Daniel 7.5-Daniel Describes the Second Beast
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday May 1, 2013
Daniel: Daniel 7:5-Daniel Describes the Second Beast
Lesson # 204
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 7:1.
Daniel 7:1 During Belshazzar’s, Babylon’s king, first year, Daniel saw a dream specifically visions in his mind on his bed. Then, he wrote down the dream. He declares the beginning of the account. 2 Daniel began to speak and said, “I was in a trance like state, staring because of my vision during the night as behold the heaven’s four winds were blowing violently against the great sea. 3 Then, four great beasts, one different from the other, came up out from the sea. 4 The first beast was like a lion with eagle’s wings attached to it. I was in a trance like state staring when its wings were torn off. Then it was lifted up from the ground for the purpose of it standing on two feet like a human being. A human mind was also given to it.” (My translation)
Daniel 7:5 “And behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear. And it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth; and thus they said to it, ‘Arise, devour much meat!’” (NASB95)
“And behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear” is the next event that took place after the events recorded in verse 4.
“Behold” is the interjection ʾǎrû (אֲרוּ) (ar-oo´), is used to introduce a description of the second beast with emphasis and draws the attention of the reader in order to mark that what Daniel saw was impressive and astounding to him.
“Another beast, a second one” indicates that this second beast is distinct and different from the first beast in that the latter’s appearance was like a lion and the former like a bear.
“Resembling a bear” is composed of the feminine singular peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active participle form of the verb demā(h) (דְּמָה) (dem-aw´), “resembling” and then we have the preposition lĕ (לְ) (leh) which is not translated and its object is the feminine singular noun dōḇ (דֹּב) (dobe), “a bear.”
The verb demā(h) means “to look like, resemble” and its direct object is the noun dōḇ, “a bear” indicating that Daniel is describing the second beast as “looking like” or “resembling” a bear.
The noun dōḇ means “bear” referring to a large heavy mammal of America and Eurasia that have long shaggy hair, rudimentary tails, and plantigrade feet and feed largely on fruit, plant matter and insects as well as on flesh.
“And it was raised up on one side” presents another description of the second beast which goes along with the previous description that this bear was raised up to one’s side.
“And three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth” presents another description of the second beast which resembled a bear that goes along with the previous description that this bear was raised up to one side.
“And thus they said to it, ‘Arise, devour much meat!’” is the next event that took place after the second beast appeared in Daniel’s vision and was described by Daniel as being raised up to one side with three ribs in its mouth, between its teeth.
“‘Arise, devour much meat!’” is composed of the second person feminine singular peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active imperative form of the verb qûm (קוּם) (koom), “arise” and then we have the second person feminine singular peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active imperative form of the verb ʾǎḵǎl (אֲכַל) (ak-al´), “devour” which is followed by the masculine singular noun beśǎr (בְּשַׂר) (bes-ar´), “meet” which is modified by the masculine singular form of the adjective śǎg∙gî(ʾ) (שַׂגִּיא) (sag-ghee´), “much.”
The verb ʾā∙mǎr means “to issue orders” since the statement to follow reveals that the unidentified voice did just that and ordered the bear to arise and devour much meat.
The masculine plural form of the verb means “they” and must refer to the Trinity since the interpretation of the vision indicates that the God of Israel is sovereign over the kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome, which are depicted as a lion, bear, leopard and a non-descript beast respectively.
The verb qûm means “to arise” in the sense of the second beast arising implying that it was once again lying down indicating that the second beast was being ordered to be prepared to take action.
The word implies that the bear is to attempt further conquests of the animal kingdom.
The three ribs in its mouth between its teeth indicate the animal’s previous conquests and the verb qûm indicates further attempts to conquer.
The verb ʾǎḵǎl literally means “to devour” referring to the consumption of food in a greedy or ravenous manner and is used with second beast as its subject and its object is meat, consisting of flesh.
Therefore, the verb refers to the second beast being ordered to devour much meat.
The noun beśǎr means “flesh” referring to the soft parts of the body of an animal and is modified by the adjective śǎg∙gî(ʾ), which means “much” referring to a great quantity indicating that the second beast was ordered by unidentified voices to devour “much” flesh.
Daniel 7:5 “Next, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear with it raised up to one side with three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. Then, they issued orders to it, ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’” (Author’s translation)
The bear symbolizes Medo-Persia since she conquered Babylon according to Daniel chapter five and human history and corresponds to the silver arms and chest of the statue in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel chapter two.
In Daniel 2:39, Daniel informed Nebuchadnezzar that after his kingdom there will arise another kingdom which will be inferior to his kingdom.
Since Daniel told the king at the end of Daniel 2:38 that he was the head of gold of the statue in his dream, this second kingdom is represented by the silver arms and chest of the statue.
History records that this part of the statue represented the Medo-Persian Empire.
It was inferior since it lacked the inner unity of Babylon because the Medes and the Persians, though united, never fused into one people.
Daniel chapter five and human history record Medo-Persia conquered Babylon and absorbed this nation into its empire and replaced Babylon as a world-wide empire.
In Daniel chapter five, the God of Israel sent a message to Belshazzar through Daniel that his empire was being handed over to the Medes and Persians and this took place that very night.
Larkin writes “The Bear is the strongest beast after the Lion, and is distinguished for its voracity but it has none of the agility and majesty of the Lion, is awkward in its movements and effects its purpose with comparative slowness and by brute force and sheer strength. These were characteristics of the Medo-Persian Empire. It was ponderous in its movements and gained its victories by hurling masses of troops upon its enemies. Xerxes’ expedition against Greece was undertaken with 2,500,000 fighting men. It is easy to be seen that the movements of such enormous bodies of men would ‘devour much flesh.’ Not merely in the shape of food, but by death, by exposure and disease and in battle.”
The fact that the bear was raised up on one side refers to the one-side merging of the Median and Persian empires in that over time Persia became more dominant over Media (Daniel 10:13).
The three ribs in the mouth of the bear represent the kingdoms of Egypt, Assyria and Babylon, which had preceded the empire, represented by the bear and were conquered by Medo-Persian Empire.
Like a bear, the Medo-Persian army was powerful and fierce (Isaiah 13:15-18).
The commands to “arise, devour much flesh” indicate that the Medo-Persian empire was under the sovereign authority of God and imply that God has sovereignly ordained the Medo-Persian Empire continue its conquests over the nations of the earth.
These commands portray the Medo-Persian Empire conquering many nations and peoples to extend its domain.
Those commanding the bear must refer to the Trinity since the interpretation of the vision indicates that the God of Israel is sovereign over the kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome, which are depicted as a lion, bear, leopard and a non-descript beast respectively.
This command suggests that kingdoms operate by divine appointment, not their own authority. In devouring other kingdoms and extending its territory into a vast empire, the bear was fulfilling God’s purpose.
The Medo-Persian Empire was founded by Cyrus, who started out as the king of Anshan in Persia who fused the Iranian tribes into a great military machine.
He married the daughter of the king of Media and added Media to his empire.
Then, the Medo-Persian army conquered the Babylonians in 539 B.C.