THE BOOK OF DANIEL THE PROPHET. Giuseppe Guarino

Transcription

1

2 2

3 THE BOOK OF DANIEL THE PROPHET Giuseppe Guarino 3

4 January, 2016 Copyright 2015 Giuseppe Guarino All rights reserved. 4

5 The Modern King James Version is available through the e-sword biblical software, free at All the biblical quotations in the commentary are from the New King James Version, 1982 edition, unless otherwise stated. 5

6 6

7 CONTENTS Preface 9 Modern King James Version with notes 11 1 Daniel chapter Daniel chapter Daniel chapters 3 to Daniel chapter Daniel chapter Daniel chapter 9: The Seventy Weeks Daniel chapters 10 to 12: The last vision The Maccabean Theory The Return of the Lord Jesus The book of Daniel at Qumran Messiah, the Prince Patristic evidence Chronology in Daniel Historical background The Rapture: When will it take place? Did Daniel really exist? Daniel and the wise men from the East 185 Bibliography 189 7

8 8

9 PREFACE Here I am, writing the preface to my third book in English published on Amazon (Of course, it is also available free to download as well as all my other books at It is a privilege to write about God s Word, and it is a double privilege to write in English. I began to study this language when I was fourteen, which is about the same time when I became a Christian. Beginning at that young age in the faith, I became fascinated by biblical end time prophecies. This book is the result of about 30 years of personal study and meditation on that subject. I ask the reader to be patient with me. While I try my best, I never resided in an English speaking Country and never learned English academically. God sent me an editor who prefers not to be mentioned by name who has helped improve the quality of the language in this book to him I express my gratitude. However, I am aware that my language and exposition are below the standard one should expect when such wonderful topics are considered. My prayer is the reader will focus his or her attention to the Word and the interpretation given here. In this way, God alone will be exalted, and the deep meaning of the Scripture proclaimed and 9

10 conviction will be dependent on the Holy Spirit ministry rather than human eloquence. May God bless the hearers and doers of His Word. Shalom. Giuseppe Guarino 10

11 THE BOOK OF DANIEL Modern King James Version as made available in the e-sword software Notes by Giuseppe Guarino 11

12 12

13 CHAPTER 1 1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it 1. 2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar 2 to the house of his god 3. And he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god. 3 And the king spoke to Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs that he should bring some of the sons of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the rulers; 4 sons in whom was no blemish, but who were handsome and skillful in all wisdom; and who had knowledge and understanding, even those who were able to stand in the king's palace, and to whom they might teach the writing and the language of the Chaldeans. 5 And the king gave them the portion of a day in its day from the king's food, and the wine which he drank, even to rear 1 This was the first attack of the Babylonian king to Jerusalem. The year is circa BC. Jehoiakim was the vassal-king put on the throne of Judah by Pharaoh Necho. 2 The Land of Shinar is the biblical way of calling the area of the Middle-East we usually refer to as Mesopotamia. This latter name was given by the Greeks and it literally means land in the middle of two rivers which, of course, are the Tigris and Euphrates. 3 Marduk was the name of the Babylonian National god. 13

14 them three years, so that at their end they might stand before the king. 6 And among them were four of the sons of Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 7 to whom the ruler of the eunuchs gave names. For he called Daniel, Belteshazzar; and Hananiah, Shadrach; and Mishael, Meshach; and Azariah, Abednego. 4 8 But Daniel laid on his heart that he would not defile himself with the king's food, nor with the wine which he drank. So he asked permission of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. 9 And God had given Daniel kindness and compassion before the chief of the eunuchs. 10 And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who has chosen your food and your drink. For why should he see your faces worse looking than the boys who are of your kind? Then you would forfeit my head to the king. 11 And Daniel said to Melzar, whom the chief of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 I beg you, try your servants ten days. And let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then let our 4 The wonderful Jewish names praising the Yahweh were changed to Babylonian names derived from pagan deities. The practical necessity of such a change must be kept in view: of course the new names would have been more familiar to the Babylonians and easy to remember. It must be also said that in the East, the change of the name of a person had also a very deep meaning. Changing the name meant also a change in the identity or purpose of a person. A lot of instances are found in the Bible. Abram was named by God Abraham. Jacob s name was changed to Israel. In both case it had a specific meaning. Other examples: Simon to Peter, Saul to Paul. But no matter if their names were changed. No matter if they lived in another country and another language was spoken around them. No matter how magnificent and dreadful the Babylonian Court was, Daniel and his friend would stay loyal to their Jewish heritage and God. What a powerful testimony. 14

