Daniel 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.
The fourth beast is Rome, the fourth world empire following Babylon, Persia and Greece, dreadful and terrible and exceedingly strong in hardiness and force. Its ten horns are the ten kingdoms that arose from the divided Roman Empire. The beasts are symbols of earthly, worldly kingdoms that are fierce and predatory like beasts of prey. The vision was given to reveal the history of this world to the close of time, though its full meaning was shut up and sealed until the time of the end. Rome's seat and authority were afterward succeeded by the papacy, and the beast's devouring and stamping shows how worldly governments rule by physical force and war, in contrast to Christ's kingdom which rejects carnal weapons and compulsion of conscience.
Beast's Identity and Symbols
The fourth beast is Rome, the fourth in the succession of world empires after Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece. It follows Greece in order and is marked as dreadful and terrible and exceedingly strong, distinguished by overwhelming strength, hardiness, and force. Its ten horns are ten kingdoms formed out of the divided Roman Empire, known as the ten kingdoms of the Western Empire, though their number at times varied.
A horn in this vision stands for a church, and the little horn connected with it is the Roman Church, even before that church obtained civil power. The ferocious beasts are symbols of earthly, worldly powers and kingdoms, fierce and predatory like beasts of prey. In the prophecy these symbolic beasts were set before the people in life-size images.
Prophetic Purpose and Fulfillment
The vision belongs to the revelations of the mysteries of ages to come given to Daniel as God's ambassador, with figures and symbols he was taught to record for coming generations, covering the history of this world till the close of time and the close of earth's history. This prophetic understanding in visions and dreams, with knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom and the reading of the mysteries of the future, was given to him because of his firmness, self-denial, purity of motive, and unwavering trust and honor toward God, with God's approval, blessing, and spirit of prophetic power resting upon him even while he was learning court duties in Babylon. Its full meaning was not understood even by Daniel himself, for the words were shut up and sealed until the time of the end. In the closing period of this world's history, at the end of the days, the sealed visions are to be understood, and Daniel himself will rest and then stand again in his lot and place. Its events are to be studied in their order, with historical fulfillment marking the prophetic sequence.
Each nation was permitted to occupy its place on earth to determine whether it would fulfill the purposes of the Watcher and the Holy One. Each had its period of test and each failed, so its glory faded and its power departed. Rome's power, seat, and authority were later succeeded by the papacy. The papal beast in Revelation 13 closely parallels the little horn, bearing the characteristics of the four beasts and inheriting the power they held in succession, with its 1,260-year period of oppression running from 538 to 1798. Apocalyptic beasts are powers that arise from the union of church and state, and united they cruelly crush and persecute those who oppose them. The removal of the little horn's dominion was fulfilled historically when French general Berthier entered Rome on February 10, 1798, at the close of the 1260 days, and the pope was taken prisoner on February 15 and confined in the Vatican.
The fourth beast's violence and strength illustrate how worldly governments maintain dominion through physical force, war, destruction, and domination to pursue advantage. Ferocious beasts symbolize earthly powers and kingdoms that are fierce and predatory like beasts of prey. In contrast, Christ's church and kingdom is to reject carnal weapons and coercion. It does not compel conscience by brute force but overcomes error and sin by implanting truth and righteousness.