In Chapter 5 of Hidden In Plain Sight, a case is made that the vision of the four beasts in Daniel 7 has an end time fulfillment.  The Scripture passage used was Daniel 7:12, “(The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.)” (NIV)  It’s a parenthetical passage, but it shows that the first three beasts – the lion with wings, the bear, and the four-headed leopard – were in existence at the time of Christ’s return and lived for a time after that.

I confess though I did not include Daniel 7:17 in the argument.  It would have made the argument stronger.  While Daniel is watching the vision he approaches one of the beings standing there and asks him about this vision.  The first thing he says is recorded in Daniel 7:17, which is, “The four great beasts are four kingdoms that will rise from the earth.” (NIV)

Traditionally the first beast – the lion with wings – is said to represent ancient Babylon.  An end times fulfillment requires that the beast is the modern inheritor of Babylon which is Iraq.  The other beasts, whether supporting an ancient or end-time fulfillment, represented kingdoms and countries which existed after Daniel.  But according to Daniel 7:17 the lion with wings along with the other beasts all represent kingdoms that “will rise from the earth.”

At the beginning of Daniel 7, the passage says that the vision occurs in the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon.  But if Babylon already existed, how can the lion with wings represent Babylon if it represents a kingdom that will rise?  The obvious answer is that indeed, the lion with wings is part of an end time fulfillment, and Daniel 7:17 is in agreement with Daniel 7:12 in this regard.

Categories: Signpost Theology