The Inner Meaning of the Prophets and Psalms #178
178. Internal Meaning of Daniel, Chapter 7
1-3 Revelation concerning the successive changes of state of the church: (2, 11)
4 The first, while they were in the understanding of truth; (2)
5 The second, when they studied only the sense of the letter of the Word; (2)
6 The third, when the sense of the letter of the Word was falsified, and falsity was made to appear as truth; (2)
7 The fourth, when there was faith alone, which destroyed all things of the church, (3, 17)
8 and which was confirmed by the sense of the letter of the Word; (3)
9-10 they were judged from the Word, (3)
11 and that faith was wholly destroyed, (3, 17)
12 and [those who were in] the former [states] were judged according to their life, (3)
13-14 and the church became the Lord's. (11)
15-16 Further explanation of those things: (2)
17-18 four successive states of the church are meant; (2, 7)
19-21 the last state is faith alone confirmed by reasonings and by the Word falsified, by virtue of which they would prevail; (2)
22 and this until the Lord shall institute the church (11)
23-24 which has been destroyed by faith alone, (3)
25 and which despises the Lord Himself. (3)
26-27 Finally those who are in faith alone will be judged, (15)
and a new church will be established by the Lord. (11)
28 Thus comes the end.
Daniel 7:1-3
1
In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head on his bed: then he wrote the dream and told the sum of the matters.
2
Daniel spoke and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the sky broke forth on the great sea.
3
Four great animals came up from the sea, diverse one from another.