Objective

In this study, we’ll see that God gave Daniel amazing prophecies about the final days.

Key Verse

Daniel 12:3: Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.

Introduction

Have you ever wondered what will happen at the end of time? Many people throughout history have tried to predict the future, but only God knows exactly what will come. In the book of Daniel, God pulled back the curtain and showed His prophet remarkable visions about events that would unfold in history and continue until the very last days.

The last six chapters of Daniel shift our focus from the life of Daniel to the visions of Daniel. While the first six chapters showed us how Daniel lived faithfully in a foreign land, these final chapters reveal what God showed him about the future of nations and the coming of God’s eternal kingdom. These visions gave hope to God’s people during their captivity in Babylon, and they continue to give us hope today as we wait for Christ’s return.

What makes these prophecies so remarkable is their accuracy. Some of the events Daniel saw have already happened exactly as God revealed them. We can look back through history and see how kingdoms rose and fell just as Daniel predicted. Other parts of his visions are still waiting to be fulfilled. This combination of fulfilled and future prophecy strengthens our confidence that God is in control of history and that His Word is completely trustworthy.

In this study, we’ll focus on three major visions that God gave to Daniel:

• The vision of the four beasts
• The vision of the ram and the goat
• The vision of the seventy weeks

The Vision of the Four Beasts

Chapter 7 of Daniel takes us into one of the most dramatic visions in all of Scripture. Daniel sees four terrifying beasts rising up from a churning sea, each one different from the others, each one representing a world empire that would dominate the earth.

The structure of this vision unfolds in four parts. First, Daniel sees four beasts rise up out of the sea (7:1-8). Then he watches as the Ancient of Days judges these beasts (7:9-12). Next, dominion and power are given to one like a Son of Man (7:13-14). Finally, an angel interprets the vision for Daniel, explaining what these strange creatures mean (7:15-28).

These four beasts represent the same kingdoms that appeared in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the great statue back in Daniel chapter 2. But while Nebuchadnezzar saw these kingdoms as a glorious statue made of precious metals, Daniel sees them as they really are—wild, destructive beasts that devour and destroy. The lion represents Babylon with its swift conquests and proud majesty. The bear represents the Medes and Persians with their crushing military might. The leopard represents Greece with its lightning-fast expansion under Alexander the Great. The fourth beast, terrible beyond description with iron teeth and ten horns, represents Rome and the nations that would follow.

(Notebook Moment: What do you think is significant about the different ways Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel saw these same kingdoms—one as a glorious statue, the other as destructive beasts? What might this tell us about how the world sees power compared to how God sees it?)

The fourth beast demands our special attention because it connects directly to the end times. This beast has ten horns, which represent nations that grew up from the ruins of the Roman Empire. Many Bible teachers believe these nations will unite against God in the last days, forming a final world empire that opposes everything God stands for.

But then something disturbing happens. A little horn grows up among the ten horns of the fourth beast. This horn has eyes like a human and speaks boastful, proud words against God. This is the Antichrist who will rise up in the last days to deceive the nations and lead them in rebellion against God.

Daniel 7:20-21, 25: I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and about the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell—the horn that looked more imposing than the others and that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully. As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them… He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time.

The apostle Paul describes this same figure when he warns the Thessalonians:

2 Thessalonians 2:4: He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

And John sees him again in the book of Revelation:

Revelation 13:5-6: The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven.

But the vision doesn’t end with the triumph of evil. In fact, the most glorious part of the vision shows us who really controls history. Daniel sees the Ancient of Days—God Himself—take His seat on the throne of judgment. His clothing is white as snow, His throne blazes with fire, and thousands upon thousands serve Him. The court is seated, and the books are opened. The proud little horn is destroyed, and the other beasts lose their power.

Then Daniel sees one of the most important visions in all of Scripture:

Daniel 7:13-14: In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

This “son of man” is Jesus Christ. He used this very title for Himself more than any other during His earthly ministry. The vision shows us that Christ will receive an eternal kingdom that will never end. While earthly kingdoms rise and fall like beasts from the sea, Christ’s kingdom will stand forever.

