Last updated on January 31, 2025
According to the vision of the “four beasts” by the prophet Daniel, there will be four kingdoms that will rule the world.
The Vision
Daniel 7:2 Daniel declared: “In my vision in the night I looked, and suddenly the four winds of heaven were churning up the great sea. 3Then four great beasts came up out of the sea, each one different from the others:
4The first beast was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and given the mind of a man.
5Suddenly another beast appeared, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. So it was told, ‘Get up and gorge yourself on flesh!’
6Next, as I watched, another beast appeared. It was like a leopard, and on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.
The Fourth Beast
7After this, as I watched in my vision in the night, suddenly a fourth beast appeared, and it was terrifying— dreadful and extremely strong— with large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed; then it trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the beasts before it, and it had ten horns. 8While I was contemplating the horns, suddenly another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like those of a man and a mouth that spoke words of arrogance.
Interpretation
An angel gave the prophet Daniel the interpretation of his vision of the four beasts.
Daniel 7:17 “Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth”.
In the Prophet Daniel’s vision, the “four beasts” he saw—representing four kings or kingdoms—symbolize different types of government systems. This interpretation is rooted in a spiritual perspective, which I will elaborate on later in this post.
The four kingdoms that will rule on Earth are:
1) Lion with wings of eagle – the first kingdom.
2) Bear with three ribs in his mouth – the second kingdom.
3) Leopard with four heads and four wings – the third kingdom.
4) A terrible-looking beast with iron teeth and ten horns- the fourth kingdom.
The angel gave the prophet Daniel more details about the fourth beast that he saw in his vision.
Daniel 7:23 “Thus he said: ‘The fourth beast shall be A fourth kingdom on earth, Which shall be different from all other kingdoms, And shall devour the whole earth, Trample it and break it in pieces.”
Parallel Prophecy
In Daniel 2, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon saw a statue in a dream, which the Prophet Daniel interpreted for him. This interpretation is identical to the meaning of the four beasts Daniel saw in his own vision.
These two visions reveal the same prophecy—one given to King Nebuchadnezzar and the other directly to Daniel—both foretelling the four kingdoms that will rule the earth.
By connecting Nebuchadnezzar’s dream with Daniel’s vision of the four beasts, we gain a broader and clearer understanding of this prophetic message.
Here is what we know:
| Daniel’s Four Beasts Symbolisms | Nebuchadnezzar’s Statue Symbolisms | Spiritual Kingdoms or realms | Spirit-based interpretation: Types of Ruling Systems or Governments | |
| First Kingdom | Lion | Head Of Gold | Babylon | The Leader is both the political and the religious head. A Theocratic System. |
| Second Kingdom | Bear | Chest Of Silver | Medo-Persia | The leader is an authoritarian, whether a monarch, dictator, or a communist party. |
| Third Kingdom | Leopard | Thighs of Bronze | Greece | The leader is chosen by the people through a fair election process. This is the Democratic System. |
| Fourth Kingdom | Terrible-looking Beast | Legs of Iron and Feet of Iron and clay | Beast | A fusion of the first three ruling systems, integrating political, military, and economic spheres across ten nation-unions. This will form a multi-polar system. |
Spirit-based Interpretation
- Babylon is the first kingdom to rule the world, represented by the lion with eagle’s wings in the Prophet Daniel’s vision. A nation is considered under the spiritual realm of Babylon when its leader governs both religious and political affairs, reflecting the ruling style of King Nebuchadnezzar.
- Medo-Persia is the second kingdom to rule the world, represented by the bear with three ribs in its mouth. A nation falls under the spiritual realm of Medo-Persia when it is governed by an authoritarian ruler. The two primary forms of authoritarian rule are Absolute Monarchy and Communism.
- Greece is the third kingdom to rule the world, represented by the leopard with four heads and four wings in the Prophet Daniel’s vision. A nation that selects its leader through a fair democratic election operates under the spiritual realm of Greece, as democracy originated in ancient Greece.
- The terrible-looking beast is the fourth kingdom that will rule the world. It is symbolized by a beast with ten horns in the prophet Daniel’s vision.The fourth beast in the prophet Daniel’s vision is not yet fulfilled. We will look into the fourth beast in a separate blog in the future God willing.
Conclusion
King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the great statue in Daniel 2 aligns with the Prophet Daniel’s vision of the four beasts in Daniel 7. Both reveal the same prophecy concerning the four kingdoms or governing systems that will dominate the earth.
The first three systems have already emerged: Babylon, characterized by theocratic rule where a leader controls both political and religious affairs; Medo-Persia, defined by authoritarian governance; and Greece, which introduced elected leadership through democracy. The fourth kingdom, the Beast system, has yet to arise. In future posts, God willing, we will explore this final government system.
If this post has helped you understand this topic, please share this knowledge with others. You can share the post on your social media accounts or consider donating to this ministry. Until next time, may God bless you! Let your light shine!
Be First to Comment