Here's a general run by the four beasts.
01 - The lion with eagle's wings
a) Whose wings were plucked off
b) Made to stand on two feet like a man
c) A man's heart given to it
-- The lion represents Babylon; the wings possibly
symbolizing the co-regency of Nabonidus and
Belshazzar, a kingdom shown to be remarkably fragile.
02 - The bear with ribs in its mouth
a) Raised up on one side
b) Three ribs in its mouth between its teeth
c) Told to "Arise, devour much flesh!"
-- The bear represents the Medo-Persian empire; that it
raises on one side may reflect the Persian dominance,
the three ribs in its mouth may illustrate its
victories over Egypt, Syria, and Babylon.
03 - The winged, multi-headed leopard
a) With four wings and four heads
b) To whom dominion was given
-- The leopard represents the Greek empire of Alexander
the Great; the wings may symbolize its rapid
conquest, the four heads prophetic of its division by
four generals after Alexander's death.
04 - The dreadful and terrible beast
a) Exceedingly strong, with huge teeth
b) Devouring, breaking in pieces, trampling residue with its feet
c) Different from all the beasts before it
1/ Unlike the other three, it is not compared with
any animal
2/ But if it is the beast of Revelation, note that it
was a conglomeration of a lion, bear and leopard
- cf. Re 13:1-2
d) With ten horns; another little horn coming up among
them...
1/ Before whom three of the first horns were plucked
from their roots
2/ In which were the eyes of a man, and a mouth
speaking pompously
-- This beast represents the Roman empire; the ten horns
and little horn may represent emperors or kings who
ruled during events involving the establishment of
God's kingdom.