1I kong Belshazzar af Babyloniens første regeringsår fik Daniel selv en profetisk drøm. Han skrev hovedindholdet af drømmen ned:2I mit natlige drømmesyn så jeg vindene fra de fire verdenshjørner piske det store hav i oprør,3og pludselig steg fire enorme dyr op af havet. De var alle forskellige.4Det første dyr lignede en løve, men havde ørnevinger. Mens jeg betragtede dyret, blev dets vinger revet af. Kort efter rejste dyret sig på bagbenene og stod oprejst, og det blev givet et menneskehjerte.[1]5Det andet dyr lignede en bjørn, der var højere i den ene side end i den anden. Dyret holdt tre ribben mellem tænderne,[2] og jeg hørte en stemme sige til dyret: „Gå til angreb og spis dig mæt!”6Det tredje dyr lignede en leopard, men med fire vinger på ryggen. Dyret havde fire hoveder[3] og fik stor magt.7Det fjerde dyr, jeg så i mit drømmesyn, var utrolig stærkt og ubeskriveligt skrækindjagende. Det havde store jerntænder, hvormed det flænsede og knuste sine ofre for derefter at trampe dem ned med sine fødder. Det var anderledes end de andre dyr, og det havde ti horn.[4]8Mens jeg betragtede hornene, så jeg, at et nyt lille horn voksede frem imellem dem, og at tre af de ti horn faldt af for at skaffe plads til det. Det nye horn havde menneskeøjne og en mund, der talte store ord.
Der gøres klar til dom
9Derefter så jeg, at troner blev stillet op, og at Den Gamle af Dage indtog sin plads. Hans tøj var hvidt som sne—hans hår som den hvideste uld. Tronen, som han sad på, skinnede som et flammehav, og dens hjul var som ild.10Ud fra tronen strømmede der en flod af ild. Tusindvis af engle stod parat til at handle på hans mindste vink, og millioner af engle var samlet omkring ham. Så begyndte retssagen, og bøger blev åbnet.11Jeg hørte, hvordan hornet på det fjerde dyr fortsatte med sit stolte praleri, og jeg så, hvordan dyret blev dræbt, kastet i ilden og brændt.12(De tre andre dyr havde mistet deres magt, men deres indflydelse fortsatte nogen tid efter.)[5]13Dernæst så jeg en, der lignede et menneske, komme på himlens skyer. Han nærmede sig Den Gamle af Dage og blev ført hen til tronen.14Han fik overdraget al ære, magt og herlighed, så mennesker fra alle folkeslag, stammer og sprog måtte tjene ham. Hans magt er evig, og hans herredømme vil aldrig få ende.
Betydningen af drømmesynet
15Jeg, Daniel, blev grebet af forfærdelse over alt det, jeg så.16Derfor gik jeg hen til en af de engle, der stod ved tronen, og bad ham forklare mig, hvad det alt sammen skulle betyde. Han svarede:17„De fire enorme dyr repræsenterer fire konger, der vil få stor magt på jorden.18Men til sidst vil Gud give sit udvalgte folk magten, og deres herredømme skal vare til evig tid.”19Derefter bad jeg ham forklare betydningen af det fjerde dyr, der var anderledes end de andre, det, der havde jerntænder og bronzekløer, og som flænsede og knuste sine ofre og trampede dem ned med sine fødder.20Jeg spurgte ham også angående de ti horn på dyrets hoved og det nye horn, der voksede frem og overtog de tre horns plads, det, der havde menneskeøjne og en mund, der talte store ord, og som var stærkere end de andre.21Jeg så nemlig, at det horn forfulgte og førte krig mod Guds udvalgte folk,22indtil det øjeblik da Den Gamle af Dage kom og fældede dom over det. Derefter fik det udvalgte folk overdraget magten.23„Det fjerde dyr er den fjerde stormagt, der skal herske på jorden,” forklarede han. „Det vil være anderledes end alle de andre. Det vil indtage hele jorden, knuse al modstand og nedtrampe alt.24De ti horn betyder, at ti konger vil fremstå af det rige. Derefter vil der så komme endnu en konge, anderledes end de ti, og han vil rydde tre af dem af vejen.25Han vil sætte sig op imod den almægtige Gud, undertrykke hans udvalgte folk og forsøge at ændre deres love og højtider, og de vil være prisgivet hans magt én tid, to tider og en halv tid.26Men så vil retten blive sat, og han vil blive dømt. Magten vil blive taget fra ham, og han vil blive tilintetgjort.27Da skal magten over alle verdens riger gives til Guds udvalgte folk. De skal herske for evigt, og alle konger skal tjene og adlyde dem.”28Her sluttede min drøm. Da jeg vågnede, var jeg forfærdet og bleg af skræk, og jeg talte ikke til nogen om min drøm.
