From the Greek Septuagint text as was used by First Century Christians

Chapter 1

¹ It was during the third year of the reign of JehoiAkim (the king of Judah) that NebuChadnezzar (the king of Babylon) came to Jerusalem and attacked it. ² Then Jehovah gave JehoiAkim into his hands, along with part of the things that were in the Temple of Jehovah. So, he carried it all back to the land of Shinar and put it into the treasury of the temple of his god.

³ Thereafter, the king told his Chief Eunuch AshPenaz to bring back some of the sons of Israel as captives who were descended from royalty and nobility, ⁴ and were young, perfectly formed, good looking, wise in all things, knowledgeable, intelligent, and bold enough to stand in the palace of the king. And he told him to school the young men in the writing and the language of the Chaldeans.

⁵ Then the king arranged for them to eat at the king’s table each day, to share in his banquet wine, and to be given special care for three years. And after that, they were to be brought before the king.

⁶ Now, among these sons of Judah were DaniEl, HananiJah, AzariJah, and MishaEl. ⁷ However, the chief eunuch renamed DaniEl BelTeShazzar (gr. Baltazar), HananiJah ShadRach (gr. Zedrach), MishaEl MeShach (gr. Misek), and AzariJah AbedNego (gr. Abdnago).

⁸ But DaniEl decided in his heart that there was no way he would pollute himself at the table of the king, nor would he drink any of his banquet wine. So, he petitioned the chief eunuch not to [force him] to pollute himself. ⁹ And God granted DaniEl the chief eunuch’s mercy and compassion. ¹⁰ However, the chief eunuch said to DaniEl, ‘I’m afraid of my lord the king, who is selecting your food and the things you are to drink, because I don’t want him to see your faces looking sadder than the faces of the other boys who are your peers. If that would happen, the king would have my head!’

¹¹ But DaniEl told MelZar (the one who the chief eunuch had put in charge of DaniEl, HananiJah, MishaEl, and AzariJah), ¹² ‘Then test your servants for ten days. Give us just the seeds of the ground to eat, and just water to drink, ¹³ then compare us to the boys who eat at the king’s table; and whichever looks better is what you should choose for your servants.’

¹⁴ So, he did what they asked and tested them for ten days. ¹⁵ Then at the end of ten days, he examined them and the way they looked, and found that they were stronger and in better shape than the other boys who were eating at the table of the king. ¹⁶ As the result, MelZar did away with their suppers and the wine that they were to drink, and gave them seeds to eat. ¹⁷ Then God gave them understanding and intelligence in all their studies, as well as wisdom. And thereafter, DaniEl had an understanding of visions and dreams.

¹⁸ Well, the time finally came when they were to be brought before the king; so the chief eunuch led them before NebuChadnezzar. ¹⁹ Then the king questioned them and found that there were none others like these four boys, DaniEl, HananiJah, MishaEl, and AzariJah, so they were allowed to stand before the king. ²⁰ And in every matter of wisdom and knowledge (whatever the king asked them about), he found them ten-times greater than all the dignitaries and sorcerers in his whole kingdom.

²¹ Now, DaniEl lived [through] the first year of the reign of King Cyrus.

Chapter 2

¹ It was in the second year of the reign of NebuChadnezzar that [DaniEl] had a dream, which disturbed him so deeply that he couldn’t sleep. ² So, the king said to call [his] officials, priests, sorcerers, and Chaldeans, to have them interpret the dream. Then they came and stood before the king, ³ and he said to them, ‘I had a dream that startled me so deeply that I have to know its [meaning].’

⁴ Well, the Chaldeans replied to the king in Syrian, saying, ‘O king; may you live through the age! Just tell your servants what you dreamed, and we will announce the interpretation!’

⁵ Then the king told the Chaldeans, ‘I’ve forgotten what it was about… if you can’t tell me the dream and give me the interpretation, I’ll have you destroyed and your homes torn down! ⁶ However, if you can tell me the dream and give me its interpretation, I will give you many gifts, do many favors for you free of charge, and I’ll honor you greatly… that is, if you can tell me the dream and provide its interpretation.’

⁷ But they answered him a second time, and said, ‘May the king tell the dream to his servants, and then we will announce its interpretation!’

⁸ And the king said, ‘I know for a fact that you’re just buying time for yourselves, because you know that every word of the dream has left me. So, if you can’t tell me the dream, I know that you are corrupt and lying, and that you’ve agreed to keep speaking before me just to pass the time. ⁹ First tell me my dream, and then I’ll know that I can believe the interpretation you give me!’

¹⁰ But the Chaldeans told the king, ‘There’s no man on dry land who can make known what the king is asking, for it’s something that no great king or ruler has ever asked of an official, a priest, or a Chaldean. ¹¹ The thing that the king is asking is so difficult that no one can tell him such a thing… other than gods who don’t live here in the flesh.’

¹² And at that, the king flew into a rage! He was so angry that he ordered all the wise men of Babylon to be destroyed. ¹³ So, a decree was sent out saying that all the wise men were to be killed.

Well, when they were looking for DaniEl and his friends to do away with them, ¹⁴ DaniEl expressed his opinion to AriOch, the king’s head-of-the-guards (who had come to do away with all the wise men of Babylon). ¹⁵ He said to him, ‘O [servant] of the king; Why was such a presumptuous decree put before the king?’

Then AriOch told DaniEl the things that had been said.

¹⁶ Well, DaniEl went before the king and petitioned him to give him enough time to find the interpretation, so he could announce it to the king. ¹⁷ Then DaniEl returned to his house and [met with] his friends HananiJah, MishaEl, and AzariJah, to ask them to help him interpret [the dream]. ¹⁸ And they looked to the compassions of the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that DaniEl and his friends wouldn’t be destroyed along with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

¹⁹ Then DaniEl had a vision, and the mystery was revealed [to him] that night. So, he praised the God of heaven, and said:

²⁰ ‘May the God’s Name be praised through the ages,
And on into the ages of ages.
For to Him, understanding and wisdom belong,
²¹ For, it’s He who changes the seasons and times.

‘He appoints the kings and removes them…
To the wise it’s He who gives wisdom…
Intelligence to those so they can understand…
²² He uncovers things that are hidden and deep.

‘He knows all that happens in darkness,
For He is the source of all light.
²³ So to You, O God of my fathers,
I offer acknowledgement and praise.

‘It was You who gave me the wisdom and power…
You’ve revealed what we’ve petitioned from You,
And as to this matter of the king;
To me You’ve made it known.’

²⁴ Then DaniEl went to AriOch (the one who the king appointed to destroy all the wise men of Babylon) and said to him, ‘Don’t destroy the wise men of Babylon! I want you to take me before the king, and then I’ll announce the interpretation of the dream to him.’

²⁵ So, AriOch quickly took DaniEl into the presence of the king and said to him, ‘I’ve found a man among the captured sons of Judah who will announce the interpretation of the dream to the king!’

²⁶ And the king asked DaniEl (who he referred to as BelTeShazzar), ‘Are you able to tell me the dream that I saw and then give me the interpretation of it?’

²⁷ And there in the presence of the king, DaniEl replied: ‘The mystery that the king has asked the wise men, sorcerers, officials, and astrologers to announce to him isn’t theirs to answer. ²⁸ However, there is a God in heaven who uncovers mysteries, and He has made known to King NebuChadnezzar what’s going to happen in the last days.

‘Your dream that you saw in your head while you were in bed is this: ²⁹ You, O king, and your thoughts in your bed, were elevated to see what will happen after this, and mysteries have been made known to you about what must take place. ³⁰ Now, I’m no wiser than any other living man, but this mystery has been uncovered so that the king may know its interpretation, and so that you may know the thoughts that are in your heart.

³¹ ‘You looked, O king, and you saw a huge image. That image and its size was overwhelming, for it was standing right in front of your face, and it frightened you. ³² The image had a head of pure gold; its breast, arms, and hands were of silver; its belly and thighs were of brass; its legs were of iron; and its feet were part iron and part baked clay.

³³ ‘Then you stared at it until a rock was cut without hands from a mountain, and it hit the image on its feet of iron and baked clay, and completely shattered them. ³⁴ Then everything else shattered at the same time – the baked clay, the iron, the brass, the silver, and the gold – and it all became like a cloud of dust from a threshing floor during the harvest. ³⁵ Then a wind came and blew it all away, and nothing was left. And then the stone that had struck the image became a huge mountain that filled the whole earth.

³⁶ ‘So, that was the dream; And now I’ll give the king its interpretation: ³⁷ You, O king, are the king of kings to whom the God of heaven has given a strong, fortified, and honorable kingdom. ³⁸ And everywhere that the sons of men live, along with all the wild animals of the fields and flying creatures of the skies, have been given into your hands by Him, and He has made you the lord over all. So, you are the head of gold.

³⁹ ‘But after you, another kingdom will arise that’s inferior to yours, and then a third kingdom (the brass) will dominate the whole earth. [And that will be followed by] a fourth kingdom, which will be as strong as iron. ⁴⁰ For, as iron crushes and tames all things, it will tame and crush everything.

⁴¹ ‘Then the feet and the toes that you saw, which were part iron and part baked clay, will be a divided kingdom. Some of the roots of the iron will be in it, and that’s why you saw the iron mixed with the baked clay. ⁴² And because the toes of the feet are part iron and part baked clay, part of the kingdom will be strong and part of it can be broken. ⁴³ For, as you saw the iron mixed with the baked clay, [this kingdom] will be mixed with the seed of men… and they won’t stick to each other, as iron won’t stick to baked clay.

⁴⁴ ‘And in the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a Kingdom of the ages that will never be corrupted, and His Kingdom will not be passed on to others. It will crush and sift all kingdoms, and it will stand through the ages.

⁴⁵ ‘So, now that you’ve seen the stone cut from a mountain without hands, and how it crushed the baked clay, iron, brass, silver, and gold; the great God has revealed to the king what’s going to happen after this. The dream is true, and you can believe its interpretation.’

⁴⁶ Then King NebuChadnezzar fell to his face and bowed before DaniEl, and offered him a gift of a pleasant aromatic, and he [told his servants] to give him something to drink.

⁴⁷ Thereafter, the king said to DaniEl: ‘It’s a fact that your God is the God of gods, Lord of lords, and King of kings. For, He uncovers mysteries, because you were able to uncover this mystery!’

⁴⁸ Then the king honored DaniEl by giving him many great gifts, and he appointed him over all the [districts] of Babylon as the ruler over all the governors and wise men of Babylon. ⁴⁹ And because he had asked the king [about this], he placed ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego over construction in the region of Babylon. So, DaniEl [thereafter served] in the courtyard of the king.

Chapter 3

¹ It was during his sixteenth year that King NebuChadnezzar made an image of gold that stood a hundred-feet high and ten-feet wide, and he had it erected in the plains of Dura near Babylon. ² Then he called for all his top officials, generals, lieutenants, governors, vassal kings, ³ and everyone else of authority in all his districts, and told them to come and [celebrate] a holiday of dedication for the image he had erected.

