7:1
The book now takes a significant turn. Instead of narrative, we have a series of four apocalyptic visions. There are connections with the visions in Revelation, but also significant differences as well. The first year of Belshazzar’s reign was 551/2 BC, so Daniel had been in captivity for some fifty years. We are still in Aramaic at this point, indicating continuity with the earlier part of the book. The “and” in “Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind ...” is an example of the “and” in 6:28 “the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus”. I.e indicating two ways of saying the same thing, rather than two separate things. Daniel “wrote down the substance of his dream”, indicating that there may have been other parts to it that he does not relate to us.
7:2,3
There are connections between this vision and the dream of Nebuchadnezzar in chapter 2. The rest of the book is now almost entirely related by Daniel, giving the four visions that he received. Four is a number that crops up a lot in prophecy and apocalyptic stuff. It signifies completeness. So the vision that Daniel sees is giving a complete overview of history. Not in the sense that it gives every detail, but that it pulls out the major themes. The four winds of heaven churned up the sea, and four great beasts (meant to signify terrifying beasts) came out of the sea. As in Revelation we have the message that although terrible things happen, specifically terrible regimes, it is ultimately God who brings them about. God has not lost control, He is in control.
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