16. I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. 17. These great beasts, which are four, _are_ four kings, _which_ shall arise out of the earth. 18. But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. --The Spiritual kingdom of the Messiah. 19. Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth _were_ of iron, and his nails _of_ brass; _which_ devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; 20. And of the ten horns that _were_ in his head, and _of_ the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even _of_ that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look _was_ more stout than his fellows. 21. I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; --Nero the descendant of Augustus began the first persecution in A.D. 65. 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. 23. Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. 24. And the ten horns out of this kingdom _are_ ten kings _that_ shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. 25. And he --in the person of his descendants-- shall speak _great_ words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given unto his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. --This formula summarizes that which has gone before. It starts with the Medo-Persian kingdom of Cyrus, established in the year B.C. 558, as typified by the lion in verse four, and reaches over to the year A.D. 39 when the Gentiles were admitted to Messiah's kingdom as promised in verse 18. For full explanation see NOTE B. 26. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy _it_ unto the end. 27. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom _is_ an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. 28. Hitherto _is_ the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart. CHAPTER VIII. [HEBREW.] [Sidenote: B.C. 539-8.] 1. In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, _even unto_ me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first.