So, everyone came there and stood before the image that NebuChadnezzar had set up. ⁴ Then the [king’s] herald yelled at the top of his voice: ‘O nations, peoples, tribes, and languages; You’ve been told that, ⁵ when you hear the sound of trumpets, woodwinds, harps, stringed instruments, and bagpipes playing the anthem, you must fall to your faces and bow before the gold image that King NebuChadnezzar had erected. ⁶ And if anyone chooses not to bow before it, he will be immediately taken out and thrown into a blazing furnace!’

⁷ So, when the people heard the sound of trumpets, woodwinds, harps, stringed instruments, and bagpipes playing all types of music, all the peoples, tribes, and languages bowed low before the gold image that King NebuChadnezzar had erected.

⁸ Then certain Chaldeans went up and made an accusation against the Jews… ⁹ they went to King NebuChadnezzar and said: ‘O king; May you live through the ages! ¹⁰ However, the king gave an order that, when we hear the sound of trumpets, woodwinds, harps, stringed instruments, and bagpipes playing all types of musi; ¹¹ any man that doesn’t fall and bow before the image of gold should be thrown into the fire of a furnace. ¹² Now, there were three Jewish men who you’ve put over construction in Babylon – ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego – and they didn’t obey your decree, O king, for they’ve chosen not to serve your gods and the gold image that you erected to be bowed before.’

¹³ Then NebuChadnezzar flew into an angry rage and had them bring ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego before him. ¹⁴ And NebuChadnezzar asked them, ‘ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego; Is it true that you won’t serve my gods, and that you won’t bow before the gold image I’ve erected?

¹⁵ ‘Now, when you hear the sound of trumpets, woodwinds, harps, stringed instruments, and bagpipes playing an anthem of all types of music, it would be good if you’d fall before the gold image that I made. For, if you don’t bow low before it, you will be immediately taken out and thrown into a blazing furnace… then we’ll see which God can rescue you from my hands.’

¹⁶ But ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego replied to King NebuChadnezzar, ‘We don’t really have to answer you about this matter, ¹⁷ for our God in heaven (whom we serve) can rescue us from the fire in the furnace, and He will rescue us from your hands, O king. ¹⁸ But if He doesn’t, then you should know, O king, that we won’t serve your gods or the gold image that you’ve set up for us to bow before!’

¹⁹ Well, NebuChadnezzar was furious, and the way that he viewed ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego changed. So, he gave instructions to heat the furnace seven-times hotter than usual… until they couldn’t get it any hotter! ²⁰ Then he gave some powerful men instructions to shackle ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego, and then throw them into the blazing furnace.

²¹ So the men were shackled, and then they were thrown into the midst of the blazing furnace fully clothed, [wearing their] underwear, pants, and crowns. ²² And following the instruction of the king, the furnace was seven-times hotter than usual.

²³ Well, the three (ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego) fell into the middle of the blazing furnace with their shackles, but then they started walking around in the midst of the flames praising God and blessing Jehovah. ²⁴ And when NebuChadnezzar heard their praising, he was shocked. So, he quickly got up and said to his mighty men, ‘Didn’t we throw three men wearing shackles into the midst of the fire?’

And they replied, ‘We did, O king.’

²⁵ Then the king said, ‘Here I see four men that are loose and walking around in the midst of the fire, and none of them are being burned! And the vision that I have of the fourth one is as that of a son of God!’

²⁶ So, NebuChadnezzar leaned forward toward the door of the blazing furnace and said, ‘ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego, you servants of the highest God; Come here… come out of there!’

Then ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego came from the midst of the fire, ²⁷ and all the governors, generals, lieutenants, and king’s officials were called over. And they saw the men, and that the fire hadn’t consumed their bodies. Why, even the hair on their heads hadn’t been singed, their [clothes] were still the same, and there was no smell of smoke on them!

²⁸ Then, right there before them, the king bowed to Jehovah and said, ‘Praise the God of ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego, who sent His messenger and rescued His servants that trusted in Him. Why, they changed the word of the king and offered their bodies in fire, because they wouldn’t serve any god other than their God.

²⁹ Well thereafter, the king issued this decree: ‘Any people, tribe, or language that speaks blasphemously against the God of ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego will be destroyed and their houses pillaged, for there’s no other god who can rescue that way.’

³⁰ Then the king promoted ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego in the region of Babylon, paid them more, and asked them to be in charge of all the Jews in his kingdom.

Then he [wrote]:

Chapter 4

¹ ‘NebuChadnezzar the king, to all peoples, tribes, languages, and all who live in the land; May you have an abundance of peace. ² I’m pleased to announce to you that the highest God has performed signs and miracles to me, ³ and His signs are great, His wonders are mighty, His kingdom is through the ages, and His authority lasts through generations.

⁴ ‘I (NebuChadnezzar) was prospering in my palace, and my throne was thriving. ⁵ But then I had a vision in a dream that struck me with fear and left me disturbed in my bed; for the vision that I saw in my mind really bothered me. ⁶ So, I passed a decree to bring all the wise men of Babylon before me to have the interpretation of the dream made known to me. ⁷ Then all the sorcerers, priests, astrologers, and Chaldeans came, and I told them the dream, but they couldn’t tell me what it meant.

⁸ ‘Then DaniEl (who is called BelTeShazzar) came in the Name of my God, for he has the Breath of God; So I told him my dream. ⁹ [I said], ‘O BelTeShazzar, the leader of [my] wise men, who knows that the Breath of God is in him, and who is never powerless when it comes to mysteries; Listen to the vision that I saw in my dream and tell me what it means!’

¹⁰ ‘This is the vision that I saw in my mind there in my Bed: {Look!} There was a huge tree in the midst of the earth… it was very tall, ¹¹ and the tree kept getting stronger and larger until it reached into the heavens and spread to the ends of the earth. ¹² Its leaves were beautiful, and it was filled with enough fruit to feed all. So, the wild animals of the fields camped under it, the flying creatures of the skies lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed by it.

¹³ ‘Then, in the vision that I had in my bed that night, I saw a messenger – a holy one from heaven – come down, ¹⁴ and he shouted and said, Cut the tree down… cut off its branches, shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruit; then chase away all the wild animals that are under it and drive the flying creatures from under its branches! ¹⁵ Leave nothing but its roots in the ground, then bind it [with a band] of iron and brass, so it will just lie there surrounded by shoots of grass and wild animals of the fields, covered by the dew from the sky as grass on the ground. ¹⁶Then his heart will be changed from that of men, and the heart of a wild animal will be given to him… this is how he will be changed for seven times.

¹⁷ ‘Then the messenger said: This is a [revelation] from the Holy One to show everyone alive that Jehovah is above all the kingdoms of men, and that He can give it to whomever He chooses, and appoint any that men view with contempt to be over it.

¹⁸ ‘This is what I saw in the dream (I, King NebuChadnezzar). So, I [said to] BelTeShazzar: Now, interpret it… tell me the interpretation, for none of the wise men of my kingdom were able to explain it to me. But you can, O DaniEl, because the Holy Breath of God is within you!

¹⁹ ‘Well, DaniEl was unable to say anything for an hour, because he was disturbed by his thoughts. Then the king asked, BelTeShazzar; Why are you taking so long interpreting the dream?’

‘And BelTeShazzar answered, O lord; Leave the interpretation to those who hate you and to your enemies! ²⁰ For the tree that you saw, which became strong, whose height reached into the heavens, which covered the whole earth, ²¹ which grew such great leaves and such an abundance of fruit that it fed all the wild animals that lived under it, as well as the flying creatures that lived in its branches, ²² is you, O king. For, your fame and greatness have been made to grow, and now they reach into the heavens, and you rule to the ends of the earth!

²³ ‘And whereas the king saw a messenger – a holy one – coming down from heaven, and he [was told] to [cut down] the tree and destroy it, but to leave its roots in the ground; then to band the tree with iron and brass and allow it to lie there among the shoots of grass and live under the dew from the skies with the wild animals, [and to be] changed [this way] for seven times; ²⁴ This is the interpretation of it, O king. It is the highest form of interpretation, for it is what will come upon you, O my lord the king.

²⁵ ‘You will be banished from among men and live among the wild animals of the plains. Then they will feed you grass like an ox, and you will live amidst the dew of the sky. You will be changed for seven times, until you realize that Jehovah is higher than all the kingdoms of men, and He gives it to whomever He wishes.

²⁶ ‘Now, they were told to leave the tree’s roots in the ground; so your kingdom will be yours until you understand the authority of heaven. ²⁷ But because of this, O king (and may my council please you); Ransom your sins with charity, and pay for your errors by showing compassion to the needy. Then, perhaps God will be lenient with you for your errors.

²⁸ ‘Well, all of these things happened to me (King NebuChadnezzar). ²⁹ For, twelve months later, while I was walking in the temple of my kingdom in Babylon, ³⁰ I said, Isn’t this the great Babylon, which I’ve built as a royal home with my power, strength, honor, and glory?

³¹ ‘And as those words were still in my mouth, a voice came from heaven that said, To you it is being said, O King NebuChadnezzar, that your kingdom is taken from you. ³² For, men will banish you, and you’ll live among the wild animals. They’ll feed you grass like an ox and you’ll be changed for seven times, until you come to know that Jehovah is over the kingdoms of mankind, and He gives it to whomever He wishes.

³³ ‘Well, it happened to me (NebuChadnezzar) in that very hour. I was banished from among men, I ate grass like an ox, and I was bathed by the dew from the sky. My hair became strong like that of a lion, and my fingernails grew long like bird’s claws.

³⁴ ‘And when the days were finished, I NebuChadnezzar raised my eyes toward heaven, and then my senses returned. So I praised the Highest [One] who lives through the ages… I praised and spoke gloriously of His authority that lasts through the ages, and of His kingship [that lasts] through generations of generations. ³⁵ For, those who live on the earth are as nothing to Him; He rules the armies of the heavens and those on the earth as He wishes. None can resist His hand, and none can ask why He does what He does.

³⁶ ‘Then, after my senses returned, the honor of my kingdom was restored and my appearance returned to me, my rulers and great men looked up to me, I strengthened my kingdom, and greatness was added to me.

³⁷ ‘Now, I NebuChadnezzar praise, honor, and glorify the King of heaven, because everything He does is righteous. His ways are fair, and He humbles all who are proud.’

Chapter 5

¹ BelShazzar had prepared a feast for a thousand of his most important men, and they were each served wine. ² And it was while BelShazzar was tasting and drinking the wine that he told [his servants] to bring in the items of gold and silver that his father NebuChadnezzar had taken from the Temple [of Jehovah] in Jerusalem, so that the king, his important men, and his concubines and mistresses could drink from them.

³ Then they brought in the items of gold and silver that had been taken from the Temple of God in Jerusalem; and the king, his important men, and his concubines and mistresses ⁴ drank wine from them, as they praised their gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, and stone.

