Introduction...

• Very deep but intensely practical.
• Character that is above reproach in the person of Daniel.
• God is sovereign over everything.
• Gives further credibility to Jeremiah and Isaiah.
• Even as a contemporary, Ezekiel mentions Daniel as among the greatest men ever (with Noah & Job).
• Time: Written concerning events that occurred between 605 BC and 535 BC (3^rd year of Cyrus).
• Place: Babylon; a.k.a. Chaldea (modern day Iraq and Iran).

Paragraph Summary: Nebuchadnezzar has won a great battle at Carchemesh and he is using his captives to his own advantage. From Judah he has captured some royalty and is now going to educate them for 3 years in Babylon (to brainwash). Among these nobles are four young men who receive new names and a new life.

• Jehoiakim -- Third to last king of Judah. An evil vassal king to Nebuchadnezzar who rebelled against him but later died, leaving his son Jehoiachin to surrender to Nebuchadnezzar's army in 605 BC.
• Daniel -- a young man between the age of 13 to 17. Mentioned by Ezekiel with Noah and Job. Had character of the highest quality.
• Nebuchadnezzar II -- son of Nabopolaser; finished father’s conquest of Assyria and routed Egypt as well at the battle of Carchemesh. Ruled over Babylon till 562 BC.
• Shinar -- Ancient name of Babylon (means confusion) and also the ancient site of the Tower of Babel; the central location of all pagan worship. Started there with Nimrod and will end there according to Revelation.
• Judah -- Southern kingdom, capitol city was Jerusalem. Northern kingdom (Israel) taken into captivity in 722 BC by the Assyrians.
• Ashpenaz -- Nebuchadnezzar’s chief official of the eunuchs. Favored Daniel and helped him.
• Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah -- Daniel’s three friends; most likely also from of royal descent in Judah and very young.

Observations:

• Nebuchadnezzar trains some young men from Judah in the ways of the Babylonians. Takes the cream of the crop possibly to cause them to rule over the rest of the Jews when he goes back and takes them into captivity.

• Daniel - "God is my judge" -- changed to Belteshazzar "Bel, Baal provides"
• Hananiah - "Jehovah is God; the Lord is gracious"-- changed to Shadrach, "Shadur (Chaldean moon god) commands"
• Mishael - "Who is like God is" -- changed to Meshach "who is like Baal is"
• Azariah - "helped by Jehovah"-- changed to Abed-Nego, "servant of Nebo" (god of wisdom; son of Baal)

Daniel 1: 8-14 "No Compromise"

Paragraph Summary: Daniel and his 3 friends refuse to eat the food that has been offered to idols. They tell the chief official to feed them vegetables and water -- to test their appearance against the other youths who do eat the choice food offered by the king. The chief official seems to like these youths but he fears the king

Observations:

• Verse 9: God caused the commander of the officials to favor Daniel and his friends, but in v. 10 he was afraid of losing his head.
• Verse 11: Daniel then boldy appeals to the overseer and he agrees (maybe he eats the food!).
• Verse 12: Tested for ten days (later to be found ten times better than the rest).

**They could change their names and give them pagan education, but when the Word of God was clear (don’t eat meat offered to idols: Lev. 11 & Psalm 141) they stood firm. Alcohol is not evil in and of itself, but these men had a higher standard; they were men of high character.

Daniel 1: 14-16 "Rewards for Faithfulness"

Summary: After ten days of just eating vegetables and water, Daniel and friends were fatter than those who did not. The overseer was convinced and let it continue.

Observations:

• Vegetables were the common man’s food. They were for the poor; these guys are royalty!
• Upholding God’s law payed off for them and God was faithful.

Daniel 1:17-21 "Daniel and Friends Complete Their Training"

Summary: Daniel and his friends have completed their three years of education. Out of all the other young captives (don’t know exactly how many) Daniel and friends stood out as the best. From here the boys entered into the king’s presence and worked in his cabinet. The boys had wisdom beyond their years, and Daniel could even interpret dreams.

Observations:

• They were ten times better than the rest. Were they measured that way? Probably just a figure of speech.
• The boys were rewarded and protected by God for their obedience to Him.
• In verse 21 we know that Cyrus conquered Babylon in 539 BC, approximately 70 years after the 605 siege. This being the case it is evident that Daniel had to be quite young when he was taken captive. Seventy years later, when Cyrus conquered, he was still leading.

Chapter 2:1-3, "Nebuchadnezzar’s Frightful Dream" -- The second year of his reign. The Babylonians counted the reigns of their king’s tenure after they had been in office for a year. This was called "the accession year." So, in reality it is the third literal year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign.

• Magicians were occultic and practiced incantations; scribes and writers of hieroglyphics.
• Conjurer is a word found only in the book of Daniel. Astrologers & necromancers.
• Sorcerer was one who worshipped idols. Used witchcraft and cast magic spells.
• Chaldeans were master astrologers. They were a people who eventually became one with the Babylonians and were considered experts in star-gazing. These were very likely the people who came from the East to see Jesus while following the Star of Bethlehem in Matthew.

Chapter 2:4-13, "The Need For Interpretation" -- The King has ordered all the wise men in his kingdom to gather together to tell and interpret his dream. The wise men are dumbfounded and tell the king that they are unable but that they can interpret it if he will tell them the dream. Their expertise lies in the interpretation of dreams not in the giving of them. They tell the king that no man on earth can give him what he asks, so the King orders their execution.

• The king appears to be out to get these so-called wise men.
• The king is most likely an atheist, not believing in any god or magical arts.
• Archaeology has produced many handbooks on dream interpretation. It was an art complete with textbooks. These men could interpret, or so they thought, but they could not read the mind of someone by telling them what they dreamed, the very thing Nebuchadnezzar demanded.
• Nebuchadnezzar appears to be setting these men up for destruction. He knows they are phonies, so he puts them to the test and then gives the order to have them slain.
• The king’s hot temper gets the best of him; he acts when he shouldn’t (cf. also chapter 3ff).

Chapter 2: 14-16, "Daniel Takes Leadership and Assumes the Position" -- After hearing of the King’s order of the death of all wise men in Babylon, including himself and his three friends, Daniel tactfully buys the time he needs. He receives his wish, something the others were denied.

• Arioch, a trained executioner, speaks kindly to Daniel, a young Jew; God’s sovereignty.
• Why was Daniel and his friends not with the wise men to begin with?

Daniel 2: 17-24, "God Gives Daniel the Answer" -- Daniel and his friends go to their knees and ask God for the king’s dream and the interpretation thereof. God answered and immediately gave them the dream and interpretation. They sing praises to God and give Him all the credit.

• Daniel knows where he should go and what he should do; he does it immediately. He shares the problem with his friends and they all pray together.
• Praising and rejoicing occurs immediately after God gives the answer.

Daniel 2:25-30, "All Glory to God" -- Dan is taken to the king’s presence and is asked to give the dream and interpretation. He gives all credit to God and reveals Him to Nebuchadnezzar.

• Daniel shows his humble servant attitude here by not taking any credit.
• Daniel does not say, "Oh King, live forever." He was not a phony.
• Daniel does not seem impressed with the king, but he respects his position just as we should.

Daniel 2:31-35, "The Future Revealed in a Statue" -- Nebuchadnezzar was looking at an enormous statue that had a head of gold, arms and chest of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, legs of iron, and feet made of a mixture of iron and clay. As he was looking at this statue he saw a small stone cut out of a mountain but not by any man. He observed this small stone roll to the statue and completely destroy it. The statue became like dust in the wind and the small stone became a large mountain. Nothing remained of the statue, but the mountain filled the entire earth.

• This dream does not sound scary, so why was Nebuchadnezzar so disturbed about it?
• Did the dream come back to Nebuchadnezzar as Daniel told him about it or was he just testing the validity of the magical arts?

Daniel 2:36-45, "Interpretation of the Future" -- Nebuchadnezzar is the head of gold. His kingdom rules the earth, even the birds of the air. After he falls there will be another kingdom signified by the silver. It will not be inferior to Nebuchadnezzar’s -- just after. Once that kingdom has run its course a third kingdom signified by bronze will rule followed by the fourth and final kingdom signified by iron and iron and clay. Finally, the stone cut out of the mountain not by human hands signifies the fifth kingdom which will surpass all the others.

• The four metals represent: Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece, and Rome. The stone is Christ.
• Daniel must have been a true prophet because all he said has happened and is happening.
• Only Nebuchadnezzar is referred to as a king; the others are said to be kingdoms.

Daniel 2:46-49, "The Reward of the Righteous" -- The King is convinced that Daniel’s God is the God of the universe. He knew the impossibility of telling another man’s dream. Daniel became the ruler over all of the so-called wise men in the kingdom. He served in the court and requested that the king appoint his three friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego to rule over the province of Babylon. Daniel ruled in the court of the king and his three friends ruled outside as governors over the land. This was God’s sovereign plan as more Jews arrived in Babylon.

• Nebuchadnezzar gave honor to God -- not Daniel. Daniel did not have to correct him.
• Daniel receives rewards that are very similar to what Joseph received in Egypt in Genesis 38-50.

Chapter 3:1-7 -- Nebuchadnezzar sets up a large image of gold (90 ft. X 9) to worship. Every time someone hears this music they are to fall down and worship this image. The king brings in his cabinet and has them witness this decree.

• The golden head of gold in his dream went to his head, literally.
• Though the king acknowledges God’s power in chapter 2, he is like many Christians who acknowledge God with their mouths but live their lives devoted to themselves.

Chapter 3:8-12 -- A faithful response to a pagan in the face of death.

• Before they respond to the king they do not preface their defense with, "Oh king live forever." A Jew was not to bow the knee to anyone except God.
• The Chaldeans were jealous. They hated that their governors were young Jewish exiles.
• All the other Jews must have been bowing down b/c only these men are targeted.
• Charges not brought against Daniel due to his standing with the king. The other three were in different areas governing the king's business, open to critique. Possibly Daniel was out of the country at the time.

Chapter 3:13-18 -- In his fury Nebuchadnezzar has the three brought to him. He confronts them with the accusations and before they can answer he gives them a way out by allowing them to bow down. The boys are all united in their decision not to bow down to the image. Standing firm in their faith they claim their God has power to save, but even if He won’t they won’t budge.

• They do not say, "Oh king live forever."
• These men had no price; they could not be bought. They were willing to give up their lives and positions of authority in order to stay true to God.
• Verse 15 proves that the king had respect for Yahweh but not over and above himself.
• Is it possible that Nebuchadnezzar, after knowing God, did not get all that he wanted so he turned away form him? This is not unusual when people "accept" Christ and don’t get all they want. Or possibly Nebuchadnezzar just added the Most High God to his pantheon of gods he recognized.

Chapter 3:19-23 -- Upon hearing the explanation of the three boys the king grows fierce with anger to the point that his facial expression is altered.

• If Nebuchadnezzar wanted to make these men suffer why didn’t he turn the heat down for a slow painful death? He acted in the heat of anger.
• Nebuchadnezzar once again shows how his anger gets the best of him.

Chapter 3:24-27 -- The appearance of God incarnate, a theophany.

• This appearance of "one like a son of man" could be the pre-incarnate Jesus, but there is not hard evidence. However, the man did deliver the boys something the Christ has always done.
• Nebuchadnezzar didn't have any knowledge of God that he would recognize a "son of God", but he did believe it to be a "son of the gods" as the Aramaic renders it.

Chapter 3:28-30 -- The king changes his disposition after seeing the power of God once again.

• The three are rewarded for their faith on earth, but rewards also await them in the end.
• Is the kingdom now a monotheistic empire that worships God alone following Nebuchadnezzar's decree?
• God sovereignly changes Nebuchadnezzar’s heart, causing the testimony given in the next chapter about his experience with God.

Summary: King Nebuchadnezzar is bubbling over with joy. He is writing a letter to all nations and peoples and he is telling them that he loves God. It seemed good to him to sing praises and shout for joy about what the Lord had done in his life.

• Nebuchadnezzar starts his letter with his name and praises God very much like the writers of the NT did.
• He is writing to all persons everywhere; I wonder if everyone in his kingdom received this letter.
• The king is not ashamed about what God has done in his life. He wants to world to know about it.
• God’s miraculous signs and wonders are what caused the change in his heart.
• Nebuchadnezzar finally sees God as greater than himself here -- something he had been so unwilling to do.