The Vision of the Ram and the Goat

Chapter 8 presents us with another strange vision, but this time God provides even more specific details about coming events. Daniel sees a two-horned ram advancing in three directions—west, north, and south—conquering everything in its path. No animal could stand against it, and it did whatever it pleased.

But suddenly, a male goat appears from the west, moving so fast its feet don’t even touch the ground. This goat has a single prominent horn between its eyes. It charges the ram with furious power and completely destroys it, breaking both its horns and trampling it underfoot. The goat becomes very powerful, but at the height of its power, its great horn is broken. In its place, four horns grow up, pointing toward the four winds of heaven.

Then from one of these four horns comes a little horn that starts small but grows exceedingly great. It grows toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Beautiful Land—the land of Israel. This little horn exalts itself, even challenging the host of heaven. It sets itself up to be as great as the commander of the army of the Lord and takes away the daily sacrifice from Him. It throws truth to the ground and prospers in everything it does.

The angel Gabriel himself appears to explain this vision to Daniel:

Daniel 8:20-21: The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between its eyes is the first king.

This prophecy was fulfilled with stunning accuracy. The ram does indeed represent the Medo-Persian Empire, which conquered in exactly the three directions Daniel saw. The goat represents Greece under Alexander the Great, who conquered the Persian Empire with lightning speed—so fast it seemed his feet didn’t touch the ground. When Alexander died at the height of his power (the great horn being broken), his empire was divided among his four generals (the four horns).

(Notebook Moment: How does seeing these prophecies fulfilled so precisely in history affect your confidence in the parts of Daniel’s visions that haven’t been fulfilled yet?)

But the prophecy goes further. One of the four horns—specifically from the Syrian portion of Alexander’s divided empire—produced a ruler who would terribly persecute God’s people. This prophecy was fulfilled about two hundred years before Christ when Antiochus Epiphanes defiled the temple in Jerusalem. He sacrificed a pig on the altar, set up an image of Zeus in the Holy Place, and tried to force the Jewish people to abandon their faith.

Yet this historical fulfillment also points forward to something even worse. Antiochus becomes a preview, a type, of the final Antichrist who will commit an even greater abomination. Daniel mentions this future desolation several times:

Daniel 9:27: He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.

Jesus Himself warned us to watch for this event as a sign of the end times, confirming that Daniel’s prophecy extends beyond Antiochus to a future fulfillment.

The Vision of the Seventy Weeks

Daniel’s vision of the seventy weeks, found in Daniel 9:20-27, is perhaps the most complex and detailed prophecy in the Old Testament. When we carefully compare Scripture with Scripture, we can understand God’s timeline for Israel’s future and the coming of the Messiah.

The vision comes while Daniel is praying and confessing the sins of his people. Gabriel appears to him again, arriving swiftly at the time of the evening sacrifice to give Daniel understanding:

Daniel 9:22-23: He instructed me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the word and understand the vision.”

The key to understanding this prophecy is the meaning of “seventy weeks.” In Hebrew, the word for “week” simply means “seven,” and in Old Testament prophecy, it often refers to seven years rather than seven days. So seventy weeks equals 490 years that God has appointed for Israel’s history.

Gabriel tells Daniel that six things will be accomplished during these seventy weeks:

Daniel 9:24: Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place.

These six purposes divide into two groups. The first three deal with removing sin: finishing transgression, making an end of sins, and making reconciliation for iniquity. The second three deal with bringing in righteousness: establishing everlasting righteousness, sealing up vision and prophecy, and anointing the Most Holy. Christ has already fulfilled the first four through His death and resurrection. He finished transgression, ended sin’s power, atoned for our wickedness, and brought in everlasting righteousness through His perfect sacrifice.

The timeline of the seventy weeks is precise. These weeks began when the command was given to rebuild Jerusalem, which happened in the fifth century before Christ during the Persian period. Gabriel then divides the seventy weeks into three periods: seven weeks (49 years), sixty-two weeks (434 years), and one final week (7 years).

