DANIEL 2:1-13
1 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.
2 Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.
3 And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.
4 Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriac, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation.
5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.
6 But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof.
7 They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation of it.
8 The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.
9 But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof.
10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king's matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.
11 And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.
12 For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
13 And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and
his fellows to be slain.
Nebuchadnezzar was a cruel but shrewd ruler, as shown by this interesting dialogue with his soothsayers (diviners), sorcerers, and Chaldeans (astrologers). He puts them to the test with his dream puzzle, thereby seeing if they are really servants of the gods that he worshiped, or mere deceivers sponging off of his superstitions. He promises them great wealth and honor if they are able to answer his riddle, and immediate grisly death to them and permanent dishonor to their families if they fail.
Needless to say, that put the priests in a no-win situation, to which Nebuchadnezzar responded with a
tyrant's rage. His solution? Destroy all of the wise men of Babylon, including those imported from
conquered nations.
DANIEL 2:14-16
14 Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon:
15 He answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.
16 Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would
shew the king the interpretation.
One has to admire Daniel here for his courage. He has literally put his life on the line, telling the king that
he will be able to interpret the dream, making this statement on faith alone, not knowing whether God
will grant him the knowledge he needed.
DANIEL 2:17-18
17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
18 That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
Note: Daniel, Hananiah (Shadrach), Mishael (Meshach) and Azariah (Abed-nego) prayed for their
lives, not the lives of the other wise men. That was a common mentality of the time, as the heathen
sorcerers didn't serve God, but served demons, a fact of which the three men were well aware.
DANIEL 2:19-25
19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:
21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:
22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.
23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter.
24 Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him, Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation.
25 Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation.
An insight into the nature of the king's captain of the guard is given here, in the fact that he brought
Daniel before the king "in haste". Apparently he didn't like the decree set forth by his lord, but was
bound by his oath of fealty to the king to carry it out. I also suspect that he liked Daniel, and was loath
to carry out the decree for that reason.
One can only imagine the tension in the court as Daniel stood before the king; Nebuchadnezzar grimly
staring into Daniel's eyes, skepticism of Daniel's ability to fulfill his promise plain on his face; the court
magicians, soothsayers and astrologers standing in the back of the throne room, sweating with fear;
Arioch watching nervously, fearing that Daniel may fail, forcing him to carry out the king's edict and
perhaps forfeiting his own life as well.
DANIEL 2:26-30
26 The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?
27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king;
28 But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;
29 As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.
30 But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any
living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou
mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.
Note that here Daniel gives a subtle rebuke to the king, by telling him that what he had requested was
not possible for any human agency to fulfill. But he also gives immediate credit to the One who is able
to fulfill the request. And Daniel is careful not to take any credit for himself, even though he indeed
could have, but gives God all of the glory and honor, to whom it truly belonged.
DANIEL 2:31-36
31 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.
32 This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
36 This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.
I would have given much to be able to see the look on Nebuchadnezzar's face when Daniel told him
this. There must have been a loud smack as the king's jaw hit the floor. Not only was Daniel able to tell
the king his dream, but had also told him what his thoughts were before he went to sleep, which I am
certain that Nebuchadnezzar did remember, even though he had forgotten the dream that followed. I
can also imagine Arioch seeing the expression on the king's face, and stifling an amused grin in his
beard.
DANIEL 2:37-48
37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.
38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.
39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
46 Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him.
47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.
48 Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him
ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of
Babylon.
This must have been quite a sight to see. The greatest king of the mightiest empire of his time, falling on
his face in worship before an imported slave from a conquered country! I can imagine the court priests
and astrologers collapsing in relief, Arioch openly grinning in delight, the confusion of the queen at her
husband's state, the court officials standing in open-mouthed astonishment. Quite a picture!
An interesting parallel arises here between Daniel, and Joseph, the son of Jacob who was sold as a
slave into Egypt, and who rose to be second only to Pharaoh in power in the kingdom, just as Daniel
became second in power to Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. In both cases, it was the interpretation of a
ruler's dream that catapulted the young men to power, and that only by their absolute and unswerving
faith to their God. Would our faith be that strong in the same situations?
However, we must hold off on the meaning of the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream for a bit,
for it is reiterated in different form in Daniel chapter 7 below. Both will discussed simultaneously.
DANIEL 7:1
1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head
upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, [and] told the sum of the matters.
The time frame here takes place some years later. King Nebuchadnezzar was dead, and his son
Nabonidus, while king, didn't live in Babylon but chose to live in a distant Arabian oasis. As such
Nabonidus' son Belshazzar ruled Babylon in his place as the crown prince. Thus when Daniel had
interpreted the famous writing on the wall, (Daniel chapter 5) Belshazzar commanded that Daniel be
made the "third ruler of the kingdom." If Belshazzar had truly been king, he would have made Daniel the
second ruler of the kingdom as Nebuchadnezzar had done. But since Nabonidus was the legal king,
forcing Belshazzar to rule in his father's absence as regent, thus Daniel became the third in line in the
chain of command. Truly Scripture pays attention to detail!
And in this chapter we see a convergence of the dreams of Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar. We will now
take a closer look at the identical meanings of both dreams, and several important differences.
DANIEL 7:2
2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven
strove upon the great sea.
When bodies of water like the sea are mentioned in prophecy, it is usually speaking of multitudes of
people. In this case, Daniel is seeing the winds of conflicting political change causing tumult among
masses of people, very much like what is happening today.
DANIEL 7:3-4
3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
4 The first [was] like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were
plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a
man's heart was given to it.
Here we see the first parallel between the dreams of Nebuchadnezzar's statue and Daniel's beasts. The lion and the head of gold are the same, representing Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom. As gold is a rich, royal metal, and the lion is a strong kingly beast, so is Nebuchadnezzar portrayed here. The wings are representative of the speed in which he conquered the known earth of his time, and the man's heart is representative of the fact that he, Nebuchadnezzar is the power behind this mighty kingdom.
