Sunday Devotions The Book of Daniel Chapters 7 to 12
02-06-2022 - INTRODUCTION.
In chapter 7 we see a significant division between the first six chapters of Daniel. Up to this point visions of monarchs have dominated the record. From chapter seven on , it’s Daniel’s personal visions that are described. The historical sequences prophetically portrayed in the various visions may be similar, but the perspective is changed. The second half of Daniel are the apocalyptic chapters and are sometimes called the Second Book of Daniel because they are mainly concerned with the predictions of the ‘Fourth Beast’ which pertain to the end times. Chapters 1through 6 show us how God is present through trials; whereas chapters seven through 12 show us that God is in control of all things and will overcome evil and that God’s people must remain faithful and not give in to temptations. The notes that follow have been prepared to help you understand the symbolism of the prophesies in Daniel and will be useful when we move to the study of The Revelation.
Sources for the information contained here include ‘The Life Application Bible – The Living Bible.’ 1988; ‘The Expositor’s Study Bible,’ 2005, and the Moody Bible Institute Introductory Bible Course, 1926.
02-13-2022. Daniel 7:1-7. The Vision of the Four winds and the Four Beasts
Chronologically, this vision happened 17 years (538 BC) before chapter five (555 BC), when Belshazzar was a prominent leader.
7:2. Daniel saw the ‘four winds of Heaven which strove upon the great sea,’ The four winds refer to wars, strife, and judgements from God and the great sea refer to massive numbers of people which will make up future empires.
7:3. Beasts in symbolic passages represent the character of kingdoms and their rulers, and all the fallen angels behind these kingdoms. Again, we see ‘the sea’ meaning massive numbers of people. Check how it parallels with chapter 2 verses 37-40.’
7:4. The first beast in Daniel’s vision is described like a Lion and refers to the Babylonian Empire. ‘Eagles’ wings’ symbolize the rapid pace in which this empire conquered its enemies and became a dominant controller of the known world. The plucked wings refer to the rapid expansion until the point where Nebuchadnezzar went insane because of his pride.
7:5. Here we see the second beast, described as Bear like. The bear refers to the Medo Persian Empire who helped Nebuchadnezzar overthrow the Assyrians. Nebuchadnezzar’s dream from chapter 2 had a statue in it that represented the Medo Persian Empire. The statue as seen in the King’s dream represents the Persian kingdoms as man sees them; whereas Daniel’s vision represents these kingdoms as God sees them – which is ferocious. The phrase raised up itself on its side means the strength of the Persians was greater than Medes and the three ribs in the mouth of it between its teeth refer to the beast devouring flesh likely symbolizing the conquest of Babylon, Lydia, and Egypt.
7:6. The third beast – like a Leopard – defines the Grecian Empire under Alexander the Great who would come to power about 200 years after Daniel’s time. The empire rose fast but was ultimately divided among four generals. There are the four notable horns that we will see again in Chapter 8:8 which replaced Alexander the Great, the great horn which was broken. The phrase four wings of a fowl symbolize speed that was out of proportion to the normal conquests. ‘Four heads’ symbolized the breakup of this empire after the death of Alexander the Great at the age of thirty-two. Heads always symbolize kingdoms in Bible prophesy and here refer to Greece, Thrace (which today is Turkey), Syria, and Egypt.
7:7. The fourth beast dreadful and terrible and strong with iron teeth associated with an animal, but it does represent the iron Roman Empire which was the strongest and most powerful of all devouring and crushing the nations it conquered; and lasting nearly 1,000 years. The phrase and it had ten horns had nothing to do with the original Roman conquests. They portray what will come to power in the latter days and will persecute Israel.
02-20-2022. Daniel 7:8-14. Continuing with Daniel’s vision of what happens to the kingdoms of the earth.
7:8. At first Daniel didn’t understand the ten horns. We can consider that even though the Roman Empire has come and gone, the ten horns have not yet risen to power. However, some scholars feel that the breakup of the former Soviet Union was the beginning of the fulfillment of this passage; and the ten horns have to do with territory originally controlled by the old Roman Empire. The phrase there came up among them another little horn means this one came after the ten were fully grown and refers to the Antichrist with eyes like a man and speaking great things, and who will pluck three of the ten horns -- meaning he will defeat these countries in battle -- with the other seven submitting to him. This will take place in the first half of the Great Tribulation.
7:9. Here the vision tells of the final judgement as the end of the age. It’s similar to what John wrote in Revelation 1:14-15. He gives us a stunning picture of God. It will be God who assigns power to the kingdoms, and He alone will judge those kingdoms in the end. The phrase I beheld till the thrones were cast down speaks of all empires from Babylon through to Antichrist, which will have already been destroyed except for the ten horns and the little horn. But eventually these too will perish. The phrase And the Ancient of Days did sit speaks of God the Father and His dominion which tells us that His Kingdom will remain forever.
7:10. Daniel sees God judging millions of people as they stood before him. This verse speaks to the final judgement that will take place at the beginning of the Kingdom Age.
7:11. The phrase the great words which the horn spoke refers to the extreme opposition against God in the end times. When the Antichrist comes to power the opposition will only get worse. At the Second Coming, the Antichrist will be destroyed and thrown into the last of fire.
7:12. The phrase as concerning the rest of the beasts speaks of the Kingdoms preceding the little horn going all the way back to Babylon. Even though these empires have long since passed away, the Gentiles still rule the world which is why some scholars refer to this as the time of the Gentiles which will continue until the Second Coming.
7:13. The phrase One like the Son of Man is speaking of Jesus Christ. We also see Daniel representing the Trinity here: God the Father is the Ancient of Days, The Son of Man is Jesus, and the Holy Spirit who inspired all of this is part of ‘they’ in this verse. Jesus used this verse to refer to himself in both Luke 21:27 and John 1:51.
7:14.This verse corresponds to Daniel chapter 2:35 and shows us the Kingdom of Righteousness will begin immediately after the Second Coming with Christ as it’s Supreme and Eternal Head.
02-27-2022. Daniel 7:15-22 Starts the interpretation of Daniel’s vision.
7:15. This vision disturbed and confused Daniel. If you feel the same, you’re I good company. But understand that the full meaning had not been revealed. There will come a time when God makes the full meaning known but no one knows when that will be.
7:16. The phrase ‘one of them who stood by’ refers to the many people Daniel saw standing by God’s Throne in Heaven.