⁵ Well, in that same hour, the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote on the whitewashed wall near the lamp, there in the king’s palace. And when the king saw the knuckles doing the handwriting, ⁶ the king's appearance changed, he was deeply disturbed, he became incontinent, and his knees shook. Then the king screamed to bring in the priests, Chaldeans, and astrologers. ⁷ And he said to the wise men of Babylon: ‘Whoever can read this writing and interpret it for me, will be dressed in purple, a gold necklace will be placed around his neck, and he will be appointed as the third ruler in my kingdom!’

⁸ So, all the king’s wise men came, but they were unable to read the writing or interpret it for the king, ⁹ So, King BelShazzar remained disturbed, his appearance was still changed, and his important guests were also disturbed.

¹⁰ Then the queen entered the banquet room and said, ‘O king; May you live through the age! Don’t allow this to bother your thoughts and change your appearance, ¹¹ for there’s a man in your kingdom who is filled with the Breath of God. Why, back in your father’s day, he was found to be an insightful and understanding man. So your father, King NebuChadnezzar, put him in charge of all the advisors, Chaldeans, and astrologers. ¹² For, there’s a greater measure of [God’s] Breath in him, and he’s more intelligent and understanding when it comes to interpreting dreams, reporting things that are [forgotten], and untying knots. [This man] is DaniEl, who the king renamed BelTeShazzar. So, call him and he’ll interpret [these words] for you.’

¹³ Then DaniEl was brought before the king, and the king asked him, ‘Are you DaniEl, the one among those whom my father the king brought as captives from Judea? ¹⁴ I’ve heard that the Breath of God is in you, and that you’re insightful, understanding, and exceedingly wise. ¹⁵ Now, my wise men, priests, and astrologers have come here and tried to read this writing and to interpret it for me, but they couldn’t explain it to me. ¹⁶ However, I’ve been told that you are able to interpret judgments; so if you can read this writing and interpret it for me, you’ll be dressed in purple, a gold necklace will be placed around your neck, and you will be appointed as the third ruler in my kingdom.’

¹⁷ Then DaniEl said to the king, ‘Your gifts can remain yours, and you can give the [power] of your house to someone else. But I will read the writing and interpret it for you, O king.

¹⁸ ‘O king; it was the highest God who gave the kingdom, greatness, honor, and glory to your father NebuChadnezzar. ¹⁹ And it was because of this greatness that He gave him all the peoples, tribes, and languages, which all trembled and were in fear before him. So, he could do away with anyone he wished, beat anyone he wished, promote anyone he wished, and humble anyone he wished.

²⁰ ‘But when his heart became too haughty and his spirit became too proud, he was brought down from the throne of this kingdom, the honor was removed from him, ²¹ he was driven away from men, and his heart became like that of a wild animal. So he lived among the zebras… he was fed grass like oxen, and his body was bathed and washed by the dew from the sky, until he recognized that it is the highest God who dominates the kingdoms of men, and He can give it to whomever He chooses.

²² ‘Now you, O BelShazzar (his son), have not humbled your heart before God, which is the thing that you knew you should do. ²³ And you’ve acted haughtily before Jehovah, the God of heaven. For, you’ve had the items from His Temple brought before you, and then you, your important men, and your concubines and mistresses drank wine from them, as you praised your gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, and stone, who can’t see, hear, or know anything. And you failed to glorify the God who holds your breath and everything you are in His hands. ²⁴ So because of this, the knuckles of a hand were sent from His presence, and it was He who provided this writing.

²⁵ ‘This is what the writing says: Mene, Tekel, Peres. ²⁶ And here is what it means: Mene means that God has measured your kingdom and finished it. ²⁷ Tekel means that it has been weighed on a scale and found wanting. ²⁸ Peres means that your kingdom has been divided between the Medes and Persians.’

²⁹ Then BelShazzar gave the order, and they dressed DaniEl in purple, put a gold necklace around his neck, and proclaimed him the third ruler in the kingdom. ³⁰ But that very night, BelShazzar (the king of the Chaldeans) was killed, ³¹ and Darius the Mede took the kingdom as his own at the age of sixty-two.

Chapter 6

¹ Thereafter, Darius appointed a hundred and twenty governors to be in charge over his entire kingdom. ² Then he appointed three ministers over them, who the governors had to report to, because the king didn’t want to be bothered… and DaniEl was one of these ministers. ³ Then, because he had an extra portion of [God’s] Breath, DaniEl was placed over the other two ministers, and was in charge of the whole kingdom.

⁴ Well, the other two ministers and the governors [weren’t pleased with this], so they kept looking to find some wrongdoing that they could use to accuse DaniEl. However, they couldn’t find any excuse, sin, or error against him, because he was faithful. ⁵ So the two ministers said, ‘We’ve found nothing to use against DaniEl, other than the Laws of his God.’

⁶ So, the ministers and the governors went before the king and said, ‘O King Darius; May you live through the ages! ⁷ We, the generals, governors, and supreme leaders whom you’ve appointed over your kingdom, and those whom you’ve appointed to royal positions have met together, and we would like for you to enact [a law] to strengthen [your rule]. It is this: Anyone who makes a request of any man or god other than you for the next thirty days, O king, must be thrown into the lion’s pit. ⁸ Please, O king, enact this law and write it for public display, because the decrees of the Medes and Persians can’t be changed.’

⁹ So, King Darius gave orders for the decree to be written.

¹⁰ Well, when DaniEl found out about the decree, he went home. And there in an upper room, before open windows that faced Jerusalem, he bent down on his knees to pray and to praise his God three times that day, as he had always done… ¹¹ and those men were watching him closely. So, when they found DaniEl petitioning and begging before his God, ¹² they went to the king and said, ‘O king; Didn’t you enact an order saying that anyone who makes a request of a god or man other than you for thirty days should be thrown into the lion’s pit?’

And the king replied, ‘What you say is true, and the decrees of the Medes and Persians may not be changed!’

¹³ Then they said to the king, ‘Well, DaniEl (one of those who were brought as captives from Judea) hasn’t followed your decree, because he’s making requests of his God three times each day.’

¹⁴ Well, at that, the king was very disturbed by what he heard, but he did what he could to save DaniEl. ¹⁵ However, the men said to the king, ‘You must know, O king, that any decree of the Medes and Persians may not be altered once the king has enacted it, no matter what their circumstances or position!’

¹⁶ So, the king gave the order and they took DaniEl and threw him into the pit of lions. And there the king asked DaniEl, ‘Will your God that you’ve served so faithfully rescue you?’

¹⁷ Then they took a stone slab, placed it over the top of the pit, and put a seal on it with the king’s ring and the rings of his top men, so that nothing could be changed in regard to DaniEl. ¹⁸ And thereafter, the king returned to his palace and went to bed without eating supper… he had no food carried into him, and he couldn’t sleep.

¹⁹ Well, the king got up the next morning at daybreak and went to the lion’s pit. And as he was approaching it, he called out to DaniEl, shouting loudly, ²⁰ ‘DaniEl… O servant of the living God… has your God that you’ve served so faithfully been able to rescue you from the mouths of the lions?’

²¹ And DaniEl replied, ‘O king; May you live through the ages! ²² My God sent His messenger and he blocked the mouths of the lions. So, they haven’t destroyed me, because He found me righteous… and I haven’t done anything against you, O king.’

²³ Well, the king was overjoyed and he ordered DaniEl to be taken out of the pit. And when they lifted him out, they found that he hadn’t been harmed in any way, because he had trusted in his God.

²⁴ Then the king gave orders and they took the men who had accused DaniEl, and threw them, their sons, and their wives into the lion’s pit. Well, they didn’t even reach the floor before the lions had them, and they crushed all their bones, leaving nothing but dust.

²⁵ Thereafter, King Darius wrote a letter to all the peoples, tribes, and languages throughout the whole earth that said: ‘May you have peace! ²⁶ From my presence I’ve sent a decree to all the rulerships throughout my kingdom that everyone must fear and tremble before the face of the God of DaniEl, because He is the living God who lives through the ages and whose Kingdom will never be destroyed. It will last through the ages, because He rules until the end. ²⁷ He grabs hold and He rescues; He brings about miracles and signs, both in the heavens and on the earth; for He has rescued DaniEl from the mouths of the lions.’

²⁸ So, DaniEl prospered during the reign of Darius and on into the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

Chapter 7

¹ It was during the first year of the reign of BelShazzar, the king of the Chaldeans, that DaniEl saw a vision in his head as he lay in his bed, and this is what he wrote about what he saw:

² ‘In my vision during the night, I DaniEl saw four winds blowing hard and stirring up the Great Sea; ³ and four large animals came out of the sea that were different from each other. ⁴ The first looked like a female lion, and she had the wings of an eagle. But as I watched, her wings were plucked out and she was lifted away from the earth; then she stood on the feet of men, and the heart of a man was given to her.

⁵ ‘Then {Look!} there was a second wild animal that looked like a bear. It was lying on one side, and there were three ribs in its mouth, between its teeth. Then she was told to get up and devour much flesh.

⁶ ‘And after that, {Look!} I saw another wild animal that looked like a leopard, but she had four wings [like those of] of a bird on her back, and four heads. Then she was given great power.

⁷ ‘After that, I looked and saw a fourth wild animal that was astonishing, frightening, and very large. It had teeth of iron that were strong for eating and crushing, and it trampled the others with its feet. It was very different from the wild animals that had come before it, and it had ten horns. ⁸ Then, as I was watching its horns, another small horn came up in the midst of them, and the other three horns were pushed out in front of it. And {Look!} there were the eyes of a man in this horn, and it started saying great things.

⁹ ‘Then I kept watching as thrones appeared, and the Most Ancient One sat down. His clothes were as white as snow, the hair on His head was like pure wool, His throne was like flames of fire, and it had wheels that looked like blazing fires. ¹⁰ Also, a river of fire shot out from before Him, and there was a million who were serving Him, and tens of millions stood before Him.

‘Then a judgment seat was set forth and scrolls were opened. ¹¹ So I watched, as the voice from that horn spoke great words; but then the wild animal was condemned, destroyed, and its body was thrown into a blazing fire. ¹² And thereafter, the rulership was given back to the other wild animals, and their lives were extended for a time and a season.

¹³ ‘Then, as I watched the vision that night, {Look!} someone like the son of man was coming in the clouds of the sky, and he went before the Most Ancient One. ¹⁴ And there he was given rulership, honor, and the Kingdom, and all the peoples, tribes, and languages were to serve him, for his authority will last through the ages… it will never pass away or be destroyed.

¹⁵ ‘And at that, the spirit within me (DaniEl) shuddered (as is prone to happen to me), because the visions that I saw in my head were so disturbing. ¹⁶ So, I went up to the one who was standing there, because I wanted to understand the meaning of all these things. And he spoke to me plainly and he made the interpretation of the things that were said very clear. ¹⁷ [He said], These four large wild animals are four kingdoms that will arise on the earth, ¹⁸ but then they will be taken away. They will [each] take the kingdom of the holy ones of the Most High for themselves, and they will control it though the ages and into the ages of ages.

