The image of Daniel the prophet: a book of prophecy about the end times

In this image from the book of Daniel, the Lord presents to us a brief, but at the same time sufficient to understand what is happening, the history of mankind: from the times of the reign of the Babylonian Empire to the end of the existence of all earthly states and the establishment of the eternal Kingdom of God.

Image from the Book of Daniel

Book of the Prophet Daniel Chapter 2

• You, king, had such a vision: behold, some kind of large idol; This idol was huge, it stood before you in extreme splendor, and its appearance was terrible.
• This image had a head of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of copper, its legs of iron, its legs partly of iron and partly of clay.
• You saw him until the stone came off the mountain without the help of hands, struck the image, his iron and clay feet, and broke them.
• Then everything was crushed together: iron, clay, copper, silver and gold became like dust on the summer threshing floors, and the wind carried them away, and no trace remained of them; and the stone that broke the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
• What a dream! Let us tell the king its meaning.
• You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven gave kingdom, power, strength and glory, and He gave all the sons of men, wherever they lived, the beasts of the earth and the birds of the air into your hands and made you ruler over them all. You are a head of gold!
• After you, another kingdom will arise, lower than yours, and another third kingdom, of copper, which will rule over the whole earth.
• And the fourth kingdom will be strong as iron; for just as iron breaks and crushes everything, so it, like all-crushing iron, will crush and crush.
• And because you saw the feet and toes partly made of pottery clay, and partly of iron, then there will be a divided kingdom, and some strength of iron will remain in it, just as you saw iron mixed with pottery clay.
• And just as the toes were partly made of iron and partly made of clay, so the kingdom will be partly strong and partly fragile.
• And that you saw iron mixed with pottery clay, this means that they will mix through human seed, but will not merge with one another, just as iron does not mix with clay.
• And in the days of those kingdoms, the God of heaven will erect a kingdom that will never be destroyed, and this kingdom will not be transferred to another people; it will crush and destroy all kingdoms, but itself will stand forever, since you saw that the stone was torn from the mountain not by hands and crushed iron, copper, clay, silver and gold. The Great God let the king know what would happen after this. And this dream is true, and its interpretation is accurate! Daniel 2:31-45

What do the four winds symbolize in Daniel's vision?

So, the sea and waters in prophecy symbolize people, nations. The Great Sea is not small peoples, but great peoples who influenced world history and left their noticeable mark on it. The four winds of heaven that fight on the great sea, what is it? The answer is in the Bible, in some of its layers:

And I will bring upon Elam four winds from the four corners of the sky and scatter them among all these winds, and there will be no nation to which the exiled Elamites will not come. And I will strike the Elamites with fear before their enemies and before those who seek their lives; And I will bring disaster upon them, My wrath, says the Lord, and I will send a sword after them, until I destroy them. (Jer.49:36,37).

And after this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, so that the wind would not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. (Rev. 7:1).

There were gatekeepers on four sides: east, west, north and south. (1 Chronicles 9:24)

Again, the same harmony of the Holy Scriptures: the Old and New Testaments. And we learn that the wind is a symbol of war and destruction. And the four winds symbolize the four cardinal directions.

Idol of Daniel interpretation

The image of Daniel the prophet and King Nebuchadnezzar

The Prophet Daniel found himself in Babylonian captivity along with his people as a result of the conquests of King Nebuchadnezzar. He was still very young when the king had a dream about an idol. It must be said that such idols were traditional for Babylonian culture. And they were of great importance in the pagan religion of ancient Babylon.

This is a statue, sculpture, idol, which the pagans worship as a deity. In Babylon, for example, there were seven statues of the god Marduk. But the name "statue of Marduk" referred to the main statue of the god, located in a prominent place in the main pagan temple. This idol was made of valuable wood and covered with gold and silver.

Like the statues of deities in other Mesopotamian cities, the Babylonians connected this statue to their god, believing that Marduk himself resided in their city through the image. Thus, the statue had great religious significance. It was used in city rituals during the Babylonian New Year festival. The kings of Babylon included him in their coronation rituals, receiving the crown, as it were, “from the hands” of Marduk himself.

The huge statue, covered with plates of gold and silver, served as a sign to the pagans of the greatness of their empire and its current king. The Babylonians knew well how and from what to make an image so that it would stand for a long time, personifying the inviolability of the empire. But the one that King Nebuchadnezzar dreamed of was very unusual and somehow wrong.

