What empire did the fourth beast in Daniel 7 represent?
Daniel 7’s fourth beast represents the Roman Empire. The vision first identifies Babylon as the lion, Medo-Persia as the bear, and Greece as the leopard, but the fourth empire is described as dreadful and terrible rather than likened to a specific animal. Its ferocity and moral corruption fit Rome.
Les teaches that the four beasts of Daniel 7 are empires or governments, not animals. The lion is Babylon, the bear is the Median Persian empire, and the leopard is the Greek empire under Alexander the Great. The fourth beast, dreadful and terrible and not named as a particular animal, is the Roman empire. Les notes Rome was noble in some aspects but bestial in many others, with no concern for lower classes or conquered peoples, throwing them to the lions, and becoming grossly immoral. History, as in The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire, authenticates its moral deterioration; the Romans had no moral compunctions left, being wicked and evil.
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
How is the fourth beast described in Daniel 7:7?
In Daniel 7:7 the fourth beast is a fourth empire—dreadful, terrible, very strong, with iron teeth—and it was different from every earlier empire and had ten horns.
How did Daniel describe the Roman empire in Daniel 7?
Daniel describes the Roman fourth beast as dreadful, terrible, and exceedingly strong.