7:17. The four beasts are kingdoms of Babylon, Medo Persia, Greece and Rome but they aren’t of God and will not last. The only kingdom that will last is the kingdom of Jesus described in verse 14.
7:18. The saints in the verse refer to Israel which will be restored and become the leading nation in the world under Christ.
7:19. The Forth Beast of the four kingdoms is Rome which would come after Daniel’s time. The phrase ‘and his nails of brass’ is something not mentioned in verses 7 and 8. It symbolized the Grecian Empire of image in chapter 2: 39 and 45. One possible meaning could be the Antichrist will have characteristics of both the Roman and ancient Grecian empires.
7:20. The phrase ‘the other which came up’ is the little horn – or the Antichrist – of verse 8 who will be made known to the world shortly after the rapture of the Church.
7:21. Again the Saints here refer to Israel as in verse 18. The war concerns the Antichrist signing a seven-year non-aggression pact with Israel, then breaking it at the halfway – or 3 1/2 years – into the Great Tribulation where war with Israel will be declared.
7:22. The phrase ‘until the Ancient of days come’ refers back to verses 9, 13, and 14. But it doesn’t mean that God the Father will come to earth. Instead, He will direct the proceedings from His throne in Heaven. The phrase ‘and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom’ refers to the second coming of Jesus when Israel will accept Christ as the Messiah and Savior and then be brought back to Jerusalem from all over the earth to be restored to her proper place and position.
So far, we have been shown that Jesus received His everlasting kingdom (verse 14) prior to returning to earth in power and glory to defeat the Antichrist and his forces at Armageddon after which He will establish His kingdom on earth. Jesus spoke about this in the Parable of the Nobleman in Luke 19:11-27. The nobleman is Jesus, and it speaks of the judgement all will face at the throne of judgement. Revelation 5:5-7 shows Jesus taking the Book out of God’s hand to be used at the judgement by Jesus.
03-06-2022. Daniel 7:23-28 Continues the interpretation of Daniels vision.
7:23. The fourth beast is the Roman Empire. The phrase ‘and shall devour the whole earth and shall tread it down and break it in pieces’ speaks of the ferocity and total power of the empire which ruled the world almost 1,000 years from 351 AD to 474 AD.
7:24. Daniel is told that the Antichrist is coming to power and the three of ten kingdoms will be overtaken by him. Because oof what is written in Daniel 2:44-45, some scholars teach the ten horns refer to the ten tribe that overthrew Rome between 474-351 AD. But when you consider this with Revelation 1911 through 20:7 we see that the God of Heaven is to set up an earthly Kingdom that will stand forever. Since history shows there wasn’t such a kingdom established after the end of the Roman empire, we can understand that that kingdom hasn’t yet been established even as of today thereby meaning that the ten horns refer to future kingdoms. Daniel is told that the antichrist will be coming to power and three of the ten kingdoms will be overtaken by him.
7:25. Tells us how the antichrist will speak out against God, wearing down those who are weak in their faith and how he will change the norms and laws. The phrase ‘and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time’ refers to Israel being defeated halfway through the Tribulation leading to her persecution until the return of Christ.
7:26. Refers back to verse 10 and the judgement passed on the antichrist by the Heavenly court which will lead to his immediate destruction.
7:27. The phrase ‘the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven’ speaks to the entirety of the earth when Jesus is reigning supreme.
7:28. This verse tell us that, in spite of the interpretation provide to him by God’s angel, Daniel still did not fully understand the extent of his vision, but he recorded it anyway. Put yourself in his place and you can surely relate. He’s hearing about future occurrences that are very hard to grasp. We have the benefit of the New Testament to add to our knowledge, but we still won’t fully understand all that we are being told will happen. This is deep stuff and very difficult to imagine so this is where we must rely on our faith and trust that God is working His plan for all of us.
Next week we will learn of another of Daniel’s visions.
03-18-2022. Daniel 8:1-7. The vision of the Ram and the He Goat
8:1. In both Chapter and 7, the succession of empires is graphically shown: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome would succeed one another. Chapter 4 described the transition of Babylon to Medo-Persia. Now in Chapter 8, we begin to see the transition from Medo-Persia to Greece. This is a future transition that Daniel is seeing. At the time Daniel had the vision, the Jews were in captivity by Gentiles. So, under divine inspiration, he outlines a sad story of their continued oppression through the years. Like Chapter 7, Chapter 8 precedes Chapter 5 by about 2 years and probably occurred 551 BC when Daniel was about 70 years old. He is giving us more details about the Medo-Persian and Greek empires which followed Babylon respectively.
8:2. Shusha was a major capital in the Babylonian Empire, located in what is now Iran. It was very well developed and rivaled Babylon in sophistication. Other than the Ten Commandments, the earliest known code of Law – the Code of Hammurabi – was developed there.
8:3. We see the Ram with 2 horns which is the Medo-Persia Empire, ruled by 2 kings – Darius of Mede and Cyrus of Persia. The two high horns speak of their power that as great enough to overthrow the mighty Babylonian Empire. When Daniel describes one horn high than the other with the highest coming last, it means that Persia developed after the Meden empire but ultimately grew as the strongest of the two. But even this mighty empire would see it doom.
8:4. The phrase ‘I saw the Ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward’ described the Ram (Medo-Persia) taking over Babylon first (west), then Lydia (north), and finally Egypt (south).
8:5. In Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Chapter 2 the Grecian Empire was represented by the belly and thigh of brass on the statue. whereas in Daniels’s vision in Chapter 7 Greece was seen as a leopard with four wings and four heads. Now in Daniels second vision, Greece is the He Goat.
8:6. The phrase ‘the fury of his power’ portrays the speed of the He Goat’s conquests with a military strategy that completely overwhelmed the much larger force of the Medes and the Persians.
8:7. Choler means anger, wrath and irritability. Alexander’s wrath is strong and continuous even though the breaking of the horns effectively crushed the Medo-Persian empire’s power, he kept at it by stamping on the fallen Ram.
Keep in mind that this was an amazing prediction at the time because Greece was not considered a world power. Next week we will look at more of this vision.
3-20-2022. Daniel 8:8-14.
8:8. The vision continues, taking us back to the horns. Remember the He Goat is Alexander the Great. He led a great empire, but it wouldn’t last long. The phrase ‘and when he was strong the great horn was broken’ refers to his untimely death at the age of 32 when he was extremely strong and powerful. The phrase ‘and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven’ references his empire being split into four parts upon his death. The rules of the four empires after Alexander the Great were Ptolemy I of Egypt and Palestine; Seleucus of Babylonia and Syria, Antigonus of Asia Minor; and Antipater of Macedonia and Greece.
