I am just curious. I would like to hear your "interpretation" of the vision of Daniel eight. To whom do you believe this refers and when you believe this vision will be fulfilled.
Dan 7:1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters.
Dan 7:2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.
Dan 7:3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
Daniel had a vision of 4 kingdoms that would come one after the other, and they were diverse one from another, which means they operated differently than each other.
These operations are the 4 ways of people, going by their own religion, going by their own wisdom, being physical cruel going against other people, and pushing for power, dominion.
Although all 4 kingdoms went by all 4 modes of operation 1 of those ways was their chief mode of operation with the other 3 as a minor mode of operation whatever that ratio was between the 3.
Dan 7:4 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.
The first is Babylon which represents human religion, the occult.
They had eagle's wings because king Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged the God of Israel as the greatest of all the gods, and proclaimed throughout his kingdom that if anybody said anything against the God of Israel that they would be cut in pieces, and their house made a dunghill, and proclaimed the God of Israel when he died and knew his kingdom flourished because of Him.
His son knew what his father believed and proclaimed when he took the throne but took the vessels out of the temple of the LORD and drank out of them praising other gods so God stripped the kingdom from them and gave it to another which the wings were plucked from Babylon, and then they became known as the kingdom of man and represent all mankind who reject God and the truth.
Dan 7:5 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.
The second is Medo-Persia and represents physical cruelty.
It raised itself up on one side which probably represents that the Persian influence was more dominant in that union, and the three ribs in the mouth of it are probably 3 nations in league with them.
The arise and devour much flesh is indication that they represent physical cruelty going against other people.
Dan 7:6 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.
The third is Greece and represents human wisdom.
The 4 wings of a fowl could represent that they flew above the common man in higher mathematics, medicine, philosophy, and even had a great cultural impact on Rome, but not as high as when Babylon flew on eagle's wings.
The beast having 4 heads could be that when Alexander died his kingdom was split in to 4 sections with a ruler in each section with each having dominion over their section.
Dan 7:7 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.
Dan 7:8 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.
The fourth is the Roman Empire which represents pushing for power, dominion, and was diverse from the other 3 for it was more determined to push for power and dominion and to rule over others than the other 3.
It had 10 horns which is in the future and is the world split in to 10 sections with a leader in each section, and will pluck up 3 of those sections by the roots.
The antichrist comes from the 10 horns which came from the Roman Empire so the antichrist is from the Roman Empire, which the Bible says that the prince to come, the antichrist, comes from the people who overthrew Jerusalem which is the Roman Empire.
Dan 7:9 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.
Dan 7:10 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.
Dan 7:11 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.
This is at the end time so the Roman Empire has the dominion at the end time in which they pushed for power until their ways permeated the whole earth, and even though all nations came together in agreement to try to establish peace on earth the Roman Empire has the dominion, and the antichrist is the New Age Christ, which the new age movement paved the way to the beast kingdom which the new age movement seems to be heavily influenced by the Caucasian race and the plan to produce the New Age Christ so they can evolve to be greater and spiritual.
Dan 7:12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.
The first 3 beasts will never have physical dominion again, but their ways are still on earth, and the Roman Empire does not lose her dominion until Jesus puts the world down.
Which as long as the 3 beasts ways are on earth they have not fallen yet which is represented in Daniel 2 when king Nebuchadnezzar had a dream of the 4 kingdoms but in the image of a man, and none of the kingdom's fall until Jesus hits the 10 toes, horns, the Roman Empire dominion, which is a future kingdom, then the 4 kingdoms fall and their ways are no more.
Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and the Roman Empire has not fallen yet for their ways are still on earth.
Which is how we understand the beast kingdom in Revelation 13.
All 4 kingdoms operated by a chief mode of operation, which all 4 kingdoms operated by a chief mode of operation different from each other with the other 3 modes of operation in a minor role whatever ratio that was.
So none of the kingdoms of the past was the kingdom of man in it's entirety for they lacked by having a chief mode of operation, and 3 minor ones, and still acknowledged a higher power even though they might have been going by their own religion somewhat, or their own wisdom, or being cruel, and pushing for power, dominion.
But the beast kingdom acknowledges no personal God, and believes in evolution as people's greatness and spirituality for they believe they are still evolving.
So it becomes the kingdom of man in it's entirety and no more having a chief mode of operation, and 3 minor modes of operation, but all 4 ways of people in their chief mode of operation with no minor role.
It has 10 horns, the dominion of the Roman Empire in it's chief mode of operation.
With the ways of a lion, Babylon, in their chief mode of operation, human religion, the occult, and the kingdom of man, which is why the beast kingdom if referred to as Babylon, but that is in spirit for Babylon will never have physical dominion again, but her ways are still on earth so she has not fallen yet, and the beast kingdom represents human religion, the occult, and the kingdom of man.
With the ways of a bear, Medo-Persia, in their chief mode of operation of physical cruelty to take away all people who oppose their kingdom a cruelty that has not been displayed in the past.
With the ways of a leopard, Greece, in their chief mode of operation of human wisdom.
With no acknowledging a personal God, and no input from God.
Dan 7:13 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.
Dan 7:14 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.
We see that the Roman Empire has the dominion at the end time for it is the time for Jesus to take over the earth and rule, and the kingdoms end at the Roman Empire and the 3 prior beasts will never have physical dominion again.
Continued,