Summary: Neb was enjoying his life and was relaxing in his palace when he has another dream. He then calls all the so-called wise men together for the interpretation of his dream. After explaining the dream to them it becomes more alarming because the wise men cannot find an interpretation of his dream. Neb then calls Daniel (Belteshazzar) to interpret his dream because he knows that he can do it; he had done it in the past. Neb tells Daniel of a very large tree filled with fruit and whose branches reach to the sky -- a tree that he whole world can observe.

• Why did the king call his wise men at all; he could have just saved them time and called Daniel first given Daniel's reputation?
• God really seems to be working within the dreams of a pagan king for His glory. Daniel’s presence in that kingdom is a sovereign act of God.
• I suppose the dream manuals found through archaeological digs could not interpret dreams given by God. This must be why the wise men could not even find an interpretation.
• Where is Neb’s temper following the wise men’s non-interpretation? There is no death sentence this time.

Summary: Neb continues to tell Daniel his dream about the tree reaching to the sky. He tells him that a holy one of God comes and chops the tree down and strips it of its fruit and foliage. All those who took refuge under and in the tree are scattered. The only thing left is a stump in the ground, protected by iron and bronze, and the roots which stabilize the stump. The stump is now left alone with the grass of the field and the dew from heaven. The stump is spoken of in terms of a man because that is what it represents. This man is given the mind of a beast for seven years. This decision to do this comes straight from Heaven and it is to the glory of God who exalts man and humbles man.

• It seems as if the holy angel has come to "clean house." He seems to be angry and at the end of his rope.
• He does not care what happens to those who take refuge in the tree; they are scattered and nothing more is said of them.
• God lets bad things happen for his glory. He will teach His decrees in His way.
• God sets all men in their places. He has a reason for all he does though we don’t always understand.
• In v. 18 Daniel’s reputation as a godly man gives him freedom to say anything and receive the respect a man who speaks the truth deserves.

Summary: Daniel, perplexed, tells Nebuchadnezzar that the tree represents him and that he is going to be chopped down by the angelic messenger. Daniel interprets further and tells him that this order comes from the Most High God and that Neb will be given the mind of an animal for seven years until he can learn to recognize that the Most High God is God -- not Nebuchadnezzar. This is said to occur after seven years have passed. The king will get his kingdom back after he repents. The king will go from sovereign to animal, king to pauper. Daniel then tries to convince the king to repent of his arrogance and pride so that God may relent.

• Daniel does not hold back what is revealed to him; he tells everything even though it is not pleasant.
• Daniel’s compassion is compelling. He does not want the king to suffer.
• The king does not grow angry with Daniel, but he seems to just go on with life like so many do after being confronted with the truth.
• This reminds me of Jonah. The decree to Nineveh was solid unless they repented -- which they did. Once they did, God repented and did not destroy the land.

Summary: One year later, while Neb is looking over his kingdom and boasting to himself about how great and mighty he is, God calls out from Heaven and reminds Neb of the very words Daniel spoke to him twelve months prior to that. All that Daniel had decreed upon the king God sovereignly causes to come to pass. Neb is immediately put out into the field with the animals and the grass and becomes like the cattle. His hair grows long and course, he is soaked with the dew of Heaven, and his nails grow long like that of a bird. All in the kingdom can see him.

• Who ruled in the kingdom for that seven years? Possibly Daniel?
• What an incredible display of God’s ability to cause men to prosper and also to humble men.
• Whatever we have or do not have should always be credited to God. He is the giver and taker of all things.
• Neb could possibly be the most hard-headed man on earth. He has seen God’s power in dreams/interpretations and in the miracle of the fiery furnace, yet he believes that he himself established the kingdom of Babylon.
• Is it really possible that a man could be transformed this way? Is there medical, psychological evidence that a man could have the mind of an animal? There are several cases of this very phenomenon known as boanthropy.

Summary: Neb is restored to sanity and is able to look toward Heaven and praise God. God restores Neb and reestablishes him in his kingdom. All the power and glory of days past are given back to the king due to his repentance. The king sings for joy at what God has done for him (rather than curse His name). His nobles seek him out and all earthly sovereignty is restored. King Neb now realizes how small he is in the sight of God and he is now well aware of the sin that caused his downfall. He is now boldly proclaiming his faith in the Most High God by telling all that God’s ways are just and He humbles those who walk in pride.

• If the king had the mind of an animal, how could he look to heaven and repent? God must have intervened enough to cause Neb to realize where he was and what was happening to him. This reminds me of the NT teaching that says "no man can come to the Son unless the Father draws him..." (John 6:44). Neb was sovereignly chosen -- he did not choose salvation; this was to the glory of God -- even today.
• Nebuchadnezzar calls God "King of Heaven" not Most High God as before.

Historical background from the end of chapter 4 to the beginning of chapter 5: The year is 539 BC (23 years removed from the end of chapter 4). Nebuchadnezzar has passed on, and he has been succeeded by three other men -- all of whom were assassinated. Following his death his son, Evil-Marodach, or Amel-Marduk, takes the throne and reigns for two (562-560) years until he is assassinated. He is mentioned twice in the OT (2 Kin. 25:27; Jer. 52:31). In the first year of his reign he released from prison Jehoiachin, king of Judah, the son of Jehoiakim. He had been in prison for thirty-seven years, and Amel-Marduk "spoke kindly to him" (2 Kin. 25:28). Following his death, Amel-Marduk was succeeded by Neriglissar, mentioned in Jeremiah 39 as Nergal-sarezer.

Neriglissar played a part in Jeremiah's release from the prison that Zedekiah put him in. Following a conspiracy to overtake the throne, Neriglissar was found dead. He was succeeded by his very young son, Lebishi-Marodach, who was beaten to death by other conspirators. One of the conspirators placed a man named Nabonidus on the throne of Babylon. Nabonidus reigns for 17 years beginning around 555 BC. In the third year of his reign he appointed his son Belshazzar as acting king while he moved to Teima and built a palace there. Belshazzar began his reign in Babylon around the year 553 BC and continued until the fall of the empire in 539. Nabonidus was in Teima during the seventh, ninth, tenth and eleventh years of his reign and he left Belshazzar in charge with the princes and the troops. The Babylonian record is very similar to the biblical record. Apparently Belshazzar was lineally related to Nebuchadnezzar because his mother, Nitrocris, seems to have been Nebuchadnezzar’s daughter (also the wife of Nabonidus). Moreover, "son of" in Semitic usage is equivalent to "successor of"; so one could properly be called a son of even if not in lineal descent. Nabonidus was the last king of the Neo-Babylonian, or Chaldean, Empire (555-539 B.C.). He is not mentioned in the Bible. Among the Dead Sea Scrolls discovered at Qumran was a fragmentary document containing the "Prayer of Nabonidus." This document tells how Nabonidus was struck by a "dread disease of the most high God" and for seven years was "set apart from men." Apparently he was struck with a severe skin disease. Some scholars suggest that a nervous disorder, or psychological disturbance, may also have been involved. Nabonidus' mysterious illness has been compared with the madness of Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 4:23-33).

Setting: Outside the great walls of Babylon the Medes and the Persians are laying siege to the city. They are led by a man named Darius the Mede. The army general is Cyrus the Great who does not appear to be present. They have been there for about three months. The walls of this great city are 350 ft. high and 85 ft. thick. This means the siege will last a while. There are towers that extend over the walls which serve as a lookout; they are 450 ft. high. Later, the army goes in via the Euphrates River while the Babylonians were in high spirits and took the city without a fight.

Summary: The king of Babylon, Belshazzar is hosting a feast with a thousand of his nobles. As he is drinking to his heart’s desire it dawns on him that he could be drinking out of a more precious item, namely, the articles of silver and gold which his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem seventy years prior to that. He sends someone to get those items and he and his guests begin to drink from them while praising the gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, and stone.

• Belshazzar ("Bel has protected the king") is the eldest son and co-regent of Nabonidus (539 B.C.), the last sovereign of the neo-Babylonian Empire.
• Was he Nebuchadnezzar’s son? Though the text says "father" it must be considered here that the Hebrew and Aramaic language has no name for "grandfather," which is the more accurate word. He was a descendant of Nebuchadnezzar -- possibly not even blood related.

Summary: As the king and his nobles were eating, drinking and being merry a hand appeared over the king’s head and began writing an inscription on the wall. This hand, which had no body attachment to it, caused the king to become greatly perplexed. His knees knocked together in fear from what he was seeing. The whole party must have grown deathly silent over what they all saw. The king immediately brought in the wise men so that they could interpret the meaning of what the hand had written on the wall. As usual, the "wise men" could not interpret the words and so the king became even more alarmed.

• Once again, the "wise men" appear on the scene and fail at their task. Whenever anything happens it seems that these people are brought in to answer the unanswerable.
• The appearance of the hand must have placed fear into the lives of all present. If there were one thousand people there and they were all partying I would assume the hand made a large appearance above the king’s head where everyone could notice it. Who is to say that the hand was just as small as ours -- it could have been enormous.
• Why would the reward from Belshazzar be the THIRD ruler in the kingdom? This just goes to further illustrate that Nabonidus was the ruler and Belshazzar was second in command.

Summary: The queen comes on the scene here. She tells Belshazzar about Daniel and his reputation and that he has a "spirit of the gods" in him. She goes on to tell him that Belshazzar’s father, Nebuchadnezzar, had appointed this man as head over all the "wise men" of the kingdom because he had such insight and wisdom. She tells the king to summon Daniel.

Observations:

• Who is this queen that she knows so much? This is most likely the widow of Nebuchadnezzar whom Belshazzar may or may not have married. At any rate, she knew who Daniel was and she seems quite knowledgeable of what happened during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel as his prime minister. She must have been older, or at least old enough to have the confidence in Daniel’s ability to interpret.
• It seems clear from the passage that the queen was not part of the orgy but entered after the hand appeared and the wise men had been summoned.

Summary: Daniel comes in and stands before the king. Belshazzar tells him that he is aware of his reputation and that he is able to give interpretations and solve difficult problems. He then give Daniel the scenario and offers him third ruler in the kingdom if he can interpret the writing on the wall.

• Belshazzar calls him Daniel, not Belteshazzar. Why? Maybe because he did not want to insult him at this point -- he needed a favor and wanted to appease Daniel by calling him by his real name.
• Belshazzar speaks to Daniel like he has never seen him before. Why has he not seen him before? What happened to Daniel’s status once Neb died? Maybe his position was terminated and he went into retirement; he was in his mid-eighties at least.

Summary: Daniel speaks to the king and tells him that he wants no part of the gifts the king is offering. He tells him about his father, Neb, and explains to him the power that Neb had. He tells him that all the power he had came from God but that God also took his power away due to his pride. Daniel reminds Belshazzar that he himself already knew all of this history but did not heed the warnings his father had given him. Instead, Daniel reminds Belshazzar that he has exalted himself against the Lord. This exaltation will be his downfall. Daniel concludes his finger pointing by telling the king what had gone on in the orgy even though he was not there (this would indicate that Daniel either knew what went on during these parties or that God revealed it to him so as to intimidate the king since Daniel was not actually present at the orgy).

• Once again, Daniel does not preface his discourse with the king by saying, "oh king, live forever."
• It is very interesting that Daniel does not hang out with the other "wise men." He is strangely absent when they are brought in. A man of great character does not hang around those without it.
• As an old man at this point, I picture Daniel lecturing Belshazzar, who is no older than 40 years of age, as well as everyone else in the room.
• Verse 24 indicates that Belshazzar has incurred judgment from God via a hand writing on the wall.

Summary: Daniel interprets the dream by giving Belshazzar the meaning of the four Aramaic words which were written above his head. God has numbered the days of Belshazzar’s reign and his time is up; Belshazzar has been weighed in the balance and he has come up short of God’s standard; and the Babylonian empire will be given over to another -- the Medes and Persians.

• Daniel does not hold back, but instead he gives the exact meaning. His boldness has not departed in his old age. He is just as fiery and unwavering as ever it seems.
• Why couldn’t the magicians and Chaldeans make the interpretation known? It was written in Aramaic which was their language; why couldn’t they read it? Answer: God hid the meaning from them.

Summary: Daniel receives his reward as third ruler in the kingdom and is presented and announced as such. The very same night the Medes and the Persians penetrated through the walls of Babylon and conquered the kingdom, killing Belshazzar just as Daniel had prophesied. A man named Darius the Mede (from the country Media) took over the kingdom at that point; he was sixty-two years of age.

