America's Separation from Great Britain
Daniel saw a lion with eagle’s wings, then watched as the wings were plucked off. Watchman 33 reads this imagery as Great Britain and the United States separating into distinct nations.
Daniel 7:1
1In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, [and] told the sum of the matters.
Daniel 7:4
4The first [was] like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were 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.
Daniel 7:12–18
12As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.
13I saw in the night visions, and, behold, [one] like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
14And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion [is] an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom [that] which shall not be destroyed.
15¶ I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of [my] body, and the visions of my head troubled me.
16I 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.
17These great beasts, which are four, [are] four kings, [which] shall arise out of the earth.
18But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
Daniel 7:23
23Thus 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.
The wings were plucked. A nation was born.
The Declaration of Independence is adopted
The thirteen American colonies declared themselves free and independent states and severed their political connection to Great Britain.
Great Britain recognizes American independence
The Treaty of Paris ended the Revolutionary War and formally recognized the United States as sovereign and independent.
Sources & further reading
Historical facts and interpretive background are kept as structured citations so links can be checked and maintained over time.
Declaration of Independence (1776)
U.S. National ArchivesThe founding document and official archival history of its adoption on July 4, 1776.
The Declaration of Independence, 1776
U.S. Department of State, Office of the HistorianGovernment history describing how the colonies severed their political connections to Great Britain.
The Great Seal of the United States
National Museum of American DiplomacyGovernment background on the American eagle used in the Great Seal adopted in 1782.
Coats of Arms
The Royal FamilyOfficial description of the Royal Arms identifying the three lions of England and the supporting English lion.
Strong’s H6966: qum — arise or stand
Bible Hub / Strong’s ConcordanceAramaic word study for “shall arise” in Daniel 7:17, with the sense to arise, stand, establish, or be raised up.
Daniel 7:23 Lexicon: the beast as a kingdom
Bible Hub / Strong’s ConcordanceAramaic word study for “kingdom” in Daniel 7:23, where the angel explicitly explains the fourth beast as a fourth kingdom upon the earth.
Babylon
The Metropolitan Museum of ArtInstitutional history documenting the end of the Neo-Babylonian Empire when Cyrus II of Persia conquered Babylon in 539 BC.
The sources establish the historical record and provide background on the biblical passage. The conclusion that these events fulfill prophecy is the stated interpretation of Watchman 33.