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The prophecies in the book of Daniel give us a very clear picture of the progression of world powers.
They help us build a timeline that stretches from the time of Daniel to the end, when the kingdom of God Himself comes. The book is a literal play-by-play of the future history of the world.
In every prophecy, we see the same four kingdoms, followed by a final kingdom that takes over in the end and lasts forever. God explains the future of the political world to Daniel in multiple ways, providing greater detail each time. He begins with a general overview. Then he walks us through each stage step by step.
I will present the symbolic dreams and visions first for reference, and then their meanings according to the text itself—because Daniel does not leave them open to interpretation.
The Symbolic Prophecies in Daniel
These are the symbolic visions and dreams, all telling us about the same four world empires and a final, everlasting one.
The Dream of Nebuchadnezzar
Daniel 2:32-35
32 This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, 33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. 34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. 35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
The Dream of Four Great Beasts
Daniel 7:3-14
3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. 4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it. 5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. 6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. 7 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. 8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. 9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. 10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. 11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. 12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. 13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
The Vision of the Ram and the Goat
Daniel 8:3-12
3 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. 4 I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great. 5 And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. 6 And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power. 7 And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand. 8 Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven. 9 And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land. 10 And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. 11 Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of the sanctuary was cast down. 12 And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered.
The Meaning of Daniel’s Visions and Dreams
The prophecies in the book of Daniel are not just symbolism. They begin symbolically, but the interpretation is also given within the book itself. We are told the exact meaning of the important details in each of these prophecies. They are not merely mysteries; they are mysteries revealed.
This means that if we only wanted the basic facts, we could overlook the symbolism and go straight to the interpretations. I am not suggesting we do that, though. There is much more we can draw from the text beyond what is explicitly interpreted for us. However, it is important to understand that the main highlights are explained directly.
These prophecies are all connected. They foretell the same sequence of world empires. So let us examine the prophecies.
Babylon: The First World Empire
We will begin with the interpretation given to Nebuchadnezzar concerning Daniel 2:32–35.
Daniel 2:37-38
37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. 38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.
Nebuchadnezzar was the ruler of Babylon during the time of Daniel. This kingdom had tremendous influence over the entire earth. In fact, it was such a dominant power that it effectively governed the affairs of other nations as well. For this reason, the Bible considers it a worldwide empire.
This is an important point to understand. Daniel calls Nebuchadnezzar a king of kings. This is not merely an honorary title; it is a declaration that he ruled not only his own nation, but exercised authority over other nations as well—even if unofficially.
When the Bible speaks of world empires, it is not describing a single nation owning every piece of land on earth. Rather, it is describing a nation with so much power and influence that other nations submit to its will.
Such a nation rules the world even if it does not plant its flag on every shore.
As another example, Rome is also described as ruling the whole earth. Yet there were no Roman outposts in Antarctica. Rome did not annex every land, but every other nation was heavily influenced by it. Many nations were allowed to exist independently simply because Rome permitted them to pay tribute instead of being fully absorbed.
This is important to keep in mind as we continue our study. Many people become confused when the Bible says a nation would rule over the whole world. They often assume this means a literal “one-world government,” rather than what is actually being described: a nation so powerful that other nations bow to it and obey. Other nations still exist; they simply submit to the more powerful one.
Daniel 7:4
4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.
Babylon ruled the world at the time Daniel recorded this vision. It is also noteworthy that Babylonian art and architecture frequently featured winged lions. The imagery conveys authority and speed.
However, the Bible also tells us that this nation began in pride and later had its wings plucked, becoming humbled. In Daniel 4, we read how God chose to humble the nation—specifically its king.
Daniel 4:32-33
32 And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. 33 The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.
Nebuchadnezzar fell from his position of pride and lived like a beast for seven years. During this time, he learned that God alone sets up kingdoms and rules over the nations. When the seven years ended, he returned to his senses and was restored to his position—this time with a humbled heart.
The Fall of Babylon
Daniel recorded the dream of Nebuchadnezzar and its interpretation during Nebuchadnezzar’s reign. At that time, he did not name the kingdoms that would follow. He only revealed that they would come. The dream itself was an overview.
As the years passed, more details began to unfold through Daniel’s own dreams and visions. These later prophecies focused on the transfer of power from one world empire to the next.
During the reign of the final king of Babylon, Daniel tells us that he received another dream and visions, which he describes in chapter seven. This is the last time Babylon appears in Daniel’s prophecies, because by this point Babylon was about to experience the transfer of power to Medo-Persia.
The Rise of Medo-Persia
The second world empire to arise after Babylon was Medo-Persia.
Daniel 2:39
39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
Daniel 7:5
5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
Daniel 8:20
20 The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.
The empire of Medo-Persia was represented in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream as the chest and arms of silver. In the vision of the four beasts, it is represented as the bear leaning on one side with three ribs in its mouth. In the vision of the ram and the goat, it is represented as the ram with two horns.
