Oct. 30, 2009
Lion, Bear, Leopard: Daniel 7
Introduction: “Judgment Day” sketch
I. Scripture reading and overview
A. Babylon: Past, Present and Future video (5 minute section)
1. Begin with reading of Daniel 7:3-7.
2. End with scene depicting four sections, one for each creature. Each creature’s section, in turn, opens to reveal its interpretation.
3. Last spoken words are “. . . as corresponding to the Roman Empire.”
B. Prophecy had an immediate fulfillment and a future fulfillment.
II. Immediate fulfillment
A. Lion with eagle’s wings.
1. This is ancient Babylon.
a. In power at the time of the vision.
b. A lion with the wings of an eagle is exactly how Babylon pictured herself.
B. Bear, raised on its side, with three ribs in its mouth.
1. Medo-Persian Empire.
a. Medes and Persians were ethnically related peoples.
C. Leopard with four wings and four heads.
1. Greek Empire, ruled by Alexander the Great.
2. The four wings may refer to the speed of Alexander’s conquest in the four directions. He conquered all of Persia, and most of the civilized world. His empire included Greece, Macedonia, Asia Minor, Egypt, Israel, Syria, Media, Babylonia, Persia, and stretched through central Asia as far as India.
3. When Alexander visited Jerusalem, the priests showed him from the book of Daniel that he was prophesied to destroy the Persian empire. He accepted the interpretation and was favorable toward the Jews, granting them exemption from taxes every Sabbatical (7th) year.
4. Alexander died at age 33. His only son, born after his death, was murdered. His 4 generals divided the empire among them. This is likely the four heads of the leopard.
D. Fourth beast, extremely strong, with iron teeth and claws of bronze; different from all the beasts before it. It had ten horns and devoured and crushed.
1. Roman Empire
a. Ten horns represent ten kings.
In ancient cultures, the idea of a ruler was related to a bull. In Assyrian, even the words for “bull” and “ruler” or “prince” were the same. So, the representation of a ruler was having one or more horns.
b. “Horns: Symbols of Power” handout
1. The first figure dates back to the era of the Greek empire. It depicts a Turkish leader. The three horns growing out of his head symbolize his sovereignty or rulership.
2. The second figure show ancient Abyssinian chiefs, who would have been governors of provinces. Abyssinia is present-day Ethiopia.
In many ancient countries, countries which would have had no knowledge of each other, horns were the symbols of sovereign power. A lesser ruler would wear a circlet, a band, adorned with a single horn (Figure 2). A royal headband would be adorned with a double horn or a triple horn. Ancient Egyptian monuments show royalty wearing two horns. In Assyria, the three-horned cap was sacred, and indicated that the power it represented was of celestial (spiritual) origin.
3. The third figure shows the Hindu god, Vishnu, with a three-horned crown, indicating spiritual power and authority. This crown looks very much like a normal crown to us.
4. In some places, three horn-shaped leaves were substituted for the three horns. This is what you see in the fourth figure.
5. Another progression of this idea of horns representing sovereign power is seen in the fleur-de-lis, shown in Figure 5. The horn-shaped leaves represent horns, which symbolize sovereignty.
c. The fourth beast of Daniel’s vision had ten horns.
1. There were ten Roman emperors, beginning with Julius Caesar and ending with Vespasian. During the reign of Vespasian, the Second Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. The ten horns may represent those ten kings.
2. The ten horns also allude to demonic power. “. . . and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.” (Rev. 13:2b) This power and authority is from Satan.
III. Future fulfillment
A. History repeats herself. These symbols -- lion, bear, leopard, -- are well-known national symbols of contemporary nations.
1. Lion with eagle’s wings
a. British empire. Throughout most of her history, England has used the crowned lion as the official heraldry symbol of her royal families. The lion appears on almost every coat of arms in the British royal line going back at least 700 years. The British lion is usually seen standing up on its two hind feet just the way the prophecy states. Some coat of arms show the British lion with eagle’s wings.
The eagle’s wings were plucked from the lion. The United States, although a melting pot of many peoples, was “plucked” from England. We speak English.
Interestingly, one of the most famous British rulers was Richard the Lionhearted -- instead of a lion with a man's heart, this king was styled as a man with a lion's heart.
2. Bear
a. The bear “. . . was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, Arise, devour much flesh."
