| SYMBOLS OF POWER |
| The bigger the tyrant, the more statues litter the landscape. |
| "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast - terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims." 7:7 |
| It's no surprise that Nebuchadnezzar erected a gold image for people to worship (chapter 3). Kings and rulers love to display statues or gigantic photos as symbols of their power. The bigger the tyrants, the more of their statues litter the landscape. It seems reasonable, then, that Daniel's visions depict political realms through statues and symbolic animals. But since each of the visions uses a different set of symbols, you can easily lose track of what the symbols stand for. This chart may help you coordinate Daniel's view for four great empires - and the almighty God who overwhelms their power in the end: |
| Kingdom of God supernatural rock Ancient of Days, Son of Man ----- ----- |
| Rome iron beast with horns ----- ----- |
| Greece bronze leopard goat king of North |
| Medo-Persia silver bear ram ----- |
| Babylon gold lion ----- ----- |
| Chapter 2 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 11 |
| Life Questions: What images "litter the landscape" in our time? Are they symbols of power? If so, how does that power affect you? |