Nebuchadnezzar had been a cruel, fearsome tyrant before this, and had conquered much of the known world with incredible speed, represented by the wings. Thus the winged lion in it's strength, but a beast's heart. However, after God drove him insane for seven years because of his vanity and pride (Daniel chapter 4), he then humbled himself before God, acknowledging Him as supreme and proclaiming before his people that his kingship came from God alone, not from his own works as he'd previously boasted.
God then added to his glory, and there is no further mention of Nebuchadnezzar ever conquering any
more territory. Thus the lion was lifted upright (glorified) a man's heart was given to it
(Nebuchadnezzar's repentance and change of heart), and the wings plucked (no further conquering
expeditions).
DANIEL 7:5
5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and [it
had] three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise,
devour much flesh.
This equates to the chest and arms of silver that Nebuchadnezzar saw. This kingdom would succeed
his, and while glorious, would not attain to the splendor of Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon, just as a bear,
while powerful, is not as regal as a lion. And history shows that Babylon fell to a coalition of Medes,
Elamites and Persians in 539 B.C., under the command of Cyrus the Great.
Babylon had been considered impregnable, with massive walls straddling the Euphrates river, and it's
rulers Nabonidus (son of Nebuchadnezzar) and Belshazzar (son of Nabonidus) had become lax. The
night that crown prince Belshazzar saw the writing on the wall (Daniel chapter 5), in a reMarkable feat
of engineering the Persians diverted the Euphrates river and came up under the walls of Babylon from
the riverbed and captured the city.
The three ribs in the bear's mouth represent the three peoples of the Persian coalition, namely Persians,
Medes and Elamites. They are also represented in the three major capitals of the satraps (provinces) of
the Persian empire, namely Shushan, Ecbatana, and Perseppolis.
The bear raising itself up on one side represents the fact that the Persians became stronger than the
Medes (and Elamites, although not specifically mentioned in Daniel), and conquered (or absorbed)
them (shown by Daniel's vision of the ram in chapter 8, which we'll discuss later).
DANIEL 7:6
6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings
of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.
This parallels the stomach and thighs of brass, but with an interesting twist that Nebuchadnezzar's statue
didn't show. The Persian empire came to an end in 331 B.C., when Alexander the Great and the Greek
army under his command defeated the last Persian king, Darius III, prophesied in Daniel 11:3.
With the defeat of the Persian empire, Alexander the Great became the first king of the Greek
empire.(He is also spoken of again in Daniel chapter 8, which will be dealt with shortly). He is the
leopard that Daniel saw in the vision, and again the wings represent the speed in which Alexander
conquered his empire.
However, Alexander died of pneumonia in 323 B.C. at the age of 33. When asked who would inherit
the kingdom, to protect the lives of his wife and infant son he said, "let it be given to the strongest", at
which time four of his generals each grabbed a part of the kingdom for himself, and causing wars
between their descendants that would last for hundreds of years. Thus the four heads and four wings
that were shown to Daniel.
DANIEL 7:7
7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and
strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped
the residue with the feet of it: and it [was] diverse from all the beasts that [were] before it;
and it had ten horns.
This fourth kingdom, represented by the legs and feet of iron in Nebuchadnezzar's dream and the
dreadful beast seen by Daniel, was the Roman empire. A brutal, ruthless, seemingly unstoppable
military machine, the Roman juggernaut crushed everything in it's way to establish an empire that lasted
from approximately 121 B.C. to 395 A.D., a span of over 500 years, much as iron crushes lesser
metals.
All four empires ruled over the tiny nation of Israel (tiny by the standards of the empires that ruled over
it), yet it outlasted all of them. Granted, Israel was destroyed as a nation by the Romans in 70 A.D., but
Israel again exists today as a nation, whereas the old empires are but notes in history.
...and it had ten horns. Here we have a major change in the visions. While the toes were mentioned
on the statue of Nebuchadnezzar's dream, they were not mentioned as a separate entity. Here Daniel
sees ten horns which correspond the toes of the statue.
There were 10 nations in the European sphere of influence that Rome controlled. Germany, England,
France, Belgium, Holland, Ireland, Scotland, Greece, Italy, and Denmark, nations that comprise the
core of the Common Market, or the European Union that we see today. This ten-nation confederacy
will form the last empire, and will be the empire that Jesus will destroy upon His return as we shall see
in a bit.
DANIEL 7:8
8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before
whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn
[were] eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
Here the prophecy jumps to the far future, or in our case, the near future. In this part of the vision, the
toes of Nebuchadnezzar's statue and the horns of Daniel's beast come into play. In each case, they are
future (present-day to us) remnants of the previous empire (Rome) that had ruled over Israel.
The reason why I know that this is still a future event, is that the empires mentioned in Daniel were only
mentioned in Scripture for as long as they affected Israel as a nation (or Judah after the destruction
of the Northern Kingdom of Israel). That is why nations like Germany and England are not mentioned,
for while the Nazis did indeed slaughter the Jews wholesale in the Holocaust, and the British fought to
keep the Jews out of Palestine during and after WW II, they did not affect Israel as an established
nation! Germany was defeated three years before Israel established itself, and the British pulled out of
Palestine right after Israel declared itself to be a sovereign nation.
The ten horns and the ten toes in this vision correspond to the nations of the Common market, or the
European Union. Germany, England, France, Belgium, Holland, Ireland, Scotland, Greece, Italy, and
Denmark, all nations in Europe that were under Roman domination. Currently other nations are part of
the Common market, but were not under Roman domination. Scripture states that there will be ten
nations when the Antichrist takes power. And when three of the Common market nations resist his
control (see the study on WW III, End Times Part I), they will be taken by force, shown by the three
horns being plucked up by the roots, and the toes being partially of iron, and partially of clay. Seven
toes of iron, and three of clay. Seven strong rulers, three puppet rulers.
DANIEL 7:9-10
9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment [was] white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne [was like] the fiery flame, [and] his wheels [as] burning fire.
