Daniel 7:21,22 - Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

Bible Comments

Daniel Sees A Further Vision, A Vision Of The End Days (Daniel 7:21-22).

‘I beheld and the same horn made war with the saints and prevailed against them, until the ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High, and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.'

This continuation of the dream moves on to new subjects. This is not recapitulation, it is advancement. This is the first suggestion of an empire persecuting God's people, and the persecuting is clearly particularly severe. It is depicted again in Revelation 19. ‘He prevailed against them.' They were being destroyed wholesale, and it seemed that nothing could save them from his activities.

But then the ancient of days comes and deals with this latest evil as He has previously dealt with the other empires and the prior part of the fourth beast. Now He gives judgment (a rightful and fair verdict resulting in corrective action) finally on behalf of His people and the time comes for the saints to possess the kingdom. This is advancement on what has gone before, as it was described in Daniel 7:2-14. This is describing the final stages of the fourth empire, and the final action of the heavenly court. Then the heavenly court can close down. It will be required no more.

Daniel 7:21-22

21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;

22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.