Daniel Chapters 2 and 7 compared.
You'll see and hear many Bible teachers tell you that chapters 2 and 7 of Daniel are different ways of explaining or talking about the same thing. I will show you clearly using scripture only, that this is false! I will put the verses right next to each other so you can see. Your conclusion can only be that they are different.
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the 4th kingdom in both chapters are the most significant for our study. Let's compare the verses and check for similarities. (Spoiler alert!! There aren't many!!)
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33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron
and part of clay. 34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. 35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. 36 This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. 37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. 38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold. 39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. 40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. 41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. 43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. 44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. 45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure |
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.
8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. 11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. 12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. 13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. 15 I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. 16 I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. 17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. 18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. 19 Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; 20 And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. 21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; 22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. 23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. 24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. 25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. 26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. |
Now, let's list the similarities.
4th kingdom 4th kingdom
It's pretty easy to see when all facts are presented and the verses are side by side to compare, that we are talking about 2 distinct and separate kingdoms. Now lets examine the differences.
4th kingdom 4th kingdom
It's pretty easy to see when all facts are presented and the verses are side by side to compare, that we are talking about 2 distinct and separate kingdoms. Now lets examine the differences.
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vv. 34,35,45 Jesus, the stone uncut by human hands, (Ps. 118:22; Is. 28:16; Acts 4:11; 1 Pet. 2:7) destroys the entire statue all at once. They are pulverized into powder and blow away in the wind.
v. 44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, ... We read in scores of places throughout the gospels where Jesus proclaimed He was establishing the kingdom of God/Heaven. The kingdom was at hand. No mention of any kings or the antichrist-which in fact, there shouldn't be because the 4th kingdom here is talking about Rome in the days of Jesus and centuries after. Again, no mention of this important detail. |
vv. 11,12 Only the 4th beast is slain. And that is by the antichrist(little horn) and not Jesus as in chapter 2. The other 3 kingdoms are allowed to exist for a while -this is after the 4th beast is slain! Certainly different than chapter 2.
The kingdom already exists in chapter 7. The issue is the saints not taking control of it because of persecution by the little horn. 10 kings of this 4th kingdom shall arise Another king arises and subdues 3 of the original 10. |
There are more contrasts, but you get the idea. What we can only conclude is that these are two different groups of 4 kingdoms. The 1st group in Dan. 2 are the nations before and during Jesus 1st coming. The kingdoms in Dan. 7 are the kingdoms up to His 2nd coming. Scripture does not teach a revived Roman Empire any where in its pages.