Study Desk

In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a ^(C1)dream and visions ^(F1)in his mind as he lay on his bed; then he ^(C2)wrote the dream down and told the ^(F2)following summary of ^(F3)it.

Daniel ^(F1)said, "I was ^(C1)looking in my vision by night, and behold, the ^(C2)four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea.

"And four great ^(C1)beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another.

"The first was ^(C1)like a lion but had the wings of an eagle. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and set up on two feet like a man; a human ^(F1)mind also was given to it.

"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 they said this to it: 'Arise, devour much meat!'

"After this I kept looking, and behold, another one, ^(C1)like a leopard, which had on its ^(F1)back four wings of a bird; the beast also had ^(C2)four heads, and dominion was given to it.

"After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a ^(C1)fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed, and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ^(C2)ten horns.

"While I was thinking about the horns, behold, ^(C1)another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the previous horns were plucked out before it; and behold, ^(F1)this horn possessed eyes like human eyes, and ^(C2)a mouth uttering great boasts.

"I kept looking Until ^(C1)thrones were set up, And the Ancient of Days took His seat; His ^(C2)garment was white as snow, And the ^(C3)hair of His head like pure wool. His ^(C4)throne was ^(F1)ablaze with flames, Its ^(C5)wheels were a burning fire.

-"A river of ^(C1)fire was flowing And coming out from before Him; ^(C2)Thousands upon thousands were serving Him, And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; The ^(C3)court ^(F1)convened, And ^(C4)the books were opened.

"Then I kept looking because of the sound of the ^(F1)boastful words which the horn was speaking; I kept looking until the beast was killed, and its body was destroyed and given to the ^(C1)burning ^(F2)fire.

"As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but an extension of life was granted to them for an appointed period of time.

"I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a son of man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him.

-"And to Him was given ^(C1)dominion, Honor, and ^(F1)(C2)a kingdom, ^(C3)So that all the peoples, nations, and populations of all ^(F2)languages Might serve Him. ^(C4)His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; ^(C5)And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.