Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18

In Belshazzar’s first year as king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream. He saw visions as he was lying on his bed, and he wrote down what he had dreamed. Daniel said: “I saw my vision at night. In the vision the wind was blowing from all four directions, which made the sea very rough. I saw four huge animals come up from the sea, and each animal was different from the others.

“I, Daniel, was worried. The visions that went through my mind frightened me. I came near one of those standing there and asked what all this meant. “So he told me and explained to me what these things meant: ‘The four great animals are four kingdoms that will come from the earth. But the holy people who belong to the Most High God will receive the power to rule and will have the power to rule forever, from now on.’