15 appearance be seen before you, and the appearance of the boys who eat of the king's food. And as you see, deal with your servants. 14 So he listened to them in this matter, and tried them for ten days. 15 And at the end of ten days their faces looked fairer and fatter in flesh than all the boys who had eaten the king's food. 16 So Melzar took away their part of the food, and the wine that they were to drink, and gave them vegetables. 17 As for these four boys, God gave them knowledge and skill in all writing and wisdom. And Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. 18 And at the end of the days that the king had said he would bring them in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. 19 And the king talked with them. And among them all were found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they stood before the king. 20 And in any matters of wisdom and understanding that the king asked them, he found them ten times better than all the horoscopists and conjurers 5 who were in all his kingdom 6. 5 Truth is we do not know exactly what these categories of people were doing in the Babylonian court. For sure they were people entrusted with special qualifications, but they must have covered State Administration as well as science matters. The word horoscopists might imply their activity as astronomers. In Babylon this was a very serious activity. They diligently recorded the activity of stars, planets and the moon and they kept detailed records. Hundreds of years of astronomic observations were collected in archives and used to predict eclipses, lunar phases, etc. The British Museum has some ancient tablets that have informed us of this amazing activity. More information can easily be found on the website Also the wise men included the scribes. In the very ancient history of the eastern world, there was a category of people that were specifically instructed in literature and mathematics in order to work in the 15

16 21 And Daniel continued to the first year of King Cyrus. CHAPTER 2 1 And in the second year of the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar 7, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, with which his spirit was troubled and his sleep left him. 2 And the king commanded to call to the horoscopists, and to the conjurers, and to the sorcerers, and to the Chaldeans 8, to tell to the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. 3 And the king said to them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream. 4 And the Chaldeans administration of the nation. The Mesopotamian countries were skilled in these professions as early as 2700 BC. Entire libraries were found to give archeological evidence to this. Ebla and Mari had the best schools where scribes to be were instructed for their administration tasks. I am saying this because I want the reader to understand that Daniel was chosen for a great position. He would be given the best education of the time and this would prepare him for the tasks that God had in store for him as a prophet too. 6 Very often we don t know why God lets us find ourselves in certain places or situations; we simply can t find a rational, good reason for our condition. But all we need to do is just realize that He is in control and that if we stay faithful, He will use us mightily. In the end we will look back and consider that we were in the right place and at the right time to be blessed and to bless. I am speaking here out of my 35 year experience with God. 7 Technically speaking, Nebuchadnezzar was not a king when he took Jerusalem (Daniel 1:1). He became short after that event, when his father died. So, the second year of his reign might have been scarcely more than a year later the captivity of Daniel. We are in circa BC. 8 As we have learned in the previous chapter, they were the intellectual people of the court, the educated people at the king s service. 16

17 spoke to the king in Aramaic 9, O king, live forever. Tell your servants the dream, and we will reveal the meaning. 5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing has gone from me. If you will not make known to me the dream, with its meaning, you will be made into mere members, and your houses shall be made an outhouse. 6 But if you make known the dream and its meaning, you shall receive gifts and a present and great honor from me. Therefore reveal to me the dream and its meaning They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will reveal its meaning. 8 The king answered and said, For I know that you surely want to gain time, because you see the thing is gone from me. 9 But if you will not make the dream known to me, there is only one judgment for you. For you have prepared lying and deceiving words to speak before me, until the time has changed. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can reveal to me its meaning. 10 The Chaldeans answered before the king and said, There is not a man on the earth who can reveal the king's matter, because not any king, lord, nor ruler has asked such a thing from any horoscopist or conjurer or Chaldean. 11 And it is a rare thing that the king asks, and there is no other who can reveal it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh. 9 From this point on, till the end of chapter seven, the original book is written in Aramaic. The rest of it is in Hebrew. I invite the reader to notice how the contents of the next six chapters deal with the universal sovereignty of God. Aramaic was the international language of the time when the Babylonians and then the Persians ruled. Writing in that language made those portions of the book addressed to all the nations of the time. 10 Had the king really forgotten the dream? It s open to debate here, since the text won t reveal it. 17