¹⁹ ‘Then I wanted to find out more about the fourth wild animal, because it was so different from the other wild animals, and so frightening, with its iron teeth and brass claws that it used to eat, crush, and trample. ²⁰ And I wanted to learn more about the ten horns on its head, and about the [horn] that arose and shook off the other three [horns], which had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things; because the sight of it was greater than all the rest.

²¹ ‘Then I watched as that horn went to war against the holy ones and conquered them. ²² But then the time came when the Most Ancient One arrived and gave them His highest judgment, and the holy ones took control of the Kingdom.

²³ ‘Then he said, The fourth wild animal is a fourth kingdom that will rule the earth, and it will be greater that all the other kingdoms, for it will devour the whole earth, trample it, and cut it to pieces. ²⁴ And the ten horns are ten kings that will arise; and after them another will arise that will overwhelm the previous kings and humble three of them. ²⁵ He will speak great words and mislead the Holy Ones of the Most High, and he will be allowed to change both times and laws for a time, times, and a half a time. ²⁶ But then the judgment seat will be set up and the rulership will be changed to remove it from view and destroy it until the end.

²⁷ ‘Then the Kingdom, the authority, and the greatness of all the kings under the sky will be given to the Holy Ones of the Most High. His Kingdom will last through the ages, and all the countries will serve and obey Him.

²⁸ ‘Well, that was the end of the matter. These were the thoughts that disturbed me and changed my appearance, so I (DaniEl) kept them in my heart and preserved them.’

Chapter 8

¹ It was in the third year of the reign of King BelShazzar that I (DaniEl) had a vision that was like the previous one. ² I was at the palace in Sushan (in the region of Elam) when I had the vision. For, as I was standing by the Ulai River, ³ I looked up and saw a ram standing in front of the river that had two long horns. One was taller that the other and came up behind it. ⁴ Then I saw the ram butting toward the west, north, and south, so none of the other wild animals could stand before him, and no one could save them from his hands. So, he did whatever he wished and he became powerful.

⁵ Well as I watched, {Look!} a male goat came across the land from the southwest, but he wasn’t touching the ground. The male goat’s horn was very conspicuous, because it grew from between his eyes. ⁶ Then he rushed toward the ram that I saw (the one with the two horns), and butted him as hard as he could. ⁷ He was furious with him, so he ran as fast as he could and hit the ram, breaking off both of his horns, leaving him weak and unable to oppose him. Then [the male goat] threw the ram to the ground and trampled him, and no one came to save him.

⁸ Thereafter, the male goat became extremely famous for his strength. But then his large horn was broken, and four horns grew up from beneath it that each pointed toward one of the four winds of the skies. ⁹ And from one of them came an extremely powerful horn that grew rapidly toward the south and east ¹⁰ until it reached the powers of the heavens; and he threw [the others] to the earth and trampled on the stars.

¹¹ Then, when the commander-in-chief was captured and [his] blood was poured out, the rage of the age came upon his place, the sacrifices ended, and the Holy Place was destroyed; ¹² for his sacrifice will be offered for sins, and justice will be thrown to the ground; but the righteous things that he does will be blest.

¹³ Then I heard the holy one speaking, and he asked, ‘How long will this vision stand, when the sacrifices are taken away, the destruction over sins is allowed, and the Holy Place of the mighty ones is to be trampled upon?’ ¹⁴ And he said to him: ‘After two thousand, three hundred evenings and mornings, the Holy Place will be cleansed.’

¹⁵ Well, as I was watching the vision, I (DaniEl) wanted to understand. Then, {Look!} standing before me was what looked like a man, ¹⁶ and I heard a man’s voice speaking from the midst of the Ulai. He called out and said, ‘GabriEl; Let him understand the vision!’

¹⁷ So, he came over next to where I was standing. And as he was coming, I was very disturbed and fell to my face. Then he said to me, ‘Pay attention, O son of man, because this is a vision of the time of the end!’

¹⁸ Well, as he was speaking to me, I was there with my face to the ground, but then he touched me and stood me up on my feet. ¹⁹ And he said, ‘{Look!} I’m going to explain to you all the things that will bring the end to [God’s] rage, for this is what will happen in the time of the end:

²⁰ ‘The ram that you saw that has the horns, is the kingdom of the Medes and Persians, ²¹ and the male goat is the king of the Greeks. The big horn between its eyes is their greatest king. ²² And when it’s broken, the four horns that come up from under it are the four kings that will arise from him, but none will be as strong as he was.

²³ ‘Now, during the last days of their kingdom, they will be full of sins, and a king will arise who has a proud face and understands riddles. ²⁴ He will be very powerful, but the strength won’t be his own. He will corrupt in a wondrous way and he will prosper, for he will take action and ruin mighty ones and a holy people. ²⁵ The yoke that he puts on [others] will prosper, but treachery will be in his hands, and in his heart he’ll think of himself as extremely important. He will use his treachery to ruin many, and he’ll destroy many to establish himself… he’ll break them like eggs in his hands.

²⁶ ‘As for the vision of the evenings and mornings; the thing that was said is true! But you must seal up this vision, because it won’t happen for a long time!’

²⁷ Then I (DaniEl) went to bed and was sick for days. But I [finally] got up and did my work for the king, and I wondered about the vision, but no one else knew about it.

Chapter 9

¹ Well, it was during the first year of the reign of Darius, the son of AhasuErus from the seed of the Medes, who ruled over the kingdom of the Chaldeans, ² that I DaniEl came to understand the number of the years from the words that Jehovah had given to the Prophet JeremJah; for there he prophesied that Jerusalem would lie desolate for seventy years.

³ So, I turned my face toward Jehovah God to ask Him about this through prayer, supplications, and fasting in sackcloth and ashes. ⁴ I prayed to my God Jehovah, acknowledging Him, and said, ‘O Lord; O great and wonderful God who keeps His Sacred Agreements and who is merciful to those who love Him and keep His Commandments; ⁵ We’ve sinned, done wrong, and been impious; we’ve left and turned from Your Commandments and decisions, ⁶ and not listened to Your servants the Prophets… those who spoke in Your Name to our kings, rulers, ancestors, and to all the people. ⁷ For You, O Jehovah, are just; but for the men of Judah, Jerusalem, and all Israel, there’s just shame today – both those who are near and those who are scattered throughout the whole earth (wherever You have scattered them) – because of their rebellion and annulling their Sacred Agreement with You, O Lord.

⁸ ‘The faces of our kings, rulers, and ancestors who sinned against You are shamed! ⁹ But, from Jehovah our God, there is compassion and forgiveness for our sin of separating ourselves from You, O Lord. ¹⁰ Because, we haven’t listened to the voice of Jehovah our God, or obeyed His Laws that He gave to us through the hands of His servants the Prophets. ¹¹ All Israel has broken Your Law and turned aside from listening to Your voice, so the curses and oaths that were written about in the Law of Moses (the servant of God) have come upon us, because we have sinned against Him.

¹² ‘As the result; His words that He spoke against us and against our judges (those who are judging us) have come to be… the bringing of such great evil upon us, as has never been seen under the skies of Jerusalem. ¹³ For, it was written in the Law of Moses that these evils would come upon us if we didn’t search for the face of Jehovah our God, turn from our sins, and see all the things that are true. ¹⁴ And our God Jehovah is so very concerned about evil, that He has brought our evil ways down upon us. And our God Jehovah is right to do all these things that He’s done, because we haven’t listened to His voice!

¹⁵ ‘Now, O Jehovah, our God who led His people out of the land of Egypt with His mighty hand and made a name for Himself until this day; We have sinned, broken Your Laws, and erred! ¹⁶ But Lord; In all Your charity, turn Your anger and rage away from Your city Jerusalem (Your Holy Mountain). For, it was because we followed in the sins of our ancestors that Jerusalem and Your people have become a subject of ridicule by all those who live around us.

¹⁷ ‘O Lord, our God; Listen to the prayer of Your servant and to the things he’s begging; and may Your Face appear in Your Holy Place to those who have been deserted… for the sake [of Your Name], O Jehovah! ¹⁸ O my God; Lean down Your ear and listen! Open Your eyes and see how we and the city where You’ve put Your Name have been destroyed!’

‘We can’t approach You and throw our compassions before You because of our righteousness, O Lord (although our compassions are great). ¹⁹ But listen, O Lord, and cover our sins! Act quickly for Your own sake, O my God Jehovah, because Your Name is called upon Your city and upon Your people!’

²⁰ Well, it was as I was speaking, praying, confessing my sins and the sins of my people Israel, and throwing my desire for mercy before my God Jehovah concerning His Holy Mountain, ²¹ that {Look!} the man GabriEl (who I saw flying in my first vision) touched me (it was about the time for the evening sacrifice) ²² and helped me to understand. He spoke to me and said, ‘O DaniEl; I’ve come here to teach you, so you can understand. ²³ I’ve been coming since you first started your prayer, to announce to you that you’re a very desirable man. So now, reflect on this matter that you see in this vision.

²⁴ ‘Seventy weeks have been set for your people and the Holy City Zion, in order to finish off sins, to set a seal upon sins, to end Law breaking, to pay for sins, to bring justice through the ages, to put a seal upon the vision and the Prophet, and to anoint the Holy of Holies.

²⁵ ‘So, know this and understand it: From the time when the answer is sent and the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem, until the coming of the Anointed Leader, there will be seven weeks plus sixty-two weeks. He will return and rebuild the square and the wall during difficult times. ²⁶ Then, after the sixty-two weeks are finished, the Anointed One will be destroyed and he will no longer be able to judge. So, the leader who is coming will corrupt and cut off the city and the Holy Place in a downpour, until he orders the end of the wars and exterminations.

Note: Another version of the Septuagint reads: ²⁴ ‘Seventy weeks will come in order to bring a rooting out upon your people, to bring a finishing off of sin and unrighteousness in the City of Zion, and the feeling of shame upon the unrighteous. Then the vision of righteousness of the ages will shine through, and at the end of the vision there will be rejoicing in the Holy of Holies; ²⁵ knowledge will shine through; and [there will be] rejoicing, a turning from unrighteousness, and Jerusalem the City of Jehovah will be rebuilt. ²⁶ But after seven plus sixty-two weeks have passed away, the Anointed One will no longer be, and the king of the nations will destroy the city in rage along with the Holy Place and the anointed, until he orders an end to the wars and exterminations.

²⁷ ‘Then he will strengthen a Sacred Agreement with many for a period of seven [days]; but during the middle of the seven days the sacrifices and the drink offerings will be lifted away. And thereafter, the disgusting destroyer will come to the Temple, and it will lie desolate until its time has been completed.’

Chapter 10

¹ It was during the third year of the reign of Cyrus, the king of Persia, that these true words were uncovered to DaniEl (who was called BelTeShazzar), and great ability and understanding were given to him in the vision.