• Daniel, as evidenced by his statement in verse 17, did not want to be part of the leadership of the wicked empire. Who would want to be part of the leadership of an empire that is about to be taken over? The first people they kill are those in leadership!
• The identity of Darius the Mede is uncertain. Though it could be another name for Cyrus, he rather appears to be a man who had charge of the Persian army the night it took the city of Babylon. He was most likely Cyrus’ father-in-law. He is listed in archaeology under the name Gobryas, or Gubaru. A Babylonian name and a native name was a common practice (see Daniel and his friends). Whoever he was he led the generals into the city of Babylon the night it fell. He reigned for about two to three years (539-536 BC) until Cyrus appeared on the scene and set the Jewish captives free thus fulfilling the 70 year prophecy concerning the Jews spoken by Jeremiah in 25 & 29.

Summary: The kingdom is now in the hands of the Medes and Persians (Medo-Persia) led by King Darius the Mede and/or Cyrus the Great. Daniel has already been given a high position of leadership in this new world empire as an administrator over the many satraps who preside over the smaller provinces in the land (most likely only two years or so have passed since the takeover of the Medes and Persians). There are 120 satraps and three governors of which Daniel is one. What’s more, the king is also planning to put Daniel in charge of the entire kingdom. This caused the satraps to become jealous of Daniel’s influence over the king. Therefore, they got together and tried to find accusations to bring against Daniel so they could bring him down. Most likely they were not familiar with this old man and his life because they were new in the kingdom. When they discovered that Daniel was above reproach they conspired to have him killed by proposing to King Darius that no god other than the king should be worshipped for thirty days. The king agreed (not knowing what they were up to) and the law was issued that no god was to be prayed to, other than King Darius, for thirty days.

• How did Daniel attain this high position in such a short period of time? Was it because he had predicted the capture of Babylon? Did someone tell Darius about his reputation? Possibly, Daniel was already known by Darius because Daniel was second in command for years under Nebuchadnezzar. Likely, Darius had done his homework as evidenced by his words in vv. 26-28.
• If Daniel was captured between the ages of 13-17 in 605 BC and seventy years later still alive when the Medes and Persians took over then Daniel was at least 83-90 years old. Even in his old age Darius intended to put him over the entire kingdom. Possibly the satraps not only hated the Jews but also an old man running the kingdom.
• Even though Daniel was in his eighties these conspirators could find no "skeletons in his closet." Daniel’s reputation was impeccable.
• In verse 3 "spirit" literally means "air that one breaths." Basically, Darius was impressed with the life that was in Daniel and how he conducted himself.
• In verse 6 I can just hear the conspirators kissing up to the king: "Oh king live forever; only you should be prayed to because you are a deity." They wanted what Daniel was getting for themselves -- the kingdom.

Summary: After hearing of the new injunction to not pray to anyone except Darius, Daniel goes directly to the upper house chamber, the same place he had been going every other day, and prays to God. The men who set the trap for Daniel see him praying, and just like little children tattling on their friends, they tell Darius what happened. Darius is not angry like Nebuchadnezzar was but he is now obligated to follow through on his injunction, because it cannot be revoked, to throw Daniel into the lions den. Darius does make every effort to save Daniel, but he cannot avoid the fact that he signed into law the fatal decree.

• Daniel did not hide himself and try not to get caught.
• Daniel pointed himself towards Jerusalem -- the land where he longed to be.
• When Daniel prayed he got on his knees.
• Praying three times a day? What a godly man. He even prayed knowing that it would be his death sentence. He did not have a price for compromise.
• Darius must have really been fond of Daniel. He did not express the same temper problems as Nebuchadnezzar did upon hearing that someone prayed to some other god other than his own.
• Even though Darius was ruler over empire he still obeyed the law that he had commanded. He could have repealed it because he was the king (or was Cyrus a separate person and the real king?).

Summary: Here the king does the only thing that he can do -- follow through with his decree to throw Daniel into the lions den. After making every effort to keep him out of the death chamber Darius has Daniel brought to him and he says his good-byes. Darius assures Daniel that his God will take care of him, but it is evident that he was not so sure of it himself. Daniel is put into the lions den and the door is sealed with the official stamp of the king’s signet ring. The scene goes away from Daniel and with King Darius to his palace. Darius spends the evening without sleep, food, or entertainment. He is counting the minutes before dawn like a child on the night before Christmas.

• This reminds me of the stupid vows that men like Herod Antipas (with John the Baptist) and Jephthah (killing his daughter, Judges 11:29). Both men had to live with the consequences of their rash vows and decisions.
• The den of lions was apparently a deep cavern, either natural or artificial, sealed with a large stone. The kings of Assyria kept lions in captivity, releasing them periodically for the royal sport of lion hunting. The lions of the Daniel story probably were kept by King Darius for this purpose.

Summary: The king goes out early the next day to see if Daniel is still alive. As he approaches the den he cries out to Daniel, and Daniel answers him. Darius has him removed from the lions den and has the conspirators thrown into the den of lions with their wives and children.

• How many satraps were part of this conspiracy? All 120 or just a few?
• Darius seemed to really love Daniel. He did not want him to die. Daniel was old enough to be his father.
• Darius must have spent the night very angry with the satraps who conspired to kill Daniel. Maybe he made up his mind to have them punished regardless of what happened to Daniel.
• The conspirators died with their families who were not guilty. Why?
• In regard to verse 23, does this happen every time a person trusts in God? If not then why?
• In verse 24 "maliciously accused Daniel" (NASB) literally means "eaten the pieces of Daniel." It is an ironic statement because it goes with the remainder of the verse where the families of the conspirators were thrown into the lions den and "eaten to pieces."

Summary: Darius is so relieved and so impressed with Daniel’s God that he praises Him. Next, he commands all the people of his empire to worship only the God of Daniel. In so doing, he quotes a handful of OT passages and also things that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had said.

• The very paragraph corresponds to what Nebuchadnezzar had said when he saw the glory of God. He made the decree that all were to obey God.
• "Living God" in verse 26 parallels Daniel 4:34, 6:20, Hosea 1:10; Also used by Paul in Romans 9:26. "Enduring forever" in verse 26 parallels Psalm 93:1-2 and Malachi 3:6. "His kingdom" in verse 26 parallels Dan. 2:44, 4:3, 7:14,27; also used by Luke in Luke 1:33.
• When Darius says that "His kingdom will never be destroyed" he is saying, by definition of the term "destroyed" that it will never even be injured. The implication is that there isn’t even a real fight to be put up against God’s kingdom because it can’t be hurt & it will endure forever.
• Who is Darius the Mede and who is Cyrus? It is important to note that the last verse of this chapter (28) which reads, "So this Daniel enjoyed success in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian" could also say, "...reign of Darius, even as Cyrus the Persian" signifying they are the same person, Darius being a title just as Caesar and Pharaoh were titles given to kings.

CYRUS (taken from Unger's Bible Dictionary) -- the powerful king of Persia (559-530 BC), sometimes called "Cyrus the Great," who allowed the Jewish captives to return to their homeland in Jerusalem after he led the Persians to become the dominant nation in the ancient world. Within 20 years after becoming king of Persia, Cyrus had conquered the Medes, Lydians, and Babylonians (549, 547, and 539 B. C., respectively). He is praised most highly, in the Old Testament, in <Isaiah 44:28> and <45:1>, where he is called God's "shepherd" and His "anointed."

Cyrus first appears in the Old Testament in connection with the release of the Jewish captives (taken in the Babylonian captivity of Judah), when he proclaimed their return from CAPTIVITY <2 Chr. 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-4>. This restoration, which was highlighted by the rebuilding of the TEMPLE in Jerusalem, had been prophesied by Jeremiah <Jer. 29:10-14>; (also see <Is. 44:28>). The Book of Ezra contains a number of reports on the progress of the work related to the decree of Cyrus <Ezra 3:7; 4:3, 5; 5:13,14,17; 6:3,14>. The only other references to Cyrus occur in <Daniel 1:21; 6:28; 10:1>.

Cyrus was known in Persia as a wise and tolerant ruler. He was able to gain the goodwill of the varied ethnic and religious groups within his large empire, which extended from India to the western edge of Asia Minor (modern Turkey). The Old Testament describes him as chosen by the Lord God of Israel as the deliverer of His people. It was not that Cyrus became a follower of Israel's God; rather, he described himself as the one who received "all the kingdoms of the earth." He declared that God "commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem" <2 Chr. 36:23>. The famous Cyrus Cylinder containing records of Cyrus' reign, revealed that Babylon's chief god, Marduk, had accepted Cyrus as "righteous prince," and had appointed him ruler "over the whole world."

<Ezra 6:1-12> gives some idea of the careful organization carried out by Cyrus in relation to the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. Its dimensions and the materials and supplies required are carefully described, along with the specification of severe penalties for anyone who would change his orders regarding its construction.

Cyrus' reign ended in 530 B. C., when he was killed in battle. His tomb still stands at Pasargadae in southwestern Iran. He was succeeded by his son, Cambyses II (from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary) (Copyright (C) 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers).

Summary: Around the year 555 B.C., during the first year of Belshazzar, Daniel had another dream regarding the future. In his dream he sees the four winds stir up the Mediterranean Sea. Out of the sea he sees four kingdoms who will rule the earth. The first one looks LIKE a lion with wings of an eagle. The wings were plucked and the beast stood up on two feet and had the mind of a man. The second beast Daniel saw looked LIKE a bear which was raised up on its side and had three ribs in its teeth. This beast was told to arise and gather much meat. The third beast he saw looked LIKE a leopard with wings on its back. It had four heads and it had much power. The fourth beast was strong, dreadful, and terrifying to Daniel. It had teeth of iron and it was very strong. It was more powerful than the other beasts and it trampled them under its feet. It was different from the rest, and Daniel does not compare it to anything like he did the other three. In addition, the beast had ten horns, but while Daniel stared at it a bit longer another horn came up and uprooted three of the horns that were already there. This horn had eyes LIKE a man and a tongue that made great boasts.

• The dream is just a summary of what he saw (v.1). There are more details, but we aren’t told.
• What are the four winds of heaven? This is apparently speaking of evil, celestial (demonic) powers. They have a conspicuous role in the government of fallen man.
• The "great sea" is also known as the Mediterranean Sea. This is "the nations" in Rev. 17:15.
• This dream appears to be related to the same dream Daniel had concerning the statue in chapter 2:37-45. Why did he have another one saying the same thing? This is most likely done for the encouragement of the Jews who are still in captivity. Under Neb the kingdom thrived, but under the other rulers of Babylon the kingdom began to slowly fade. The others were wicked and the Jews needed hope for their seemingly hopeless situation. This dream of a Messiah, or Son of Man, was given as encouragement to them that God had a plan in store for them and He had not forgotten them. He gave them encouragement when they went into captivity through Daniel’s first dream, and now He is giving it to them again.
• It appears that chapter 2 gives the outward dazzling brilliance of world governments in their political, economic, and social aspects, while chapter 7 gives their intrinsic, selfish and beastlike character (Unger’s Bible Handbook).
• The four kingdoms are Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. The ten horns correspond to the ten nation confederacy that will arise in the last days; also the time of antichrist which is the little horn.
• The three ribs in the mouth of the bear must represent the nations that Persia conquered: Egypt, Lydia, and Babylon. Being raised up on one side probably represents the more dominant Persian power over the Median power within this duel world-power.
• Who is the "they" who said "go and devour much meant"? Most likely the "they" represents the four winds from verse 2 which represent evil, demonic beings.
• The leopard (Greece) with wings of an eagle must correspond to speed. The leopard is the fastest known animal and with wings he is all the more. It was with great speed that Alexander the Great conquered the world beginning in 331 B.C. and ending in 323 B.C. In addition, the four heads correspond to the four generals who rose up to take the place of Alexander following his death. Seleucus (Syria), Ptolemy (Egypt), Lysimacus (Asia Minor), and Cassander (Greece itself). All four generals correspond to the four heads.
• The little horn here is speaking of the Antichrist but another little horn appears in chapter 8, and he prefigures the Antichrist. They are not to be confused because one comes from the Roman Empire while the other comes up out of the Greek empire. This man (from Greek Empire) was named Antiochus IV Epiphanes (the great one), a Seleucid, and he desecrated the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem by slaughtering swine, throwing the blood all throughout the temple, and putting the meat into the mouths of the priests. He was thought to have been THE antichrist until Jesus himself predicted that the Antichrist would come and set up the "Abomination that causes desolation" (Matthew 24) meaning that it is still future and not fulfilled in Antiochus Epiphanes (again, he came out of Greece, but Daniel predicts he will come out of Rome). Therefore, Antiochus Epiphanes was only a prelude to the coming antichrist (this is spoken of not specifically here; more in detail in chapter 8).
• The little horn here is the man of lawlessness (2 Thes. 2:3-8). Also the king in Daniel 11:36-45; the beast of Revelation 13:4-10; the one who will be destroyed by Messiah at His second advent in Revelation 19:20.
• Given that the first four beasts which were prophesied came to be just as Daniel had foreseen it is logical to conclude that the ten horns, which are yet to come to fulfillment, are also going to come to pass. Daniel’s reputation is impeccable in these matters.
• The final "little" horn is a man who must come in the last days -- the Antichrist; when he comes it appears that three of the ten kingdoms, or European states, will pull out, be destroyed, or just go into oblivion. He will uproot them and rule over the remainder of the ten-nation (now 7-nation) confederacy.