The bear is widely recognized as the universal symbol of Russia and her various satellite nations during the era of the Soviet Union. The imagery associated with the bleak Russian winters probably contributed to this symbol. The fact is, in political cartoons, historical essays, and native Russian symbolism, the bear is identified with the Russian state. Even Time Magazine once ran a major story that depicted Russia as a hungry bear on the cover.
b. Three ribs -- possibilities
(1) Karl Heinrich Marx, born. May 5, 1818, died. Mar. 14, 1883, was a German economist, philosopher, and revolutionist whose writings form the basis of the body of ideas known as MARXISM.
(2) With the aid of Friedrich ENGELS he produced much of the theory of modern SOCIALISM and COMMUNISM
(3) Vladimir Lenin, founder of the modern Russian Communist party, leader of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, and first head of state of the USSR.
c. That the bear is told to "devour much flesh" was certainly fulfilled by Joseph Stalin. He brutally executed approximately 50 million people.
3. Leopard
While other prophecy observers have noticed the similarities between the British Lion and the Russian Bear, it is the third beast that has caused all the trouble. The scripture describes it as ". . . like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast has also four heads; and dominion as given to it."
a. Germany
A leopard is sometimes called a panther. The German people seem to have a particular fondness for the panther. The term is used much in German culture. In the German television industry, for example, a major vendor is Panther Electronics. In the military, two prominent naval vessels (a cruiser and a gunboat) were both named The Panther. Under Hitler'sThird Reich, the primary tanks were named Panthers, while another tank was the Panther's relative the Tiger. The armored divisions of the Nazi's were known as Panzer divisions -- a reminder of panthers.
Other similarities:
Alexander the Great ruled for “12 years,” and was “conquering the world in record time.” The Greek army of Alexander the Great was able to conquer the known world in an 11-year campaign (334-23 BC). He ruled one year before he started his aggressive campaign.
The panther would probably be the best predatory animal image of the German military of both world wars. As the big cat is known for speed and agility, so was the military machine of the Germany during both world wars. Adolph Hitler ruled for “12 years” as well, Adolf Hitler-1889-1945, dictator of Germany 1933-45. Hitler's aggressive expansion give rise to the Blitzkreig (Lightning War) of World War II. His armies were finally defeated by the Allies in May 1945.
The Leopard in Daniel's vision was described as "having four wings like those of a fowl" as well as "four heads." Unlike the eagle's wings mentioned in connection with earlier British/Lion figure, this states there were four wings, i.e. two sets of wings, or perhaps two forces that assist the panther. History records the forces of The Axis encompassed Germany, Italy, and Japan. Both Japan and Italy were active in the air war, so it's possible this refers to Germany's two air power allies that backed Hitler in World War II.
In reference to the "four heads," they possibly refer to the fourfold division of authority that occurred under the four victorious allies under the occupation of Germany after Hitler's defeat. After the war, four military commanders controlled Germany. A Russian general controlled the Eastern zone, a British general ran the Northwestern zone, a French general ran the Southwestern zone, and an American general administered the western zone.
Just as the the Grecian empire of Alexander the Great was replaced by four generals, Nazi Germany was also replaced by four generals, one from U.S., one from England, one from France, and one from Russia. Both third kingdoms were noted for the speed in which they conquered surrounding nations. Both third kingdoms culminated in the death of their charismatic leader, and both kingdoms had a transitional government composed of four military leaders.
4. Identifying the fourth kingdom
The fourth kingdom was the Roman empire, the most powerful military and political confederation in antiquity. The Romans were in power when Jesus Christ was born, crucified, and resurrected.
This identification means the four kingdoms provided a countdown to the first appearance of Jesus Christ. The four contemporary kingdoms provide us with a prophetic countdown to Jesus’ Second Coming. We need a global perspective, however. Every verse in The Bible implies he is a global figure. The vast majority of prophecy teachers state that the European Community is the final empire that will host The Antichrist. That may be true.
There is a global political entity in the world today. It has claimed absolute authority in establishing jurisdiction over the land of Israel. Its members include virtually every government on the face of the Earth. When the League of Nations was first formed after WWII, some preachers proclaimed that it was the world power of end-times. I believe they were and are correct. The United Nations is running the world NOW.
"After this I saw in the night visions, and, behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly, and it had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped the residue with its feet; and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns." (Daniel 7)
With this world government now in power, we can be certain that Jesus Christ will soon return. We can be certain we are about to witness the emergence of The Antichrist, for the Apostle Paul warns us that the return of Christ, characterized in Thessalonians as The Day Of The Lord, ". . . shall not come except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition."