10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto
him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the
books were opened.
The vision now turns to the immediate judgement of the believing Jews and Christians that will occur when Jesus returns. God the Father (the Ancient of Days) has given authority to Jesus to be the judge of mankind,
JOHN 5:22-23
22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:
23 That all [men] should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
so here it seems that the Father will be a silent witness to the Judgement.
Note: This is the resurrection and judgement of the righteous. The resurrection and judgement of the
damned will occur at the end of the Millenium, 1,000 years after the Antichrist is overthrown. More on
this in the study of the Book of Revelation (End Times Part IV).
I Peter 4:17
17 For the time [is come] that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if [it] first [begin]
at us, what shall the end [be] of them that obey not the gospel of God?
Rev. 2:26-27
26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to
shivers: even as I received of my Father.
We must first be judged by Jesus before we can receive our positions within His kingdom, receive the power to rule with him, and be assigned our positions of authority on earth. He himself said,
Matthew 16:27
27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall
reward every man according to his works.
Revelation 22:12
12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward [is] with me, to give every man according as
his work shall be.
DANIEL 7:11-12
11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld [even] till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.
12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives
were prolonged for a season and time.
This refers to the destruction of the Antichrist and his kingdom. He will be thrown into the Lake of Fire
while still alive, as we will see in the study of the End Times Part IV. Here at last is the explanation of
the rock that Nebuchadnezzar saw, a rock which struck the toes of the statue, and crumbled it to dust.
Jesus is the Rock that will put an end to the last empire, that of the Antichrist.
Revelation 19:20
20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him,
with which he deceived them that had received the Mark of the beast, and them that
worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
The nations that formed his kingdom will be allowed to continue to exist for a time afterward, under the
control of Jesus and the resurrected saints (us).
DANIEL 7:13-14
13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, [one] like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and
languages, should serve him: his dominion [is] an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass
away, and his kingdom [that] which shall not be destroyed.
This shows Jesus receiving His kingdom from the hand of His Father after His resurrection and
ascension into Heaven. When He returns He will rule over the earth for 1,000 years, along with the
resurrected believers.
Revelation 20:6
Blessed and holy [is] he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath
no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand
years.
DANIEL 7:15-18
15 I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of [my] body, and the visions of my head troubled me.
16 I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.
17 These great beasts, which are four, [are] four kings, [which] shall arise out of the earth.
18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever,
even for ever and ever.
Here Daniel is told the meaning of the beasts. But he is also quickly told that the saints (those who will
be resurrected when Jesus returns) will possess the kingdom forever.
DANIEL 7:19-22
19 Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth [were of] iron, and his nails [of] brass; [which] devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;
20 And of the ten horns that [were] in his head, and [of] the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even [of] that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look [was] more stout than his fellows.
21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and
the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
This is the first reference to the great persecution under the Antichrist that Jesus warned
about;
MATTHEW 24:21-22
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the
elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
MATTHEW 24:29
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon
shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens
shall be shaken:
MARK 13:24-26
But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not
give her light, And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be
shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and
glory.
Note also, this persecution and destruction will be allowed to continue until Jesus returns to put an end
to the reign of terror, and that only after the Ancient of days takes His seat at the first Resurrection.
This means that Christians will go through the tribulation, and these events will occur before
the rapture. Keep this in mind, we'll deal more with the rapture issue later in this study.
Revelation 13:16-18
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a Mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the Mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number [is] Six hundred threescore [and] six.
(More on this issue in the study of the book of Revelation - End Times Part IV)DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom [are] ten kings [that] shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
25 And he shall speak [great] words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of
the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until
a time and times and the dividing of time.
The Roman finally empire fell in circa A.D. 395, and has not risen to power again since that time. And
the events described in verse 24 have yet to happen. Some have tried to refer it to the Caesars, but
there is no Caesar who overcame three other ruling Caesars anywhere in history. So this refers to a
future event.
And here also is the crux of the entire vision. The Antichrist will arise out of the remnants of
the old Roman empire, namely the 10 nations of the European Common Market. He will
overcome three of the Common Market nations by force, and will wage war against the
Christians and Jews for three and a half years (time, times, and the dividing of time). At the
end of this period, Jesus will return to destroy the kingdom of the Antichrist, and will set up
his 1,000 year reign over the Earth.
DANIEL 7:26-28
26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy [it] unto the end.
27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom [is] an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
28 Hitherto [is] the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and
my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.
Again, the promise is given to Christians that the Antichrist and his Satanic kingdom will be destroyed,
and the saints of God will be given the kingdom. But ONLY when the Father sets the time for Jesus to
return. Like Jesus Himself said,
MATTHEW 24:36
36 But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father
only.
MARK 13:32
32 But of that day and [that] hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven,
neither the Son, but the Father.
DANIEL 8:1-4
1 In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, [even unto] me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first.
2 And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I [was] at Shushan [in] the palace, which [is] in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai.
3 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had [two] horns: and the [two] horns [were] high; but one [was] higher than the other, and the higher came up last.
4 I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might
stand before him, neither [was there any] that could deliver out of his hand; but he did
according to his will, and became great.
The ram refers here to the Persian empire, consisting of the Medes and Persians, with the Medes rising
first, but with the Persians later becoming dominant over the Medes. Remember the bear rising up on
one side with the three ribs in it's mouth - Persians, Medes, and Elamites; and the stomach and thighs of
brass of Nebuchadnezzar's statue.
DANIEL 8:5-7
5 And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat [had] a notable horn between his eyes.
6 And he came to the ram that had [two] horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power.
7 And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and
smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before
him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that
could deliver the ram out of his hand.
The Persian empire had become old, and decadent. They had been in power for over 200 years, and
had become lax, thinking that they had no enemies foolish enough to attack them.
Alexander the Great (the he-goat) fielded an army of forty thousand men, and defeated a Persian force
of over two million men which had been set against him, spelling the end of the Persian empire. Note
also that Daniel describes the goat as not touching the ground as he traveled. This again indicates the
speed in which Alexander conquered his empire.
