Commentary on the Book of Daniel

The Book of Daniel is a prophetic book, but one that also has lessons of faith.

Unlike other Old Testament books that were written in Hebrew, Aramaic is used from Daniel 2:4b through the end of chapter 7. The main reason seems to be that Aramaic was the main international language at the time Daniel wrote (later Greek became the international language--which is what the New Testament was written in (see also Was the New Testament Written in Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic?).

This article contains each of the verses of the Book of Daniel --NKJV (used by permission from Thomas Nelson)--as well as comments from me as well as the late Pastor General of the old Worldwide Church of God, Herbert W. Armstrong given at a Bible study on November 8, 1980 (https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?action=getbstudyav&InfoID=1337169772)

HWA

Now we come along to about the year of 604BC. Six hundred and four years before Christ. And I want to read you a little now from the book of Daniel: In the very first of Daniel beginning the first chapter, and the first verse.

The anti-biblical scholars basically claim Daniel was too accurate to have been written then, because they do not believe in God's prophecies.

A Roman Catholic book I own, Kurz, W. What Does the Bible Say About the End Times? A Catholic View. Servant Books, Cincinnati. Nihil Obstat: Kistner H., Schehr T.P. Imprimi Potest: Link F., Paul J.M. Imprimatur: Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, July 19, 2004, states while the early chapters may have been written when the Bible suggests, it states that the latter chapters were not written until the 2nd century--this is false.

It is not just some Roman Catholic who push such nonsense. In it article on the Book of Daniel, Wikipedia starts out with:

The Book of Daniel is a 2nd-century BC biblical apocalypse with a 6th-century BC setting. ... Chapters 7-12 written mainly in late Biblical Hebrew ...

The visions of chapters 7–12 reflect the crisis which took place in Judea in 167–164 BC ... the account must have been completed near the end of the reign of Antiochus but before his death in December 164 BC, or at least before news of it reached Jerusalem, and the consensus of modern scholarship is accordingly that the book dates to the period 167–163 BC. (Book of Daniel. Wikipedia, accessed 06/07/25)

The consensus of modern scholars on the date is false. The Bible warns of those who are:

1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, ... 6 ... led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (2 Timothy 3:1-2, 6-7)

Yes, in our time, in these last days, many scholars love themselves and blaspheme the word of God.

Now, notice that a fragment of it in the Dead Sea scrolls, which is not the original, looks to be dated from the 3rd century BC. The Smithsonian Magazine reported:

June 5, 2025

Scholars have long relied on radiocarbon dating and palaeography (the study of ancient handwriting) to date the Dead Sea Scrolls. For the new study, researchers took a mixed approach: They used an artificial intelligence model called “Enoch,” after the Hebrew prophet. ...

the researchers fed Enoch images from 135 Dead Sea Scroll manuscripts that hadn’t been dated, and it produced estimated dates for them. According to a statement from the researchers, expert paleographers determined that approximately 79 percent of the A.I.’s estimates were “realistic.”

“What we have created is a very robust tool that is empirically based—based on physics and on geometry,” as lead author Mladen Popović, an archaeologist at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, tells the Guardian’s Nicola Davis. ...

Additionally, the program estimated that the Dead Sea Scroll known as 4Q114, which contains parts of the Book of Daniel, was older than previously thought. As Science’s Kristin Romey reports, paleographers had dated the scroll to about 165 B.C.E., while Enoch dated it to between 230 and 160 B.C.E.

“It was previously dated to the late second century B.C.E., a generation after the author of the Book of Daniel,” Popović tells the Guardian. “Now, with our study we move back in time contemporary to that author.” (Anderson S. The Dead Sea Scrolls Changed Our Understanding of the Bible. Could Some of Them Be Even Older Than We Thought? Smithsonian Magazine, June 5, 2025--https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-dead-sea-scrolls-changed-our-understanding-of-the-bible-could-some-of-them-be-even-older-than-we-thought-180986746/?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us)

Understand that the Dead Sea Scrolls were NOT the original manuscripts. While most of the Dead Sea Scrolls were written in Hebrew, a portion related to Daniel was written in Greek--specifically Scroll 4Q114. Anyway the Dead Sea Scrolls are translations and/or otherwise based on the original manuscripts. Them being later documents points to Daniel being much older and is consistent with the biblical assertion that it was written when it was. And note that even the Smithsonian is somewhat admitting that. It should also be noted that the Septuagint translation of the Old Testament into Greek is believed to have occurred between 285-287 BC--if the Dead Sea Scroll section 4Q114 was mainly a copy from that, it also points to an earlier date for the original writing of Daniel. While some may assert that the portion of Daniel in the Septuagint was translated later, it would seem to make little sense, particularly with 4Q114 possibly being from the 3rd century BC.

Let me also add that I researched 4Q114 and some of what it states.

In Daniel 11:25,a translation of it reads:

"He will stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south will wage war in battle with an exceedingly great and mighty army; but he won’t stand; for they will devise plans against him."

Notice that the above relates to the 11th chapter--a chapter that many falsely assert was not written until about 165. Yet, a fragment that exists supports the view it was originally written before that.

Do not believe the "consensus of scholars" when they disagree with the word of God.

The Bible also teaches:

4 Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. (Romans 3:4)

Daniel 1

That said, let's start with Daniel 1:1

1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.

HWA

Now Nebuchadnezzar had now raised up and organized the first world empire. The greatest government that ever existed since Adam was created on earth. And he came to Jerusalem and besieged it in war. Now he conquered it and he took the Jews, slaves to Babylon.

1:2-4

2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the articles of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god. 3 Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king's descendants and some of the nobles, 4 young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans.

HWA

In other words, those Jews were just a little bit smarter in their minds than the other people, and the king of Babylon knew it. And he said; "Pick out the most brilliant young Jewish people and bring them over here and we can use them in our government." So he took four. There was Daniel and his three friends.

Let me add that "young men" were likely in their teens. Notice that the Babylonians wanted advisors who were not only wise, but good looking and without blemish. This might be part of why later, they found that the other advisors were worthless--they likely relied a lot more on appearance than wisdom for picking their advisors.

1:5

5 And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king's delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king.

They were given not only education, but food and drink. While that is taken for granted by many people in this age, back then having assured daily provisions was not a given for most people. Hence, just that part of being a potential advisor was probably considered to be a very good job.

1:6-7

6 Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 7 To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-Nego.

The last three are mainly known by their eunich assigned names of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. Daniel is mainly known as Daniel--but not the name Belteshazzar.

The meaning of Belteshazzar is commonly understood as "Bel protect the king" or "May Bel protect his life".

Bel refers to the Babylonian god Marduk, often called "Bel" (meaning "lord").
teshazzar is thought to derive from an Akkadian root meaning "protect" or "preserve."

That name was given to Daniel apparently as part of an effort to assimilate him into Babylonian culture, replacing his Hebrew identity (Daniel = "God is my judge") with a name honoring a Babylonian deity.

That said, despite having daily provisions, there were problems with the provisions that the Hebrews were provided with.

So, what was Daniel to do?

Did he decide to compromise with God's law?

No.

1:8

8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

This would be because there would have been biblically-unclean items in the king's delicacies. Notice the following:

44 For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth. 45 For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

46 'This is the law of the animals and the birds and every living creature that moves in the waters, and of every creature that creeps on the earth, 47 to distinguish between the unclean and the clean, and between the animal that may be eaten and the animal that may not be eaten.' (Leviticus 11:44-47)

So, Daniel refused to defile himself.

Furthermore, Daniel apparently had been respected by the chief of the eunichs, and that chief wondered what to do:

1:9-10

9 Now God had brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs. 10 And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, "I fear my lord the king, who has appointed your food and drink. For why should he see your faces looking worse than the young men who are your age? Then you would endanger my head before the king."

The chief of the eunichs realized he would be killed if the king thought he was not feeding those advisors in training enough food.

Then Daniel gave an answer 1:11-14:

11 So Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 "Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then let our appearance be examined before you, and the appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the king's delicacies; and as you see fit, so deal with your servants." 14 So he consented with them in this matter, and tested them ten days.

So, Daniel made a deal.

How did it turn out?

15 And at the end of ten days their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king's delicacies. 16 Thus the steward took away their portion of delicacies and the wine that they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.

Yes, it is better to be a vegetarian for your health than to eat biblically unclean creatures. This also brought to mind the following:

1 Better is a dry morsel with quietness,
Than a house full of feasting with strife. (Proverbs 17:1)

Christians are better off avoiding unclean meat than to eat it and strive with the word of God. The first time my wife Joyce and I were in the Netherlands, we were to go out to a restaurant to eat dinner with a friend of hers. But the husband had to be on standby by their telephone because of his job (this is before the days of cellular phones), so instead they served us dinner. However, there were only two items: a pork roast and cauliflower. We only ate the cauliflower.

1:17

17 As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

Yes, God blessed the young men for their obedience.

HWA

Now get that, Daniel had been given understanding in visions and dreams.

Herbert Armstrong elsewhere taught:

All right, now there’s another prophecy for the people …

Joel 2:28-29 And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: (29) And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

So there is a time coming when God will start pouring out His spirit on human beings. … Day of Pentecost, 3000 were baptized. Peter preached a sermon. They were pricked in their hearts. God began to draw them. God was now… Remember He said, “I will pour out of my spirit on all flesh.” All right, there’s a duality of that. (Armstrong HW. Building The Temple. Sermon, February 14, 1981)

In these last days, according to biblical prophecy, knowledge, spiritual as well as material, was to be increased. The true Church of God was to be set back on the track, restoring the glorious knowledge of the faith once delivered to the saints in the days of the original apostles. (Armstrong HW. Mystery of the Ages, 1985)

According to the Book of Acts, God was going to provide dreams in the last days, yet most end time Christians will not really accept that--but we of the Continuing Church of God do--see Does the CCOG have the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18?

As far as restoring "glorious knowledge' that HWA wrote of, that has been happening as well --see Continuing Church of God, Elijah, and Restoring All Things.

1:18-19

18 Now at the end of the days, when the king had said that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. 19 Then the king interviewed them, and among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they served before the king.

King Nebuchadnezzar did not have much (if any) prior experience with people who read, believed, and obeyed the Bible. That is apparently one of the reasons they were more valuable/impressive to him than others. As it turned out, many podcast hosts, almost none of which had a Church of God leader on their programs before have basically said positive things to me in 2025 as in the CCOG we have a lot of knowledge that others do not.

1:20-21

20 And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm. 21 Thus Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus.

The truth is more than "ten times better than" what others who do not know it can offer.

Chapter 2

Now to chapter 2.

2:1-9

1 Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him. 2 Then the king gave the command to call the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. 3 And the king said to them, "I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to know the dream."

4 Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic, "O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation."

5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, "My decision is firm: if you do not make known the dream to me, and its interpretation, you shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made an ash heap. 6 However, if you tell the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts, rewards, and great honor. Therefore tell me the dream and its interpretation."

7 They answered again and said, "Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will give its interpretation."

8 The king answered and said, "I know for certain that you would gain time, because you see that my decision is firm: 9 if you do not make known the dream to me, there is only one decree for you! For you have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the time has changed. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can give me its interpretation."

Now, this was not just any dream, this was a dream from God to Nebuchadnezzar. That said, Nebuchadnezzar did not trust his advisors and threatened them with death.

2:10-11

10 The Chaldeans answered the king, and said, "There is not a man on earth who can tell the king's matter; therefore no king, lord, or ruler has ever asked such things of any magician, astrologer, or Chaldean. 11 It is a difficult thing that the king requests, and there is no other who can tell it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh."

HWA

But they told him that, "There is no-one but the gods that can show you what you dreamed. We are only human. We can't do that."

Well anyway, they were going to be put to death.

2:13-14

12 For this reason the king was angry and very furious, and gave the command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. 13 So the decree went out, and they began killing the wise men; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them.

Instead of going into fear and panic, the prophet Daniel gave a calm and reasoned response.

2:14-19

14 Then with counsel and wisdom Daniel answered Arioch, the captain of the king's guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon; 15 he answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, "Why is the decree from the king so urgent?" Then Arioch made the decision known to Daniel.

16 So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him time, that he might tell the king the interpretation. 17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, 18 that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

Notice that Daniel did not immediately know. Instead, when he understood what was behind the terrifying news, he asked for time, prayed, and had his companions pray as well. Would you have prayed?

For more on prayer we have a free ebook: Prayer: What Does the Bible Teach?

Well, Daniel did. Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision, which most likely was a dream--which is what Herbert Armstrong said Daniel's night visions were.

Anyway, we then see that Daniel thanked God for giving him the answer.

2:20-23

20 Daniel answered and said:

"Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His. 21 And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding. 22 He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, And light dwells with Him.

23 "I thank You and praise You,O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and might, And have now made known to me what we asked of You, For You have made known to us the king's demand."

Are we thankful when God responds to our prayers the way we hope?

We should be. See also the article on: Giving Thanks.

Anyway, Daniel then took another step 2:24:

24 Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said thus to him: "Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; take me before the king, and I will tell the king the interpretation."

Then Daniel was brought before the king 2:25:

25 Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel before the king, and said thus to him, "I have found a man of the captives of Judah, who will make known to the king the interpretation."

The king wondered about this 2:26:

26 The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, "Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen, and its interpretation?"

The king probably assumed that Daniel would want to take credit personally for being so great--but Daniel did not.

2:27-28a

27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, "The secret which the king has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king. 28 But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days.

Daniel pointed out that he did not have any special powers. But that the true God did.

Daniel was not unique in that way--as we see what the New Testament said about the prophet Elijah:

17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. (James 5:17-18)

Now, Elijah did not stop the rain nor restart it--God did. But God heard his prayers and God can hear yours.

Do not think that Daniel and Elijah were so much better than you and that God cannot hear your prayers.

Related to prayer, we have a free e-book: Prayer: What Does the Bible Teach?

2:28b-30

28b Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, were these: 29 As for you, O king, thoughts came to your mind while on your bed, about what would come to pass after this; and He who reveals secrets has made known to you what will be. 30 But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but for our sakes who make known the interpretation to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart.

So, again Daniel points out that he has no special power, but that God revealed this.

2:31-35

31 "You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great image! This great image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you; and its form was awesome. 32 This image's head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. 34 You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

Beast of Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
(Photo from Pixabay)

HWA

A mountain ... is used in symbol in the Bible to mean a nation: Became a great nation... and filled the whole earth. A great kingdom that will fill the whole earth. Now actually that stone was to be Christ and Christ, at His second coming, is going to do that. And that hasn't happened even yet.

Yes, the rock was Jesus, consistent with "they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ" (1 Corinthians 10:4)--this was NOT a small stone as it ended up filling the earth, like the Kingdom of God will do.

Although some Protestants believe Jesus' first coming had to do with that stone, that makes no sense as all the Gentile kingdoms have not been struck down with Jesus' first coming and God's kingdom does not yet fill the whole earth. Some Protestants do, however, agree with the CCOG on this, and realize this is a prophecy of the second coming of Jesus.

2:36-37

36 "This is the dream. Now we will tell the interpretation of it before the king. 37 You, O king, are a king of kings. For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory;

HWA

Now there is a purpose in this. Here was a gentile. God had, had Israel and Judah to be His nations and they had both failed Him. They had refused to obey the Constitution (or the basic law of their government), which was the law of God — the way of give, the way of outflowing love. And they wouldn't live that way.

And now here was the gentile that had built the greatest world empire. And God was going to give this gentile king a chance to see if he would surrender to God. And God would then let this gentile be His servant and put in the government of God over the earth. Now King Nebuchadnezzar is being given a chance, like Adam had been given a chance originally.

2:38

38 and wherever the children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field and the birds of the heaven, He has given them into your hand, and has made you ruler over them all — you are this head of gold.

HWA

The head of gold then represented Nebuchadnezzar and his kingdom, the Chaldean Empire (or, it's often called in ancient history - Babylon, The Kingdom of Babylon. And its capitol was the City of Babylon, which was almost destroyed. It is near Baghdad today. Now; Thou art this head of gold.

2:39

39 But after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours; then another, a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth.

HWA

Now that was the image, and as the image comes on down, we find a time sequence. The head of gold was 604 BC. After that was to come the Persian Empire; and after that the Greco/Macedonian Empire.

2:40

40 And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others.

HWA

the fourth kingdom [there will be a fourth, and that was Rome from 31 BC on] shall be strong as iron...

Now notice as it went on down; silver is a little stronger than gold, but it is not as valuable. In character (spiritually) they were less and less valuable as time went along. They were degenerating. But in physical power and strength, they were getting stronger.

