Daniel 7

In the first year of Belshazzar, Daniel sees a dream and writes the sum. Wesley: this prophecy is written in Chaldee, to be a monument to him, of the reverence his father and grandfather shewed towards God, who had done such mighty works for them. Then he wrote—these visions were recorded for the benefit of the church, to rectify their mistake: for they thought all things would succeed prosperously after they returned out of their captivity.

In practice: a night in a named year. The Most High records what the church will need. Return from exile will not mean ease. Common ground: written for the church, not a private diary, and not a modern prophecy chart.

Calvin: God had formerly appointed him interpreter to profane kings; he now appoints him a teacher to the Church. This vision was bestowed in the first year of Belshazzar, before that change. The faithful must be admonished of disturbances at hand; three monarchies yet remained. He wrote the dream for the common edification of the Church, not for himself personally.

Providence times the vision before Babylon falls. Daniel writes the vision down. God prepares his people for storms. The Most High still rules; this is.

Four winds of heaven stir the great sea. Wesley: probably by the four winds of the great sea is signified commotions of contrary nations, striving together by wars, and producing these four beasts successively.

Winds, sea, nations at war. The vision is history under the Most High. Common ground: the sea is troubled before the beasts rise.

Calvin: the four winds of heaven fought in a great sea. He prefers that rendering. The image of a raging sea warns the faithful against dreadful commotion; various storms arise together on all sides—not a single blast. The world is like a troubled sea.

God shows the shaking so the church will not think redemption means quiet. The Most High is not ousted by the storm.

Four great beasts come up from the sea, different from one another. Wesley: that is, four great monarchies, great, in comparison of particular kingdoms; beasts for their tyrannical oppressions.

The beasts are successive realms, and each is a creature. They differ; they are still under the Most High. Stay with Wesley’s four monarchies. Do not force a modern map, and do.

Calvin: after the troubled sea, four beasts proceed out of it—that concussion is one kingdom succeeding another. Empires are compared to beasts because kings are mostly tyrants, full of cruelty, forgetting humanity; the vice springs from themselves, not from God’s ordinance. Kingdoms in themselves may be beautiful reflections of divine wisdom if rightly conducted.

For the hearer: the beasts are monarchies God will name. Wesley agrees: four, from the sea, different. The later Son of Man will.

A lion with eagles’ wings; wings plucked; it stands as a man; the mind of a man is given. Wesley: the first was the Chaldean, or Assyrian; whose seat was first at Babylon, afterwards at Nineveh, and then at Babylon again. Eagle’s wings—they were swift, over-running many countries, and brought their monarchy to a prodigious height in a short time. The wings were plucked—first in stopping the career of their victories, and afterwards in casting them out of their kingdom. A man’s heart—they lost their lion-like courage, and became faint and cowardly like other men.

Babylon is first, as in the gold head of chapter 2. Swift, then stopped. Agreed on both sides: this is the Chaldean empire.

Calvin: the first is the Chaldean Empire, as the golden head of the statue. A lion: some superiority, because greater integrity flourished under the Chaldeans than when empires mixed. Eagle’s wings: swiftness. Wings torn off: the Lord restrained them. Raised from the earth: cessation of the empire. It stood upon its feet, and a man’s heart was given: they were reduced to ordinary condition, no longer terrible—not intended by way of praise, but as private persons deprived of power.

God takes the wings and the throne. On this both agree: lion, Babylon. The Most High still rules when the first beast stands like a man.

A bear raised on one side; three ribs were in its mouth; Arise, devour much flesh. Wesley: another beast—the Mede’s and Persians, a fierce, ravenous creature. On one side—the north side; for the Mede first arose and sent to Cyrus the Persian to come and assist him against the Assyrian. Three ribs—several of the Babylonian subjects revolted, and all these made the three ribs.

A named second monarchy, as silver followed gold. The bear stands for the Medes and Persians. Stay with that identification; do not redraw it as a modern map or a culture-war.

