The story of Daniel describes supernatural intervention by God in the lives of those both faithful and unfaithful to him and provides successively more detailed revelation, by dreams and visions and explanations of angels, of prophecy involving the kingdoms of the earth, Jerusalem, Messiah the prince, and the latter days. Chapter 11 provides the most detail about the latter days and is admittedly the hardest to understand.
This summary of the entire book of Daniel gives successively more detail, starting with chapter topics, then overviews, then longer summaries, and finally outlines. My goal is to make the concepts understandable more generally, with more and more specific backup.
My friend inspired me to think more on why the confusing book of Daniel matters. There are parts that aren’t confusing that demonstrate the LORD’s supernatural favor and protection over those who are faithfully His, even when they serve in regimes that don’t serve Him. There are parts that confirm God, as He has promised, will punish nations that He uses to punish other nations. There is demonstration of His grace. There is demonstration of the end of His patience. There is evidence of the protective intervention of His angels. And then there is prophecy, fulfilled and unfulfilled.
I keep repeating that all fulfilled prophecy gives us confidence for future prophecy. The prophecies start mildly, revealing ultimately good news for those who follow the LORD. The stories that give us confidence regarding the protective intervention of God come before more concerning, and confusing, details about the latter days are progressively revealed. The first part of the book lays the foundation for our confident perseverance and the last part of the book gives us clues for discernment as the events of history unfold. Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
By way of historic reminder, David was king over all Israel, as was his son Solomon, but the kingdom was divided under Solomon’s son. Judah, Benjamin, and the Levites (and all those faithful to the God of Jerusalem) formed the kingdom of Judah, seated in Jerusalem. All the other tribes formed the northern kingdom of Israel, which was eventually exiled to Assyria. The reign of the kings of Judah was very rocky after the death of Josiah. He was first succeeded by his son Jehoahaz (AKA Shallum), who only reigned for 3 months before he was taken by Pharoach Neco to Eygypt, where he eventually died. He was replaced by his brother Eliakim, who was renamed Jehoiakim. He reigned for 11 years in Jerusalem, but he became a subject of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon during the third year of his reign. The ultimate overthrow of Jerusalem took many years, with many being exiled to Babylon during that time. Jehoiachin, the grandson of King Josiah of Judah, eventually succeeded his father Jehoiakim, but only reigned 3 months before he was taken by King Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon. He was replaced by his uncle Zedekiah, who reigned 11 years before he was exiled to Babylon, when Jerusalem finally fell and its temple was destroyed.
CHAPTER TOPICS:
Chapter 1: Daniel exiled as a youth from Israel, during the third year of the reign of King Jehoiakim, to Babylon, entering the service of King Nebuchadnezzar. (The fall of of Nineveh/Assyria to Babylon/Chaldeans prophesied by Nahum has occurred).
Chapter 2: Daniel interprets King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream about a statue, which represents his kingdom being succeeded by three subsequent kingdoms, which are all ultimately defeated by the God of heaven who will set up an eternal kingdom.
Chapter 3: Daniel’s friends and fellow exiles Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego survive being thrown into a fiery furnace for refusing to worship a golden statue of King Nebuchadnezzar.
Chapter 4: As predicted in his dream, which Daniel interprets, King Nebuchadnezzar loses his mind for seven years until he acknowledges the King of Heaven and his reason and kingdom are restored.
Chapter 5: King Belshazzar, son and successor to King Nebuchadnezzar, dies and loses the kingdom of Babylon to the Medes and Persians in one night, after drinking wine in vessels his father brought from the temple in Jerusalem, prompting a supernatural hand to write an inscription on the wall pronouncing his fate from God.
Chapter 6: Under the reign of King Darius the Mede, to whom Belshazzar lost the kingdom, Daniel is protected by God in the lions’ den, after he is plotted against by his fellow administrators for his worship of God.
Chapter 7: Daniel has a dream in the first year of King Belshazzar, son of Nebuchadnezzar, which has parallels to Nebuchadnezzar’s statue dream in chapter 2, showing beasts representing four successive kingdoms of the earth, the last being divided, with one last king persecuting the saints until he is destroyed by the Ancient of Days and an eternal kingdom is given to the Son of Man and dwelt in by the saints of the Highest One.
Chapter 8: Daniel has a vision in the third year of King Belshazzar, interpreted by the angel Gabriel, which shows a ram, which is Media and Persia, being destroyed by a goat, which is Greece, with one king who later falls to four kings and one final insolent king, who is mighty not by his own power and opposes the Prince of princes, removes sacrifice, and destroys the sanctuary for 2,300 days, before the holy place is restored.
Chapter 9: In the first year of King Darius the Mede, Daniel reads in Jeremiah about the prophesied 70 years of desolation of Jerusalem and is praying to God, confessing his sin and the sins of his people Israel, when the angel Gabriel appears, telling him about seventy weeks until the time of the end that starts with a decree to rebuild Jerusalem and includes the coming of Messiah the Prince, the destruction of the city and sanctuary, and the ultimate destruction of the prince who is to come who will make a covenant but then be guilty of abominations.
Chapter 10: In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, successor to Darius the Mede, a message is revealed to Daniel about the latter days that he prays, mourns, and fasts over for three weeks before an angel, who was dispatched when Daniel started started praying, comes to comfort him and give him an understanding of the vision. The angel reveals he had to fight the prince of the kingdom of Persia until Michael, one of the chief princes came to help him, and that he will return to fight against the prince of Persia, that the prince of Greece is about to come, and that no one stands firmly with him against these forces except Michael.
Chapter 11: The angel sent to Daniel (chapter 10) explains that, “In the first year of Darius the Mede, I arose to be an encouragement and a protection for him” and then explains the vision of the latter days that Daniel saw. From King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream about the statue (chapter 2) to Daniel’s dream about the beasts (chapter 7) to Daniel’s vision about the ram and the goat (chapter 8) to this final vision, there have been more and more details revealed about the successive kingdoms of the earth (Assyria has already been conquered by Babylon, who was conquered by Media and Persia, who will be conquered by Greece, and then by a kingdom which will be divided). This chapter reveals the most details about the last divided kingdom of the earth, and it is admittedly the hardest to understand. A southern kingdom (called the “king of the South,” with various leaders over time) will grow strong but eventually be defeated by a northern kingdom (called the “king of the North” also with various leaders over time), who will ultimately put into effect a “proposal of peace.” The king of the northern kingdom will then fall, be replaced briefly by an oppressor, and ultimately be replaced by one who will come in a time of tranquility and seize the kingdom by intrigue. He’ll win one battle against the southern kingdom, but be opposed by “ships of Kittim” in a later battle, enraging him. He “will come back and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant. Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation….he will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will speak monstrous things against the God of gods.” He will prevail against Egypt, Libya, and Ethiopia, but Edom, Moab and the foremost of the sons of Ammon will be rescued out of his hand….But rumors from the East and from the North will disturb him, and he will go forth with great wrath to destroy and annihilate many. He will pitch the tents of his royal pavilion between the seas and the beautiful Holy Mountain; yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.’”
Chapter 12: The angel sent to Daniel (chapter 10) completes his explanation of the vision of the latter days: “Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” Regarding the length of time to the end of these wonders, he says, “a time, times, and half a time; and as soon as they finish shattering the power of the holy people, all these events will be completed….these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time. Many will be purged, purified and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand. From the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. How blessed is he who keeps waiting and attains to the 1,335 days!”
