The Four Beastly Kingdoms and God’s Kingdom: Daniel 7 is centrally located in the book; it is also of central importance. It functions as a transitional unit, providing a hinge that connects the two halves of the work. Chapter 7 is tied to what precedes by its language: it is part of the Aramaic section, which runs from Daniel 2:4b through 7:28. It is also part of the chiastic structure of chapters 2–7 (see “Stage Three” under “Language Problem and Literary Development” in the Introduction), which have been carefully crafted into a unit. However, it is tied to what follows by its more apocalyptic flavor. By genre, chapters 7–12 are primarily eschatological visions, unlike chapters 1–6, which are court stories. This difference should not be overemphasized, though, because the first half of …