July 17: MAN’S STRUGGLE FOR WORLD DOMINION
“And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other.” Daniel 7:3
The four winds (v.2), being from different points of the compass, are representative of political activity in different areas of the world. These form into great beasts. And as we will see (v.17), these beasts symbolize political entities.
“The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.” (v.4)
Daniel is describing Babylon, his current place of residence at the time of the dream. The favorite symbol of Babylon was a lion with eagle’s wings. The lion, king of beasts, was given the wings of the eagle, king of birds; together, the very image of power and swiftness. Under Nebuchadnezzar, conquests and expansion were achieved with rapidity. At the height of Babylon’s glory, this was a fitting symbol. There were various illustrations in Babylonian art combining the lion and eagle. Another common motif was an eagle with a lion’s head. The many ideas of composite beasts spring from pagan mythology. And Satan is behind pagan thinking. The only creativity he can muster is to tear apart and rearrange that which God has made.
Daniel watched till its wings were plucked off, symbolizing a time when Babylon was no longer able to ‘fly swiftly’ upon its prey due to weakening leadership. As the deterioration continued, the “lion” became like a man, indicating the loss of lion-like qualities. To be “lion-hearted” is to have courage, but God is showing Daniel that Babylon would weaken into a “man-hearted lion” on two feet, totally devoid of bravery and courage. Wealth, luxury, and arrogant thinking brought about the enfeebled and cowardly condition of Babylon. This explains its sudden and dramatic fall to the Medes and the Persians. This former predator had become easy prey indeed!
Amazingly, an 18-year archaeological excavation that began in 1899 unearthed, in its entirety, the main entrance gate to the city of Babylon. Remember that Danial had been taken there in 605BC. Brick-by-brick, the enormous gate has been reassembled in Berlin, Germany inside the Pergamon Museum. Its lengthy entryway is lined with images of roaring lions, complete with large teeth, on both sides of the promenade. No doubt it was designed to intimidate. This gate, called the Ishtar Gate*, was named for Babylon’s favorite female deity.
Man’s desire for world power—to control others—goes all the way back to the self-seeking fallen angel who came to this earth in order to take it as his own. This adversary wants to control you! But, every day, you get to control who rules you. It’s a question of choosing whom you will obey.
Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” Job 1:8
See also: Romans 6:11,13,16; John 14:15; Revelation 12:17
*This is the name from which the word Easter is derived and represents a pagan fertility holiday in the spring. It has absolutely nothing to do with the resurrection of Jesus.