Calvin: the second beast is the kingdom of the Medes and Persians. A bear: barbarous, fierce, slothful and cruel beside the lion’s beauty. It stood on one side: the obscure origin of Persia until Cyrus acquired a name. Three ribs between its teeth: not three definite kingdoms; the number is indefinite—much prey. It was said, Arise, eat much flesh: God governs by secret counsel; Cyrus executed judgment. God was not the author of cruelty, yet entrusted the duty of judgment.

The devouring is under providence. Both readings: bear, Medes and Persians. The Most High still commands the season.

A leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird; four heads; dominion given. Wesley: this leopard was the Grecian monarchy; a leopard is less than a lion, so was this monarchy at first, but yet durst fight with a lion; so did Alexander encounter Darius with an inferior force. A leopard also for his swiftness; therefore described with four wings on his back. Four heads—he was succeeded by four of his chief commanders, who divided that empire into four parts.

Greece after Persia, as bronze after silver. Common to both: leopard, Greece, fourfold split. Dominion is given, not seized from the Most High.

Calvin: this vision is the Macedonian Empire. A leopard: Alexander obtained great power through swiftness; ambition intoxicated him. Four wings and four heads: Alexander had scarcely completed his victories when he died; the supreme power centered in four—Seleucus, Antigonus, Cassander (then Antipater), and Ptolemy. Dominion was given to the beast: Alexander’s success was incredible, beyond natural expectation.

The dominion is given, not won by luck. Wesley agrees: Greece, four heads after Alexander.

A fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful, exceedingly strong; iron teeth; it devours, breaks, stamps; different from the rest; ten horns. Wesley: a fourth beast—the Roman empire.

Rome after Greece, as iron after bronze in chapter 2. This is Rome. Different and terrible is still a creature under the Ancient of Days who will sit.

Calvin: the fourth beast is the Roman Empire. He gives it no fixed name, because nothing ever existed like it. Formidable, terrible, very strong; large iron teeth: audacity and insatiable greed. It consumed, broke, and trod the remnant under foot. Ten horns: many—ten often means many in Scripture; the empire divided into provinces, each ruler like a king, not ten literal kings at Rome as a later dream.

God showed a prodigy so the faithful would not lose courage when Rome rose. Common ground: fourth beast, Rome, iron. The Most High still rules.

A little horn among them; three horns plucked up; eyes like a man’s; a mouth speaking great things. Wesley: another little horn—probably either the Turk or the Romish antichrist.

Wesley offers a probable reading and holds it with humility. The mouth speaking great things is arrogance under the Most High. The court of vv. 9–10 still sits.

Calvin: the little horn relates to Julius Caesar and the other Caesars who succeeded him—Augustus, Tiberius, and the rest. Little: Caesar did not assume the name of king; a shadow of the Republic remained. He rejects transferring this horn to the Pope or the Turk, and rejects stretching the vision over the whole remaining course of the church; God wished to declare what should happen up to the first advent of Christ.

Application: a mouth speaking great things is still a creature. Both traditions agree: eyes, mouth, three horns uprooted. The Ancient of Days is about to sit.

Thrones placed; the Ancient of Days takes his seat; clothing white as snow; hair like pure wool; throne of fiery flames; wheels of burning fire. Wesley (on the older “cast down”): the thrones—the kingdoms of this world were destroyed by God the king, and judge of all, called the Ancient of days, because of his eternal deity.

Application: the Judge is God eternal. World-kingdoms do not last. The Ancient of Days sits. This is not a rapture timetable. The Son of Man is still coming in vv. 13–14, in this same vision.

Calvin: thrones were erected (he prefers this to “removed”) for God to sit with angel assessors, after our human fashion, to exhibit judgment. The Ancient of days is the eternal Deity. He seated himself as judge when his power had seemed hidden. This suits the first advent of Christ, when majesty shone in his person—not, as many stretch it, the second advent. White garment and wool hair: God puts on a form we can bear.

God is not absent while beasts roar. Ancient of Days, white, fire. The books open next.