18 12 For this cause the king was enraged and angered, and commanded all the wise men of Babylon to be destroyed. 13 And the law went out that the wise men should be killed. And they sought Daniel and his fellows to be killed. 14 Then Daniel answered with counsel and insight to Arioch the chief of the king's executioners, who had gone forth to kill the wise men of Babylon. 15 He answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel. 16 Then Daniel went in and asked of the king that he would give him time, and that he would make known the meaning to the king. 17 Then Daniel went to his house and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, 18 that they might pray for the mercies of God in Heaven concerning this secret, that Daniel and his companions should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. And Daniel blessed the God of Heaven. 20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His. 21 And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. 22 He reveals the deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him. 23 I thank You, and praise You, O God of my fathers, who has given me wisdom and might, and have made known to me now what we asked of You. For You have now made known to us the king's matter. 24 Then Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had chosen to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said this to him; Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon. Bring me 18

19 in before the king, and I will declare the meaning to the king. 25 Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel in before the king, and said this to him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah who will make the meaning known to the king. 26 The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen, and its meaning? 27 Daniel answered before the king and said, The secret which the king has demanded cannot be shown to the king by the wise men, the conjurers, the horoscopists, or the fortune-tellers. 28 But there is a God in Heaven who reveals secrets and makes known to King Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed are these. 29 As for you, O king, your thoughts came on your bed, what should happen after this. And He who reveals secrets makes known to you what shall happen. 30 But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living man, but so that the meaning might be known to the king, and that you might know the thoughts of your heart. 31 You, O king, were seeing. And, behold! A great image! That great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before you. And its form was dreadful. 32 This image's head was of fine gold; his breast and his arms were of silver; his belly and his thighs were of bronze; 33 his legs were of iron; his feet were part of iron and part of clay. 34 You watched until a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image upon its feet which were of iron and clay, and broke them to pieces. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were broken to pieces together. And they became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors. And the wind carried 19

20 them away, so that no place was found for them. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. 36 This is the dream. And we will tell its meaning before the king. 37 You, O king, are a king of kings. For the God of Heaven has given you a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. 38 And wherever the sons of men, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens live, He has given them into your hand, and has made you ruler over them all. You are this head of gold And after you shall arise another kingdom lower than you 12, and another third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron. Since iron crushes and smashes all things; and as the iron that shatters all these, it will crush and shatter And as to that which you saw: the feet and toes, part of potters' clay and part of iron; the kingdom shall be divided. But there shall be in it the strength of the iron, because you saw the iron mixed with miry clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle. 43 And as you saw iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mix 11 The head of gold is Babylon. 12 The Persians took the place of the Babylonians as the world leading power in 536 BC. 13 Alexander the Great conquered all the lands that could be conquered. With his leadership the Greeks became the leading military force first, but, secondly, and perhaps even more importantly, the leading intellectual forces from that time, may be down to today. 14 This description perfectly fits the Roman Empire, whose military advance was irresistible. 20

21 themselves with the seed of men. But they shall not cling to one another, even as iron is not mixed with clay And in the days of these kings, the God of Heaven shall set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed. And the kingdom shall not be left to other peoples, but it shall crush and destroy all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever Because you saw that the stone 17 was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it crushes the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold, the great God has made known to the king what shall occur after this. And the dream is certain, and its meaning is sure. 46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face and worshiped Daniel, and he commanded to offer an offering and incense to him. 47 The king answered Daniel and said, It is true that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret. 48 Then the king made Daniel great, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over all the province of Babylon, and chief of the prefects over all the wise men of Babylon In the future, a coalition of nations will continue in the path inaugurated by the old Roman Empire. We don t know more, except that it will be the last universal kingdom of mankind. 16 Man s futile attempts have not been able to bring peace and justice on earth, nor was there a kingdom which in time was not conquered by another emerging power. God himself will set up His kingdom and it will be perfect and eternal. 17 I believe this stone to be a reference to the Lord Jesus. The New Testament has many references to prove this assumption (Matthew 21:42, 1 Peter 2:4) 18 Is it any wonder that in Matthew 2 we read that: wise men from the East came to Jerusalem looking for the King of the Jews and presented gifts to him? The wise men of Babylon must have learned from Daniel (their boss) about the future Messiah and about the time he would be born (see the prophecy of the Seventy Weeks). Such 21

