PART 11 DANIEL’S FIRST VISION

TEXT- DANIEL 7:1-28

INTRODUCTION

HERE IN THIS CHAPTER WE WILL STUDY THE FIRST OF FOUR VISIONS WHICH DANIEL HAD WHILE HE WAS A CAPTIVE IN BABYLON.

THIS FIRST VISION CAN BE COMPARED TO DANIEL CHAPTER 2 WHERE KING NEBUCHADNEZZAR HAD A DREAM AND SAW AN IMAGE OF A MAN.

WITHIN THIS VISION THAT DANIEL HAS, HE SEES FOUR BEASTS,  THESE FOUR BEASTS ARE SYMBOLIC OF FOUR GREAT WORLD EMPIRES WHICH WILL BE DISCUSSED LATER.

THE TIME OF THIS VISION IS IN THE FIRST YEAR OF BELSHAZZAR'S REIGN WHICH WOULD BE IN THE YEAR 553 B.C.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT JUST BECAUSE ONE CHAPTER FOLLOWS ANOTHER IN NUMERICAL ORDER, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT THEY FOLLOW EACH OTHER IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER.

WE HAVE ALREADY LEARNED THAT BELSHAZZAR WAS KILLED WHEN DARIUS TOOK OVER THE BABYLONIAN KINGDOM AND THE MEDO-PERSIAN EMPIRE TOOK CONTROL.

YET DANIEL IS NOW TAKING US BACK IN TIME TO WHEN BELSHAZZAR REIGNED AND IS DESCRIBING TO US A VISION THAT HE HAD DURING THIS TIME.

BECAUSE THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MUCH SYMBOLIC AND FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE, WE MUST REMEMBER THAT MUCH OF THIS LESSON WILL CONTAIN OPINIONS.