What Nebuchadnezzar saw in a dream

So, the king dreamed of a huge idol. His head was made of gold, his chest of silver, his thighs of copper, his legs of iron. But the feet and fingers are made of a very fragile mixture of iron and clay.

The idol is unusual in that its parts are made of different materials. From the most precious gold to the cheapest clay. Which in itself is not clear. Because combining gold with cheap clay means significantly reducing the value of the gold and the statue itself.

The king realized that he had not had this dream so that he would order such a strange idol to be made. It was not a dream - a manual “How to properly make idols.” It was clear that such a statue was very fragile and would not stand for long. There is no point in spending gold and silver to keep it all on clay.

The king realized that he had a dream for a reason. In ancient Babylon, they attached great importance to the interpretation of dreams. For this purpose, sages - interpreters - were kept at the palace. If the king had a dream, then he called upon the occultists, magicians, sorcerers and fortune-tellers.

This time everyone was called, but no one could interpret the dream. And the king had already even managed to order the death of all the sages. Only young Daniel could interpret this vision about the idol. How he saved all the other interpreters from death.

Interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream

The beginning of Daniel's prophecy is very easy to interpret, but its end is very difficult. Because the beginning was interpreted by the prophet Daniel himself, and the middle is clear from historical events. The greatest difficulty arises in interpreting the ten fingers of the image. This is where interpreters disagree on what it is. Moreover, the fingers themselves date back to the last times. But let's take things in order.

The golden head of the idol is King Nebuchadnezzar himself and his kingdom, the Babylonian Empire. Babylon became the most influential power in relation to the people of Israel. He destroyed the Jerusalem temple, which was not allowed to anyone by the Lord before him. And he became the scourge of God for the Israelites for apostasy and idolatry. (2 Chronicles 36:14-21) Babylon ruled Israel for 70 years from 605. BC.

Its chest and arms are made of silver. It is known from history that Medo-Persia, led by King Cyrus, conquered the Babylonian Empire in 539 BC. The Lord, with the help of Cyrus the Persian, freed the Jews from captivity in Babylon. This power helped the Israeli people return from captivity to Jerusalem in 537 AD. and begin rebuilding the temple. (Ride 1ch)

His belly and thighs are copper - the Greek Empire of Alexander the Great. Replaced Medo-Persia in 331. BC. The Hellenization of the Israeli people was particularly severe during the time of Antiochus Epiphanes. Which even served as a prototype of the Antichrist in the Old Testament. And he distinguished himself by establishing the abomination of desolation in the Jerusalem temple, as is known from the Book of the Prophet Daniel.

His iron legs are the Roman Empire with iron teeth and an “iron grip” (168 BC – 476 AD). During her reign, the Lord became especially dissatisfied with his people. In 70 AD. Jerusalem was burned and the temple building was completely destroyed. During the time of the Roman Empire, Christ was killed, the Old Covenant of the Most High with Israel came to an end, and a new people of God was formed - Christians, who entered into the New Covenant with God. As they say, “the time of the Gentiles has come,” and Israel was scattered among all nations.

Therefore, in the image of Daniel, Rome is shown with legs of iron from 168 BC until the collapse of the empire in 476. AD But after Rome, feet made of clay mixed with iron are immediately shown. They represent end-time powers that play some part in the Lord's purpose for His people. Which is no longer just the former Israel - the natural vine. But there is also a grafted vine - converts from pagans to Christianity.

The meaning of Daniel's prophecy about the image

So, all these powers conquered Israel and successively conquered each other. So there can be no discrepancies here.

The meaning of the prophecy for us is that during the existence of all these empires, a new Kingdom will be built - God's. That which we also call the Kingdom of Heaven.

It must be said that not all of the greatest earthly empires are mentioned. But only those that are related to the kingdom of Judah and Israel. Each of them at one time conquered the people of God and the Promised Land. At the same time, the opposite is also true. If at some historical period there is no Israel, then this period will not be reflected in the image of the idol.

But all these empires have already fallen. And now they can tell us that the Kingdom of God is not yet in sight.