Summary: The awesome majesty of God is revealed to some extent here. Daniel observes in his vision God coming on the scene with blazing white clothing and white hair. A river of fire runs before Him, and his throne was blazing with flames. His throne sat on wheels that were also burning with fire. Standing before Him were numerous angelic warriors that praised His name and gave Him glory. Suddenly, the scene becomes one of a courtroom as all the people sit down. God takes out books (a reference to judgment). As God opens the books Daniel notices that the little horn is uttering great boasts while all this is happening. All at once the beast (little horn) is slain and thrown into the burning fire. All the rest of the beasts had their power taken away but were not destroyed; they were given an extension of life for an "appointed time" (unspecified).

• The Ancient of Days is God. His clothes are white, representing purity; this hair is white, representing wisdom and righteousness.
• Fire surrounds God; rivers of fire, angelic warriors, and wheels on His throne.
• The antichrist continues to talk as God appears. Not only does he talk he also blasphemes by uttering great boasts in the presence of the Almighty. The only thing a person is to do in the presence of God is confess that He is Lord -- not one’s own self.
• This passage is the OT counterpart of Rev. 19:11-16
• Jesus will bring an end (at His second advent) to the "times of the Gentiles" which began when Neb destroyed Jerusalem. Jesus will reign over Israel and the nations in the 1000 year reign (Millennium). In order to know this one must read the book of Revelation in addition to Daniel.
• The vision of the destruction of the little horn in verse 11 is fulfilled at the second advent (Revelation 19:20; 20:10).
• In verse 12 after the beast is slain the rest of the ten nation confederacy (possibly seven at this point) continues to have life but no real power or dominion, but this is only for an "appointed time."

Summary: As Daniel continues to look at this vision he is having he sees one who looks like a son of man. He approaches the Ancient of Days and is given power, dominion, and a kingdom. His kingdom is the nations and men of every language; it will never cease to exist. At this point Daniel is distressed and frightened by what he is seeing. Apparently, there were others standing around watching Daniel’s dream within his dream, and he approached one of them (most likely an angel) to seek an interpretation to the dream he was having. The angel then tells Daniel the dream by telling him that the four beasts represent four kingdoms coming out of the earth (Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome). However, the saints of God will inherit the earth and will never pass away from existence. Daniel then asks what the exact meaning of the fourth beast is because it frightened him so badly (probably because it waged war with the saints and overpowered them for a time.

• Christ’s initiation with the kingdom in heaven, 13-14, occurs before His coming in 9-12 and is identical with Rev. 5:6-10.
• Verses 13-14 are telling of the 1000 year reign and the eternal reign following that.
• "One like a son of man" signifies Jesus with the kingdom and returning to earth as King of kings and Lord of lords as in Rev. 19:16. Jesus even called himself "son of man" in Matthew 24 and in many other passages; this further validates Daniel’s claims at least 600 years before Christ.
• The saints of the Most High who receive the kingdom, 18, 22, 25, & 27, are the saved Jewish remnant who pass through the Great Tribulation and inherit the kingdom and the covenants and promises made to Israel in connection with it (Abrahamic Covenant).
• The meditorial and temporal aspects of the kingdom (i.e. thousand year reign of Christ) merge into the eternal state when Christ, after His reign on the earth, "hands over the kingdom to God the Father...that God may be all in all" (1 Cor. 15:24-28).
• Taken literally, once the beast is slain in verse 11, Christ comes to rule the earth. One thousand years is not specified here as it is in Revelation, but it is clear that Christ will reign upon the earth after the Great Tribulation brought on by the little horn who is the Antichrist.
• Verse 13 serves as the clearest OT background of Jesus’ application of the phrase "Son of Man" to Himself. In His discussion of the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the world, He used it of the Second Coming of the Son of Man (Matt. 24:30,; Mk. 13:26; Lk. 21:27), as He did in His trial before the high priest (Matt. 26:64; Mk. 14:62). John began his Apocalypse with a reference to Christ’s Second Coming, as it was seen in Dan. 7:13 (Rev. 1:7; Rev. 1:13 and Rev. 14:14).
• Who did Daniel turn to in verse 16 as "one who was standing by"? Wasn’t this a dream? Most likely he turned to an angel in his dream to seek an interpretation.
• It is amazing that verses 17-18 wrap up the entire dream as well as our entire destiny.
• Verse 20 says that the little horn was much larger in appearance than the rest. Why is it "little"?

Summary: Daniel is given the interpretation of the fourth beast. He is told that it will be a kingdom different from all others and it will rule the entire earth by trampling down everything in its path. Out of that same kingdom a ten-nation confederacy will arise with another one on its tail which will subdue three of the previous kings, or kingdoms. Verse 25 tells us that he (the little horn) will blaspheme God and suppress the saints of God. He will alter the law of God and make his own rules. The saints of God will be handed over to this ruler for 3 1/2 years. Following this the little horn will be ousted by God and destroyed forever. Once this is done the saints of God will rule all the nations of the world and their kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom under the reign of Christ. Daniel’s vision ends, but his thoughts alarm him, his face grows pale, and he keeps the matter to himself.

• It is important to see that the fourth beast and the ten-kingdom confederacy growing out of it are not Macedonian Greece and Antiochus Epiphanes as critics commonly assert, but last-day Rome, since the whole context involves the second advent of Messiah and His subsequent rule.
• Where is the church here? It appears that the church is unseen by Daniel, unrevealed by God, but also qualifying as the saints of the Most High God.
• Where’s the rapture here? It is not spoken of because the church is not spoken of. The church was a mystery at this point, and it seems to be "in parenthesis" within time and history.
• Daniel’s vision deals with the second coming of Christ, but at that time there had not even been a first coming.
• Daniel saw a lot and he was privileged enough to see the future. However, we are able to see everything; it that regard we know so much more that Daniel ever did. We see the past and we can see the future unfolding in fulfillment of what Daniel saw.
• There are 660 prophecies in the Bible (approximately 1/5 of the Bible). Of those prophecies 333 refer to Christ; of those 109 were fulfilled in His first coming which means that 224 are yet to occur, but will at His second coming.

8:1 In the third year of the reign of Belshazzar the king a vision appeared to me, Daniel, subsequent to the one which appeared to me previously. 2 And I looked in the vision, and it came about while I was looking, that I was in the citadel of Susa, which is in the province of Elam; and I looked in the vision, and I myself was beside the Ulai Canal. 3 Then I lifted my gaze and looked, and behold, a ram which had two horns was standing in front of the canal. Now the two horns were long, but one was longer than the other, with the longer one coming up last. 4 I saw the ram butting westward, northward, and southward, and no other beasts could stand before him, nor was there anyone to rescue from his power; but he did as he pleased and magnified himself.

• Year 550 BC (Belshazzar son of Nabonidus).
• Citadel of Susa… 250 miles east of Babylon (a vision, not present). This citadel, or palace, was the place of the Medo-Persian empire, a strong power but not the dominant power. He is in the future at the site of the next kingdom’s capitol city. It was likely the palace of Xerxes a century later (486-465 B.C.), one of the most magnificent of all antiquity, covering two and one-half acres.
• Susa is where the events of Esther took place. Wild animals are now the only inhabitants of Susa; and every species of wild beast roams at large over the spot on which some of the proudest palaces ever raised by human art once stood. It is also the traditional standing tomb of the prophet Daniel.
• The Ulai Canal is a channel of water right outside the palace in Susa.
• The two horns of the ram represent Media and Persia. Media was at one time the dominant power, but Cyrus, king of the Persians conquered the Medes in 546 BC, and the two were incorporated into two kingdoms. The fact that one horn came up later represents Persia who came after and become stronger.
• The empire was powerful in the east, and it conquered in all other directions without suffering any defeats until the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC where Darius was defeated by a small army of Athenians. Ten years later Xerxes was defeated in the Gulf of Aegina with his large army by a small army of Greeks.
• The greatness of the ram (Medo-Persia) is still remembered and intimated today.

5 While I was observing, behold, a male goat was coming from the west over the surface of the whole earth without touching the ground; and the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. 6 And he came up to the ram that had the two horns, which I had seen standing in front of the canal, and rushed at him in his mighty wrath. 7 And I saw him come beside the ram, and he was enraged at him; and he struck the ram and shattered his two horns, and the ram had no strength to withstand him. So he hurled him to the ground and trampled on him, and there was none to rescue the ram from his power. 8 Then the male goat magnified himself exceedingly. But as soon as he was mighty, the large horn was broken; and in its place there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven.

• Goat is likened to the leopard with wings (chap. 7) – real fast as it flies without touching the ground. It represents the Greek empire.
• This horn is conspicuous. It represents Alexander the Great.
• The buck goat is stronger than the ram of sheep. Alexander’s small swift army, with its devastating phalanx formation, swept through Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt, and finally Mesopotamia (334-331 BC). After that his armies advanced eastward to India, then turned back again toward the west.
• The rage of the goat has to do with the supernatural strength of the Grecian army when they defeated the much larger Persian army. This Alex did because "he was moved with choler" against Darius, who had endeavored to draw off his captains with bribes, and had labored to induce some of his friends to assassinate him. Alexander, finding this, would listen to no proposals of peace; and was determined never to rest till he had destroyed Darius and his whole empire. In Media, Darius was seized and made prisoner by some of his own treacherous subjects, and afterward basely murdered.
• Though Persia had made countless invasions in Greece and lost their battles, the lingering rage at such invasions appears to be in view here. But it is true, also, that the wrongs inflicted or attempted on the Greeks had never been forgotten, and it cannot be doubted that the remembrance of these wrongs was a motive that influenced many a Greek at the battle of the Granicus and Issus, and at Arbela. It would be one of most powerful motives to which Alexander could appeal in stimulating his army.
• Alexander conquered most of the know world by 323 BC then died in Babylon. Twenty-one years later, following his death, his four generals divided the kingdom, each one taking a part of the kingdom (the four winds of heaven).

9 And out of one of them came forth a rather small horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Beautiful Land. 10 And it grew up to the host of heaven and caused some of the host and some of the stars to fall to the earth, and it trampled them down. 11 It even magnified itself to be equal with the Commander of the host; and it removed the regular sacrifice from Him, and the place of His sanctuary was thrown down. 12 And on account of transgression the host will be given over to the horn along with the regular sacrifice; and it will fling truth to the ground and perform its will and prosper. 13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to that particular one who was speaking, "How long will the vision about the regular sacrifice apply, while the transgression causes horror, so as to allow both the holy place and the host to be trampled?" 14 And he said to me, "For 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the holy place will be properly restored."

• Verse 9: This little horn comes from Greece; chapter 7’s horn came out of Rome.
• It didn’t point west because Rome was on the rise in the west.
• Vv. 10-11: The Jews are in view here under the dominion of Antiochus Epiphanes. He set up an image of himself in their temple and killed all Jews who didn’t worship him.
• Verse 12 shows exactly why God allows these atrocities, namely, because of their transgression. Their truth shall be thrown down to the ground, and now the non-truth will be allowed to prosper. This is what God does to His people who reject the truth.
• The 2300 days here, if taken in a normal literal way, can be determined to have already completely occurred. Since the holy place was restored after Antiochus’ desecration of it on December 25, 164 BC a simple counting back down for 2300 days would bring the time back down to the year 171 BC when the then high priest Onias III was deposed.
• ONIAS… He was known for his godliness and zeal for the law, yet was on such friendly terms with the Seleucids that Seleucus IV Philopator defrayed the cost of the "services of the sacrifices." He quarreled with Simon the Benjamite, guardian of the temple, about the market buildings (Greek aedileship). Being unable to get the better of Onias and thirsting for revenge, Simon went to Apollonius, governor of Coele-Syria and Phoenicia, and informed him of the "untold sums of money," lodged in the treasury of the temple. The governor told the king, and Seleucus dispatched his chancellor, Heliodorus, to remove the money. Onias remonstrated in vain, pleading for the "deposits of widows and orphans." Heliodorus persisted in the object of his mission.

