‘Daniel spoke and said, I saw in my vision by night and behold, the four winds of the heaven broke on the great sea. And four wild beasts came up from the sea, different one from another. The first was like a lion and had eagle's wings. I beheld until its wings were plucked and it was lifted up from the earth, and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man's heart was given to it.'
From this point on Daniel speaks in the first person (apart from Daniel 10:1). Rather than recording historical events he is now communicating personal visions.
The four winds of heaven indicate heavenly activity, the winds of God. For He is the king of heaven and acts from heaven (Daniel 4:37 compare Daniel 4:13; Daniel 4:26; Daniel 4:31). For these ‘four winds of heaven' compare Jeremiah 49:36, where they represent God's fierce activity against Elam resulting in their scattering to all parts of the earth. They are winds with ‘worldwide' effects, although we must remember that it means the known world of that day. Israel too had been spread in all directions around the known world by the four winds of heaven (Zechariah 2:6). Thus the idea of the four winds of heaven is of the activity of God stirring up ‘the world' with mighty effects (contrast Ezekiel 37:9 where the four winds are life giving for the people of God).
Here the four winds break on the Great Sea. The Great Sea was the Mediterranean Sea (Numbers 34:6-7; Joshua 1:4; Joshua 9:1; Joshua 15:12; Joshua 15:47; Joshua 23:4; Ezekiel 47:10; Ezekiel 47:15; Ezekiel 47:19-20; Ezekiel 48:28). It is its standard name. Thus what arises is connected with the Mediterranean area. But the sea was seen by Israel as an enemy. The roaring of enemies against Israel was likened by Isaiah to the roaring of the sea (Isaiah 5:30), which is described as restless and casting up mire and dirt (Isaiah 57:20). He also likens it to the roaring and tumult of the nations (Isaiah 17:12-13). Israel was ever afraid of the sea and looked on it as hostile, although thankfully controlled by God. So they would not like the thought of anything arising from the sea. The arising from the sea links these wild beasts firmly to the earth, and to the earth in tumult.
The first wild beast was ‘like a lion' and had eagle's wings. The lion was the king of the wild beasts, and lions were noted for their strength (Judges 14:18), boldness (2 Samuel 17:10), ferocity (Psalms 7:2), and stealth (Psalms 10:9; Lamentations 3:10). There was no escape from the lion (Isaiah 5:29). The thought of eagle's wings is of strong wings. They would bring Israel's enemy against them (Deuteronomy 28:49). But being borne by eagle's wings was also a sign of being borne by God (Exodus 19:4; Deuteronomy 32:11). However, in the context here the emphasis is on the ferocity of the wild beasts. Thus this wild beast was a fearsome sight, with the strength, ferocity and stealth of a lion and the speedy attack and bloodthirstiness of the eagle (see Job 39:28-30).
In Jeremiah 4:7 (compare Jeremiah 49:19; Jeremiah 50:44) Nebuchadnezzar is likened to a lion coming to make the land desolate and he is described as ‘the destroyer of nations', and in Ezekiel 17:3 an eagle represents Nebuchadnezzar as the transplanter of Israel, (and a second eagle the Pharaoh), a picture confirmed by Habakkuk 1:8. Thus in view of chapter 2 we are certainly to see here Nebuchadnezzar and his empire. The lion-likeness confirms its superiority to what follows, as did the head of gold in chapter 2.
This interpretation is even more confirmed when we read on. For its wings were plucked off, reminding us of Nebuchadnezzar's humiliation at the hands of God (Daniel 4:33), and after this the beast then stood on two feet like a man and a man's heart was given to it. This surely indicates his repentance towards the Most High, and the return of both rationality and the growth of spirituality (Daniel 4:34-36). Compare Daniel 8:18 where Daniel was stood upright to signify readiness to receive the revelation of God, and Daniel 10:11 where standing was linked with understanding. The rampaging, swift flying beast has become softened and humanised like Nebuchadnezzar. But his empire will not survive long.