Daniel 7:12 kjv
As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.
Daniel 7:12 nkjv
As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
Daniel 7:12 niv
(The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.)
Daniel 7:12 esv
As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
Daniel 7:12 nlt
The other three beasts had their authority taken from them, but they were allowed to live a while longer.
Daniel 7 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 13:19-22 | And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans’ excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah… | Prophesies the utter destruction of Babylon as a ruling power. |
| Jer 50:1-3 | The word that the LORD spake against Babylon and against the land of the Chaldeans by Jeremiah the prophet... For out of the north there cometh up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate… | Details Babylon's defeat, marking the end of its global dominion. |
| Jer 51:63-64 | And it shall be, when thou hast made an end of reading this book, that thou shalt bind a stone to it, and cast it into the midst of Euphrates… Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon her… | Symbolic destruction of Babylon's power. |
| Dan 2:21 | And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: | God's sovereignty over setting up and removing kings and kingdoms. |
| Dan 4:17 | This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will… | God's absolute rule over the kingdoms of men. |
| Psa 75:6-7 | For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another. | God is the ultimate authority in appointing and removing rulers. |
| 1 John 2:17 | And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. | The fleeting nature of earthly systems, contrasted with God's eternal nature. |
| Heb 1:10-12 | And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou remainest… | The perishability of creation contrasted with the permanence of God. |
| Dan 7:26 | But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. | Contrasts the total destruction of the final beast with the prolonged life of earlier beasts. |
| Rev 20:10 | And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. | The finality of the fourth beast's ultimate destruction. |
| Dan 7:13-14 | I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days… And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom… | The eternal kingdom of the Son of Man succeeds all earthly kingdoms. |
| Rev 11:15 | And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. | Echoes the transfer of dominion to God's eternal kingdom. |
| Ecc 3:1-8 | To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven… | Reinforces the concept of divine timing for all events. |
| Acts 1:7 | And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. | God's sovereign control over specific times and seasons. |
| Dan 8:20-22 | The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia. And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation… | Depicts the historical succession of empires and their end. |
| Dan 11:3-4 | And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven… | Further illustrates the division and continuation of Greek influence. |
| Zech 14:16-19 | And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts… | Implies the survival and continuity of some nations into the future, unlike outright annihilation. |
| Isa 40:23-24 | That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity. Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth… | The ephemeral nature of human rulers and their works. |
| Psa 2:1-4 | Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed… | Emphasizes the futility of human resistance against God's sovereign plan. |
| Rev 18:21-24 | And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. | Prophetic judgment of a final "Babylon" indicating complete eradication of a system. |
Daniel 7 verses
Daniel 7 12 Meaning
Daniel 7:12 reveals the differentiated fate of the four great empires seen in Daniel's vision. While the fourth beast, representing a particularly cruel and defiant kingdom, is prophesied to be utterly destroyed, the preceding three beasts—representing Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece—lost their sovereign world dominion but were allowed to continue in some form of existence, retaining their "lives" for a specific, divinely appointed period. This highlights God's sovereignty over the rise and fall of nations, demonstrating that even when their political power ceases, He can choose to prolong their cultural influence or national presence for a time.
Daniel 7 12 Context
Daniel chapter 7 presents a symbolic vision of four beasts, representing a succession of world empires from Daniel's time until the establishment of God's eternal kingdom. The immediate context of verse 12 follows the detailed description of the terrifying fourth beast, which signifies the Roman Empire and its later, even more dreadful, final manifestation as the Antichrist's kingdom. The "Ancient of Days" is then introduced, who executes judgment on this final beast, leading to its utter destruction and the inauguration of the Son of Man's universal and everlasting dominion.
Historically and culturally, Daniel wrote during the Babylonian exile and Persian rule. The prophecies address God's exiled people, reassuring them that despite the formidable power of pagan empires that ruled over them, these kingdoms were merely temporary. The Jewish people might feel helpless under these powers, but Daniel consistently shows God's absolute sovereignty over all earthly rulers and kingdoms. This verse contains a subtle polemic against the perception that any human empire could achieve permanent dominance or eternal existence. While empires fall, their peoples and cultural legacies may persist for a time, but ultimately, only God's kingdom endures forever.