The high priest and the people were in the greatest distress. But when Heliodorus had already entered the temple, "the Sovereign of spirits, and of all authority caused a great apparition," a horse with a terrible rider accompanied by two strong and beautiful young men who scourged and wounded Heliodorus. At the intercession of Onias, his life was spared. Heliodorus advised the king to send on the same errand any enemy or conspirator whom he wished punished. Simon then slandered Onias, and the jealousy having caused bloodshed between their followers, Onias decided to repair in person to the king to intercede for his country. Apparently before a decision was given, Seleucus was assassinated and Epiphanes succeeded (175 BC). Jason, the brother of Onias, having offered the new king larger revenue, secured the priesthood, which he held until he himself was similarly supplanted by Menelaus, Simon's brother (2 Macc 4:23; Josephus, Ant, XII, v, 1, says Jason's brother). Menelaus, having stolen golden vessels belonging to the temple to meet his promises made to the king, was sharply reproved by Onias. Menelaus took revenge by persuading Andronicus, the king's deputy, to entice Onias by false promises of friendship from his sanctuary at Daphne and treacherously slay him-an act which caused indignation among both the Jews and the Greeks (2 Macc 4:34 ff). Josephus (Ant, XII, v, 1) says that "on the death of Onias the high priest, Antiochus gave the high-priesthood to his brother Jesus (Jason)," but the account of 2 Macc given above is the more probable. Some see in Dan 9:26; 11:22 reference to Onias III (Schurer, 4 th edition, I, 194 ff; III, 144).

15 And it came about when I, Daniel, had seen the vision, that I sought to understand it; and behold, standing before me was one who looked like a man. 16 And I heard the voice of a man between the banks of Ulai, and he called out and said, "Gabriel, give this man an understanding of the vision." 17 So he came near to where I was standing, and when he came I was frightened and fell on my face; but he said to me, "Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the time of the end."

• Daniel hears one voice say to Gabriel to tell the interpretation of the dream.
• Gabe walks over to Daniel, and Daniel falls on his face in fear (not the way people behave today when they see an angel).
• Though the vision does speak of a time in history it must be understood in the sense that it gives us a peak into what the end of time will actually look like.

18 Now while he was talking with me, I sank into a deep sleep with my face to the ground; but he touched me and made me stand upright. 19 And he said, "Behold, I am going to let you know what will occur at the final period of the indignation, for it pertains to the appointed time of the end. 20 "The ram which you saw with the two horns represents the kings of Media and Persia. 21 "And the shaggy goat represents the kingdom of Greece, and the large horn that is between his eyes is the first king. 22 "And the broken horn and the four horns that arose in its place represent four kingdoms which will arise from his nation, although not with his power.

23 "And in the latter period of their rule, when the transgressors have run their course, a king will arise insolent and skilled in intrigue. 24 "And his power will be mighty, but not by his own power, and he will destroy to an extraordinary degree and prosper and perform his will; He will destroy mighty men and the holy people. 25 "And through his shrewdness He will cause deceit to succeed by his influence; And he will magnify himself in his heart, and he will destroy many while they are at ease. He will even oppose the Prince of princes, But he will be broken without human agency. 26 "And the vision of the evenings and mornings Which has been told is true; But keep the vision secret, for it pertains to many days in the future."

• The man being spoken of is undoubtedly Antiochus Epiphanes. He was a vile man who painted a picture of what the future antichrist will actually look like.
• He came into power without any claim to the throne (he murdered the heirs).
• His success was given to him by God to mete out the punishment on the Jews for their disobedience.
• His death was such that he caught a disease and died slowly. One man has recorded that he finally died from the smell of his own rotting flesh.

27 Then I, Daniel, was exhausted and sick for days. Then I got up again and carried on the king's business; but I was astounded at the vision, and there was none to explain it.

9:1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans-- 2 in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years. 3 So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.

• Darius’ first year was 539-38 BC. This Xerxes is not the same as that of Esther.
• Jeremiah was a contemporary of Daniel. Daniel recognized him as a true prophet.
• By reading the prophecy it prompted Daniel to pray and seek God.
• The captivity occurred for a reason, namely, punishment for sin (desolations). God had a plan to start and to finish this discipline.
• Jeremiah’s prophecies in 25 and 29 speak of 70 years. Chapter 25 says Babylon will be punished after 70 years while chapter 29 says the people will return to their land.
• Daniel didn’t just sit back and wait for God to fulfill His promises, he prayed that He would do that which he had spoken.
• Notice how Daniel made himself humble before God: fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
• With three deportations which one begins the actual 70 years?

4 And I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed and said, "Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, 5 we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly, and rebelled, even turning aside from Thy commandments and ordinances. 6 "Moreover, we have not listened to Thy servants the prophets, who spoke in Thy name to our kings, our princes, our fathers, and all the people of the land.

• Daniel opens up his prayer with praises for who God is.
• God is loving, keeping His promises FOR THOSE WHO LOVE AND OBEY HIM.
• Daniel recognizes why Israel is where they are and lumps himself in with the sinful. This is what God wants from us during difficult times caused by sin – a confession.
• God gave the people ample opportunity to repent at the preaching of the prophets. Prophets today do the same thing, and they get the same response from the masses. A rejected prophet is in good company.

7 "Righteousness belongs to Thee, O Lord, but to us open shame, as it is this day-- to the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all Israel, those who are nearby and those who are far away in all the countries to which Thou has driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against Thee. 8 "Open shame belongs to us, O Lord, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against Thee. 9 "To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him; 10 nor have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His teachings which He set before us through His servants the prophets. 11 "Indeed all Israel has transgressed Thy law and turned aside, not obeying Thy voice; so the curse has been poured out on us, along with the oath which is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against Him. 12 "Thus He has confirmed His words which He had spoken against us and against our rulers who ruled us, to bring on us great calamity; for under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what was done to Jerusalem. 13 "As it is written in the law of Moses, all this calamity has come on us; yet we have not sought the favor of the LORD our God by turning from our iniquity and giving attention to Thy truth. 14 "Therefore, the LORD has kept the calamity in store and brought it on us; for the LORD our God is righteous with respect to all His deeds which He has done, but we have not obeyed His voice. 15 "And now, O Lord our God, who has brought Thy people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and has made a name for Thyself, as it is this day-- we have sinned, we have been wicked.

• Daniel recognizes why the nation is being punished; he doesn’t cry, "Unfair!"
• It is clear that all the surrounding nations know of Israel’s captivity. God allowed this even though His name was attached to the nation. God is not worried about being seen as weak, rather, He appears to be driven to show the accountability that goes with carrying His name.
• Verse 9 shows how God can now show compassion and forgiveness. If these are essential to God’s holiness then the sin that causes this captivity is being used by God to show His glory.
• The curses that follow disobedience are clearly written in the Mosaic/Palestinian Covenant in Deut. 28.
• When Daniel brings up the Egyptian exile he seems to be reminding God once again that He is a merciful God who made a name for Himself among Israel at that time – a God who delivers out of calamity for His own name’s sake.
• Daniel remembers God’s past events and brings comfort to himself about who God is.

16 "O Lord, in accordance with all Thy righteous acts, let now Thine anger and Thy wrath turn away from Thy city Jerusalem, Thy holy mountain; for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Thy people have become a reproach to all those around us. 17 "So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Thy servant and to his supplications, and for Thy sake, O Lord, let Thy face shine on Thy desolate sanctuary. 18 "O my God, incline Thine ear and hear! Open Thine eyes and see our desolations and the city which is called by Thy name; for we are not presenting our supplications before Thee on account of any merits of our own, but on account of Thy great compassion. 19 "O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! For Thine own sake, O my God, do not delay, because Thy city and Thy people are called by Thy name."

• It seems fitting to Daniel, given what he knows about God, for God to now relent on His wrath to the holy city.
• Whereas one of the principle reasons God chose Israel was to represent Him on the earth, Daniel admits that this has not happened. In fact, just the opposite has occurred.
• When God’s people, who are called by His name, act like pagans God’s discipline will soon follow.
• Daniel calls on God’s mercy, for His listening ear, out of complete humbleness, knowing that Israel deserves none.
• Daniel is bold about his request to God even in light of his sin.
• Daniel knows that none of his character traits will persuade God’s favor so He appeals to God’s name – His compassion.

1. It is significant that Daniel's prayer has to do with the sanctuary and its restoration in Jerusalem.
2. Jeremiah 25 says Babylon will be punished after 70 years. Were they?
3. Jeremiah 29 speaks of 70 years away from the land then a return. If they went into captivity beginning in 605 BC when would they need to return for this to be accurate?
4. Is there a difference between the desolations of Jerusalem and captivity of the people?
5. Jeremiah’s prophecies were accurate, at least in a roundabout way (not exactly 70), but it is significant that Daniel’s prayer has to do with the desolated sanctuary on God’s Holy Hill which was restored 70 years after it was destroyed (destroyed in 586, rebuilt in 516).
6. Only the few who went into captivity in 605 were actually there for 70 years. All others, especially those who went in 586, were only there 50 years. Does this negate the prophecy? Why or why not? (it wouldn’t b/c they were vassals to Babylon even before they actually left the land; their legitimate king was deposed never to return again).

Verses 20-23…

• Daniel is "extremely weary" because he has been praying, fasting with ashes and sackcloth. Prayer for Daniel was an experience in humility and sometimes pain. This prayer attests to Daniel’s spirituality.
• Gabriel ("mighty man of God") here and in 8:21 is a holy messenger who also foretells of Christ’s birth and of John the Baptist.
• Notice how fast the messenger came to Daniel – even before he finished praying!
• When Daniel first began to pray God gave the order for Gabriel to answer. It’s as if God was just waiting for Daniel to begin to pray at this point in the captivity.
• The reason for the answer is "for you are highly esteemed." Was Daniel loved more than others by God? He was obedient, and God rewarded this.
• Gabriel tells him in a sense, "Get a hold of yourself and listen very carefully."

Verse 24…

• The word for "weeks" here is a word meaning "seven" (literally "seventy sevens"). Used 20 times in the OT the context determines the meaning. Sometimes it refers to days, but when it does it uses the word "days" with it. Here the context demands "seven units of years."
• Reasons: 1) Daniel has been thinking in terms of years (9:1-2). 2) Daniel has just considered Jeremiah 25:11 & 29:10 regarding the 70 year captivity which resulted from a violation of the sabbatical year (2 Chronicles 36:21; Lev. 26:34-35, 43). Each year of captivity represented one seven-year cycle. Thus, it is clear the context refers to years, not days. The seventy year captivity resulted from 70 sabbatical years (490 years) not letting the land rest. 3) The only other time Daniel uses the word for "week" µy[ib]vi is in 10:2-3 but there he inserts "days" after the word rendering the term literally "seven days." If he meant "days" in 9:24 he would have inserted the word to specify. 4) It’s not feasible to fit the events of the chapter into 490 days or weeks. Only years works. 5) With the covenant being broken in 9:27 at the midpoint of the week it fits well with "time, times, and half a time" in 7:25, 12:7 and in Revelation 12:14. 6) Though the Bible doesn’t use this term anywhere else as years it does have this meaning in the Mishnah.
• This prophecy has been "decree" signifying God’s complete knowledge of what will happen.
• The 490 years will do six things:

1. Finish transgression… Israel’s course of apostasy and sin would come to an end.
2. Make an end of sins… Sin would be brought to its final judgment.
3. Make atonement for iniquity… A clear picture of Christ in His atoning sacrifice.
4. Bring in everlasting righteousness… In Christ God justified all sinners
5. Seal up vision and prophecy… Termination of the unusual direct revelation of God to His people (through the NT).
6. To anoint a most holy place… from the temple of Zerubbabel to the final temple in the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:1-27).