DANIEL 8:8
8 Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was
broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.
Remember the leopard with the four heads and the four wings. Alexander was the great horn, showing himself to be the leader of what would become the Greek Empire (the stomach and thighs of brass in Nebuchadnezzar's statue). And after his death, four of his generals ripped the empire apart, and took a piece for each of themselves.
Two dynasties came out of this split that would effect Judah for several hundred years, namely the Seleucids (descendants of Greek general Seleucus, who grabbed Syria, Persia, Babylon and most of Palestine) and the Ptolemies (descendants of Greek general Ptolemy Soter, who grabbed Egypt).
Constant wars between these two antagonistic dynasties caused Judah to change hands several times,
and caused much suffering to the Jews and surrounding peoples.
DANIEL 8:9-14
9 And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant [land].
10 And it waxed great, [even] to the host of heaven; and it cast down [some] of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them.
11 Yea, he magnified [himself] even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily [sacrifice] was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.
12 And an host was given [him] against the daily [sacrifice] by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practiced, and prospered.
13 Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain [saint] which spake, How long [shall be] the vision [concerning] the daily [sacrifice], and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?
14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary
be cleansed.
This refers to the despicable Seleucid conqueror Antiochus IV Ephiphanes, who conquered Judah in 167 B.C. He was extremely enamored with himself, and believed himself to be a son of Zeus. He even went so far as to mint coins with a picture of his head on the front side, having goats horns sprouting from his head, signifying himself as the son of the god. The coins were inscribed "Antiochou Theou Epiphanou", meaning roughly "Antiochus, God made manifest", hence the name "Epiphanes". His men however, labeled him "Epimanes" (madman) behind his back.
He tried to force Greek culture on the Jews, a process called "Hellenization". When they resisted, he became enraged and slaughtered thousands of them, and capturing the Temple, dedicating it to Zeus, sacrificed swine on the altar, an abomination to the Jews, and setting up an idol on the altar, demanded that the Jews worship it. When they refused, he slaughtered them wholesale for approximately 6.3 years (2300 days).
However, Judas Maccabeus staged a revolt in the desert, and after a series of attacks drove Antiochus'
armies from Palestine, around 161 B.C. The Temple was then cleansed and rededicated, giving us the
celebration of Chanukah (Hanukkah), or the Feast of Lights.
DANIEL 8:15-22
15 And it came to pass, when I, [even] I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man.
16 And I heard a man's voice between [the banks of] Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this [man] to understand the vision.
17 So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end [shall be] the vision.
18 Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright.
19 And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end [shall be].
20 The ram which thou sawest having [two] horns [are] the kings of Media and Persia.
21 And the rough goat [is] the king of Grecia: and the great horn that [is] between his eyes [is] the first king.
22 Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of
the nation, but not in his power.
The meaning of the verses above is self-explanatory. Note that even though Daniel sees the angel
Gabriel, there is no mention of wings on the angel. In fact Daniel states that he had the
appearance of a man.
The next set of verses below again jumps to the far future.
DANIEL 8:23
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king
of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.
This refers to the rise of the Antichrist. He will be powerful, and will understand dark intrigues. It is
interesting to note that the word for "dark sentences" is the Greek word "hierosune", meaning "priestly
office", or "priesthood". Chances are, he'll be skilled in Satanic spiritual warfare, or will have been in
the priesthood at one time. And as we will see in the book of Revelation (End Times Part IV), the
Antichrist embodies the spirit of all of the four early empires.
DANIEL 8:24
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully,
and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
This states that his power will not be his own, but will be the power of Satan, which will be given to him
to perform his master's desire, namely to set up Satan's kingdom here on earth, and secure the worship
of all of mankind. And he shall be given power to destroy the Christians and the Jews, much as Hitler
(who was a prototype of the Antichrist) did in WW II. As Scripture states;
REVELATION 13:1-2
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as [the feet] of a bear,
and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and
great authority.
DANIEL 7:25
25 And he shall speak [great] words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of
the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until
a time and times and the dividing of time.
He will persecute and destroy the Jews and Christians, ( the Great Tribulation) for three and a half years. Jesus Himself prophesied,
Matthew 24: 21-22
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the
elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
MATTHEW 24: 29
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon
shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens
shall be shaken:
MARK 13:24-26
24 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,
25 And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.
26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
DANIEL 8:25
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify
[himself] in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the
Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.
He will rule the world, prosper in all that he does, destroy all who oppose him, and will seem to be
unstoppable. He will even consider himself to be greater than God, and will command that all mankind
worship him;
Revelation 13:7-9
And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear.
But Jesus will put an end to the rule of the Antichrist upon His return. (Remember the stone that struck
the toes of Nebuchadnezzar's statue and destroyed it)
DANIEL 8:26-27
26 And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told [is] true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it [shall be] for many days.
27 And I Daniel fainted, and was sick [certain] days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's
business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood [it].
In this next chapter, Daniel recognizes the timetable set by Jeremiah the prophet for the 70 year
captivity of Israel in Babylon, and recognizes that the 70 years are at an end. He prays to God to
remember His promise to His people concerning this, and confesses the sins of his nation before God.
The text of this is not directly germane to this study, so the first 19 verses have been left out. We start
with verse 20.
DANIEL 9: 20-24
20 And whiles 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 for the holy mountain of my God;
21 Yea, whiles I [was] speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.
22 And he informed [me], and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.
23 At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew [thee]; for thou [art] greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.
24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the
transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring
in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most
Holy.
Whenever "weeks" are spoken of in prophecy, it is referring to periods of 7 years. Therefore "70
weeks" refers to a period of 490 years.
DANIEL 9: 25-26
25 Know therefore and understand, [that] from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto Messiah the Prince [shall be] seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. (The Old Testament books of Ezra and Nehemiah document the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the return of the Jews, and the efforts of the nations about them to hinder them.)
