plucked, and it was lifted up from the
earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was
given to it."

_History._--As the lion is king of beasts, it was a fitting symbol of
Babylon, "the glory of kingdoms." Isa. 13:19. The eagle's wings suggest
rapidity of movement and far-reaching conquest. The prophet Habakkuk
said of it, "Their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the
eagle." This was the characteristic of Babylon under the earlier kings,
but especially under Nebuchadnezzar. Berosus, the ancient Chaldean
historian, wrote of him:

"This Babylonian king conquered Egypt, and Syria, and Phenicia,
and Arabia; and exceeded in his exploits all that had reigned
before him in Babylon." (See Flavius Josephus "Against Apion,"
book 1, par. 19.)

[Illustration: THE SECOND BEAST

"And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear." Dan. 7:5.]

But now, at the time of Daniel's vision, degeneracy had come; the empire
was tottering. The lion heart was gone, the eagle's wings were plucked,
and within three years from the time the vision was given, Babylon was
overthrown.

Medo-Persia

As the dominion passed from Babylon to the next great power, the prophet
says:

_Prophecy._--"Behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it
raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it
between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much
flesh."

_History._--The Medes and Persians overthrew Babylon. Medo-Persia was a
dual kingdom, lifting itself up on one side, first the Median branch the
stronger, then the Persian, under Cyrus and his successors, rising
higher. This two-sided characteristic, noted as a distinguishing mark in
the prophecy, was emphasized by the ancient writers also. AEschylus, the
Greek poet, who lived in the time of Persia, wrote:

"Asia's brave host,
A Mede first led. The virtues of his son
Fixed firm the empire....
... Cyrus third, by fortune graced,
Adorned the throne."

--"_Persoe._"

The word spoken in the vision, "Arise, devour much flesh," describes the
history from the time when the Persian side rose uppermost. Rawlinson
says, "Cyrus proceeded with scarcely a pause on a long career of
conquest."

An alliance against Persia was formed by Lydia, Egypt, and Babylon
(Herodotus 1:77); and as these three great provinces were subdued, they
may well be represented by the three ribs in th