Let us remember how Jesus Christ preached: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” At the same time, he said that

“The Kingdom of God will not come visibly, and they will not say: behold, it is here, or, behold, there. For behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” OK. 17:20

From what has been said, we can conclude that the foundation for the Kingdom of God began to be laid during the time of the Babylonian kingdom. And since the time of Christ, many Christians have already found it in their hearts during their lifetime. Although it is not noticeable from the outside. But they wrote about many saints that during their lifetime they already dwelt in spirit in the Kingdom of Heaven. They knew not from hearsay what it was, but from experience. And they described this experience of their life as the highest bliss.

Image of Daniel's prophecy about the new kingdom

But let's return to ancient Babylon. Young Daniel, too, at first could not interpret the king’s dream with his understanding. And only after praying to his God, he received admonition from above from the Spirit:

And then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision, and Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel 2:19

The prophet Daniel interpreted the dream to Nebuchadnezzar. But this was at the same time his confession of the One God in whom the Israeli people believed. Daniel began his speech by saying that “there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets.” And having interpreted the dream, he also told the king that his kingdom would not last forever. Eternal will be something completely different. And, specifically, the Babylonian kingdom will be destroyed by another, which will be even “below it.” And in the end, both he and the idol will be broken by a stone falling from the mountain.

And really, who makes idols like that? So that the head is golden, the legs are iron, and the feet are made of clay. It is clear that sooner or later he will fall.

Don't Look Outside the Bible for Understanding God's Prophecies

We are dealing with a prophetic vision through which God wants to tell us something. How to understand what Daniel saw? Run to astrologers and fortune tellers for an explanation of what they saw? But you and I can be convinced of the futility of these people to explain the truth of God. They themselves signed in the second chapter of this book their powerlessness, both in receiving revelations from God and in their interpretation:

The Chaldeans answered the king and said: there is no man on earth who could reveal this matter to the king, and therefore not a single king, great and powerful, demanded this from any occultist, fortuneteller or Chaldean. The matter that the king demands is so difficult that no one else can reveal it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with the flesh. (Dan.2:10,11).

Being pagans, they refer to the fact that only the gods have the interpretation. But you and I, being Christians, know that both the prophecy and its interpretation are from God:

...The ignorant are those who carry their wooden idol and pray to a god who does not save. Announce and say, after consulting with each other: who announced this from ancient times, said this in advance? Is it not I, Lord? and there is no other God besides Me, there is no righteous and saving God besides Me. (Isa.45:20,21).

I am the Lord, this is My name, and I will not give My glory to another, nor My praise to graven images. Behold, what was predicted before has been fulfilled, and I will proclaim new things; Before it happens, I will tell you. (Isa.42:8,9).

God announces prophecy. From Him is the interpretation of the prophecy spoken by Him:

But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets; and He revealed to King Nebuchadnezzar what would happen in the last days... (Dan.2:28).

This is the most important condition for a correct understanding of God's prophecies! Do not look for an understanding of God's prophecies outside the Bible, it is not there and cannot be!

Golden image of King Nebuchadnezzar

Therefore, the king decided to rectify the situation and ordered the real idol to be sculpted entirely from gold. The image of Nebuchadnezzar had to be strong and stable. To show that his kingdom will last forever. And then, naturally, he ordered all his subjects to worship him. Since then, the image of Babylon has been associated with the exorbitant pride of King Nebuchadnezzar. In the book of Daniel, therefore, even two idols are described. Composite image of Daniel and golden image of Nebuchadnezzar.

A separate story is about the Babylonian youths who refused to worship the golden image. For which, by order of the king, they were sent to a fiery furnace. The youths were not simple. These were the best young men of Israel, taken with their people into Babylonian captivity. They were taken to Nebuchadnezzar's palace for training and education. But they remained faithful to their God and did not bow to the golden image. The Lord protected them from the fire. And they came out of the oven unharmed.

Can Daniel meet the qualifications for a prophet in the Bible?

Could Daniel meet the criteria for a prophet found in Deuteronomy 18 (the criteria for identifying a true prophet)? My friend asked a question about the Bible prophecy of Daniel, which we find in chapter 9 of his book (translator's note: we give two different translations).

Modern translation: God has appointed seventy weeks for your people and your holy city, Daniel. These seventy weeks are given to Your people and holy city to stop crimes, to seal sins, to cleanse themselves from guilt, to bring in everlasting virtue, to fulfill the visions of the prophets, and to anoint the Holy of Holies. (Daniel 9:24)

Synodal translation: Seventy weeks are appointed for your people and your holy city, so that the transgression may be covered, the sins may be sealed, and the iniquity may be blotted out, and eternal righteousness may be brought in, and the vision and the prophet may be sealed, and the Holy of Holies may be anointed. (Daniel 9:24)

Sin continues to this day, eternal truth has not been given, and many prophecies have not yet been fulfilled. The only part of this passage that has been fulfilled is the part that Christians believe talks about cleansing from guilt and atonement for evil, but this cannot be verified or proven. Can you say something on this issue and help me figure it out?