8:9. This prophecy had both near term and far term application. The phrase ‘out of one of them came forth a little horn’ refers to the future antichrist coming from one of the four division of the Grecian Empire. ‘toward the south’ refers to Egypt; to the East is Syria Iraq and Iran (Palestine; toward the pleasant land refers to Israel. After the fall of the Grecian empire, Israel was attacked by Antiochus Epiphanes in the second century BCC. Which was the near-term fulfillment of the prophecy where in Israel would continue to be persecuted, the far term and final fulfillment will occur with the coming of the antichrist in the very distant future. Meanwhile, Antiochus was one of the most terrifying persecutors of the Jews in Hebrew History. The far term part with the Antichrist is foreshadowed by Antiochus Epiphanes.
8:10. The phrase ’and it was a great event to the host of heaven’ refers to the little horn (antichrist) breaking the seven-year covenant he will make with Israel halfway through the Tribulation leading to declaring war on Israel as symbolized in the phrase ‘and it cast down some of the host and of the stars of the ground’ meaning Israel will be defeated at this future time.
8:11. The phrase ‘yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the hose’ is the antichrist usurping authority over the high priest of Israel. The antichrist will defeat Israel and again stop the daily sacrifices that will be reinstated after a lapse of approximately 2,000 and tell us that the Jewish temple will be rebuilt but the antichrist will ultimately take it over and desecrate it.
8:12. The phrase ‘by reason of transgression’ again refers to the antichrist breaking the seven-year covenant and desecrating the temple. The phrase ‘and it practiced and prospered’ talk about how most of the world during the tribulation will applaud the Antichrist and his actions concerning Israel and the temple.
8:13. These are saints in heaven whose conversation Daniel overhears; however, we don’t know who these saints are. The ‘sanctuary’ is the rebuilt temple and the ‘host to be trodden under foot’ speaks of the worshipers, the high priest, and associate priests abruptly stopping their worship and work and likely killed when the antichrist invades Israel in the middle of the tribulation.
8:14. The 2300 days is the period of time when the antichrist will desecrate the temple – about 3 yrs., 2 months and 10 days. After that, the temple will be cleansed by Jesus upon His second coming. Jesus spoke of this in Matthew 24:15-16.
3-27-2022 Daniel 8:15-21 – The Interpretation.
8:15-16. Now the vision is over, and Daniel is trying to determine its meaning when he was joined by someone that looked like a man. Turns out this is the mighty angel Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God. We don’t know whose voice it was that was telling Gabriel – it could have been an agnel or a redeemed man – but he was instructing the Angel to make Daniel understand the vision.
8:17. Gabriel explains that this vision speaks of the end times, meaning the time in which we live now until the Second Coming of Christ. Last week we learned about Antiochus IV Epiphanes and his brutality toward the Hebrew people. The fact is that his brutality will be repeated on a much broader scale before the second coming as God is dealing with Israel in a different way by disciplining them through Gentile nations.
8:18. Verse 18 shows us how Daniel feels completely unworthy in the presence of Gabriel.
8:19. The phrase, ‘the last end of indignation’ concerns God’s past, present and future indignation against Israel. God has an appointed limit; however, the far greater part of the indignation spoken of in this vision concerns the time of the Great Tribulation.
8:20-21. Remember the Ram in verse 20 is the Medo-Persian empire and we are reminded that Daniel served the empire for many years before his death. And the He Goat in verse 21 is Alexander the Great, ruler of the Grecian empire.
We will continue with the interpretation next week.
4-3-2022. Daniel 8:22-27.
There is definitely a blending of personalities both in the vision and the interpretation. The picture of Antiochus IV Epiphanes blends with the Antichrist. The Apostle Paul was a scholar of the prophetic teachings in the Old Testament which is why he told the Thessalonian Christians about the blasphemer who would come someday. In II Thessalonians 2:8 Paul wrote of the identification of the antichrist to the world, but the good news is that it will be AFTER the rapture of the Church.
8:22. The phrase ‘that being broken’ refers to the ‘great horn’ and it symbolizes the death of Alexander the Great. The phrase ‘whereas four stood up for it’ speaks of the four generals who took over the Empire after the death of Alexander, dividing it up among themselves. And the phrase ‘but not in his power’ means that Alexander didn’t designate these kingdoms to them because he was already dead. There was no succession plan because he wasn’t expected to die so soon.
8:23. The phrase ‘and in the latter time of their kingdom’ speaks of the coming of the antichrist. ‘When the transgressors are come to the full’ is when the nation of Israel reaching the final and worst point of her guilt by accepting the antichrist but never accepting Christ. This was predicted by the Lord Himself in John 5:43. ‘A king of fierce countenance and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.’ Again, this is the antichrist who will be a man that has having a majestic presence, superhuman knowledge and diabolic intelligence. This description could also refer to Antiochus IV Epiphanes, which is an example of the blending of the predictions concerning the future mentioned earlier.
8:24. The phrase ‘but not by his how power’ shows that the antichrist will reign with delegated authority – not by his own power. The antichrist’s power will come from Satan. The phrase ‘and he shall destroy wonderfully’ speaks of what will happen in the Tribulation and is further described in Revelation 6:4-8. The phrase ‘and shall prosper and practice’ means that his efforts will be extremely successful meaning a lot of people will die. The phrase ‘and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people’ refers to the destruction of the nation Israel by the antichrist.
8:25. Craft, pride and blasphemy will be personified in the Antichrist. The word ‘craft’ in the Hebrew language is ‘mirmah’ meaning deceit. The antichrist will be the greatest deceiver in all of earth’s history. He will trick people into believing he is a peaceful benevolent man but in reality, he will only destroy them. The last phrase ‘he shall stand up against the Prince of Princes’ refers to his war against Christ, which will culminate with the Battle of Armageddon. The Prince of Princes is God himself. No human power could defeat the king whom Daniel saw in his vision; but God will bring him down. Again, with the blending of prophecies, Antiochus IV Epiphanes went insane and died in Persia in 163 BC. The phrase ‘he shall be broken without hand’ means the antichrist will be completely destroyed. Paul again described this is II Thessalonians 2:8 when he wrote ‘whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and destroy with the brightness of his coming.’ When the Jesus returns in His glory, the Antichrist will go down in defeat at Armageddon.