OVERVIEW:
Chapter 1: Daniel is exiled to Babylon as a youth, with his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (they were all renamed Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego). They were educated for three years in the literature and language of the Chaldeans and then entered the service of King Nebuchadnezzar.
Chapter 2: The king has a dream, and wants it and its interpretation revealed on pain of death for all the wise men in the kingdom, including Daniel and his friends. After they seek God, the Lord reveals the dream and its interpretation to Daniel, who shares it with the king. The dream reveals an extraordinary statue made, from head to toe, of gold [Babylon], then silver [Media-Persia], then bronze [Greece], then iron and clay, which is crushed by a huge stone. The dream predicts Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom of gold being defeated by a lesser kingdom, which is defeated by another lesser kingdom, which is defeated by a fourth lesser kingdom, which is divided. These are all ultimately defeated by the God of heaven who will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed and will endure forever.
Chapter 3: King Nebuchadnezzar sets up a gold statue of himself to be worshiped. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego fail to worship, they are accused by the Chaldeans and brought before an enraged king, who demands they worship or get thrown into a furnace of blazing fire. They respond, “our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” They are thrown into the fire, a fourth man, like a son of the gods, is seen with them, and they escape unharmed. Nebuchadnezzar praises God and causes them to prosper in the kingdom.
Chapter 4: King Nebuchadnezzar tells his own story of having a dream that Daniel is able to interpret for him again. God decrees that will lose his mind and live separately for seven years, until he recognizes God as the ruler over mankind. He makes an arrogant proclamation about his kingdom one year later and what was decreed occurs. “But at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever….and I was reestablished in my sovereignty, and surpassing greatness was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.”
Chapter 5: King Belshazzar, the son who succeeded King Nebuchadnezzar, has a great feast with thousands of his nobles, and they drink wine from the gold and silver vessels that has father brought from the temple in Jerusalem. “Suddenly the fingers of a man’s hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace.” Only Daniel can read and interpret the writing: “‘MENE’—God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it. ‘TEKEL’—you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient. ‘PERES’—your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians….That same night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain. So Darius the Mede received the kingdom at about the age of sixty-two.”
Chapter 6: King Darius the Mede appointed Daniel as one of 3 commissioners over 120 satraps. He so distinguished himself that Darius was going to appoint him over the entire kingdom. The other commissioners and satraps tried to find an accusation against him, but could not because he was faithful in government affairs, to they decided to plot against him in regard to the law of his god. They determined “the king should establish a statute and enforce an injunction that anyone who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, shall be cast into the lions’ den.” Daniel prayed anyway. When the men accused Daniel before the king, he tried to deliver Daniel but it was “a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or statute which the king establishes may be changed.” Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den overnight, but was not injured because God sent an angel and shut the lions’ mouth. Darius cast the men, their wives, and their children into the lions’ den, and they were killed. He then issued a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel…Daniel enjoyed success in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.”
Chapter 7: Daniel has a dream in the first year of Belshazzar, son of Nebuchadnezzar, which has parallels to Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Four beasts represent four kings. The last has ten horns, representing 10 kings, but one little horn pulls up 3 other of the kings. This king persecutes the saints until God pronounces judgment on him, destroys him, and throws him into burning fire. The kingdom of the earth is given by the Ancient of Days to the Son of Man to be an eternal kingdom dwelt in by the saints of the Highest One.
Chapter 8: Daniel tells the vision of the time of the end, and the interpretation given him by the angel Gabriel, that he had during the third year of the reign of Belshazzar. He was in the citadel of Susa, which is in the province of El beside the Ulai Canal and a ram, with two horns, one longer than the other and coming up last, representing Media and Persia, was standing in front of the canal. A male goat, representing Greece, with one horn, comes from the west and shatters the two horns of the ram. As soon as he is mighty, his horn, which is the first king, is broken and four horns, representing four kings, come up in its place, followed by a small horn, a last king. The last king is mighty but not by his own power. “He will cause deceit to succeed by his influence; And he will magnify himself in his heart, And he will destroy many while they are at ease. He will even oppose the Prince of princes, But he will be broken without human agency.” He will remove regular sacrifice and throw down the place of the sanctuary for “2,300 evenings and mornings; then the holy place will be properly restored.’”
Chapter 9: In the first year of Darius the Mede, who overthrew the Chaldeans, Daniel reads in Jeremiah about the prophesied 70 years of desolation of Jerusalem [Jeremiah 25:11-12, 29:10]. He prays “with fasting, sackcloth and ashes...'confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God.’” While he’s still praying, the angel Gabriel appears to him again. He tells him “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place….from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks….Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary…he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.’”
Chapter 10: “In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel” and “he understood the message and had an understanding of the vision.” He mourned and fasted for three weeks, until an angel came “to give you an understanding of what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision pertains to the days yet future.” The angel tells Daniel, “from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia….I shall now return to fight against the prince of Persia; so I am going forth, and behold, the prince of Greece is about to come. However, I will tell you what is inscribed in the writing of truth. Yet there is no one who stands firmly with me against these forces except Michael your prince.’”
Chapter 11: The angel sent to Daniel in chapter 10 to explains that, “In the first year of Darius the Mede, I arose to be an encouragement and a protection for him.” In then explaining the vision of the latter days that Daniel saw, the angel provides more detail about the successive kingdoms of the earth than already revealed in King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream about the statue (chapter 2), Daniel’s dream about the beasts (chapter 7), and Daniel’s vision about the ram and the goat (chapter 8). This is the first we learn that three more kings are going to arise in Persia (silver in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and the ram in Daniel’s vision. A fourth Persain king will gain more riches than all of them, but will arouse the whole empire against the realm of Greece, from which a mighty king will arise (bronze in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and the first horn of the goat in Daniel’s vision). As soon as he arises, his kingdom will be broken up and parceled out “toward the four points of the compass” (iron and clay in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, and the four horns that replace the one horn of the goat in Daniel’s vision, resulting in the last beast in Daniel’s dream). Then the king of the South will grow strong, along with one of his princes. They will form an alliance and make a peaceful arrangement with the king of the North, involving he daughter of the king of the South. One of her descendants will invade the fortress of the king of the North, taking their gods and their precious vessels of silver and gold to Egypt, retreating. After some years, the king of the North will enter the realm of the king of the South, and retreat. His sons will assemble a multitude of great forces and threaten the King of the South, enraging the king of the South to fight and prevail over the king of the North. The pride of the king of the South will cause tens of thousands to fall because the king of the North will raise a greater multitude, and press on with a great army and much equipment. “[M]any will rise up against the king of the South; the violent ones among your people will also life themselves up to fulfill the vision, but they will fall down.” The king of the North will prevail and stay for a time “in the Beautiful Land. He will put into effect a “proposal of peace.” A woman will be involved, who will not support him. He will “turn his face to the coastlands and capture many.” But a commander will turn against him, “he will turn his face toward the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble and fall and be found no more.” He will be replaced briefly by one who will send an oppressor through the Jewel of his kingdom, but then be shattered by one who will come in a time of tranquility and seize the kingdom by intrigue. He’ll win one battle against the king of the South. After a time, he’ll come again but be opposed by ships of Kittim. This will enrage him so “he will come back and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant. Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation. By smooth words he will turn to godlessness those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will display strength and take action. Those who have insight among the people will give understanding to the many; yet they will fall by sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder for many days. Now when they fall they will be granted a little help, and many will join with them in hypocrisy. Some of those who have insight will fall, in order to refine, purge and make them pure until the end time….Then the king will do as he pleases, and he will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will speak monstrous things against the God of gods; and he will prosper until the indignation is finished….he will give great honor to those who acknowledge him and will cause them to rule over the many, and will parcel out land for a price. At the end time the king of the South will collide with him, and the king of the North will storm against him….he will enter countries, overflow them and pass through. He will also enter the Beautiful Land, and many countries will fall; but these will be rescued out of his hand: Edom, Moab and the foremost of the sons of Ammon…he will stretch out his hand against other countries, and the land of Egypt will not escape…and Libyans and Ethiopians will follow at his heels. But rumors from the East and from the North will disturb him, and he will go forth with great wrath to destroy and annihilate many. He will pitch the tents of his royal pavilion between the seas and the beautiful Holy Mountain; yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.’”