Verse 9:25…

• Since Jerusalem and her restoration was what Daniel had been praying about this is exactly what God answers concerning her state.
• Jerusalem was to be completely "restored and rebuilt."
• There would be a ÅWrj;wÒ b/jr] ("plaza and mote"). The first refers to the spaces inside a city; the second has to do with the cutting of a trench as part of its defenses. These two terms describe the complete restoration of the city.
• Though the city is rebuilt it is done in times of trouble, as if to say it will be difficult to build it due to the various peoples objecting to its construction.
• When did this decree actually go out? Nehemiah 2:1-8 says it occurred in the 20^th year of King Artaxerxes, and that year was 444 BC in Nisan (March/April) because he came to power in 464 BC following a year of accession to the throne.
• The troublous times recorded in the prophecy can be readily seen in Nehemiah’s rebuilding.
• Though the first seven weeks are separated from the next 62 weeks they run successively. The first seven weeks (49 years) did bring the complete restoration of Jerusalem in 394 BC. The successive 62 weeks, totaling 69 weeks or 483 years, brings to time right down to Christ’s death on the cross – to the day!
• Why can’t the seventieth week be successive following Christ’s death? Mainly because verse 27 has not been fulfilled, and it refers to the last "seven" when the "prince who shall come" actually comes, and he hasn’t come. Also, the six things in verse 24 have not come true for Israel – none of them!
• In sum, the angel tells Daniel there will be 69 weeks (483 years) from the year 444 BC (the decree to rebuild Jerusalem) until the Messiah would be cut off. During that time period Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and mote (completely restored). This is fulfilled.

• The cutting off here refers to the death of Christ who is the Messiah. He would not establish His kingdom at His first coming as commonly understood from the OT.
• The verse does not say that during this time period Christ would be "cut off" but after that time, and it was just one week after. The time period of the 483 years brings the date to the time of Christ’s entry into Jerusalem (Triumphal entry or Palm Sunday). He died a week later.
• It has been carefully determined that Christ actually died on Friday April 3 AD 33 on the Julian Calendar (Harold Hoehner, Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ, page 134). From this we know the day Christ died (Friday, April 3 AD 33) and the year the decree went out from Artaxerxes (March/April, or Nisan 444 BC).
• The solar year (365 days) times 69 weeks equals 483 years. To subtract this from 444 BC brings the date to AD 38 – five years too late from the AD 33 given above.
• The 360-day year, the one the Jews used does work however. This calendar was used also by ancient India, Persia, Babylon, Assyria, Egypt, Central and South America, and China in ancient times. A year in those days was common to be thought of as 360 days.
• The NT sheds more light on this 360 day year in the writings of John in Revelation: 12:14 speaks of "time, times, and half a time" (3.5 years) which is also mentioned in Daniel 7:24-25. John, speaking of the same thing in chapter 12 as he did before says that persecution will last for 1,260 days. In the previous chapter (11:2-3) John says that this time period is 42 months. Forty-two months equals 30 months which translates to 1260 days which is equivalent to 3.5 years or time, times, and half a time. Hence, the month is 30 days and the year 360 days. Look also at Genesis 7:11 and compare to 8:4. These two passages in speaking of the flood in Noah’s day speak of five months which is translated into 150 days.
• Using the 360 day year we take the Friday April 3 of AD 33 as the day Christ died. We take the 444 BC as the year the decree went out to rebuild Jerusalem. The exact day is unknown, but it couldn’t have occurred before Nisan 1 so we’ll use that day which translates into March 5. First, we multiply 360 times the 483 years and come up with 173,880 days. This means that if we counted this number from March 5, 444 BC we would come to the exact day the 69 weeks speaks of. To convert this to our 365 day year we would come up with only 476 years (7 years shy of the 483 we’re trying to reach). The problem here are the leap years in the solar calendar. Well, a year is exactly 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, 45.975 seconds. This equals 365.24219879 days. Now to get our 365 day year accurate with the exact year we have to take our 476 years and either add the leap years that occurred. There were 119 leap years during that time or we could just multiply 476 times 365.24219879. This brings our day total to 173,855.28662404 days or 173,855 days, 6 hours, 52 minutes, 44 seconds. From this we have only 25 days to be accounted for between the 444 BC to AD 33 to reach the 173,880 days we got from multiplying 483 times the 360 day year. What about those 25 days? Well, by adding the 25 days to March 5 from the 444 BC date Artaxerxes’ decree we come to March 30 AD 33 – the day of Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem predicted by Zechariah in 9:9 – one week before He was put to death.
• There is a 38 year gap here following the first prince (Messiah). A second prince (Antichrist) appears ("The people of the ruler that shall come"), and the people are the Romans. The desolations decreed is that the city/sanctuary were be destroyed in AD 70 (Keller, p.412).

• This "he" is the prince who shall come. In verse 26 it dealt with Titus who destroyed the temple in AD 70, but he made no covenant with the Jews. Here it deals with the still future Antichrist who will make a covenant with the Jews for 7 years. The reason it is future is that in v. 27 there are sacrifices, and to have sacrifices means that there has to be a temple. Since v. 26 speaks of the destruction of that temple, and of course it was destroyed, there has to be another temple built in order to stop sacrifices. This is what we anticipate in the coming antichrist – an agreement with the Jews.
• This "week" is the final week of the 70. It is broken up in half which the NT signifies as the tribulation and the great tribulation (Rev. 7:14; 11:2-3; 12:6). See also Dan. 12:11.
• The "wing" of abominations… is the "abomination of desolation." "Wing" likely is the pinnacle of the temple which has become so desecrated that it is no longer the temple of the Lord but an idol temple (Matt. 4:5; Luke 4:8). It is the summit of the temple itself.

In sum… The total history of Israel is seen here beginning with a decree that goes out in 444 BC. In the first period of "sevens" Israel and its streets are rebuilt. In the second "sixty-two sevens" the Messiah appears and is living at the conclusion of the period. There is a parenthesis of time between this and the last "seven," and it is here that Messiah is killed and Jerusalem destroyed. In the final "seven," which is still future, a covenant will be made between Israel and the antichrist. He will break this covenant after 3 ½ years and take the world into the great tribulation time period – all of which is described in detail in the Book of Revelation.

10:1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar; and the message was true and one of great conflict, but he understood the message and had an understanding of the vision.

• The year is Nisan 24, 535 BC. This is the same Cyrus that Isaiah prophesied (44:28) 200 years prior who would let the Jews return home from captivity in his first year – something he most certainly had done two years prior to this writing as Ezra attests to (Ez. 1:1-4).
• By giving his Babylonian name the reader is reminded that this is the same Daniel as before.
• The period is view is long and strenuous involving great conflict and trouble for the people of God (KJV: a long period of time (literal); NAS: a great warfare; RSV: a great conflict).
• Daniel DID have understanding of what he was hearing, but was ignorant of the times as to when all would occur.

2 In those days I, Daniel, had been mourning for three entire weeks. 3 I did not eat any tasty food, nor did meat or wine enter my mouth, nor did I use any ointment at all, until the entire three weeks were completed. 4 And on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, while I was by the bank of the great river, that is, the Tigris, 5 I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a certain man dressed in linen, whose waist was girded with a belt of pure gold of Uphaz. 6 His body also was like beryl, his face had the appearance of lightning, his eyes were like flaming torches, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a tumult.

• Apparently Daniel set out on a three week vigil of fasting; though the angel is later held up for three weeks, it appears Daniel set out to do this very thing to fulfill a time period of fasting.
• The "man dressed in linen" most likely Jesus incarnate (a theophany). Linen was the garment of priests and other heavenly visitors throughout the Bible (Mark 16:5; Luke 24:4).

Daniel’s Theophany (compare to John's vision of Christ in Revelation 1:12-17).

• Dressed in linen
• Belt of Uphaz
• Body and face like lightning
• Eyes of flaming torches
• Eyes and feet of burnished bronze
• Words like sound of tumult

 7 Now I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, while the men who were with me did not see the vision; nevertheless, a great dread fell on them, and they ran away to hide themselves. 8 So I was left alone and saw this great vision; yet no strength was left in me, for my natural color turned to a deathly pallor, and I retained no strength. 9 But I heard the sound of his words; and as soon as I heard the sound of his words, I fell into a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground.

• This vision, dreadful to those who did not see it, parallels Paul’s vision and the fact that his companions behaved similarly (Acts 9:1-7). The presence of the Lord brings great dread probably due to His holiness in the presence of our sinfulness.
• Daniel must have been aware of the fact that he was pale and ghostly. Even this man of great standing was worthless in the presence of the one true God. Once again, this is a stark contrast to those today who have visions of God and His angels.
• The sounds of his words were unbearable to the weak servant. He hid his face in the ground – a reminder of who we are in the presence of God.

10 Then behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. 11 And he said to me, "O Daniel, man of high esteem, understand the words that I am about to tell you and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you." And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. 12 Then he said to me, "Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. 13 "But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia.

• The hand does not necessarily have to be the One Daniel just encountered – most likely it’s Gabriel who is the messenger angel though the text does not specify him.
• Daniel is "highly esteemed" in that he is faithful and obedient to God.
• The messenger tells him authoritatively, "Get this!" and Daniel gets up to hear it – trembling.
• Though Daniel fasted for 3 weeks his answer, this time, comes long after he has prayed.
• The delay in the messenger’s coming was due to warfare in the heavenlies.
• Michael is mentioned five times in the Bible, three times by Daniel (and Jude & Revelation). He is the unseen prince of Israel who fights for them.
• This angel must be different than the original one for how could God need angelic aid?
• What this seems to prove is that Paul’s words in Ephesians 6 are true in that there are unseen demons working behind all evil, but there is also unseen good fighting against them.

14 "Now I have come to give you an understanding of what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision pertains to the days yet future." 15 And when he had spoken to me according to these words, I turned my face toward the ground and became speechless. 16 And behold, one who resembled a human being was touching my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke, and said to him who was standing before me, "O my lord, as a result of the vision anguish has come upon me, and I have retained no strength. 17 "For how can such a servant of my lord talk with such as my lord? As for me, there remains just now no strength in me, nor has any breath been left in me."

• The only way one can know the future is by the One who decreed the future.
• Daniel’s condition keeps worsening as he speaks to the messenger. Possibly he feels unworthy to continue on with the revelation of the future.
• The one resembling a man could be the Christ who restores Daniel, and he touches His lips just as the seraph touched Isaiah’s lips, cleansing him for the purpose of service (6:1-8).
• The vision just completely depletes Daniel bringing him great anguish and leaving his without breath.
• Daniel recognizes that even talking to holiness is absurd face to face.

18 Then this one with human appearance touched me again and strengthened me. 19 And he said, "O man of high esteem, do not be afraid. Peace be with you; take courage and be courageous!" Now as soon as he spoke to me, I received strength and said, "May my lord speak, for you have strengthened me." 20 Then he said, "Do you understand why I came to you? But I shall now return to fight against the prince of Persia; so I am going forth, and behold, the prince of Greece is about to come. 21 "However, I will tell you what is inscribed in the writing of truth.

Yet there is no one who stands firmly with me against these forces except Michael your prince.

And in the first year of Darius the Mede, I arose to be an encouragement and a protection for him.

• The touch of the angel, or Christ for at least two are present, brings strength to Daniel as he once again calls him "man highly esteemed." Even this saint cannot stand toe-to-toe with God and remain bold and healthy.
• It is God’s word, much like that given to Joshua, that strengthens Daniel, and he immediately wants more.
• The angel now returns to his then current battle and speaks of his future battle thus giving Daniel insight as to who the next nation would be as part of the four-beast future he saw in chapters 2, 7, and 8.
• The only one who stands with this angel is Michael, as if to say that Israel is all alone in her battles against the evil that surround her.
• 11:1 is the closing for chapter 10 indicating that this messenger was not a prince of a nation but a helper to the one (Michael) who was, and he speaks of it as during the reign of Darius the Mede (539-536) who was governor over the land while Cyrus was king.

1. Angels and demons do not rule over geographic regions – they rule over people.
2. Daniel’s prayer contrasts today’s "demon purging" prayers. He didn’t seek the names of the demon(s) nor did he use those names.
3. We are not to "bind" or "evict" demons. We don’t pray against them but for God’s people and for His plans and purposes to be fulfilled. Pray the Scriptures and hope, not wish, in their fulfillment.

• Ahasuerus (v. 2), Alexander the Great (vv. 3-4), Antiochus III (vv. 10-19), Antiochus IV Epiphanes (vv. 21-35), and Antichrist (vv. 36-45).

Verse 2: "And now I will tell you the truth. Behold, three more kings are going to arise in Persia. Then a fourth will gain far more riches than all of them; as soon as he becomes strong through his riches, he will arouse the whole empire against the realm of Greece.