Silver is harder than gold, and brass is stronger and harder than silver. And now iron is stronger and harder than any, but is less in value. A piece of iron doesn't cost much, but the same size chunk of gold would be worth an awful lot of money today. You see? But pure gold is very soft, it is not strong at all. ...

The fourth then is the Roman Empire and it was going to rule over all these other kingdoms and they would have been gone. The Persian Empire, the Greco/Macedonian Empire, they were all gone.

It should be noted that there are two legs. Many in the West do not realize that the Roman Empire had to parts--the one of the West that ruled for 5 or so centuries and the one of the East, also known as the Byzantium Empire, which last nearly a 1,000 years longer.

The fact of two feet and two leags also points to a Western and Eastern portion. Actually, it is because of that the the late WCG evangelist Herman Hoeh announced that the Feast of Tabernacles in Tuscon, Arizona in 1979 that the WCG finally realized that it was not just Germany that would unite--which at the fime there was an East and West Germany, but that many of the other European nations then behind the Iron Curtain, would also unite with the coming Beast power.

And since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, most of the nations of eastern Europe have joined the European Union, and many others are on the waiting list hoping to join.

That said, let's go back to Daniel 2:41-42:

41 Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile.

Herbert W. Armstrong wrote:

"And in the days of these kings... ." It is here speaking of the ten toes, part of iron and part of brittle clay. This, by connecting the prophecy with Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 and 17, is referring to the new UNITED STATES OF EUROPE, which is now forming out of the European Common Market before your very eyes! Revelation 17:12 makes plain the detail that it shall be a union of ten KINGS OR KINGDOMS that (Rev. 17:8) shall resurrect the medieval "HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE. ...

The seventh is now forming—the last, final, brief resurrection of the "Holy Roman Empire" by ten European groups or nations. (Armstrong HW. 7 PROOFS OF GOD'S TRUE CHURCH: Part Four. Plain Truth, May 1979; that same exact quote is also in his 1985 book: The Bible Superstition or Authority? ...and can you prove it?)

When Herbert W. Armstrong stated in the 20th century that the seventh was forming, what formed was the sixth resurrection--the seventh will come AFTER Europe reorganizes under the Beast which we see in the following:

12 "The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful." (Revelation 17:12-14)

Revelation 17:12-14 tell of the rise of an end-time power with ten horns that God will destroy. Daniel 2:41-44 tell of the rise of ten-toed end-time power that God will destroy.

In Daniel 2, we see that the toes of the feet are composed of mixed peoples. Some are iron and some are clay in some of the same toes. This would tend to prove the view that the ten horns in Revelation 17:12 is a reference to an artificial government as opposed to only being inclusive of existing individual nations. Although probably no nation is 100% ethnically consistent, many are quite consistent that way and tend to adhere to themselves.

The passages in Daniel 2 are not really teaching about a 'core Europe' like some Laodicean COG groups have claimed--they are teaching that Europe will adhere for a while despite unity issues.

Just like the ancient Roman Empire was composed on many peoples, so will the one warned about as the Beast power of Revelation 13,17, & 18.

Furthermore, since on human feet, eight of the ten toes seem to be similar in size, the analogy of toes also indicates that the ten kingdoms in the end will be somewhat similar in size--but since there are two great toes on human feet, this is also pointing to two being more influential powers.

2:43

43 As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay.

HWA

[Now imagine, the toes were the very last part of it and it is the toes that were to be struck by Christ when He comes. And here's the time sequence of governments of the earth that it's talking about]; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. (42) And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.{6} (43) And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.

Now those toes represent the government that I say is going to come to restore the Holy Roman Empire and they won't stay together.

Now, what we are seeing form in Europe are basically the toes. The nations do not adhere well together, but they are mixed in that way. See also: The European Union and the Seven Kings of Revelation 17. As far as some who are Israelitish who will not adhere, check out the free ebook: Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America?

2:44-45

44 And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. 45 Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold — the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure."

HWA

Now to understand it fully you have got to go to the seventh chapter of Daniel, the thirteenth chapter of Revelation and the seventeenth of Revelation. Put them all together and then you'll really understand it. And I don't know anyone else that does understand it. I really don't. And in the days of these kings (shall)the God of heaven [will] set up a kingdom...

Now God already has set up a kingdom in the days of those kings, and that is the government of God in God's church. And he has put me here to organize it and I am the instrument he has been using. Now just remember this, it is more important than you possibly can dream. This is not some fanatic's wild dream. This is the truth, and it's the truth that no-one has had for nineteen-hundred years on the earth.

...set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed:

Of course now that kingdom won't really be here till Christ comes and he will set it up. It isn't just....but this church is going to go ahead right in and be part of that kingdom. We will be immortal in that time. We won't be human beings.

While we will get to Daniel 7 later in this article, yes, the kingdoms of this world will be replaced by the return of Jesus and the establishment of the Kingdom of God:

15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" (Revelation 11:15-16)

2:46-48

46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, prostrate before Daniel, and commanded that they should present an offering and incense to him. 47 The king answered Daniel, and said, "Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret." 48 Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts; and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon.

So, Nebucchadnezzar acknowledged that the God of the Bible was the true God. However, like many who do this at various points of their lives, he did not fully repent nor change his way of life as he should have.

Christians often have a similar problem as do many who claim Christianity. Notice also that Daniel received a promotion to be "ruler over the whole province of Babylon,," which likely would have involved him needing to travel.

2:49

49 Also Daniel petitioned the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego over the affairs of the province of Babylon; but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.

Notice that Daniel did NOT just think of himself, but also had Philadelphian love, love for the brethren, as he helped arrange positions for his companions.

Chapter 3

Now to chapter 3.

3:1

1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.

So, we see that despite admitting that Daniel's God was "is the God of gods, the Lord of kings," Nebuchadnezzar went the wrong way by making a huge idol. Now he might have reasoned that since God said he was the head of gold that this would be good to make--which it was not.

And then Nebuchadnezzar made matters even worse.

2 And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather together the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 3 So the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4 Then a herald cried aloud: "To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, 5 that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; 6 and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace."

This got the bulk of the people to fear and obey his decree 3:7:

7 So at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp, and lyre, in symphony with all kinds of music, all the people, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

What would you have done?

Well, there were some that did not worship the image.

And, some in the government leadership took this as an opportunity to speak against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego --perhaps they wanted their positions or somehow wanted them out of their way.

3:8-12

8 Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews. 9 They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "O king, live forever! 10 You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the gold image; 11 and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 12 There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up."

Scipture does not state why Daniel was not included. Presumably he was traveling outside of the City of Babylon at the time and was elsewhere in the province.

That said, Nebuchadnezzar was furious that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego would not obey him and worhship his image 3:13-16

13 Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?"

Nebuchadnezzar was not used to people disobeying him and forgot that there was a real God. Furthermore, he probably thought he was being nice by offering Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego a way out. This also brings to mind that the ancient Roman Empire would often offer Christians a way out if they would renounce Jesus and participate in some pagan offering.

However, being faithful, like many Christian martyrs later were, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego refused the way out, despite not knowing what God might do as we read in 3:16-18:

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up."

Now, Nebuchadnezzar had to have know that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego had a connection to Daniel and his God. Nebuchadnezzar should have snapped out of his vanity and hate and let them go. But he did not.

3:19-23

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. 20 And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 22 Therefore, because the king's command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

Understand that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were young men and did not know what was going to happen, and that the furnance was made hotter than normal and then tossed in--that would have been frightening, particularly when they noticed that the men that threw them in died from the heat. But Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were unharmed.

They had been in a literal fiery trial. As Christians, we should realize that we are subject to them as well as the Apostle Peter wrote:

12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.

17 For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 Now

"If the righteous one is scarcely saved,
Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?"

19 Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator. (1 Peter 4:12-19)

While you probably have not faced a fiery trial like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego did, you may have faced a life filled with health problems, economic struggles, and various disappointments.

But if you do not give up, you will succeed:

22 And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. (Matthew 10:22)

Enduring suggests long term trials.

Jesus added to not fear the future:

32 Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. (Luke 12:32)

31 "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:31-34)

And like Jesus, the Apostle Paul guaranteed Christians will succeed:

3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, 5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; (Philippians 1:3-6)

Your success is guaranteed if you do not give up!

That said, since Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were unharmed, this shocked the king.

3:24-25

24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?"

They answered and said to the king, "True, O king."

25 "Look!" he answered, "I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."

Not only was Nebuchadnezzar astonished, God looks to have allowed him to see Jesus--who in Daniel 7:13 is called "like the Son of man." Jesus did not become the Son of God/Man until His incarnation, hence the use of the word like in both places.

One wonders what the one like the Son of Man might have said--but we have no information about this in scripture.

Anyway, what a miracle for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. What a blessing for Nebuchadnezzar.

3:26

26 Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here." Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire.

So, Nebuchadnezzar realizes that there is a Most High God.

His associates were also surprised and wondered what happened.

3:27

27 And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king's counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.

While the "mighty men of valor" were burned up for throwing them in, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego did not even smell like they had been near fire. God cab do more than we humans think.

3:28-29

28 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! 29 Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this."

So after this Nebuchadnezzar points out that God saved Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego because they trusted in Him.

We all should as well.

As it says in the Book of Proverbs:

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and depart from evil.
8 It will be health to your flesh,
And strength to your bones. (Proverbs 3:5-8)

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego trusted to what looked like certain death--and it likely later strengthened their bones.

Anyway, that said, because of this miracle, Nebuchadnezzar again realized that there is a real God.

3:30

30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon.

So, in his way to attempt to make some amends, Nebuchadnezzar promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego.

Their bravery has been reported now for thousands of years.

Here is a link to a sermon video related to the first three chapters: Daniel 1-3: Nebuchadnezzar's Dream.

Chapter 4

Now to chapter 4, which starts out with words from Nebuchadnezzar.

4:1-3

1 Nebuchadnezzar the king,

To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth:

Peace be multiplied to you.

2 I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has worked for me.

3 How great are His signs, And how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,And His dominion is from generation to generation.

So, like he did in the 2nd chapter of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar once again is acknowledging "the Most High God." By stating this, he also was being a witness to those in his area.

Starting in 4:4 he continues with:

4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace. 5 I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts on my bed and the visions of my head troubled me. 6 Therefore I issued a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. 7 Then the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers came in, and I told them the dream; but they did not make known to me its interpretation.

So, despite publicly acknowledging "the Most High God," Nebuchadnezzar again calls on pagan counselors and sorcerers to assist, but they were unable to do so.

That is something he should not have done. Notice the following condemnation of the uselessness of astrology:

13 You are wearied in the multitude of your counsels;
Let now the astrologers, the stargazers,
And the monthly prognosticators
Stand up and save you
From what shall come upon you.
14 Behold, they shall be as stubble,
The fire shall burn them;
They shall not deliver themselves
From the power of the flame;
It shall not be a coal to be warmed by,
Nor a fire to sit before! (Isaiah 47:13-14)

More about astrology can be found in the article: The Bible and Astrology.

In our own lives, even though many of us have been converted, baptized, etc., while we do not consult astrologers, how often do we not rely on "the Most High God"?

4:8-9

8 But at last Daniel came before me (his name is Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god; in him is the Spirit of the Holy God), and I told the dream before him, saying: 9 "Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the Spirit of the Holy God is in you, and no secret troubles you, explain to me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its interpretation.

Daniel's arrival was reassuring to Nebuchadnezzar, who then proceeds to tell Daniel his dream 4:10-17:

10 "These were the visions of my head while on my bed:

I was looking, and behold, A tree in the midst of the earth, And its height was great. 11 The tree grew and became strong; Its height reached to the heavens, And it could be seen to the ends of all the earth. 12 Its leaves were lovely, Its fruit abundant, And in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, The birds of the heavens dwelt in its branches, And all flesh was fed from it.

13 "I saw in the visions of my head while on my bed, and there was a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven. 14 He cried aloud and said thus:
'Chop down the tree and cut off its branches, Strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts get out from under it, And the birds from its branches. 15 Nevertheless leave the stump and roots in the earth, Bound with a band of iron and bronze,In the tender grass of the field. Let it be wet with the dew of heaven, And let him graze with the beasts On the grass of the earth. 16 Let his heart be changed from that of a man, Let him be given the heart of a beast, And let seven times pass over him.

17 'This decision is by the decree of the watchers, And the sentence by the word of the holy ones, In order that the living may know That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, Gives it to whomever He will, And sets over it the lowest of men.'

Before going further, we see a watcher that came down from heaven and learn that the decree was decided by the watchers and is called a decision by the "holy ones."

Who are these watchers?

Angels are called holy in the NT (e.g. Revelation 14:10). Some COG groups--like UCG--think that this is a reference to angels--and perhaps it may be. However, angels are not referred to as holy in the OT. Plus, I am not convinced that God allows angels to make these decisions.

UCG had the following as part of its explanation:

So in Hebrews 1, notice how it describes angels in verse 14, Hebrews 1:14. It says, "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” Of course, people, human beings inherit salvation and they serve them, they minister on God's behalf. And of course, that means they watch, they oftentimes bring messages from God, they do things on God's behalf.

And so here when we go back to Nebuchadnezzar and his dream, as he describes these watchers, notice what they do, notice what they do. We get down to verse 14, where we left off in Daniel 4, we see that these watchers “cried aloud” and gave this message. ... the watchers, the angels. They weren't the author of this decree ... “This decision is by the decree of the watchers,” okay, they brought this decree it's not their decree (https://www.ucg.org/course/video-bible-study-series/lessons-prophet-daniel/lessons-prophet-daniel-most-high-rules accessed 03/25/25)

Yes, angels are "ministering spirits," yet that reference does not seem to be in the same category as making decrees over human leaders. It looks like UCG seems to be contradicting itself and the scriptures here. Furthermore, UCG wrote that "watchers" plural cried out, but Daniel 4:13-14 only points to one as they teach, "a holy one ... He cried aloud."

Daniel 4:14 may be a reference to Jesus being the one who "cried aloud" and that He and the Father are the watchers who made the decree.

And that certainly goes along with verse 17 which states, "And the sentence by the word of the holy ones, In order that the living may know That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, Gives it to whomever He will, And sets over it the lowest of men." It also goes along with verse 24 which states, "this is the decree of the Most High."

Another reason to consider that the Godhead are the watchers is because Job stated that God was the "watcher of men" (Job 7:20). This was not stated about angels.

Now, getting back to Daniel 4:17, note that it includes the words, "the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, Gives it to whomever He will, And sets over it the lowest of men" -- that verse is one of the reasons that those in the Continuing Church of God do not vote (unless legally required to) in carnal elections. Also consdier that verse 25 states that, "the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses." More on voting is in the article Should a Christian Vote?).

4:18

18 "This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now you, Belteshazzar, declare its interpretation, since all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, for the Spirit of the Holy God is in you."

So, Nebuchadnezzar recognizes God's Spirit in Daniel.

So, Daniel considers the dream 4:19a

19 Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonished for a time, and his thoughts troubled him.

The time was so long that Nebuchadnezzar was concerned:

19b So the king spoke, and said, "Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation trouble you."

Well, Daniel was troubled and hesistant to explain what God revealed about it, but then did so.

4:19c

19c Belteshazzar answered and said, "My lord, may the dream concern those who hate you, and its interpretation concern your enemies!

20 "The tree that you saw, which grew and became strong, whose height reached to the heavens and which could be seen by all the earth, 21 whose leaves were lovely and its fruit abundant, in which was food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and in whose branches the birds of the heaven had their home — 22 it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong; for your greatness has grown and reaches to the heavens, and your dominion to the end of the earth.

23 "And inasmuch as the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven

Again note the it was ONE watcher who also was a HOLY ONE who came from heaven.

Continuing:

23b and saying, 'Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave its stump and roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze in the tender grass of the field; let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let him graze with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him'; 24 this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king: 25 They shall drive you from men, your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make you eat grass like oxen. They shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.

26 "And inasmuch as they gave the command to leave the stump and roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be assured to you, after you come to know that Heaven rules. 27 Therefore, O king, let my advice be acceptable to you; break off your sins by being righteous, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps there may be a lengthening of your prosperity."

In the Continuing Church of God we advocate national repentance so that "Perhaps there may be a lengthening of " the "prosperity" of the United States and its British-descended allies (e.g. see the free e-book Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America?).

Nebuchadnezzar was given a warning from God.

Nebuchadnezzar may have temporarily repented, but his pride was still a problem.

We all have the word of God which has numerous warnings. The Apostle Peter warned:

18 For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. 19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. 20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. 21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: "A dog returns to his own vomit," and, "a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire." (2 Peter 2:18-22)

While to be Christian, we must have repented, we are not to go back to the world.

But King Nebuchadnezzar went back to massive pride.

