Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible



In the first year of Belshazzar the king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head [as he lay] on his bed; then he wrote down the dream [and] [the] {summary} of [the] words {as follows}: Daniel {explained} and said, "I was looking in my vision in the night, and look, the four winds of heaven were stirring [up] the great sea. And four great beasts [were] coming up from the sea, differing {from one another}. read more.
The first [was] like lion and {had} [the] wings of an eagle. I was watching until its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the earth and it was raised on [its] feet like a human, and a human heart was given to it. And look, another beast, a second one, looking like a bear. And it was raised up on one side and three tusks [were] in its mouth between its teeth, and so {it was told}, "Arise, eat much flesh!" After this I was watching and look, another [beast] like a leopard; {it had four wings} of a bird on its back, and {the beast had} four heads, and dominion was given to it. After this in the visions of the night I was looking and there was a fourth beast, terrifying and frightful and exceedingly strong, and {it had} {great iron teeth}, [and it was] devouring and crushing, and it stamped the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all [the other] beasts {that preceded it} {and it had ten horns}. I was considering the horns, and look, another little horn came up {among} them, and three of the earlier horns {were rooted out} from before it, and there were eyes like the eyes of human in this horn and [also] a mouth [that was] speaking boastfully. "{I continued watching} until thrones were placed and an Ancient of Days sat; his clothing [was] like white snow and the hair of his head [was] like pure wool and his throne [was] a flame of fire and its wheels [were] burning fire. A stream of fire issued forth and flowed {from his presence}; thousands [upon] thousands served him and ten thousand [upon] ten thousand stood before him. The judge sat, and [the] books were opened. "{I continued watching} then because of the noise of the boastful words of the horn [who was] speaking; {I continued watching} until the beast was slain and its body was destroyed, and it was given [over] to burning with fire. And [as for] the remainder of the beasts, {their dominion was taken away}, but a prolongation {of their life} was given to them for a season and a time. "{I continued watching} in the visions of the night, and look, with the clouds of heaven [one] like a son of man was coming, and he came to the Ancient of Days, and {was presented} before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and kingship that all the peoples, the nations, and languages [would] serve him; his dominion [is] a dominion {without end} that will not cease, and his kingdom [is one] that will not be destroyed. "{As for me, Daniel}, my spirit was troubled {within me}, and the visions of my head terrified me. [So] I approached one of the attendants and I asked him [about] the truth concerning all this; and he told me [that] he would make known to me the explanation of the matter. 'These great beasts which are four [in number] [are] four kings [who] will arise from the earth. But the holy ones of the Most High will receive the kingdom, and they will take possession of the kingdom forever, {forever and ever}.' "Then I desired to make certain concerning the fourth beast that was different from {all the others}--exceedingly terrifying, with its iron teeth and its claws of bronze; it devoured and crushed [and] stamped the remainder with its feet-- and concerning the horns that [were] on its head, and [concerning] [the] other [horn] that came up and {before which three horns fell}, and this horn {had eyes} and mouth speaking {boastfully}, and its appearance [was] larger than its companions. {I continued watching}, and this horn made war with [the] holy ones and it prevailed over them, until the Ancient of Days came and gave judgment to [the] holy ones of [the] Most High; and the time arrived and [the] holy ones took possession of the kingdom. "And he said, 'The fourth beast [is] the fourth kingdom [that] will be on the earth that will be different from all the [other] kingdoms, and it will devour the whole earth and it will trample it and it will crush it. And [as for] the ten horns [coming] from it, [from] this kingdom ten kings will arise, and another will arise after them. And he will be different from the earlier [ones], and he will subdue three kings. And he will speak words against the Most High, and he will wear out [the] holy ones of the Most High, and he will attempt to change times and law, and they will be given into his hand for a time and two times and half a time. Then the court will sit, and his dominion will be removed, to be eradicated and to be destroyed {totally}. And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to [the] nation of [the] holy ones of the Most High; his kingdom {is an everlasting kingdom}, and all the dominions will serve and obey him.' {This is the end of the account}. {As for me, Daniel}--my thoughts terrified me greatly and my face changed over me, but I kept the matter in my heart."

And I saw coming up out of the sea a beast that had ten horns and seven heads, and on its horns ten royal headbands, and on its heads a blasphemous name. And the beast that I saw was similar to a leopard, and its feet [were] like a bear's, and its mouth [was] like the mouth of a lion, and the dragon gave it his power and his throne and great authority. And one of its heads [appeared] as though slaughtered to death, and its {fatal wound} had been healed. And the whole earth was astonished [and followed] after the beast. read more.
And they worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who [is] like the beast, and who is able to make war with him? And a mouth was given to him speaking great [things] and blasphemies, and authority to act was given to him [for] forty-two months. And he opened his mouth for blasphemies toward God, to blaspheme his name and his dwelling, those who live in heaven. And it was given to him to make war with the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given to him over every tribe and people and language and nation. And all those who live on the earth will worship him, {everyone whose name is not written} from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slaughtered. If anyone has an ear, let him hear! If anyone [is going] into captivity, into captivity he goes. If anyone [is] to be killed by the sword, by the sword he [is] to be killed. Here is the patient endurance and the faith of the saints. And I saw another beast coming up from the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb, and he was speaking like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast on behalf of him, and he causes the earth and those who live in it to worship the first beast {whose fatal wound had been healed}. And he performs great signs, so that he even causes fire from heaven to come down to the earth before people. And he deceives those who live on the earth because of the signs that it has been granted to him to perform on behalf of the beast, telling those who live on the earth to make an image to the beast who has the wound of the sword and [yet] lived. And it was given to him to put breath into the image of the beast, in order that the image of the beast both spoke and caused that all those, unless they worshiped the image of the beast, should be killed. And he causes all [people], the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the slave, that they give them a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and that no one was able to buy or to sell except the one who had the mark--the name of the beast or the number of his name. Here is wisdom: the one who has understanding, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number, and his number [is] six hundred sixty-six.


Daniel {explained} and said, "I was looking in my vision in the night, and look, the four winds of heaven were stirring [up] the great sea. And four great beasts [were] coming up from the sea, differing {from one another}.