Chapter 12: The angel sent to Daniel (chapter 10) completes his explanation of the vision Daniel saw: “Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” Regarding the length of time to the end of these wonders, he says, “a time, times, and half a time; and as soon as they finish shattering the power of the holy people, all these events will be completed.” He ends with, “Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time. Many will be purged, purified and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand. From the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. How blessed is he who keeps waiting and attains to the 1,335 days! But as for you, go your way to the end; then you will enter into rest and rise again for your allotted portion at the end of the age.’”
SUMMARY:
Chapter 1: King Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, became subject to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon during the third year of his reign, after Jerusalem was besieged. He took vessels from the temple and youths from the royal and noble families with him to Babylon, including Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, who were renamed Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. They were educated for three years in the literature and language of the Chaldeans. Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the king’s choice food and wine, so asked him and his friends to be given vegetables and water. God have given Daniel favor with the servant in charge of them but he was afraid they would look haggard on this diet and he would be killed as a result. Daniel proposed a ten day test, and they actually looked better than the other youths afterward. God gave Daniel and his friends “knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams.” After three years, they were interviewed by the king and they entered his personal service. “As for every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and conjurers who were in all his realm.” Daniel served until the first year of Cyrus, the king of Persia.
Chapter 2: King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream in the second year of his reign. He called in “the magicians, the conjurers, the sorcerers and the Chaldeans.” He demanded that they tell him both the dream and its interpretation, something they said only gods, but no mortal flesh, could do, so they asked him to tell the dream first. He refused, saying, “you have agreed together to speak lying and corrupt words before me until the situation is changed.” The king gave orders to kill all the wise men of Babylon, including Daniel and his friends. Daniel asked Arioch, the captain of the king’s bodyguard, to take him before the king to ask for more time and then prayed with his friends for the Lord’s compassion. The Lord revealed both the dream and its interpretation to Daniel. The king saw an extraordinary statue whose head was gold, its breast and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were bronze, its legs were iron, and its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. A “stone was cut out without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed all at the same time and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.” The interpretation given to Daniel by God was that Nebuchadnezzar and his kingdom of Babylon were the head of gold. After him would arise a kingdom of silver, inferior to him, and then another of bronze, to rule over all the earth. A later kingdom of iron will crush this kingdom, but it will be divided, with some of it strong and some of it brittle: “they will combine with one another in the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, even as iron does not combine with pottery. In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever. Inasmuch as you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold, the great God has made known to the king what will take place in the future; so the dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy.” The king declared, ‘Surely your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, since you have been able to reveal this mystery.’ The king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts, and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect overall the wise men of Babylon. Daniel made request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego over the administration of the province of Babylon, while Daniel was at the king’s court.”
Chapter 3: King Nebuchadnezzar sets up a gold statue of himself to be worshipped. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego fail to worship, they are accused by the Chaldeans and brought before an enraged king, who demands they worship or get thrown into a furnace of blazing fire. They respond, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” He has them tied up and thrown into a furnace so hot it kills the men who threw them in. Then the king sees “‘four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!’ Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the furnace of blazing fire; he responded and said, ‘Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, come out, you servants of the Most High God,and come here!’ Then Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego came out of the midst of the fire. The satraps, the prefects, the governors and the king’s high officials gathered around and saw in regard to these men that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men nor was the hair of their head singed, nor were their trousers damaged, nor had the smell of fire even come upon them. Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, ‘Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation or tongue that speaks anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego shall be torn limb from limb and their houses reduced to a rubbish heap, inasmuch as there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way.’ Then the king caused Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-negoto prosper in the province of Babylon.”
Chapter 4: Nebuchadnezzar tells his own story in this chapter, saying, “It has seemed good to me to declare the signs and wonders which the Most High God has done for me.” He had a dream that distressed him and his wise men could not interpret it, so he summoned Daniel. In the dream he saw a great tree, feeding all living creatures. An angel descended from heaven and declared that the tree be chopped down and its branches cut off, but its stump should be left in the ground with its roots, with a band of iron and bronze around it. “And let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, And let him share with the beasts in the grass of the earth. Let his mind be changed from that of a man And let a beast’s mind be given to him, And let seven periods of time pass over him….
In order that the living may know That the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, And bestows it on whom He wishes And sets over it the lowliest of men.”’ Daniel interprets that the dream is a decree from the Most High and advises “break away now from your sins by doing righteousness and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, in case there may be a prolonging of your prosperity.” A year later, the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace, reflecting, “Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?”’ A voice came from heaven, “King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: sovereignty has been removed from you, and you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the beasts of the field. You will be given grass to eat like cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.” The word “concerning Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled; and he was driven away from mankind and began eating grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws. But at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever…I was reestablished in my sovereignty, and surpassing greatness was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.’”
Chapter 5: King Nebuchadnezzar’s son Belshazzar has a great feast with thousands of his nobles. He gives orders to bring the gold and silver vessels that has father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so they might drink wine from them. “They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone. Suddenly the fingers of a man’s hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace.” He summoned his wise men but they could not read or interpret the inscription on the wall. The queen tells the king about Daniel, whom he summons. Daniel reminds the king about his father’s humbling (recounted in chapter 4). “Yet you, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this, but you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven.” Daniel interprets the writing: “‘MENE’—God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it. ‘TEKEL’—you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient. ‘PERES’—your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians….That same night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain. So Darius the Mede received the kingdom at about the age of sixty-two.”
Chapter 6: King Darius the Mede appointed 120 satraps over his kingdom with 3 commissioners, one being Daniel, over them. Daniel distinguished himself so the king planned to appoint him over the entire kingdom. The commissioners and satraps tried to find grounds for accusation against Daniel in regards to government affairs, but were unable to because he was faithful. They determined, “We will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him with regard to the law of his God.” They went to the king, saying: “the high officials and the governors have consulted together that the king should establish a statute and enforce an injunction that anyone who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, shall be cast into the lions’ den.” The king signed the injunction. “Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously.” The men went to the king, who “was deeply distressed and set his mind on delivering Daniel” but the men reminded him, “that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or statute which the king establishes may be changed.” The king gave orders to throw Daniel into the lions’ den, saying, “Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you” and then “went off to his palace and spent the night fasting, and no entertainment was brought before him; and his sleep fled from him.” He went to the lions’ den at day break and cried out, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you constantly serve, been able to deliver you from the lions?” Daniel replied, “My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths and they have not harmed me, inasmuch as I was found innocent before Him; and also toward you, O king, I have committed no crime.” No injury was found on Daniel “because he had trusted in his God. The king then gave orders, and they brought those men who had maliciously accused Daniel, and they cast them, their children and their wives into the lions’ den; and they had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones. Darius the king wrote to all the peoples, nations and men of every language who were living in all the land: ‘May your peace abound! I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel…Daniel enjoyed success in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.”
