I'm thinking there are 3 beasts and here is why...
(wasn't sure where to put this, but would love to hear others thoughts)
After reading through Daniel oh probably 50 times now in total - some broken up studies and some straight through, it starts to take on a whole new picture. But there is one question, in particular, that I just kept asking myself... "What happened to the Eagle that was plucked out?" I know who the Eagle represents, so did it mean it just vanished or what?
So I would read and re-read and study more on the Eagle in scripture where I was led to this scripture in Ezekiel 17:3 "And say, Thus saith the Lord God; A great eagle with great wings, longwinged, full of feathers, which had divers colours, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar:"
Knowing the Eagle was "plucked" out, (Daniel 7:4 & 8) what did this mean? So I did some research regarding lost books of the Bible. I already knew about the Book of Enoch, but were there more? Then I came to some historical information where the books of the bible had been removed somewhere around 150 years ago (possible misquote on time frame as this is from memory of an article). From this information quoted, these books were (from my short hopefully understood interpretation) removed due to the fact they were written in Greek but depicted a time frame where they should have been written in Hebrew. So they were removed. We almost lost the book of Revelation for similar reasons. Anyway, there is a book that was written by Ezra - the very same which is in the bible now, simply a "portion" of his writings were kept. But if you read through these scriptures, they explain the very reason they were removed.
Quite honestly I would not even think of this information as true other than the fact that books in the Bible discuss these very books and one will lead to the next and so on. It is a very meticulously laid out plan for those who have the interest to seek truth and find. They are actually "meant" to be "discovered".
Anyway, Ezra's dream is of an Eagle that came up out of the Sea. It states this vision was not expounded upon to Daniel, his brother. These texts discuss the Kings (feathers) of this beast and explain the changing from Democrat to Republican. They describe the reign of the 2nd Feather which had a Great Time (FDR) and the voice from the midst of the eagle saying this time shall never be held by another - talking of the Peoples vote to change presidential terms to a 2 term maximum. It lines up historically to the very same time frame as Daniel's vision and the 7 kings of the 7 mountains. It tells us of Herbert Hoover through our cabinet today and the 3 heads of government and 1 was the most powerful - This is where I believe Satan has gotten a strong hold. It is the very head that Separated Church and State, the very head that has "Changed Laws" by "Judiciary" Action and anyone savvy in law and with enough money can change law to suit their needs, under this "Head". It also discusses how the last two wings (these I believe are the POTUS and VP) join this powerful head of the 3. I believe the pattern of Daniel needing Judiciary action to complete a prophecy is a significant sign explaining how the AC gets his way.