1. What four empires, or kingdoms, did Daniel see stretching from his day until the end of time?

1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters. 2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. 3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. 4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: 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. 5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, 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. 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. 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.

Daniel 7:1-7

The four beasts represent four kings “which shall arise out of the earth” (Daniel 7:17). For centuries Christians have recognized that these four beasts point to the kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. In Daniel 8:20-21, an angel mentions two of these kingdoms—Medo-Persia and Greece—by name.

Personal Response

What does it mean to you that God reveals earth’s future in the Bible? What does this reveal about God’s character?

Review

What was the order of world empires that Daniel saw in vision? (Arrange the empires in the correct chronological sequence.)

2. What are some characteristics of the little horn that emerges out of the fourth beast?

8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. … 24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. 25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

Daniel 7:8, 24-25

Daniel 7 contains numerous identifying characteristics that reveal the little horn to be a combined political and religious power in Europe during the middle ages:

• It grows out of and is a continuation of Rome
• It emerges after AD 476 when Western Rome disintegrated into 10 horns or people groups
• It is “diverse” from other merely political powers
• It speaks in blasphemy against God
• It persecutes the saints
• It rules for 3.5 prophetic, or 1,260 literal, years

For centuries, Bible-believing Christians—including all of the Protestant reformers—have recognized that these characteristics point to papal Rome. For over 1,000 years the leader of this church-state power reigned in Europe as the “Pontifex Maximus,” a titled formerly held by the chief priest of pagan Rome before Christianity became the state religion under Emperor Constantine in AD 313. The sea beast in Revelation 13 is simply another name for the little horn power.

Personal Response

How can we separate the Bible’s prophecies about a system or institution from the individual people that may be involved in that system? How do such prophecies reveal God’s care and concern for people?

Review

What are some characteristics of the little horn that emerges from the fourth beast? (Select all that apply.)

3. What two things does the little horn power think to change?

And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

Daniel 7:25

The little horn attempts to change “times and laws.” The only part of God’s divine law that deals with time is the Fourth Commandment and its call to worship God on the seventh-day Sabbath. The Roman Church openly claims to have changed the day of worship. The following is representative of many similar official statements:

We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.

Peter Geiermann, The Convert’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine (St. Louis: B. Herder Book Co., 1957), p. 50.

Review

According to Daniel 7:25, what two things does the little horn power think to change? (Fill in the blank.)

4. How does the beast from the sea resemble the beasts in Daniel 7?

1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. 2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, andhis feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, andhis seat, and great authority.

Revelation 13:1-2

The similarities between the sea beast of Revelation 13 and the four beasts of Daniel 7 are striking. The order in which the animals are mentioned in Revelation is the opposite from that in Daniel, indicating that while Daniel was looking forward in time, the vision in Revelation 13 is largely looking backward in time. The beast from the sea, therefore, is another name for the little horn in Daniel 7.

Review

According to Revelation 13:1-2, how does the beast from the sea resemble the beasts in Daniel 7? (Select all answers that apply.)

5. What happens to the sea beast, or little horn, after it receives a deadly wound?

3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. 4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

Revelation 13:3-4

The medieval papacy ruled through a combination of political and religious power from 508 to 1798, exactly 1,260 years. In 1798 Napoleon’s army took the pope in Rome captive, and the papacy’s political power was broken for over 120 years. The prophecy indicates that this “deadly wound” will be healed, and that the papacy’s political and religious influence and power will be restored, this time on a global scale. Eventually, all the world will worship, or obey, this power.

Review

According to Revelation 13:3-4, what happens to the sea beast, or little horn, after it receives a deadly wound? (Fill in the blank.)

6. According to Jesus, what makes our worship of God vain?

But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Matthew 15:9

Teaching the traditions and rules of men as if they were commands of God renders our worship of God useless.

The Roman Catholic Church openly admits that it changed the day of Christian worship from Sabbath to Sunday, and it points to this change as a mark of its power and authority. The following statement from the Catechism is representative of many similar statements found in official Roman Catholic documents:

“Q. Have you any other way of proving that the Church has power to institute festivals of precept? A. Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her;—she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday the seventh day, a change for which there is no Scriptural authority.”

Stephen Keenan, A Doctrinal Catechism (3rd American ed., rev.; New York: T.W. Strong, late Edward Dunigan & Bro., 1876), p. 174.

My Response

Why is it so often easier for us to be concerned with what other people, rather than God, think of us? How can we escape this snare while still caring about other people?

Review

According to Matthew 15:9, what our worship of God vain? (Select the best answer.)

7. What is the only way to avoid the mark of the beast and experience salvation?

And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Revelation 13:8

We must have our names in the book of life! Jesus invites every person into a personal relationship with Him that leads to loving obedience to God, and results in eternal life. When you choose Jesus as your Lord and Savior, your name is written in His book of life!

My Response

Is there anything in your life that would prevent you from  accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior? What would keep you from serving and worshipping Him on the seventh-day Sabbath?

Review

What is the only way to avoid the mark of the beast and experience salvation? (Select the best answer.)