(4) a “fearsome and terrible and unusually strong” wild beast not corresponding to any actual animal. This fourth beast had large iron teeth, ten horns and another, a “small” horn, developing with eyes and a “mouth speaking grandiose things.”​—Dan. 7:3-8.

The fourth symbolic beast of this vision refers to the world power that swallowed up the Grecian Empire, namely, Rome.

What about this fourth beast’s ten horns and the other horn with eyes and a “mouth speaking grandiose things”? (Dan. 7:8) At times the Scriptures use horns to symbolize rulers and ruling dynasties. (Dan. 8:2-10, 20-22; Zech. 1:18-21; Luke 1:69-71) The number ten denotes fullness, entirety, the sum of all that exists of something. (Matt. 25:1; Luke 15:8; 19:13, 16, 17) History shows that the Roman Empire eventually broke up into various nations. The ten horns of this fourth beast evidently represent all the kingdoms that resulted after Rome’s dissolution.

Similar in meaning is a prophetic dream had by Nebuchadnezzar. This Babylonian king envisioned a colossal metallic image in human form. Daniel explains that the image’s “head was of good gold, its breasts and its arms were of silver, its belly and its thighs were of copper, its legs were of iron, its feet were partly of iron and partly of molded clay.”​—Dan. 2:31-33.

The next part of the image, the iron legs, initially represented Rome. Yet Rome cannot fulfill all the requirements of the iron part of the image. Why not?

Because iron extended into the feet of the image, it being mixed there with molded clay.