What do the four beasts in Daniel mean?

The four beasts in Daniel 7 symbolize four successive world empires that would rise and fall before the establishment of God’s everlasting kingdom. Daniel’s vision parallels the statue in Daniel 2 but presents the kingdoms from a spiritual and moral perspective, as beastly and destructive powers.

“The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings… And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear… After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard… After this… a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong.” (Daniel 7:4–7)

These beasts represent:

Lion with eagle’s wings – Babylon (known for strength and swiftness)

Bear – Medo-Persia (raised on one side, symbolizing imbalance in the alliance)

Leopard with four wings and four heads – Greece (rapid conquest and later division into four parts)

Terrible beast with iron teeth and ten horns – Rome (strong, destructive, and eventually divided)

The fourth beast is emphasized as especially fierce and different from the others. Among its ten horns, another “little horn” arises:

“There, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.” (Daniel 7:8)

This little horn represents a future blasphemous ruler who persecutes the saints and exalts himself against God. He is defeated when the Ancient of Days (God) judges him:

“But the court shall be seated, and they shall take away his dominion.” (Daniel 7:26)

The vision concludes with the everlasting dominion of Christ:

“Then the kingdom and dominion… shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High.” (Daniel 7:27)

The four beasts underscore the corrupt and temporary nature of earthly kingdoms. In contrast, God’s kingdom is holy, eternal, and unshakable. Daniel 7 teaches that no matter how powerful human empires become, they are subject to God’s ultimate authority and will be replaced by His righteous reign through Christ.