• Three kings: Cambyses, Pseudo-Smerdis, Darius 1 Hystaspes, Ahasuerus (Xerxes 1).
• Ahasuerus was wealthy and led an unsuccessful campaign against Greece. His reign was the climax of the Persian kingdom and the beginning of the end after his failed campaign against Greece in 480 BC (this king of Esther did this b/t chapters 1 & 2 of the book of Esther).

Verses 3-4: "And a mighty king will arise, and he will rule with great authority and do as he pleases. 4 "But as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom will be broken up and parceled out toward the four points of the compass, though not to his own descendants, nor according to his authority which he wielded; for his sovereignty will be uprooted and given to others besides them.

• The mighty king is Alexander the Great, who after he died his kingdom went to his four generals. The prophecy written in 535 BC was fulfilled when Alexander died in 323 BC.
• Alexander had a retarded brother and a son who died. His other son was born posthumously.

Verse 5: "Then the king of the South will grow strong, along with one of his princes who will gain ascendancy over him and obtain dominion; his domain will be a great dominion indeed.

• King of the South is Ptolemy 1 Soter (323-285) which is Egypt.
• "One of his princes" refers to Seleucus 1 Nicator (312-281) who defeated Antigonus in Babylon (the failed 5^th man of Alexander’s empire); his reign in the North (Syria) was larger.

Verse 6: "And after some years they will form an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the South will come to the king of the North to carry out a peaceful arrangement. But she will not retain her position of power, nor will he remain with his power, but she will be given up, along with those who brought her in, and the one who sired her, as well as he who supported her in those times.

• The alliance was b/t Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285-246 BC), along with his daughter Berenice, and Antiochus II Theos (261-246 BC). This was a normal political move to bring about peace b/t countries. Antiochus I Soter (281-261 BC) is passed over without mention. Antiochus’ former wife, Laodice, then killed Berenice and Antiochus, her former husband.

Verses 7-8: "But one of the descendants of her line will arise in his place, and he will come against their army and enter the fortress of the king of the North, and he will deal with them and display great strength. 8 "And also their gods with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold he will take into captivity to Egypt, and he on his part will refrain from attacking the king of the North for some years.

• "The descendant of her line" (Berenice) is Ptolemy III Euergetes (246-221 BC) who was her brother and the son of Ptolemy II. He defeated the Syrian king of the north taking 40,000 talents of silver & 2,500 idols and images of gold (verse 8).

 Verse 9: Then the latter will enter the realm of the king of the South but will return to his own land.

• Reference to Seleucus II Callinicus (247-226 BC) who in 240 BC went to Egypt to get revenge but returned defeated.

Verse 10: "And his sons will mobilize and assemble a multitude of great forces; and one of them will keep on coming and overflow and pass through, that he may again wage war up to his very fortress.

• Callinicus’ oldest son, Seleucus III (226-223 BC), was killed in a battle (fell off horse) so the next son, Antiochus III (223-187 BC) carried on the war with Egypt (the South).

Verses 11-12: "And the king of the South will be enraged and go forth and fight with the king of the North. Then the latter will raise a great multitude, but that multitude will be given into the hand of the former. 12 "When the multitude is carried away, his heart will be lifted up, and he will cause tens of thousands to fall; yet he will not prevail.

• Antiochus III successfully defeated Egypt many times due to the incompetence of Ptolemy Philopator (221-203 BC) in the South. He restored Syria as far south as Gaza, but in 217 BC he was defeated by the Egyptians, as indicated in vv. 11-12, losing almost 70,000 men in battle. Because Antiochus escaped there was an eventual peace treaty b/t the two nations.

Verse 13: "For the king of the North will again raise a greater multitude than the former, and after an interval of some years he will press on with a great army and much equipment.

• A revelation of how Antiochus III rebuilt and went out to conquer. He assembled another large army in 201 BC as a result of his eastern and northern conquests and began a series of attacks on Egypt.
• Ptolemy Philopator died in 203 BC and was succeeded by his son Ptolemy V Epiphanes.

Verse 14: "Now in those times many will rise up against the king of the South; the violent ones among your people will also lift themselves up in order to fulfill the vision, but they will fall down.

• Reveals how the Jews rose up against Egypt with Antiochus but were killed. "In order to fulfill the vision" is most likely a prophecy of the Jews’ affliction under Antiochus IV Epiphanes already recorded in Daniel 8 & 9.

Verses 15-16: "Then the king of the North will come, cast up a siege mound, and capture a well-fortified city; and the forces of the South will not stand their ground, not even their choicest troops, for there will be no strength to make a stand. 16 "But he who comes against him will do as he pleases, and no one will be able to withstand him; he will also stay for a time in the Beautiful Land, with destruction in his hand.

• Fulfilled when Antiochus III captured Sidon in 199 BC when he defeated Egypt at Paneas. The rising power of Rome was no doubt an encouragement to Egypt in attempting to overthrow Syria. Antiochus, however, won taking control of the Holy Land as far as Gaza.

Verse 17: "And he will set his face to come with the power of his whole kingdom, bringing with him a proposal of peace which he will put into effect; he will also give him the daughter of women to ruin it. But she will not take a stand for him or be on his side.

• Speaks of the peace agreement b/t Antiochus III and Ptolemy V Epiphanes. Antiochus had a daughter named Cleopatra, and he gave her to Ptolemy V as a spy. The problem was that she fell in love with Ptolemy and sided with him, not her father.

Verse 18: "Then he will turn his face to the coastlands and capture many. But a commander will put a stop to his scorn against him; moreover, he will repay him for his scorn.

• Refers to the fact that Antiochus attempted to defeat Greece in his quest for power. The "commander" her is the Roman consul Lucius Scipio Asiaticus who brought Antiochus III to defeat. In attempting to "repay him for his scorn."

Verse 19: "So he will turn his face toward the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble and fall and be found no more.

• Verse 19 speaks of Antiochus’ defeats by the Romans in 191 BC and in 189 BC depleting him of all power and paving the way for Roman occupation of the land. He returned to his land, desecrated his own temple, and was killed by his people. He was succeeded by his son Seleucus IV Philopator (187-175 BC); succeeded by Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175-164 BC).

Verse 20: "Then in his place one will arise who will send an oppressor through the Jewel of his kingdom; yet within a few days he will be shattered, though neither in anger nor in battle.

• Speaks of Seleucus IV Philopator (187-175 BC) who greatly taxed the Jews so he could pay the Romans. His tax collector was Heliodoros who murdered him then disappeared.
• Seleucus IV had a young son named Demetrius who was being held prisoner in Rome. He had a brother named Antiochus who lived in Athens at the time of Seleucus’ death. A man named Andronicus murdered the younger Antiochus who was then murdered by another Antiochus.

Verses 21-22: "And in his place a despicable person will arise, on whom the honor of kingship has not been conferred, but he will come in a time of tranquility and seize the kingdom by intrigue. 22 "And the overflowing forces will be flooded away before him and shattered, and also the prince of the covenant.

• This "vile person" is Antiochus IV Epiphanes (literally, "the glorious one") who secured the throne without having a right to it (he had all of the heirs murdered).
• "The prince of the covenant" is Onias III, the Jewish high priest in Jerusalem.

Verse 23: "And after an alliance is made with him he will practice deception, and he will go up and gain power with a small force of people.

• Speaks of the conquests on Antiochus IV on Egypt with a relatively small army.

Verses 24-26: "In a time of tranquility he will enter the richest parts of the realm, and he will accomplish what his fathers never did, nor his ancestors; he will distribute plunder, booty, and possessions among them, and he will devise his schemes against strongholds, but only for a time. 25 "And he will stir up his strength and courage against the king of the South with a large army; so the king of the South will mobilize an extremely large and mighty army for war; but he will not stand, for schemes will be devised against him. 26 "And those who eat his choice food will destroy him, and his army will overflow, but many will fall down slain.

• Reference to the fact that the Egyptians were defeated by the Syrians "in peaceable times," or when they didn’t expect it, five years after Antiochus IV took the throne (169 BC).

Verse 27: "As for both kings, their hearts will be intent on evil, and they will speak lies to each other at the same table; but it will not succeed, for the end is still to come at the appointed time.

• Reference to the lies each man spoke to each other while attempting to settle on a treaty.

Verse 28: "Then he will return to his land with much plunder; but his heart will be set against the holy covenant, and he will take action and then return to his own land.

• Reference to Antiochus running through the Holy Land murdering thousands of Jews. He set up an idol of Zeus and offered a pig on the holy alter, throwing the blood all around.

Verses 29-30: "At the appointed time he will return and come into the South, but this last time it will not turn out the way it did before. 30 "For ships of Kittim will come against him; therefore he will be disheartened, and will return and become enraged at the holy covenant and take action; so he will come back and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant.

• Antiochus again invades Egypt "at the appointed time," that is, by God’s decree in 168 BC, but is unsuccessful as he meets up with the Roman consul Gaius Popillias Laenas symbolized by the "ships of Kittim." He draws a circle around Antiochus forcing him to decide on engaging or withdrawing. He withdrew, and in a rage he returns to the North desecrating the Jewish temple on his way.

Verse 31: "And forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation.

• Antiochus killed all Jews who circumcised, sacrificed, and worshipped Yahweh. He killed a pig on the alter, fed the meat to a priest, and set up an image of Zeus in the temple.

Verses 32-34: "And by smooth words he will turn to godlessness those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will display strength and take action. 33 "And those who have insight among the people will give understanding to the many; yet they will fall by sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder, for many days. 34 "Now when they fall they will be granted a little help, and many will join with them in hypocrisy.

• Reference to the Maccabean revolt in the time of Jewish sinfulness.

Verse 35: "And some of those who have insight will fall, in order to refine, purge, and make them pure, until the end time; because it is still to come at the appointed time.

• Shows that though the end time appears to be present at that time, it still has a future time period before it is implemented, and this becomes evident beginning with verse 36 which still is yet to commence (the final "A" – Antichrist).

1. Ahasuerus v. 2
2. Alexander the Great vv. 3-9
3. Antiochus III the Great vv. 10-20
4. Antiochus IV Epiphanes v. 21
5. Antichrist vv. 36-45

• His character (disposition)
• His conflict (discord)
• His condemnation (doom)

All of these things are for the cleansing of God’s people. They fulfill the 70 weeks of Daniel 9…

36 "Then the king will do as he pleases, and he will exalt and magnify himself above every god, and will speak monstrous things against the God of gods; and he will prosper until the indignation is finished, for that which is decreed will be done. 37 "And he will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the desire of women, nor will he show regard for any other god; for he will magnify himself above them all. 38 "But instead he will honor a god of fortresses, a god whom his fathers did not know; he will honor him with gold, silver, costly stones, and treasures. 39 "And he will take action against the strongest of fortresses with the help of a foreign god; he will give great honor to those who acknowledge him, and he will cause them to rule over the many, and will parcel out land for a price.

• Verse 36 refers to the "little horn" of Daniel 7; Dan. 8 "man of fierce countenance"; Dan. 9 "the coming prince"; Rev. 13 "the "beast"; 2 Thes. 2 the "man of sin"; He will be a future world ruler and a Gentile.
• Characterized by his prerogative ("will do as he pleases"); pride ("exalt and magnify himself"), and profanity ("speak monstrous things against the God of gods"). He opens his mouth and hell talks; he is the voice of Satan. His speech has a uniqueness that everyone loves and worships.
• His time only lasts seven years when the indignation is finished.
• God has decreed this, and it will be done.
• Verse 37 describes his perversion. He does not follow traditional worship of his family’s gods.
• He has no regard for family. This is natural to most men but not him.
• "The desire of women" means that he could be a homosexual and/or the Messiah in that this is what Jewish women desired, to be the mother of the Messiah. He is perverted to the family.
• This man is utterly irreligious – he is an atheist. He will make himself a god and place himself above all else.
• Verse 38 says that in the place of the natural affection for God he will honor the god of war. His perversion is exaltation of military and political power. His fathers gave gold and silver to their gods, but Antichrist takes all these riches to build military power.
• Verse 39 says that he will take the earth and honor those who help him with land. He gives them the ability to rule and obligates them to himself making them puppets to him.

