In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters.
This chapter treats of the same subject as the second chapter. But there the four kingdoms, and Messiah's final kingdom, were regarded according to their external political aspect; but here, according to the mind of God concerning them, and their moral features. The outward political history had been shown in its general features to the world-ruler, whose position fitted him for receiving such a revelation. But God's prophet here receives disclosures as to the character of the powers of the world, in a religious point of view, suited to his position and receptivity. Hence, in the second chapter, the images are taken from the inanimate sphere; in the seventh chapter they are taken from the animate. Nebuchadnezzar saw superficially the world-power as a splendid human figure, and the kingdom of God as a mere stone at the first. Daniel sees the world-kingdoms in their inner essence as of an animal nature lower than human, being estranged from God; and that only in the kingdom of God ("the Son of man," the representative-man) is the true dignity of man realized.
So, as contrasted with Nebuchadnezzar's vision, the kingdom of God appears to Daniel, from the very first, superior to the world-kingdom. For though in physical force the beasts excel man, man has essentially spiritual powers. Nebuchadnezzar's colossal image represents mankind in its own strength, but only the outward man. Daniel sees man spiritually degraded to the beastlevel, led by blind impulses, through his alienation from God. It is only from above that the perfect Son of man comes, and in His kingdom man attains his true destiny. It is in His kingdom on earth that man first regains the lordship which he lost by the fall. Compare Psalms 8:1-9 with Genesis 1:26-28.
Humanity is impossible without divinity: it sinks to beastiality (Psalms 32:9; Psalms 49:20; Psalms 73:22). Obstinate pagan nations are compared to "bulls" (Psalms 68:30. "Rebuke the company of spearmen (the beasts of the reeds, margin), the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, until everyone submit himself with pieces of silver"); Egypt to the dragon in the Nile (Isaiah 27:1; Isaiah 51:9; Ezekiel 29:3). The lower animal, with all its sagacity, looks always to the ground, without consciousness of relation to God. What elevates man is communion with God, in willing subjection to Him. His erect posture, with head uplifted toward heaven, is indicative of his high destiny. The moment he tries to exalt himself to independence of God, like Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4:30), he sinks to the beast's level, to which accordingly that monarch was literally reduced for a time. Daniel's acquaintance with the animal colossal figures in Babylon and Nineveh was a psychological preparation for his animal-visions. Hosea 13:7-8 would occur to him while viewing those ensigns of the world-power. Compare Jeremiah 2:15; Jeremiah 4:7; Jeremiah 5:6. In the first year of Belshazzar. Good Hebrew manuscripts have Belshazzar х Beel'shatsar (H1113)], meaning 'Bel is to be burnt with hostile fire' (Jeremiah 50:2, "Bel is confounded;" 51:44, "I will punish Bel in Babylon"). In the history he is called by his ordinary name; in the prophecy, which gives his true destiny, he is called a corresponding name, by the change of a letter.
Visions of his head - not confused "dreams," but distinct images, seen while his mind was collected.
Then he wrote the dream, and told the sum - a summary. In predictions generally details are not given so fully as to leave no scope for free agency, faith, and patient waiting until God shall manifest His will in the event. He "wrote" it for the Church in all ages; he "told" it for the comfort of his captive fellow-countrymen.