# Daniel Chapter 7
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## Summary
Daniel has a dream and vision whilst he lays in his bed. We writes down the dream and tells the vision. He behold four winds stirring the sea and four beasts emerge. The first like a lion with eagles wings, the second a bear with ribs in it's mouth and the final like a leopard with four wings. A fourth beast with horns emerges and one of the horns has human eyes and a mouth. 

The vision changes to a courtroom in which the ancient of days is seated on a throne and books are opened. The fourth beast is killed and Daniel has a vision of one like a son of man[^1] presented before the ancient of days and given everlasting dominion.

The final movement of the vision is Daniel seeking interpretation from one who is present who explains the beasts represent four Kings who will arise out of the earth whilst confirming the saints shall received the kingdom and possess it forever. 

## Imagery and Themes
This is a complex symbolic passage there is imagery of the four winds of heaven drawing back the waters of chaos for the emergence of four beasts. Read in the context of earlier passage there is a consistency with the images of human rulers becoming monsters as they ignore or oppose the will of God. Perhaps most clearly articulated in Daniel 3 where Nebuchadnezzar literally becomes an animal until the appointed time. 

The pattern is consistent throughout Daniel with animal, human and divine beings dominating throughout. Contrast is drawn between those that refuse to bow and survive the furnace and those that bow to idols and are ultimately devoured. Those that plot to kill Daniel with beasts and those that are killed by those same beasts for plotting. Again we see the reorientation that the kingdom of God brings to a corrupted creation.

As with all Prophetic and apocalyptic utterances there is much left up to interpretation and certainly many interpretations have been offered for this passage. One suggestion is that the early chapters consist of folk tales spoken by the Jewish people prior to oppression by Antiochus IV. With Chapter 7 onwards added later to reassure the Jewish people they would survive in the face of this oppression. Others seek to identify the beasts with specific kings or kingdoms that have emerged.

Yet it might be easy to perceive these texts as containing a hidden knowledge rather than recognising them as a climax to a narrative warning about the beastly potential of kings. If the intent was to say something about these Kingdoms the narrative could have been written with considerably less ambiguity. As such this makes me more inclined to accept that what the book speaks plainly of - e.g. the sovereignty of God - is the real message of this Chapter.


[^1]: This term most likely means Human being. Elsewhere the idiom is translated accordingly [e.g Son of a Quiver == Arrow, Son of a Herd == Calf, Son of a Year == One year old]