Chapter 7: Daniel tells the dream he had during the first year of the reign of Belshazzar, son of Nebuchadnezzar. He saw four beasts, representing four kings of the earth, with the fourth devouring and crushing the others [remember Nebuchadnezzar’s dream about the kingdoms of gold, silver, bronze, and then iron. The first three kingdoms successively reign over the whole earth. The fourth conquers, but then is divided.] The fourth beast has ten horns, also representing kings, but a little horn, with eyes like a man and a mouth uttering boasts, pulls up three of them. That king wages war with the saints, until the Ancient of Days takes His seat and passes judgment. The fourth beast is slain and its body is destroyed and given to the burning fire. The other beasts’ dominion is taken away but extension of life is granted to them. The Son of Man is presented to the Ancient of Days and He is given an everlasting kingdom of the saints of the Highest One.
Chapter 8: Daniel tells the vision of the time of the end, and the interpretation given him by the angel Gabriel, that he had during the third year of the reign of Belshazzar. He was in the citadel of Susa, which is in the province of El beside the Ulai Canal and a ram, with two horns, one longer than the other and coming up last, representing Media and Persia, was standing in front of the canal. No beast could stand before him and there was no one to rescue from his power. He did what he pleased and magnified himself, until a male goat, representing Greece, with one horn, comes from the west and shatters the two horns of the ram, and does what he pleases and magnifies himself. But as soon as he is mighty, his horn, which is the first king, is broken and four horns, representing four kings, come up in its place, followed by a small horn, a last king. This last king will be “Insolent and skilled in intrigue. His power will be mighty, but not by his own power, And he will destroy to an extraordinary degree And prosper and perform his will; He will destroy mighty men and the holy people. And through his shrewdness He will cause deceit to succeed by his influence; And he will magnify himself in his heart, And he will destroy many while they are at ease. He will even oppose the Prince of princes, But he will be broken without human agency.” The small horn “grew up to the host of heaven and caused some of the host and some of the stars to fall to the earth, and it trampled them down. It even magnified itself to be equal with the Commander of the host; and it removed the regular sacrifice from Him, and the place of His sanctuary was thrown down.” Daniel “heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to that particular one who was speaking, ‘How long will the vision about the regular sacrifice apply, while the transgression causes horror, so as to allow both the holy place and the host to be trampled?’ He said to me, ‘For 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the holy place will be properly restored.’”
Chapter 9: In the first year of Darius the Mede, who overthrew the Chaldeans, Daniel reads in Jeremiah about the prophesied 70 years of desolation of Jerusalem [Jeremiah 25:11-12, 29:10]. He gives his “attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes. ‘I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed…while I was speaking and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God, while I was still speaking in prayer, then the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision previously, came to me in my extreme weariness about the time of the evening offering: “O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you insight with understanding. At the beginning of your supplications the command was issued, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed; so give heed to the message and gain understanding of the vision.’ He explains that, “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place.” He does say that Jerusalem will be rebuilt, an answer to Daniel’s prayer: “from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks….Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary…he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.’”
Chapter 10: “In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel” and “he understood the message and had an understanding of the vision.” He mourned and fasted for three weeks, until an angel came “to give you an understanding of what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision pertains to the days yet future.” Daniel was on the banks of the Tigris River when a “man dressed in linen” came to him. His “waist was girded with a belt of pure gold..His body also was like beryl, his face had the appearance of lightning, his eyes were like flaming torches, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a tumult…I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, while the men who were with me did not see the vision; nevertheless, a great dread fell on them, and they ran away to hide themselves.” The angel tells Daniel, “from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia….I shall now return to fight against the prince of Persia; so I am going forth, and behold, the prince of Greece is about to come. However, I will tell you what is inscribed in the writing of truth. Yet there is no one who stands firmly with me against these forces except Michael your prince.’”
Chapter 11: The angel explains that, “In the first year of Darius the Mede, I arose to be an encouragement and a protection for him” and then explains the vision Daniel saw. “[T]hree more kings are going to arise in Persia. Then a fourth will gain far more riches than all of them; as soon as he becomes strong through his riches, he will arouse the whole empire against the realm of Greece. And a mighty king will arise, and he will rule with great authority and do as he pleases. But as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom will be broken up and parceled out toward the four points of the compass. Then the king of the South will grow strong, along with one of his princes who will gain ascendancy over him and obtain dominion….After some years they will form an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the South will come to the king of the North to carry out a peaceful arrangement….one of the descendants of her line will arise in his place, and he will come against their army and enter the fortress of the king of the North, and he will deal with them and display great strength. Also their gods with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold he will take into captivity to Egypt, and he on his part will refrain from attacking the king of the North for some years. Then the latter will enter the realm of the king of the South, but will return to his own land. His sons will mobilize and assemble a multitude of great forces…The king of the South will be enraged and go forth and fight with the king of the North. Then the latter will raise a great multitude, but that multitude will be given into the hand of the former. When the multitude is carried away, his heart will be lifted up, and he will cause tens of thousands to fall; yet he will not prevail. For the king of the North will again raise a greater multitude than the former, and after an interval of some years he will press on with a great army and much equipment. Now in those times many will rise up against the king of the South; the violent ones among your people will also lift themselves up in order to fulfill the vision, but they will fall down. Then the king of the North will come…and the forces of the South will not stand their ground…he will also stay for a time in the Beautiful Land, with destruction in his hand…bringing with him a proposal of peace which he will put into effect; he will also give him the daughter of women to ruin it. But she will not take a stand for him or be on his side. Then he will turn his face to the coastlands and capture many. But a commander will put a stop to his scorn against him; moreover, he will repay him for his scorn. So he will turn his face toward the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble and fall and be found no more. Then in his place one will arise who will send an oppressor through the Jewel of his kingdom; yet within a few days he will be shattered, though not in anger nor in battle. In his place a despicable person will arise, on whom the honor of kingship has not been conferred, but he will come in a time of tranquility and seize the kingdom by intrigue…He will stir up his strength and courage against the king of the South with a large army; so the king of the South will mobilize an extremely large and mighty army for war; but he will not stand, for schemes will be devised against him….Then he will return to his land with much plunder; but his heart will be set against the holy covenant, and he will take action and then return to his own land. At the appointed time he will return and come into the South, but this last time it will not turn out the way it did before. For ships of Kittim will come against him; therefore he will be disheartened and will return and become enraged at the holy covenant and take action; so he will come back and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant. Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation. By smooth words he will turn to godlessness those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will display strength and take action. Those who have insight among the people will give understanding to the many; yet they will fall by sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder for many days. Now when they fall they will be granted a little help, and many will join with them in hypocrisy. Some of those who have insight will fall, in order to refine, purge and make them pure until the end time….Then the king will do as he pleases, and he will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will speak monstrous things against the God of gods; and he will prosper until the indignation is finished….he will give great honor to those who acknowledge him and will cause them to rule over the many, and will parcel out land for a price. At the end time the king of the South will collide with him, and the king of the North will storm against him….he will enter countries, overflow them and pass through. He will also enter the Beautiful Land, and many countries will fall; but these will be rescued out of his hand: Edom, Moab and the foremost of the sons of Ammon…he will stretch out his hand against other countries, and the land of Egypt will not escape…and Libyans and Ethiopians will follow at his heels. But rumors from the East and from the North will disturb him, and he will go forth with great wrath to destroy and annihilate many. He will pitch the tents of his royal pavilion between the seas and the beautiful Holy Mountain; yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.’”