8:26. The phrase ‘for it shall be for many days’ signifies that the vision from Daniel’s day would be a long time in coming to fulfillment. It hasn’t yet been fulfilled, but it most definitely will be in the future.
8:27. The phrase ‘but none understood it’ refers to the fact that the comprehension of events in the distant future was difficult if not impossible. Today, with the benefit of the history of many of these things, especially considering that they appear to be starting now to comes about, our understanding of those things which the Angel Gabriel intended is being enlightened.
4-10-2022 Daniel 9:1-11.
This chapter shows us Daniel’s prayers for himself and Israel and his Vision of Seventy Weeks of Years which is a most unusual prophecy in that it stresses the time element in connection with Jesus’ time on earth and the reign of the antichrist in the last days.
9:1. This vision occurred about a year after the one in chapter 8. Darius is the same one we see in chapter 6 who saw the writing on the wall.
9:2. The seventy years here is not the same period of time as the Seventy Weeks of Years told about in the vision, which we will see later on. Daniel was a student of the scriptures and particularly Jeremiah. By studying Jeremiah’s writings, Daniel understood the number of years of exile that Israel would have to endure before returning to their land.
9:3 By this point Daniel was an old man and knew the seventy years of captivity was ending, so he was praying desperately for God to return his people to their land. As he prayed, he showed reverence to God with prayer, fasting, wearing sackcloth and ashes as dictated in Leviticus, II Chronicles, and Jeremiah. In other words, he was following God’s word. Something we all must do!
9:4. This verse refers to Deuteronomy 7:9 that shows God’s love for Israel and now Daniel is appealing to this love in his prayers to God.
9:5-9. These verses show us that while pleading for Israel’s return home Daniel is also confessing the sins and rebellion of himself and all of Israel. Judah suffered seventy years of captivity because she wouldn’t listen to the prophet Jeremiah. Instead, in pride and arrogance, they called him a false prophet. The phrase ‘but unto us a confusion of faces’ refers to the shame for their sin that only God could take away. In verse 8 ‘we have all sinned against you’ is a reminder to Israel back than and even us today that we are all sinners in Gods sight. But verse 9 goes on to tell us that God will always show mercy and will forgive sins if we humble ourselves before God.
9:10. Daniel is holding up God’s Word as the guidelines for all the living. It’s called the ‘Voice of the Lord our God’ and still applies today.
9:11. This reminds us that when a curse is promised for certain actions, it will be carried according to God’s word. And so will rewards for obedience.
4-17-2022. Daniel 9:12-19.
The chapter began with Daniel praying for God about Israel’s release from captivity, while acknowledging that this punishment was just given their refusal to repent of their sins. Daniel’ continues in today’s reading.
9:12. Daniel reminds us that God’s word is true in the He will bless those who obey and curse those who sin. This didn’t change between the Old and New Testaments. Just because we are covered by the grace of His forgiveness doesn’t mean God looks at sin differently. What He said about sin hasn’t change and it never will.
9:13. This verse tells us that Judah, even though repeatedly warned before the judgment, would not repent; neither would they repent after the judgement resulting in their captivity in Babylon. The Phrase ‘God’s Supreme Reality’ means that every word of promise to threat that God says is true. Credibility, fairness, and faithfulness are equally important to God being God.
9:14. Daniel confirms that what God did was the right thing to do as His righteousness is vindicated in judgment of sin for which there is no repentance.
9:15. The phrase, ‘and have gotten you renown, as at this day’ is an exact quote from Jeremiah 32:20. Daniel is recalling Israel’ deliverance from Egypt then as God to do it again. When we pray, we should recall what God has done in history and in our own lives. This will give us confidence to pray for today and tomorrow. Don’t be afraid to ask God to do it again! When Daniel spoke of ‘Your People’ he was showing us that even though Israel were apostates and dispersed, they are still considered the chosen people of God. That applies even today but doesn’t guarantee salvation.
9:16. Here Daniel is asking for God to release His anger against His people. He knows the 70 years of captivity are coming to an end and Goo’s righteousness is in volved in the time not being exceeded.
9:17. Daniel is calling the Lord to the petition of the Psalmist in Psalm 80:3) where Asaph said, ‘Turn us again, O God, and cause Your face to shine; and we shall be saved.’ Which refers to the blessings of God.
9:18. Daniel is begging for mercy not for help because he knew his people didn’t deserve God’s help. God sends his help, not because we deserve I, but because he wants to show great mercy when we need him. If God refuses to help us because of our sin, how can we complain? But if he sends help despite of our sin, how can we withhold our praise? God’s blessings aren’t given because we deserve them because, in fact we do not.
9:19. Here Daniel is using short sentences repeating ‘Oh Lord’ to give a feeling of intensity to the prayer suitable to the circumstances he was in.
Daniel’s plea that God would hear and forgive is one of the most eloquent pieces of devotional literature in the Bible. Daniel prayed with complete surrender to God and complete openness to what God was saying to him. This is a lesson for us today. When we pray, do we speak openly to the Lord? We should all examine our attitudes to allow ourselves to be open, vulnerable, and honest in our prayer life and our everyday lives.
5-8-2022. Daniel 9:16-27
We left off with Daniel praying for Israel’s release from captivity while also acknowledging that the sins of the people were a just punishment for their current situation.
9:16-17. Daniel is asking that God let go of His anger toward His people, because as the 70 years of captivity come to an end that God in His righteousness will not allow Him to extend the time and instead to shine his face upon them once again. Daniel draws on Psalm 80:3 using the words of Asaph and references the blessing of God.
9:18. Daniel is begging for mercy, not help, because he knew the people didn’t deserve God’s help. This also applies to us today. God’s blessings aren’t given because we deserve them – we don’t but because He wants to show us His mercy. He sends us blessing and help despite our sin.
9-19. The short sentences use by Daniel reflect the intensity of his prayers
9:20-23. We see that God heard Daniel’s prayers because while he was still praying, God sent His intermediary, the angel Gabriel to Daniel’s side. The reference to the evening oblation in verse 21 speaks of the time that evening sacrifices were made-- about 3 pm. But it does not imply that the sacrifices were made while held captive in Babylon. Gabriel tells Daniel he was sent to give him skill and understanding which refers to the future of Israel and also last-day events meaning the last days before the establishment of the earthly kingdom. Gabriel goes on to tell Daniel that he was sent because He is greatly loved by God.
