7:1 巴比倫王伯沙撒元年，但以理在床上做夢，見了腦中的異象，就記錄這夢，述說其中的大意。
7:2 但以理說：我夜裡見異象，看見天的四風陡起，颳在大海之上。
7:3 有四個大獸從海中上來，形狀各有不同：
7:4 頭一個像獅子，有鷹的翅膀；我正觀看的時候，獸的翅膀被拔去，獸從地上得立起來，用兩腳站立，像人一樣，又得了人心。
7:5 又有一獸如熊，就是第二獸，旁跨而坐，口齒內啣著三根肋骨。有吩咐這獸的說：起來吞吃多肉。
7:6 此後我觀看，又有一獸如豹，背上有鳥的四個翅膀；這獸有四個頭，又得了權柄。
7:7 其後我在夜間的異象中觀看，見第四獸甚是可怕，極其強壯，大有力量，有大鐵牙，吞吃嚼碎，所剩下的用腳踐踏。這獸與前三獸大不相同，頭有十角。
7:8 我正觀看這些角，見其中又長起一個小角；先前的角中有三角在這角前，連根被牠拔出來。這角有眼，像人的眼，有口說誇大的話。
7:9 我觀看，見有寶座設立，上頭坐著亙古常在者。他的衣服潔白如雪，頭髮如純淨的羊毛。寶座乃火焰，其輪乃烈火。
7:10 從他面前有火，像河發出；事奉他的有千千，在他面前侍立的有萬萬；他坐著要行審判，案卷都展開了。
7:11 那時我觀看，見那獸因小角說誇大話的聲音被殺，身體損壞，扔在火中焚燒。
7:12 其餘的獸，權柄都被奪去，生命卻仍存留，直到所定的時候和日期。
7:13 我在夜間的異象中觀看，見有一位像人子的，駕著天雲而來，被領到亙古常在者面前，
7:14 得了權柄、榮耀、國度，使各方、各國、各族的人都事奉他。他的權柄是永遠的，不能廢去；他的國必不敗壞。
1 In 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. 2 Daniel declared,
"I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were
stirring up the great sea. 3 And four great beasts came up out of the sea,
different from one another. 4 The 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. 5 And 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. ' 6 After 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. 7 After 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. 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. 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.
10 A 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.
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. 12 As for
the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were
prolonged for a season and a time.
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.
14 And 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.
********
為了明白異象的來龍去脈，我們不得不要一下子看到14節，讓我們知道上帝真正的作為為何！許多人只將眼目放在過程，事情就看不清楚，甚至瞎猜胡猜，說出奇奇怪怪的話。也因此我們要用具是的眼光來閱讀啟示文學，才不至於見樹不見林，找不到出路！
而這段的文字讓我們看見基督的國度，就是上帝所應許永遠的國，正如文中所敘述的：「見有一位像人子的，駕著天雲而來，被領到亙古常在者面前，得了權柄、榮耀、國度，使各方、各國、各族的人都事奉他。他的權柄是永遠的，不能廢去；他的國必不敗壞。」
雖然這好像是以基督徒的觀點來看這異象，但是在猶太人或以色列人的心中，其實也有如此的盼望，尤其是被滅國之後，他們盼望國家能重建，民族能復興，在他們的信仰中佔有重要的席次。只是他們不能接受彌賽亞是被釘十字架的耶穌，又因基督信仰多為外邦人所接受，以致不認同耶穌就是彌賽亞，他們還在等待「真正」的彌賽亞！
但是對於基督徒，我們確實相信主耶穌是基督、是彌賽亞，因為他確實為我們死在十字架上，也確實復活，並且升天，現在坐在上帝的右邊，將來還要再臨，使祂永遠的國實現！我們要與祂同在榮耀之地，一同做王，到千千萬萬年，永無窮盡！
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