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the
people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end
thereof [shall be] with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
Here is the beginning of an interesting prophecy, in the fact that the "prince that shall come"
was not referring to Titus, but instead will be the Antichrist coming out of the revived Roman
empire (the old Common Market, or the European Union).
How do we know this? First of all, Vespasian, the Roman general who started the destruction of
Jerusalem, was not of royal blood, even though he became Caesar after the death of Nero. His son
Titus finished the job, and later became emperor himself. However, the capstone of this argument is in
the verse below.
DANIEL 9: 27
27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he
shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations
he shall make [it] desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured
upon the desolate.
Some relate this to the fact that Antiochus Epiphanes captured the Temple, dedicated it to Zeus and sacrificed pigs on the altar, which is indeed an abomination to the Jews, and before God. However several things differ here. First of all, Antiochus did not make any kind of covenant with the Jews. Secondly, Jesus was born 160 years later, and yet referred to the " abomination of desolation" spoken of by Daniel as a future event.
Vespasian and Titus never made any such covenant with the Jews either, so this even still has yet to be fulfilled.
In fact, according to Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, Titus was an honorable man who didn't want the Temple to be destroyed, and even begged the Jewish Zealots who had barricaded themselves within the Temple to come out so he wouldn't have to attack it. They refused, and Titus was forced to assault the Temple, resulting in it's destruction.
And the fact that three and a half years are given for the Antichrist to destroy the Jews and Christians
points to the fact that this "prince who is to come" will make a seven-year covenant of peace, and three
and a half years later will break it, and will begin the great persecution prophesied by Daniel, Jesus, and
the apostle John.
MATTHEW 24:15
15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the
prophet, standing in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
MARK 13:14
14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet,
standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judea
flee to the mountains:
REVELATION 13:5-7
5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty [and] two months.
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power
was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
So in this case, the Antichrist will make a seven year covenant with the Jews (one week prophetic time
- the 70th "week" of Daniel), and three and a half years later will break it, and set up the abomination of
desolation, which will be covered in the Revelation study (End Times Part IV).
It is interesting to note also that the 69 weeks are distinctly separate from the 70th week (see Daniel 9:
25 above). Why? Because the prophetic clock stopped at Jesus' death, at the end the 69 week
period. And as history shows, the Roman army destroyed Jerusalem in A.D. 70, putting an end to the
Jewish nation for 1,878 years.
And as it was the Roman army that destroyed the city, again, the identity of the last empire is
confirmed, namely the resurrected Roman empire, now known as the Common Market, or the
European Union. (The ten toes of the statue and the ten horns of the fourth beast.)
DANIEL 10:1-13
1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing [was] true, but the time appointed [was] long: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision.
2 In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks.
3 I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.
4 And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which [is] Hiddekel;
5 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins [were] girded with fine gold of Uphaz:
6 His body also [was] like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in color to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.
7 And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.
8 Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.
9 Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground.
10 And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and [upon] the palms of my hands.
11 And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling.
12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.
13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo,
Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of
Persia.
This mighty angel had been sent immediately in answer to Daniel, but one of Satan's demon princes had stopped him for three full weeks. The fact that Satan has demon princes over nations, empires and kingdoms was well known to the apostle Paul, for he wrote;
EPHESIANS 6:12
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers,
against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].
14 Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for
yet the vision [is] for [many] days.
This was spoken to tell Daniel that the vision would be for the future (the latter days), and would cover
a long period of history, (the vision is for many days).
DANIEL 10:15-20
15 And when he had spoken such words unto me, I set my face toward the ground, and I became dumb.
16 And, behold, [one] like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spake, and said unto him that stood before me, O my lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me, and I have retained no strength.
17 For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me.
18 Then there came again and touched me [one] like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me,
19 And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace [be] unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me.
20 Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with
the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come.
Satan seldom sits still. The angel spoke to Daniel that as soon as the demon prince of Persia was defeated, Satan would immediately move in with another demon prince, this one backing Alexander the Great who would destroy the Persian army in 330 B.C. Satan doesn't care a whit about human empires, or who is in power. He wants to rule everything, and men are merely expendable pawns to be used for that purpose.
And note once again, none of the angels that Daniel saw had wings.
In his arrogance during his temptation of Jesus, Satan showed Him all of the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. In fact, the book of Luke records,
LUKE 4:5-7
5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
Note that Jesus never disputed Satan's claim to these kingdoms. Jesus knew it was true, for stewardship of the earth and everything in it had been given to Satan by Adam in the Garden of Eden.(See the study on the fall of Man for more information.)DANIEL 10:21
21 But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and [there is] none that
holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.
I have to admit that there are parts of this next chapter that I have not been able to figure out. As such,
I have left them in the chapter, but have made no comment concerning them. If I receive any
information from the Lord concerning them, I will update the relevant parts accordingly.
DANIEL 11:1-2
1 Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, [even] I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him.
2 And now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia;
and the fourth shall be far richer than [they] all: and by his strength through his riches he shall
stir up all against the realm of Grecia.
Here the angel who appeared to Daniel (chapter 10) tells him that he (the angel) had strengthened
Darius, the present ruler of Persia, and warns Daniel that the Persian empire will soon end. He then
reiterates that the Persian empire will be followed by the Greek empire, which will be broken into four
parts, as prophesied earlier in Daniel's ministry.
Four more kings would rule Persia before the Greeks would conquer them, namely Artaxerxes I
(465-424 B.C. the events recorded in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah occurred during this monarch's
reign), Xerxes II (assassinated while drunk), Darius II, and Darius III (died in 330 B.C., defeated
by Alexander the Great.)
DANIEL 11:3-4
3 And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.
4 And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the
four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled:
for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those.
