Who Were The 4 Great Beasts Which Are Kings That Arise Out Of The Earth (original) (raw)

Daniel was told that the four beasts, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.

"Shall arise", implies that these four kings had not yet arisen at the time that Daniel had this vision.

Daniel had this vision when Belshazzar was king of Babylon, clearly Belshazzar had already risen to the throne.

However, Belshazzar was the last Babylonian king, as seen in chapter 5, and he died the night that kingdom was given to the Medes and Persians.

Daniel 5:28 PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.

30 In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.

So, since Daniel was told that four kings "shall arise", then that first beast, or first king, wouldn't be Babylonian/Chaldean, but possibly of the Medes and Persians?

No, I don't think the 1st beast and king was the from the Media-Persian Empire. I think there is a translation problem because the Hebrew interlinear Bible online at

Daniel 7:17 Interlinear: These great beasts, that are four, are four kings, they rise up from the earth; (biblehub.com) doesn't show the word "shall" although the word "shall" is shown in this same verse at Hebrew Interlinear Layout for Daniel 7:17 (WLC � KJV) (blueletterbible.org) And if you click on Strong's Hebrew Lexicon for "shall arise" which is #H6966 at H6966 - q�m - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv) (blueletterbible.org) the word "shall" is not mentioned. The KJV translates Strong's H6966 in the following manner: set up (11x), arise (5x), stand (5x), set (4x), establish (3x), rise up (3x), appointeth (1x), stood by (1x), made (1x), rise (1x).

Also the 3rd beast shown as a leopard with 4 wings on its back and 4 heads was Alexander the Great from the Grecian Empire in Daniel 7:6 whose 4 generals ruled 4 different parts of the Grecian Empire after his death in Dan. 7:6. And before it was the 2nd beast in Dan. 7:5 that was a bear raised up on one side with 3 ribs in its mouth which was the Media-Persian Empire with Persia rising up one its side to take control and rule after the Median king which leaves the first beast as a lion with eagle wings in Dan. 7:4 which was the Babylonian Empire ruled by Nebuchadnezzar. His hairs were grown like eagle feathers and his nails like bird claws according to Daniel 4:33. So no, I don't think that the 1st beast was the Media-Persia Empire.