Answer:

It is difficult to say whether Daniel can be considered a prophet in the light of the passage from the book of Deuteronomy 18, because a prophet is one who addresses God's people with the words “thus saith the Lord.” Daniel was not a prophet in the usual sense of the term. I would really like to recommend the book Daniel, Prophet to the Nations (available at www.ipibooks.com) to your friend. It provides answers to many similar questions. I discuss in detail in it that Daniel is not a prophet in the standard sense that the Jews applied to prophets. And even if he is a prophet, he is a prophet for the pagans, not for the Jews.

Now regarding the prophecy of Daniel 9:24. Every aspect of this prophecy has been fully fulfilled, but it is important for us to consider the context. The phrase "stop crime" can be translated as "limit or fetter crime." When Jesus came, He brought salvation. Those who were baptized into Christ were baptized into His death, and in their case the sin nature died. They did not stop sinning completely, but sin was bound and completely forgiven. From the Christian point of view, sin is put to death. But this does not apply to all people, but only to those who are in Christ.

Sin was also atoned for on the cross. With the beginning of the ministry of Jesus Christ, the prophecies ceased. Hebrews 1 tells us that in the past God spoke to people in many ways, including through prophecy. But in these last days, God is speaking to people through Jesus Christ. In Hebrews 2, God explains why prophecy virtually ceased soon after the coming of Christ.

And of course, the Holy of Holies was anointed. Jesus is the Holy of Holies who was anointed (a Greek word that means "Messiah").

So all the prophecies of Daniel 9:24 were fulfilled in Christ 490 years later, after the decree to rebuild Jerusalem, which was issued in 457 BC, in the seventh year of King Ahasuerus (see Book of Ezra chapter 7). If we take the New Testament at face value, then all the elements of the prophecy of Daniel 9:24 have been fulfilled in Christ.

Your friend says that it is difficult to verify or prove that Jesus fulfilled the prophecy regarding the atonement of evil. I agree that we cannot scientifically prove that Christ's death atoned for evil, but the entirety of biblical history is clear on that point. If skeptics don't believe Jesus fulfilled this prophecy, I understand that, but from a Christian perspective, He fulfilled all of these prophecies. Although it is worth recognizing that faith is needed to understand this. The prophecies in Daniel 9:24 include things that cannot be measured. Science is powerless here, but we can definitely say that Jesus came to Jerusalem at the right time. We also believe that Christians' belief that Jesus fulfilled all aspects of this prophecy is rational, even if we cannot prove it scientifically or mathematically.

John Ochs Translation Petrov Igor

We invite you to familiarize yourself with Daniel's prophecies, their interpretation and fulfillment. The author of the Bible seminar is John Ochs. The seminar was translated into Russian.

The image from Daniel's prophecy and the beginning of the Kingdom of God

The interpretation of the dream about the image from the prophecy of Daniel contains a promise for all Christians that all pagan empires will eventually fall. They will be broken. And the Kingdom of God will only magnify, strengthen and spread throughout the entire earth.

And now, after two and a half millennia, we regularly remember the Babylonian youths at worship services and sing prayers in memory of them. Because then the very beginning of the Kingdom of God was laid. Because in the Book of the Prophet Daniel it is said that:

“In the days of those kingdoms, the God of heaven will erect a kingdom that will never be destroyed, and this kingdom will not be transferred to another people.” Daniel 2:44

And the salvation of the youths in the oven was the first and great miracle of this Kingdom, which the Lord created, showing His help to the faithful. Their clothes, preserved from the fire, represent an image of the deliverance of the faithful from the eternal fire, which cannot overcome the saints. Their example later inspired many Christian martyrs.

Hieromartyr Hippolytus, through the story of the Babylonian youths, Hippolytus, under conditions of persecution, called on Christians to be steadfast in their confession of faith and ready to accept martyrdom for the sake of Christ. Which will lead, as in the case of the Babylonian youths and Nebuchadnezzar, to the conversion of the pagans.

