“This is what
He said.
‘As for the fourth beast,
There shall be
A fourth kingdom
On earth.
It shall be different
From all the other kingdoms.
It shall devour
The whole earth.
It shall trample it down.
It shall break it
To pieces.’”
It is not clear who the “he” speaking here is. It could be the Ancient One or that attendant who was standing around, but it is not Daniel. The 4th beast would have a kingdom, unlike any other kingdom. This kingdom would devour the whole earth, trample it down, and finally break it into pieces. This could be a reference to Alexander the Great (356-323 BCE) and the large Greek kingdom that he established.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 