Even on his deathbed, Alexander was shrewd. He knew that when he died, civil war would erupt
among his generals. So to protect his wife and unborn son, when asked who would inherit the empire,
he said, "let it be given to the strongest." And with that, four of his generals immediately ripped a piece
of the empire for himself, starting dynasties that would last for hundreds of years. Ptolemy Soter took
Egypt, Seleucus took Babylon and Syria, Cassander took Macedonia, and Lysimachus took the
Hellespont region. But the Seleucids and the Ptolemies would be the ones that Judah would have to
deal with over the next several hundred years.
DANIEL 11:5
5 And the king of the south shall be strong, and [one] of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion [shall be] a great dominion.
This verse documents the rise of the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt, started by Ptolemy Soter (Ptolemy I),
one of Alexander's generals. He took Egypt, Judah, Phoenicia, and carried many Jews into Egypt. His
son, Ptolemy II (Ptolemy Philadelphius) conquered Judah by entering Jerusalem on the Sabbath day,
when the Jews refused to fight him because of their observation of the Sabbath.
DANIEL 11:6
6 And in the end of years they shall join themselves together; for the king's daughter of the
south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain the
power of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm: but she shall be given up, and they that
brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in [these] times.
Arsinoe II, the daughter of Ptolemy I and sister of Ptolemy II married Lysimachus of Thrace, one of Alexander's former generals, in order to attain Thrace as an ally of Egypt against Syria, which was controlled by Seleucus, another of Alexander's former generals. She convinces Lysimachus to murder his son by his former wife to ensure that her son will inherit the throne of Thrace after Lysimachus' death.
The former wife of Lysimachus flees to Syria and gains the protection of Seleucus I, who then wages war against Thrace and captures it, killing Lysimachus. Arsinoe II then married her half-brother, the king of Macedon to ensure her personal safety and the safety of her children. But her half-brother kills two of her sons and sends Arsinoe II into exile.
During this time, her father Ptolemy I abdicated the throne to her brother, Ptolemy II. Arsinoe II
returned to Egypt and married her brother. (Ewwwww........)
DANIEL 11:7-9
7 But out of a branch of her roots shall [one] stand up in his estate, which shall come with an army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them, and shall prevail:
8 And shall also carry captives into Egypt their gods, with their princes, [and] with their precious vessels of silver and of gold; and he shall continue [more] years than the king of the north.
9 So the king of the south shall come into [his] kingdom, and shall return into his own land.
Ptolemy III Eurgeter was the son of the brother-sister marriage of Ptolemy II and Arsinoe II, and was in turn married to his own sister, Berenike. He invaded the Seleucid kingdom of Syria to avenge the murder of his sister and her son (I haven't been able to find any other information on this) and extended Egyptian influence to the Greek-controlled waters of the Aegean Sea.
He is considered the most powerful ruler of the Ptolmaic dynasty, and his reign marked the height of the
glory and wealth of the Egyptian empire under Hellenistic rule.
10 But his sons shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces: and [one] shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall he return, and be stirred up, [even] to his fortress.
11 And the king of the south shall be moved with choler, and shall come forth and fight with him, [even] with the king of the north: and he shall set forth a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into his hand.
12 [And] when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted up; and he shall cast down [many] ten thousands: but he shall not be strengthened [by it].
13 For the king of the north shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come after certain years with a great army and with much riches.
14 And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south: also the robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fall.
15 So the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mount, and take the most fenced cities: and the arms of the south shall not withstand, neither his chosen people, neither [shall there be any] strength to withstand.
16 But he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him: and he shall stand in the glorious land, which by his hand shall be consumed.
17 He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall he do: and he shall give him the daughter of women, corrupting her: but she shall not stand [on his side], neither be for him.
18 After this shall he turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many: but a prince for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he shall cause [it] to turn upon him.
19 Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.
20 Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes [in] the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle.
DANIEL 11:2121 And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the
kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.
Here we come to the rise of the Antichrist. He will flatter those in power, much as Hitler courted and flattered Baron Von Hindenburg in order to attain the office of Chancellor from which he catapulted himself to supreme power in Germany, as did Joseph Stalin with Vladimir Ilyich Lenin in Russia.
By the same token, this verse cannot refer to Antiochus Epiphanes, as he obtained the kingdom from
his father, Antiochus III. Therefore the kingdom was conferred on him, and no flattery was needed.
DANIEL 11:22-23
22 And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant.
23 And after the league [made] with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and
shall become strong with a small people.
Here we see the seven-year peace treaty made with the Antichrist (the 70th "week"). After the treaty is
signed, he will work toward the destruction of the Jews and Christians in his attempt to gain mankind's
worship. For three and a half years, he will seem like a benevolent leader. But after three and a half
years, his true nature will show. For after three and a half years, he will break the covenant, enter the
Holy Land with offers of peace, and then his army will enforce his will.
I am also still working on verses 24-31. Some scholars seem to think that the "ships of Kittim"(Cyprus) in verse 30 refer to the Romans mobilizing to stop Antiochus IV Ephiphanes' invasion of Egypt, but I disagree. I think it will refer to the Antichrist, as Antiochus never used flatteries to corrupt anyone. He preferred force to carry out his will.Also, verse 31 refers to the "abomination of desolation" which Jesus referred to as still being a future event, so this cannot refer to Antiochus.
Therefore until I find more information, I will leave the verses as is until I am certain.
DANIEL 11:24-31
24 He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do [that] which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: [yea], and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time.
25 And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand: for they shall forecast devices against him.
26 Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain.
27 And both these kings' hearts [shall be] to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end [shall be] at the time appointed.
28 Then shall he return into his land with great riches; and his heart [shall be] against the holy covenant; and he shall do [exploits], and return to his own land.
29 At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter.
30 For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant.
31 And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall
take away the daily [sacrifice], and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.
DANIEL 11:32-33
32 And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do [exploits].
33 And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the
sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, [many] days.
Demon activity will be intense during the rule of the Antichrist. People whose faith is weak, or who do not believe in God will be corrupted by his lies and promises of peace, and will fall under his Satan-driven power. The people that know and love God will withstand him, and will perform miracles through the name of Jesus to counter him. And many will pay the ultimate price for their faith.