² At the time, [I] DaniEl had been in mourning for three weeks… ³ I hadn’t eaten any meat or bread, and no wine had entered my mouth. And during the three weeks, I hadn’t rubbed myself with oil.

⁴ Well, it was on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the banks of the great Tigris River, ⁵ that I raised my eyes and saw a man wearing linen clothes. His hips were wrapped in the gold of Ophir, ⁶ his body looked like stone, his face looked like lightning, his eyes looked like burning lamps, his arms and legs looked like shining brass, and when he spoke it was like the [voices] of a large crowd.

⁷ I was the only one who saw this vision, for the men who were with me didn’t see anything. However, something came over them that frightened them, and they all ran away, ⁸ leaving me alone.

Then I had this great vision that left me weak. It took all my glory and corrupted it, leaving me without any strength. ⁹ Then I heard his voice speaking words, and when I heard what he was saying, I was confused; so I fell with my face to the ground.

¹⁰ Next, {Look!} a hand touched me and lifted me up on my knees and onto the palms of my hands. ¹¹ And he said to me: ‘DaniEl, you very desirable man; Understand the words that I’m speaking to you and stand erect, because I have been sent to you!’

Well, when he said that, I stood erect (but I was still shaking). ¹² And he said to me, ‘Don’t be afraid, DaniEl, because; From the first day that you opened your heart to understand and you started [fasting] before Your God Jehovah, your words were heard, and I’ve come to you because of what you said. ¹³ However, the king of the armies of the Persians stood and opposed me for twenty-one days, until MichaEl, one of the foremost rulers, came to help me. So, I left him there with the king of the armies of the Persians, ¹⁴ and I’ve come to help you understand what will happen to your people in the last days, because this is a vision of the future.’

¹⁵ Well, as he was saying that, I fell with my face to the ground again, because I was so confused. ¹⁶ Then {Look!} someone who looked like one of the sons of men came and touched my lips, and I was able to open my mouth and speak.

So, I asked the one who was standing before me, ‘O lord; Seeing the vision of you has twisted my insides and left me weak, ¹⁷ so how will your servant be able to speak to you after this, O lord? For I’m weak and unable to stand, and I can scarcely breathe!’

¹⁸ Then [someone who] looked like a man came and touched me, and gave me strength. ¹⁹ And he said, ‘Don’t be afraid, O desirable man; May you have peace! Now, act like a man and be strong!’

Well, as he was speaking to me, I became stronger, and I said, ‘Now speak, O my lord, because you’ve given me strength!’

²⁰ Then he asked, ‘Do you know why I’ve come to you? I’m going back to fight a war against the king of the armies of the Persians, and then the Greek general will arrive. ²¹ But first I’m going to show you how to write the words of truth, because no one can oppose me in these matters, other than the Messenger MichaEl.

Chapter 11

¹ ‘Why, since the first year of the reign of Cyrus I’ve been standing by powerfully and mightily, ² and now I’m going to tell you the truth: {Look!} Three kings will arise in Persia, and then the fourth will become much richer than all the others. And after he gains all his riches, he will attack all the kingdoms of Greece.

³ ‘Then a mighty king will arise and gain a vast kingdom, and he will do whatever he wishes. ⁴ But after his kingdom is established, it will be broken and divided to the four winds of the sky, and it won’t end up as strong as it was during his rule. For his kingdom will be plucked up and divided among outsiders.

⁵ ‘Then the king in the south will grow stronger than him, and he will use his authority to rule over a vast kingdom. ⁶ However, after his time, they will all become allies; then the daughter of the Egyptian king will go to the king in the north to make treaties with him, but his arm won’t be strong and his seed will not stand. Then she will be handed over, along with those who brought her and [her] young women, and the one who made her strong in her time.

⁷ ‘Thereafter, someone will arise from the flower of her root, and when he’s ready, he will attack the army of the northern king and overrun his supporters… he will conquer them and win the battle. ⁸ Then he will take their molded gods and all their desirable things, including their silver and gold, and carry it back to Egypt, and he will dominate over the northern king.

⁹ ‘Then [the northern king] will enter the kingdom of the southern king, but he will [have to] retreat to his own land. ¹⁰ And then his sons will gather a large army and quickly win, overrun, and pass through. They will settle in and fight all the way to his stronghold. ¹¹ This will make the southern king wild [with rage], and he will raise a large army to fight the northern king and take many captives. ¹² Then his heart will become proud and he will cut thousands to the ground, but he won’t win the battle.

¹³ ‘Thereafter, the northern king will gather an even larger army, and toward the end of [his rule], he will attack and enter with great power and with many [items of war]. ¹⁴ And during that time, many will rebel against the southern king, and rabble from among your people will become stronger so that the vision can be proven, but then they will become weaker.

¹⁵ ‘Then the northern king will attack and build siege mounds and capture fortified cities, and the southern king’s chosen ones will stand up, but they won’t be strong enough. ¹⁶ So, the one who enters will do whatever he wishes, and no one will be able to oppose him. Then he will stand in the land of glory and finish it off with his own hands.

¹⁷ ‘Thereafter, he will set his face to march against that entire kingdom with all his righteous ones, and this is what he will do: He will take the daughter of men to corrupt her, but she won’t stay with him and she won’t be his. ¹⁸ So, he will turn his attention to the islands and capture many of them. And he will make their kings stop ridiculing him, but his ridicule will return.

¹⁹ ‘Then he will turn his attention back to strengthening his own land, but he will become weak, fall, and not be found again.

²⁰ ‘After that, a plant will arise from the roots of the kingdom that he prepared and cast aside, which will tax the glory of the kingdom; and then he will be broken… but not by rebellion or by war. ²¹ Rather, one will stand in his place who has been treated with contempt and who was not given the glory of the kingdom. But he will [return] in prosperity and take the kingdom through treachery. ²² Then the arms of those he overruns will be washed away from before his face, including the one who is the leader of the Sacred Agreement.

²³ ‘Then, because of the many treaties with him, he will be treacherous, but a small nation will beat him. ²⁴ So, he will travel to prosperous places and do what his ancestors and their ancestors couldn’t do… plunder them and disperse the loot. And then he will spend time plotting against Egypt. ²⁵ And when he’s strong enough, he will set his heart against the southern king and attack him with a great army. But the southern king will also gather a great army and beat him with new implements of war. ²⁶ Then they will devour everything he needs, break him, destroy his army, and many will be killed.

²⁷ ‘Well, both kings will have wicked hearts, so when they sit down at a table they will both lie and nothing will be straightened out until the end is reached. ²⁸ And when he returns to his land, it will be with much plunder, and with his heart set against the Holy Sacred Agreement. Then he’ll return to [this] land, ²⁹ but he’ll come back… however, not from the south, and this last time it won’t be the same as at first.

³⁰ ‘Then [the ships] of Cyprus will attack him and humble him, but he will return and show his rage against the Holy Sacred Agreement. For he will attack those who he sees have left the Holy Sacred Agreement, ³¹ then he will raise his arms and profane the powerful Holy Place and end the daily sacrifices, and bring the disgusting destroyer ³² against those who break the Law and care little for the Sacred Agreement.

‘However, those who know their God will grow stronger and take action. ³³ They will come to know many things, but they will be weakened with swords, fire, captivity, and ravaging over a long period. ³⁴ Yet, when they are the weakest they will be given a little help; but many will be added to them who won’t show the same concern, ³⁵ and they will drag those who understand down. However, they will be called, uncovered, and purified by fire until the time of the end, because there’s still a long time.

³⁶ ‘Thereafter, the king will make himself more powerful and put himself over all gods, including the God of gods. ³⁷ And he will speak pompous words and prosper until [God’s] wrath comes and reaches its climax. He won’t pay any attention to the gods of his ancestors or to the desires of women, because he will [think] himself so great that he won’t listen to any god. ³⁸ Rather, he will worship his warring nation as a god, which is a god that his ancestors didn’t know. And he will glorify gold, silver, precious gems, and other desirable things. ³⁹ Then in his fortresses where he hides, he will worship a strange god who he should ever recognize, where he will divide glory and give land as gifts to cause many to submit to him.

⁴⁰ ‘In the time of the end, he will lock horns with the southern king, so he (the northern king) will gather many chariots, horsemen, and ships, and enter his (the southern king’s) land, conquer it, and pass through it. ⁴¹ Then he will enter the land of glory and cause many to become weak; but Edom, Moab, and the sovereignty of the sons of Ammon will be preserved. ⁴² He will stretch out his hand over the land, and the land of Egypt won’t be saved, ⁴³ for he will dominate with his hidden reserves of gold, silver, and all the desirable things of Egypt, the Libyans, and the Ethiopians, and their fortresses.

⁴⁴ ‘Then, out of the north and east he will hear things that will disturb him, so he will leave in a rage to destroy and obliterate many. ⁴⁵ He will pitch his royal tent between the seas and the glorious Holy Mountain until he comes to his end, and no one will save him.

Chapter 12

¹ ‘And in that hour, the Highest Messenger MichaEl (he who watches over the sons of your people) will arise, and then a time of difficulty will begin such as has never happened before and will never happen again. [And thereafter], [God] will raise all those whose [names] were written in the scroll, ² and many who died and were buried will be resurrected… some to life in the age, some to disgrace, and some will be scattered and shamed in that age. ³ Then those who understand my words will shine like the brightness of the sky and like the stars in the heavens for ages of ages.

⁴ ‘And you, O DaniEl; Cover up the words and seal the scroll until the time of the end, when many will be taught and the earth will be filled with unrighteousness.’

⁵ Then I (DaniEl) looked and saw two others standing (one on this side of the river, and the other on the opposite bank), ⁶ and one of them asked the man in the linen clothes who was standing on the river water, ‘When will all these wonders that you spoke of end?’

⁷ And the man in the linen clothes who was standing on the river raised his right and left hands high toward the heavens, and he swore an oath to the God who lives through ages, that the holy people will be scattered for a time, times, and a half a time, before all these things come to an end.

⁸ I heard it, but I didn’t understand it, so I said, ‘O lord; When will your words happen, and when will your judgment come?’

⁹ And he said, ‘Go, DaniEl… cover and seal up the words! ¹⁰ For many will be chosen, [dressed] in white, purified by fire, and become holy. But the sinners will continue to sin and they won’t chase after knowledge.

¹¹ ‘From the time when the disgusting destroyer will come and the [daily] sacrifices will end is one thousand, two hundred and ninety days. ¹² And the one who endures the one thousand, three hundred, and thirty-five days will be blest.

¹³ ‘Now, go and rest until the day and hour has been completed, because you will be resurrected and receive your inheritance after those days come to their end.’

Notes

Breath

The Greek word pneuma (as in pneumonia, a breathing disease) means breath or wind – the movement of air. In other Bible translations, this word is often translated as spirit or ghost, as in Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost. However, spirit is just a shortened form of the Latin word spiritu, which just means breath in Latin. And ghost conveys another meaning altogether.

