And four huge beasts were coming up out of the sea, each one being different from the others.

Daniel 7:2-18.

That these beasts represent world powers is evident from another vision Daniel had. Explaining this vision, he wrote: “The ram that you saw possessing the two horns stands for the kings of Media and Persia. And the hairy he-goat stands for the king of Greece.”​—Daniel 8:20, 21.

Similarly, the four beasts of Daniel chapter 7 symbolize four world powers dating from Daniel’s day and onward, up until the time for the setting up of God’s Kingdom.