Daniel 10 Study

 Paraphrased And Condensed With 

      Suggested Interpretation

Ten and eleven run together. Much of the prophecy concerns Israel of course, yet the beginning of chapter 12 strongly suggests the prophecies somehow extend to the global culmination. As verse 12:2-4 concludes the prophecies this way - “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to nonfading life, and some to shame and everlasting [the hebrew - olam - long duration, a time/duration) of contempt [deraon - aversion, abhorrence; only one other verse in the Scripture has this word - Isaiah 66:24:

     For Context, 23 and 24 - “From new moon to new moon and from Sabbath to Sabbath (month to month and week to week) all mankind will come to worship before Me,” says the LORD.

     24 Coming forth (into GWTJ ‘day’?) they (all) will look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me. For its worm never dies, it’s a fire that is not put out becoming an abhorrence to all mankind.”

     ..How? shall all mankind see the corpses of armageddon, which is of the end/apocalypse? Aka, the result of this all important contrast.

     Answer? Because, logically, GWTJ ‘day’ will be a duration of great review. And the course and result of straying will thoroughly abhor and disgust us all. “For its worm never dies, it’s a fire that is not put out becoming an abhorrence 

to all mankind.” Straying/imperfection is the ‘parable’ of the decomposing ‘apple’, which its worm/corruption/spoiling does not end or reverse, as it cannot. 

      Dan.12:3 -  “And those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the sky and heavens above, and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars. 4 But you, Daniel, shut up the words, seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro (jets, etc) and knowledge (good, including biblical! and not so good) shall increase.”

Chapter 10

     1 - In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a word was revealed to Daniel.. And the word was true, and it was a great conflict. And he understood the word and vision.

     2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. ..On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river Tigris, 5 I looked, and behold, a radiant man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold.. 6 .. whose words was like the sound of a great multitude. 7 Those who were with me didn’t see the vision, but a great fear fell upon them, and they ran away and hid. 8 I was alone, no strength was in me, 9 and as he spoke, I fell to the ground in a deep sleep. 10 But a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. 11 And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand these words that I speak to you, for I have been sent.” So I stood up trembling. 12 Then he said, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard. 13 The prince (arch angel) of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, 14 and I have come to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come. 20 I will return to fight against the prince of Persia. But then the prince of Greece will come. 21 I will tell you what is inscribed in the book of truth. There is none battling by my side against these except Michael, your prince.” (The battling for lands and earthly powers. Empire against empire.)

Daniel 9 Study

Paraphrased And Condensed With 

     Suggested Interpretation

9:1 - [Babylon was overthrown in the night by Media, and] Darius the Mede was appointed successor to Belshazzar (Nebuchadnezzar’s son). [Darius the Mede, was the predecessor of Cyrus, who sent “all” Israel in “all” his kingdom home.] (And Assyria, where the “ten tribes” had been led captive, by then, was again a part of Babylonia, now Persia.) — 2 In the first year of Darius the Medes reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books of Jeremiah the prophet, the number of years that the desolation of Jerusalem would last, namely, seventy years. (Until Cyrus would make proclamation “Israel go on home”.) 4 I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying ..“O LORD, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant (treaty, agreement, friendship) and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his (life giving, society preserving) commandments (and instructions)..6 We haven’t listened to your servants the prophets 10 ..you have banished.. because of the treachery committed against you.” [They even burned children and babies alive to the god Molech, while beating a drum/tophet to cover the screams.] (Why God wanted a separated nation to birth the “savior oF the-world, and disciplined them to strain out such horrors and also waywardness which curses.) 11..”And so the oath [alah -an oath] and the curse [shebuah - an oath, curse] (the effect, of cause and effect) that are written in the Law of Moses the servant of God, has been poured out upon us, because we have sinned against him. (Broken the treaty.) …13 ..All this calamity has come upon us, yet we have not looked for ..the LORD our God, seeking insight by your truth and turning from wickedness. (As evil ever begets evil.) 14 Therefore Yhvh (the LORD) has kept ready the calamity” [ra' - adversity] (his wrath, imo, is that he has created a cause and effect universe. Abandon God and the shield of his Spirit/Presence is naturally given up and lost, and the other fierce ‘gods’/demons who hate the light that was once there, are bound to viciously attack). ..16 “O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger (of allowing naturally occurring consequences) and wrath turn away now from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill ..because of our doings.. your people have become a byword among all who are around us. 17..O LORD, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate.”

     21 While I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen earlier (in chapter 8) came in swift flight to me at the hour of the evening sacrifice. (Without a temple, the sacrifices were sacrifices of prayers, and this was carried through in the later synagogues. The whole idea of ancient sacrifices has to do with guilt and human psychology. Wrath and appeasement yes, but for an angry god is code for the sensitive and delicate human psyche. Surely? Have you ever beat yourself up over something? Perhaps “with many stripes”?) 22 Gabriel said to me, “Oh Daniel, I have now come to give to you understanding and insight. 23 When you began to pray for help and mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved.” (Talk about “swift flight”!) “Therefore consider the word and understand this.”

     24 “All together, seventy weeks are decreed concerning your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression [pesha - rebellion] to put an end to sin, to atone for iniquity/guilt [avon - iniquity, guilt], to bring in enduring righteousness [tsedeq - rightness, righteousness] to seal [chatham - to seal, affix a seal, seal up] vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. [Most holy place is where one meets with God. Metaphor of the heart? In the temple, it was the innermost room where the high priest entered once a year, but now “we can boldly enter the most holy place” (Heb.10:19) and we can “draw near to God with a sincere heart, with the full assurance that faith brings!” (Heb.10:22). And to prove a point, I’ll include the rest of the verse - “having our hearts sprinkled and cleansed from a guilty conscience”. Heb.9:9 says the old system of sacrifice “was unable to cleanse the conscience”. …To anoint a most holy place.. the meeting place. Because God, like he was with Abraham, is a “friend” and a “Father” who “is love”.]

     25 “Know therefore and understand” [the scripture is written to each one of us] “that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem  (later under Artaxerxes) until Messiah the prince, there will be seven weeks. Then there will be sixty-two weeks of building Jerusalem.. with plaza and wall, but during troubling times. 26 And after the sixty-two weeks, the anointed one will be cut off [crucified/executed] and shall (seem to) have nothing. And the city and the sanctuary will be destroyed by the nation of the prince that is coming (one of the Caesars, Titus). Its end coming like a flood, and until the end of war (Ps.2) (there) will be desolations. 27 And (a) strong/mighty covenant [berith - treaty, league, covenant] great/many (for) one week [of years]. (At) half week, (an) end to sacrifice and offering, (and) on the wing (height) of abominations (will come?) appalling desolation, even up to the consummation [kalah - completion, full end] that is cut/determined/decreed/destined(?) is poured out upon the appalling/the desolate. (That would be the “quick” (concurrent?) bowls of Revelation, the final results of this all important contrast, and of the doings of mankind.) (Cross Ref. “an end to sacrifice and offering” Dan.12:11-12, an intriguing math problem. Lk.19:41,44?)

Daniel 8 Study

In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar of Babylon [Nebuchadnezzar’s son] a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after the one in the first year (ch.7).

     2 In the vision I was in Susa of Elam (later Persia) at the Ulai canal. 3 And behold, a ram standing on the bank of the canal. It had two horns, and both horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. [Media-Persia, and Persia surpassed Media.] 4 And the ram charged westward and northward and southward. No beast could stand before him, and there was no one who could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great. (Would conquer Babylon.)

      5 And as I was considering, a male goat came from the west (Greece, and some think perhaps another in ‘last’ days) across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground. And the goat had a large horn between his eyes. ..And he came to the ram 7 and enraged, rammed the ram, breaking his two horns, and trampling him (like the bronze in chapter 7 tramples ..Greek philosophy tearing up what the iron/Rome didn’t/doesn’t subdue, meaning the  iron and bronze from Daniel chapter two). And there was no one who could rescue the ram, and 8 the goat became exceedingly great, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken. And instead came up four horns toward the four winds. 9 Out of one came a little horn, which grew great [gadal - arrogant, great, bold] toward the south, and east, and (arrogant, bold) toward the glorious land/God’s land/the promised. [This is the story of the MacCabees and the cruel despot Antiochus Epiphanes. Though history repeats as usually does prophecy, with a more or less local or ‘soon’ fulfillment and at least one more at the culmination of history. Sort of ‘micro’ and macro; partial pond ripple to full pond ripple. And besides that, is the little horn of chapter 7, the one with eyes, from a Roman/Graeco - iron/bronze foundation entity/institution.) 10 The horn grew great, even to the host of heaven. And some of the host and some of the stars it threw down to the ground and trampled on them. 11 It became great, even as great as the Prince of the host. And the regular burnt offering was taken away, and the place of the sanctuary overthrown 12 ..a host will be given over to it and the offerings, because of transgression (consequence, spiritual shield is down) ..it will throw truth to the ground ..and will act (out) and prosper. 13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one, “For how long is the vision concerning the regular burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled?” 14 …“For 2,300 evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary shall be restored.” [Fulfilled in the days of the Maccabees, but may have another fulfillment, 2,300 days is 6.3 years. If 2300 years is meant, it may correspond to the translating of the Hebrew scriptures into Greek, which brought with it some myths-? And it is afterall the bronze which scatters and tramples - in chapter 7, by the bronze feet of the beast more terrible with ten horns and iron teeth, Roman columns(?)]

     15 When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it. And behold, there stood before me one having the appearance of a man. 16 And I heard a voice from between the banks of the Ulai, and it called out, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.” 17 So he came near where I stood. And I was frightened and fell on my face. But he said, “Understand, oh son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end.” 18 And I fell into a deep sleep but he touched me and made me to stand (resurrection prophesied/portrayed?)19 and said, “I will make known to you what shall be at the latter end of the indignation. [Acharith - the after-part, end (of the) zaam - indignation, insolence.] For it is for the appointed time of the end.

     20 As for the ram that you saw with the two horns, these are the kings of Media and Persia. 21 And the goat is the king of Greece. And the great horn between his eyes is the first king (Alexander; and possibly? Last days, the west charges enraged against the east, but its POWER wanes by breaking (being divided) into four. Two powers, but each with their extremes?) 22 As for the horn that was broken, in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms/powers shall arise from his (Alexander’s) nation, but not with his power. 23 And at the latter end of their kingdom, when transgressors have reached their limit, a king of bold face, one who understands riddles (espionage, stealth?) shall arise. 24 His power will be great—but not by his own power. And he shall cause fearful destruction (also toward last days? Rev.13:13? Which event pinpoints an office.) And he (last days? originally from that rev.13:13 office) shall succeed in what he does, and will ruin mighty men and the people who are the saints. 25 By his stealth treachery will prosper under his hand, and in his own mind he will become great. Without warning he will destroy many. And he shall even rise up against the Prince of princes, but without hand he shall be broken. 26 The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true, but seal up the vision, for it refers to many days in the future.”

     27 And I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days. Then I rose and went about the king's business. (As a captive in Babylon, Daniel was recognized as very able and was drafted into the king’s court of advisors, astrologers, etc.) But I was appalled by the vision and didn’t understand it.