1In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter. (Dan 1,17; Dan 2,28; Dan 4,5; Dan 5,1; Dan 7,15)2Daniel declared,[1] “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. (Ez 37,9; Dan 8,8; Dan 11,4; Zak 2,6; Åb 7,1)3And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another. (Åb 13,1)4The first was like a lion and had eagles’ wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it.5And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side. It had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, ‘Arise, devour much flesh.’ (Dan 2,39)6After this I looked, and behold, another, like a leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it. (Dan 11,5; Hab 1,8; Åb 13,2)7After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. (Dan 7,19; Dan 7,20; Dan 7,23; Åb 12,3; Åb 13,1; Åb 17,12)8I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things. (Dan 7,20; Dan 7,24; Dan 8,9; Åb 13,5)
The Ancient of Days Reigns
9“As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. (1.Kong 22,19; Salm 90,2; Ez 1,16; Ez 10,2; Dan 7,22; Matt 19,28; Matt 28,3; Åb 1,14; Åb 20,4)10A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened. (Salm 21,9; Salm 68,17; Salm 103,21; Dan 7,22; Dan 7,26; Zak 3,4; Heb 12,22; Åb 5,11; Åb 11,18; Åb 20,4; Åb 20,12)11“I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. (Dan 7,8; Åb 19,20; Åb 20,10)12As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. (Dan 7,14; Dan 7,26)
The Son of Man Is Given Dominion
13“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. (Dan 7,9; Matt 26,64; Mark 14,62; Åb 1,7; Åb 14,14)14And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. (Salm 110,1; Es 9,6; Dan 2,44; Dan 3,4; Åb 11,15)
Daniel’s Vision Interpreted
15“As for me, Daniel, my spirit within me[2] was anxious, and the visions of my head alarmed me. (Dan 7,1)16I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of the things.17‘These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth. (Dan 7,3)18But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.’ (Dan 7,22; Dan 7,27; Matt 25,34; 1.Kor 6,2; Åb 2,26; Åb 20,4)19“Then I desired to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrifying, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze, and which devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet, (Dan 7,7)20and about the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn that came up and before which three of them fell, the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things, and that seemed greater than its companions. (Dan 7,8)21As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them, (Dan 8,24)22until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom. (Dan 7,9; Dan 7,13; Dan 7,18)23“Thus he said: ‘As for the fourth beast, there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all the kingdoms, and it shall devour the whole earth, and trample it down, and break it to pieces. (Dan 7,19)24As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise, and another shall arise after them; he shall be different from the former ones, and shall put down three kings.25He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. (Dan 2,9; Dan 2,21; Dan 11,36; Dan 12,7; Åb 12,14)26But the court shall sit in judgment, and his dominion shall be taken away, to be consumed and destroyed to the end. (Dan 6,26; Dan 7,10; Dan 7,12; Dan 7,14)27And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.’[3] (Dan 2,44; Dan 7,18)28“Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly alarmed me, and my color changed, but I kept the matter in my heart.” (Jer 23,9; Dan 4,5; Dan 4,19; Dan 5,6; Dan 5,10; Dan 7,15; Dan 8,27; Dan 10,8; Dan 10,16; Luk 2,19; Luk 2,51)