The First Beast in Daniel 7
The first beast is “like a lion and had eagle’s wings”.
4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: …
The United States has a political symbol of an eagle; however, the United States began as part of England which has a political symbol of a lion.
This 1st beast seems to represent the United States before the rapture as stated in the first half of verse 4. See below the second half of verse 4 seems to represent the United States after the rapture.
4 … I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.
In his vision, Daniel watches the United States until the wings were “plucked” and the kingdom was lifted up from the earth, and made to stand upon its feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.
I wondered what is the original Hebrew word meaning for the word “plucked”? Could that possibly mean the Rapture of the church?
The original hebrew word for plucked is mer-at’; (Aramaic) corresponding to H4803; to pull off:—be plucked.
I went back to where the rapture is talked about in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. It talks about the “catching up” of the believers by Christ at the Rapture of the church. I looked up “caught up” in the Blue Letter Bible to research the original text (G726-harpazo) of the word and I noticed that one of the original meanings given to the word was “pluck”.
The KJV translates Strong’s G726 in the following manner: catch up (4x), take by force (3x), catch away (2x), pluck (2x), catch (1x), pull (1x)
This makes me think that the word plucked in Daniel 7:4 could represent the Rapture of the church!
Daniel 11:4 also talks about the United States and how the President of this mighty nation “stands up”. Notice how it says the United States will be “plucked up”.
Daniel 11:4 And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those.
“Plucked” is the same term used to represent the destruction of America’s sovereignty and power in Daniel 11:4 and also in Daniel 7:4..I believe “plucked” is a description of the economic and political demise of the United States after the rapture happens.
A Man’s Heart
Right after the rapture, the Bible, in Daniel 7:4 tells us United States is given a “man’s heart”.
Daniel 7:4 …it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.
In order to understand what a “man’s heart” means let’s look at Daniel 4:16.
Daniel 4:16 Let his heart be changed from man‘s, and let a beast’s heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him.
In Daniel chapter 4 King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream that tells him that he will change and become a beast of the field for seven years. The dream then becomes a reality at the end of the chapter.
Important to remember: King Nebuchadnezzar represents the end time’s antichrist.
King Nebuchadnezzar was ruler over ancient Babylon.
The antichrist will be the ruler over future Mystery Babylon (Rome) during the tribulation. When you read about King Nebuchadnezzar in the book of Daniel think forward to the “king during the tribulation” – the antichrist and his entire organization.
In Daniel 4:16 King Nebuchadnezzar’s heart is changed from a man’s heart to a beast’s heart for seven times (or years). The antichrist will be a man during the tribulation that will be possessed by Satan. Just as the antichrist heart will be changed from a man’s heart to a beast’s (Satan’s) heart for seven years, so was King Nebuchadnezzar’s.
The antichrist will be a man, a prominent man in the world, but still just a man. Once the tribulation begins the antichrist’s heart will be possessed by Satan and therefore his heart will become a beast’s heart for 7 years.
The United States is lifted up from the earth (possibly a reference to those true Christians taken in the rapture).
Next the United States is given a man’s heart. The “man’s heart” is the antichrist before he becomes part of “THE BEAST“. THE BEAST organization will start to be created once the seven year tribulation begins.
So in other words the antichrist (the man’s heart) may have a role in establishing who takes over the United States after the rapture but before the tribulation begins.
Daniel 7:4b I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.
The Second Beast in Daniel 7
The second beast “like to a bear”. I think the bear represents Russia.
Daniel 7:5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear,…
Russia’s political symbol is a bear.
Daniel 7:5 … and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
The bear has three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it. In October 2007, Russian president Vladimir Putin went to Iran to have talks about Iran’s nuclear agenda AND to talk about gas and oil pipeline issues in the Caspian Sea.
There are a total of five countries surrounding the Caspian Sea. Russia, Iran, and THREE former USSR countries: Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan.
The three ribs may be the former USSR countries of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan.
The Caspian sea holds almost half of the world’s natural gas and a fifth of its oil. This is important to Russia because Russia wants more control over global gas and oil markets AND is concerned about how to sell it’s gas and oil to Central Asia.
Here’s the kicker. The only way Russia can get oil to Central Asia right now is via a pipeline running through Israel.
Russia is paying Israel (in oil) for the use of this pipeline to get it’s oil to Asian countries. About a year ago Russia “flexed it’s political muscles” by turning off the gas to the Ukraine. (this was written in 2006)
Russia would love to have control over Israel’s pipeline too, without Israel’s interference.
—ALSO , Iran’s president, Ahmadinejad, wants to “wipe Israel off the map” as he has stated numerous times. (again this was written in 2006)
Russia wants control of the Israel pipeline and Iran wants to get rid of Israel.
They are meeting 10/16/07 with THREE other countries that used to belong to the USSR, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan.
UPDATED ARTICLES ON THIS SUBJECT 4/17/2020
Aug 12, 2018 Russia, Iran, and three others agree Caspian status, but not borders
The Third Beast in Daniel 7
The third beast, the leopard, seems to be a revised type of the European Union after the rapture has happened.