22 49 And Daniel asked the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of the province of Babylon. But Daniel sat in the gate of the king. CHAPTER 3 1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits, and its breadth six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. 2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the satraps, the prefects, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the justices, and all the officials of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. 3 Then were gathered the satraps, the prefects, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the justices, and all the officials of the provinces, to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. And they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4 Then a herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, 5 at the time you hear the sound of the horn, the pipe, zither, the lyre, harp, bagpipe, and all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up. 6 And whoever does not fall down and worship, at that moment they will be thrown into the middle of a burning fiery furnace. 7 Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, the pipe, zither, the lyre, harp, and all kinds of music, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell knowledge and expectation must have been handed down from one generation to another till the time of Jesus birth. 22

23 down and worshiped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. 8 Then at that time certain Chaldeans came near and accused the Jews. 9 They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live forever. 10 You, O king, have made a decree that every man who shall hear the sound of the horn, the pipe, zither, the lyre, harp, and the bagpipe, and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image. 11 And whoever does not fall down and worship, he should be thrown into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 12 There are men, Jews, whom you have set over the business of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, do not heed you. They do not serve your gods nor worship the golden image which you have set up. 13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in anger and wrath commanded them to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said to them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? Do you not serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready, at the time you hear the sound of the horn, the pipe, zither, the lyre, harp, and bagpipe, and all kinds of music, fall down and worship the image which I have made. But if you do not worship, in that moment you shall be thrown into the middle of a burning fiery furnace. And who is that god who shall deliver you out of my hand? 19 Where is the Daniel? It s a legitimate question. Well, we don t know is the honest answer. The text won t say. We can just suppose he might have been travelling or the three Jewish persons might have been in the province where the thing actually happened and so the thing might be reported to the king more easily. Of course the decree of the king must have been more strictly enforced in the areas where he and quite possibly his army should have been. 23

24 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to return a word to you on this matter. 17 If it is so that our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, then He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods nor worship the golden image which you have set up. 19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with wrath, and the form of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He spoke and commanded that they should heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. 20 And he commanded mighty men in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to throw them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were tied up in their slippers, their tunics, and their mantles, and their other clothes, and were thrown into the middle of the burning fiery furnace. 22 Then because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was amazed. And he rose up in haste and spoke and said to his advisers, Did we not throw three men bound into the middle of the fire? They answered and said to the king, True, O king. 25 He answered and said, Behold! I see four men loose, walking in the middle of the fire, and there is no harm among them. And the form of the fourth is like a son of the gods The New King James Version has the Son of God. More than one commentator has seen here not a simple angel coming to help the three, 24

25 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near the door of the burning fiery furnace. He answered and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come forth and come here. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth from the middle of the fire. 27 And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king's advisers gathered and saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power (and the hair of their head was not scorched, nor were their slippers changed, nor had the smell of fire clung on them). 28 Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent His Angel and has delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and have changed the king's words and have given their bodies that they might not serve nor worship any god except their own God. 29 And a decree is given by me, that every people, nation, and language, who speak anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be made into mere members, and his house shall be made an outhouse. Because there is no other God who can deliver in this way Then the king made Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego prosper in the province of Babylon. but the Angel of the Lord himself, whom we know to be the Lord Jesus himself before his incarnation. The translation Son of God is better than a son of the gods. Yes, it might sound strange a pagan king acknowledging God, but his reference in verse 28 is clear and motivates a more specific translation in verse 25 too: Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent His Angel. 21 Again the Babylonian king acknowledges the God of the Jews. 25

