Prophet 


DANIEL'S VISIONS.



IN the first year of the reign of King Belshazzar, Daniel had a vision. In this vision he saw four beasts come up out of the sea. The first was like a lion, with the wings of an eagle. 

This beast was meant to represent the Babylonian kingdom.

The second beast was like a bear, and was meant to represent the Medo-Persian kingdom that is, the kingdom of the Medes and the kingdom of the Persians united.

The third beast represented the Grecian kingdom. It was like a leopard, with four heads and four wings.

The fourth beast was not like any beast known. It had ten horns, great iron teeth and nails of brass. The prophet says it was "dreadful and terrible and strong exceedingly.” 

This beast represented the Roman kingdom, which was so warlike, and conquered so many nations of the earth.

Then Daniel had a view of the Judgment. He saw the great God, here called the Ancient of Days, sitting on a throne so glorious that it looked like flaming fire. A countless multitude of angels stood before him; and Daniel says, "The Judgment was set, and the books were opened." These books contain the record of men's lives, and out of them we shall all be judged, according to the deeds done in the body. He was also shown that the wicked are to be destroyed by fire; and that finally Jesus Christ the same who was born in Bethlehem, baptized in Jordan, and crucified on Calvary; who preached in Palestine, causing the lame to walk and the blind to see, and who ascended to heaven in the sight of his disciples, that this same loving Saviour is to take the kingdom, and rule over it forever and ever. In the third year of Belshazzar, Daniel had another vision. In this vision the Medo-Persian kingdom, was represented by a ram. Daniel saw a goat with a great horn between his eyes come against the ram, and destroy him. The goat represented the Grecian kingdom; and the horn between his eyes represented Alexander the Great, who, more than two hundred years after Daniel saw the vision, marched with an army into the Persian country, conquered the Persian king, and took the kingdom to himself. 

But this notable horn was broken, and in its place came up four. This was meant to represent Alexander's death, and the division of his empire into four parts. But there was still another change; for out of one of these came forth a little horn, which "waxed exceeding great." 

This denoted Rome, which finally became the strongest kingdom that there has ever been upon the earth. In this same vision, Daniel was told something about the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary, but he did not understand it very well; for before the angel came to the explanation of this part of the vision, Daniel fainted.