15. I, Daniel, was troubled by all I had seen, and my visions terrified me.
16. So I approached one of those standing beside the throne and asked him what it all meant. He explained it to me like this:
17. “These four huge beasts represent four kingdoms that will arise from the earth.
18. But in the end, the holy people of the Most High will be given the kingdom, and they will rule forever and ever.”
19. Then I wanted to know the true meaning of the fourth beast, the one so different from the others and so terrifying. It had devoured and crushed its victims with iron teeth and bronze claws, trampling their remains beneath its feet.
20. I also asked about the ten horns on the fourth beast’s head and the little horn that came up afterward and destroyed three of the other horns. This horn had seemed greater than the others, and it had human eyes and a mouth that was boasting arrogantly.
21. As I watched, this horn was waging war against God’s holy people and was defeating them,
22. until the Ancient One—the Most High—came and judged in favor of his holy people. Then the time arrived for the holy people to take over the kingdom.