9:24 Gabriel speaks of the 70 weeks as the determined period of punishment which translates into 490 years. The second coming of Jesus and their acceptance of Him will finish the transgression of the people. The phrase ‘To make reconciliation (or atonement) for iniquity’ refers to the fact that Israel will not only accept Jesus at the Second Coming but will also accept what He did at the Cross. We can well image this moment for they are the ones who crucified Christ. The phase ‘to anoint the Most Holy’ has to do with the building of the Millennial Temple, which is also described by Ezekiel in Chapters 40-48 of his book.
9:25. This underscores that the 70 weeks is broken up into two period. One ‘shall be seven weeks) (49 years) and the other will be ‘threescore and two weeks’ or 434 years totaling 483 years. The phrase ‘that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and rebuild Jerusalem,’ is the beginning of the 490-year period. However, from that time until it was actually finished was some 141 years. With the clock stopping and starting several times; eventually totaling 49 years.
The second block of time started at the end of the 49 years and ended with the Crucifixion of Jesus which was 434 years. Combining, as stated the 49 with the 434 totals 483 years.
The third block of time will be the last week of years totaling seven years, or the period of the Grate tribulation concluding Daniel’s prophesy of 70 weeks of years.
Remember these 490 years don’t run consecutively. They stop and start in the first 49 years, then there a 2,000-year halt until the crucifixion, and we are still waiting for the last 7 years to happen which will be the Great Tribulation.
9:26. The phrase ‘and after threescore and two weeks shall messiah be cut off’ give us the exact time, even the very year that the Messiah would be crucified. ‘Cut off’ refers to the crucifixion. The phrase ‘But not for Himself’ refers to Jesus dying for mankind and taking upon Himself the penalty for mankind. – He died for our crimes, not crimes he committed. The phrase ‘and the people of the prince who shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary refers to the Romans and the destruction of the temple in AD 70. The ‘prince’ as used here refers to the Antichrist, who has not yet come but will come from among the 10 kingdoms; yet to be formed inside the old Roman Empire territory.
9:27. The phrase ‘and he shall confirm’ refers to the Antichrist. ‘And in the midst of the week.’ Refers to three and a half years at which time the Antichrist will show his true colors and stop the sacrifices in the newly built Temple. At that time, he will actually invade Israel, with her suffering her first defeat since her formation as a nation in 1948. The phrase ‘even until the consummation’ means until the end of the sever year Great Tribulation period. The phrase ‘And that determined shall be poured upon the desolate’ refers to all the Prophecies being fulfilled regarding the great suffering that Israel will go through the last 3 ½ years of the Tribulation. Jesus spoke of this in Matthew 24:21-22.
This portion presents a very specific timeline regarding the events in God’s plan. It’s pretty fascinating to read and see how it plays out. Keep in mind that God’s time frame is not the same as that within which we live here on earth. And what is described in Daniel and other places such as Ezekiel are not consecutive but blocks of time until we get to the Great Tribulation.
Next time we will venture in to Danie’s 4th vision about Israel in the last days under the Antichrist.
5-15-2022. Daniel 10:1-11
Chapter 10 brings us to Daniel’s fourth and final vision. He is given further insight into the spiritual battle between those who protect God’s people and those who want to destroy them. There is also detailed information about the future, especially the struggles between the Ptolemies (who were the Kings to the South) and the Seleucids --- the kings of the North. It is believed that this vision came about five years after the vision of the 70 weeks in Chapter 9. Many of those in captivity have returned to Jerusalem. But Daniel didn’t. Daniel is over 90 years old by now and perhaps he stayed back because he was too old to make the journey, or he had government duties could have prevented him from going. Also, he is mourning over Israel’s trouble.
10:1-3. We see that he is now living under Cyrus king of Persia. Gone is Nebuchadnezzar and the rule of Babylon. The phrase in verse 1 ‘and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long’ is a reference that this 4th vision pertains to the far distant future – at least for Daniel’s time. Because it will be filled sooner than the Tribulation.
10:4-6. One day while he was at the Hiddekel River, which is the modern-day Tigris River he has the vision. The description of the man she saw is very similar to the apparition in Revelation 1:13 as described by John. This is believed to be a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ. In this vision Daniel was given a glimpse of the battle between the supernatural powers of good and evil.
10:7. We learn in verse 7 that Daniel was not alone when he had this vision. But his companions did not see what he had seen. But what was being shown to Daniel did have an effect on them. The ‘great quaking’ that fell upon them means they were terrified of something, causing them to leave Daniel alone.
10:8. The phrase in verse 8 ‘for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption.’ Gives the true meaning of this passage: When our Righteousness is compared with that of Christ’s, there truly is no comparison.
10:9. Daniel describes in verse 9 how he was affected upon hearing the words of the being that visited him. His reaction was the same at the appearance of Gabriel in Chapter 8 and very similar to the reactions of Peter, James, and John on the Mount of the Transfiguration with Jesus.
10:10-11. Daniel was touched by someone. Many scholars believe that it wasn’t the hand of Christ, but rather that of Gabriel as it is Gabriel who tells him that he is greatly loved and should stand up and hear what he had to say. At that Daniel, though scared, did stand up. The messenger calmed his fears with a touch, restored his speech that was lost through fear and gave him back the strength that he had lost.
God can do the same for us: He brings us healing when hurt, peace when troubled, and strength when weak. All we need do is ask Him to help us.
Next time we will learn of the interpretation of the vision.
5-22-2021. Daniel 10:12-19.
Daniel is meeting with Gabriel to learn more of what his visions are telling him.
10:12-13. Gabriel is reassuring Daniel that because he was close to God and asked God to help him his visions, Gabriel was sent in answer to his prayers and his efforts to understand God’s purpose concerning His people. We also see that Satan was at work in Persia as he appointed an evil angel to control the government unbeknownst to the king. We should not doubt that Satan does this to every government on earth as evidenced by the national hatreds and movements against God that occur all around the world. The good news is that God also dispatches His angelic agents in opposition to Satan’s operatives. Gabriel tells Daniel that he was busy for 21 days with the King of Persia, so Michael was also sent help Gabriel. The conflicts in Ephesians 6 and the Battle of Revelation 12 are other examples where angelic agents are dispatched by God.
10:14-15. Gabriel told Daniel he has come to make him understand what shall happen to his people in the latter days which caused Daniel to look toward the ground possibly because Daniel believed these things would happen soon with Israel ultimately being restored to her place and position of power and supremacy.
