After that, I looked and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads and it was given authority to rule.

The leopard is an animal known for its agility and intelligence.  It lies in wait near a town to tear to pieces anyone who ventures out (Jer 5:6; Hos 13:7). It is also very swift (Hab 1:8). The two pairs of wings are also an indication of swiftness and speed. This beast has four heads and it is given authority to rule. The number four represents the earth. A head stands for authority, so the four heads mean that this beast has authority throughout the earth. This suggests that the beast is not a nation, but a world-wide movement. The leopard is found in India, Asia and Africa.  This indicates that this movement will be based in the developing world. 

I believe Daniel was describing  International Terrorism. In recent years a worldwide network of terrorist groups has sprung up. These groups are very agile: they go underground for a time, and then when the time is right, strike at a place where society is vulnerable. They move very quickly, and by the time their crime is discovered, they have gone underground again. This terrorist movement is agile and violent, just like a leopard.

[When I  wrote these words in 1984, Libya was the nation most closely linked with terrorism. The Libyan leader, Colonel Kaddafi was called the paymaster of terrorism  and most dangerous man in the world.  Libya’s oil wealth has been used to support liberation movements in about 45 countries.  Kaddafi used this to promote violence in the name of national liberation. He said that his role was to guide the revolution.]

More recently, the leadership of international terrorism has passed to Osama bin Laden and his Al-Qa'ida network.  This network has trained thousands of Islamic terrorists and sent them all over the world.  Bin Laden is directing terrorism against the United States and the rest of the western world.  His efforts climaxed in the attack on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon.   It is interesting that Daniel saw a leopard with four wings.  That is the number of planes that Al-Qai'ida used to hijack and attack the United States.

If my interpretation of Daniels vision is correct, then the third beast of Daniel links with the fourth seal of Revelation 6, where a rider called Death was given power to kill people by the sword, famine and plague. If famine became widespread in our age, this would further encourage an increase in terrorism. Such a move could be represented by the sword that John mentioned. The fourth horseman and the beast like a leopard may be linked together.

Terrorism of any kind is very difficult to control. It could be used as a justification by governments taking power for themselves to control terrorism.  The growth of International Terrorism could help the centralisation of political power.