Chapter 12: The angel sent to Daniel (chapter 10) completes his explanation of the vision Daniel saw: “Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.” Daniel asks him, “How long will it be until the end of these wonders?” He responds, “a time, times, and half a time; and as soon as they finish shattering the power of the holy people, all these events will be completed.” He ends with, “Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time. Many will be purged, purified and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand. From the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. How blessed is he who keeps waiting and attains to the 1,335 days! But as for you, go your way to the end; then you will enter into rest and rise again for your allotted portion at the end of the age.’”
OUTLINE:
Daniel 1
Daniel is exiled to Babylon (v1-7)
“In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar”
“the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal family and of the nobles, youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for serving in the king’s court; and he ordered him to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans”
“The king appointed for them a daily ration from the king’s choice food and from the wine which he drank, and appointed that they should be educated three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king’s personal service”
“among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah”
“the commander of the officials assigned new names to them; and to Daniel he assigned the name Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Mishael Meshach and to Azariah Abed-nego”
“Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank (v8-16):
“he sought permission from the commander of the officials”
“God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials,” but he was afraid Daniel and his friends would look haggard and he would be beheaded by the king
Daniel said, “Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance be observed in your presence and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king’s choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see.”
“At the end of ten days their appearance seemed better and they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king’s choice food. So the overseer continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables.”
“As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams” (v17)
after the required three years, “the commander of the officials presented them before Nebuchadnezzar…not one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s personal service. As for every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and conjurers who were in all his realm” (v18-21)
“Daniel continued until the first year of Cyrus the king”
Daniel 2
“Now in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams” (v1-11):
“his spirit was troubled and his sleep left him”
“the king gave orders to call in the magicians, the conjurers, the sorcerers and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams”
the king told them, ‘The command from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you will be torn limb from limb and your houses will be made a rubbish heap. But if you declare the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts and a reward and great honor; therefore declare to me the dream and its interpretation….you have agreed together to speak lying and corrupt words before me until the situation is changed’
“The Chaldeans answered the king and said, ‘There is not a man on earth who could declare the matter for the king, inasmuch as no great king or ruler has ever asked anything like this of any magician, conjurer or Chaldean. Moreover, the thing which the king demands is difficult, and there is no one else who could declare it to the king except gods, whose dwelling place is not with mortal flesh’
“the king became indignant and very furious and gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon (v12-13):
“the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they looked for Daniel and his friends to kill them”
“Daniel replied with discretion and discernment to Arioch, the captain of the king’s bodyguard” (v14-16):
‘For what reason is the decree from the king so urgent?’
“Then Arioch informed Daniel about the matter”
“So Daniel went in and requested of the king that he would give him time, in order that he might declare the interpretation to the king”
“Daniel went to his house and informed his friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, about the matter, so that they might request compassion from the God of heaven concerning this mystery” (v17-18)
“the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven” (v19-23 ):
'Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever,
For wisdom and power belong to Him.
It is He who changes the times and the epochs;
He removes kings and establishes kings;
He gives wisdom to wise men
And knowledge to men of understanding.
It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And the light dwells with Him.
To You, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise,
For You have given me wisdom and power;
Even now You have made known to me what we requested of You, For You have made known to us the king’s matter.’
“Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon” (v24):
‘Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon! Take me into the king’s presence, and I will declare the interpretation to the king.’
“Arioch hurriedly brought Daniel into the king’s presence” (v25-30):
‘I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can make the interpretation known to the king!’
“Daniel answered before the king and said, ‘As for the mystery about which the king has inquired, neither wise men, conjurers, magicians nor diviners are able to declare it to the king. However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days.’
‘This was your dream and the visions in your mind while on your bed. As for you, O king, while on your bed your thoughts turned to what would take place in the future; and He who reveals mysteries has made known to you what will take place”
“this mystery has not been revealed to me for any wisdom residing in me more than in any other living man, but for the purpose of making the interpretation known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind”
King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, as told by Daniel (v31-35):
‘there was a single great statue; that statue, which was large and of extraordinary splendor, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was awesome. The head of that statue was made of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. You continued looking until a stone was cut out without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed all at the same time and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth”
Daniel’s interpretation of the dream, as given to him by God (v36-45):
‘You, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength and the glory; and wherever the sons of men dwell, or the beasts of the field, or the birds of the sky, He has given them into your hand and has caused you to rule over them all. You are the head of gold.’
“After you there will arise another kingdom inferior to you, then another third kingdom of bronze, which will rule over all the earth.”
“Then there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron; in as much as iron crushes and shatters all things, so, like iron that breaks in pieces, it will crush and break all these in pieces. In that you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, it will be a divided kingdom; but it will have in it the toughness of iron, inasmuch as you saw the iron mixed with common clay. As the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of pottery, so some of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be brittle. And in that you saw the iron mixed with common clay, they will combine with one another in the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, even as iron does not combine with pottery.”
“In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever. Inasmuch as you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold, the great God has made known to the king what will take place in the future; so the dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy.’
“King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face and did homage to Daniel” (v46-49):
he “gave orders to present to him an offering and fragrant incense”
‘Surely your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, since you have been able to reveal this mystery.’
“the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts, and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect overall the wise men of Babylon.”
“Daniel made request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego over the administration of the province of Babylon, while Daniel was at the king’s court.”
Daniel 3
“Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold” (v1-7):
“he set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon”
“the herald loudly proclaimed: ‘To you the command is given, O peoples, nations and men of every language, that at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe and all kinds of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up. But whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire.’”Therefore at that time, when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations and men of every language fell down and worshiped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
“certain Chaldeans came forward and brought charges against the Jews” (v8-15):
‘There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon, namely Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. These men, O king, have disregarded you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up.’
“Nebuchadnezzar in rage and anger gave orders to bring Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego…’if you do not worship, you will immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and what god is there who can deliver you out of my hands?’”
“Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king (v16-18):
‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
the three men are cast into, and saved from, the fire (v19-27):
the king gave “orders to heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. He commanded certain valiant warriors who were in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego…because the king’s command was urgent and the furnace had been made extremely hot, the flame of the fire slew those men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego”
“Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded and stood up in haste; he said to his high officials, ‘Was it not three men we cast bound into the midst of the fire?’ They replied to the king, ‘Certainly, O king.’ He said, ‘Look! I see four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!’”
“Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the furnace of blazing fire; he responded and said, ‘Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, come out, you servants of the Most High God, and come here!’ Then Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego came out of the midst of the fire. The satraps, the prefects, the governors and the king’s high officials gathered around and saw in regard to these men that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men nor was the hair of their head singed, nor were their trousers damaged, nor had the smell of fire even come upon them.”
“Nebuchadnezzar responded” (v28-30)
‘Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation or tongue that speaks anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego shall be torn limb from limb and their houses reduced to a rubbish heap, inasmuch as there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way.’
“the king caused Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-negoto prosper in the province of Babylon.”
Daniel 4
this chapter is the word of “Nebuchadnezzar the king to all the peoples, nations, and men of every language that live in all the earth” (v1-3):
‘It has seemed good to me to declare the signs and wonders which the Most High God has done for me. How great are His signs And how mighty are His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom And His dominion is from generation to generation.’
‘I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and flourishing in my palace. I saw a dream and it made me fearful’ (v4-9):
‘I gave orders to bring into my presence all the wise men of Babylon, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream…but they could not make its interpretation known to me.’
‘But finally Daniel came in before me, whose name is Belteshazzar’
‘I related the dream to him, saying, “O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, since I know that a spirit of the holy gods is in you and no mystery baffles you, tell me the visions of my dream which I have seen, along with its interpretation.”’
Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (v10-17)”
‘there was a tree in the midst of the earth and its height was great…..And all living creatures fed themselves from it’
‘an angelic watcher, a holy one, descended from heaven.
He shouted out and spoke as follows:
"Chop down the tree and cut off its branches….And let him be drenched with the dew of heaven,
And let him share with the beasts in the grass of the earth.
Let his mind be changed from that of a man
And let a beast’s mind be given to him, And let seven periods of time pass over him….
In order that the living may know
That the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind,
And bestows it on whom He wishes
And sets over it the lowliest of men.”’
Daniel interprets the dream (v18 -27):
‘Belteshazzar replied, “My lord, if only the dream applied to those who hate you and its interpretation to your adversaries! The tree that you saw— it is you, O king”
“this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king: that you be driven away from mankind and your dwelling place be with the beasts of the field, and you be given grass to eat like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven; and seven periods of time will pass over you, until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes”
“And in that it was commanded to leave the stump with the roots of the tree, your kingdom will be assured to you after you recognize that it is Heaven that rules”
“Therefore, O king, may my advice be pleasing to you: break away now from your sins by doing righteousness and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, in case there may be a prolonging of your prosperity.”
‘All this happened to Nebuchadnezzar the king’ (v28-37):
‘Twelve months later he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon. The king reflected and said, “Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?”’
‘While the word was in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven, saying, “King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: sovereignty has been removed from you, and you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the beasts of the field. You will be given grass to eat like cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.”’
“Immediately the word concerning Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled; and he was driven away from mankind and began eating grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.”
‘But at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever’
‘For His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
And His kingdom endures from generation to generation.
All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,
But He does according to His will in the host of heaven
And among the inhabitants of earth;
And no one can ward off His hand
Or say to Him, “What have You done?”’
‘At that time my reason returned to me. And my majesty and splendor were restored to me for the glory of my kingdom, and my counselors and my nobles began seeking me out; so I was reestablished in my sovereignty, and surpassing greatness was added to me’
'Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.’
Daniel 5
King Nebuchadnezzar’s son Belshazzar has a great feast with thousands of his nobles (v1-9):
“he gave orders to bring the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them”
“They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.”
“Suddenly the fingers of a man’s hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace”
“The king called aloud to bring in the conjurers, the Chaldeans and the diviners…but they could not read the inscription or make known its interpretation to the king”
the queen tells the king about Daniel (v10-12):
“Do not let your thoughts alarm you or your face be pale. There is a man in your kingdom in whom is a spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father, illumination, insight and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him. And King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, your father the king, appointed him chief of the magicians, conjurers, Chaldeans and diviners. This was because an extraordinary spirit, knowledge and insight, interpretation of dreams, explanation of enigmas and solving of difficult problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Let Daniel now be summoned and he will declare the interpretation.”
“Daniel was brought in before the king” (v13-16):
“if you are able to read the inscription and make its interpretation known to me, you will be clothed with purple and wear a necklace of gold around your neck, and you will have authority as the third ruler in the kingdom.”
Daniel interprets the writing on the wall (v17-28):
“Keep your gifts for yourself or give your rewards to someone else; however, I will read the inscription to the king and make the interpretation known to him.”
“O king, the Most High God granted sovereignty, grandeur, glory and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father. Because of the grandeur which He bestowed on him, all the peoples, nations and men of every language feared and trembled before him; whomever he wished he killed and whomever he wished he spared alive; and whomever he wished he elevated and whomever he wished he humbled. But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit became so proud that he behaved arrogantly, he was deposed from his royal throne and his glory was taken away from him. He was also driven away from mankind, and his heart was made like that of beasts, and his dwelling place was with the wild donkeys. He was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he recognized that the Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind and that He sets over it whomever He wishes.”
“Yet you, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this, but you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines have been drinking wine from them; and you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which do not see, hear or understand.”
“But the God in whose hand are your life-breath and all your ways, you have not glorified. Then the hand was sent from Him and this inscription was written out.”
“This is the interpretation of the message: ‘MENE’—God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it. ‘TEKEL’—you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient. ‘PERES’—your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.’
the outcome (v29-31):
Belshazzar gave orders, and they clothed Daniel with purple and put a necklace of gold around his neck, and issued a proclamation concerning him that he now had authority as the third ruler in the kingdom.”
“That same night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain. So Darius the Mede received the kingdom at about the age of sixty-two.”
Daniel 6
a plot against Daniel (v1-9):
King Darius the Mede appointed 120 satraps over his kingdom with 3 commissioners, one being Daniel, over them
“Daniel began distinguishing himself among the commissioners and satraps because he possessed an extraordinary spirit, and the king planned to appoint him over the entire kingdom”
“the commissioners and satraps began trying to find a ground of accusation against Daniel in regard to government affairs; but they could find no ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him”
they said, ‘We will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him with regard to the law of his God.’
they went to the king: “the high officials and the governors have consulted together that the king should establish a statute and enforce an injunction that anyone who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, shall be cast into the lions’ den. Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document so that it may not be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked.”
“King Darius signed the document, that is, the injunction.”
Daniel prays anyway (v10-15):
“Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously”
the men “spoke before the king, ‘Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the injunction which you signed, but keeps making his petition three times a day.’”
“as soon as the king heard this statement, he was deeply distressed and set his mind on delivering Daniel; and even until sunset he kept exerting himself to rescue him”
“these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, ‘Recognize, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or statute which the king establishes may be changed.’”
Daniel in the lion’s den (v16-18:
“Then the king gave orders, and Daniel was brought in and cast into the lions’ den.”
“The king spoke and said to Daniel, ‘Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you.’
“the king went off to his palace and spent the night fasting, and no entertainment was brought before him; and his sleep fled from him”
“the king arose at dawn, at the break of day, and went in haste to the lions’ den…he cried out with a troubled voice…‘Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you constantly serve, been able to deliver you from the lions?’”
“Daniel spoke to the king, ‘O king, live forever! My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths and they have not harmed me, inasmuch as I was found innocent before Him; and also toward you, O king, I have committed no crime.’”
