Daniel's vision in Daniel 7:4-6 describes a sequence of beasts: a lion, a bear, and a leopard, traditionally interpreted as symbols for successive empires—Babylon, Media-Persia, and Greco-Macedonia. The lion with eagle's wings represents the powerful and swift Babylonian Empire; the bear, raised on one side, symbolizes the dual but unequal partnership of the Medes and Persians; and the four-winged, four-headed leopard signifies the swift conquests and subsequent division of Alexander the Great's Greco-Macedonian Empire. In Revelation 13:2, the beast embodies features of a leopard, bear, and lion, suggesting a conglomeration of these previous empires' attributes. This amalgamation is reminiscent of the Achaemenid Empire, which historically encompassed regions once controlled by Babylon, Media-Persia, and parts of Alexander's empire. Thus, Revelation alludes to a future entity with the combined strength and influence of these ancient powers, possibly indicating a geopolitical resurgence in these historically significant regions.
(Stephen D Green with ChatGPT, 2024)
