glory of God to all worlds in his dealings with his creatures, we may expec that the doom of each of us will be determined at the hour of ou death; and before the end shall come, the Father will openly give to his incarnate Son, our Mediator and Judge, the inheritance of the nations as his willing subjects.
Dan. 7:15-28 It is desirable to obtain the right and full sense of what we see and hear from God; and those that would know, must ask be faithful and fervent prayer. The angel told Daniel plainly. He especially desired to know respecting the little horn, which made wa with the saints, and prevailed against them. Here is foretold the rag of papal Rome against true Christians. St. John, in his visions an prophecies, which point in the first place at Rome, has plain referenc to these visions. Daniel had a joyful prospect of the prevalence of God's kingdom among men. This refers to the second coming of ou blessed Lord, when the saints shall triumph in the complete fall of Satan's kingdom. The saints of the Most High shall possess the kingdo for ever. Far be it from us to infer from hence, that dominion is founded on grace. It promises that the gospel kingdom shall be set up a kingdom of light, holiness, and love; a kingdom of grace, the privileges and comforts of which shall be the earnest and first-fruit of the kingdom of glory. But the full accomplishment will be in the everlasting happiness of the saints, the kingdom that cannot be moved The gathering together the whole family of God will be a blessedness of Christ's coming _________________________________________________
Original Hebrew באתר870 דנה1836 חזה2370 הוית1934 בחזוי2376 ליליא3916 וארו718 חיוה2423 רביעיה7244 דחילה1763 ואימתני574 ותקיפא8624 יתירא3493 ושׁנין8128 די1768 פרזל6523 לה רברבן7260 אכלה399 ומדקה1855 ושׁארא7606 ברגליה7271 רפסה7512 והיא1932 משׁניה8133 מן4481 כל3606 חיותא2423 די1768 קדמיה6925 וקרנין7162 עשׂר׃6236