I. Scripture reading and overview
A. Babylon: Past, Present and Future video (5 minute section)
1. Begin with reading of Daniel 7:3-7.
2. End with scene depicting four sections, one for each creature. Each creature’s section, in turn, opens to reveal its interpretation.
3. Last spoken words are “. . . as corresponding to the Roman Empire.”
B. Prophecy had an immediate fulfillment and a future fulfillment.
II. Immediate fulfillment
A. Lion with eagle’s wings.
1. This is ancient Babylon.
a. In power at the time of the vision.
b. A lion with the wings of an eagle is exactly how Babylon pictured herself.
B. Bear, raised on its side, with three ribs in its mouth.
1. Medo-Persian Empire.
a. Medes and Persians were ethnically related peoples.
C. Leopard with four wings and four heads.
1. Greek Empire, ruled by Alexander the Great.
2. The four wings may refer to the speed of Alexander’s conquest in the four directions. He conquered all of Persia, and most of the civilized world. His empire included Greece, Macedonia, Asia Minor, Egypt, Israel, Syria, Media, Babylonia, Persia, and stretched through central Asia as far as India.
3. When Alexander visited Jerusalem, the priests showed him from the book of Daniel that he was prophesied to destroy the Persian empire. He accepted the interpretation and was favorable toward the Jews, granting them exemption from taxes every Sabbatical (7th) year.
4. Alexander died at age 33. His only son, born after his death, was murdered. His 4 generals divided the empire among them. This is likely the four heads of the leopard.
D. Fourth beast, extremely strong, with iron teeth and claws of bronze; different from all the beasts before it. It had ten horns and devoured and crushed.
1. Roman Empire
a. Ten horns represent ten kings.
In ancient cultures, the idea of a ruler was related to a bull. In Assyrian, even the words for “bull” and “ruler” or “prince” were the same. So, the representation of a ruler was having one or more horns.
b. “Horns: Symbols of Power” handout
1. The first figure dates back to the era of the Greek empire. It depicts a Turkish leader. The three horns growing out of his head symbolize his sovereignty or rulership.
2. The second figure show ancient Abyssinian chiefs, who would have been governors of provinces. Abyssinia is present-day Ethiopia.
In many ancient countries, countries which would have had no knowledge of each other, horns were the symbols of sovereign power. A lesser ruler would wear a circlet, a band, adorned with a single horn (Figure 2). A royal headband would be adorned with a double horn or a triple horn. Ancient Egyptian monuments show royalty wearing two horns. In Assyria, the three-horned cap was sacred, and indicated that the power it represented was of celestial (spiritual) origin.
3. The third figure shows the Hindu god, Vishnu, with a three-horned crown, indicating spiritual power and authority. This crown looks very much like a normal crown to us.
4. In some places, three horn-shaped leaves were substituted for the three horns. This is what you see in the fourth figure.
5. Another progression of this idea of horns representing sovereign power is seen in the fleur-de-lis, shown in Figure 5. The horn-shaped leaves represent horns, which symbolize sovereignty.
c. The fourth beast of Daniel’s vision had ten horns.
1. There were ten Roman emperors, beginning with Julius Caesar and ending with Vespasian. During the reign of Vespasian, the Second Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. The ten horns may represent those ten kings.
2. The ten horns also allude to demonic power. “. . . and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.” (Rev. 13:2b) This power and authority is from Satan.
III. Future fulfillment
A. History repeats herself. These symbols -- lion, bear, leopard, -- are well-known national symbols of contemporary nations.
1. Lion with eagle’s wings
a. British empire. Throughout most of her history, England has used the crowned lion as the official heraldry symbol of her royal families. The lion appears on almost every coat of arms in the British royal line going back at least 700 years. The British lion is usually seen standing up on its two hind feet just the way the prophecy states. Some coat of arms show the British lion with eagle’s wings.
The eagle’s wings were plucked from the lion. The United States, although a melting pot of many peoples, was “plucked” from England. We speak English.
Interestingly, one of the most famous British rulers was Richard the Lionhearted -- instead of a lion with a man's heart, this king was styled as a man with a lion's heart.
2. Bear
a. The bear “. . . was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, Arise, devour much flesh."