“the king was very pleased and gave orders for Daniel to be taken up out of the den”
“no injury whatever was found on him, because he had trusted in his God”
“The king then gave orders, and they brought those men who had maliciously accused Daniel, and they cast them, their children and their wives into the lions’ den; and they had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.”
the outcome (v24-27):
“Darius the king wrote to all the peoples, nations and men of every language who were living in all the land: ‘May your peace abound! I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel;
For He is the living God and enduring forever,
And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed,
And His dominion will be forever.
He delivers and rescues and performs signs and wonders
In heaven and on earth,
Who has also delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.’”“Daniel enjoyed success in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.”
Daniel 7
“In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel saw a dream and visions in his mind as he lay on his bed (v1-5):
“the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea”
“four great beasts were coming up from the sea”
“first was like a lion and had the wings of an eagle…its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man; a human mind also was given to it”
“a second one, resembling a bear…three ribs were in its mouth”
“a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird; the beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it”
“a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong”
“It devoured and crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet”
“it had ten horns”
another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great boasts”
“thrones were set up, And the Ancient of Days took His seat (v9-10):
“His vesture was like white snow And the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, Its wheels were a burning fire. A river of fire was flowing And coming out from before Him; Thousands upon thousands were attending Him, And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; The court sat, And the books were opened.”
the [fourth] beast was slain, and its body was destroyed and given to the burning fire (v9-10):
“As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but an extension of life was granted to them for an appointed period of time”
Son of Man (v13-14):
“behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.
Daniel is given an interpretation (v15-18):
“These great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings who will arise from the earth. But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come.”
the meaning of the fourth beast (v19-27):
“that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom”
“The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth”
“out of this kingdom ten kings will arise”
“and another will arise after them…and will subdue three kings”
“He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever. Then the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.’
‘At this point the revelation ended. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts were greatly alarming me and my face grew pale, but I kept the matter to myself.’ (v28)
Daniel 8
“In the third year of the reign of Belshazzar the king a vision appeared to me (v1-8):
“I was in the citadel of Susa, which is in the province of Elam…beside the Ulai Canal”
“a ram which had two horns was standing in front of the canal”
“one was longer than the other, with the longer one coming up last”
“I saw the ram butting westward, northward, and southward, and no other beasts could stand before him nor was there anyone to rescue from his power, but he did as he pleased and magnified himself”
“a male goat was coming from the west over the surface of the whole earth without touching the ground; and the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes”
“he struck the ram and shattered his two horns, and the ram had no strength to withstand him”
“the male goat magnified himself exceedingly”
“But as soon as he was mighty, the large horn was broken; and in its place there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven.”
“Out of one of them came forth a rather small horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Beautiful Land (v9-14):
“It grew up to the host of heaven and caused some of the host and some of the stars to fall to the earth, and it trampled them down. It even magnified itself to be equal with the Commander of the host; and it removed the regular sacrifice from Him, and the place of His sanctuary was thrown down”
“I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to that particular one who was speaking, ‘How long will the vision about the regular sacrifice apply, while the transgression causes horror, so as to allow both the holy place and the host to be trampled?’ He said to me, ‘For 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the holy place will be properly restored.’”
the voice of a man called out to man standing before Daniel (v15-26):
‘Gabriel, give this man an understanding of the vision’
he said to me, ‘Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the time of the end’
“I sank into a deep sleep with my face to the ground; but he touched me and made me stand upright. He said, ‘Behold, I am going to let you know what will occur at the final period of the indignation, for it pertains to the appointed time of the end.’”
‘The ram which you saw with the two horns represents the kings of Media and Persia.’
‘The shaggy goat represents the kingdom of Greece, and the large horn that is between his eyes is the first king. The broken horn and the four horns that arose in its place represent four kingdoms which will arise from his nation, although not with his power’
‘In the latter period of their rule,
When the transgressors have run their course,
A king will arise,
Insolent and skilled in intrigue.
His power will be mighty, but not by his own power,
And he will destroy to an extraordinary degree
And prosper and perform his will;
He will destroy mighty men and the holy people.
And through his shrewdness
He will cause deceit to succeed by his influence;
And he will magnify himself in his heart,
And he will destroy many while they are at ease.
He will even oppose the Prince of princes,
But he will be broken without human agency.
The vision of the evenings and mornings
Which has been told is true;
But keep the vision secret,
For it pertains to many days in the future.’
“Then I, Daniel, was exhausted and sick for days. Then I got up again and carried on the king’s business; but I was astounded at the vision, and there was none to explain it.” (v27)
Daniel 9
Daniel reads in Jeremiah about the prophesied 70 years of desolation of Jerusalem (v1-3)
“In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans— I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years”
“I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes”
“I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed” (v4-19)
‘Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly and rebelled, even turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances. Moreover, we have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our princes, our fathers and all the people of the land.’
‘Righteousness belongs to You, O Lord, but to us open shame, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those who are nearby and those who are far away in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against You. Open shame belongs to us, O LORD, to our kings, our princes and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him; nor have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His teachings which He set before us through His servants the prophets. Indeed all Israel has transgressed Your law and turned aside, not obeying Your voice; so the curse has been poured out on us, along with the oath which is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against Him. Thus He has confirmed His words which He had spoken against us and against our rulers who ruled us, to bring on us great calamity; for under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what was done to Jerusalem. As it is written in the law of Moses, all this calamity has come on us; yet we have not sought the favor of the LORD our God by turning from our iniquity and giving attention to Your truth. Therefore the LORD has kept the calamity in store and brought it on us; for the LORD our God is righteous with respect to all His deeds which He has done, but we have not obeyed His voice.
‘And now, O Lord our God, who have brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and have made a name for Yourself, as it is this day—we have sinned, we have been wicked. O Lord, in accordance with all Your righteous acts, let now Your anger and Your wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become a reproach to all those around us. So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplications, and for Your sake, O Lord, let Your face shine on Your desolate sanctuary. O my God, incline Your ear and hear! Open Your eyes and see our desolations and the city which is called by Your name; for we are not presenting our supplications before You on account of any merits of our own, but on account of Your great compassion. O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, O my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.’
Gabriel appears (v20-23):
“while I was speaking and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God, while I was still speaking in prayer, then the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision previously, came to me in my extreme weariness about the time of the evening offering”
“He gave me instruction and talked with me and said, ‘O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you insight with understanding. At the beginning of your supplications the command was issued, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed; so give heed to the message and gain understanding of the vision.’
Seventy weeks (v24-27):
“have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place”
“from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks”
“after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary”
“its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined”
“he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.”
Daniel 10
“In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel” and “he understood the message and had an understanding of the vision” (v1)
A messenger is sent to Daniel (v2-21)
“I, Daniel, had been mourning for three entire weeks”
“while I was by the bank of the great river, that is, the Tigris, I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a certain man dressed in linen, whose waist was girded with a belt of pure gold”
“His body also was like beryl, his face had the appearance of lightning, his eyes were like flaming torches, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a tumult”
“I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, while the men who were with me did not see the vision; nevertheless, a great dread fell on them, and they ran away to hide themselves”
“I retained no strength. But I heard the sound of his words; and as soon as I heard the sound of his words, I fell into a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground.”
