Who are the four beasts in Daniel 7:17?

Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and Daniel’s visions all prophecy of the same four, great, Gentile kingdoms which would rule over the geographic area of Israel. However, Daniel 2 looks at these kingdoms from man’s perspective (represented by the metals of gold, silver, bronze, and iron), while Daniel 7 and 8 symbolize these kingdoms from God’s perspective. They are beastly and terrible to mankind. Daniel 2 and Daniel 8 identify the first three kingdom, even though their symbolic representations differ. 

Daniel 7:17: "These four huge beasts represent four kingdoms that will arise from the earth.” (NLT)

                      Four Great Kingdoms in Symbol

                       Daniel 2                       Daniel 7      Daniel 8

Babylon          Head of gold                 Lion            

MedoPersia    Chest/Arms of silver     Bear            Ram 

Greece           Belly/Thighs of brass    Leopard       Male Goat

Rome             Legs/Feet of iron/clay   Dreadful Beast    

History and the Bible prove the identities of these beastly (or metal) kingdoms. The first, like a lion, was Babylon. Daniel 2:38 symbolizes Babylon as the head of gold and calls Nebuchadnezzar that head, “…You are the head of gold.”  The second, like a bear, was Medo-Persia