What historical empires are represented by the beasts in Daniel 7:17? Text and Context “These four great beasts are four kings who will arise from the earth.” (Daniel 7:17). The vision comes to Daniel “in the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon” (7:1), roughly 553 BC, after the events of Daniel 2–6 and before Babylon fell (539 BC). Principle of Interpretation Daniel himself equates the beasts with successive historical kingdoms (7:17, 23). Chapter 2’s metal statue provides a parallel outline, allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture. The order of empires must begin with Babylon, Daniel’s present reality (2:38), and proceed sequentially to the coming of Messiah’s eternal kingdom (7:13-14, 27). Beast 1—Lion with Eagle’s Wings: The Neo-Babylonian Empire (605–539 BC) • Babylon used the lion as its chief royal symbol; striding-lion reliefs still line the Ishtar Gate, excavated 1902–1914 and now in Berlin’s Pergamon Museum. • Eagle-wing motifs decorated Nebuchadnezzar’s palaces; Babylonian Chronicle tablets (BM 21946) confirm his rapid expansion, matching the image of a winged creature dominating swiftly. • “Its wings were plucked, and it was made to stand on two feet like a man” (7:4) echoes Nebuchadnezzar’s humbling and restoration (4:28-37). Beast 2—Bear Raised Up on One Side with Three Ribs: The Medo-Persian Empire (539–331 BC) • The bear’s uneven height pictures the dual empire in which Persia soon overshadowed Media (cf. 8:3’s higher horn). • The three ribs likely symbolize Persia’s tri-fold conquests: Lydia (546 BC), Babylon (539 BC), and Egypt (525 BC). Herodotus and the Nabonidus Chronicle document those campaigns. • The Cyrus Cylinder (British Museum 90920) corroborates the peaceful capture of Babylon, dovetailing with Daniel 5-6. Beast 3—Leopard with Four Wings and Four Heads: The Greek Empire (331–168 BC) • A leopard signifies speed; four wings intensify the imagery. Alexander the Great’s army covered 22,000 miles in eleven years, as recorded by Arrian (Anabasis I.12). • After Alexander’s 323 BC death, the empire divided among four generals: Cassander (Macedon–Greece), Lysimachus (Thrace–Asia Minor), Seleucus (Syria–Babylon), and Ptolemy (Egypt). The bilingual Rosetta Stone (196 BC) issued by Ptolemy V references this successor kingdom structure. • Daniel 8:5-8, 21-22 further confirms the leopard’s identity, explicitly naming Greece and four subsequent horns. Beast 4—Terrifying Beast with Iron Teeth and Ten Horns: The Roman Empire (168 BC – AD 476, with eschatological extension) • Iron weaponry, disciplined legions, and relentless conquest made Rome uniquely “dreadful” (7:7). Polybius (Histories 6.51) and Josephus (Wars 3.5.2) describe its devouring power. • The “ten horns” preview a later confederation of kings arising out of the Roman sphere; Revelation 17:12 picks up the motif. Historically, Rome fragmented into multiple successor kingdoms (Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Vandals, Suevi, Burgundians, Franks, Lombards, Anglo-Saxons, Heruli, Gepids). • The little horn that rises among them (7:8, 24-26) is still future, culminating in final judgment when “the Ancient of Days came” (7:22) and the Son of Man receives dominion (7:13-14). Correlation with Daniel 2 Gold head – Babylon; silver chest and arms – Medo-Persia; bronze belly and thighs – Greece; iron legs and iron-clay feet – Rome. The stone “cut without hands” (2:34-35) parallels the Son of Man’s kingdom (7:13-14, 27), confirming the historical sequence. Archaeological and Historical Corroboration • Babylonian ration tablets (BM 78957) list “Yau-kin, king of Judah,” supporting the Exile chronology. • Persepolis terrace reliefs display alternating Median and Persian nobles, mirroring the bear’s dual nature. • The Alexander Sarcophagus (Istanbul Archaeology Museum) depicts lightning-swift cavalry charges. • The Arch of Titus in Rome portrays the spoils of the Jerusalem Temple (AD 70), fulfilled under the fourth beast’s oppression (cf. Luke 21:24). Prophetic Precision Daniel’s predictions of Medo-Persian and Greek details (chap. 8) were so exact that Porphyry (3rd cent. AD) alleged later composition—a backhanded admission of their accuracy. The discovery of pre-Maccabean Daniel manuscripts silences that objection and testifies to divine foreknowledge (Isaiah 46:9-10). Christological Fulfillment Jesus cited Daniel 7:13 at His trial—“You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven” (Mark 14:62)—and authenticated the prophet (Matthew 24:15). His bodily resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3-8) guarantees the ultimate overthrow of the fourth beast and the everlasting kingdom promised in Daniel 7:27. Theological Implications 1. History is linear, purposeful, and under God’s sovereign control. 2. Prophecy validates Scripture’s divine origin and invites trust in Christ. 3. Believers today live within the extended era of the fourth beast, awaiting the visible reign of the Son of Man; therefore, “be alert” (Luke 21:36). Answer Summarized Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome are the four empires symbolized by the beasts in Daniel 7:17, attested by Scripture, archaeology, and history, and culminating in the triumph of the resurrected Christ. |
    |