Verse 17 –

• By the time of this vision, both the Babylonian and the Medo-Persian empires had already risen. Should this, therefore, be a new vision of new empires? If you take the verb in the future tense (such as Bullinger), then such would be a valid conclusion. However, note that YLT translates as "four kings, they rise up from the earth."

  • Hebrew (and Aramaic) do not have a time tense but rather an aspect tense. So, the perfect describes something that was considered complete, and the imperfect which was considered something incomplete, regardless of time frame. Here, the verb arise is in the imperfect, and since it speaks of all four kings it is possible that two have already arisen and two are yet to arise.

    
    

• Verse 18 –

  • the saints of the most High –

    • In the Old Testament, saints is always a reference to the believing and obedient Jews.

    • The principle of "Scripture interprets Scripture" should be carried from the Old Testament definition into the New Testament to provide clarity.

      
      

  • take the kingdom - More accurately, receive. This is a passive verb.

  • possess the kingdom - The verb form here is not passive, but causative, thus the saints of the most High will "take possession" or "occupy" the Kingdom.

    
    

• Verse 19 –

  • the truth of the fourth beast - Though Daniel had previously been made aware of the fourth beast, he had not been given the detail that he had in this vision.

  • stamped the residue –

    • Those who take the four beasts to be a different vision altogether of the four kingdoms of chapter 2 use this phrase to point out the appearance that all four beasts exist simultaneously, and thus cannot be the vision of chapter 2.

    • However, the term residue (literally, "the rest" or "the remaining") is more a reference to "leftovers" than "the others."

    • The Roman Empire did (and will) remove from the world of Babylonian, Persian, and Greek influence to the degree that, in time, the latin influence in governmental matters is all that will remain.

      
      

• Verses 21-22

  • Verse 21: Verse 18 was about the final stage, but vv. 21-22 takes a "flashback" to speak of that which happens prior to the possession of the kingdom. This is repeated almost verbatim in Revelation 11:7.

  • prevailed…until - Verse 18 was about the final stage, but vv. 21-22 takes a "flashback" to speak of that which happens prior to the possession of the kingdom.

  • judgment was given - judgment in the sense of justice.

  The final days of the final beast | vv. 23-28

  
  

Verse 24 – he shall be diverse – The he is the Antichrist. The other Biblical titles are:

• "the king of Babylon" (Isaiah 14:4)

  • "the Assyrian" (Isaiah 14:25)

  • "the Prince that shall come" (Daniel 9:26)

  • "the king of fierce countenance" (Daniel 8:23)

  • "the vile person" (Daniel 11:21)

  • "the wilful king" (Daniel 11:36)

  • "the man of sin" (2 Thessalonians 2:3)

  • "the son of perdition" (2 Thessalonians 2:3)

  • "that wicked (or lawless) one" (2 Thessalonians 2:8. Revelation 13:18)

  • "the beast with ten horns" (Revelation 13:1).

    
    

• Verse 25 – time, times, and the dividing of time - This is the first time reference we have, and it will become very important as the book unfolds. As will become evident, this is a 3 and 1/2 year period.

• Verse 26 –

  • consume - The word devoured in Dan. 7:19 is "to feast upon." The word consumed used here is "to annihilate."

  • unto the end - The book of Daniel is about the future of the Gentile reign and the Jewish remnant. Here, the remnant can take great encouragement that, regardless of the current situation, the ultimate victory and justice is on their side.