“I, Daniel, was troubled by all I had seen, and my visions terrified me. So I approached one of those standing beside the throne and asked him what it all meant. He explained it to me like this: “These four huge beasts represent four kingdoms that will arise from the earth. But in the end, the holy people of the Most High will be given the kingdom, and they will rule forever and ever.” Daniel 7:15-18
Daniel became an actor in the scene by addressing a question to a person standing by, generally considered to be an angel. When Daniel asked for the truth being revealed by this vision, the interpreter made known its meaning. Daniel was just like us when God tells us something we don’t always understand. God’s message at time needs to be made clear. With the visions revealed, Daniel recorded his reaction and the interpretation given him. Having such a vision in the middle of the night must have been a terrifying experience; Daniel had seen a panorama of tremendous events to come. Like Nebuchadnezzar in chapter 2, Daniel is troubled by his lack of understanding of the vision. Daniel was grieved in his spirit. Daniel was making it clear that the beast was kingdoms. The angel made Daniel more at ease. God understands that at times we need His help to know what He is telling us. I know in my life when God called me to the ministry, my reaction was, I need help in understanding what you are telling me. My first response was you have got to be joking. Then God made it clear.
The great beasts are great kings and their kingdoms, great monarchs and their monarchies, which shall arise out of the earth not out of the sea. These beasts were part of the earth and there foundation was of dust and their powers were written in the dust, to dust they will return. Daniel goes on to emphasize that the saints possess the kingdom forever, contrasting the everlasting character of the fifth kingdom to the preceding kingdoms, which in due time passed away. In the verses that follow more detail will be given.