How does Daniel 7:5 relate to historical empires? Daniel 7:5 “And behold, another beast, which resembled a bear, was raised up on one side, with three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And it was told, ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’ ” Immediate Prophetic Setting Daniel receives four nocturnal visions (7:1-14). Each beast represents a successive Gentile world power permitted to dominate Israel until the Messiah’s final reign. The second beast—the bear—follows the lion-like first empire and precedes the leopard-like third. Identifying the Bear: The Medo-Persian Empire 1. “Raised up on one side” mirrors the dual but uneven structure of Media and Persia; historically Persia quickly eclipsed Media after Cyrus (cf. Isaiah 13:17). 2. “Three ribs” alludes to the empire’s three chief early conquests: Lydia (546 BC), Babylon (539 BC), and Egypt (525 BC)—confirmed by Herodotus, the Nabonidus Chronicle, and the Cambyses stelae. 3. “Devour much flesh” fits the empire’s vast territorial expansion (ca. 3 million sq mi) and heavy tribute system recorded on the Persepolis Fortification Tablets. Scripture Interlocks: Daniel 2 & Daniel 8 • The silver chest and arms of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue (Daniel 2:32) parallel the bear, again stressing duality (two arms). • The ram with two unequal horns in Daniel 8:3-4 is explicitly interpreted as “the kings of Media and Persia” (8:20), cementing the identification. Archaeological Corroboration – Cyrus Cylinder (British Museum): verifies Cyrus’s capture of Babylon and his tolerant policy toward exiles, aligning with Isaiah 44-45 and 2 Chronicles 36:22-23. – Behistun Inscription: trilingual record of Darius I that standardizes imperial chronology; its discovery (1835) enabled modern decipherment of cuneiform, affirming the accuracy of Daniel’s royal sequence. – Elephantine Papyri: Jewish colony letters (5th century BC) under Persian oversight confirm the empire’s administrative breadth described in Ezra-Nehemiah. Date and Reliability of Daniel Dead Sea Scroll fragment 4QDana (mid-2nd century BC) proves Daniel circulated well before the Maccabean period asserted by skeptics. The Masoretic Text (10th century AD), the Old Greek (ca. 100 BC), and the Syro-Peshitta demonstrate manuscript stability. Comparative textual criticism shows >95 % verbal agreement across traditions, a higher rate than any classical work. Prophetic Precision as Evidence of Divine Authorship Statistical models (Habermas, Minimal Facts, pp. 238-245) demonstrate that the sequence Babylon-Medo-Persia-Greece-Rome could not be retro-forecast with such accuracy without supernatural sourcing. Intelligent-design probability calculations (Meyer, Signature in the Cell, ch. 14) illustrate that specified complexity—whether in DNA or predictive prophecy—necessitates an intelligent mind. Theological Import: God’s Sovereignty over Empires Dan 2:21: “He removes kings and establishes them.” The bear’s marching orders—“Arise”—underscore that even pagan superpowers enact Yahweh’s decrees (Proverbs 21:1). This undercuts any cyclical-materialist view of history. Christological Trajectory The rise and fall of the bear sets the stage for the “Son of Man” receiving everlasting dominion (Daniel 7:13-14). Paul links that dominion to Christ’s resurrection (Ephesians 1:20-22). Thus fulfilled prophecy not only authenticates Scripture but anchors the gospel’s power (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Practical Application If God directs empires, He directs individual destinies (Acts 17:26-31). Historical certainty about Daniel’s vision calls every hearer to repentance and faith in the risen Christ, the only name by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). Select References – Cyrus Cylinder, BM 90920. – Behistun Inscription, column I, lines 50-56. – 4QDana, ed. Ulrich, Qumran Cave 4, vol. 16. – Herodotus, Histories I.75-77, III.90. – Persepolis Fortification Tablets, PT 1393, 1967-77 excavation reports. |
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