The most common use of the word pneuma in the Bible is to imply an unseen force (such as breath or wind). And the problem with translating it as spirit or ghost is that many people have started believing that the unseen force that is called [God’s] Holy Breath herein, is another God-like person and part of a Divine ‘Trinity.’ This can’t be true, because the only scripture that can be used to support this theory (that is, where the Father, the Son, and the Holy Breath’ are spoken of together) is found at Matthew 28:19, which appears to be spurious (See the Note in Matthew). All other scriptures that are used to prove the Trinity theory fail to mention the Holy Breath as part of that group. And the King James wording of 1 John 5:7 (which was used for years to attempt to prove the Trinity) is also spurious (something that was added to the Bible). So, there are no actual Bible references that mention God’s Holy Breath along with the Father and the Son.

Therefore, to prevent confusion, the Greek word pneuma is frequently translated as breath herein. However, there are exceptions, as in instances where the Bible refers to demons as ‘spirits.’ Translating pneuma as breath in these cases, although correct, might just be confusing. There are also places where we have left pneuma translated as spirit, when the word implies a person's tendency (or spirit). And, since the nuance implied by the word spirit in the English language (an unseen power) is correct, we recently changed back to translating pneuma as spirit in several places, when referring to God’s Holy Spirit. However, recognize that pneuma is often best defined by calling it [God’s] Holy Breath. For an example, see the Note Worshiping God In Spirit and Truth.

Another important use of the word pneuma is in the phrase, ‘Breath of Life.’ This phrase appears to mean more than just breathing, for it seems to refer to the entire mechanics of life itself. It’s the unseen force of life for all creatures… it’s what makes each cell alive. However, nowhere does the Bible describe the ‘pneuma’ as immortal, nor is it the same as the soul (a breathing thing), so it can (figuratively) ‘return to God’ at death,’ because all hope of future life depends on God and His promise of a resurrection.

Note in particular how the term Breath is used at Job 27:3, where Job spoke of God’s Breath or Spirit. For there he asked, ‘Does the Breath of the Divine One remain in my nose?’ As you can see from his application of this word, pneuma obviously referred to God’s Breath, not to a person or to an unseen force. He was talking about that which comes from God and which caused him (Job) to breathe… the Breath of Life.

It is interesting that at Genesis 6:3 God says, ‘I won’t allow My Breath to stay with these men through the age, for they are fleshly.’ In Greek that reads, ‘Ou me katameine to pneuma mou en tois anthropois toutoiseis ton aiona, dia ai einai autous sarka,’ or, ‘Not not should stay the Breath Mine with these men the age through, their being flesh.’

While the words Breath Mine (pneuma mou) here can refer to God’s Holy Breath, it seems more likely that He is referring to the breath of life that He gave to Adam. So it appears as though; what God was saying here is that the breath of life (of the people of that age) would be removed prematurely. However, since God referred to it as ‘My Breath,’ there may be a link implied between God’s Holy Breath and the breath of life.
For more information, see the linked document, ‘The Powers of God’s Holy Spirit.’

However, when Jesus died (as the words recorded at John 19:30 say), ‘he hung his head and gave up the breath’ (gr. kai klinas ten kephalen paredoken to pneuma, or, and inclined his head giving/up the breath). In this case, the obvious reference is to ‘the breath of life,’ or that force which gave him life as a human.

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The Heavens or Sky, the Earth or the Land?

In both the Ancient Scriptures of Israel (OT) and the Christian Era Scriptures (NT), we find all the realm of creation divided into three entities; the heavens (or sky), the earth (the land or ground), and the seas (the waters). Now, in contemporary English, we understand that there is a difference between the heavens and the sky, the earth and the land (or ground), and the seas and waters. However, in both Hebrew and Greek, these fine distinctions that we accept because of our modern technology, can’t be found. So, Genesis 1:1 could literally be translated as, ‘In the beginning, God created the sky and the ground.’

This is accurate, because it was the view of man from the earth. There was the land that he stood on, the sky above him, and the waters or seas over there. There was no technical understanding of the earth as a planet, because men didn’t view the earth as we do today, as a ball in space… it just wasn’t necessary at the time! However, because of these distinctions that we understand so well today, translators must choose the proper words to provide the right nuances in English, in order for readers to grasp the proper meaning of each text.

This is why you’ll find the Greek word ourano translated as both heaven(s) and sky herein, depending on the context. You’ll also find the Greek words ge and ges translated as earth, ground, or land, depending on the context. So, the symbolic words at 2 Peter 3:5, 6, for example, are translated herein as, ‘The thing that they don’t want to understand is this: That the ancient earth and sky were out of the water, but (in obedience to God’s instructions) they stood together between the waters.’ (For an example of the problems created by the wrong use of the words ge and ges, see the linked document Isaiah 24 - Is It Speaking of Armageddon?).

Notice that the ‘earth and sky’ were located ‘between the water.’ So, although other Bibles translated this verse as speaking of the ‘heavens and earth,’ the reference is to the portion of the heavens that are close to the earth… to the sky. Likewise, at Matthew 5:5, where Jesus spoke of the ‘meek’ as inheriting ‘the earth; since he was talking about people receiving an ‘allotment’ on the earth,’ we have chosen to translate ges as earth, not land or ground. However, the words land and ground are equally correct.

And finally, when it comes to the seas (gr. thalassa), there are already distinctions as to different types of waters in the Greek text. For instance, seas are called thalassa and rivers are called potamos (or ‘flowing’). However, notice (in Revelation 20: 13) how the resurrection of the dead is divided between those who died on land and those who were lost in the water, ‘The sea gave up its dead, death and the grave gave up those dead in them, and they were all judged by the things that they did.’

We again find all three of these realms of creation brought together symbolically at Revelation 21:1, where it says, ‘Then I saw a new earth and sky, because the previous earth and sky had disappeared, as did the sea.’

Also, in the case of where EliJah was taken in a celestial chariot, most people think he was taken to (as their Bibles put it) ‘heaven,’ where he went to live with God. This isn’t true, because King JehoRam later received a letter from Elijah (see 2 Chronicles 21:12). So, God had apparently used the celestial chariot to take him into the sky (the proper translation here), where he was then taken to another place here on the earth. For more information on this, see the linked document, The Hereafter.

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Why the Name Changes?

You have likely noticed that we are putting some of the letters in Bible names in capital letters. For example, we’ve started spelling such names as Jonathan as JoNathan, Isaiah as IsaiJah, and Eliezer as EliEzer. Why? Well, partly to help with the correct pronunciations of the names, and partly to show some translating consistency.

We all know that the common English pronunciation of Jonathan (for example) is Jon-uh-thun. But did you know that the first part of the name (Io in Greek, Ieho in Hebrew) refers to the name Jehovah, and the second part of the Name (Nathan) means Gift? So, the name was originally pronounced closer to Ye-hoh-nuh-thahn.

In the case of names that end with an iah, as in Isaiah, the last part of the name often includes the name of God. Isaiah, for example, means Salvation [of] Jehovah, and it was originally pronounced Ee-sai-Yah. So, why have we substituted a capital ‘J’ for the letters ‘ie’ in both of the above cases? Well, we recognize that there is an inconsistency here, because there was no letter ‘J’ in Hebrew or Greek alphabets. However, we have the choice of changing all names that start with ‘J’ (such as Jesus, John, Jonah, Joshua, Jeremiah, etc.) to start with the letters ‘Ie’, or for consistency, we can change all the ‘Ies’ into ‘Js’, which is what we have done. Realize that several other Hebrew consonants are commonly mispronounced in English, which no one objects to, so this minor deviation should not be objectionable to the thinking.

Does this mean then that we are setting out a new rule for name spelling? Absolutely not, for centuries ago, a Bible translator first established this rule when he spelled the name Eliou (Greek spelling, pronounced ay-lee-ou) and wrote it as EliJah, because this name is regarded as meaning ‘My God is Jehovah.’

Also notice that where a name ends with an iah, as in Jeremiah (Jehovah exalts), we have often spelled it as iJah, because the I would typically be pronounced as a long E, followed by a Y in Hebrew, and writing it without the I (as in JeremJah) misses this nuance. So, we have rendered it as JeremiJah, which is similar to the way it is often pronounced by modern-day Hebrew-speaking Jews, YeremiYah.

Another important word in names that we usually capitalize is ‘El’ (from the Hebrew Elohe, or God). So EliEzer (which people commonly pronounce Eelai-eezer and means God [has] Helped) should actually be pronounced El-ee-eh-zer. The same is true for the letters Ai, especially in the names of cities, because Ai in Hebrew refers to the word city. So, AiLam (for example) probably meant the City of Lam.

Similar words, such as Bel (as in BelShazzar), Baal, and Beel, refer to ‘the Lord’ or ‘the God.’ Also, the prefixes ‘Ben’ and ‘Bar’ mean ‘the son of.’ ‘Beth’ means ‘the house of,’ ‘Beer’ refers to a ‘well,’ ‘Is’ or ‘Ish’ means ‘Man,’ etc.

Does this mean that we have put all the capitals in the right places? No, for we make no claim to Hebrew scholarship (all our translating here has been from Greek). So, what we are trying to do is provide a better understanding to how these names were pronounced by First-Century Christians.

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Baal, Beel, and Bel

Throughout the Ancient Scriptures of Israel (OT), you will read of Gods, people, and places with names that start with Baal, Beel, and Bel. These terms mean the Lord, the Master, or the Owner, and they refer to various gods of nations, not necessarily to a particular god. The word was just a title for a god, and the God’s name (or the place that he/it represented) follows the title, such as Beel Phegor (as found at Numbers 25:3). And where people called their god just Baal (or Beel), they were referring to their particular lord or god of that city or land. Also, where a person’s name includes one of these terms (such as BelShazzar), it usually means that they were named after a local god (in this case, Shazzar).

Of course, having the title Baal or Beel in a name doesn’t necessarily imply that a person is a worshiper of a pagan god, for several faithful worshipers of Jehovah also had that title as part of their names. For example, the faithful Judge Gideon came to be known as JeroBaal (meaning ‘May Baal Defend Himself’), because of his action in cutting down an altar to Baal. Also, one of King Saul’s grandsons (through faithful JoNathan) was named MeriBaal (meaning ‘Opposer of Baal’); one of King David’s faithful warriors was named BaalJah (meaning ‘Lord Jehovah’); and David named one of his sons BaalJada (meaning ‘Lord Knows’).

By the way, Baal is pronounced Bah-ahl and Beel is pronounced beh-el, not Bayel or Beel.

Also, in places where we find the letters El in a name or place, this is usually just a shortened version of the Hebrew word Elohim, meaning God. So, whereas many Bibles translate the Greek word ‘Baithelbereth’ (found at Judges 9:46) as ‘Bethel Bereth,’ or, ‘the temple of god ElBereth,’ or, ‘the vault of the house of El-Berith;’ recognize that ‘Beth (or Baith)’ means ‘the house (or temple) of,’ ‘El’ means ‘God,’ and ‘Bereth’ is that God’s name. So, we have translated it there as ‘the temple of God Bereth.’