Note especially, that there is no mention of any kind of "rapturing" of the believers during
this time, nor has there been any mentioned previously. Yet the believers are warned that
they will fall by sword, by plunder, by captivity and by fire for many days. In other words, we
will go through the Tribulation!
Remember! Daniel warns;
DANIEL 7:21-25
21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom [are] ten kings [that] shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
25 And he shall speak [great] words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of
the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until
a time and times and the dividing of time.
As does Jesus;
MATTHEW 24:3-14
3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"
4 And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you.
5 "For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.
6 "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.
8 "All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9 "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.
10 "And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.
11 "Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.
12 "And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.
13 "But he who endures to the end shall be saved.
14 "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the
nations, and then the end will come.
MARK 13:3-20
3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately,
4 "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?"
5 And Jesus, answering them, began to say: "Take heed that no one deceives you.
6 "For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and will deceive many.
7 "But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet.
8 "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.
9 "But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them.
10 "And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.
11 "But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.
12 "Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.
13 "And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.
14 "So when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not" (let the reader understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
15 "Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house.
16 "And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.
17 "But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!
18 "And pray that your flight may not be in winter.
19 "For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be.
20 "And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the
elect's sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.
Luke 21: 7-28
7 So they asked Him, saying, "Teacher, but when will these things be? And what sign will there be when these things are about to take place?"
8 And He said: "Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and, 'The time has drawn near.' Therefore do not go after them.
9 "But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately."
10 Then He said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
11 "And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.
12 "But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name's sake.
13 "But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony.
14 "Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer;
15 "for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.
16 "You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death.
17 "And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.
18 "But not a hair of your head shall be lost.
19 "By your patience possess your souls.
20 "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.
21 "Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her.
22 "For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.
23 "But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people.
24 "And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
25 "And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring;
26 "men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
27 "Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
28 "Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your
redemption draws near."
Those who understand what is happening will teach many the truth, and will be witnesses to those who
do not understand, or are blinded by Satan and the Antichrist. But Satan will destroy many of them as a
final test and witness to their faith. They shall be killed by sword,
REVELATION 20:4
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw
the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God,
who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his Mark on their
foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
....by fire (probably at the stake, or being herded into buildings and having the buildings set afire, like
many Christians during the Roman Catholic Church's infamous Inquisition), and by being captured and
plundered.
DANIEL 11:34
34 Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to
them with flatteries.
God will give some help the Christians during the Tribulation, but Scripture seems to indicate that when
those designated to be killed fall, He will strengthen their faith as they are killed, helping them to remain
faithful until the end. However, Satan the Great Imitator will have his servants pose as Christians to try
to destroy the testimony of the true Christians. But they shall be known by their works.
DANIEL 11:35
35 And [some] of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make
[them] white, [even] to the time of the end: because [it is] yet for a time appointed.
Here is the true reason why God will allow many of His servants to be killed. It will be a final
test of their faith, and will prove before God, Satan, angels and mankind that they were
faithful to their Lord even to the end. Satan will petition to test these Christians to death, and
will be allowed to do so.
DANIEL 11:36-37
36 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any
god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
This is a most interesting point of Scripture, and I believe this gives us a good indication of what to watch for in the person of the Antichrist. The fact that "Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers" to me indicates that he will possibly be of Jewish descent, (remember, Hitler's mother was Jewish) which would make sense. Please understand that I do not say this as a malignment of the Israeli nation or it's people, by any means for I hold Israel and it's people in high honor and respect. But Satan would have to raise up a Jew as the Antichrist for a very good reason.
The Antichrist in order to "prove" to Israel that he is the promised Messiah, must somehow trace his lineage directly back to the line of David, from whom the Messiah would come. For as God promised David the king,
II Samuel 7:12-16
12 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.
13 "He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
14 "I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men.
15 "But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you.
16 "And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne
shall be established forever."
David's physical son was Solomon but the promises did not refer to Solomon, but to Jesus who was a physical descendant of David. And though Solomon built the temple, this was not the house that God was referring to. With Jesus' resurrection, the throne of David was indeed established forever, there being no longer a need for an earthly king to sit upon an earthly throne, and the house referred to is a heavenly Temple in which God will indeed dwell.
The genealogical records for Judah were destroyed with the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in A.D. 70 by the Roman army, so no Israeli now knows what tribe he is from. Two primary reasons for this are that no one can now claim to be king, and no one can claim to be the Messiah, because both would require proof of lineage. God in His wisdom allowed the records to be destroyed to prevent Satan from raising servants from among the Jews to deceive God's people.
God also allowed the destruction of the Temple to put a stop to the animal sacrifices which were no longer needed, as they were an abomination before God, and an insult to Jesus who had already fulfilled the Law concerning sacrifices, therefore doing away with the laws of sacrifice.
But back to the Antichrist.
DANIEL 11:38-39
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge
[and] increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land
for gain.
The fact that the Antichrist will give honor to a "strange god" fits well with;
REVELATION 13:1-2
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as [the feet] of a bear,
and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and
great authority.
Satan will give the Antichrist his power and throne, and the Antichrist will in turn honor him, and will cause Mankind to worship him.
REVELATION 13:44 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who [is] like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
Thus will be formed an "unholy trinity" of Satan (the dragon, corresponding to God the Father), the Antichrist (the "beast" corresponding to Jesus the Son) and the False Prophet (corresponding to the Holy Spirit).
It is interesting to note that in the New Age religions, there is a "God of forces" acknowledged, although I haven't been able to find much information on this false god.
And it seems like the Antichrist will either sell land for gain, or will sell the offices used to govern land
areas for both monetary and political profit.
DANIEL 11:40-45
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many [countries] shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, [even] Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.
42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.
43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians [shall be] at his steps.
