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"The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a man, and a man's heart was given to it."
(Dan. 7:4)
(Dan. 7:4)
This seemingly simple verse describes a kingdom, a king, a historical context, a pattern, is the key to eschatology, the primer, a journey towards its final outcome. This symbolic Lion associates an extensive part of biblical scripture from Genesis to Revelation that it is insufficient to give a quick summary. A study of Scripture, Bible prophecy and world history show volumes of biblical confirmations describing this Lion Beast.
You have most likely come across two schools of thought on the identity of the Lion with eagle wings. The predominant theory is that the Lion with Eagle wings represents the ancient Babylonian kingdom under King Nebuchadnezzar. This theory derived from 2nd-century scholar Hippolytus of Rome: Commentary on Daniel. A man who would be in the category of Futurist and considered a Premillennial by Amillennialism. Supported by nothing more than three verses in the Bible, this view is the 'retelling' of a chronological timeline of the rise and fall of ancient Kingdoms found in King Nebuchadnezzar's dream (Dan. 2). Hippolytus' thesis has endured and continues to be held by many Protestant denominations as the explanation for the Lion Beast of Daniel. The chronological order of Empires succeeding after another is a view that has validity and is consistent for the most part but is not without its biblical contradictions.
The other popular theory is a stark contrast to the former. It brings the Lion with Eagle's Wings into the modern era, into the realm of its political upheaval and intrigue. It is the view that the Lion represents Great Britain, and the Eagle represents the United States of America, and it is the union between these two nations that describe the Lion Beast of Daniel. It is the attempt to bring biblical prophecies into today's context to explain the current events and political alliances and regarding them as signs of the end-times.
To specify, however, that there is no need for wresting Daniel into today's context, for it is written, and held safe by God so that it could be a book that is fresh and alive today. When the identity of the Lion with Eagle's Wings is interpreted correctly, the political alliances proposed will intuitively fit the Word of God and not the other way around. The book of Daniel will come into the present-day as like a living prophet speaking to the end-time generation, which I do believe we are that generation.
I must strongly emphasise that neither of these eschatological views has a fair amount of Bible evidence to back them up. They lean more to the realm of speculation and appear to have been interpreted in isolation from the other books of the Bible, exposing contradictions. Though they forward theological reasoning that seems to have some merit, they are ultimately superficial biblical views. This is not too surprising as the LORD did command Daniel to seal up the book and is to remain closed until the time of the end. "But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge." (Dan. 12:4, 9)
Nevertheless, we are in the end-times and clarity to scripture is seemingly growing within the Body of Christ. Despite the errounous views of the aforementioned, they do have a semblance of truth to them, and it would seem to make sense to accumulate these exegetical truths and compile and mold them into a more transparent eschatological view. That leads me to my proposal of a third perspective on the matter which I will gather and post hopefully before Rosh Hashanah.
--END OF PART ONE--