Last updated on September 28, 2024

The Fourth Kingdom Of Daniel And The Beast Of Revelation

The “statue dream” of King Nebuchadnezzar and the vision of “the four beasts” by the prophet Daniel are parallel prophecies, both predicting the rise of four kingdoms that will rule on earth. Furthermore, the “fourth kingdom” in these prophecies connects to a vision by the Apostle John in the Book of Revelation. The “beast that came out of the sea” in Revelation can be linked to the “fourth kingdom” described in chapters two and seven of Daniel.

Let’s now explore what “the beast” or “fourth kingdom” represents, applying insights from our previous studies to understand its symbolism.

The Vision Of The Fourth Beast

Daniel 7:7 “After 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'”. 

Let’s take notes of the symbology of “The Beast” starting from the verse above. In this vision of the prophet Daniel, we’ve been given symbols that identify the characteristics of the Beast. Most notably the “large iron teeth” and “10 horns“.

We are given more information about this “fourth beast” in the book of Revelation chapter 13.

The Beast Of Revelation 13

Revelation 13:1-2 Then I saw a beast with “ten horns” and “seven heads” rising out of the sea. There were “ten royal crowns” on its horns and “blasphemous names on its heads”. The beast I saw was like a leopard, with the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.

The preceding verses provide additional details about the characteristics of “The Beast,” or the “fourth kingdom.” These include seven heads and ten royal crowns on its horns. We are also told that ‘it looked like a leopard and has feet like a bear and the mouth of a lion.’ The ‘dragon’ yielded all its power to The Beast.

Let’s apply our understanding from previous studies to the symbolism given to us in Revelation 13 about this fourth kingdom. Beginning with the animal symbolism, we can see that the fourth beast will possess a combination of characteristics from the first three kingdoms, symbolized by the lion, the bear, and the leopard. These animal symbols represent the kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece, respectively, representing theocratic, authoritarian, and democratic government systems.”  

The Leopard

According to Revelation 13:2, this system will “look” like a “democracy” because the “leopard” in this vision stands for Greece or democracy. Greece is the third kingdom the will rule the world according to the prophet Daniel’s vision of the “four kingdoms” and of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a statue.

The Bear

The Beast has “feet like a bear”. The bear in this vision symbolizes Medo-Persia. Medo-Persia stands for “authoritarianism”. It is the second kingdom that will rule on earth. The “feet like a bear” symbolism tells us that this system will rule like an authoritarian although it will look like a democracy. This bear has two sides according to the vision of the prophet Daniel. The two sides are the absolute monarchy and the communism. This bear is supposed to be “raised up” on one side. Which side it will be raised is yet to be determined. We will address this another time when we explain the “little horn”.

The Lion

The Beast system will have the “mouth of a lion”. The “lion” symbolizes Babylon in this prophecy. Babylon is the first kingdom that rules on earth according to the Prophet Daniel. It is a theocratic entity. The leader of this theocratic entity will hold both religious and political power. The Beast will include in its system a Babylon-type entity in its form of government. It will be the mouthpiece of the system, dictating the laws of the land, thus it has the “mouth of a lion”.

It is noteworthy to mention that “the lion” will eventually be given a “spirit”. Although we did not discuss this point in previous episodes. This “spirit” is symbolized by the “heart” given to the lion in the prophet Daniel’s vision of the four beasts. We will explain this “spirit” more in detail in future blogs.

The Dragon

Revelation 13:2 …”And the dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority…”

The dragon is a symbol of the Devil, representing one of his evil spirits. It embodies the Devil’s ‘great pride.’ This ‘dragon,’ or the ‘great pride’ spirit, granted all its power to the Beast. In essence, the Devil’s great pride was transferred to the Beast.

Revelation 13:4 “People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?”

Iron Teeth & Bronze Claws

Yet, there is additional information given to us about this Beast in the following verse:

Daniel 7:19 Then I wanted to know the true meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others— extremely terrifying— devouring and crushing with iron teeth and bronze claws, then trampling underfoot whatever was left. 

According to the verse above, the fourth beast or the fourth kingdom, which is also known as “The Beast” will have “iron teeth” and “bronze claws”.

“The ‘iron teeth’ are most commonly interpreted as representing military might. This system will possess a formidable arsenal, capable of exerting significant military power. Additionally, the ‘iron’ symbolism could suggest that this system may use its military to impose stricter control over its population.”

“The ‘bronze claws’ symbolize the system’s invasive and predatory nature, extending its reach and targeting its prey through democratic processes and principles. This interpretation aligns with the symbolism of ‘bronze’ in King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a ‘statue,’ which represents the kingdom of Greece, the third kingdom, associated with democracy.”

The 10 Horns and The 7 Heads

We will cover in separate blogs the 10 horns and the 7 heads symbols so we can give you a more detailed explanation about them, God willing. As far as we understand, the 10 kings of The Beast are not yet here in their Beast forms. But God gave us plenty of signs to watch out for so that we may know when the Beast is about to manifest. Please read the previous blog I wrote about the signs we need to look out for by clicking this link.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the “fourth beast” in the prophet Daniel’s vision of the four beasts and the “legs of iron and feet of iron and clay” in King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a statue are prophesying about the fourth kingdom the will rule on earth. This fourth kingdom has a parallel prophecy in the book of Revelation. The vision of Apostle John of “The Beast” that came up out of the sea in Revelation chapter thirteen is also a prophecy about the “fourth kingdom” that will rule on earth.

This is it for now my friends, we will continue to explore this fourth kingdom which is also known as “The Beast” in future blogs, God willing. Until next time, May God bless you!