26 CHAPTER 4 1 Nebuchadnezzar the king, to all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you. 2 It seemed good before me to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done with me. 3 How great are His signs! And how mighty are His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His rule is from generation to generation. 4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my house and flourishing in my palace. 5 I saw a dream and it terrified me, and the thoughts on my bed and the visions of my head troubled me. 6 So I made a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known to me the meaning of the dream. 7 Then the horoscopists, the conjurers, the Chaldeans, and the fortune-tellers came in. And I told the dream before them, but they did not make its meaning known to me. 8 But at last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. And I told the dream before him, saying, 9 O Belteshazzar, master of the horoscopists, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no secret troubles you, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its meaning. 10 As to the visions of my head on my bed: I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. 11 The tree grew and was strong, and its height reached to the heavens; and the sight of it reached to the end of all the earth. 12 Its leaves were beautiful, and its fruit plentiful, and in it was food for all. The animals of the field sought shade 26

27 under it, and the birds of the heavens lived in its boughs, and all flesh was fed by it. 13 I saw in the visions of my head on my bed, and behold, a watcher and a holy one came down from Heaven. 14 He cried aloud and said this, Cut down the tree, and cut off its branches; shake off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals get away from under it, and the birds from its branches. 15 But leave the stump of its roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field. And let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let its portion be with the animals in the grass of the earth. 16 Let his heart be changed from man's, and let the heart of an animal be given to him. And let seven times 22 pass over him. 17 This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones, so that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He will, and sets up over it the lowest of men. 18 I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen this dream. Now you, O Belteshazzar, declare its meaning, because all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make the meaning known to me. But you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you. 19 Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was stunned for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spoke and said, Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its meaning trouble you. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream is to those who hate you, and its meaning to your foes. 20 The tree that you saw, which became great and strong, whose height reached to the heaven, and the sight of it to all the earth; 22 Seven times is obviously seven years. 27

28 21 whose leaves were fair, and its fruit plentiful, and in it was food for all, under which the animals of the field dwelt, and on whose branches the birds of the heavens had their home; 22 it is you, O king, for you have become great and strong, for your greatness has grown and reached to the heaven, and your rule to the end of the earth. 23 And as the king saw a watcher and a holy one coming down from Heaven, and saying, Cut the tree down and destroy it; yet leave the stump of the roots of it in the earth, even with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the animals of the field, until seven times pass over him; 24 this is the meaning, O king, and this the decree of the Most High, which has come on my lord the king. 25 They shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the animals of the field, and they shall make you eat grass like oxen. And they shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He will. 26 And in that they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; your kingdom shall be sure to you after you have known that Heaven rules. 27 Therefore, O king, let my advice be pleasing to you, and break off your sins by righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, whether there will be duration to your prosperity. 28 All this came on the King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. 30 The king spoke and said, Is this not great Babylon that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power and for the honor of my majesty? 31 While the word was in the king's mouth, a voice fell from Heaven, saying, O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken. The kingdom has departed from you. 32 And they 28

29 shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the animals of the field. They shall make you eat grass like oxen, and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He will. 33 The same hour the thing was fulfilled on Nebuchadnezzar. And he was driven from men, and ate grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of the heavens, until his hair had grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws. 34 And at the end of days, I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up my eyes to Heaven, and my understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored Him who lives forever, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His rule is from generation to generation. 35 And all the people of the earth are counted as nothing; and He does according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the people of the earth. And none can strike His hand, or say to Him, What are You doing? 36 At that time my reason returned to me. And the glory of my kingdom, my honor and brightness returned to me. And my advisers and my lords came for me, and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added to me. 37 Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and exalt and honor the King of heaven, all whose works are truth and His ways judgment. And those who walk in pride He is able to humble. CHAPTER 5 1 Belshazzar the king 23 made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. 2 When tasting 23 Belshazzar was acting as king in the absence of his father, Nabonidus, who, as history records, was away from his kingdom for quite some 29

