We’re going to amplify explain and explode Daniel 7:17 and 18 from The Holy Words Of God.
“The Decoding Ring”
Daniel 7:17–18 acts as the divine "decoder ring" for one of the most famous and terrifying apocalyptic visions in the Bible. In the preceding verses, Daniel sees four massive, bizarre beasts rising out of a thrashing sea. In verses 17 and 18, an angel steps forward to compress, explain, and unpack exactly what these cosmic monsters mean for human history.
Here is the breakdown, expansion, and deep dive into these two pivotal verses.
💥 The Text (NKJV)
Verse 17: "Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth."
Verse 18: "But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever."
🔍 Amplification: Breaking Down the Symbols
The angel uses a literary technique common in apocalyptic literature: radical simplification. He takes an incredibly complex, terrifying vision and distills it into two opposing realities.
[ Human Empires ] 🏆 ----( Temporary Reign )----> ❌ Collapse
VS
[ Divine Kingdom ] 👑 ----( Eternal Reign )------> ♾️ Forever
🦁 Verse 17: The Four Kings (The Earthly Realm)
"Those great beasts, which are four..." The four beasts Daniel saw earlier were a winged lion, a rib-munching bear, a four-headed leopard, and a terrifying, iron-toothed monster with ten horns.
"...are four kings [kingdoms] which arise out of the earth." The angel gently strips away the monstrous imagery to reveal a historical reality. The beasts represent Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome.
"Out of the earth" signifies their origin. They are entirely human, flawed, fleshly, and bound by gravity and time. They rise from human chaos (the "sea") and are anchored to the temporary dirt of this planet.
👑 Verse 18: The Saints and the Most High (The Heavenly Realm)
"But..." This is the most important word in the passage. It creates a massive pivot. No matter how terrifying the beasts are, their rule is abruptly cut off.
"...the saints of the Most High..." "Saints" here translates from the Aramaic qaddiysh, meaning "holy ones" or "set-apart ones." These are God's marginalized, persecuted, yet faithful people.
"...shall receive the kingdom..." Notice the grammar: they don't conquerthe kingdom; they receive it. It is a gift given to them by the "Ancient of Days" (God) and the "Son of Man" (Jesus).
"...and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever." The angel uses triple emphasis (forever, even forever, and ever) to contrast the fleeting nature of human superpowers with the absolute permanence of God's rule.
💥 The "Explosion": Deep Theological Implications
When you blow this text wide open, three massive truths explode out of these verses:
The Transience of Human Tyranny
The vision tells us that human empires—no matter how technologically advanced, militarily brutal, or economically dominant—are ultimately just "beasts." They have a beginning, a middle, and a definitive end. They are finite. Rome fell, Babylon fell, and every modern global superpower will eventually follow suit.History Has a Predetermined Destination
Daniel 7 macro-zooms out on human history. It tells the reader that history is not a series of random, chaotic accidents. It is moving along a track toward a highly specific destination: the total eradication of beastly systems and the establishment of divine justice.True Power Belongs to the Persecuted
When Daniel wrote this, God's people were exiles, captives, and underdogs. Yet, the angel reveals a stunning paradox: the beastly empires that currently hold the whips and chains are the ones destined for the trash heap of history. The broken, faithful "saints" are the ones who will ultimately inherit the entire cosmos.
📊 Direct Comparison: Beasts vs. The Saints
Feature The Four Beasts (Verse 17) The Kingdom of the Saints (Verse 18)
Origin Arise out of the earth / chaotic sea Given by the Most High from Heaven
Character Predatory, violent, devouring, monstrous Holy, set-apart, just
Duration Temporary (they rise and fall) Forever, and ever, and ever
Source of Power Human might and military conquest Divine inheritanc