Dan. 7 Daniel’s vision of the four beasts, Dan. 7:1–8, and of God’s kingdom, Dan. 7:9–14. The interpretation thereof, Dan. 7:15–28. This prophecy is written in Chaldee, to be a monument and document to him of the reverence his father and grandfather showed towards God, who had done such mighty…

In the first year of Belshazzar: now Daniel begins to declare the visions God showed him at sundry times, therefore he goes back to the first year of Belshazzar.

Because Daniel doth not expound what is meant by winds, expositors think there is room left for every one’s conjecture; wherein this seems most likely, that by the four winds of the great sea is signified commotions of contrary nations and factions, striving together by wars, and producing these…

That is, four great monarchies, great in comparison of particular kingdoms that were little to them; beasts for their idolatry, and tyrannical oppressions and depredations.

Lion, and eagle; one the king of beasts, the other the king of birds, for which he is called the golden head, as Dan. 2:32, Dan. 2:38. This was the Chaldean or Assyrian; whose seat was first at Babylon, after at Nineveh, and then at Babylon again.

Another beast, viz. the Medes and Persians, a fierce, grim, ravenous creature, and barbarously cruel, especially the mountainous part, as of Caucasus, Armenia, and Media by The Caspian Sea near the Tartars, and that which borders upon the Mogul, the Usbecks, and the Sasbuts; read Isa.

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 a force very small to the other. A leopard also for his swiftness; therefore described with four wings on his back.

A fourth beast: this was the Roman empire; for that followed the Grecian, and was monstrous as to his rise and progress. Stamped the residue with the feet of it.

Daniel considered, and this calls upon us to consider the matter. Another little horn: some will have the Turk meant; others, before him, Antiochus Epiphanes; others Julius Caesar; others antichrist. It is certain the horn that riseth out of the he-goat is Antiochus, Dan.

By thrones cast down must be meant the kingdoms of this world, destroyed by Christ the King and Judge of all, called the Ancient of days, because of his eternal Deity; without beginning and end of days. Whose garment was white as snow; thus kings’ viceroys were clothed, as Joseph in fine silk, Gen.

A fiery stream issued; see Ps. 1:3; noting his justice and wrath, in giving sentence and executing it. Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: this is the great assize. The judgment was set, and the books were opened: see Rev. 20:11–12.

This cannot but be meant of the ruin and judgment of antichrist, till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed and given to the burning flame, 2 Thess. 2:8, Rev. 17:8, Rev. 19:20, Rev. 20:10.

They had their dominion taken away; the prophet chiefly intends the fourth empire, and therein the proud, blasphemous horn; yet did not wholly omit to speak of the three first empires, and what became of them. He saith they were wholly taken away, that is, successively, as histories tell us.

One like the Son of man; that is, the Messiah: this is the same with the stone, Dan. 2:0; he came with the clouds of heaven, Matt. 24:30, i.e. gloriously, swiftly, and terribly, Jer. 4:13.

I was transported even to astonishment with the vision, it was so strange, surprising, and terrible to me.

Unto one of them that stood by; that is, to an angel that ministered, Zech. 3:4, Zech. 3:7. Asked him the truth of all this; that I might learn of him the true and full meaning of this vision; which the angel readily told him.

Men of the earth, of earthly principles, idolatrous, ambitious, sensual, tyrannical; who, after they have acted their parts, shall be driven off the stage into the tiring rooms of death and destruction.

Jesus Christ being their King, they shall reign with him, Rev. 1:6, Rev. 20:4, and possess the kingdom for ever, Matt. 19:28, 1 Cor. 1:9, 1 Cor. 6:3, 1 Pet. 2:9, Rev. 5:10. This shall be for ever, because Christ’s kingdom is the last kingdom, never any shall succeed after that.

I would feign know it more perfectly and exactly, because the Jewish nation and church were to be scattered long by and under the fourth beast.

And of the ten horns; what they meant. Whose look was more stout than his fellows, i.e. he had more power and more fierceness. This is wont to be interpreted of Antiochus, and the persecuting emperors, because it agrees well to them.

This shows plainly the horn is antichrist of Rome, or the whore that rides the beast, and this is more apparent in the interpretation of the fourth beast and the ten kings.

Ten kings; which Junius, Piscator, Polanus make to be the kings of Syria, and reckon ten of them, and that is not all neither; the tenth is Antiochus, but this cannot be, for he died one hundred and sixty years before Christ.

The numbers of Daniel and John seem to agree. Daniel was certainly prophetical in these things, and his prophecy reacheth to the end of times, even of antichrist’s reign.

The end of the matter, i.e. of the vision, and the angel’s interpretation. My countenance changed in me: 1. Because it became him so to be, as a holy wise man ought to be in that case. 2.