30 the wine, Belshazzar commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem 24, that the king and his rulers, his wives and his concubines, might drink from them. 3 Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God in Jerusalem. And the king, and his rulers, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them. 4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, and of bronze, of iron, of wood, and of stone. 5 At that moment fingers of a man's hand came out and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace across from the lampstand. And the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 6 Then the king's face was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosened, and his knees knocked against one another. 7 The king cried aloud to bring in the conjurers, the Chaldeans, and the fortune-tellers. The king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whoever shall read this writing, and show me its meaning, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold around his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. time. And, as it often is the case: when the cats away, the mice will play. 24 The text calls Nebuchadnezzar Belshazzar s father. The chances that this expression is to be taken literally are very slim. Nabonidus was the last king of Babylon and his famous cylinder informs us that Bekshazzar was his son. Though this latest statement might be true. Let s take some possibilities into consideration. Belshazzar could actually be Nebuchadnezzar s son. Nabonidus could have simply adopted him when marrying his mother. The queen is mentioned in the text verse 10 and she might be the widow of Nebuchadnezzar. 30

31 8 Then all the king's wise men came in. But they could not read the writing, nor make the meaning known to the king. 9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled, and his face was changing in him, and his lords were perplexed. 10 The queen came into the banquet house because of the king's words, and his nobles. And the queen spoke and said, O king, live forever. Do not let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your face be changed. 11 There is a man in your kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. And in the days of your father there was found in him light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, your father the king, appointed him master of the horoscopists, conjurers, Chaldeans, and fortune-tellers, 12 because an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, explaining of dreams, and revealing of hard sentences, and the unraveling of knots, were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will reveal the meaning. 13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke and said to Daniel, Are you that Daniel who is of the exiled sons of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Judah? 14 I have even heard of you, that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. 15 And now the wise men and the conjurers have been brought in before me, that they might read this writing and make the meaning known to me. But they could not declare the meaning of the thing. 16 And I have heard of you that you can interpret meanings and unravel knots. Now if you can read the writing, and reveal its meaning to me, you shall be 31

32 clothed with scarlet and have a chain of gold around your neck, and shall be the third ruler 25 in the kingdom. 17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let your gifts be to yourself, and give your rewards to another. Yet I will read the writing to the king, and make the meaning known to him. 18 O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honor. 19 And for the majesty that He gave him, all people, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. He killed whom he would, and whom he would he kept alive. And whom he would, he set up; and whom he would, he put down. 20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was put down from the throne of his kingdom, and they took his glory from him. 21 And he was driven from the sons of men. And his heart was made like the animals, and his dwelling was with the wild asses. They fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of the heavens, until he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and that He appoints over it whomever He will. 22 And you his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this. 23 But you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of Heaven. And they have brought the vessels of His house before you; and you, and your lords, your wives, and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver, and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see, nor hear, nor know. And you have not glorified the God in whose hand is your breath and all your ways. 25 The historical accuracy of this statement is astonishing. Nabonidus, the king was away from Babylon. His long absence has been recorded by profane history as one of the reasons for the national discontent in Babylon. His son was obviously second in the kingdom and so, the highest position he could offer to the prophet was that of third ruler. 32

33 24 Then the part of the hand was sent from Him. And this writing was written. 25 And this is the writing that was written, A MINA, A MINA, A SHEKEL, AND HALF- MINAS. 26 This is the meaning of the thing: A MINA, God has numbered your kingdom and finished it. 27 A SHEKEL, You are weighed in the balances and found wanting. 28 HALF-MINAS, Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians. 29 Then Belshazzar commanded, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet and a golden chain around his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. 30 In that night Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans was killed And Darius the Mede took the kingdom, being a son of sixty-two years. CHAPTER 6 1 It pleased Darius 27 to set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty satraps, that they might be over the whole kingdom. 26 As a matter of fact the troops of Cyrus, king of the Persian empire took the city of Babylon in one night and the king was actually killed. 27 The Persians had taken over the province of Babylon. The vassal king Darius, a Mede, was put on the Babylonian throne. His territory must have been quite large, since Media in itself was quite a large kingdom. The text speaks of the administration policy of Darius only to explain the position occupied by Daniel. Why such an important position was given to Daniel? I venture say the answer is given in the book of Daniel itself. If you read chapter eight, in the third year of the last Babylonian empire, the prophet was in Shushan, in the province of Elam, which was the heart of the Persian empire. Obviously, Daniel had met the Persian 33

