What does the bear symbolize in Daniel 7:5 from a biblical perspective? A glimpse of the vision “Then behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear.” (Daniel 7:5a) In Daniel’s night vision the Spirit gives a parade of four beasts, each picturing a successive world empire (cf. Daniel 7:17; 2:36-40). The second creature—“like a bear”—draws our focus. Observing the bear’s features • Stocky, powerful shape: brute strength rather than agility. • “It was raised up on one side” (7:5b) – one half higher than the other. • “Three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth” (7:5b). • Commanded, “Arise, devour much flesh!” (7:5c). Each detail is deliberate, providing unmistakable clues to the historical kingdom God had in view. Historical fulfillment: the Medo-Persian Empire Scripture consistently pairs Media and Persia as a dual empire that followed Babylon. • Daniel interpreted Babylon’s fall to “the Medes and Persians” (Daniel 5:28). • Daniel 8:3-4 pictures the same power as a two-horned ram—one horn higher, charging west, north, and south. • Isaiah 13:17; 21:2 foresee the Medes as God’s instrument against Babylon. Why the bear fits Medo-Persia: 1. Raised on one side – Persia soon towered over Media, matching the lopsided stance. 2. Three ribs – most plainly Lydia (546 BC), Babylon (539 BC), and Egypt (525 BC), the empire’s three great conquests. 3. Devouring flesh – history records Medo-Persia’s vast territory and heavy taxation (Esther 1:1; 8:9 references 127 provinces). The bear’s message for believers • God’s sovereignty: world powers rise only by His decree (Daniel 2:21). • Prophetic precision: every detail revealed centuries ahead, then fulfilled exactly, confirms the trustworthiness of Scripture. • Hope amid upheaval: the same vision ends with the Son of Man receiving an everlasting kingdom (Daniel 7:13-14). The bear roared for a season; Christ reigns forever. |
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