10:16-19. Daniel continues to be frightened by what his visions are showing him to the point where he is physically weakened and unable to speak. Then he sees another heavenly being that looked like a man reaching out to him in order to calm his fears. It is believed that because Daniel addresses this being as ‘My Lord,’ that it is likely a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ who has come to calm Daniel. Notice the words recorded: he is greatly loved, fear not, peace be unto you, be strong, yea be strong. Hearing this, Daniel immediately got back his strength.
How blessed Daniel is to encounter not only Gabriel but also Jesus Christ! Jesus does the same for us today. All we need do is listen for Him and he will calm all our fears and restore our strength when we feel we can’t go on.
6-5-2022. Daniel 11:5-14
Daniel is now learning about future and the disintegration of the Medo-Persian empire. When the Greek empire broke into four kingdoms commanded by Alexander’s generals, they were Egypt (South), Babylonia and Syria (North), Asia Minor (West), and Macedonia and Greece (East) and todays reading addresses the tars between the Ptolemies and Seleucids
11:5-7. The king of Egypt was Ptolemy II but the Kingdom weakened through endless wars and eventually gave his daughter Bernice in marriage to the King of Syria, Antiochus II in order to institute a peace treaty between the two Kingdoms. But Laodice, the former wife of Antiochus II murdered Bernice. When Bernice’s brother Ptolemy III (‘the branch of her roots’ in verse 7) ascended the Egyptian throne, he declared war against the Seleucids to avenge his sister’s murder and defeated Selecuds.
11:8-13. After the victory, Ptolemy III returned to Egypt with prisoners and bounty that had been taken out of Egypt nearly 300 years before. The two kingdoms still fought and while the Egyptian king was victorious outside of the country, there were problems in Egypt because he oppressed many of his own people, especially the Jews causing his kingdom to suffer a steady decline. Meanwhile, in Syria, the sons of Antiochus II spent a lot of time on revenge and prepared to recover their father’s kingdom which was now led by Antiochus III. Ptolemy IV was King in Egypt. Antiochus III would return to Egypt and fight the Egyptians with a greater army than before, and he would win.
11:14. This verse speaks of the Jews joining with Antiochus to conquer Egypt. While he won, Rome stepped in and forced him to surrender his conquest. The phrase ‘Also the robbers of your people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision,’ refers to the Jews who thought by helping Antiochus they would bring about the fulfillment of the Prophecy and the independence of Judah. But instead, they all perished at the hand of the Egyptians, fulfilling the Prophecy ‘but they shall fall.’
6-12-2022. Daniel 11:15-20.
Remember the North is Syria, and the South is Egypt.
11:15. Gabriel is telling Daniel Egypt and his future country men will be defeated by the North.
11:16. The phrase ‘and he shall stand in the Glorious land’ refers to Judea and the Jews attempting to help Antiochus the Great defeat Ptolemy, which he did. Antiochus showed great favor to the Jews, but Israel’s dependence was on man instead of God, resulting in them being reduced to poverty during the long wars that were ahead; thereby fulfilling the prophecy in the phrase ‘which by his hand shall be consumed.’
11:17. This verse speaks of Antiochus the Great making a peace treaty with Ptolemy V fulfilling the phrase ‘and upright ones with him.’ The conditions were that Antiochus’ daughter, Cleopatra aged 11, should marry Ptolemy. Her description as ‘the daughter of women’ speaks of her great beauty. The phrase ‘corrupting her’ means that her father Antiochus ordered her to be a spy in the Egyptian court in his interests. But she ultimately sided with her husband and defeated her father’s plans by inviting the protection of the Romans, again fulfilling the prophecy ‘but she shall not stand on their side, neither be for him.’
11:18. Antiochus went on to attack Asia Minor and Greece but the Roman General, Lucius Scipio defeated him which restored prestige to the Roman name that had suffered because the Roman Senate had failed to protect Egypt and Greece. Scipio imposed strict terms of peace on Antiochus after this defeat.
11:19. In trying to raise money demanded by Rome after the defeat, Antiochus plundered a popular temple causing the enraged worshipers to kill him, fulfilling the prophecy ‘but he shall stumble and fall.’
11:20. The phrase ‘Raiser of taxes’ referred to Seleucus IV mainly engaged in raising money to satisfy the Roman tribute. The phrase ‘the glory of the kingdom’ speaks of him sending Heliodors into Judah to plunder the temple. On his return, Heliodors poisoned Seleucus, and he died which fulfilled the prophecy ‘neither in anger nor in battle.’
7-3-22. Daniel 11:21-26
11:21. ‘In his estate’ refers to the kingdom of Syria, including ancient Assyria, and even the modern Armenia. The ‘vile person’ is Antiochus IV also called Epiphanes the Illustrious. He came to power in the 2nd century BC and is the little horn spoken of in Daniel’s vision in Chapter 8, verse 9. He was a vile deceiver. His character, actions, and cruelties are illustrated the closing predictions of Chapter 11 but does not fulfill them because Epiphanies was not the antichrist. More on that are we move along in the chapter.
11:22. ‘They’ are Epiphanes opponents who were overthrown in their attempt to take the throng. The phrase ‘also the prince of the covenant’ concerns the High Priest of Israel believed to have been Onias III, who was deposed and later murdered. Judah was a small part of his kingdom.
11:25: The phrase ‘And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South’ refers to him engaging Egypt in war which he won. He had himself crowned King of Egypt.
The amazing details of these prophecies stagger the imagination. Only God could forecast 300 years into the future in such detail. We are told actual events, which would take place concerning great nations, kings and mighty armies with every detail coming to pass exactly as predicted.
7-10-2022. Daniel 11:27-34.
We continue from where we left off learning about Israel’s future under the King of Syria (Antiochus Epiphanes) and the King of Egypt (Ptolemy Philometor of Egypt) which would have about 300 years into the future from when Daniel had the vision.
11:27. Both of these kings were evil using treachery and deceit. When two power brokers try to do this to one another, it is a mutually weakening and self-destructive process. The phrase ‘for yet the end shall be at the time appointed’ means that it was not God’s will that Antiochus Epiphanes take Egypt at this time. That would come later.