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God’s Messengers

Most Bible translations render the Greek word aggelos (pronounced ahn-gel-ose – with a hard g) as angel wherever it is found. However, aggelos is just the Greek word for messenger. True, in most cases where the Bible speaks of angels, it is referring to spirit messengers from God. However, this may not be the meaning in every instance, and always translating it as angel may distort what was said in certain instances.

For example, consider the words at Acts 12:15, where Peter had just been released from prison and had appeared at the door of some faithful Christians. In Greek, the latter part of this verse reads, ‘oi de elegon Ho aggelos estin autou’ and is often translated as, ‘They began to say, It is his angel.’

This rendering doesn’t sound reasonable, for it would have been unusual for Christians to assume that an angel from God (who looked like Peter) was standing and knocking at their door. Rather, the rendering we have used herein makes more sense, ‘So they said, It’s his messenger.’

Another good example of why aggelos shouldn’t always be translated as angel can be found at Genesis 32:3, which reads in Greek, ‘Apasteile de Iakob aggelous emprosthen autou pros Hesau ton adelphon autou’ or, ‘Sent of Jacob angels ahead of him toward Esau the brother of him.’ Here Jacob was obviously sending human messengers to his brother, not heavenly ones (angels).

And consider the words at Numbers 20:14, where we read that Moses sent messengers (gr. aggelous – messengers, plural) from Cades to the king of Edom.’ Then in verse 16, it says that ‘Jehovah … heard our voice and sent His messenger (gr. aggelon – messenger, singular) who brought us out of Egypt.’

Obviously, although the same word (with only conjugated variations) is used to speak of two different types of messengers here… those who are human and those who were sent from heaven by God. As the result, most Bibles translate the first instance as messengers, but the second as angel. We have not chosen to make this distinction, and we have rendered the word as messenger or messengers in each instance, because this proper translation of the word provides readers a better look at what position these heavenly sons of God held. For, angel isn’t a heavenly rank, it’s a duty.

Also, consider the words of Haggai 1:13, where we read: ‘Then the Messenger (or angel) of Jehovah, Haggai, one of the messengers (or angels) of Jehovah, said to the people: Jehovah says, I am with you!’

Yet, Haggai was just a man, not a spirit.

Translating aggelos as messenger (when it truly means an ‘angel’) helps to provide readers a better, deeper understanding of the actual role that such spiritual sons of God play in His dealings with mankind. And it helps us to understand why the Bible never speaks of female or baby angels.

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House, Temple, or Palace?

Throughout the Bible, the Greek word that is used in most places to describe the Temple of Jehovah is Oikos (pronounced Oy-koss), or House. That is also true when it comes to describing the building where the king lived. However, for clarification, we have usually chosen to translate the word as Temple when speaking of the place of worship of Jehovah, and as palace when speaking of the king’s house. We have done this because, neither of these buildings were just regular houses, and the words Temple and palace better describe their appearance and use in contemporary American English.

There is a Greek word that might also mean Temple iero, which was occasionally used to describe that place of worship. And another Greek word that is frequently used, is naos (pronounced nah-oss), which means the place of the Gods.

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Eunuchs

When we hear the word eunuch, we usually think of a man that has been castrated, because that’s what the term has come to mean through the years. However, when someone is described as a eunuch in the Bible, it doesn’t necessarily mean that he was sexually mutilated. In fact, during the reigns of faithful kings of Israel, such mutilation would have been considered repulsive, for a sexually-mutilated person, by Law, couldn’t serve as a Priest or worship at the Temple of Jehovah.

Does this mean then, that God dislikes men whose testicles have been forcibly or accidentally removed? No, surely the reasons for this law involved His knowledge that some men, in their desire to better serve Him, may have considered castration to remove any carnal desires; and He clearly didn’t want that to happen. So, God provided a law to disallow any who were castrated from serving Him in these special ways.

Now, the Greek word eunuch doesn’t really carry the meaning of castration. Rather, it means bed keeper. However, most bed keepers (or harem watchers) for kings were in fact castrated to keep them from temptation. Yet, notice that eunuchs are frequently mentioned in the Bible as holding other offices (such as the Ethiopian Eunuch), which didn’t necessarily require castration. So, why were they then referred to as bed keepers? Because the term had come under common use to apply to all trusted servants of kings.

Was Daniel (who served under the chief Babylonian eunuch) a eunuch? His position as a special servant to the king would indicate that he held the title of eunuch. But is it possible that he had also been castrated? Well, as an early captive from Jerusalem, he was likely a member of the nobility or royalty, and notice the prophecy that God gave to King HezekiJah (at Isaiah 39:7), where we read, ‘They will take your children – those who you have fathered – and make them eunuchs in the houses of the Babylonians.’

In the above case, the Greek word that we have translated as eunuch (which is also a Greek word) is castrati, or one who has been sexually mutilated. And the fact that there is no mention of Daniel having a wife or children, and that none of his descendants are listed among those who returned to Jerusalem, makes this a possible conclusion.

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Who Does the Image of Daniel Chapter Two Represent?

In Daniel Chapter Two, King NebuChadnezzar saw a huge image in a dream that had a head of gold; hands, chest, and shoulders of silver; belly and thighs of brass; legs of iron; and feet of iron and baked clay (pottery). Then Daniel explained that King NebuChadnezzar (or the world empire of Babylon) was the head of gold, and that his kingdom (or empire) would be followed by a lesser king (the one of silver), which turned out to be the empire of Persia, along with their allies and close neighbors, the Medes.

Daniel described the next empire (the brass) as one that would ‘dominate the whole earth;’ and that aptly describes the empire of Greece under Alexander the Great.

The next ‘king’ or empire (the legs of iron) was described by Daniel as being ‘as strong as iron. For, as iron crushes and tames all things, it will tame and crush everything.’ That aptly describes Rome under the Caesars.

But which empire (king) is represented by the feet of iron and baked clay? We know that it has to be a last empire, since it will be replaced (crushed) by God’s Kingdom.

Now, there have been several world empires since the time of Roman domination; the Turks, the Huns, the Norse, the French, the Spanish, the Germans, the British, and the Americans. However, the Bible only speaks of one empire after Rome, so which would that be?

The first clue comes from the Greek words used in verse 41, where we read (in part), ‘kai apo tes rizes tes sideras estai en on,’ or, ‘and from the roots of/the iron is in it.’ So, we must conclude that this ‘king’ is rooted in the Roman Empire, and this could refer to Spain, France, or England, for they all had deep Roman roots… but which one?

The next clue comes from the words found in verses 42 and 43, which say, ‘And because the toes of the feet are part iron and part baked clay; part of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be broken. For, as you saw the iron mixed with the baked clay, [this kingdom] will be mixed with the seed of men… they won’t stick to each other, as iron won’t stick to baked clay.’

Notice that the kingdom will be ‘mixed with the seed of men,’ or made up of many races. That well describes the vast British Empire and its many colonies, especially the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc. And since each of these former British colonies has claimed some form of independence, they haven’t stuck together and they don’t always agree.

The final clue is the fact that these governments (or loose empire) are the last. So, if the prophecy in Daniel pictures them, we would assume that God’s Kingdom will soon ‘hit the image on its feet of iron and baked clay, and completely shatter them.’

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The Wild Animals of Daniel Seven

Daniel Chapter Seven once again gives us a vision of those who would rule the world before the coming of God’s Kingdom, and it clarifies and enlarges on the descriptions of these kingdoms and what they would accomplish. And the reason why all great world powers since the time of Daniel aren’t included, is made clear in the words of Daniel 7:18, where we read, ‘They will [each] take to themselves the kingdom of the holy ones of the Most High, and they will control it though the ages, and into the ages of ages.’

So, each of the following world powers that dominated Israel (Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome) are what is pictured by the wild animals:
* The one that was pictured by the female lion with wings, but lost her wings and was given the feet and heart of a man, was the empire of Babylon, whose ruler NebuChadnezzar was humbled by God.
* The one that was pictured by the bear was the empire of the Medes and Persians, and the three ribs in its mouth likely pictures their conquests of Babylon, Asia Minor, and Egypt.
* The third wild animal that looked like a leopard and had four wings and four heads, pictured the fast-moving empire of the Greek king Alexander the Great, followed by the power of his four generals who divided the kingdom after his death.
* The fourth wild animal that was so large and unusual was obviously Rome, which was a new form of government that crushed and devoured the then known world. Its ten horns likely picture the many governments that sprang from it, including Great Britain, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Portugal, and others, but the little horn that grew and pushed out three of the other horns likely pictures the empire of Great Britain (including its former colonies) that pushed other major powers (such as France, Spain, and the Netherlands) out of their prominent colonial positions.

As for the eyes of a man that are in the little horn; this clearly indicates a democratic type of rulership, but the prophecy shows that its authority over ‘laws and seasons’ will end after a time, times, and a half a time, or 1,260 days (or years) (see Revelation 12:6, 14).

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The Vision of Daniel Chapter Eight

In the Eighth Chapter of Daniel, the account reverts to something that Daniel saw when BelShazzar, the king of Babylon, was in power: the two-horned ram. This is explained to him as representing the empire of the Medes and Persians. And the second (larger) of the two horns, is obviously the kingdom of the Persians, which became dominant.

Also, as the prophecy explains, the male goat that destroys the kingdom of Persia is the Greeks (gr. Hellenes, or People of the Sun), and its large horn is Alexander the Great, who dies young, and thereafter his empire is divided among his four generals (the four horns). Then from this same animal, another, greater horn arises, which is the Greek-influenced Empire of Rome, probably starting with the actions and attitudes of Julius Caesar.

Thereafter, rest of this prophecy has to do with the coming of Jesus (the commander-in chief) and his mistreatment and death, then the destruction of Jerusalem (the last days). Notice that we have deviated from the words of most common Septuagint translations in verse eleven. This is because we took into consideration what another version of the Septuagint has to say, because it more closely reflects the Bible that Jesus appears to have been quoting from in Matthew 24.

As for the two thousand, three hundred evenings and mornings that are spoken of there, and what they signify; this seems to refer to how long the Temple and Jerusalem will lie desolate after their destruction. What is the significance of this?

Some have suggested that the period is 1,150 mornings plus 1,150 evenings (2,300 mornings and evenings), amounting to a total of 1,150 years from the Temple’s first destruction. And that brings them to 544-C.E., which they claim is when the last vestiges of true Christianity were wiped out. However, other sources say that it is period of six-and-a-third years, which saw its fulfillment in modern times, roughly amounting to the duration of World War Two. But actually, neither theory is likely true, since Daniel’s vision appears to be specifically speaking of the period that started in 70-C.E. with the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple. So, if we can assume this to be a period of 2,300 years (not days) that started with Jerusalem’s destruction in 70-C.E., it will end in the year 2370-C.E. And it likely signifies the time when a new earthly Temple (either literal or spiritual) will be rebuilt.

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Michael

The Greek word that is translated ‘Highest Messenger [of God]’ at Jude 9 is ArchAggelos. Arch (pronounced ark) means highest (or beginning) and aggelos (pronounced ahn-gell-ose) is the word that we get angel or messenger from.