A stream of fire; a thousand thousands serve; ten thousand times ten thousand stand; the court sits; the books are opened. Wesley writes no note here; his nearest (v. 9): God the king and judge of all, the Ancient of days, because of his eternal deity.

Application: the court is historical. The Judge sits, and the record is open. The Son of Man will receive the kingdom in vv. 13–14—keep those verses with this vision.

Calvin: a fiery stream issued from his presence to inspire fear and reverence. Numberless angels—thousands of thousands, ten thousand times ten thousand—stand to minister; they fulfill his commands at once. The judgment was set. The books were opened: he refers this to the preaching of the gospel, when God was plainly made known after the Sun of righteousness arose, in contrast with the obscure season before Christ.

Myriads do not share the throne; they serve. Court sat, books opened. The horn’s mouth is about to meet the fire.

Because of the horn’s great words, the beast is killed; its body destroyed, and it was given to be burned with fire. Wesley: destroyed—this cannot but be meant of the ruin and judgment of antichrist.

The mouth speaking great things does not last. Wesley reads the killing as antichrist’s ruin, following his v. 8. Common ground: the beast is slain; fire takes the body.

Calvin: the beast was slain, and his body consumed by fire—the end of the Roman empire. From the time foreigners obtained mastery, the fourth beast ceased to flourish. Shortly after the promulgation of the gospel, after the books were opened, the destruction of that fourth beast was close at hand.

Great words do not outlast the Judge. The beast is killed and burned. Calvin ties the slaying to Rome after the gospel.

Wesley writes no note here; his nearest (v. 11): the ruin and judgment of antichrist, while these first three have already lost rule.

Pastorally: a season is a limit. Empires outlive their dominion for a while; they do not outlive the Most High. Dominion taken, life prolonged for a time.

Calvin: the other three had already had dominion taken (he reads the verbs as pluperfect). Length of life was granted for a time and a time: nothing happens accidentally; God has decreed the seasons. Severe trials may be lengthened, yet not perpetual; God has prescribed a fixed period.

The Most High times the beasts. Shared: lives prolonged for a season. Patience. What follows is the Son of Man—keep 13–14 in this file.

With the clouds of heaven one like a son of man comes; he comes to the Ancient of Days and is presented before him. Wesley: a son of man—that is, the Messiah, he came with the clouds of heaven, gloriously, swiftly and terribly. And came—this relates to his ascension, at which time, he received his royal investiture, for the protection of his church, and curbing of their enemies.

Keep 13–14 with this vision. Shared christology: this is Christ, the Messiah. He comes with the clouds to the Ancient of Days and is presented before him. The next verse gives him the kingdom.

Calvin: one like the Son of man appeared in the clouds. Without doubt this is to be understood of Christ. “Like” the Son of man: he had not yet taken our flesh. He came even to the Ancient of Days: this ought to be explained of Christ’s ascension; he then commenced his reign. He was represented before God, because he sits at his right hand. He was in the clouds, separated from the common lot, yet the Mediator who would become truly man.

Shared christology with Wesley: this is Christ. He comes with the clouds to the Ancient of Days and is presented before him.

To him is given him, and glory, and a kingdom; all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; everlasting dominion that shall not pass away; a kingdom that will not be destroyed. Wesley writes no separate note here; his nearest (v. 13): the Messiah’s ascension, his royal investiture for the protection of his church and curbing of their enemies. Later (v. 18): Jesus Christ being their king, they shall reign with him, and possess the kingdom for ever.

Keep 13–14 with the vision. This is Christ. The stone of chapter 2 and this Son of Man are the same kingdom.

Calvin: power, honor, and kingdom were given to him as Mediator, as God manifest in flesh—not as if he began to be God. All nations, people, and tongues should serve him. This is the commencement of Christ’s reign, not to be strained to the last judgment alone, though the events are not yet complete. His dominion is the dominion of an age, not taken away; his kingdom cannot be abolished. He reigns to preserve the church in this world until he gathers his people to the eternal inheritance.

Shared christology: the Son of Man who came with the clouds is given everlasting dominion. This is Christ. The kingdom shall not be destroyed.