Daniel 7 12 Word analysis
- As concerning the rest of the beasts: This phrase directly refers to the first three beasts from Daniel's vision: the lion (Babylon), the bear (Medo-Persia), and the leopard (Greece). It explicitly distinguishes their fate from that of the fourth beast (Rome and its final Antichristian form), whose judgment is more severe and conclusive. This sets up a critical contrast.
- their dominion: (Aramaic: shalṭan, שָׁלְטָן) - This word refers to their authoritative rule, political power, or governmental sovereignty over other nations. The emphasis is on their role as dominant world powers, exercising ultimate authority.
- was taken away: (Aramaic: hū‘ădiyat, הוּעֲדִיַת) - This verb, a passive form, indicates that their dominion was caused to be removed. It highlights a divine act; God Himself, the sovereign ruler of heaven and earth, orchestrated the removal of their imperial power. This signifies that their fall was not merely a natural geopolitical event but a fulfillment of God's plan.
- yet their lives: (Aramaic: ḥayyîn, חַיִּין) - This term signifies their existence, their vital principle, their identity as a people or nation. While their imperial rule ceased, their actual existence, culture, or influence continued. For example, Greece, while no longer a world empire after Rome, still significantly impacted culture, philosophy, and language. Babylon's legacy and even people endured, albeit under foreign rule.
- were prolonged: (Aramaic: ‘arîkkāh, אֲרִיכָא) - Means "stretched out," "extended," or "made long." This denotes a continuation beyond the end of their political supremacy. God permitted their non-governing existence to endure for an additional period.
- for a season and time: (Aramaic: ‘addan wāzman, עִדָּן וּזְמָן) - This specific Aramaic phrase denotes a fixed, determined, and divinely appointed period. It's not indefinite, nor is it referring to the longer "time, times, and half a time" related to the Antichrist. Rather, it signifies a finite, albeit possibly extended, duration during which their residual presence or influence persisted. It implies God's continued control over the extent and duration of even diminished nations.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- "As concerning the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away:" This highlights the distinction in fate for the pre-Roman empires. Their political, global ruling power was definitively ended, often through conquest by the succeeding empire, illustrating God's sequential appointment and removal of world powers. This emphasizes God's judicial control over kingdoms, bringing down one and raising another according to His perfect will.
- "yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time." This phrase speaks to the longevity of cultural, national, or regional existence. Although no longer exercising world dominion, the "people" or cultural vestiges associated with Babylon, Persia, and Greece continued. This contrasts sharply with the complete and eternal destruction prophesied for the final Antichristian beast in the latter part of Daniel 7, reinforcing the unique severity of that ultimate judgment and the permanent establishment of God's Kingdom. The phrase "for a season and time" underlines the precise, temporary nature of this prolongation, governed by divine providence.
Daniel 7 12 Bonus section
- The "prolonged life" can be understood in terms of cultural and intellectual legacies. For instance, Greek philosophy, language (Koine Greek became the language of the New Testament), and art deeply influenced subsequent civilizations long after the Hellenistic empires fell politically to Rome. Persian administrative methods also left a lasting imprint.
- This verse reassures Daniel and the exiles that the successive rise of powerful, gentile empires, while overwhelming to human eyes, does not thwart God's ultimate plan. Each empire has its time and purpose under divine sovereignty.
- The phrase "season and time" reflects the consistent theme in Daniel and throughout the Bible that God governs all of history with precise timing, distinguishing periods of rise, fall, and continued influence, all leading toward the climactic establishment of His eternal kingdom.
Daniel 7 12 Commentary
Daniel 7:12 succinctly distinguishes the judgments on the various world empires in God's prophetic scheme. The three earlier beasts (Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece) suffered the removal of their sovereign dominion, demonstrating God's ultimate authority to depose earthly rulers. Their "lives" or existence, however, were "prolonged" for a specific "season and time." This indicates that while their global supremacy ended, their peoples, cultures, and geographical presence did not cease to exist but continued for a divinely ordained duration. This stands in stark contrast to the utter destruction destined for the fourth beast and its blasphemous "horn" (Dan 7:26), which will be completely obliterated, signaling a permanent end. This verse underscores the precise, sovereign control of God over the rise, fall, and continued existence of nations, reminding us that even perceived stability and influence on earth are subject to His pre-determined plan and timetable.