Daniel's Vision

Daniel 7

Daniel VII. Daniel’s Night Vision and Its Meaning (7:1–28)

For a variety of reasons, “modern commentators are generally agreed that chapter 7 is the single most important chapter of the Book of Daniel.” Porteous calls it “the heart of the Book of Daniel,”2 and Heaton declares, “It would be no exaggeration to say that this chapter is one of the most important passages of the OT.”

Daniel’s vision, here in chapter 7, is the turning point in his writing. The first 6 chapters were historical retellings, chapter 7 on is history foretelling. What is going to happen, how is God going to close out the world.

Daniel begins with his own vision, a dream......

The historical accounts of chapters 1-6 are chronological and from chapter 7-12 the prophecies are given in order as they were received.

It is almost Daniel (through the Holy Spirit) set out in his writing to tell the historical accounts first and after the past accounts are told, then he gives the prophecies of things to come.

That seems to fit with going back in time to Belshazzar’s first year as king.

That is when this vision came to Daniel. 14 years before the hand writing on the wall.

We already have a glimpse of these kingdoms from Neb’s dream in chapter 2, however in a different form a image of man rather than beasts.