THE GREAT I AM REIGNS
Play Audio
If you prefer listening to today’s Bible guide reading, play this audio file.
If the audio bar is not appearing, click here to play the audio.
Opening Prayer
Father, thank you for the work of your Spirit that redeemed me, made me your child, and offers me all I need to serve you faithfully today.
Read DANIEL 7:1–14
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
Daniel’s Dream of Four Beasts
7 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying in bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream.
2 Daniel said: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. 3 Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.
4 “The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a human being, and the mind of a human was given to it.
5 “And there before me was a second beast, 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. It was told, ‘Get up and eat your fill of flesh!’
6 “After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.
7 “After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.
8 “While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being and a mouth that spoke boastfully.
9 “As I looked,
“thrones were set in place,
and the Ancient of Days took his seat.
His clothing was as white as snow;
the hair of his head was white like wool.
His throne was flaming with fire,
and its wheels were all ablaze.
10 A river of fire was flowing,
coming out from before him.
Thousands upon thousands attended him;
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
The court was seated,
and the books were opened.
11 “Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. 12 (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.)
13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
Reflect
Are there things that torment your dreams and disrupt your rest? What restores your peace and enables you to return to sleep?
This passage is striking in that almost all its ideas are replicated in other parts of Scripture. The setting is the realm of dreams and visions. Its features include end times, weird and grotesque beasts, and their engaging in ghastly and scary over-the-top activities. They speak with human voices, have authority over swaths of humanity, and threaten the very existence of human beings. They appear in mortal combat with the powers under the command of the Ancient of Days, the Lord, the Creator of the universe. This passage belongs to a genre of biblical writings referred to as apocalyptic. These works include parts of Daniel, Mark 13, Matthew 24, and, especially, Revelation.
Why did Daniel have this dream? I think he was in terror, and the dream was grounded in the history of Israel and its relationship with the Lord, the Maker of the universe. He was scared that the relationship between the Lord and Israel had run its course and was in danger of fizzling out; that the gods of the Babylonians and those of the Medes and the Persians had proved too strong for the Lord. We know that this is so because of what he says in 9:3 and 9:20. Could it really be true that the experiment had failed, with all that it had potentially promised in terms of the salvation of Israel and the whole world?
To answer Daniel’s disquieting thoughts, the Lord peels back the mists of human limitations. He reveals that the Ancient of Days remains on the throne and is still active in judging all human authorities throughout history. He will ultimately do this through the Son of Man, to whom he has granted all authority in heaven and on earth (v. 14).1
Apply
Human superpowers, political and ideological, have arisen and threatened God’s design for humanity. None of these are a match for the Son of Man. Take courage; do not lose hope.
Closing prayer
Jesus, my Savior, you are everything to me—my righteousness, my hope, my joy, and peace. Accept my thanksgiving and praise as I offer you all that I am.
1 Cf. Matt 28:18.
Book and Author Intros
Extras
Click here to sign up to receive the EXTRAs via email each quarter.
© 2025 Scripture Union U.S.A. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission is prohibited.
Encounter with God is published in the USA under license from Scripture Union England and Wales, Trinity House, Opal Court, Opal Drive, Fox Milne, Milton Keynes, MK15 0DF.