Who was this ‘highest messenger of God?’ Jude gives his name as MichaEl. However, many Bible scholars think that this is the name of Jesus prior to his coming to the earth. The reasoning behind this is that Jesus is truly God’s highest messenger (see Hebrews the First Chapter), so Jesus and MichaEl are thought to be one in the same.

The thought that Jesus is MichaEl is reinforced by Paul’s words as found at 1 Thessalonians 4:16, where we read, ‘Because the Lord himself will come down from heaven and give the command in the voice of the highest messenger (gr. archaggelou) [of God] with God’s trumpet.’

So, since ‘the Lord’ is an obvious reference to Jesus, he appears to be the ArchAngel MichaEl.

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Age, Eternal, Perpetual, Everlasting, Immortal, or Forever?

Two words imply infinite states in the Bible; one is the Greek word athanasia (undying), which is only found in two places, 1 Corinthians 15:53, where it mentions resurrected ones as clothing themselves with immortality, and at 1 Timothy 6:16, where Paul speaks of Jesus as having received it. The other Greek word is aidios, which is used at Romans 1:20 to describe God’s Power and Might as eternal, and at Jude 6 when speaking of the perpetual state of gloomy darkness that rebellious angels have been confined to.

However, the Greek word aionos (pronounced ai-on-oss), which is used throughout the Bible and is often translated as forever and everlasting, is what the English word eon is derived from. It means an indefinite period, and there is no exact English word to translate it. The best equivalents are age(s) or era(s).

Where the plural form of the word (aionion) is used, it refers to a long time… at least multiple generations. However, where the singular form is used (aionos), this appears to mean a much shorter period, such as a lifetime, generation, or era. And where the term ages of the ages is used (such as at Ephesians 3:21), which is usually said in reference to The God, we would assume that this truly means forever.

It is noteworthy that aionos is the word that is used in the Greek Septuagint in place of the Hebrew word ohlam, which is also translated as forever and time indefinite in popular versions of the Ancient Scriptures of Israel. So, this one word (aionos) is translated as forever, everlasting, eternal, system of things, time indefinite, [end of] the world, long ago, from of old, etc. Obviously, something is very wrong here, because the word can’t mean a period having a definite end in one place and infinity in another.

Take for example, the unique way that aionos is used in the question that Jesus’ Apostles asked him, which is found at Matthew 24:3: ‘Tell us; When will these things happen… what will be the signs when you are to arrive and this age will come to its conclusion?’ You can see that the word aionos obviously doesn’t mean forever, everlasting, or eternal in this case, nor did it mean world or system of things. It simply meant the age or, the time before the end would come. And for them, that meant the age when God’s Temple at Jerusalem would be destroyed, because that’s what Jesus had just told them.

The word aionos (which we have translated as age here) is also translated as world (KJ) and as system of things (NW) in other Bibles. However, if the Apostles had meant any of those words, they would have used the Greek word cosmos (world or system of things), not aionos.

The ancient Hebrews viewed everything (and rightly so) as having a beginning and an end. For that reason, you will only find three places in the Bible where words are used that imply no end, and none that imply no beginning. An interesting possible insight on the reason for this can be found at Hebrews 1:10-12, which says: ‘Long ago, O Lord, you laid the foundation of the earth and your hands made the heavens. They will destroy themselves, but you will remain. They will grow old just like clothes do. Then, as [you would do to] a robe, you will wrap them up and repair them like clothes. Yes, you are the one, and your years will never expire.’

So, notice; The Bible shows that even our universe will eventually end and need to be ‘wrapped up and repaired,’ which agrees with the conclusions of modern science.

The problem with most Bible translations is that; when they encounter the word aionos in all its different tenses, they interpret it according to accepted doctrine, not according to the way that Jesus and his disciples used it. So, the common renderings forever, eternal, and everlasting are used even when the word is in its singular forms (aioni, aiona, aionos, aionion, aionian, aionios, aioniou), and this totally distorts the meaning of the text.

Take for example, the scripture at John 5:24, where Jesus said, ‘I tell you the truth; He who hears what I say and believes in the One that sent me, will have life in this age… he won’t have to be judged, for he has crossed over from death to life!’

Most Bibles translate Jesus as saying that those who believe in the One who sent him will have everlasting life (or the equivalent). However, the words that Jesus used there were, zoe aionos (life age – singular), not zoe aionion (life ages – plural).

Notice how Jesus explained the meaning of these words with his next statement, ‘He won’t have to be judged, for has crossed over from death to life.’

So, what Jesus was saying here, wasn’t that they would have everlasting life, but that they in their current lifetime would be considered among the living, not among the dead (see Revelation 20:12).

This doesn’t necessarily mean that they won’t live forever… it’s just that Jesus wasn’t really saying that. What we find (from consideration of the evidence found in the bulk of Jesus’ words about life) is that he never taught the hope of ‘life eternal,’ ‘everlasting life,’ or ‘immortality,’ in those specific words. However, the concept is still there. What he taught was that righteous people will receive ‘life in the age,’ or be considered worthy of (possibly everlasting) life by God during their current lifetimes… that their names would be written in ‘the scroll of life,’ and that they would not have to be judged, but will have already ‘crossed over from death to life,’ as Jesus said at John 5:24.

Yes, we know that this is a difficult concept to understand, but it’s what Jesus actually said.

For more information, select the linked documents, The Hereafter and Does the Bible Promise Everlasting Life?

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The ‘Rulers’ of Persia and Greece

While men may only guess about things that happen in the heavens, a mighty messenger gave the Prophet DaniEl a remarkable insight from God, as recorded in Daniel the Tenth Chapter. For there the messenger (likely GabriEl) tells of how his coming to DaniEl was thwarted by ‘the highest ruler over the Persians.’

Who was this highest ruler? Well, the only individual powerful enough to stand in the way of a messenger of God is another spirit person, and this one wasn’t friendly. From the context, we can see that he took an unseen lead over the realm of the Medo-Persian empire. Where did he get such power? Remember that the great opposer of God, who is also known as Satan and the Devil, later offered ‘all the kingdoms of the world’ to Jesus as an enticement to serve him; so he obviously has power over this world and has used the offer of power to other spirit sons of God to bring them under his influence and ways.

Notice then, that God had thereafter allowed His mighty messenger to create a war between Persia and Greece, whereupon a new unseen ‘highest ruler’ would take dominance. So, we must assume that all great world powers have had their unseen, wicked spirit rulers.

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Anoint

At Exodus 29:29 we find that Aaron and his sons were to be ‘anointed’ as Priests to Jehovah, and that this action would make them ‘holy’ or clean. It also signified that they had been chosen to this office by God. And in Leviticus, when we read of the ‘anointed’ Priest, the reference seems to be to one of the Priests who has been chosen for the special office of what later became known as the High Priest.

The Greek word that we have translated as anointed here, is chriseis, which can also be translated as Christ (it’s just a conjugation of Christos), since christ and anointed both come from the same root, which is Greek for olive oil (it may also mean Judged, since the words are similar). So, Jesus wasn’t the first or the only one to be correctly referred to as a christ.

Why olive oil? Because, that substance was traditionally poured over the heads of those whom God chose to be Priests and kings over Israel. However, at least in the case of Aaron and his sons, fragrant herbs were added to the oil to give it a pleasing odor. This is implied at Exodus 25:7, where the Israelites were asked to donate ‘fragrances for anointing oil.’ And we find the exact formula for the anointing oil at Exodus 30:34, where we read that it was to be made from ‘sixteen pounds of choice myrrh flowers, eight pounds of sweet-smelling cinnamon, eight pounds of sweet-smelling calamus, sixteen pounds of cassia (for the Holy Place), and a gallon of olive oil.’

The physical anointing with oil also appears to have pictured their receiving of God’s Holy Breath, making them ‘holy,’ which was an appropriate description for Jesus years later. And remember that both the ‘anointed’ priests and the kings pictured Jesus. So, the term christ is apropos.

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Daniel 12:4

It has been brought to our attention that there is a major discrepancy between the wording of Daniel 12:4 in the Hebrew and Greek texts. The Greek text reads: ‘And you, O DaniEl; cover the words and seal the scroll until the time of the end when many will be taught and the earth will be filled with unrighteousness.’

However, the Hebrew text reads (NAS): ‘But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.’

Which is correct? Well, it has been suggested that: ‘The Greek translators apparently misread one letter in the word, for the only difference in the Hebrew words for knowledge and evil is one letter. And the only difference in the two letters (for knowledge or evil) is one little tail.’

So, some have assumed that the Greek translators missed seeing the small tail on the letter, and misread the Hebrew word, resulting in a mistranslation.

However, things are not always as simple as that, for a more modern Hebrew scribe may well have misread the letter and mis-written the word. We say this because we have found many obvious errors in the modern Hebrew texts (as we have found in the Greek texts).

Notice that there are other notable variations in the texts, for the Hebrew text says that ‘many will go back and forth,’ while the Greek text says that ‘many will be taught.’ And it is our opinion that the Greek text is correct here.

It is interesting that another Bible translation (The Bible in Basic English) reads: ‘But as for you, O Daniel, let the words be kept secret and the book rolled up and kept shut till the time of the end: numbers will be going out of the way and troubles will be increased.’

Anyhow, we’ll allow that either translation may be correct. That’s why we have added this linked Note.

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Seventy Weeks

The remarkable prophecy about the seventy weeks that was given to Daniel is one that many faithful Jews looked to toward the end of the First Century B.C.E., in order to determine the time for the coming of the Messiah. And since it hadn’t been fulfilled during the period of seventy literal weeks after word had been sent to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem, they assumed that the prophecy spoke of a period of seventy weeks of years, or a period of four hundred and ninety years. And since the Anointed One and Leader was to come at the end of seven weeks plus sixty-two weeks (or 483 years), Jesus was expected by many at the time he actually started his ministry.

When was word first sent to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem? Most historians agree that it happened in the year 455-B.C.E. So, the Messiah was expected to come some four hundred and eighty-three years later, or in 29-C.E. (we add a year, because it is said that there was no zero year in our calendar), which was the year that Jesus apparently started his work of preaching and gathering his disciples.

As for the last ‘week’ of seven years; the prophecy showed that ‘during the middle of the seven days, the sacrifice and the drink offering will be lifted away.’ So, something would happen then (early in 33-C.E.) that would bring the Old Sacred Agreement to an end… the death of Jesus.

What ended when the seventy weeks were finished? That period (late in 36-C.E.) appears to be the time when the New Sacred Agreement was no longer offered only to the Jews, but to the first Gentiles. Thereafter (after the seventy weeks of years), ‘the city and the Holy Place (were destroyed) in a flood … of wars and exterminations,’ and ‘the disgusting thing that destroys (the armies of Rome) [came into] the Temple.’

Thereafter, Jerusalem lay desolate and its Temple (where a Moslem mosque now stands) has never been rebuilt.

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