The bear is widely recognized as the universal symbol of Russia and her various satellite nations during the era of the Soviet Union. The imagery associated with the bleak Russian winters probably contributed to this symbol. The fact is, in political cartoons, historical essays, and native Russian symbolism, the bear is identified with the Russian state. Even Time Magazine once ran a major story that depicted Russia as a hungry bear on the cover.
b. Three ribs -- possibilities
(1) Karl Heinrich Marx, born. May 5, 1818, died. Mar. 14, 1883, was a German economist, philosopher, and revolutionist whose writings form the basis of the body of ideas known as MARXISM.
(2) With the aid of Friedrich ENGELS he produced much of the theory of modern SOCIALISM and COMMUNISM
(3) Vladimir Lenin, founder of the modern Russian Communist party, leader of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, and first head of state of the USSR.
c. That the bear is told to "devour much flesh" was certainly fulfilled by Joseph Stalin. He brutally executed approximately 50 million people.
3. Leopard
While other prophecy observers have noticed the similarities between the British Lion and the Russian Bear, it is the third beast that has caused all the trouble. The scripture describes it as ". . . like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast has also four heads; and dominion as given to it."
a. Germany
A leopard is sometimes called a panther. The German people seem to have a particular fondness for the panther. The term is used much in German culture. In the German television industry, for example, a major vendor is Panther Electronics. In the military, two prominent naval vessels (a cruiser and a gunboat) were both named The Panther. Under Hitler'sThird Reich, the primary tanks were named Panthers, while another tank was the Panther's relative the Tiger. The armored divisions of the Nazi's were known as Panzer divisions -- a reminder of panthers.
Other similarities:
Alexander the Great ruled for “12 years,” and was “conquering the world in record time.” The Greek army of Alexander the Great was able to conquer the known world in an 11-year campaign (334-23 BC). He ruled one year before he started his aggressive campaign.
The panther would probably be the best predatory animal image of the German military of both world wars. As the big cat is known for speed and agility, so was the military machine of the Germany during both world wars. Adolph Hitler ruled for “12 years” as well, Adolf Hitler-1889-1945, dictator of Germany 1933-45. Hitler's aggressive expansion give rise to the Blitzkreig (Lightning War) of World War II. His armies were finally defeated by the Allies in May 1945.
The Leopard in Daniel's vision was described as "having four wings like those of a fowl" as well as "four heads." Unlike the eagle's wings mentioned in connection with earlier British/Lion figure, this states there were four wings, i.e. two sets of wings, or perhaps two forces that assist the panther. History records the forces of The Axis encompassed Germany, Italy, and Japan. Both Japan and Italy were active in the air war, so it's possible this refers to Germany's two air power allies that backed Hitler in World War II.
In reference to the "four heads," they possibly refer to the fourfold division of authority that occurred under the four victorious allies under the occupation of Germany after Hitler's defeat. After the war, four military commanders controlled Germany. A Russian general controlled the Eastern zone, a British general ran the Northwestern zone, a French general ran the Southwestern zone, and an American general administered the western zone.
Just as the the Grecian empire of Alexander the Great was replaced by four generals, Nazi Germany was also replaced by four generals, one from U.S., one from England, one from France, and one from Russia. Both third kingdoms were noted for the speed in which they conquered surrounding nations. Both third kingdoms culminated in the death of their charismatic leader, and both kingdoms had a transitional government composed of four military leaders.
4. Identifying the fourth kingdom
The fourth kingdom was the Roman empire, the most powerful military and political confederation in antiquity. The Romans were in power when Jesus Christ was born, crucified, and resurrected.
This identification means the four kingdoms provided a countdown to the first appearance of Jesus Christ. The four contemporary kingdoms provide us with a prophetic countdown to Jesus’ Second Coming. We need a global perspective, however. Every verse in The Bible implies he is a global figure. The vast majority of prophecy teachers state that the European Community is the final empire that will host The Antichrist. That may be true.
There is a global political entity in the world today. It has claimed absolute authority in establishing jurisdiction over the land of Israel. Its members include virtually every government on the face of the Earth. When the League of Nations was first formed after WWII, some preachers proclaimed that it was the world power of end-times. I believe they were and are correct. The United Nations is running the world NOW.
"After this I saw in the night visions, and, behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly, and it had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped the residue with its feet; and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns." (Daniel 7)
With this world government now in power, we can be certain that Jesus Christ will soon return. We can be certain we are about to witness the emergence of The Antichrist, for the Apostle Paul warns us that the return of Christ, characterized in Thessalonians as The Day Of The Lord, ". . . shall not come except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition."