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Daniel Prays for the People

1-2 (A) Daniel wrote:

Some years later, Darius the Mede,[a] who was the son of Xerxes,[b] had become king of Babylonia. And during his first year as king, I found out from studying the writings of the prophets that the Lord had said to Jeremiah, “Jerusalem will lie in ruins for 70 years.”[c] 3-4 Then, to show my sorrow, I went without eating and dressed in sackcloth[d] and sat in ashes. I confessed my sins and earnestly prayed to the Lord my God:

Our Lord, you are a great and fearsome God, and you faithfully keep your agreement with those who love and obey you. But we have sinned terribly by rebelling against you and rejecting your laws and teachings. We have ignored the message your servants the prophets spoke to our kings, our leaders, our ancestors, and everyone else.

(B) Everything you do is right, our Lord. But still we suffer public disgrace because we have been unfaithful and have sinned against you. This includes all of us, both far and near—the people of Judah, Jerusalem, and Israel, as well as those you dragged away to foreign lands, and even our kings, our officials, and our ancestors. Lord God, you are merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against you 10 and rejected your teachings that came to us from your servants the prophets.

11 (C) Everyone in Israel has stubbornly refused to obey your laws, and so those curses written by your servant Moses have fallen upon us. 12 You warned us and our leaders that Jerusalem would suffer the worst disaster in human history, and you did exactly as you had threatened. 13 We have not escaped any of the terrible curses written by Moses, and yet we have refused to beg you for mercy and to remind ourselves of how faithful you have always been. 14 And when you finally punished us with this horrible disaster, that was also the right thing to do, because we deserved it so much.

15 (D) Our Lord God, with your own mighty arm you rescued us from Egypt and made yourself famous to this very day, but we have sinned terribly. 16 In the past, you treated us with such kindness, that we now beg you to stop being so terribly angry with Jerusalem. After all, it is your chosen city built on your holy mountain, even though it has suffered public disgrace because of our sins and those of our ancestors.

17 (E) I am your servant, Lord God, and I beg you to answer my prayers and bring honor to yourself by having pity on your temple that lies in ruins. 18 (F) Please show mercy to your chosen city, not because we deserve it, but because of your great kindness. 19 Forgive us! Hurry and do something, not only for your city and your chosen people, but to bring honor to yourself.

The Seventy Weeks

Daniel wrote:

20 I was still confessing my sins and those of all Israel to the Lord my God, and I was praying for the good of his holy mountain,[e] 21 (G) when Gabriel suddenly came flying in at the time of the evening sacrifice. This was the same Gabriel I had seen in my vision, 22 and he explained:

Daniel, I am here to help you understand the vision. 23 God thinks highly of you, and at the very moment you started praying, I was sent to give you the answer. 24 God has decided that for 70 weeks,[f] your people and your holy city must suffer as the price of their sins. Then evil will disappear, and justice will rule forever; the visions and words of the prophets will come true, and a most holy place will be dedicated.[g]

25 You need to realize that from the command to rebuild Jerusalem until the coming of the Chosen Leader,[h] it will be 7 weeks and another 62 weeks.[i] Streets will be built in Jerusalem, and a trench will be dug around the city for protection, but these will be difficult times.[j] 26 At the end of the 62 weeks,[k] the Chosen Leader[l] will be killed and left with nothing.[m]

A foreign ruler and his army will sweep down like a mighty flood, leaving both the city and the temple in ruins, and war and destruction will continue until the end, just as God has decided. 27 (H) For one week[n] this foreigner[o] will make a firm agreement with many people, and halfway through this week,[p] he will end all sacrifices and offerings. Then the “Horrible Thing” that causes destruction will be put there. And it will stay there until the time God has decided to destroy this one who destroys.

Daniel's Vision beside the Tigris River

10 In the third year[q] of Cyrus the king of Persia, a message came to Daniel[r] from God, and it was explained in a vision. The message was about a dreadful war, and it was true. Daniel wrote:

For three weeks I was in sorrow. I ate no fancy food or meat, I drank no wine, and I put no olive oil on my face or hair.[s] Then, on the twenty-fourth day of the first month,[t] I was standing on the banks of the great Tigris River, (I) when I looked up and saw someone dressed in linen and wearing a solid gold belt.[u] His body was like a precious stone,[v] his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming fires, his arms and legs like polished bronze, and his voice like the roar of a crowd. (J) Although the people who were with me did not see the vision, they became so frightened that they scattered and hid. Only I saw this great vision. I became weak and pale, and at the sound of his voice, I fell facedown in a deep sleep.

10 He raised me to my hands and knees 11 and then said, “Daniel, your God thinks highly of you, and he has sent me. So stand up and pay close attention.” I stood trembling, while the angel said:

12 Daniel, don't be afraid! God has listened to your prayers since the first day you humbly asked for understanding, and he has sent me here. 13 (K) But the guardian angel[w] of Persia opposed me for 21 days. Then Michael, who is one of the strongest guardian angels,[x] came to rescue me from the kings of Persia.[y] 14 Now I have come here to give you another vision about what will happen to your people in the future.

15 While this angel was speaking to me, I stared at the ground, speechless. 16 Then he appeared in human form and touched my lips. I said, “Sir, this vision has brought me great pain and has drained my strength. 17 I am merely your servant. How can I possibly speak with someone so powerful, when I am almost too weak to get my breath?”

18-19 The angel touched me a second time and said, “Don't be frightened! God thinks highly of you, and he intends this for your good, so be brave and strong.”

At this, I regained my strength and replied, “Please speak! You have already made me feel much better.”

20 Then the angel said:

Now do you understand why I have come? Soon I must leave to fight against the guardian angel of Persia. Then after I have defeated him, the guardian angel of Greece will attack me. 21 I will tell you what is written in The Book of Truth. But first, you must realize that no one except Michael, the guardian angel of Israel, is on my side. 11 You also need to know that I protected and helped Darius the Mede[z] in his first year as king.

The Angel's Message to Daniel

Part One: The Four Kings and Their Successors

What I am going to tell you is certain to happen. Four kings will rule Persia, one after the other, but the fourth one will become much richer than the others. In fact, his wealth will make him so powerful that he will turn everyone against the kingdom of Greece. Then a mighty king will come to power and will be able to do whatever he pleases. But suddenly his kingdom will be crushed and scattered to the four corners of the earth, where four more kingdoms will rise. But these won't be ruled by his descendants or be as powerful as his kingdom.

The king of the south will grow powerful. Then one of his generals will rebel and will rule an even larger kingdom. Years later the southern kingdom and the northern kingdom will make a treaty, and the daughter of the king of the south will marry the king of the north. But she will lose her power. Then she, her husband, their child,[aa] and the servants who came with her will all be killed.

After this, one of her relatives will become the ruler of the southern kingdom. He will attack the army of the northern kingdom and capture its fortresses. Then he will carry their idols to Egypt, together with their precious treasures of silver and gold, but it will be a long time before he attacks the northern kingdom again. Some years later the king of the north will invade the southern kingdom, but he will be forced back to his own country.

10 The sons of the king of the north will gather a huge army that will sweep down like a roaring flood, reaching all the way to the fortress of the southern kingdom. 11 (L) But this will make the king of the south angry, and he will defeat this large army from the north. 12 The king of the south will feel proud because of the many thousands he has killed. But his victories won't last long, 13 because the king of the north will gather a larger and more powerful army than ever before. Then in a few years, he will start invading other countries.

14 At this time many of your own people will try to make this vision come true by rebelling against the king of the south, but their rebellion will fail. 15 Then the army from the north will surround and capture a fortress in the south, and not even the most experienced troops of the southern kingdom will be able to make them retreat. 16 The king who invaded from the north will do as he pleases, and he will even capture and destroy the holy land.[ab] 17 In fact, he will decide to invade the south with his entire army. Then he will attempt to make peace by giving the king of the south a bride from the northern kingdom, but this won't be successful.

18 Afterwards, this proud king of the north will invade and conquer many of the nations along the coast, but a military leader will defeat him and make him lose his pride. 19 He will retreat to his fortresses in his own country, but on the way he will be defeated and never again be seen.

20 The next king of the north will try to collect taxes for the glory of his kingdom. However, he will come to a sudden end in some mysterious way, instead of in battle or because of someone's anger.

Part Two: The Evil King from the North

21 The successor of this king of the north will be a worthless nobody, who doesn't even come from a royal family. He will suddenly appear and gain control of the kingdom by treachery. 22 Then he will destroy armies and remove God's chosen high priest. 23 He will make a treaty, but he will be deceitful and break it, even though he has only a few followers. 24 Without warning, he will successfully invade a wealthy province, which is something his ancestors never did. Then he will divide among his followers all of its treasures and property. But none of this will last very long.

25 He will gather a large and powerful army, and with great courage he will attack the king of the south. The king of the south will meet him with a much stronger army, but he will lose the battle, because he will be betrayed 26 by members of the royal court. He will be ruined, and most of his army will be slaughtered.

27 The two kings will meet around a table and tell evil lies to each other. But their plans will fail, because God has already decided what will happen. 28 Then the king of the north will return to his country with great treasures. But on the way, he will attack the religion of God's people and do whatever else he pleases.

29 At the time God has decided, the king of the north will invade the southern kingdom again, but this time, things will be different. 30 (M) Ships from the west will come to attack him, and he will be discouraged. Then he will start back to his own country and take out his anger on the religion of God's faithful people, while showing kindness to those who are unfaithful. 31 (N) He will send troops to pollute the temple and the fortress, and he will stop the daily sacrifices. Then he will set up that “Horrible Thing” that causes destruction. 32 The king will use deceit to win followers from those who are unfaithful to God, but those who remain faithful will do everything possible to oppose him.

33 Wise leaders will instruct many of the people. But for a while, some of these leaders will either be killed with swords or burned alive, or else robbed of their possessions and thrown into prison. 34 They will receive only a little help in their time of trouble, and many of their followers will be treacherous. 35 Some of those who are wise will suffer, so that God will make them pure and acceptable until the end, which will still come at the time he has decided.

36 (O) This king will do as he pleases. He will proudly claim to be greater than any god and will insult the only true God. Indeed, he will be successful until God is no longer angry with his people. 37 This king will reject the gods his ancestors worshiped and the god preferred by women.[ac] In fact, he will put himself above all gods 38 and worship only the so-called god of fortresses, who was unknown to his ancestors. And he will honor it with gold, silver, precious stones, and other costly gifts. 39 With the help of this foreign god, he will capture the strongest fortresses. Everyone who worships this god will be put in a position of power and rewarded with wealth and land.

Part Three: The Time of the End

40 At the time of the end, the king of the south will attack the kingdom of the north. But its king will rush out like a storm with war chariots, cavalry, and many ships. Indeed, his forces will flood one country after another, 41 and when they reach the holy land,[ad] tens of thousands will be killed. But the countries of Edom and Moab and the ruler of Ammon[ae] will escape.

42 The king of the north will invade many countries, including Egypt, 43 and he will take its rich treasures of gold and silver. He will also conquer Libya and Ethiopia.[af] 44 But he will be alarmed by news from the east and the north, and he will become furious and cause great destruction. 45 After this, he will set up camp between the Mediterranean Sea and Mount Zion. Then he will be destroyed, and no one will be able to save him.

Part Four: The Dead Will Rise to Life

12 (P) Michael, the chief of the angels, is the protector of your people, and he will come at a time of terrible suffering, the worst in all of history. And your people who have their names written in The Book[ag] will be protected. (Q) Many of those who lie dead in the ground will rise from death. Some of them will be given eternal life, and others will receive nothing but eternal shame and disgrace. (R) Everyone who has been wise will shine as bright as the sky above, and everyone who has led others to please God will shine forever like the stars.

(S) Daniel, I now command you to keep the message of this book secret until the end of time, even though many people will go everywhere, searching for the knowledge to be found in it.[ah]

The End of Time

Daniel wrote:

I looked around and saw two other people—one on this side of the river and one on the other side. The angel who had spoken to me was dressed in linen and was standing upstream from them.[ai] So one of the two beside the river asked him, “How long before these amazing things happen?”