11:28. In verse 28 we see where the Syrian king returns to his country, and it is at this time that he turns against the Jews. The phrase ‘And his heart shall be against the Holy Covenant’ pertains to him turning against them because he heard there has been rejoicing in Jerusalem because they thought he had been killed in the war with Egypt. His anger at this is what made him decide to break the covenant with Judah which allowed the Jews to remain in their homeland and worship God.
11:29. The phrase ‘at the time appointed he shall return’ has to do with the later portion of Verse 27, which now has come to be as he would take a second expedition into Egypt but will not be as successful as before.
11:30. The phrase ‘the ships of Chittim’ refers to the Romans. This is where we see Rome come into the picture demanding Antiochus Epiphanes stop his war with Egypt. The phrase ‘therefore he shall be grieved, and return’ explains the reason he was grieved because he was within seven miles of Alexandria, the great city of Egypt. His response was to turn against Jerusalem, killing some 40,000 Jews and selling many as slaves. The phrase ‘and have intelligence with them who forsake the holy covenant’ refers to the apostate Jews who helped him pollute the Temple and place within it ‘the abomination of desolation, which was sacrificing pigs on an altar erected in honor of Zeus. According to Jewish law, pigs were unclean and were not to be touched or eaten. To sacrifice a pig in the Temple was the worst kind of insult an enemy could commit against the Jews.
11:31. The phrase ‘and arms shall stand on his part’ refers to him having military power to take Jerusalem and to carry out his will. The phrase ‘and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that makes desolate’ refers to the offering up of a pig, as mentioned above, on the Altar, thereby greatly polluting it as would be obvious.
11:32. The phrase ‘and such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries speaks of his old method of deceit with some of the Jews being led into apostasy thereby helping him because he flattered them. These Jews were under the Maccabees which were a family of Jewish leaders and rulers comprising the sons of Mattathias and their descendants who reigned in Judea during this time. Menelaus, the High Priest was won over by Antiochus in this manner as he conspired with him against his own people who were loyal to God.
11:33. This verse speaks of the constant struggle by God’s people from Daniel’s day forward to the birth of Christ which at times was very dangerous for them. The phrase ‘and they who understand among the people shall instruct many’ refers to a terrible spiritual drought from the prophet Malachi’s time to the time of John the Baptist, when Israel, for some 400 years, would not hear the voice of a prophet. Even still, there would be some, while not of prophetical status, that would work faithfully, attempting to get the Jews to obey the Law of Moses.
11:34. The phrase ‘now when they shall fall’ refers to the many Jews being killed in the many conflicts that took place. The phrase, ‘but many shall cleave to them with flatteries’ speaks of how some Jews were talked into ‘ratting out’ those who faithfully followed the Lord. Satan has two weapons against faithfulness to Truth: violence and flattery.
And he is still using those weapons today. All that we are learning about the fall of Israel can be applied to our country today. It is incumbent on each of us to stand firm in our faith and not waiver. Times of distress remind us of our weaknesses and inability to cope. That’s when we reach out for answers, for leadership and clear direction. God’s Word begins to interest even those who, in better times would never look at it. We who are believers should prepare ourselves to meet opportunities to share God’s Word to those in need of direction. And we must also prepare ourselves for persecution and rejection as we share God’s Word.
7-17-2022. Daniel 11:35-45.
Today’s passage talks of the Last Days and introduces the Antichrist. It begins to set the stage for a follow-on study of Revelation.
11:35. This verse begins the account of the End time, which will continue through Chapter 12. Note that all the time from when the vision occurred until the Rapture is not discussed.
11:36. Speaks of the Antichrist who will have complete control over the earth until the return of Jesus to establish His kingdom on earth. He will believe himself to be a god as shown in the phrase ‘and magnify himself above every god.’ He will take over the newly built Temple in Jerusalem do away with Jewish Sacrifices and set up an image of himself. He will also declare war on Jesus Christ and blaspheme God as on one has ever before heard or seen. The phrase ‘and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished’ means that most of the world will accept his claims, joining with him in his hatred of the God of our Bible
11:37. The phrase ‘neither shall he regard the God of his fathers’ suggests that is will be a Jew yet rejects the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The phrase ‘nor the desire of women’ probable refers to him turning against the Catholic Church and the Virgin Mary. The phrase ‘nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all’ refers to all the religions of the world, all of which will be outlawed, demanding that worship be centered only on him.
11:38. The phrase ‘and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honor’ refers to a strange god mentioned in the Verse 39, who is actually the fallen angel who empowered Alexander the Great. He is called the Prince of Grecia, which does not refer to a mortal, but a Fallen Angel.
11:39. The phrase ‘thus shall he do in the most strong holds’ refers to the great financial centers of the world, which will be characterized by the rebuilt Babylon. This ‘strange god’ from v. 38 is a Fallen Angel so he will probably think he is giving praise and glory to himself, when in reality, he is honoring the Fallen Angel.
11:40. Remember the south is Egypt and the North is Syria. The phrase ‘and at the time of the end’ refers to the time of the fulfillment of these prophecies. The phrase ‘the king of the north’ tells us that the Antichrist will come from the Syrian division of the breakup of the Grecian Empire meaning he will likely be a Syrian Jew.
11:41. The ‘glorious land’ is Israel which Antichrist will enter at the mid-point of the 7-year non-aggression pact with them, thereby breaking his promise to them. The countries listed here comprise modern Jordan, where Petra is located. Petra is where Israel will go to when the Antichrist enters into the glorious land.
11:43. The ‘precious things of Egypt’ no doubt refers to the ancient mysteries of Egypt regarding the tombs, and the pyramids. He will no doubt claim to unlock many of these mysteries; he very well could do so because he will have supernatural powers given to him by Satan.
11:44. After the Antichrist breaks his covenant with Israel by actually entering the ‘glorious land,’ he will be prevented from further destructing there because of the ‘tidings of the east and out of the north.’ These will be nations, probably led by Russia (north), Japan and China (east), forming a alliance against him, which ultimately will be unsuccessful.
11:45. The phrase ‘and he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace’ refers to his taking over the newly-build temple and stopping the sacrifices. The phrase ‘between the seas and the Glorious Holy Mountain’ is Mount Moriah where the Temple is located. The phrase ‘yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him’ is tied to the first part of this verse which speaks of him desecrating the temple. This ensures his destruction by the Lord Jesus that will take place at the Second Coming.
7-21-2022. Daniel 12:1-3.
At the close of Chapter 11, the prophesy concerning the Antichrist during the Great Tribulation was introduced. Chapter 12 continues with the Tribulation.
