Study Desk

In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a ^(C1)dream and visions ^(F1)in his mind as he lay on his bed; then he ^(C2)wrote the dream down and told the ^(F2)following summary of ^(F3)it.

Daniel ^(F1)said, "I was ^(C1)looking in my vision by night, and behold, the ^(C2)four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea.

"And four great ^(C1)beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another.

"The first was ^(C1)like a lion but had the wings of an eagle. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and set up on two feet like a man; a human ^(F1)mind also was given to it.

"And behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear. And it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth; and they said this to it: 'Arise, devour much meat!'

"After this I kept looking, and behold, another one, ^(C1)like a leopard, which had on its ^(F1)back four wings of a bird; the beast also had ^(C2)four heads, and dominion was given to it.

"After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a ^(C1)fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed, and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ^(C2)ten horns.

"While I was thinking about the horns, behold, ^(C1)another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the previous horns were plucked out before it; and behold, ^(F1)this horn possessed eyes like human eyes, and ^(C2)a mouth uttering great boasts.

"I kept looking Until ^(C1)thrones were set up, And the Ancient of Days took His seat; His ^(C2)garment was white as snow, And the ^(C3)hair of His head like pure wool. His ^(C4)throne was ^(F1)ablaze with flames, Its ^(C5)wheels were a burning fire.

-"A river of ^(C1)fire was flowing And coming out from before Him; ^(C2)Thousands upon thousands were serving Him, And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; The ^(C3)court ^(F1)convened, And ^(C4)the books were opened.

"Then I kept looking because of the sound of the ^(F1)boastful words which the horn was speaking; I kept looking until the beast was killed, and its body was destroyed and given to the ^(C1)burning ^(F2)fire.

"As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but an extension of life was granted to them for an appointed period of time.