(T) The angel then raised both hands toward heaven and said, “In the name of the God who lives forever, I solemnly promise that it will be a time, two times, and half a time.[aj] Everything will be over, when the suffering of God's holy people comes to an end.”

I heard what the angel said, but I didn't understand. So I asked, “Sir, how will it all end?”

The angel in my vision then replied:

Daniel, go about your business, because the meaning of this message will remain secret until the end of time. 10 (U) Many people will have their hearts and lives made pure and clean, but those who are evil will keep on being evil and never understand. Only the wise will understand. 11 (V) There will be 1,290 days from the time that the daily sacrifices are stopped, until someone sets up the “Horrible Thing” that causes destruction. 12 God will bless everyone who patiently waits until 1,335 days have gone by.

13 So, Daniel, be faithful until the end! You will rest, and at the end of time, you will rise from death to receive your reward.

Footnotes

  1. 9.1,2 Darius the Mede: See 5.31.
  2. 9.1,2 Xerxes: Hebrew “Ahasuerus.”
  3. 9.1,2 70 years: See Jeremiah 25.11-13; 29.10.
  4. 9.3,4 sackcloth: A rough, dark-colored cloth made from goat or camel hair and used to make grain sacks. It was worn in times of trouble or sorrow.
  5. 9.20 holy mountain: Jerusalem (see verse 16) or the temple.
  6. 9.24 70 weeks: Or “70 times 7 years.”
  7. 9.24 a most holy place will be dedicated: Or “God's Holy One will appear.”
  8. 9.25 the Chosen Leader: Or “a chosen leader.” In Hebrew the word “chosen” means “to pour oil (on someone's head).” In Old Testament times it was the custom to pour oil on a person's head when that person was chosen to be a priest or a king.
  9. 9.25 7 weeks and another 62 weeks: Or “7 times 7 years and another 62 times 7 years.”
  10. 9.25 it will be 7 … difficult times: Or “it will be 7 weeks. Then streets will be built in Jerusalem, and a trench will be dug around the city for protection. But Jerusalem will have difficult times for 62 weeks.”
  11. 9.26 62 weeks: Or “62 times 7 years.”
  12. 9.26 the Chosen Leader: See the note at 9.25.
  13. 9.26 left with nothing: Or “no one will take his place.”
  14. 9.27 one week: Or “7 years.”
  15. 9.27 this foreigner: Or “the Chosen Leader.”
  16. 9.27 halfway through this week: Or “for half of this week of 7 years.”
  17. 10.1 third year: 536 b.c.
  18. 10.1 Daniel: See the note at 2.26.
  19. 10.3 olive oil … hair: On special occasions, it was the custom to put olive oil on one's face and hair.
  20. 10.4 first month: Nisan (also known as Abib), the first month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-March to mid-April.
  21. 10.5 solid gold belt: Hebrew “belt of gold from Uphaz.”
  22. 10.6 a precious stone: The Hebrew text has “beryl,” which is green or bluish-green.
  23. 10.13 guardian angel: Hebrew “prince.”
  24. 10.13 one of the strongest guardian angels: Hebrew “chief prince.”
  25. 10.13 came … Persia: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  26. 11.1 Darius the Mede: See 5.30.
  27. 11.6 their child: One Hebrew manuscript and two ancient translations; most Hebrew manuscripts “her father.”
  28. 11.16 the holy land: See the note at 8.9.
  29. 11.37 god preferred by women: Perhaps Tammuz or Adonis, which were popular among the women of that time.
  30. 11.41 the holy land: See the note at 8.9.
  31. 11.41 the ruler of Ammon: Or “what is left of Ammon.”
  32. 11.43 Ethiopia: The Hebrew text has “Cush,” which was a region south of Egypt that included parts of the present countries of Ethiopia and Sudan.
  33. 12.1 The Book: Either the book with the names of God's people in it or the book with the record of the good and evil that people have done.
  34. 12.4 even though … in it: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  35. 12.6 angel … upstream from them: See 10.4-6.
  36. 12.7 a time, two times, and half a time: Or “a year, two years, and half a year,” that is, about 1,260 days.

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