4:28-31

28 All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 At the end of the twelve months he was walking about the royal palace of Babylon. 30 The king spoke, saying, "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?"

Of course, King Nebuchadnezzar, himself, did probably almost nothing personally to build the royal dwelling, but he claimed that anyway.

He was basically exalting himself to, or even above, the level of God.

4:31-33

31 While the word was still in the king's mouth, a voice fell from heaven: "King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you! 32 And they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. They shall make you eat grass like oxen; and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses."

33 That very hour the word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar; he was driven from men and ate grass like oxen; his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair had grown like eagles' feathers and his nails like birds' claws.

Nebuchadnezzar was apparently the most powerful leader of the most powerful empire on the planet when this affected him.

Do not think that you are invincible to, or not subject to, God's correction and judgment. And if you are a real Christian, the time for your judgment is now as the Apostle Peter wrote:

17 For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 Now

"If the righteous one is scarcely saved,
Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?"

19 Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator. (1 Peter 4:17-19)

Furthermore, those who trust in the power of the United States and the prosperity of its British-descended allies will find that was misplaced as they will be conquered by the coming European King of the North Beast power per Daniel 8:25, 11:24, and 11:39.

Nebuchadnezzar fell into the attitude that Lucifer had:

12 "How you are fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the morning!
How you are cut down to the ground,
You who weakened the nations!
13 For you have said in your heart:
'I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.'
15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol,
To the lowest depths of the Pit.

16 "Those who see you will gaze at you,
And consider you, saying:
'Is this the man who made the earth tremble,
Who shook kingdoms,
17 Who made the world as a wilderness
And destroyed its cities,
Who did not open the house of his prisoners?' (Isaiah 14:12-17)

Anyway, for seven years, the great King Nebuchadnezzar lived like an animal and lacked basic human understanding. People looked down on him, and some likely pitied him.

Nebuchadnezzar put too much confidence in himself. Many these days overly trust wealth, their government's power, etc. Caution is advised as biblical prophesies will come to pass.

Nebuchadnezzar never thought, despite the warning, that something like what happened to him would happen.

In time, however, the prophetic "seven times"--seven years-- ended. This example in Daniel is one reason we understand that expressions used in th Bible like time, times, and 1/2 a time refer to 3 1/2 years--and expression that is used elsewhere in Daniel 7:25 and 12:7.

4:34

34 And at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever:

For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom is from generation to generation. 35 All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him, "What have You done?"

So, Nebuchadnezzar praised God when this ended. This is similar to what Jonah did at the end of his three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish:

1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish's belly. 2 And he said:

"I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, And He answered me.

"Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, And You heard my voice. 3 For You cast me into the deep,Into the heart of the seas,And the floods surrounded me;All Your billows and Your waves passed over me. 4 Then I said, 'I have been cast out of Your sight; Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.' 5 The waters surrounded me, even to my soul; The deep closed around me;Weeds were wrapped around my head. 6 I went down to the moorings of the mountains; The earth with its bars closed behind me forever;Yet You have brought up my life from the pit,O Lord, my God.

7 "When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord; And my prayer went up to You, Into Your holy temple.

8 "Those who regard worthless idols Forsake their own Mercy. 9 But I will sacrifice to YouWith the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord."

10 So the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land. (Jonah 2:1-10)

Yes, salvation is from God. Anyway, Jonah, after this trial, went out in obedience to God and did the proclamation work he was given.

Hopefully, you will support God's end time proclamation work of the Philadelphian remnant of the true Christian Church of God.

Do not think that because God did not give you a direct message like was done to Jonah, that God will excuse you for not supporting the Philadelphian work. Jesus clearly chastises the bulk of end time Christians in Revelation 3:14-22 for being, not initially cold like Jonah was, but for being lukewarn.

In 4:36 we see that Nebuchadnezzar was given back his physical kingdom after his long trial:

36 At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my honor and splendor returned to me. My counselors and nobles resorted to me, I was restored to my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added to me. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.

Nebuchadnezzar learned that pride and arrogance were no match for God--and that is something that Satan and his demons will learn as well--and the demons already tremble (James 2:19) and know that, at least to a degree (Matthew 8:28-29).

That said, we Christians are given an eternal kingdom beyond the temporal one Nebuchadnezzar was granted.

10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:10-11)

10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; (Revelation 5:8)

Yes, Christians will be able to reign in the coming Kingdom of God. That is very good news.

Related to that Kingdom and Daniel, Herbert W. Armstrong taught:

The prophet Daniel, who lived 600 years before Christ, knew that the kingdom of God was a real kingdom--a government ruling over literal PEOPLE on the earth . . .

When Christ comes, he is coming as KING of kings, ruling the whole earth (Rev. 19:11-16); and HIS KINGDOM--the KINGDOM OF GOD--said Daniel, is to CONSUME all these worldly kingdoms. Revelation 11:15 states it in these words: “The kingdoms of this world are become THE KINGDOMS OF OUR LORD, AND OF HIS CHRIST: and he shall reign for ever and ever”! This is THE KINGDOM OF GOD. It is the END of present governments--yes, and even the United States and the British nations. They then shall become the kingdoms--the GOVERNMENTS--of the Lord JESUS CHRIST, then KING of kings over the entire earth.

This makes completely PLAIN the fact that the KINGDOM OF GOD is a literal GOVERNMENT. Even as the Chaldean Empire was a KINGDOM--even as the Roman Empire was a KINGDOM--so the KINGDOM OF GOD is a government. It is to take over the GOVERNMENT of the NATIONS of the world. Jesus Christ was BORN to be a KING--a RULER! . . .

The same Jesus Christ who walked over the hills and valleys of the Holy Land and the streets of Jerusalem more than 1,900 years ago is coming again. He said he would come again. After he was crucified, God raised him from the dead after three days and three nights (Matt. 12:40; Acts 2:32; I Cor. 15:3-4). He ascended to the Throne of God. Headquarters of the Government of the Universe (Acts 1:9-11; Heb. 1:3; 8:1; 10:12; Rev. 3:21).
He is the “nobleman” of the parable, who went to the Throne of God--the “far country”--to be coronated as King of kings over all nations, and then to return to earth (Luke 19:12-27).

Again, he is in heaven until the “times of restitution of all things” (Acts 3:19-21). Restitution means restoring to a former state or condition. In this case, the restoring of God's government on earth, and thus, the restoring of world peace, and utopian conditions.

Present world turmoil, escalating wars and contentions will climax in world trouble so great that, unless God intervenes, no human flesh would be saved alive (Matt. 24:22). At its very climax when delay would result in blasting all life from off this planet, Jesus Christ will return. This time he is coming as divine God. He is coming in all the power and glory of the universe-ruling Creator. (Matt. 24:30; 25:31.) He is coming as “King of kings, and Lord of lords” (Rev. 19:16), to establish world super-government and rule all nations “with a rod of iron” (Rev. 19:15; 12:5) . . .

Christ Unwelcome?

But will humanity shout with joy, and welcome him in frenzied ecstasy and enthusiasm--will even the churches of traditional Christianity?

They will not! They will believe, because the false ministers of Satan (II Cor. 11:13-15) have deceived them, that he is the Antichrist. The churches and the nations will be angry at his coming (Rev. 11:15 with 11:18), and the military forces will actually attempt to fight him to destroy him (Rev. 17:14)!
The nations will be engaged in the climactic battle of the coming World War III, with the battlefront at Jerusalem (Zech. 14:1-2) and then Christ will return. In supernatural power he will “fight against those nations” that fight against him (verse 3). He will totally defeat them (Rev. 17:14)! “His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives,” a very short distance to the east of Jerusalem (Zech. 14:4). (Armstrong HW. The Mystery of the Ages, 1984)

The Bible declares that Jesus will return and He will win, yet many will fight against Him (Revelation 19:19). Many will claim (based upon misunderstanding of Bible prophecy, but partially because of false prophets and mystics) that the returning Jesus is the final Antichrist!

The pride of human leaders did not die with Lucifer or Nebuchadnezzar--and that is one of the lessons of Daniel.

Chapter 5

In chapter 5 we learn of Belshazzar who was the son of King Nabonidus, and born to be crown prince. He who ruled as co-regent with his father in Babylon. Belshazzar was the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar.

In one respect King Nabonidus did not function as king as he liked to spend his time hunting and had Belshazzar reign.

Belshazzar means "Bel protect the king" or "Bel protect the prince".

Bel refers to the Babylonian god Marduk, who was often called "Bel" (meaning "lord").
šarra means "king" or "prince."
uṣur means "protect" or "preserve."

The old WCG published the following:

Nebuchadnezzar was succeeded on the throne by his son, the unpopular Amel-Marduk (562560) — the Evil — Merodach of scripture. He, in turn, was murdered and succeeded by his brother-in-law Nergal-sharra-usur (Neriglissar) (560-556), a general and son-in-law of Nebuchadnezzar.

Following Neriglissar's death under obscure circumstances, his young son, Labashi-Marduk, reigned for three months before being removed in a rebellion. Nabu-na'id (Nabonidus) came to the throne. His son and crown prince was Bel-shar-usur (the biblical Belshazzar).

Belshazzar was as proud and arrogant as Nebuchadnezzar once had been. Although Babylon at this time was besieged by enemies, Belshazzar remained unconcerned, trusting that the city's formidable defenses would keep him safe. (Babylon: Past, Present ...and Future. Ambassador College Productions, 1990)

5:1

1 Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine in the presence of the thousand.

Despite there being a military threat, the arrogant Belshazzar through a party. Instead of preparing to deal with an enemy, he began to drink and then came up with a bad idea.

5:2-4

2 While he tasted the wine, Belshazzar gave the command to bring the gold and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple which had been in Jerusalem, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. 3 Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple of the house of God which had been in Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. 4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.

Not only was Belshazzar and his festival goers drinking from vessels that had been taken from the temple of the house of God, they also praised pagan idols.

Then something frightening happened.

5:5-8

5 In the same hour the fingers of a man's hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 6 Then the king's countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his knees knocked against each other. 7 The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spoke, saying to the wise men of Babylon, "Whoever reads this writing, and tells me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck; and he shall be the third ruler in the kingdom."

Like his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar goes and calls for "the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers." He also offered them a lot.

But, they were useless.

5:8-9

8 Now all the king's wise men came, but they could not read the writing, or make known to the king its interpretation. 9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled, his countenance was changed, and his lords were astonished.

The king saw the handwriting, but did not understand it. Nor could his "experts" figure this out. Nowadays, even most Americans see that the USA is in decline and do not understand it.

Now although Belshazzar's wives and concubines were there, the queen had not attended the party, but heard about this.

5:10-12

10 The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came to the banquet hall. The queen spoke, saying, "O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your countenance change. 11 There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. And in the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar your father — your father the king — made him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers. 12 Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation."

So, the queen knew where Belshazzar should go to find out what was happening and reminded him what happened during his grandfather's, Nebuchadnezzar, day. And Daniel was summoned.

5:13-16

13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke, and said to Daniel, "Are you that Daniel who is one of the captives from Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah? 14 I have heard of you, that the Spirit of God is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. 15 Now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not give the interpretation of the thing. 16 And I have heard of you, that you can give interpretations and explain enigmas. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom."

So Belshazzar made his offer to Daniel. He perhaps offered him the third ruler as his father King Nabonidus was perhaps still alive.

After the offer, Daniel reminded him some of the details of what had happened to his grandfather.

5:17-21

17 Then Daniel answered, and said before the king, "Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another; yet I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation. 18 O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom and majesty, glory and honor. 19 And because of the majesty that He gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whomever he wished, he executed; whomever he wished, he kept alive; whomever he wished, he set up; and whomever he wished, he put down. 20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him. 21 Then he was driven from the sons of men, his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. They fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He chooses.

So Daniel laid out some history, such as was mentioned in chapter 4.

Then Daniel gets bold and says things that normally could have gotten him killed--even though he was telling the truth.

5:22

22 "But you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this. 23 And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified.

It would seem that Daniel had not been pleased with Belshazzar and, before this, probably wondered how long his arrogant ways would last.

We who have read the Bible should realize some of how God works and should be careful about pride and lifting ourselves up.

Daniel then explains what had been happening.

5:24-25

24 Then the fingers of the hand were sent from Him, and this writing was written.
25 "And this is the inscription that was written:
MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.

Before going further, understand that the basic Babylonian unit of weight was the gold shekel (tekel in this verse). One mene equalled 50 shekels; a upharsin (half a mena) equalled 25. The four words, therefore, stood for: mene, 50 shekels; mene, 50 shekels; tekel, a shekel; a upharsin, 25 shekels. The total equalled 126 shekels.

Now let us look at the words from the wall and apply them to the United States.

Mene: Your days as being on the top of the world order are numbered. And more in the world are starting to realize this.
Mene: Despite signs of your decline, instead of repenting, you seem to be taking steps to speed it up–you are soon to be finished.
Tekel: Your morality and “conscience” have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting.
Peres/Upharsin: Your nation will be divided by the final Beast, the King of the North (Daniel 11:39), and he will make your people slaves as your nation will be finished.

Do you think that this may be alarmist? Even when he was US President, Barack Obama stated the the deficits of the USA are unsustainable. And he was right about that. Something that is unsustainable cannot be continued forever. Yet, the debt for the USA continue to increase--according to Habakkuk that will end in disaster (cf. Habakkuk 2:6-8).

Getting back to Daniel, he says what the handwriting on the wall meant for that time.

5:26-29

26 This is the interpretation of each word. Mene: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it; 27 Tekel: You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting; 28 Peres: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes and Persians."

Interestingly, Daniel only mentioned the word "Mene" once and did not mention its second time, indicating that this prophecy could have a second fulfillment. The old Radio Church of God felt that this prophecy would have a second fulfillment as well:

Now this prophecy of Belshazzar’s feast was not a message for that day only. Do you realize that even Daniel didn’t understand what he was inspired to write? Notice it in Daniel the 12th chapter, the 8th and the 9th verses:

“And I heard, but I understood not. And then I said, ‘0 my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?”’ Daniel wrote what an angel had been revealing to him. The angel said, “Go thy way, Daniel, for the words are closed and sealed till the time of the end.” Even Daniel didn’t understand what he was inspired to write.

A WARNING for Today!

Do you realize that the Jews were already in captivity when Daniel wrote? This prophecy of the handwriting on the wall was not for them. It came too late to save them. ...

Why This Warning Was Written!

This warning came TOO LATE to save Belshazzar. This account was written FOR YOU ... It wasn’t written for the Jews of that day. It was written for us today, and WE HAVE TIME To HEED. We have the to escape the destruction that is now threatening you and me--if we wake up. ...

The REAL MEANING

“Then Daniel made answer to the king, ‘Keep your gifts for yourself, and give your rewards to someone else. However, I will read the writing for the king, and let him know the meaning of it. 0 king, the Most High God gave king Nebuchadnezzar, your father, the realm’.’’

He is showing here once again that God is the Most High Ruler. He makes and unmakes nations. ...

King Belshazzar had fallen into the illusion that grips most of you TODAY. God had become UNREAL! God seemed to be FAR OFF! God seemed like a myth. Their minds were turned only to the things that they could see, material objects, the things of materialism. A material mind only knows material things, and God does seem like a myth, far off.

God ENDED that world-kingdom! God makes and unmakes nations and empires. ...

The handwriting is upon the wall of America, ... There is protection for you if you will open your eyes to God’s prophecies--if you wiIl study your Bible, if you will surrender your life to your Creator, if you will only come to Him in obedience in living faith through Jesus Christ! (Armstrong HW. The Handwriting is on the Wall of America NOW! Plain Truth, March 1956)

Before going further, let me state that various churches (including the old Worldwide Church of God) have taught that the 'value' of the four words of the handwriting added up to 126 shekels, which equals 2520 gerahs. That could be seven 360 day prophetic years, 2520 days (one way the old WCG once taught it could be 2520 years from Belshazzar's demise, but prophetically, that does not seem to be the case when we look at history in the year 1981, which is 539 BC plus 2520 years). It may be, that being the seven year period that Nebuchadnezzar had been removed, that was a reminder to Belshazzar he had overlooked that.

The old Radio/Worldwide Church of God calculated that the time of the Gentiles for Israel was from roughly 721-718 B.C. to A.D. 1800-1803. And that this coincides with the rise of the Anglo-American world order.

It also speculated that the time of the Gentiles dominating Jerusalem was from to 604 B.C. to A.D. 1917. Because these dates fit with 2,520 years, it was taught in the WCG that this confirmed that interpretation of Leviticus 26, which in four verses refers to a period of "seven times" in relationship to punishments.

Jerusalem has, at least partially, been under British and then Jewish control since December 9, 1917.

So we see two 2,520 year periods that were in the past. One of which involved the British and Americans and the other of which looked to have involved the British and Jerusalem.

Both of these blessings of the Anglo-American-Judah times will end and be replaced by the final time of the Gentiles.

(The 'time of the Gentiles' (Ezekiel 30:3) is not the same as the fullness of the Gentiles being called to be Christian as some claim. Details are in the article: What About Romans 11:25 and the Full Number of the Gentiles?)

There is prophesied time that Gentiles will control Jerusalem (Revelation 11:2) and that will end (cf. Zechariah 14:1-4; Revelation 19). This is the time that the faithful Philadelphian Christians are to be protected (Revelation 3:7-13; 12:14-16).

Once a particular deal has a confirmation by a 'prince 'for a prophetic week (Daniel 9:26-27), in a very real sense, we will see the "handwriting on the wall" for the USA and its British-descended allies.

The final approximately 2520 days until Jesus establishes the millennial Kingdom of God will include the final time of the Gentiles.

Getting back to Daniel 5, after Daniel explained what happened, Belshazzar gave Daniel what he had originally promised.

29 Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they clothed Daniel with purple and put a chain of gold around his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

However, that was of little value as ...

5:30

30 That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain. 31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.

That kingdom was taken over that very night. Here is more about that:

Xenophon, the Greek historian who wrote the Cyropaedia in the fourth century before Christ, says that "when Cyrus reached Babylon" 539 B.C. he dug channels for the dispersal of the water in the river Euphrates which ran under the gates of Babylon. Then he and THE MEDO-PERSIAN ARMY SECRETLY ENTERED THE RIVER BED, climbed stealthily through the gates along the river and rushed to the palace "when he heard chat there was a festival in Babylon, in which all the Babylonians drank and revelled the whole night."

It was the night of the new moon of the seventh month of the Babylonian year. Upon reaching the palace where Belshazzar had seen the handwriting on the wall, they "burst in, and, pursuing those who fled, and dealing blows amongst them, came up to the king, and found him in a standing posture with his sword drawn. [They] mastered him." So Belshazzar the King in Babylon — was killed that night exactly as Daniel said. (Hoeh H. There is a Way of Escape. Plain Truth, 1970)

A powerful ruler and his powerful kingdom fell.

Belshazzar did not think that was possible.

The handwriting is on the wall for the USA.

Do not believe that Republican Donald Trump or any Democratic party leader will fix enough of what is wrong in the USA.

The debt level in the USA is rising.

Let's look at Habakkuk and the USA.

2 Then the Lord answered me and said:

“Write the vision
And make it plain on tablets,
That he may run who reads it.
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
Because it will surely come,
It will not tarry. (Habakkuk 2:2-3)

Notice that the word of God states it will tarry, take a while, but the results will surely come. And that the result is that people should run (flee) because of it.

Here are some details about what is coming and why:

6 “Will not all these take up a proverb against him,
And a taunting riddle against him, and say,
‘Woe to him who increases
What is not his — how long?
And to him who loads himself with many pledges’?
7 Will not your creditors rise up suddenly?
Will they not awaken who oppress you?
And you will become their booty.
8 Because you have plundered many nations,
All the remnant of the people shall plunder you,
Because of men’s blood
And the violence of the land and the city,
And of all who dwell in it. (Habakkuk 2:6-8).

Please pay attention to the fact that that above is a prophecy for the appointed time of the end–essentially the time of the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21). The USA has been accumulating pledges in the form of US Treasury bonds and notes, and is the most indebted nation of all time. It is descendants of Israel, like the USA, that are prophesied to have debt issues with foreigners if they turn from God’s laws (cf. Deuteronomy 28:43-44)–that is consistent with Habakkuk 2:6-8. The above prophecy is NOT a reference to the nation calling itself Israel as it has nothing compared to USA debt.

As far as how much the USA is indebted to foreigners, notice the following:

Foreign creditors already hold a net claim of $22.5 trillion (and growing) on U.S. assets. Many of these creditors will be inclined to sell American stocks and bonds rather than buy more — especially if they are encouraged by Trump to raise cash to buy American exports. Foreign producers who, for decades, have exchanged their manufactured goods for American stocks and bonds would stop reinvesting export earnings. (Amoss D. From Biden to Trump: Navigating the Economic Ship Through Troubled Waters. Jim Rickard’s Strategic Intelligence, December 2024, p. 10)

The USA has been setting itself up for the penalties prophesied by Habakkuk.

Consider that the prophecy in Habakkuk says what will happen is so bad, that people should run who read it. That is, they should seriously consider what this means and take the appropriate steps.

Foreign creditors will rise up.

The Bible clearly warns that an indebted people will be destroyed by people whose language that they do not understand, and that the destruction will be fairly total:

43 The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower. 44 He shall lend to you, but you shall not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail. 45 Moreover all these curses shall come upon you and pursue and overtake you, until you are destroyed…47 “Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything, 48 therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything; and He will put a yoke of iron on your neck until He has destroyed you. 49 The LORD will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flies, a nation whose language you will not understand, 50 a nation of fierce countenance, which does not respect the elderly nor show favor to the young. 51 And they shall eat the increase of your livestock and the produce of your land, until you are destroyed; they shall not leave you grain or new wine or oil, or the increase of your cattle or the offspring of your flocks, until they have destroyed you. 52 They shall besiege you at all your gates until your high and fortified walls, in which you trust, come down throughout all your land; and they shall besiege you at all your gates throughout all your land which the LORD your God has given you (Deuteronomy 28:43-45,47-52).

7 The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender. (Proverbs 22:7)

13 And the Lord said, “Because they have forsaken My law which I set before them, and have not obeyed My voice, nor walked according to it, 14 but they have walked according to the dictates of their own hearts…16 I will scatter them also among the Gentiles, whom neither they nor their fathers have known. And I will send a sword after them until I have consumed them.” (Jeremiah 9:13,14a,16)

12 One-third of you shall die of the pestilence, and be consumed with famine in your midst; and one-third shall fall by the sword all around you; and I will scatter another third to all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them. (Ezekiel 5:12)

The above prophecy in Habakkuk will be fulfilled at the time of the end (cf. “The message was true, but the appointed time was long…in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come”, Daniel 10:1,14). Daniel 8:19, 11:27, 29,35 uses the same Hebrew term for “appointed time” as Habakkuk 2:3, while Daniel 10, using a different term, ties the latter days to the time in Daniel 8:19. Habakkuk 2 was not fulfilled in its entirety anciently. Also, it makes little sense that Habakkuk would be directed towards the modern nation of Israel as it does not have enemy creditors. It must be a nation or group of nations with some prominence at the appointed time of the end. As far as “violence of the land” as a contributing factor, this would seem to include crime, military missions, and perhaps riots/civil unrest, but might it also include promotion of violent sports? Is the USA government not giving shameful counsel regarding matters such as homosexuality and abortion?

While some have claimed that Habakkuk 2 is really only a prophecy for the Babylonian Beast (or ancient Chaldea), that is in error for several reasons. The fact that the prophecy will tarry (seems like it takes a long time to fulfill) shows that this cannot be a prophecy for “the end time Babylonian Beast” as some have asserted because the end time Beast will not be accumulating debt for many years before it is taken over, whereas the USA has been doing so for decades–the Babylonian Beast will not have power for but a fraction of that time. Furthermore, God in chapter one points to the Chaldeans as the ones who will implement punishment to the descendants of Israel--they are not prophesied to be destroyed by Israel.

The Bible shows that the Babylonian Beast power will be taken over by Russia and nations all around the world and it will not be because of monetary reasons:

50:41 “Behold, a people shall come from the north,
And a great nation and many kings
Shall be raised up from the ends of the earth.
42 They shall hold the bow and the lance;
They are cruel and shall not show mercy.
Their voice shall roar like the sea;
They shall ride on horses,
Set in array, like a man for the battle,
Against you, O daughter of Babylon.

43 “The king of Babylon has heard the report about them,
And his hands grow feeble;
Anguish has taken hold of him,
Pangs as of a woman in childbirth…”(Jeremiah 50:41-43).

1 The burden against Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw…

17 “Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them,
Who will not regard silver;
And as for gold, they will not delight in it.
18 Also their bows will dash the young men to pieces,
And they will have no pity on the fruit of the womb;
Their eye will not spare children.
19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,
The beauty of the Chaldeans’pride,
Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. (Isaiah 13:1, 17-19)

11 Make the arrows bright!
Gather the shields!
The Lord has raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes.
For His plan is against Babylon to destroy it,
Because it is the vengeance of the Lord,
The vengeance for His temple. (Jeremiah 51:11)

Thus, end time daughter of Babylon will not be taken over because of debt from creditors as the attack will not be related to wanting money!

But, debt will be a factor in taking over the USA per Habakkuk 2 and Deuteronomy 28!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Debt Spiral

Ray Dalio is one of the world’s most successful hedge fund managers.

His success is due to his consistent ability to get the Big Picture right.

He recently said this:

“We are at a point in which we are borrowing money to pay debt service.

When you keep having debt growth faster than income growth, that means you have debt service encroaching on your spending, and you want to keep spending at the same time.

As that happens, there is a need to get more and more into debt. It accelerates.

We are at the point of that acceleration. We are near that inflection point.”

Dalio is warning about the explosive nature of the US government’s compounding debt situation. …

The financial position of the US government has been gradually deteriorating for decades, so it’s not surprising that many people are complacent. They’ve long heard about the debt problem, and nothing has happened.

However, it is now reaching the tipping point.

That’s because the US government is now borrowing money to pay the interest on the money it has already borrowed, as Dalio noted. Politicians are adding more debt to solve the problems of prior debt.

It’s creating a self-perpetuating doom loop.

It will result in the total debt growing not linearly but exponentially.

The debt increases at a faster rate over time because it is compounding.

Each calculation period adds more interest to the total amount owed, which requires more borrowing and causes a larger interest expense. …

Dalio says the US is near the inflection point where the debt growth will accelerate and explode into previously unimaginable levels.

I think he is correct, and that has enormous implications. …

But I’m not just talking about a stock market crash or a currency collapse…

It’s something much bigger… with the potential to alter the fabric of society forever.

It’s created an economic situation unlike we’ve ever seen before, and it’s all building up to a severe crisis on multiple fronts.

It could all go down soon… and it won’t be pretty. 09/10/24 https://internationalman.com/articles/the-debt-spiral-crosses-the-point-of-no-return/

Yes, the US debt is rising and is dangerous.

Most will not believe, but that was expected:

6 “Don’t say such things,” the people respond. “Don’t prophesy like that. Such disasters will never come our way!” (Micah 2:6, New Living Translation)

16 … You say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel, And do not spout against the house of Isaac.’ (Amos 7:16)

People will not want to hear or believe!

But the handwriting is on the wall for the USA. And since Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK primarily rely on the USA for military protection, the handwritings is on the wall for them as well.

Here is a link to a sermon video related to the fourth and fifth chapters: Daniel 4-5: The Handwriting on the Wall.

Chapter 6

In chapter 5 we were introduced to one called Darius the Mede. Places like Wikipedia essentially assert there is no evidence of him, thus he did not exist as Darius supposedly was only a fictional "literary figure," which is biblically absurd.

So, let's address this by looking at some historical information.

The Greek historian Xenophon, in his work Cyropaedia (4th century BCE), describes a Median king named Cyaxares II, son of Astyages, who was a contemporary of Cyrus the Great. While Xenophon does not explicitly call him "Darius," some scholars, such as Steven Anderson (21st century) and early writers like Josephus (1st century AD) and Jerome (5th cenutyr AD), propose that Cyaxares II could be Darius the Mede, possibly under a throne name or alternate title. Xenophon’s account suggests a close alliance between Cyaxares II and Cyrus, with Cyaxares as a senior figure, which aligns with the Book of Daniel’s depiction of Darius the Mede ruling Babylon before or alongside Cyrus https://www.stegozoeterno.org/aa-darius-the-mede accessed 06/19/25).

The adoption of “Darius” and “Ahasuerus” (= Xerxes) as throne names of the first two Persian kings in the dynasty which followed that of Cyrus is evidence that they were used as throne names by kings of an earlier dynasty. This is indirect evidence that there indeed was a Median king named “Darius,” and another named “Ahasuerus,” as the book of Daniel presents them (Dan 9:1). The use of throne names by Persian kings also gives plausibility to the suggestion that the given name of Darius the Mede was “Cyaxares.” https://truthonlybible.com/2016/01/08/darius-the-mede-a-solution-to-his-identity/

The Behistun Inscription by Darius Hystaspes was created between 522 and 520 BCE. It mentions rebellions by Medians claiming relation to Cyaxares, hence supporting Xenophon's account of Cyaxares II.

The Harran Stele mentions a "king of the land of the Medes" looks to have been made after Cyrus deposed Astyages. This is important because the anti-biblical scholars falsely assert that Astyages was the last Median king, hence there could be now other king of the Medes as Astyages was deposed over a decade before we read of Darius in the Bible--thus an inscription showing that there was a King of the Medes after Astyages basically eliminates the anti-biblical argument. (https://truthonlybible.com/2016/01/08/darius-the-mede-a-solution-to-his-identity/)

Furthermore, Berossus, a 3rd-century BCE Babylonian historian, in his work titled Babyloniaca, refers to the actions of an unspecified "King Darius" shortly after the fall of Babylon in 539 BCE.

So, despite the view of anti-biblical scholars, there is evidence that Darius existed outside of the Book of Daniel.

A linguistic fact is that different languages sometimes use different names for the same person. And that looks to be what happened in the case of Darius the Mede.

That said, now to Chapter 6

1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty satraps, to be over the whole kingdom; 2 and over these, three governors, of whom Daniel was one, that the satraps might give account to them, so that the king would suffer no loss.

So, a bureaucracy was set up--satraps were provincial governors in the Persian Empire.

And there was a difference between Daniel and others in the government:

6:3

3 Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm.

Daniel heeded a principle from Ecclesiastes, which the Apostle Paul wrote for Christians:

10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; (Ecclesiastes 9:10)

5 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; 6 not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. (Ephesians 6:5-8)

22 Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. 23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. (Colossians 3:22-24)

But jealously and covetousness quickly became an issue as the others did not have Daniel's views or ethics:

4 So the governors and satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him. 5 Then these men said, "We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God."

So, they plotted against Daniel. People plotted against Jesus. People have long plotted against God's people and His true church.

6:6

6 So these governors and satraps thronged before the king, and said thus to him: "King Darius, live forever! 7 All the governors of the kingdom, the administrators and satraps, the counselors and advisors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree, that whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. 8 Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter." 9 Therefore King Darius signed the written decree.

Now the government officials were bearing false witness. Neither Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, nor Abed-Nego would have wanted nor approved this. But the politicians wanted to imply that Darius was so loved by everyone that they all wanted to be able to worship him--which of course was nonsense.

Anyway, Darius should not have let this happen, but sadly his own ego got in the way. Flattery works this way at times--and Satan knows that.

Despite Darius signing the decree, this did not change Daniel's praying practices.

6:10

10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.

Daniel was willing to face death in order to pray? What would you have done?

Anyway, Daniel still prayed. And there is an artist's representation of him praying on the front cover of our free book: Prayer: What Does the Bible Teach?

That said, the jealous haters of Daniel seized upon this and then further set King Darius up:

11 Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. 12 And they went before the king, and spoke concerning the king's decree: "Have you not signed a decree that every man who petitions any god or man within thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?"

The king answered and said, "The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter."

13 So they answered and said before the king, "That Daniel, who is one of the captives from Judah, does not show due regard for you, O king, or for the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day."

The king finally realized he messed up--big time:

6:14

14 And the king, when he heard these words, was greatly displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him. 15 Then these men approached the king, and said to the king, "Know, O king, that it is the law of the Medes and Persians that no decree or statute which the king establishes may be changed."

The king felt he could not violate the ancient equivalent of a constitution.

16a So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions.

King Darius had been tricked into his decision, yet he tried to give reassurance to Daniel before casting him into the lions' den:

16b But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, "Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you." 17 Then a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signets of his lords, that the purpose concerning Daniel might not be changed.

But the king did not simply wash his hands of the matter--which is literally what Pontius Pilate did regarding the death of Jesus (Matthew 27:24):

6:18

18 Now the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; and no musicians were brought before him. Also his sleep went from him.

Darius, the king, fasted and probably prayed for Daniel.

Would you have done that for others?

Prayer and fasting is something that Jesus pointed to for difficult situations (cf. Matthew 17:19-21) and is also discuused as one of the 28 tips on improving the effectiveness of your prayers in our free ebook: Prayer: What Does the Bible Teach?

Continuing:

6:19

19 Then the king arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions. 20 And when he came to the den, he cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?"

Darius had some hope, but he was not optimistic.

But he apparently went early in case Daniel perhaps survived the expected attack from the lions.

Daniel, not only survived, he was never attacked:

21 Then Daniel said to the king, "O king, live forever! 22 My God sent His angel and shut the lions' mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you."

The king was relieved:

6:23

23 Now the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God.

Now, the next big thing that seemed to go through Darius' mind is those that flattered him to get the decree and then pressured him to toss Daniel in the lion's den.

The Books of Job and Proverbs warn that being a flatterer is dangerous:

5 He who speaks flattery to his friends,
Even the eyes of his children will fail. (Job 17:5)

5 A man who flatters his neighbor
Spreads a net for his feet.

6 By transgression an evil man is snared,
But the righteous sings and rejoices. (Proverbs 29:5-6)

With that in mind, consider that after seeing Daniel alive, Darius then decided to rid his kingdom of those jealous complainers:

24 And the king gave the command, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions — them, their children, and their wives; and the lions overpowered them, and broke all their bones in pieces before they ever came to the bottom of the den.

We see that the lions would have been hungry enough to eat Daniel--but God prevented that. That said, Darius was too extreme in his actions. According to the Bible, he should not have put children to death because of actions of their parents per Ezekiel 18:20. But Darius did it anyway.

Then Darius decided to decree something about the true God:

25 Then King Darius wrote:
To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth:
Peace be multiplied to you.
26 I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel.
For He is the living God, And steadfast forever; His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed, And His dominion shall endure to the end. 27 He delivers and rescues, And He works signs and wonders In heaven and on earth, Who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.

This, matter also seemed to help Daniel long term:

28 So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

Daniel obeyed, God allowed him to undergo another severe trial, but he endured and was blessed.

Chapter 7

Now to chapter 7, which obviously took place BEFORE chapter 5 as chapter 5 was the last day/night of Belshazzar.

7:1-2

1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, telling the main facts.

2 Daniel spoke, saying, "I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea.

HWA

Belshazzar was the king that succeeded Nebuchadnezzar. This is after Nebuchadnezzar is dead, that Daniel has this dream himself now. You see, what I just read, the king had the dream and Daniel told him what the dream was. But this time Daniel has the dream himself, the young Jewish lad. ...

Now you'll find that John has a vision in Revelation 13 and he saw a beast rise up out of the sea while he was standing on the sea shore. ...

Now, what sea is this talking about?

Well, Daniel refers to it Great Sea. The "Great Sea" that bordered the ancient lands of Israel (Numbers 34:6-7; Joshua 1:4; 9:1; 23:4; Ezekiel 47:13-16) is the Mediterranean Sea--and that is the sea that Daniel was referring to. Europe borders the Mediterranean Sea and will be the power that will once again control the "Great Sea." And while the southern border of the Mediterranean Sea is currently under Arab control, that will change. Like basically the entirety of the Meditarranean Sea was under control of the ancient Roman Empire, the Bible shows that the European King of the North will take over the nations that control the eastern and southern borders of that sea (Daniel 11:40-43; Ezekiel 30:1-9).

Despite some false claims by some, the Beast power is not a nation like Russia, which does not border the Mediterranean Sea. This tie to the Great Sea is one of the reasons that we know that the Beast of Revelation 13:1-10 is a European power.

HWA

Now; John is telling what he saw in vision in the Book of Revelation ...

Revelation 13:1-2 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast [now again, a wild animal] rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, [here is seven head and ten horns all over again. And you see there were the four parts of the image in Daniel 2.

And the ten toes instead of the ten horns. You see how these things all fit together?] and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the names of blasphemy. [showing that they are of Satan the Devil; very evil] (2) And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, [it wasn't a leopard, it was just like a leopard] and his feet were as the feet of a bear, [that's the strongest part of a bear] and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: [the mouth is the strongest part of a lion] and the dragon [which is the devil] gave him his power….

7:3-5

3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other. 4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man's heart was given to it.

5 "And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: 'Arise, devour much flesh!'

So, these power look a bit different from each other as they are represented by four different animals. Regarding the three ribs, that may mean that at the time when by of the conquest of Babylon it came into the apocalyptic succession, the bear-empire had laid waste three territories--some have suggested Babylonia, Lydia, and Egypt--others have other views..

Artist Portrayal of Four Beasts of Daniel 7
(Photo from FreeBibleimages.org)

Anyway, those four beast look to be combined into the final Beast of Revelation as one composite Beast:

1 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. 2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. (Revelation 13:1-2)

CCOG portrayal of the Beast of Revelation 13:1-2

HWA

Now ... that first animal which was like a lion, (which is the king of beasts) represented Nebuchadnezzar - was the same as the head of gold of the statue. The second (which is a bear) is the same as the breast of silver. In other words he's talking about the four great world empires. The second one then was like a bear.

The bear was the Medo-Persian Empire.

7:6

6 "After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.

The leopard represented the Greek Empire.

HWA

Dominion: You see it's talking about a government that had dominion to rule (the governments that were influenced by Satan). God told Adam that his children would have these governments. Now here they are coming along. These are the main governments that were world governments.

7:7

7 "After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.

HWA

[Now, this iron compares to the iron legs of the other beast. The iron legs were the Roman Empire that had a capital in the West at Rome, a capital in the East at Constantinople. It was the two, the East and the West but they were all Roman Empire. "I considered"... Now lets see;] ...before it; and it had ten horns.

Now I want you to notice; the first beast had a head. It was like a lion. The second was like a bear and had a head. Now you've got two heads. The third beast was like a leopard, but the leopard had four heads; and now you've got six heads.

Now there is a seventh one to come up and that makes seven heads. But on this seventh one are ten horns. Now, with that;

7:8

8 I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.

That particular little horn looks to a reference to the papacy ruling in Rome.

HWA

The fourth beast then was the Roman Empire, and the Roman Empire really fell in 476 A.D. And "there were three".

The little horn is the Roman Catholic Church, and before it there were three that were plucked up by the roots. They are gone, you can't find any trace of then in history. They were the Heruli, the Ostergoths and the Vandals.

You could say that there were three "barbarian" groups that took over Rome--the Visogoths, ruled by Alaric (410, Rome sacked)--the Vandals, ruled by Genseric (455, Rome sacked)--the Heruli, ruled by Odoacer (476, Roman emperor killed). The Roman pontiffs arose and essentially filled the power vacuum there.

7:9

9 "I watched till thrones were put in place, And the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a burning fire;

HWA

I beheld till the thrones [of these governments now; represented by these wild animals who had the characteristics of wild animals, not of tame animals] were cast down, and the Ancient of Days did sit, [that is God, the Ancient of Days, and] whose garment was white as snow, [which is a symbol in the Bible of purity and righteousness and holiness] and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels [like] burning fire.

God has a throne. God is the one who governs the whole universe.

God's kingdom and way involves governance.

7:10

10 A fiery stream issued And came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, And the books were opened.

11 "I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame. 12 As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.

Notice the fulfillment of this prophesied in Revelation:

19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. (Revelation 19:19-20)

HWA

The people went on but their government was taken away and destroyed. You see?

7:13-14

13 "I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. 14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.His dominion is an everlasting dominion,Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.

Notice that one LIKE the Son of Man. Jesus did not actually become the son of a human until He was conceived in Mary. We know that this is not about an angel as angels are ministering spirits to humans (Hebrews 1:14), but in Daniel 7:13 we see humans serving the one like the Son of Man.

HWA

That is the Kingdom of God when Christ will come, and that's going to happen in your life time - you younger people.

The coming Kingdom of God is good news and we have a booklet on it, The Gospel of the Kingdom of God, translated into more languages than have ever happened since the Church began in the second chapter of the Book of Acts (see Preaching the Gospel in Over 1500 Languages).

7:15-18

15 "I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. 16 I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things: 17 'Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth. 18 But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.'

Yes, true Christians will reign in the Kingdom of God forever.

HWA

The saints are the church. Many of the saints are dead. That includes Peter, and Paul, and John, and Andrew, and Philip. They are going to be resurrected. That includes the church today. We're going to be there. I expect to be there.

Now if you like the governments and the way on earth today, and you want the agony as well as the ecstasy, you can have it. I don't want it. You can have it. If you want to be sick at your stomach and vomit and throw up and then go and eat your own vomit. Go ahead and do it. I don't want to.

I want the way of God (the right way, the happy way), that's the way I'm going to live. But the saints of the most High are going to take over all the governments. That's why we have to have government in the church. We're going to rule the rest of the nations. We have to learn how to govern and how to be governed in the church now, today. And you'll notice that many of them that have gone out of the church, their whole trouble is they don't like the government. They don't want the government of God. They want the government of man.

This is not just a problem for the world, the bulk of the true Christians do not accept the type of hierarchical governance God expects His Philadelphian Christians to follow. See also: The Bible, Peter, Paul, John, Polycarp, Herbert W. Armstrong, Roderick C. Meredith, and Bob Thiel on Church Government.

7:19-20a

19 "Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet; 20 and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, before which three fell,

The fourth beast with the ten horns is also shown in Revelation 17. This is the final Beast ridden by Mystery Babylon the Great:

3 So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. 5 And on her forehead a name was written:

MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

6 I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement. (Revelation 17:3-6)

7:20b-21

namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows.

21 "I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them,

HWA

and a mouth that spake very great things, [which really represented the papacy and the Roman Catholic Church] whose look was more stout than his fellows. (21) I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints…

And in history they have. They put the saints to death. The Catholic Church persecuted and put the saints to death That's the history of the Catholic Church. That's why God calls it a Great Whore, full of blasphemies and the worst thing that even God could call anyone. It's the worst counterfeit that ever happened.

Let me note that the Church of Rome will get destroyed by supporters of the Beast:

15 Then he said to me, "The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. 16 And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. 18 And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth." (Revelation 17:15-18)

The old WCG did not, and most other COGs do not, understand this. While the harlot Church of Rome is destroyed, the false prophet is not until Revelation 19. This is one of the reasons I have long contended that the last pope would be an anti-pope. Also, from Revelation 13:11-17, you can see that he gets people to worship the Beast that rises from the Sea--promoting emperor worship like that is not something a pontiff who believes the modern Roman Catholic faith would do.

7:22-24

22 until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.

23 "Thus he said:

'The fourth beast shall be A fourth kingdom on earth,Which shall be different from all other kingdoms, And shall devour the whole earth,Trample it and break it in pieces. 24 The ten horns are ten kings Who shall arise from this kingdom.And another shall rise after them; He shall be different from the first ones, And shall subdue three kings.

HWA

24) And the ten horns [Now get this. The ten horns out of that kingdom, that was that seventh head now of the Roman Empire] ...are ten kings [or kingdoms] that shall arise: and another shall rise after them…

That was the papacy now; and after them but before the bishops of Rome; the Heruli, the Ostergoths and the Vandals were passed out and plucked up by the roots.

Regarding the horns and the seventh head, check out the article: The European Union and the Seven Kings of Revelation 17.

That said, let me state that we have been living in abnormally peaceful times for the true Church. And while we have seen various forms of persecution, it will get worse.

The Book of Daniel shows a two-part persecution coming (I added the a and b below for emphasis).

7:25

25 a He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, Shall persecute the saints of the Most High, And shall intend to change times and law. b Then the saints shall be given into his hand For a time and times and half a time. (Daniel 7:25)

First of all (a), he shall persecute certain of the saints, which is consistent with what Jesus said was coming:

9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:9-14)

Much of the above will affect the Philadelphian Christians:

30 For ships from Cyprus {Western Lands}shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and return in rage against the holy covenant, and do damage.

"So he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant. 31 And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation. 32 Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. 33 And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering. 34 Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them by intrigue. 35 And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time. (Daniel 11:30-35)

Now, Jesus promised the Philadelphian Christians will be protected (see also There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Petra):

7 "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write,

'These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens": 8 "I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. 9 Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie — indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. (Revelation 3:7-10)

13 Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. 14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. 15 So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. 16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 12:13-17)

Part of why the Philadelphians will be persecuted is for proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and probably also for identifying the coming King of the North, who will not wish to be identified that way. This will likely result in internet and other restrictions on getting the truth of God out to the world (cf. Amos 8:11-12).

Second of all as Daniel 7:25 b and Revelation 12:17 both show, the remaining saints will be given into the King of the North Beast's hand for a time, times, and half a time. This is the portion of the COG, the non-Philadelphians, who are NOT protested in the wilderness as Revelation 12:17 shows.

While many in the Church of God have experienced economic and social persecution in their walk with Christ, future severe persecution, beginning first with the Philadelphia remnant of Christians, is expected.

Persecution is a fact of history. It has happened before and we should be prepared for the fact that it will happen again. And during the time of the final persecutions, the Bible records:

12 Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus (Revelation 14:12).

Thus, though the Philadelphian Christians will be subject to intense persecution first before this, even the Laodiceans (The Laodicean Church Era) and other Christians will receive some praise if they endure the persecutions that will then come during the time of “the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world” (Revelation 3:10).

While many seem to not wish to pay attention to this subject, the reality is that persecution has existed throughout history against those with Church of God doctrines. Jesus predicted that as well as more persecution to come. Some may be shocked by certain doctrines that Christians have been persecuted for (and often by those who profess to be Christian).

Those in the true Church of God have always been the side being persecuted and has never been on the side of the persecutors. And this will be true again in the future.

Getting back to Daniel 7:25, we saw the statement "And shall intend to change times and law."

Dallas Theological Seminary pointed to perhaps changing the seven day week by a beast in its course on Daniel (which I took) related to this verse.

It appears that the Beast will modify the calendar and change the days of the week somehow. If we consider that Emperor Constantine was a type of the Beast, his imperial Council of Nicea of 325 A.D. asserted that Passver was not on the biblical date, but on a Sunday. Later, Emperor Theodosius declared the death penalty for Christians who held to the biblical date of the 14th of Nisan/Abib.

Various Sabbath-keepers have felt that Sunday-keeping was the ‘mark of the beast.’ Christians will enter God’s rest (Hebrews 4:9-11), the Beast’s followers will not. However, the ‘mark of the beast’ involves commandment breaking--not just Sabbath breaking (see Mark of the Beast)--how the King of the North Beast and Antichrist will violate each of them is discussed in our free ebook: The Ten Commandments: The Decalogue, Christianity, and the Beast. Anyway, somehow the Beast will try to change times.

7:26-27

26 'But the court shall be seated, And they shall take away his dominion,To consume and destroy it forever. 27 Then the kingdom and dominion,And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.'

HWA

{the saints} That is God's church. And the saints that are already dead will be resurrected. That will start back with old father Abraham and the prophets of the Old Testament and the apostles of the New. They'll be resurrected and the kingdom (the government) will be given to them. ...

Now, you see, you've got that as a background. Now we turn onto the thirteenth chapter of Revelation. The book of Revelation, and the thirteenth chapter of Revelation ties right up to it. Now of course there is a whole time sequence in Revelation. It would be nice to begin at the first of Revelation. And the second and third are the messages of Christ about the seven epics and eras of the church. And the fourth and the fifth show the throne of God; the sixth shows the opening of the seals; and the seventh and eighth and ninth, and so on show the time of the beginning of the Day of the Lord.

The book of Revelation is all about the time when God begins to intervene in world affairs. Now, here in the thirteenth chapter of the book of Revelation and John is telling what he saw in vision. He seemed to think he was taken in vision to…well he was on the Island of Patmos when this vision came to him.

7:28

28 "This is the end of the account. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly troubled me, and my countenance changed; but I kept the matter in my heart."

Daniel was wise, God's prophet, had the dream from God, but did not understand it, though he did see it was about a greatly troubled time.

Chapter 8

Now to chapter 8

8:1 In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me -- to me, Daniel -- after the one that appeared to me the first time.

Again this is chronologically BEFORE chapter 5.

2 I saw in the vision, and it so happened while I was looking, that I was in Shushan, the citadel, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in the vision that I was by the River Ulai. 3 Then I lifted my eyes and saw, and there, standing beside the river, was a ram which had two horns, and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. 4 I saw the ram pushing westward, northward, and southward, so that no animal could withstand him; nor was there any that could deliver from his hand, but he did according to his will and became great.

This ram is identified later in this chapter.

8:5

5 And as I was considering, suddenly a male goat came from the west, across the surface of the whole earth, without touching the ground; and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. 6 Then he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing beside the river, and ran at him with furious power. 7 And I saw him confronting the ram; he was moved with rage against him, attacked the ram, and broke his two horns. There was no power in the ram to withstand him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled him; and there was no one that could deliver the ram from his hand.

8 Therefore the male goat grew very great; but when he became strong, the large horn was broken, and in place of it four notable ones came up toward the four winds of heaven.

This male goat is believed to be Alexander the Great. His empire broke into four parts after his death: the Ptolemaic Kingdom (centered in Egypt), the Seleucid Empire (in Persia and Mesopotamia), the Antigonid Kingdom (in Macedonia and Greece), and the Attalid Kingdom (in Pergamon, Asia Minor). These kingdoms were ruled by Alexander's generals or their descendants.

8:9

9 And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land. 10 And it grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them.

Now the only one of the four horns of Alexander's empire that was north and west of Jerusalem was the Antigonid Kingdom. It ended up being conquered and included as part of the Roman Empire.

A horn is sometimes used in the Bible related to kings (cf. Revelation 17:12). Now, let me add that this little horn is not the papacy, but now looks to be the horn that has grown into the European Union--which will grow into the final Beast power. And while the above has had a past fulfillment anciently, this prophecy seems to be dual.

The European Union has mainly expanded south and east of the Benelux nations. Now, approximately 450 million people are under a new, single (though not completed united) government, called the European Union, headquartered in Brussels. The prophecy in Daniel 8:9 looks to be pointing the EEU and EU because of the amount and timing of that expansion--but that will later lead per Daniel 8:10-12 to the rise of the final Beast of the sea who is also the final King of the North of Daniel 11.

While the expansion has mainly occurred with what looks to be the EEU/EU, the final rising up pertains to the final King of the North who is also the seventh king of Revelation 17:10 (see The European Union and the Seven Kings of Revelation 17). And he will also end up going south, not just towards, but into and past the glorious land per Daniel 11:40-43. He then may have control of much of the east and south side of the Mediterranean Sea like the ancient Roman Empire did.

Let me add that while some Protestants have been starting to wake up to the reality of an emerging European superpower being the revival of the old Roman Empire to represent the Beast of Revelation. And that is consistent with the following which is consistent with the Beast of the Sea of Revelation 13:1-10 and the final King of the North of Daniel 11:29-38:

11 He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down.

Regarding that horn, here is something that the last evangelist Dr. Herman Hoeh wrote:

What the “Little Horn” Will Do

Continue with this amazing prophecy for the latter days! “And it {the little horn} waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. Yea, he magnified himself even to the Prince of the host, and BY HIM THE DAILY SACRIFICE WAS TAKEN AWAY, AND THE PLACE OF HIS SANCTUARY WAS CAST DOWN” (Dan. 8:10-11).

The “little horn” also persecutes the true Church — the “holy people” who shall shine in the resurrection like the stars of heaven (compare Dan. 8:10 and 24 with Dan. 12:3).

NOT Heavenly Sanctuary!

Turn to Daniel 8:11. See the BIBLE answer with your own eyes: “Yea, he {the “little horn”} magnified himself even to the Prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.” The margin in the King James Version provides an alternative rendering. Instead of “by him” -- meaning the “little horn” -- it has “from him” -- meaning the Prince of the host. The original inspired Hebrew can be translated both ways into English. Either translation is correct. But notice what this scripture says! The daily sacrifice is to be taken away! The sanctuary is to be cast down!

Now consider: IF the daily sacrifice is, as some believe, the daily work of Christ in heaven, then a mortal man — the “little horn” — would have power to intervene IN HEAVEN and STOP THE WORK OF JESUS CHRIST! Further, IF the “sanctuary” were in heaven, he would have the power to “cast down” the sanctuary -- the very throne of God in heaven! IMPOSSIBLE! No man can stop Jesus Christ from performing His work in heaven! No man — no ruler -- not even the devil himself -- can cast down the throne of God and profane His Holy Sanctuary!...

THIS IS A PROPHECY FOR THE LATTER DAYS! Some have tried to explain this prophecy before God's time came to reveal it! One particular denomination claims that this vision of "2300 days" commenced in 457 B.C. and ended in A.D. 1844. This denomination claims that the "2300 days" represent 2300 years in fulfillment. This denomination further insists that the "sanctuary" that was cast down is the Holy of Holies in heaven itself — God's very throne! They claim that the very throne of God was "cleansed" beginning in 1844.

This denomination has assumed that the prophecy commenced fulfillment in 457 B.C. How did they arrive at this date? They certainly didn't get it from the Bible!

Notice why!

The Medo-Persian Empire ruled the world until 331 B.C. Then Alexander came on the scene. He died in 323 B.C., after which his empire was divided into four parts. Out of one of the four divisions of Alexander's Empire is to rise this little horn "IN THE LATTER DAYS!" It is the little horn which takes away the daily sacrifice and casts down the sanctuary! Whatever the little horn is to do for "2300 days" cannot have begun UNTIL AFTER THE DIVISION OF ALEXANDER'S EMPIRE INTO FOUR PARTS! But 457 B.C. is over a century too early! That date cannot be the commencement of the "2300 days"!

But notice further. The little horn takes away the daily sacrifice! Was the daily sacrifice taken away from 457 B.C. until 1844? Did a king for 2300 years prevent the daily sacrifice from being offered? Did a king for 2300 years cast down the sanctuary of God? Of course not! THE JEWS WERE OFFERING THE DAILY SACRIFICE ALMOST CONTINUOUSLY FROM THE DAYS OF EZRA AND NEHEMIAH UNTIL THE JEWS WERE DRIVEN OUT OF JERUSALEM IN 70 A.D.

The date 457 B.C. is the commencement of ANOTHER prophecy altogether — the "seventy weeks" prophecy in Daniel 9:25. The year 457 B.C. marks the commencement of Daniel's prophecy of "seventy weeks" which led to the first coming of Jesus Christ! THAT PROPHECY HAS NOTHING DIRECTLY TO DO WITH THE PROPHECY RECORDED HERE IN DANIEL 8! The prophecy of Dan. 9 is a detailed explanation of one aspect of Daniel's FIRST vision in chapter 7 (compare Dan. 9:21,23 and 7:16).

The prophecy of Daniel 9 is not the explanation of the "2300 days." That prophecy was sealed from human understanding until this "time of the end."
Daniel 8 proves that this prophecy of the "2300 days" could not have commenced in 457 B.C.! And therefore IT DID NOT END IN 1844! (Hoeh H. The 2300 Days. Plain Truth, August 1965)

The group related to the 1844 explanation is the Seventh-Day Adventists.

8:12

12 Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered.

Vss.11-12 seems to be consistent with Daniel 11:31-39.

Note that before these sacrifices can be objected to, they must start. That starting is something to watch for. When we see it stopped, Jesus said His followers should flee per Matthew 24:15.

Dr. Herman Hoeh wrote:

... verse -- 12 -- is not clearly translated in the King James Version. It reads: “And a host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression” -- the margin reads: “the host was given over for the transgression against the daily sacrifice” -- “and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered.”

A clearer rendering of verse 12 is found in the Jewish translation: “And the host was given over to it [the little horn] together with the continual burnt-offering through transgression.

8:13

13 Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, "How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?"

14 And he said to me, "For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed."

Dr. Herman Hoeh wrote:

verses 13 and 14 of Daniel 8 ...

Another enigma!

This answer to this mysterious time period was hidden from Daniel’s understanding — was not to be revealed until the latter days! …

The King of the North

The little horn in Daniel 8 is none other than the LAST KING of one of the four divisions of Alexander’s Empire. He is, in fact, the final “King of the North” described in Daniel 11. …

That “little horn” — the final “king of the north” — is about to manifest himself on the world scene!

... verse 14 of chapter 8...here is a prophecy that two thousand three hundred evenings and morning sacrifices would cease to be offered. Since the daily sacrifice was offered twice a day, this prophecy is actually speaking of one thousand one hundred fifty (1150) days. In 1150 days there would be exactly two thousand three hundred sacrifices offered at evening and morning…At the end of this 1150-day period the sanctuary is to be “cleansed” or “justified”…

In Daniel 11 the last King of the North is pictured…This amazing prophecy of the 2300 evenings and mornings is yet to be fulfilled in our day. A great crisis is yet to occur in Palestine…

A great European Church-State union will be in control of Palestine and the whole Western World. It will prohibit the Truth. It will "cast down the truth to the ground." It will practice and prosper!

It will persecute and martyr God's Holy people. It will be allowed to tread Jerusalem underfoot and to prohibit the daily sacrifice at the sanctuary for 1150 days. It will substitute its own abominable, idolatrous rites in place of the evening and morning sacrifice. Jesus referred to this same event in Matthew 24:15. "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, STAND IN THE HOLY PLACE, (whoso readeth, let him understand;) Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains ... for then shall be great tribulation ..."--climaxing in the second coming of Jesus Christ (verses 15-21).

The Gentiles will tread down Jerusalem for 1260 days (Rev. 11)--a period that includes the 1150 days. It is the time of the two witnesses...God will suddenly intervene in human affairs. He will put an end to this idolatrous system. (Hoeh H. The 2300 Days Revealed. Plain Truth, August 1965, pp. 25-29)

Another explanation might allow that approximately 110 days before the 1260 days is over (1260 minus 1150; there are also 3 days that the two witnesses are dead and the 1290 days that needs to be considered, etc., thus 110 is in that sense an approximate number) that the European Church/State power will be stopped from holding its idolatrous sacrifices (“mass” is considered a sacrifice by Eastern and Roman Catholics).

8:15

15 Then it happened, when I, Daniel, had seen the vision and was seeking the meaning, that suddenly there stood before me one having the appearance of a man. 16 And I heard a man's voice between the banks of the Ulai, who called, and said, "Gabriel, make this man understand the vision." 17 So he came near where I stood, and when he came I was afraid and fell on my face; but he said to me, "Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end."

So, we see that Daniel was not sure what this meant. God decided to have Gabriel, the angel, give him some information:

8:18

18 Now, as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep with my face to the ground; but he touched me, and stood me upright. 19 And he said, "Look, I am making known to you what shall happen in the latter time of the indignation; for at the appointed time the end shall be. 20 The ram which you saw, having the two horns — they are the kings of Media and Persia. 21 And the male goat is the kingdom of Greece. The large horn that is between its eyes is the first king. 22 As for the broken horn and the four that stood up in its place, four kingdoms shall arise out of that nation, but not with its power.

So, in the verses above we see that the Medo-Persian empire and then the Greek empire were prophesied. This is one reason that the anti-biblical scholars do not accept that Daniel was written until the 2nd century BC. But they are in error.

Sadlyl, they do not believe the word of God which states:

9 Remember the former things of old,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like Me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things that are not yet done,
Saying, 'My counsel shall stand,
And I will do all My pleasure,'
11 Calling a bird of prey from the east,
The man who executes My counsel, from a far country.
Indeed I have spoken it;
I will also bring it to pass.
I have purposed it;
I will also do it. (Isaiah 46:9-11)

Yes, God can make prophecies, or inspire His prophets to make and/or record them, and then make them come to pass.

8:23

23 "And in the latter time of their kingdom,When the transgressors have reached their fullness,A king shall arise,Having fierce features,Who understands sinister schemes.

Dr. Herman Hoeh wrote:

Look at this prophecy again. Notice it is a prophecy for the latter days. The little horn symbolizes a king who shall arise "in the latter time of their kingdom" (verse 23). This man stands up AGAINST THE PRINCE OF PRINCES — that is Christ at His second coming! Here is a great Gentile world ruler who stands up against Christ and is supernaturally destroyed — "without hand" — not by human hand but by divine intervention in human affairs.
The Bible interprets this "little horn" as A RULER WHO SHALL EXIST AT THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST! He comes on the scene when world transgression — world sin — has reached its climax (verse 23).

This "little horn" is described again in Revelation 17:14. There we read that he makes war with the Lamb and the Lamb shall overcome him and his allies. This "little horn" does the same thing as the final "beast" of Revelation!

8:24

24 His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; He shall destroy fearfully, And shall prosper and thrive; He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people.

Dr. Herman Hoeh wrote:

The explanation of verse 10 is revealed in verse 24: “And his {the little horn’s} power shall be mighty.” That’s the explanation of the first part of verse 10: “it waxed great.” To continue with verse 24: “But not by his own power.” This king will not accomplish his great deeds by his own strength. Revelation 17:17 reveals why. Ten lesser kings GIVE THEIR MILITARY POWER AND STRENGTH “unto the Beast.”

This little horn (Dan 8:24) “shall destroy wonderfully” -- shall have marvelous, frightening military powers “and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people” (verse 24). Here is a persecuting power, a union of church and state, which destroys the hosts -- armies of the “mighty people” God’s people Israel. That includes not only the Jews -- the House of Judah, but the whole English-speaking world the House of Israel, the so-called Lost Ten Tribes!

The holy people are Christians. As far as the descendants of Israel go, more on the identity of the Ten Tribes can be found in our free e-book: Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America?

Anyway, just Daniel 8:24 is prophesying a persecution for God's people--end time Christians! Christians not protected during the Great Tribulation (for information on those that can be, please see the article There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Petra and/or the YouTube video Might Petra be the Place of Safety?) will have a dreadful time. See also: Persecutions by Church and State.

8:25

25 "Through his cunning He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; And he shall exalt himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in their prosperity. He shall even rise against the Prince of princes; But he shall be broken without human means.

Yes, he will exalt himself in his heart. He is also the same one who is called the 'man of sin" in 2 Thessalonians (see also Who is the Man of Sin of 2 Thessalonians 2?). Related to this in a class I took on Daniel at Dallas Theological Seminary, interestingly, the instructor, Dr. Bramer, added, "I think that many things in our university are completely false, they're against the word of God, but they're being spoken with great enthusiasm and authority and people are buying into them." And let me add that is true in regards to trinitarianism, salvation, prophecy, and other issues taught there, as well as other theological seminaries.

8:26

26 "And the vision of the evenings and mornings Which was told is true; Therefore seal up the vision, For it refers to many days in the future."

So, the fulfillment of the 2300 evenings and mornings was NOT for Daniel's day, over 2500 years ago! But it expected to be fulfilled in the 21st century.

8:27

27 And I, Daniel, fainted and was sick for days; afterward I arose and went about the king's business. I was astonished by the vision, but no one understood it.

Apparently Daniel explained the vision to some, but none understood. The closer we get to the end, the more we likely will understand about it.

Here is a link to a sermon covering the three previous chapters: Daniel 6-8: Four Beasts and the King of the North.

Chapter 9

In the Decemer 1965 Good News magazine, the old Radio Church of God published an article titled Daniel Nine Proves Jesus Is The Christ.

That had to do with what is known as the 70 weeks prophecy, which we will get to.

And many people, in an outside the Church of God, see that prophecy as pointing to Jesus. Specifically the first 69 weeks of it.

Secular sources, like Wikipedia to cite one example, downplay the significance of that prophecy as it would undermine the anti-biblical view that many scholars hold.

That said, the seventy weeks prophecy is included in the 9th chapter of the Book of Daniel.

Now to chapter 9 where a seventy year prophesy is also mentioned:

1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans -- 2 in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the Lord through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

Notice that desolations is part of that prophecy. As far as a period for its fulfillment, the Study Bible commentary states:

The seventy-year desolation of Jerusalem is a significant prophetic period that reflects God's judgment and mercy. This period began with the first deportation of Jews to Babylon in 605 BC and concluded with the decree of Cyrus allowing the Jews to return in 538 BC.

If the years shown above are correct, that only adds up to 67 years--and possibly 66 1/2 since this captivity, according to one in the old WCG, did not start until the Summer of 605 or the Spring of 606 (Wardrop G. Introduction to Bible Chronology. 1986)--hence that suggests another 3 1/2 years of desolation for Jerusalem, which is consistent with Daniel 9:27.

Jeremiah referred to the deportation of Jews from the Kingdom of Judah (Jeremiah 52:29), which began in c. 605-606 BC, but did not list an amount of years.

As far as seventy years goes, Dr. Bramer of Dallas Theological Seminary pointed to Jeremiah 25:11-12 and 29:10, but that points to something else--Babylon being captive, and not desolations of Jerusalem. He also pointed to Zechariah 1:2; 7:5; 2 Chronicles 36:21, which looks to be applicable--but not in direct relationship to Jeremiah.

Now Daniel did not say that Jeremiah wrote about those 70 years, but since the verse says words, it looks like this 70 years was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah.

Anyway, Daniel then prays:

9:3

3 Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. 4 And I prayed to the Lord my God, and made confession, and said, "O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, 5 we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments. 6 Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land. 7 O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day — to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which they have committed against You.

Daniel admits that his people had sinned and not followed God.

9:8

8 "O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. 9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him. 10 We have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets. 11 Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him. 12 And He has confirmed His words, which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster; for under the whole heaven such has never been done as what has been done to Jerusalem.

Daniel seems to be referring to passages in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28.

9:13

13 "As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us; yet we have not made our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth. 14 Therefore the Lord has kept the disaster in mind, and brought it upon us; for the Lord our God is righteous in all the works which He does, though we have not obeyed His voice. 15 And now, O Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and made Yourself a name, as it is this day — we have sinned, we have done wickedly!

Yes, the end time descendants of Israel (see Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America?) need to heed the law, which God had promised blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28.

Daniel continues his prayer.

9:16

16 "O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us. 17 Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord's sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate. 18 O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. 19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name."

9:20

20 Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God, 21 yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering. 22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, "O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand. 23 At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision:

So, God sends the angel Gabriel to provide information.

9:24

24 "Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy.

The above relates to 490 years. The events in verse 24 above may or may not be sequential chronologically.

Jesus came "when the fullness of time had come" (Galatians 4:4). If the anointing of the Most Holy is not a place (and while some translation suggest that is so, details from numerous commentators suggest a person), it would perhaps seem that the anointing of the Most Holy could have been when Jesus was baptized--and that is an event recorded in all four of the Gospel accounts (Matthew 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; John 1:32). Consider:

9 It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. 11 Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

12 Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. 13 And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.

14 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel." (Mark 1:9-15)

So, we see the fulfillment of the time in Daniel 9:24 to anoint the Most Holy could have been completed by Mark 1:15--with the other option (presuming this is a reference to Jesus) would seem to be when Jesus returns--because He will be King then (Revelation 19:16), and not a Prince like we see in Daniel 9:25.

9:25

25 "Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times.

69 weeks from the time of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem to the Messiah. 69 times 7 days in a week equals 483, seeming years. And that looks like it points to the year Jesus was baptised and started His ministry. Notice here the Messiah is a Prince, not the King of King and Lord of Lords.

9:26a

26 "And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself;

The passages in Daniel 9:24-26a have been pointed to as proof of Jesus being the Messiah. How so?

Well, for one reason, that prophecy shows that the Messiah was to come before the Temple was destroyed.

Furthermore, the prophecy in Daniel 9:24 ties the timing of the “anointed one/Mashiach” in verse 26, to a decree. This is the decree of Ezra 7:12-26. Daniel also mentions that Jerusalem will be rebuilt and that happened as we can see in the Book of Nehemiah.

Daniel 9:25-26 says that after the cutting off of the “anointed one” the city (Jerusalem) will be destroyed and the sanctuary (the Temple) will be destroyed as well. The sanctuary/temple was destroyed by General Titus in 70 A.D.

In the Continuing Church of God, we have taught that Jesus was resurrected in 31 A.D. or possibly 34 or 35 A.D. (this is also partially based upon the date on the Hebrew calendar Jesus took His last Passover, plus outside confirmation related to darkness that happened per Matthew 27:45, Mark 15:33, and Luke 23:45). Hence the Temple was destroyed after the Messiah came.

Now, let’s look at an explanation from the old Radio Church of God about the Daniel 9 prophecy:

At the time of Jesus’ life on this earth, Herod — the king in Judea — the wise men from the nations to the east, and many of the priests, scribes, and elders, as well as the common people, realized that the seventy weeks prophecy of Daniel 9 was nearing its completion. The Messiah, the Prince, was eagerly looked forward to, to free them from the yoke of Roman oppression. The Messiah was expected because of an understanding of this prophecy. But He was misunderstood when He appeared in the fulfillment of this prophecy, because they refused to recognize the first portion of the prophecy and hung their hope only on the last portion. …

Here, very plainly, is listed the exact time at which the prophesied Messiah would appear to begin to do the work mentioned in verse 24. The command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem was given by Artaxerxes in 457 B.C. Much of the book of Ezra and the entire book of Nehemiah cover this particular event. Seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks equal sixty-nine weeks. So the prophecies show that from the going forth of the command to rebuild Jerusalem in 457 B. C. it would be 483 years until the appearance of the prophesied Messiah to begin fulfilling the works of verse 24. (Hill DJ. HERE’S WHY Jews Reject Jesus and Christians Reject Christ! Plain Truth, April 1962)

Adding 483 to the year 457 B.C. brings the year 27 A.D. (there was no year “zero” between B.C. and A.D.). That brings us to the time that Jesus began His ministry (apparently in the Fall of the year). His ministry is believed to have lasted 3 ½ years or possibly longer, hence the veil would have seemingly been torn in the Spring of 31 A.D. The Greco-Roman Catholic historian Sextus Julius Africanus also pointed to the decree being from Artaxerxes (see Jerome's Commentary on Daniel).

Thus, the ministry of Jesus, as well as the subsequent destruction of Jerusalem is consistent with that prophecy in Daniel 9.

Based on that timing, one would think that the Jews would accept Jesus, but that is generally not the case.

Let’s look at a Jewish argument against Daniel 9:

Christians based their understand {sic} with a belief that the starting point of the prophesy begins in 444 BCE with the decree issued by King Artaxerxex (Ezra 7:11-16). Sixty–nine weeks (483 years) would bring you to 39 CE. This is 7 years off the commonly accepted date of 32 CE being the year Jesus was put to death. …

This seven-year discrepancy is resolved by Christian theologians who redefined the definition of a “year.” They claim that prophecies like Daniel’s are to be understood in “Prophetic years” that have 360 days rather than 365 ¼ days. (Daniel 9 – A True Biblical Interpretation A brief explanation of Daniel Chapter 9. Jews for Judaism http://jewsforjudaism.org/knowledge/articles/daniel-9-a-true-biblical-interpretation/ accessed 04/24/18)

The two issues with the above are that while some Protestants may have used 444 B.C. as their starting point, the ascension year for King Artaxerxes began in 464 B.C.E., which placed his seventh year as 458-457. So, if you use 365¼ day years, you arrive at 26-27 A.D.--essentially with the start of Jesus' ministry in the Fall of 27 A.D.

Let’s look at what Ezra recorded (some verses not included for space) using a Jewish translation of the Book of Ezra:

7 And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinim, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king. 8 And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. (Ezra 7:7-8, JPS)

11 Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, the scribe, even the scribe of the words of the commandments of the LORD, and of His statutes to Israel:

12 “Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, and so forth. And now 13 I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and their priests and the Levites, in my realm, that are minded of their own free will to go with thee to Jerusalem, go. (Ezra 7:11-13, JPS)

25 And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God that is in thy hand, appoint magistrates and judges, who may judge all the people that are beyond the River, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye him that knoweth them not. 26 And whosoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed upon him with all diligence, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.”

27 Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who hath put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem; (Ezra 7:25-27, JPS)

Now, the two main Jewish arguments against the timing seem to be 1) which decree, by whom, and when and 2) the anointed one does not have to be the Messiah (per Jews for Judaism; other Jewish sources were also consulted to conclude this).

Yet, if one accepts the decree in Ezra 7 and that Daniel 9 was referring to the Messiah as the Anointed One (as the Complete Jewish Bible and other sources confirm), all should accept that Jesus fulfilled the timing of that.

Now, what about Jesus being cut off after the 62 weeks? Well, when does that 62 week period start? Well, it has to start later than when the 69 weeks began as the Messiah could not be cut off before He was born. Presuming it starts when Jerusalem was fully rebuilt, we are looking at probably somewhere between 405-400 BC. The reality is that archeologists are not sure when Jerusalem's rebuilding was complete (Borschel-Dan. 2,500-year-old seals may show Jews rebuilding Jerusalem after 1st Temple exile. Times of Israel, June 30, 2020), thus, to reach a 31 A.D. cutting off execution of Jesus, that would point to c. 404 BC.

According to Jewish writer, Abba Hillel Silver, many Jews did expect the Messiah during the first century:

The Book of Daniel, the one canonized apocalyptic tract out of many which were widely circulated and held in high regard by the people dwelt upon the mystery of the “end of days” …

Prior to the first century, Messianic interest was not excessive …

The first century … witnessed a remarkable outburst of Messianic emotionalism. This is to be attributed … to the prevalent belief induced by the popular chronology of that day (Silver AH. The History of Messianic Speculation in Israel. Written 1927. Kessinger Publishing paperback 2010, pp. 4,5)

So, there was a lot of Messianic expectation in the first century, based upon calculations from writings such as Daniel.
Shlomo Yitzchaki, also known as Rashi (RAbbi SHlomo ben Isaac), of the 11th century, wrote about Daniel 9:24,26:

Seventy weeks [of years] have been decreed on Jerusalem from the day of the first destruction in the days of Zedekiah until it will be [destroyed] the second time. to terminate the transgression and to end sin so that Israel should receive their complete retribution in the exile of Titus and his subjugation, in order that their transgressions should terminate, their sins should end, and their iniquities should be expiated, in order to bring upon them eternal righteousness and to anoint upon them (sic) the Holy of Holies: the Ark, the altars, and the holy vessels, which they will bring to them through the king Messiah. The number of seven weeks is four hundred and ninety years. The Babylonian exile was seventy [years] and the Second Temple stood four hundred and twenty [years]. …

And after those weeks. the anointed one will be cut off. Agrippa, the king of Judea, who was ruling at the time of the destruction, will be slain and he will be no more Heb. וְאֵין לוֹ, and he will not have. The meaning is that he will not be the anointed one Heb. מָשִׁיחַ. This is purely an expression of a prince and a dignitary and the city and the Sanctuary lit. and the city and the Holy and the people of the coming monarch will destroy [The monarch who will come] upon them. That is Titus and his armies. (Rashi. Judaica Press Complete Tanach, Daniel - Chapter 9)

So, Rashi correctly admitted Daniel 9 was a messianic prophecy that was fulfilled about the time of Jesus.

“Herod” Marcus Julius Agrippa was king of Judah from around A.D. 27--basically the same time Jesus looks to have started His ministry. So, if the timing of Agrippa is right like Rashi wrote, then obviously the timing of Jesus was in accordance with Daniel 9:24-26.

As far as Agrippa goes, the Jews revolted against him in 66. Later, he helped the Romans and their general Titus conquer Jerusalem. Agrippa was rewarded for his efforts in helping Rome and lived and reigned decades after the fall of Jerusalem. King Agrippa II was not the anointed “King Messiah.”

As far as Rashi goes, apparently the reason for the messiahship going to Agrippa was because of Israel’s sins. Rashi also declared:

After 2000 years of Torah it was God’s decree that the Messiah would come and the wicked generation would come to an end and the subjugation of Israel would be destroyed.

But Jesus did come at the right time and the Temple was afterwards destroyed as was prophesied in Daniel 9:24-26.

Consider further that Abraham ibn Ezra (1092-1167), who is considered one of the most distinguished Jewish biblical commentators in the Middle Ages, also taught “Daniel … (chap. 9) leads up to Titus and the destruction” (Silver, pp. 212,213).

So, even Jewish authorities have agreed that Daniel 9 was pointing to the time of Jesus.

Yet, notice something related to some messianic teachings in the Talmud:

The Messiah will come not in accordance with the opinion of our Rabbis, (Sanhedrin 97b, v. 5)

Of course, the Messiah comes in accordance with scripture and God’s plan. Yet it may be that the above came out because Daniel 9 pointed to Jesus and as well as the disappointment associated trying to time Daniel 9 with Simon Bar Kokhba.

Jews should accept the “chronology” of Daniel 9 which clearly pointed to the time of Jesus and the subsequent Temple destruction.

There is no doubt the Temple was destroyed.

There should be no doubt that Jesus was the prophesied Messiah.

Daniel 9 pointed to His first coming.

Daniel 9 also helps us know about Jesus' second coming as well.

Furthermore, would you like know prior to the start of the Great Tribulation and WWIII approximately when it will begin?

Is there any event in prophecy that seems to give a multi-year (like 3 1/2 year) advance notification?

Many believe that they will know the fulfillment and sequence of certain end time prophecies. Yet, relatively few truly will. One such end time prophecy, that is part of the key sequence, will not be understood when it happens.

Let's continue with Daniel 9:26:

9:26 b

b And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined.

9:27

27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate."

While some teach that it is Jesus that is the one who will confirm a covenant with many for one week, He never mention a one week covenant according to the scriptures. Furthermore, while various ones point to Jesus being killed after a 3 1/2 year ministry, His ministry may have been longer than that. Let's look at another translation:

27 The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him. (Daniel 9:27, New Living Translation)

The covenant treaty deal is considered to be some to be a peace deal. The same Hebrew word is used in the following:

15 So Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them to let them live; and the rulers of the congregation swore to them. (Joshua 9:15)

Such treaties are normally called peace deals. And, in most cases, such deals come from wars or threats of war. I have long written that we would likely not see the deal of Daniel 9:27 until after a regional conflict--and we have seen the Hamas-Israel War and the Israel-Iran attacks. While that may be enough, I suspect more conflict will happen before the deal of Daniel 9:27 is confirmed by a European prince--but that is not strictly necessary as it is possible that Isaiah 22:6-9 could come after the deal and around when Jerusalem is being surrounded by armies per Luke 21:20.

That said, we see in the 27th verse that sacrifices will be stopped. In order to be stopped, they first must be started. This is NOT referring to what Jesus did as can be determined from Daniel 11:31 and 12:11--which relate to future events. Even LCG, teaches that the stopping of sacrifices in Daniel 12:11 is a prophesied event--and while I was there, its Dr. Meredith taught that Daniel 9:27 related to the "prince" who becomes the King of the North Beast power, and NOT Jesus, confirming the covenant. However, that group has been moving more to the wrong view that Jesus is being discussed in verse 27.

It is the King of the North that stops the sacrifices per Daniel 11:31, which is the same stopping referred to in Daniel 9:27. The one that was the prince who confirmed the deal is going to violate it per Daniel 9:27 and Daniel 11:31.

So, what is the 70th week?

It begins when a "prince" of the Roman Empire peoples confirms a covenant with many for a seven year period. The Bible shows that the deal is broken in the middle, yet, it will still end seven years after it has been confirmed. At the end of that time Jesus will return. He will rule when He brings in righteousness in the millennial Kingdom of God per Jeremiah 23:5. That also is what is supposed to happen after the 70 weeks are fulfilled, consistent with Daniel 9:24.

Hippolytus (died 235) of Rome wrote:

Now Daniel will set forth this subject to us. For he says, "And one week will make a covenant with many, and it shall be that in the midst (half) of the week my sacrifice and oblation shall cease." By one week, therefore, he meant the last week which is to be at the end of the whole world ... (Hippolytus. On Christ and Antichrist, Chapter 43)

21 ... For he says, I shall make a covenant of one week, and in the midst of the week my sacrifice and libation will be removed. For by one week he indicates the showing forth of the seven years which shall be in the last times. 25 ... For when Daniel said, I shall make my covenant for one week, he indicated seven years; and the one half of the week is for the preaching of the prophets, and for the other half of the week -- that is to say, for three years and a half -- Antichrist will reign upon the earth. And after this his kingdom and his glory shall be taken away. (Hippolytus. On the End of the World, Chapters 21, 25. Translated by J.H. MacMahon. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 5. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1886)

He is clearly pointing this to be a seven year period as the 70th week. Notice his writing has that last week end when the Antichrist is deposed, which is when Jesus returns.

Related to the deal of Daniel 9:27, check out the article: The 'Peace Deal' of Daniel 9:27.

The focus of this verse has mainly been the first half of Daniel 9:27. But what about the last half? Here is what it says:

27 b Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate. (Daniel 9:27b)

The last half is 3 1/2 years and could also relate to what looks to be the remaining 3 1/2 years of the desolationS for Jerusalem prophesied in Daniel 9:2.

Furthermore, ten times in the Book of Revelation (NKJV) it speaks of God's wrath--many of those times speak of His wrath being poured out (e.g. Revelation 16:1).

The consummation in Daniel 9:27b seems to be related to the final "Day of the Lord." When it happens (and it starts 2 1/2 years after the start of the Great Tribulation), the world will basically be desolate spiritually--and it is on the desolate it will be poured out on. Information on the Great Tribulation and Day of the Lord is found in the article When Will the Great Tribulation Begin?

The fulfillment of Daniel 9:27 will begin the countdown to the start of the Great Tribulation and what could be called World War Three.

The reason that most Christians will not see the deal is that most will think that they are fine, will not believe the confirmation is the correct one, and will NOT do ALL that Jesus wants His people to do in the end time.

Jesus told his people to pray about this as most would not understand:

35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man. (Luke 21:35-36)

You might say, that YOU pray about this.

Good. But notice what James wrote:

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:22-25)

Why is that important?

One is not only to pray to be accounted worthy, one is to be A DOER OF THE WORK. Many falsely believe that they simply be a "watcher" and not a supporter of the work to fulfill Matthew 24:14--those who feel that way are deceiving themselves.

You do not need to be among those that will not see. Gather together (Zephaniah 2:1). It is the highly dedicated Philadelphians in the real Church of God that will finish the final phase of the work before (Matthew 24:14; Daniel 11:32-33) and during (Revelation 11:3-14) the Great Tribulation and Day of the Lord.

Here is a link to a chapter 9 sermon: Daniel 9: 70 Years & 70 Weeks Prophecies.

Chapter 10

Now to chapter 10.

1a In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar.

Jerome, in his Commentary on Daniel, wrote:

And how is it that we read at the end of the first vision, "And Daniel lived until the first year of Cyrus the King"? Well then, we understand that he enjoyed his former high position among the Chaldeans and was clothed in purple and fine linen right up until the first year of King Cyrus, when Cyrus overthrew the Chaldeans, and afterwards Daniel commenced service under Darius, the son of Ahasuerus of the Median line, who reigned over the kingdom of the Chaldeans. Or else, indeed, that Darius had already died in whose first year Daniel had learned of the mystery of the seventy weeks, and he is now relating that he beheld these things in the third year of King Cyrus. "And it was a true word and great strength" refers either to the strength of the God who was going to perform these things or to the strength of the prophet who would comprehend them.

10:1b

1 b The message was true, but the appointed time was long; and he understood the message, and had understanding of the vision. 2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. 3 I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.

So, Daniel was so concerned about this vision that, even though it was for the appointed time, which was not his time, he mourned for three weeks and apparently did a fast of only drinking water.

Then, something else happened.

10:4

4 Now on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, that is, the Tigris, 5 I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz! 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude.

Daniel saw an angel of some sort. This would not have been Gabriel as Daniel had not described him that way before--some suspect that this was Jesus--who may have been the one who instructed Gabriel to communicate with David in Daniel 8:15-16.

10:7

7 And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great terror fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.

Only Daniel got to see it, but those with him must have been affected somehow as the fled and hid. The Apostle Paul had a similar experience in the Book of Acts, in that while the others could see nothing, he alone beheld the vision (Acts 22:6-9).

10:8

8 Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me; for my vigor was turned to frailty in me, and I retained no strength. 9 Yet I heard the sound of his words; and while I heard the sound of his words I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground.

So, we see that this vision was also a type of dream as Daniel was in a deep sleep.

10:10

10 Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands. 11 And he said to me, "O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you." While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling.

Even though Daniel was greatly beloved in this dream, he also trembled from it. On May 13, 2022, evangelist Evans Ochieng had a dream in which a voice from a messenger said to him, "Dr Bob is a beloved man" (see Dreams, the Bible, the Radio Church of God, and the Continuing Church of God).

10:12

12 Then he said to me, "Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words.

Notice that if we truly humble ourselves, it helps out words to be heard. In our booklet Prayer: What Does the Bible Teach?:

David prayed and fasted when others were sick:

13 But as for me, when they were sick, My clothing was sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting; And my prayer would return to my own heart. (Psalms 35:13) ...

Tip Number 24: The Difficult: Remember Fasting

Some matters are quite difficult. What should you do? ...

Fasting is an adjunct to prayer. Difficult situations often need fasting along with prayer. ...

When Nehemiah heard about how terrible the conditions in Jerusalem were, he prayed AND fasted (Nehemiah 1:4). Nehemiah was only a person who brought the king things to drink (Nehemiah 1:11). Yet, after prayer and fasting, he assisted and later became governor in Judah (Nehemiah 5:14; 8:9).

The people in Jerusalem were in a difficult way, and God provided relief through one who prayed and fasted.

Notice also:

6 "Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? 8 Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. 9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.' "If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, 10 If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, and your darkness shall be as the noonday. (Isaiah 58:6-10)

For difficult situations, do not forget fasting. The Bible recommends it.

10:13

13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.

The prince of Persia, in this case, appears to be a fallen angel, a demon. And apparently one with a fair amount of power. This is possibly Satan, the god of this world/age (2 Corinthians 4:4), which at that time had Persia as the leading empire. One of the reason I pointed to Satan is because he is shown as resisting/opposing one of God's human leaders:

1 And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. (Zechariah 3:1, KJV)

1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. (Zechariah 3:1, NKJV)

More on Joshua can be found in our article: Zerubbabel, Joshua, and Prophecy.

Notice in Daniel 9:13 that the resisting looks to have happened during the entire time of Daniel's three week water fast. Hence, it may be that if Daniel stopped it sooner, he would not have gotten his answer.

But after 21 day, the archangel Michael interceded. He is called an archangel in Jude 9 and one of the chief princes here in Daniel 10:13.

10:14

14 Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come."

So, we learn that the vision is not for Daniel's time.

10:15

15 When he had spoken such words to me, I turned my face toward the ground and became speechless. 16 And suddenly, one having the likeness of the sons of men touched my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke, saying to him who stood before me, "My lord, because of the vision my sorrows have overwhelmed me, and I have retained no strength. 17 For how can this servant of my lord talk with you, my lord? As for me, no strength remains in me now, nor is any breath left in me."

18 Then again, the one having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me. 19 And he said, "O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!"

The fact that twice the one speaking to Daniel in these verses has "the likeness of a man" suggests this could be Jesus. The New Testament teaches "the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy" (Revelation 19:10)--and that would be consistent with Jesus giving important prophecies to Daniel.

10:18b

So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, "Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me."

20 Then he said, "Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come. 21 But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth. (No one upholds me against these, except Michael your prince.

Now, while one may conclude that Jesus did not need to help of Michael the archangel or anyone else, the reality is that the Bible shows that the returning Jesus will (cf. Jude 1:14-15; Revelation 19:13-14,19).

Chapter 11

Dr. Bramer of Dallas Theological Seminary said there are 135 fulfilled prophecies in Daniel, and that is why the anti-biblical scholars do not believe it was written by Daniel when the book says it was written. I do not know the exact number of fulfilled prophecies or unfullfilled ones in Daniel, the fact is that because of many of the clearly fulfilled prophecies, many will not believe it--many do not realize believe God.

Daniel chapter 11 is one of the reasons anti-God scholars do not accept that Daniel himself could have written this chapter.

The fact is that he did.

Jesus verified that Daniel spoke words in the book named after him (Matthew 24:15; Mark 13:14). So, all scholars who deny that Daniel could have said/written them in the 6th/7th century BC are clearly also denying that Jesus told the truth.

That said, many prophecies in this chapter, including many associated with the King of the North, have had a type of fulfillment. They also correctly show that the individuals who fulfilled the role of the King of the North were Greco-Romans, whose base of power for most (if not all) of them was in Europe.

But many these prophecies were not fulfilled in their entirety in past ages.

The late Pastor General of the old Worldwide Church of God, Herbert W. Armstrong, long taught that much in Bible prophecy is dual. Here is a statement from him related to this chapter of the Book of Daniel:

... at least a part of Daniel 11 must also be DUAL! And no wonder, for we find the chapter concludes with the "time of the end" (verse 40) - leading up to the resurrection of the saints (chapter 12 :2). (Ambassador College Bible Correspondance Course, Lesson 2, World Peace Coming in Our Time! 1972 edition, p. 14)

Verse 1 starts out with something that should have been part of chapter 10. This was not due to divine inspiration, but probably a misunderstanding by someone who helped finalize the chapter and verse breaks--which were not in the Bible, but added by men later.

11:1

1 "Also in the first year of Darius the Mede, I, even I, stood up to confirm and strengthen him.)

11:2

2 And now I will tell you the truth: Behold, three more kings will arise in Persia, and the fourth shall be far richer than them all; by his strength, through his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece. 3 Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.

Herbert W. Armstrong wrote:

Actually there were 12 more kings in the Persian Empire, but only the first four following Cyrus were of importance for the purpose of this prophecy. They were Cambyses, pseudo-Smerdis, Darius and Xerxes. It was the last, or Xerxes, who was the richest of all and stirred up war with Greece.

Then King Philip of Macedonia planned a great war to conquer the Persian Empire, with an army made up mostly of Grecians. He died before the plans were completed. But his son, Alexander the Great, took over his plans, and invaded Persia. He met the Persian army at the Battle of Issus, 333 B.C. (Dan. 8:2, 5-6). Then he swept down into Egypt, and then to a final crushing defeat of the Persian Empire at the Battle of Arbella, 331 B.C., after which Alexander marched on a conquest clear to India, sweeping all before him. (Armstrong HW. The Middle East in Prophecy. Worldwide Church of God, 1972)

11:4

4 And when he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken up and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not among his posterity nor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be uprooted, even for others besides these.

Herbert W. Armstrong wrote:

How marvelously — how accurately — that came to pass. We quote from one of the authoritative English-language histories published in the last century, A Manual of Ancient History (Student Series) by Rawlinson: "Cut off unexpectedly in the vigor of early manhood [the 33rd year of his age, June, 323 B.C.], he [Alexander] left no inheritor, either of his power or of his projects" (p. 237). The Empire was left leaderless and in confusion, but out of this emerged, by the year 301 B.C., four divisions, just as prophesied, as a result of a division of the Empire into four divisions by Alexander's generals. They were:

1. Ptolemy (Soter), ruling Egypt, part of Syria and Judea.

2. Seleucus (Nicator), ruling Syria, Babylonia and territory east to India.

3. Lysimachus, ruling Asia Minor.

4. Cassander, ruling Greece and Macedonia.

Thus was the prophecy of verse 4 fulfilled to the letter.

Now notice what follows. From here the prophecy foretells the activities only of two of these four divisions: Egypt, called "king of the south," because it is south of Jerusalem; and the Syrian kingdom, the king of the north, just north of Judea. It is because the Holy Land passed back and forth between those two divisions, and because their different wars were principally over possession of Judea, that the prophecy is concerned with them. Here is verse 5:

"And the king of the south [Egypt] shall be strong, and one of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion." In history, we learn that the original Ptolemy I, called Soter, became strong and powerful, developing Egypt beyond the greatest dreams of Alexander. One of his princes, or generals, Seleucus Nicator, also became strong and powerful. And, in 312 B.C., taking advantage of Ptolemy's being tied up in a war, he established himself in Syria, and assumed the diadem as king. (Armstrong HW. The Middle East in Prophecy. Worldwide Church of God, 1972)

11:5

5 "Also the king of the South shall become strong, as well as one of his princes; and he shall gain power over him and have dominion. His dominion shall be a great dominion.

11:6

6 And at the end of some years they shall join forces, for the daughter of the king of the South shall go to the king of the North to make an agreement; but she shall not retain the power of her authority, and neither he nor his authority shall stand; but she shall be given up, with those who brought her, and with him who begot her, and with him who strengthened her in those times.

Herbert W. Armstrong wrote:

Fulfilled to the Letter!

At the end of 50 years, this occurred exactly as described!

Syria's ruler, the king of the north, at this time was Antiochus II, called Theos. His wife was named Laodice. And, says Rawlinson's Ancient History, page 251, "Her influence ... engaged him in a war with Ptolemy Philadelphus [king of the south], B.C. 260, which is terminated, B.C. 252, by a marriage between Antiochus and Bernice, Ptolemy's daughter."

The prophecy says "he that begat her" shall be given up. Also that she shall not retain the power of the arm, neither shall the king of the north, whom she married, stand. All three are to come to their end. Notice how accurately this came to pass.

Says Rawlinson's History, pages 251 and 252: "On the death of Philadelphus [he that begat her], B.C. 247, Antiochus repudiated Bernice, and took back his former wife, Laodice, who, however, doubtful of his constancy, murdered him to secure the throne for her son Seleucus (II) B.C. 246 ... Bernice ... had been put to death by Laodice."

Nowhere in all the Bible is there so literal a prophecy, giving so many details of future history. And to read an ancient history of these kingdoms is simply to see unfolded before your eyes, step by step, verse by verse, this marvelous prophecy. There can be no doubt of its right application! (Armstrong HW. The Middle East in Prophecy. Worldwide Church of God, 1972)

11:7

7 But from a branch of her roots one shall arise in his place, who shall come with an army, enter the fortress of the king of the North, and deal with them and prevail.

Herbert W. Armstrong wrote:

The Holy Land Changes Hands

Next let us notice verse 7: "But out of a branch of her roots shall one stand up in his estate [margin, "in his office"], which shall come with an army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them, and shall prevail."

"Out of a branch," or "shoot," of her roots. Her parents were her roots. Hence, this must be her brother, who next should occupy the throne of king of the south and fulfill this prophecy. Now listen to this accurate fulfillment, quoted word for word from the same page of Rawlinson's work (p. 252):

"Ptolemy Euergetes [the III, eldest son of Philadelphus (p. 272) and therefore Bernice's brother, a branch of her roots] invaded Syria, B.C. 245, to avenge the murder of his sister, Bernice ... .In the war which followed, he carried everything before him." (Armstrong HW. The Middle East in Prophecy. Worldwide Church of God, 1972)

11:8

8 And he shall also carry their gods captive to Egypt, with their princes and their precious articles of silver and gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the North.

9 "Also the king of the North shall come to the kingdom of the king of the South, but shall return to his own land.

Herbert W. Armstrong wrote:

The eighth verse of Daniel 11 says this king of the south would carry captives and vessels of silver and gold into Egypt, and continue to reign more years than the king of the north, who at that time was Seleucus II, and verse 9 says he shall return into Egypt. As verse 7 said he should "enter into the fortress of the king of the north," Ptolemy III did seize the fortress of Syria, Seleucia, the port of Antioch, capital of the kingdom! Then he carried back to Egypt immense booty and 2,500 molten images and idolatrous vessels which, in 526 B.C. Cambyses had carried away from Egypt. He continued to rule until 222 B.C., while the king of the north, Seleucus II, died in 226 B.C.

When he died, his two sons took over the kingdom of the north; first Seleucus III, 226-223 B.C., who ruled only three years, and then his brother Antiochus III, called "the Great," 223-187 B.C. Both of these two sons of Seleucus II assembled immense forces to war against Egypt, avenge their father, and recover their port and fortress, Seleucia. (Armstrong HW. The Middle East in Prophecy. Worldwide Church of God, 1972)

11:10

10 However his sons shall stir up strife, and assemble a multitude of great forces; and one shall certainly come and overwhelm and pass through; then he shall return to his fortress and stir up strife.

11 "And the king of the South shall be moved with rage, and go out and fight with him, with the king of the North, who shall muster a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into the hand of his enemy.

Herbert W. Armstrong wrote:

And this was accurately prophesied in verse 10: "But his sons shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces: and one shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall he return and be stirred up [margin, "be stirred up again"], even to his fortress."

"And," continues verse 11, "the king of the south shall be moved with choler, and shall come forth and fight with him, even with the king of the north: and he shall set forth a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into his hand."

In fulfillment of the latter part of verse 10, Antiochus the Great, after 27 years, recovered his fortress, Seleucia, and he also conquered the territory of Syria, as far as Gaza, including Judea. But the young Egyptian king, now Ptolemy IV (Philopater), was roused, and with an army of 20,000 inflicted severe defeat on Antiochus the Great; (Armstrong HW. The Middle East in Prophecy. Worldwide Church of God, 1972)

11:12

12 When he has taken away the multitude, his heart will be lifted up; and he will cast down tens of thousands, but he will not prevail.

Herbert W. Armstrong wrote:

Ptolemy IV (Philopater), was roused, and with an army of 20,000 inflicted severe defeat on Antiochus the Great; and fulfilling verse 12, he killed tens of thousands and again annexed Judea to Egypt. But he was not strengthened, for he made a rash and speedy peace with Antiochus, and returned to dissipation, throwing away the fruits of victory. Says verse 12, "And when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted up; and he shall cast down many ten thousands: but he shall not be strengthened by it." (Armstrong HW. The Middle East in Prophecy. Worldwide Church of God, 1972)

13 For the king of the North will return and muster a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come at the end of some years with a great army and much equipment.

Herbert W. Armstrong wrote:

"For," as verse 13 continues, "the king of the north shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come after certain years with a great army and with much riches." It was "after certain years," or 12 years later, 205 B.C., that Ptolemy Philopator died, leaving his throne to an infant son, Ptolemy Epiphanes. Then Antiochus assembled a greater army, and won great victories.

He then made a treaty allying Philip of Macedonia with him, and others, against Egypt, and they wrested Phoenicia and southern Syria from the king of the south. In this they were assisted by some of the Jews. Josephus' Jewish history says many Jews helped Antiochus. But notice how accurately Almighty God had foretold this, hundreds of years before it happened! ... v. 14 (Armstrong HW. The Middle East in Prophecy. Worldwide Church of God, 1972)