First Beast

Babylonian Empire (Daniel 7:4)

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.

Babylon was the capital of Babylonia and was positioned on the River Euphrates south of modern Baghdad. It first came to prominence about 2150-1740 BC, under the dynasty of which Hammurabi was the most illustrious member. Subsequently, rising Assyrian power threatened Babylonian independence, though some Babylonians, such as Nebuchadnezzar I (reigned 1146-1123 BC), temporarily reversed the trend.

Sacked by Sennacherib (689 BC), Babylon was rebuilt from 625 BC onwards especially during the reign (605-562 BC) of Nebuchadnezzar II. In 539 BC Babylon surrendered to Cyrus the Great of Persia. By 275 BC it was virtually depopulated.

It is interesting to note that under the rule of Saddam Hussein there have been attempts to reconstruct the city.

Second Beast

Medo-Persian Empire (Daniel 7:5)

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.

It was Cyrus the great, King of Persia who founded the Achaemenian Empire. Under his leadership he staged a successful revolt against his overlord Astyages, gaining control of the Empire of the Medes. He then went on to conquer Lydia, Ionia and Babylonia, thereby gaining Syria and Palestine and the territories in central Asia.

The first four verses of Daniel 11 foretell events which, are familiar matters of history. This shows that the prophecy was to have a very literal fulfilment; and it shows also that the fulfilment was to begin from that very time. For verse 2 declares that four more Persian kings were to arise (after Cyrus).

It further foretells that the fourth king would be immensely rich, and that he would stir up all his realm against Greece. This was the famous Xerxes, who, after long preparations in every part of his realm, invaded Greece with a huge army and navy, but was ignominiously defeated by land and sea, thus preparing the way for the downfall of the Persian empire (see Anstey's Bible Chronology, p. 239).