Christ in the Old Testament: A 5-Day Advent Reading PlanSample

Visions of the Christ in Daniel

Daniel’s visions are some of the most poured-over texts in the Bible. Understanding his prophecies and seeing them be fulfilled in Christ is yet another way we can begin to understand the enormity of our God.

Let’s take a deeper look at his vision of a great statue in Daniel 2 and of four beasts in Daniel 7:

A Great Statue in Daniel 2

The statue has a head of pure gold and is tied to the king of Babylon (609-539 BC); it has a chest and arms of silver and is connected to the Medo-Persia (539-330 BC) kingdom, which was inferior to Babylon; the stomach and thighs were bronze, symbolizing Greece (330-63 BC), a third kingdom to rule the earth; and its legs were of iron, its feet partly fired clay and partly iron, representing a fourth kingdom which was strong but divided (Rome, 63 BC).

But then we see a stone, dislodged without human hands, crushing the statue and becoming a mountain filling the earth. This is Christ coming, setting up God’s Kingdom that will crush all other kingdoms and never be destroyed.

Four Beasts in Daniel 7

The first beast is like a lion with eagle’s wings – an earthly kingdom (Babylon). The second is like a bear raised up on one side, also an earthly kingdom (Medo-Persia). Third is like a leopard with four wings and four heads (Greece). Lastly, a strong beast with iron teeth, different from the others, with ten horns, representing a fourth earthly kingdom, different from the others (Rome).

This vision also shows types of the antichrist by showing a little horn with an arrogant mouth, successfully warring against God’s holy ones until it is killed and burned. This is a king different from the others; it spoke against God and His holy ones until the appointed time.

Lastly, Daniel sees one like a son of man on the clouds of heaven receiving an everlasting, worldwide dominion from the Ancient of Days. This shows that the kingdoms of earth will be given to God’s holy ones, and His kingdom will be everlasting.

When thinking about the ways Daniel’s visions on empires were proven true, it should fill us with hope and expectation at the culmination of his visions. How do these visions reflect God’s glory in your view?