40 "And at the end time the king of the South will collide with him, and the king of the North will storm against him with chariots, with horsemen, and with many ships; and he will enter countries, overflow them, and pass through. 41 "He will also enter the Beautiful Land, and many countries will fall; but these will be rescued out of his hand: Edom, Moab and the foremost of the sons of Ammon. 42 "Then he will stretch out his hand against other countries, and the land of Egypt will not escape. 43 "But he will gain control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; and Libyans and Ethiopians will follow at his heels.

• Verse 40 says that this is the end of time, the time of the Great Tribulation.
• The king of the South will be a mass from Africa that includes Egypt. The king of the North is a massive force more powerful that the south. This is most likely Russia (in Ez. 38:2 speaks of the Russian army here. It speaks of this army coming into the Beautiful Land when there are no walls, or in a time of peace which is during the first 3.5 years of the tribulation. Ez. 38:16 says it will be during the latter days. Ancient locations are named from people who lived in northern Mesopotamia somewhere in the Caucus mountains which is in Russia. Verse 15 speaks of the "north parts." In 39:2 "north parts" means "far north," and it is unmistakably Russia. All the nations spoken of here are an Arab alliance, and they come against the king in Daniel 11).
• These kings will come with all their forces. Ezekiel 39 clearly says that the Antichrist will win. A full 5/6 of the army will be killed as signified by the latter part of verse 40.
• Verse 41 says that he will enter Israel and destroy many countries with the exception of Israel’s half brothers, namely, Moab, Edom, and Ammon. These countries are southeast, and the Antichrist is coming from the southwest.
• Verse 42 shows that Egypt will not escape.
• Verse 43 shows that all the nations that came against him will perish too (Africa and the Persian Gulf).
• He will be ruling with absolute supremacy over the earth.

44 "But rumors from the East and from the North will disturb him, and he will go forth with great wrath to destroy and annihilate many. 45 "And he will pitch the tents of his royal pavilion between the seas and the beautiful Holy Mountain; yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.

• The Russian army regroups with the 1/6 that is left.
• In Rev. 9:16 the sixth trumpet blows, and the armies of the East with 200 million soldiers (Red China?) will emerge against him.
• These armies coming at the Antichrist cause him to go out and fight. He defeats many!
• Verse 45 speaks of the Beautiful Holy Mountain which is Zion, and this man is camped between the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea.
• It is here that the "sword of Jesus Christ" devours him. He comes to his end, and Revelation 20-22 is inaugurated.

Exegetical Outline

1. The Disposition of the Coming Antichrist is One of Humanistic Selfishness (vv. 36-39).

1. His prerogative is that he will do as he pleases (v. 36).
2. His pride is that he exalts and magnifies himself (v. 36).
3. His profanity is that he speaks monstrous things against God (v. 36).
4. His perversion is that he has no natural affection for family but rather for the god of war (v. 37-39).

1. The Discord of the Coming Antichrist Involves a Victorious Worldwide War (vv. 40-43).

1. Africa from the south and Russia from the north will advance on him (v. 40).
2. Though entering Palestine and conquering many, Moab, Ammon, and Edom are spared (v. 41).
3. As part of his spoils Antichrist will conquer Egypt, along with other countries, taking much silver and gold with him (v. 42-43).

1. The Doom of the Coming Antichrist Comes While Waging War in Palestine (44-45).

1. Angered from news of more war, he marches out in battle to destroy (v. 44).
2. While camped out between the Great Sea and the Dead Sea, he is destroyed without any aid coming to him (v. 45).

1. Following a Time of Tribulation Such as the World Has Never Known, There Will Be a Resurrection from the Dead of those Who Are Righteous (12:1-3).

1. The guardian angel and of the Hebrew people, Michael, will arise (v. 1a).
2. A worldwide distress like never before will come upon the world (v. 1b).
3. All Hebrews who are found written in the book of life will be rescued (v. 1c).
4. The righteous who are dead will come out of the grave to have eternal life (v. 2a).
5. All those who are wicked will come out of the grave to live in contempt (v. 2b).
6. Those who are righteous who live through the Tribulation will be glorified (v. 3).

Central Proposition of Text: In the end times a profane man will rise up with great power and intrigue, leading the nations into world-war and dying alone after a short period of tremendous success.

Purpose Bridge: To show the importance of obedience to God’s revealed will. To show Israel and the world what the results are of disobedience to God’s will. To understand that time as we know it will come to a dramatic end with a vile world ruler conquering many as a result of disobedience to God’s will. To show that though the world strives for peace, God has revealed that He knows the exact end of all things, and peace comes only according to His plan.

• God controls everything… every detail of time… every man’s destiny within the framework of His plan.
• God will purge His people Israel. When this happens they will look up and see salvation.
• The world will end in a holocaust, but Christ will triumph and the saints will live forever.
• We have a blissful forever if we know Christ. IF we know Christ who controls history.
• If God knows the destiny of this wicked man and all the intricate details of his life, does He not all the more know the details of our lives who follow Him wholeheartedly?
• We may have started strong, but what does our end look like? What does God know about you that if He wrote it, what would it say?
• God uses evil for His purposes. This man is a puppet to Him given the exact detail known and revealed about him.
• It is 2500 years since this prophecy, and history has been heading to this end ever since.
• Every event in life from every person ever born will lead up to this man.
• The prophecy is for Israel. How does it relate to us as pastors?
• How far are we as pastors from a character like the Antichrist? This man sounds a lot like David Koresh who honored a god of fortresses. How far are we from a man like him?
• The character of this man is the embodiment of evil. How does our character compare with his?

• A continuation of 11:36-45. The entire section shows seven things: 1) A world ruler, 2) A world religion, 3) A world war, 4) A time of great tribulation for Israel, 5) Deliverance for God’s people in the end, 6) Resurrection and judgement, 7) Rewards for the righteous.
• This is parallel with Revelation 19.
• The additional facts in Scripture with regard to this time include the following:

1. The breaking of the covenant by the "prince who shall come" (Dan. 9:26-27).
2. The time of the end will last for 3.5 years (Dan. 7:25; 12:7; Rev. 13:5).
3. The time of the end is equivalent to "the time of Jacob’s trouble" (Jer. 30:7) and the Great Tribulation (Matt. 24:21).
4. The remaining details of the end to time are given in Revelation 6-19.

1 "Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued.

2 "And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. 3 "And those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. 4 "But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase."

• "At that time" means that it is concurrent with the previous section in chapter 11.
• Whereas chapter 11 dealt with the political leader, chapter 12 deals with Israel.
• Michael is the protector of Israel – he is an angel (cf. Dan. 10).
• The great distress is for the purging of Israel, to conclude the 70 weeks (Dan. 9).
• Only those found in the "book" are rescued. This is the Book of Life (Ps 69:28; Phil 4:3; Rev 3:5; Rev 13:8; Rev 17:8; Rev 20:12; Rev 20:15; Rev 21:27).

• Not the earliest teaching on resurrection (cf. Job19:25-26; Abraham Gen. 22:5; Hebrews 11:19).
• The resurrection was to give martyred Jews hope. This resolves the "many" but not all.
• Israelites who survive this time of tribulation will join those who died in the tribulation who have been resurrected as prophesied in Romans 11:26. All of this occurs after the 7-year tribulation – 7 years after the church has been raptured. This is the second advent of Christ.
• Remainder of those left in the grave will be resurrected after the millennial reign of Christ. This is supported by Revelation 20 in that there will be two resurrections.

• The faithfulness of those resurrected will be rewarded greatly. They can look forward to that.
• There is no mention of the punishment of the wicked (who have not been resurrected yet).
• The reference to eternal life here is the first in Scripture.
• This verse ought to motivate all generations to lead others to Christ. What a reward that is!

• These events are not just for Daniel to interpret, they are for those in the "end times."
• "Run back and forth" has to do with searching for knowledge.
• All attempts in Daniel’s time to understand this prophecy will be in vain.
• "Knowledge will increase" has to do with the fact that today the prophecy makes sense.

4 "But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase."

• Though somewhat clear to Daniel this statement means that it was not just Daniel who was to understand it in its entirety.
• Attempts to try and understand the truth will run deep, and as time passes the truth will be understood more and more just as it is today more so than in the past. We can relate these prophecies to history in a way that would have been impossible in the sixth century BC.

5 Then I, Daniel, looked and behold, two others were standing, one on this bank of the river, and the other on that bank of the river. 6 And one said to the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, "How long will it be until the end of these wonders?" 7 And I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, as he raised his right hand and his left toward heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time; and as soon as they finish shattering the power of the holy people, all these events will be completed.

• The two angels with the one in linen, the Christophany, points toward them acting as witnesses (Deut. 19:15; 31:28; 2 Cor. 13:1). They look to him, and he gives them an answer in the name of God.

• The mysteries of God's kingdom are things which the angels desire to look into (1 Peter 1:12) and they are known to the church, Eph 3:10.

• The question was put to Christ our great high priest, who was upon the waters of the river, and whose spokesman, or interpreter, the angel Gabriel had all this while been. This river was Hiddekel (Dan 10:4), the same with Tigris, the place where many of the events prophesied of would happen; there therefore is the scene laid. Hiddekel was mentioned as one of the rivers that watered the garden of Eden (Gen 2:14); fitly therefore does Christ stand upon that river, for by him the trees in the paradise of God are watered. Waters signify people, and so his standing upon the waters denotes his dominion over all; he sits upon the flood (Ps 29:10); he treads upon the waters of the sea, Job 9:8. And Christ, to show that this was he, in the days of his flesh walked upon the waters, Matt 14:25. He was above the waters of the river (so some read it); he appeared in the air over the river.

• The holy angels in heaven are concerned for the church on earth, and lay to heart its afflictions; how much more then should we, who are more immediately related to it, and have so much of our peace in its peace?

• The angels don't ask how long it will be from their time (535 BC) but till the end of the wonders being spoken of. In other words, how long will this intense suffering last under the Antichrist spoken of in 11:36-45.

• By raising both hands this appears to indicate the solemnity of the oath and its importance along with its trustworthiness. An oath is of use for confirmation; God only is to be sworn by, for he is the proper Judge to whom we are to appeal; and lifting up the hand is a very proper and significant sign to be used in a solemn oath.

• Time = 1 year; times = 2 years; half a time = ½ year. The total is 3 ½ years.
• The Jews’ power must be "shattered" completely before all this can be completed. This is another indication that this time is specifically for the Jews, not the church. It completes their punishment spelled out in Daniel 9 with regard to the 70 weeks (490 years).

8 As for me, I heard but could not understand; so I said, "My lord, what will be the outcome of these events?" 9 And he said, "Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time. 10 "Many will be purged, purified and refined; but the wicked will act wickedly, and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand.

• Though Daniel is "highly esteemed" by God this was not for him to know. It concerns the end of time, but he is not rebuked for his curiosity.

• Daniel is told that the time of the end has a twofold purpose: it will end with the purification of the saints, and it will manifest the true intentions of the evil heart of man.
• Only those who are spiritual can understand (cf 1 Cor. 2:14). We cannot expect those who do not have the Spirit to understand, for God says that they will always be wicked. Let us remember that on our "Left Behind" evangelism. Many will be blinded intentionally by God just as prophesied in Isaiah 6.

11 "And from the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. 12 "How blessed is he who keeps waiting and attains to the 1,335 days! 13 "But as for you, go your way to the end; then you will enter into rest and rise again for your allotted portion at the end of the age."

• Originating in Daniel 9:27 the abomination of desolation is set up right in the middle of the final seventieth "week." The reason we believe this event is yet future and did not occur during the time of Antiochus Epiphanes is because Jesus said it was in Matthew 24:15.
• In six different places this 3 ½ year time span is referred to in both testaments of the Bible: Daniel 7:25; 12:7; Revelation 11:2; 12:6,14; 13:5. It is spoken of as "time, times, and half a time," forty-two months, and 1,260 days. All of which is equal to 3.5 years – the latter half of the last seven years to complete the 70 weeks.
• Why do we now have 1290 days and 1335 days? Answer: The second coming of Christ and the establishment of His kingdom will take a little time. Christ will come at the end of 1260 days. The additional time is time for judgment of the nations (Matthew 25:31-46) and the regathering and judgment of Israel (Ezekiel 20:34-38). These judgments will be done quickly but will require some time – 75 days after Christ returns to the earth. Possibly, Christ will remain in the sky for 30 days following the 1260 days for the whole world to see him. The final 45 days he will mete out his judgment against the nations.
• Those who do live through the 7-year tribulation will be Christians, and they will populate the millennial kingdom. They will have been judged worthy to have entered, hence, they are called "blessed."