44 But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.
45 And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy
mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
Again this refers to the Antichrist, as Antiochus IV Epiphanes died of a fit of insanity in ancient Babylon,
whereas this figure will plant his palace between the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea, more than
likely on the Mount of Olives just to the west of Jerusalem, to direct his forces at the battle of
Armageddon, in which the Chinese will sweep in from the East, and possibly the Russians from the
North will be coming after him. The Libyans and Ethiopians will follow at his heels like faithful dogs,
possibly helping enforce his decrees. He shall also conquer the land of Egypt and take their treasures.
And by the sounds of the verses above, at the end of his reign he will have most of the world against him. The Egyptians from the south, an army from the north, and the Chinese from the east all coming to the Battle of Armageddon. It will be Satan's last-ditch attempt to either try to stop the return of Jesus Christ, or take as much of mankind with him to destruction as he can in the attempt.
And oddly enough, it seems that the nation of Jordan (Edom, Moab, and the chief of the children of
Ammon) will escape from his rule. Perhaps this will be a place for the Jews and Christians to flee to for
safety when the great persecution starts.
DANIEL 12:1
1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of
thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation
[even] to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall
be found written in the book.
Michael the angelic prince will stand in defense for the Hebrew nation and the Christians, and a time of fierce spiritual and physical warfare will develop as he and the angelic host begin the final assault on Satan's forces. Armageddon will begin, and Satan and his demons knowing that the return of Jesus is imminent, will begin a full-scale destruction of the human race.
The battle will be so intense, that Jesus said,
MARK 13:19-20
19 For [in] those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.
20 And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the
elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.
The word for "flesh" in verse 20 is the Greek word "sarx" meaning literal flesh. In other words, Jesus
said that unless He had cut short Satan's reign of destruction here on earth, He would return
to a dead planet. Mankind would have become extinct. But for the sake of the Christians and
Jews, He has determined to cut the days short by returning before Satan can accomplish his
goal.
DANIEL 12:2
2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life,
and some to shame [and] everlasting contempt.
This refers to the coming two resurrections, the first resurrection of the righteous at Jesus' return, and
the second resurrection of the damned at the great White Throne Judgement. We'll see more of this
issue in Part III and Part IV of the End Times study.
DANIEL 12:3-4
3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, [even] to the time of the end:
many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
An interesting turn of phraseology is used in verse 4 that can be construed several ways. Knowledge indeed HAS increased in these last days. Just take a look at the strides technology has taken during this century alone! But knowledge of the End Times prophecies has increased also.
5 Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river.
6 And [one] said to the man clothed in linen, which [was] upon the waters of the river, How long [shall it be to] the end of these wonders?
7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, which [was] upon the waters of the river, when he held
up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that [it
shall be] for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the
power of the holy people, all these [things] shall be finished.
"Time, times and a half?" Sound familiar? Three and a half years! Three and a half years are given for the Antichrist to follow his reign of destruction against the Jews and Christians. And just when it seems that there is no hope left, Jesus will return.
MATTHEW 24:44
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
DANIEL 12:8-10
8 And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what [shall be] the end of these [things]?
9 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words [are] closed up and sealed till the time of the end.
10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and
none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.
I really have to feel sorry for Daniel. I know how frustrated I have been over the years seeking
understanding of these prophecies, and the Lord in His mercy and grace has revealed much to me. But
there is still much that he has not chosen to show me for reasons known only to Him. Daniel was told
that he was merely to record all of this, but it was not for him to know the meaning of the prophecies. If
it had been me, I would have been frustrated no end!
Note also verse 10. Daniel is told that none of the wicked would understand but the wise WOULD understand. I am not proclaiming myself to be wise, for all I have come to understand of these prophecies has been given to me by God, and is none of my own doing. Therefore I will not claim any credit for any of this, but will give all of the credit and honor to God alone who has granted such knowledge to me.
But those who are wise will see the truth in the Scriptures, and will understand the times that
we live in. They will also be able to discern that the time is getting short, and prepare
accordingly.
And for those of you believing in a pre-tribulation rapture, if we aren't going to be here why are we being given all of these warnings of persecution? Are we greater than Jesus, that we should escape persecution? Did He tell us that we would not go through the tribulation?
Are we any better than the early Christians who were put to death by the Roman Empire, or
the Inquisition? Nowhere have I found in Scripture that these warnings are for "those who are
left behind". Keep this in mind. We'll see more of this in Part III and Part IV of the End
Times studies. And the clincher for the timing of the rapture will be found in the study of
Revelation (End Times Part IV). Please bear with me until we reach the end of these studies.
DANIEL 12:11
11 And from the time [that] the daily [sacrifice] shall be taken away, and the abomination that
maketh desolate set up, [there shall be] a thousand two hundred and ninety days.
From the time that the Antichrist breaks the seven year peace treaty with Israel (Daniel's 70th"week") to
the beginning of the Armageddon buildup will be three and a half years. The Scriptures give the
Antichrist three and a half years for his reign of terror, and at the end of the time appointed, the nations
will come against him in Armageddon.
DANIEL 12:12
12 Blessed [is] he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty
days.
The Armageddon buildup and war itself will take forty five additional days. And at the end of those
days, Jesus will return. Jesus Himself said He didn't know when He would return,
MARK 13:32
32 But of that day and [that] hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven,
neither the Son, but the Father.
BUT, we are being given signs to watch for, signaling that the time is drawing close.
Essentially once the Antichrist signs a seven year covenant with Israel, Daniel's 70th week
will be locked into place and we will know when Jesus is due to return.
Problem is, Satan will also know, and will be acting accordingly. As Scripture attests;
Revelation 12:7-12
7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
12 Therefore rejoice, [ye] heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the
earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he
knoweth that he hath but a short time.
DANIEL 12:13
13 But go thou thy way till the end [be]: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.
Again, Daniel is told that it is not for him to understand what is to come. He is to continue to live his life,
and will receive his reward at the resurrection of the righteous.
LUKE 21:28-36
28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;
30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.
31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.
32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.
33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and [so] that day come upon you unawares.
35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these
things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
MARK 13:33-37
33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
34 [For the Son of man is] as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.
35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.