Daniel 9:25-26: Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing.

Bible scholars have calculated these time periods and found that they point exactly to the time of Christ. After sixty-nine weeks (483 years), the Messiah appeared and was “cut off”—a reference to Christ’s death on the cross. Jesus was crucified right on schedule, exactly when Daniel’s prophecy said the Messiah would die.

But something remarkable happened then. The prophetic clock stopped. The seventieth week has not yet occurred. Between the sixty-ninth and seventieth weeks, God has inserted the church age—a mystery not fully revealed in the Old Testament. The final week will not begin until the Antichrist is revealed and makes a covenant with Israel.

(Notebook Moment: What does it mean for your faith to know that Jesus died exactly when Daniel prophesied He would, hundreds of years before it happened?)

This final week of seven years is what we call the Great Tribulation. During this time, the Antichrist will initially appear to be Israel’s friend, confirming a covenant with them. But in the middle of the week—after three and a half years—he will break this covenant, stop the temple sacrifices, and set up the abomination of desolation in the temple. This will begin the most terrible persecution God’s people have ever faced.

The book of Revelation provides many more details about this final week, showing us how God will judge the earth and ultimately establish Christ’s kingdom. Daniel was given glimpses of these events, but much remained sealed until God revealed more through John on the island of Patmos.

The Final Vision and Our Response

The last chapters of Daniel, particularly chapters 10 through 12, provide additional details about these visions and reveal spiritual warfare happening behind the scenes of human history. The book concludes with a remarkable prophecy about the resurrection:

Daniel 12:1-2, 4: At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt… But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end.

Daniel is told to seal up the prophecy because many of these events were far in the future. But he’s also given a promise:

Daniel 12:13: As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance.

Conclusion

These visions were given to Daniel during the darkest period of Israel’s history—the Babylonian captivity. God’s people had lost their land, their temple, and their kingdom. It seemed like all hope was gone. But through these visions, God showed them that He remained in complete control. Earthly kingdoms would rise and fall like beasts from the sea, but God’s kingdom would stand forever.

For us today, Daniel’s prophecies serve a dual purpose. First, they strengthen our confidence in God’s Word. We can look back through history and see how precisely God fulfilled the prophecies about Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome. The Messiah came exactly when Daniel said He would. These fulfilled prophecies guarantee that the remaining prophecies will also come to pass.

Second, these visions call us to faithful service while we wait for Christ’s return. We live between the sixty-ninth and seventieth weeks of Daniel’s prophecy. We know that difficult days lie ahead—the Antichrist will rise, God’s people will face persecution, and the world will rebel against its Creator. But we also know how the story ends. Christ will return in glory, the Antichrist will be destroyed, and God’s eternal kingdom will be established.

What should our response be to these amazing prophecies? We should live with confidence in God’s sovereign control over history. Every headline, every world event, every rise and fall of nations happens under God’s watchful eye. Nothing surprises Him, and nothing can thwart His plans.

We should also live with urgency, knowing that time is short. The apostle Peter reminds us:

2 Peter 3:9: The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

God is delaying the final week of Daniel’s prophecy because He is giving people time to turn to Him. Every day that passes is another day of grace, another opportunity for people to hear the gospel and be saved.

Finally, we should live as faithful witnesses who shine like stars in the darkness. Daniel’s key verse for this lesson promises that those who are wise and lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever. In these days between the sixty-ninth and seventieth weeks, God has given us the privilege of being His ambassadors, sharing the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ with a world that desperately needs hope.

Daniel sealed up his prophecy and went his way, trusting God’s promises even though he wouldn’t live to see them all fulfilled. We have the privilege of living in the days when many of these prophecies have already come to pass. We’ve seen the Messiah come, die for our sins, and rise again. We know that He is coming back to establish His eternal kingdom. Until that day, let us be faithful witnesses who live in the light of God’s certain promises, confident that the One who fulfilled the first sixty-nine weeks of Daniel’s prophecy will surely fulfill the seventieth week as well.

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