Why did the Kingdom of God begin under the Babylonian Empire?

In the book of the prophet Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar was very amazed that the fire could not overcome those who were being burned. He personally observed the execution. And he even saw in the fire of the furnace the miracle of the appearance of an unknown Angel who came to the aid of the youths. As a result, he blessed the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and even forbade His reproach.

It seems that it was precisely this fact that served as the reason that it was under the Babylonian kingdom that the construction of the Kingdom of God began. And not, for example, during the Assyrian Empire, which was before him and also conquered Israel.

The confession of the Jewish youths of their God before the pagans, the miracle revealed by the Lord in the furnace and the appearance of the Angel, all this led to the recognition by the pagan king of the power of the new God for him. And it marked the beginning of the conversion of the pagans to the One God.

What place does Daniel occupy in Orthodoxy?

In those distant times, faith was prohibited. But despite this, people believed secretly. There were persecutions and hard labor, which is what Orthodox Christians did not experience. Nothing could shake their faith. Thanks to them, the Orthodox faith strengthened and the legends and prophets have reached our time.

Among all church literature, the book of Daniel's prophecy deserves special attention. He was an Old Testament prophet, often referred to in the Bible as “the wish-granting man.” He was very righteous, which pleased God. Because of his devoted faith, Daniel received from the Lord the true gift of seeing the past and the future.

The prophet spent almost his entire life in captivity in Babylon. There he became famous for his wisdom and kindness. Thanks to his gift, the prophet was close to the rulers. This saint endured many trials. The Lord never abandoned him; he always helped Daniel and sent him strength to overcome all difficulties.

The best article for you, go to: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

The idol of the prophet Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar - their further history

This is how the story with the golden idol ended happily. And the idol itself was most likely later melted down by the Medo-Persians for their own needs when they conquered the Babylonian Empire.

The story of the image from Nebuchadnezzar's dream, as we know, is much longer. It has survived all empires, including the Holy Roman. And even now his iron-clay fingers haunt us. Because this is the last time. This is our time. And we really need to understand the meaning of this prophecy.

The prophet Daniel says that “just as the toes of the feet were partly made of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom will be partly strong and partly fragile.”

We know that the Roman Empire was strong in its state power, which was supported by great military power. Therefore, this is exactly how iron is interpreted. But clay is more difficult to interpret. And it is especially difficult to understand how they are combined in one kingdom.

The image of Daniel - how the issue of combining iron and clay is resolved

Professor Lopukhin concludes that the fourth kingdom is the Roman Empire. And it’s hard to object to this:

The fourth kingdom is represented by the image of iron legs and partly iron and partly clay legs of the image. According to the prophet Daniel, this means that, possessing all-crushing power, it will be as fragile as clay. The joint, simultaneous manifestation of these two opposite qualities is unacceptable because a disintegrating kingdom cannot be at the same time all-crushing and exterminating. It is therefore more natural to see in the words of the prophet an indication of two different moments in the history of the fourth monarchy: a period of extraordinary power, strength and a period of decline, decomposition caused by the inability to unite the disparate parts of the state. At first hard as iron, it will later turn into brittle iron-clay. The prophet Daniel himself distinguishes between these two points, giving a separate explanation of the iron legs and iron-clay legs of the idol.

Characterizing the fourth kingdom in this way, the prophet does not call it by name, as he does regarding the second and third monarchies, and this circumstance serves as a reason for identifying it either with the Syro-Egyptian kingdom or with the Roman kingdom. As for the first opinion, it does not find any basis in the parallel dream of Nebuchadnezzar, the vision of Chapter 8. The Syrian and Egyptian kingdoms are represented in it by the image of horns growing on the head of a goat (Dan. 8: 21–22), i.e. they are kingdoms formed from the Greco-Macedonian monarchy, and therefore should be considered as its continuation and modification , which cannot be said about the fourth kingdom. Further, according to the instructions of Daniel 8:22 and Daniel 11:4, the Syrian and Egyptian kingdoms will be weaker than the monarchy from which they arise; Meanwhile, the fourth kingdom seems to be superior in strength to all the previous ones.

There is more reason to understand the Roman monarchy by it: it possesses the qualities of the fourth kingdom of Daniel. With its all-crushing, initially invincible power and worldwide devastating conquests, it surpassed all previous states.”

