Why is there a two-thousand-year time gap represented by a semicolon in Daniel 7:7?
The semicolon in Daniel 7:7 marks a two-thousand-year gap between the fourth beast, the Roman Empire, and the ten horns that follow. In human reckoning this gap is two thousand years, but in God's reckoning it is no longer than a semicolon.
Les explains that Daniel saw the same unfolding of human history in all the Gentile empires in animal form as Nebuchadnezzar dreamed in the metals—the gold, silver, and brass. The fourth beast was the Roman Empire, which could not be explained. In Daniel 7:7, after describing this beast as diverse from all the beasts before it, there is a semicolon, and then the verse ends with "it had ten horns." Les teaches that this semicolon represents two thousand years of time as we reckon it, but in God's way of reckoning, it has been no longer than a semicolon. Thus the gap stands between the Roman Empire stage and the ten-horn stage, a long period in human history but a mere pause in God's perspective.
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.
More Questions
What does the semicolon in Daniel 7:7 mean?
The semicolon in Daniel 7:7 stands for about 2,000 years of human history, but in God's way of reckoning that whole time period is only as long as a semicolon.