Daniel 7:7-24

7Then, while I looked, I saw a fourth animal in my vision. It was a terrible animal that was very strong. It had large iron teeth. It ate things and it broke them into pieces. It used its feet to stamp on everything else. It was different from the other animals. It had ten horns.

8I was thinking about the horns and what they might mean. Then I saw another little horn that came up among the other ten horns. It pulled out three of those other horns to make room for itself. This little horn had eyes that looked like a man's eyes. It had a mouth that spoke proud words.

9While I looked, people put some thrones in their places. Then the God who has ruled for ever sat on his throne. His clothes were as white as snow. His hair was white like pure wool. His throne and the wheels under it burned with flames of fire.

10A river of fire poured out from the place where he was sitting. Thousands of servants were ready to do whatever he wanted. Many more thousands stood around, ready to serve him. Then the meeting of the court began. Someone opened the books to see what was in them.

11I continued to watch as the little horn was speaking proud words. While I watched, someone killed the fourth animal. They threw its body into the fire. The fire destroyed it.

12The other animals also lost their power to rule, but they could continue to live for a certain time.

13I continued to watch in my vision at night and this is what I saw: I saw someone who seemed like a son of man. He was coming towards me, with the clouds of the sky around him. He came near to the God who has ruled for ever. People took him to stand in front of God.

14God gave him great honour and authority to rule as king. The people of all nations and those who spoke every language agreed to serve him. He has authority to rule for ever. He will never stop being king. Nobody will be able to destroy his kingdom.

15I, Daniel, had much trouble in my mind. The things that I saw in my vision frightened me.

16So I spoke to someone who was standing near God's throne. I asked him to explain what all these things meant. He told me the meaning of my vision.

17He said, “The four large animals are four kings. They will rule kingdoms on the earth.

18But the holy people of the Most High God will receive authority to rule as kings. God's kingdom will belong to them for ever.”

19Then I wanted to know about the fourth animal. It was different from all the other animals. It was a terrible animal that made me very afraid. It had large iron teeth and feet with sharp bronze claws. It ate things and it broke them into pieces. It used its feet to stamp on everything else.

20I wanted to know the meaning of the ten horns on its head. I also wanted to know about the little horn that came up among them. It pushed out three of the other horns. This horn had eyes, and a mouth that spoke proud words. The little horn seemed to be greater than the other horns.

21While I was watching, the little horn attacked God's holy people. It was winning the fight against them.

22But then the God who has ruled for ever arrived. As judge, he said that the holy people of the Most High God were good and right. Then the time came for God's holy people to receive the kingdom, so that it belonged to them.

23The person that I had asked told me this: “The fourth animal shows that there will be a fourth kingdom on the earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms. It will use its power to destroy the whole earth. It will stamp on everything and break them into pieces.

24The ten horns show that ten kings will rule that kingdom. After them, another king will come to rule. He will be different from the other kings. He will get power over three kings.