Daniel 7:6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, …
My first thought of why the leopard represents the European Union AFTER the rapture is the phrase “After this I“. A complete Bible search on the phrase “After this I” shows that all scripture relating to this phrase happens after the rapture.
The European Union needs to make some changes in order to solidify economically before it will be strong in the global environment.
I’m speculating that after the rapture the European Union will establish a treaty. They will then try and hold up the wounded United States economically. Four strong EU economical countries will band together in an effort to get the United States back on it’s feet after the rapture leaves it in chaos.
It’s possible that the leopard with “four wings of a fowl” described in Daniel 7:6 is a description of the four European Union countries of Germany, France, Britain and Italy that take the four regions of the United States “under it’s wing” economically after the rapture.
Daniel 7:6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.
It may be that after the rapture the countries of France, Italy, Britain and Belgium in the United Nations Security Council will combine to form a European Union seat. This will establish “dominion” for the EU leopard. The EU may establish four leadership positions.
The revised European Union treaty with a seat on the Security Council could govern the United States via the Trusteeship Council.
The Fourth Beast in Daniel 7
The fourth beast, talked about in Daniel 7 becomes strong “after” the rapture. This is indicated by the “After this I” phrase.
Daniel 7:7
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 brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.
I think this world organization “beast” is in the world today but I don’t think this “beast” has very much power at the present time. After the chaos of the rapture I think this organization becomes dreadful and terrible. Throughout the tribulation this world organization changes and evolves into a great and terrible beast.
Daniel 7:7 tells us this beast will have great iron teeth to devour. It will eventually stamp down all other sections of itself with it’s feet until it’s leader, Satan alone, dominates the entire world. What is this beast? The first clue we are given is that this beast has ten horns.
Ten Horns
Notice in Daniel 7:7 that this beast has ten horns or kings. Usually one organization has just one president or king.
The one world organization existing today that has ten global representations AND has the purpose of maintaining international peace and security is the United Nations.
The United Nations organization has a global body called the General Assembly which includes members from 191 countries around the world.
Within the United Nations there is also a powerful body of members called the Security Council.
According to the United Nations charter, all members of the United Nations General Assembly must abide by the decisions of the Security Council.
“Under the Charter, all Members of the United Nations agree to accept and carry out the decisions of the Security Council. While other organs of the United Nations make recommendations to Governments, the Council alone has the power to take decisions which Member States are obligated under the Charter to carry out.”
Below are the functions and powers of the Security Council:
- to maintain international peace and security in accordance with the principles and purposes of the United Nations;
- to investigate any dispute or situation which might lead to international friction;
- to recommend methods of adjusting such disputes or the terms of settlement;
- to formulate plans for the establishment of a system to regulate armaments;
- to determine the existence of a threat to the peace or act of aggression and to recommend what action should be taken;
- to call on Members to apply economic sanctions and other measures not involving the use of force to prevent or stop aggression;
- to take military action against an aggressor;
- to recommend the admission of new Members;
- to exercise the trusteeship functions of the United Nations in “strategic areas”;
- to recommend to the General Assembly the appointment of the Secretary-General and, together with the Assembly, to elect the Judges of the International Court of Justice.
The Security Council currently has 15 members but 10 representations. There are five permanent members and ten members elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms. There are also 10 representations as shown by the picture below.
I think the 10 representations of the UN Security Council will be the 10 horns talked about in Daniel 7:7.
Five permanent members of the Security Council have veto power: 1. The United States, 2. UK, 3. France, 4. China and 5. Russia.
Five regional bloc representations do not have veto power: 6. Africa, 7. Latin America and Caribbean, 8. Asia, 9. Western Europe and 10. Eastern Europe.
- The African bloc chooses three members;
- Latin America and the Caribbean chooses two members,
- Asian chooses two members,
- Western European and Others blocs choose two members,
- Eastern European bloc chooses one member
Note: One of these members is an Arab country, alternately from the Asian or African bloc.
Remember you can be saved from Satan’s deception at anytime by putting your trust in God. Click to see how.
Another description of the 10 ambassadors
Daniel gives us another picture of this powerful beast world organization in the form of a statue in chapter 2. Take a look at the description of the ten toes and feet in Daniel 2:40-43.
The toes are not made up of the same “strength” of material. In the ten toes there is the strength of iron. But some of the iron is mixed with a weak material, clay.
I think the mixture of miry clay and iron represents the contrasting powers of the United Nations Security Council members.
Part iron (the strength-veto power members) and part miry clay (not as strong or the non veto power members of the Security Council.)
Because some of the Security Council representations will have veto power and some will not, it will create a world organization that will be partly strong and partly broken. The ten will not all agree and will therefore not cleave together.
40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
My speculation is that the fourth beast talked about in Daniel 7:7 may be the United Nations and the 10 horns may be the Security Council. I think this beast will not change into dreadful and terrible until after the rapture happens .
This United Nations beast will become stronger and stronger during the tribulation and change into something even bigger as the tribulation progresses.
The Bible tells us that this United Nations beast will destroy many by using “peace”. We’ll talk about this next.
