The passage
      Daniel sees a vision of four beasts rising up out of the sea. The fourth beast has ten horns, out of which grows a little horn. The little horn destroys three others and acts with great evil, even against "the saints of the Most High." This little horn operates for a limited period of "a time, two times, and half a time." The "Ancient of days" then sits in judgement and the little horn's dominion is taken away and the horn destroyed. Dominion and an everlasting kingdom are then given to "one like a son of man" and "the saints of the Most High."
      v1. Daniel claims that he did not make this image up. It is a genuine vision.
      v2-3. The four winds, representing the heavenly powers, stir up the seas, representing humanity, out of which emerge beasts, representing secular powers, kings, governments or empires.
      v4. The first beast is a lion with eagle's wings.
      v5. The second beast is double-sided in form.
      v6. The third beast is a panther or leopard with four heads, representing the universal character of the kingdom.
      v7-8. The fourth beast is overly destructive and out of it emerges ten horns and a little horn.
      v9-10. Daniel's vision now moves to the throne room of God - "the Ancient of days." It is a vision of glory, majesty and power.
      v11-12. The beasts are judged. The little horn, speaking presumptuous things, perishes when the fourth beast is utterly destroyed.
      v13-14. Daniel now contrasts the beasts, who emerge from the abyss of the sea, with one like a son of man who comes from the clouds. This heavenly figure is a human-like person who is given an eternal and universal kingdom.
      v15-16. As is typical of this literary form (apocalyptic), Daniel asks a personage (often an angel) what is the meaning of the vision. He does this within the dream.
      v17-18. The interpretation is that the four beasts represent four kingdoms, and that when these kingdoms are no more, the "saints of the Most High" (God's children) will receive an eternal kingdom to rule (obviously through the "son of man").
      v19-22. Daniel asks about the fourth beast, a beast that is "different" and "terrifying". He describes the little horn as "imposing", speaking "boastfully" and "waging war against the saints".
      v23-25. The interpretation defines the fourth beast as a kingdom which devours the earth. The ten horns are ten kingdoms emerging from the one. The little horn, another kingdom emerging from the ten, opposes God and his children on earth.
      v26-27. The little horn is inevitably judged and power and authority handed over to "the people of the Most High", to possess and rule an "everlasting kingdom."

Unseen but not inactive
      How lucky we are in the West to experience religious freedom. Still, it is not possible to be complacent, for we have all witnessed the secularization of Western culture. Western societies have rapidly moved from a nominal Christian belief to a multiplicity of pagan beliefs. As the secular ethos begins to pervade, so we will find ourselves increasingly at odds with the secular authorities.
      Take an issue such as sexuality. Biblical sexual ethics are often quite opposed to the ethos of our age and increasingly opposed to the legislative program of Western governments. The institutional church is already under pressure to renounce its "sexist" and "discriminatory" employment practices. Will the time come when secular authorities demand that we renounce Biblical morality? Will we be asked to "fit in" with the views of the wider society? When we resist this demand, the church will find itself against the authority of the State and facing persecution.
      All this may seem foolishness, yet it has happened in countries during our own lifetime. The "beasts" come and go. The "horns" emerge from the chaos, and there is always a "little horn" with a big mouth strutting the stage of history. In the face of the tyrant, God's children always find themselves set upon and caught up in persecution. Yet, for those believers who come under the tyranny of corrupt government, there is the knowledge that Christ is king and at this very moment he is bringing all into subjection to his authority, an authority and rule we will one day share in.

      The vision of "the Beasts" in chapter 7, along with Nebuchadnezzar's dream in chapter 2, can be interpreted using the above three approaches:
      i] Critical. There will be four great kings. Nebuchadnezzar will lead the nation of Babylon, Darius that of the Medes, Cyrus the Persians and Alexander the Greeks. These great kings will be followed by a host of weak kings. One of these, Antiochus Epiphanes, will strut about as though he were great, persecuting the Jews for three and a half years - 168-165BC, ie. "a time, two times and half a time." This will usher in God's judgement and an everlasting and universal kingdom in which God's people ("the saints of the Most High") will have "dominion".
      The "one like a son of man" is to be compared with the beasts (kings). They come from the earth; he comes from "the clouds of heaven". The "son of man" is a corporate figure representing God's faithful people, in the same way as the kings represent their kingdoms. He is a mysterious figure and nothing more can be said about him from Daniel. Jesus identifies this "son of man" with himself.
      ii] Conservative. There will be four kingdoms: Babylon, Media/Persia, Greece and Rome. These will be followed by a host of weak kingdoms. Out of these will come the anti-Christ who will be revealed in great power and persecute the church. Jesus will return, destroy the enemy and establish an eternal kingdom within which his disciples will reign.
      iii] Dispensational. There will be four kingdoms: Babylon, Media/Persia, Greece and Rome. After the Gentile age (the present church age which Daniel does not predict), Christ will return for his people (the rapture). A restored Roman empire will be divided into ten kingdoms (ten horns). The little horn, a prince of the revived Roman empire, will, in return for allegiance to himself, permit a restored Israel to build a new temple in Jerusalem. After three and a half years of peace, fierce persecution will break out for another three and a half years. Christ will then return with his saints and reign for 1000 years.
      After this period of 1000 years of peace, Satan will be released, and there will be an outpouring of evil and a great falling away of God's people. At the final battle he will be destroyed, this will be followed by the second resurrection of the dead, including the resurrection of unbelievers for judgement. Then will follow the golden age of eternal glory.

      The Dispensational interpretation is widely accepted (with its "pre" and "post" variations), but most Bible scholars have abandoned it these days. Of the other two approaches, debate continues. In the final analysis, it doesn't matter much whether the "critical" or "conservative" approach is adopted, as both end up with a similar fulfillment.
      There will, of course, be a difference at the point of historical fulfillment. If the "conservative" approach is adopted, then the prophecy comes into play with the destruction of Babylon and the establishment of the empire of the Medes and the Persians. If the "critical" approach is adopted, then the prophecy comes into play with the destruction of the "little horn", Antiochus Epiphanes.
      At the next level of fulfillment, that of Jesus and his church, both positions come together. Secular powers come and go, and like the little horn, some even affront God at the behest of Satan. Yet, Jesus has destroyed Satan on the cross and has come as the "son of man" to the "Ancient of days" to receive dominion - a kingdom. As Jesus tells the High Priest at his trial, "you will see the son of man seated at the right hand of power, and coming with the clouds of heaven", Mk.14:62. Stephen at his stoning is aware of the same truth, "behold I see the heavens opened, and the son of man standing at the right hand of God", Act.7:56. For us now, the powers of darkness are broken. Christ is king; the victory is ours and we now belong to an "everlasting kingdom."
      At the next level of fulfillment we see the church ("the saints, the people of the Most High") caught up in the push-and-shove of secular powers. These secular powers are often beast-like, they "trample underfoot" and at times adopt satanic form (become a little horn). On those occasions they set about "waging war against the saints (Christians) and defeating them". All this is working up to a great day of tribulation, an "abomination that causes desolation", Mk.13:14, cf. Dan.9:25-27. Yet, their fate is sealed, as is the fate of the one who manipulates evil. Jesus will return again and at his coming he will destroy the anti-Christ and Satan, and then establish an eternal kingdom in which we will reign with our Lord forever.