The iron-clay kingdom will come after the iron one. The prophet Daniel says that clay is mixed with iron and they will exist simultaneously in one kingdom. But it will be like this:

“The kingdom is divided, and a few strengths of iron will remain in it, just as you saw iron mixed with pottery clay. And just as the toes were partly made of iron and partly made of clay, so the kingdom will be partly strong and partly fragile. And that you saw iron mixed with pottery clay, this means that they will mix through human seed, but will not merge with one another, just as iron does not mix with clay.” Daniel 2:41-42

Third Beast - Greek Empire

Further, the prophecy introduces us to the Greek empire, which replaced Medo-Persia and is represented in this layer by a leopard with four wings

Then I saw another beast, like a leopard; on his back were four wings of a bird, and this beast had four heads, and power was given to him. (Dan.7:6).

Additional details describing the Greek Empire in this layer of prophecies are four bird wings and four heads. Since the lion's wings meant the speed of the Babylonians' conquest of the world. In this case, God says that the Greek Empire achieved world domination with unprecedented speed.

But this empire, after the death of Alexander the Great, who ensured world domination for Greece, was divided into four parts between four of Alexander’s generals. So these details describe exactly what happened to this empire. But these details were not present when Greece was represented by the copper bellies and thighs in the image.

I think you have already established your understanding of the layered structure of the information presented in the Bible and in particular in the book of the prophet Daniel. Each subsequent layer is within a certain time frame. And each subsequent layer is connected to the previous beacons with hints. Also, each subsequent layer carries additional information about what was said earlier, so that what God reveals to us is understood by us from all sides and with all care.

A kingdom divided from iron and clay in our time

It seems that here we are talking about a combination of state power and spiritual - very strong religious power in the kingdom of the beast.

The same situation is described in the book of Revelation of John the Theologian. There, too, the beast from the sea and the beast from the land are active at the same time. Please note that the prophet Daniel mentions clay, and in Revelation it mentions earth. Which can be regarded as the same thing.

And this second clay substance of the fingers of the idol will be the religious power. Which, of course, does not have all the strength and military might of state power. However, will have the power of the beast in the religious area throughout the territory of the eighth beast from the sea.

They will mix through human seed. This is just clear. It may be that some government officials or military personnel may also be religious people. And follow the orders of both the state and religious leaders. In this case, the contradiction is resolved, which was rightly pointed out by the respected interpreter of the Bible, Professor Lopukhin.

An example of such coexistence of iron and clay in one kingdom in our time is the modern state of Turkey. Today it has enormous military and political potential among countries throughout the East and Africa. Its president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is a very ambitious, charismatic and universally recognized leader of the Islamic and Turkic world. Claims to restore the Ottoman Empire and directly states: “Jerusalem is our city.” And in the same country is the Patriarchate of Constantinople with its patriarch, who claims universal power over all Orthodox churches around the world. Claiming primacy and the role of “first without equal” in the entire Ecumenical Orthodox Church. The head of which has always been, in fact, Jesus Christ. And time will still tell what they are both capable of.

Why is the bear in the vision tilted to one side?

Additional information about Medo-Persia to the prophecy about the image, in which Medo-Persia is represented by a silver breast, are the following details. The bear stood leaning on one side. This empire consisted of two nations, the Medes and the Persians. At the beginning of their rise, the Medes were dominant, as indicated by the prophecy about the fall of Babylon:

Behold, I will raise up against them the Medes, who do not value silver and are not partial to gold. Their bows will strike down the young men and will not spare the fruit of the womb; their eyes will not have mercy on the children. And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the pride of the Chaldeans, will be overthrown by God, like Sodom and Gomorrah. (Isa.13:17-19).

But later power passed into the hands of the Persians, as evidenced by the book of the prophet Daniel:

In the first year of Darius, the son of Assuir, from the family of Media, who was appointed king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans. (Dan.9:1).

In the third year of Cyrus, king of Persia, there was a revelation to Daniel... (Dan.10:1).

In the beginning, Darius from the Median family was appointed by someone to the position of king. And only over the kingdom of the Chaldeans. Then Media is not mentioned at all, and Cyrus is spoken of as the king of Persia. This clarifies the vision of the bear leaning on one side.

In this force, one of the two peoples was dominant.

The three ribs that the bear had in its teeth were its prey. These are the three states that Medo-Persia conquered on the way to dominance (Babylon, Lydia, Egypt).