“The sovereignty . . . of the kingdoms . . . will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom.” Daniel 7:27

God revealed many things to Daniel, for he faithfully served and openly worshiped him. Nebuchadnezzar had a dream of a great statue which represented the kingdoms of the world. Daniel also had a dream of earthly kingdoms.

The world looks at the kingdoms of this world and sees them as great and powerful and glorious. God, however, sees them as wicked and beastly.

In Daniel’s dream Babylon was represented by a lion-like beast with eagles’ wings—splendid, proud, ruler of all. The second beast was like a bear—big, heavy, stubborn, powerful—and represented Medo-Persia. The third beast was leopard-like—clever, sneaky, unreliable, deceitful—and represented the kingdom of Greece. The Roman Empire was represented by a fourth beast that could not be described—hideous and ferocious and extremely strong. It was so terrible it could not be compared with any other beast!

The last beast had ten horns (horns represent power). These horns are like the ten toes on the statue in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Then a small horn grew and replaced three of the ten horns—the Roman Empire was changing. Instead of being a heathen kingdom of armies and false religions, it became Christian. But the Holy Roman Empire was just as wicked and ungodly as the heathen empire had been.

This change from heathen to Christian was in name only. It was shown in Daniel’s dream when another horn grew in size until the three little horns (the divisions of the old Roman Empire) were pushed out of the way.

Although this fourth beast still exists, its power and influence have gradually lessened and, in due time, this beast will be destroyed. The cause of the fourth empire’s fall will be the establishment of the fifth universal empire of the world, the Kingdom of God, under Christ and his church. Daniel 7:18, 27

The fifth kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all the people of earth will learn its laws and obey them. What joy to look forward to this kingdom for which so many have prayed for so long: “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10

What the king saw as glorious, Daniel saw as beastly.