In the opening verse of chapter seven, Daniel speaks of his experience as a Dream and a Vision, apparently indicating that he had a vision in a dream.  Here, for the first time in the book of Daniel a vision is given directly to Daniel, and in verse two Daniel is quoted in the first person, reciting this experience of the Dream and its Interpretation.

    From the standpoint of world history, this has been revealed before, especially in the Vision of Nebuchadnezzar in chapter 2, and the outline of world history.  In Chapter 7 the Vision is given through the godly prophet, Daniel, and world history is depicted as four horrible beasts, the last of which almost defies description.  In chapter 7 an angel is the interpreter.  Chapter 2 considers world history from Daniel’s vision given to him from God.  Chapter 7 views world history from God’s point of view; the immorality, depravity, and brutality.  In detail of prophecy chapter 7 far exceeds chapter 2.

    In Daniel 2 God revealed to the King of Babylon the outline of the future history of the world from his own time to the setting up of God’s Kingdom under the Lord Jesus Christ.  Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon was wondering in his mind with troubled sleep, what would come in the future history of nations.  God, in a dream made known unto him what should “come to pass hereafter.”

    In Daniel 7 God gave Daniel a vision revealing the same outline of world history that was given to Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 2: Four Gentile, (world), kingdoms and the Fifth: the Kingdom of God under Christ.  In Daniel 7:2 Daniel saw, “And behold the four winds strove upon the great sea.”  In Bible prophecy, the sea, (water), represents the people of the earth (Revelation 17:15).  The winds represent wars and turmoil among the nations.  The result was that Four Great Beasts, “came up from the sea, diverse one from another.”

    In (Daniel 7:17), the Angel explains the symbols of these beasts, what they represented.  “These great beasts which are four, are four kings, (kingdoms), which shall rise out of the earth,” the same as in Daniel 2.  Then in verse 18 of chapter 2 are these words: “But the Saints of the most High shall take the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever.”  Here again, as in Daniel 2 the next kingdom after the Four Beasts, (kingdoms), is God’s kingdom given to Jesus and His Saints.

    The foregoing eight verses of the seventh chapter of Daniel are symbolic.  This prophecy records the most concise history of the nations of the earth that was ever written.  It carries us through all the ages, from the time that it was written, to the setting up of the Eternal kingdom of the Most High.  Prophecy is history in advance.  Only the Creator revealed it to His servants, (Isaiah 46:9-10; Amos 3:7; 2 Peter 1:21).  See how this great prophetic outline of world history has been fulfilled to our time?

    In the opening verses of chapter 7 of Daniel introduces his remarkable experience of having a dream and visions of a head upon his bed, which occurred in the first year of Belshazzar King of Babylon (Daniel 7:1).  Belshazzar, the king of Babylon, was slain when Babylon fell to Medo-Persia on October 29, 539 B.C.  The judgment was swift and inevitable.  Belshazzar was slain and Darius took the throne.