This world empire was formed by the union of the Medes and the Persians. History tells us that the Persians were the stronger of the two. Together, these two kingdoms ruled the world. This is reflected consistently in the imagery: the two arms of the statue in Daniel 2, the bear with one side raised higher in Daniel 7, and the two horns of the ram in Daniel 8, with one greater than the other.
As with other prophecies, we are given the exact meaning of the most important symbols in the visions of the bear and the ram. However, the meaning of the three ribs is not explained directly. Even so, it is not difficult to understand in hindsight. The ram’s pushing westward, northward, and southward aligns historically with Medo-Persia’s three major conquests: Lydia, Babylon, and Egypt. Each no doubt symbolized by a rib.
Once again, God demonstrates that even when prophecy is directly interpreted in the text, there is still more to be learned after its fulfillment. God reveals the meaning of the most critical elements while allowing additional details to become clear in hindsight, showing just how precise His word truly is.
Prophecies Fulfilled During Medo-Persia
During the time of Medo-Persia, several prophecies given long before were also fulfilled.
Isaiah 44:28
28 That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.
Isaiah was written between 740 and 700 BC—approximately 150 years before Cyrus, king of Persia, was born. Yet the prophecy names him specifically and declares that he would issue a command to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple. This was fulfilled during the time of Daniel.
It’s important to note that several decrees were issued regarding the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Scholars debate which decree should mark the beginning of the prophetic countdown to the Messiah which we will explain in a future study. The decree that aligns with the 483-year prophecy you will learn about is the one given by Artaxerxes in 457 BC. While Cyrus’ earlier decree was historically significant, it does not start the prophetic countdown. Don’t get confused when we get to the subject — the timeline to Jesus begins with Artaxerxes’ decree.
This prophecy also fulfilled an earlier prophecy given through Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 25:11-12
11 And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. 12 And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the Lord, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.
Jeremiah 29:10
10 For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
Jeremiah prophesied that the nations, would serve the king of Babylon for seventy years, beginning in 609 BC, when Babylon rose to uncontested supremacy following the fall of Assyria. So this seventy years started before Israel went into captivity. After exactly seventy years from then, Babylon fell in 539 BC, just as recorded in Daniel 5:30–31. Thus the seventy years Jeremiah mentioned were fulfilled
Daniel 9:2
2 In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.
The seventy years mentioned by Daniel concerning Jerusalem is a distinct period from Babylon’s seventy years. It began in 586 BC with the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by Nebuchadnezzar and ended in 516 BC with the completion of the temple under Cyrus and Darius (Ezra 6:15). The period is measured from the city’s destruction to the temple’s completion, marking the fulfillment of Jerusalem’s restoration.
Daniel’s Final Prophecies Concerning Persia
Daniel continued to receive prophecy concerning what would happen next. However, this marks the period when he completed the book. He did not go on to see Greece rise to power.
Daniel 11:2
2 And now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia.
Daniel received this prophecy before the final four kings of Persia ruled. In the same revelation, he was instructed to seal the book and cease writing. What remains in Daniel are prophecies he would never see come to pass.
Let us recap where we are now. The following prophecies have been given and fulfilled:
Prophecies Given and Fulfilled So Far
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Babylon as world empire
Scripture: Daniel 2:32–38; 7:4
Fulfilled By: Nebuchadnezzar
Notes: King of kings; humbled by God (Daniel 4:32–33). Babylon ruled other nations indirectly and exerted worldwide influence.
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Fall of Babylon
Scripture: Daniel 5:30–31; 2:39; 7:5; 8:20
Fulfilled By: Cyrus & Medo-Persia
Notes: Babylon was conquered by Cyrus the Great in 539 BC. Medo-Persia is represented as the silver chest and arms of the statue, the bear with three ribs, and the ram with two horns.
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Rise of Medo-Persia
Scripture: Daniel 2:39; 7:5; 8:20
Fulfilled By: Medes + Persians
Notes: Persia became the dominant partner in the union of the Medes and Persians. The three ribs in the bear’s mouth correspond to major conquests: Lydia, Babylon, and Egypt.
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Rebuilding Jerusalem & Temple
Scripture: Isaiah 44:28; Jeremiah 25:12; 29:10
Fulfilled By: Cyrus
Notes: Cyrus decreed the rebuilding of Jerusalem in 538 BC; the temple was completed in 516 BC, exactly fulfilling prophecy. Isaiah and Jeremiah foretold this hundreds of years in advance.
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Final four Persian kings
Scripture: Daniel 11:2
Fulfilled By: Cyrus, Cambyses, Bardiya, Xerxes
Notes: Three kings followed Darius the Mede, and the fourth, Xerxes, was richest and stirred up Greece, fulfilling this prophecy precisely.
In our next study, we will pick up where Daniel left off. There are still two more world empires he said would come before the final kingdom of God. We will continue building the timeline of prophecy as we go.
Continue To Unit 7:8 – The Prophecies of Daniel: A Timeline of World Empires (Part 2) OR
Return To Christianity 101 Unit 7 – The Latter Days – A Detailed Look