12:1. We see here another mention of the Archangel Michael and that he is also referred to as the ‘Great Prince. The phrase ‘which stands for the children of your people’ tells us that Michael is also the Lord Protector of Israel. The tribulation is going to be a sad and difficult time for Israel. Scholars believe that it will be Michael who will keep Israel from being totally annihilated at this point in the Tribulation. The phrase ‘A time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time’ is the same thing Jesus would say 564 years later and is recorded in Matt 24:21. The great suffering that will occur is also found in Jeremiah 30:7. The phrase ‘and at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who shall be found written in the Book’ refers to the translation of the 144,000 Jews at the middle of the Great Tribulation (3 ½ years in). Exactly how these 144,000 Jews will find Christ as their Savior, especially during the first half of the Great Tribulation when Israel in fact will think the Antichrist is the Messiah, is not known. But if the Bible says it will happen [which it definitely does], seeing how everything has happened that Daniel has told us to this point, then we can be absolutely certain that this will happen. Notice that there is no mention of the Church. Why? Because these prophecies have to do with Gods people Israel. The Book mentioned is the Book of Life which we will also see in Revelation.
12:2. There are two resurrections pointed to in this verse. They will be separated by a long period of a thousand years as we are told in Rev 20:3, 5-6; John 5:28. Those who will be resurrected to ‘everlasting life’ speak of the First Resurrection, which pertains to every Believer who has ever lived from the time of Abel forward. This is when the Church will be Raptured. The second resurrection will take place at the end of the Millennial reign of Jesus and will include all the wicked who have died from the very beginning. As Revelation 20-4-6 and 11-15 tell us, it will be the time of the Great White Throne of Judgment.
12:3. This would be a good verse for every Christian to memorize. As it speaks the reward for those who live for God and do everything they can to take the Gospel to others. It’s a great reminder of what we should all do at every opportunity. Everyone that shares the Gospel are stars, radiantly beautiful in God’s sight.
Next week we will finish our study of Daniel and then move on to Revelation.
7-31-2022. Daniel 12:4-13.
Today we will finish Daniel and then move on to Revelation.
12:4. When Daniel is told to ‘shut up the words and seal the Book’ it means that the prophecies would be preserved to give people hope in the End Times. Daniel has been given the entire blueprint concerning the fate of Israel, and nothing else is to be said. We know that the most recent prophecies given to Daniel refer to the End Time or the Great Tribulation. The phrase ‘many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased’ refers to the tremendous increase n technology, which made its debut at the beginning of the 20th century. It also refers to knowledge of the Word of God being greatly increased in the last days, especially concerning Biblical Prophecy. Daniel didn’t understand the exact meaning of the times and events in his vision. We today can see events as they unfold because we are in the ‘end times.’ But the entire Book of Daniel – and Revelation as well – won’t be fully understood until the end of the world as we know it comes and will be replaced by the Kingdom Age.
12:5. The river Daniel speaks of is the River Hiddekel or what we know today as the Tigris River. The other two likely refers to Angels but are unnamed.
12:6. ‘The Man Clothed in Linen’ was previously mentioned chapter 10:5-6 which we learned is a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ. One of the Angels is asking Him how long it will be to the end.
12:7. We see another indication that this Man in Linen is Jesus is where He is seen hovering over the waters of the river holding up His hands to Heaven swearing an oath to God. Nowhere in all of the Bible is an ordinary Angel shown to making an oath to God or man. The phrase ‘that it shall be for a time, times, and a half’ is Jesus referring to 3 ½ years or the last half of the Great Tribulation when Israel will experience tremendous persecution from the Antichrist. The phrase ‘and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people’ speaks of the Antichrist attempting to destroy Israel, but in fact he will only scatter them.
12:8-9. Daniel confirms that he heard but didn’t understand what he was being told but in v. 9 where he is told to seal till the end time tells us the prophecies pertain to the future. However, today, the time is the end is very close! The word ‘end’ doesn’t mean the end of the world, but the end of the prophecies concerning Israel and the last days prior to the establishment of Christ’s kingdom.
12:10. The phrase ‘many shall be purified, and made white, and tried’ likely refers to the 144,000 Jews who will come to Christ during the first half of the Great Tribulation. ‘None of the wicked shall understand’ speaks of the world not understanding the vision and prophecies and more importantly, not even caring about them. And we also see ‘the wise shall understand’ because they will know the Lord and will avidly search the Scriptures believing to be the Word of God.
12:11. We see another reference to the prophecy in 8:9-12 when the daily sacrifice will be taken away and the temple desecrated at the midpoint of the Great Tribulation and are told that the time from the end will be 1,2090 days.
12:12. Here we see what appears to be a contradiction between the 12090 days in verse 11 to 1335 days in verse 12. It is believed that the extra days refer to the time when Antiochus Epiphanes also desecrated the Temple. Their full meanings were not made known to Daniel nor us. But the meaning will be made known to those at the proper time when they will be fully understood. What we do know is that those who come to this time will be ‘blessed’ at the beginning of the Kingdom Age and the events will take place to establish the beginning of the Kingdom.
12:13. Finally, the phrase ‘but go thou your way till the end be’ refers to Daniel dying and then being a part of the First Resurrection of Life. Until that time Jesus told him ‘you shall rest.’ The phrase, ‘and stand in your lot at the end of the days’ refers to Daniel having a part in the glorious things that will take place after the Second Coming where he will be able to see all of what he envisioned unfold before his eyes.
One thing we have learned from studying these prophecies is that God purposefully doesn’t reveal all things to us in this life. We have to be content with partial pictures until He is ready for us to see more. He will tell us all we need to know when He knows it is best for us to know.
Daniel is one of God’s remarkable servants. Born of royal heritage, yet taken into captivity when only a teenager, he was determined to remain faithful to God in the land that held him captive. Even at great personal cost. He spent his entire lifetime advising his captors with unusual wisdom. God chose him as His servant to record some of the events of the captivity and some significant events concerning the future. As an old man having been faithful to God throughout his life, he was assured by God that he will be resurrected from the dead and receive his reward in God’s eternal kingdom. The message to us today is that faithfulness to God has a rich reward, not necessarily in this life, but most certainly in the life to come.
Sources for the information contained here include ‘The Life Application Bible – The Living Bible.’ 1988; ‘The Expositor’s Study Bible,’ 2005, and the Moody Bible Institute Introductory Bible Course, 1926.