“Then behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees”
“He said to me, ‘O Daniel, man of high esteem, understand the words that I am about to tell you and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.’
‘Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia. Now I have come to give you an understanding of what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision pertains to the days yet future.’
“When he had spoken to me according to these words, I turned my face toward the ground and became speechless. And behold, one who resembled a human being was touching my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke and said to him who was standing before me, ‘O my lord, as a result of the vision anguish has come upon me, and I have retained no strength. For how can such a servant of my lord talk with such as my lord? As for me, there remains just now no strength in me, nor has any breath been left in me.’
“Then this one with human appearance touched me again and strengthened me. He said, ‘O man of high esteem, do not be afraid. Peace be with you; take courage and be courageous!’”
“Now as soon as he spoke to me, I received strength and said, ‘May my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.’ Then he said, ‘Do you understand why I came to you? But I shall now return to fight against the prince of Persia; so I am going forth, and behold, the prince of Greece is about to come. However, I will tell you what is inscribed in the writing of truth. Yet there is no one who stands firmly with me against these forces except Michael your prince.’”
Daniel 11
the messenger sent to Daniel gives an explanation of the vision Daniel saw in Chapter 10 (v1-45):
“In the first year of Darius the Mede, I arose to be an encouragement and a protection for him”
“three more kings are going to arise in Persia. Then a fourth will gain far more riches than all of them; as soon as he becomes strong through his riches, he will arouse the whole empire against the realm of Greece. And a mighty king will arise, and he will rule with great authority and do as he pleases. But as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom will be broken up and parceled out toward the four points of the compass, though not to his own descendants, nor according to his authority which he wielded, for his sovereignty will be uprooted and given to others besides them”
“Then the king of the South will grow strong, along with one of his princes who will gain ascendancy over him and obtain dominion; his domain will be a great dominion indeed. After some years they will form an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the South will come to the king of the North to carry out a peaceful arrangement. But she will not retain her position of power, nor will he remain with his power, but she will be given up, along with those who brought her in and the one who sired her as well as he who supported her in those times. But one of the descendants of her line will arise in his place, and he will come against their army and enter the fortress of the king of the North, and he will deal with them and display great strength. Also their gods with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold he will take into captivity to Egypt, and he on his part will refrain from attacking the king of the North for some years. Then the latter will enter the realm of the king of the South, but will return to his own land.”
“His sons will mobilize and assemble a multitude of great forces; and one of them will keep on coming and overflow and pass through, that he may again wage war up to his very fortress. The king of the South will be enraged and go forth and fight with the king of the North. Then the latter will raise a great multitude, but that multitude will be given into the hand of the former. When the multitude is carried away, his heart will be lifted up, and he will cause tens of thousands to fall; yet he will not prevail. For the king of the North will again raise a greater multitude than the former, and after an interval of some years he will press on with a great army and much equipment.”
“Now in those times many will rise up against the king of the South; the violent ones among your people will also lift themselves up in order to fulfill the vision, but they will fall down.”
“Then the king of the North will come, cast up a siege ramp and capture a well-fortified city; and the forces of the South will not stand their ground, not even their choicest troops, for there will be no strength to make a stand. But he who comes against him will do as he pleases, and no one will be able to withstand him; he will also stay for a time in the Beautiful Land, with destruction in his hand. He will set his face to come with the power of his whole kingdom, bringing with him a proposal of peace which he will put into effect; he will also give him the daughter of women to ruin it. But she will not take a stand for him or be on his side. Then he will turn his face to the coastlands and capture many. But a commander will put a stop to his scorn against him; moreover, he will repay him for his scorn. So he will turn his face toward the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble and fall and be found no more.”
“Then in his place one will arise who will send an oppressor through the Jewel of his kingdom; yet within a few days he will be shattered, though not in anger nor in battle.”
“In his place a despicable person will arise, on whom the honor of kingship has not been conferred, but he will come in a time of tranquility and seize the kingdom by intrigue. The overflowing forces will be flooded away before him and shattered, and also the prince of the covenant. After an alliance is made with him he will practice deception, and he will go up and gain power with a small force of people. In a time of tranquility he will enter the richest parts of the realm, and he will accomplish what his fathers never did, nor his ancestors; he will distribute plunder, booty and possessions among them, and he will devise his schemes against strongholds, but only for a time. He will stir up his strength and courage against the king of the South with a large army; so the king of the South will mobilize an extremely large and mighty army for war; but he will not stand, for schemes will be devised against him. Those who eat his choice food will destroy him, and his army will overflow, but many will fall down slain. As for both kings, their hearts will be intent on evil, and they will speak lies to each other at the same table; but it will not succeed, for the end is still to come at the appointed time. Then he will return to his land with much plunder; but his heart will be set against the holy covenant, and he will take action and then return to his own land.”
“At the appointed time he will return and come into the South, but this last time it will not turn out the way it did before. For ships of Kittim will come against him; therefore he will be disheartened and will return and become enraged at the holy covenant and take action; so he will come back and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant. Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation. By smooth words he will turn to godlessness those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will display strength and take action. Those who have insight among the people will give understanding to the many; yet they will fall by sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder for many days. Now when they fall they will be granted a little help, and many will join with them in hypocrisy. Some of those who have insight will fall, in order to refine, purge and make them pure until the end time; because it is still to come at the appointed time.”
“Then the king will do as he pleases, and he will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will speak monstrous things against the God of gods; and he will prosper until the indignation is finished, for that which is decreed will be done. He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the desire of women, nor will he show regard for any other god; for he will magnify himself above them all. But instead he will honor a god of fortresses, a god whom his fathers did not know; he will honor him with gold, silver, costly stones and treasures. He will take action against the strongest of fortresses with the help of a foreign god; he will give great honor to those who acknowledge him and will cause them to rule over the many, and will parcel out land for a price.”
“At the end time the king of the South will collide with him, and the king of the North will storm against him with chariots, with horsemen and with many ships; and he will enter countries, overflow them and pass through. He will also enter the Beautiful Land, and many countries will fall; but these will be rescued out of his hand: Edom, Moab and the foremost of the sons of Ammon. Then he will stretch out his hand against other countries, and the land of Egypt will not escape. But he will gain control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver and over all the precious things of Egypt; and Libyans and Ethiopians will follow at his heels. But rumors from the East and from the North will disturb him, and he will go forth with great wrath to destroy and annihilate many. He will pitch the tents of his royal pavilion between the seas and the beautiful Holy Mountain; yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.’”
Daniel 12
the messenger sent to Daniel continues his explanation of the vision Daniel saw in Chapter 10 (v1-4):
“Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.”
two other messengers interact with the first messenger (v5)
“Then I, Daniel, looked and behold, two others were standing, one on this bank of the river and the other on that bank of the river.”
“one said to the man dressed in linen [the first messenger], who was above the waters of the river, ‘How long will it be until the end of these wonders?’”
“I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, as he raised his right hand and his left toward heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time; and as soon as they finish shattering the power of the holy people, all these events will be completed.”
“As for me, I heard but could not understand; so I said, ‘My lord, what will be the outcome of these events?’”
“He said, ‘Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time. Many will be purged, purified and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand. From the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. How blessed is he who keeps waiting and attains to the 1,335 days! But as for you, go your way to the end; then you will enter into rest and rise again for your allotted portion at the end of the age.’”