34 2 And over them were three presidents (Daniel was one of them), so that these satraps might give account to them, and the king should have no loss. 3 Then this Daniel was made overseer of the presidents and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king was planning to set him over all the kingdom. 4 Then the presidents and rulers sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom. But they could find no occasion or fault, because he was faithful. Neither was there any error or fault found in him. 5 Then these men said, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the Law of his God. 6 Then these presidents and rulers assembled to the king, and said this to him: King Darius, live forever. 7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the prefects, and the satraps, and the officials and governors, have planned together to establish a royal law, and to make a strong ban that whoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days, except from you, O king, he shall be thrown into the den of lions. 8 Now, O king, establish the ban and sign the writing, so that it may not be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians which cannot be changed Therefore King Darius signed the writing and the ban. 10 And when he had learned that the document was signed, Daniel went to his house. And his windows were open in his roof room toward Jerusalem; and he kneeled on his knees three times a day and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did before. officials even before they invaded Babylon and his ability as a state man was known to them. 28 As you see here the text speaks of the Medes and Persians. The king was a Mede, but he acted according to the rules of the empire of which his reign was a part. 34

35 11 Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and confessing before his God. 12 Then they came near and spoke before the king concerning the king's ban, Have you not signed a ban that every man who shall ask a petition of any god or man within thirty days, except of you, O king, shall be thrown into the lion's den? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be changed. 13 Then they answered and said before the king, Daniel, who is of the exiled sons of Judah, has not respected you, O king, nor the ban that you have signed, but makes his prayer three times a day. 14 Then the king, when he heard the word, was very much displeased with himself. And he set his heart on Daniel to deliver him. And he labored until sundown to deliver him. 15 Then these men met before the king and said to the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is that no ban nor law which the king establishes may be changed. 16 Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions' den. The king answered and said to Daniel, Your God, whom you always serve, will deliver you. 17 And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den. And the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords, that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting. And diversions were not brought before him; and his sleep fled from him. 29 Where were the companions of Daniel? Well, since he had such a high position, Daniel might have lived very close to the king s residence. This made his violation of the law more evident. 35

36 19 Then the king arose very early in the morning and hurried to the lions' den. 20 And when he came to the den, he cried with a grieved voice to Daniel. The king spoke and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is your God whom you always serve able to deliver you from the lions? 21 Then Daniel said to the king, O king, live forever. 22 My God has sent His Angel, and has shut the lions' mouths, and they have not hurt me, because before Him purity was found in me. And also before you, O king, I have done no harm. 23 Then the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of hurt was found on him, because he trusted in his God. 24 And the king commanded, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they threw them into the lions' den; them, their sons, and their wives. And the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces before they came to the bottom of the den Then King Darius wrote to all people, nations, and languages who dwell in all the earth. Peace be multiplied to you. 26 I make a decree that in all the domain of my kingdom, there shall be trembling and fear before the God of Daniel. For He is the living God, and endures forever, and His kingdom is that which shall not be destroyed, and His rule shall be to the end. 27 He delivers and rescues, and He works signs and wonders in the heavens and in earth, He who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions. 30 The same law that the accusers used to force the king to cast Daniel into the lion s den, was now enforced to decree their punishment. It was the destiny of false accusers who had to face the same punishment they tried to put an innocent through. 36

37 28 And this Daniel was blessed in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian. 31 CHAPTER 7 1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon 32, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head on his bed. Then he wrote the dream and gave the sum of the matters. 2 Daniel spoke and said, In my vision by night I was looking: and behold, the four winds of the heavens were stirring up the Great Sea. 3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, different from one another. 4 The first was like a lion and had eagle's wings. I watched until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on its feet like a man. And a man's heart was given to it. 5 And behold another beast, a second, like a bear. And it raised itself up on one side, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said this to it: Arise, eat up much flesh. 6 After this I saw, and lo, another, like a leopard, which had four wings of a bird on its back. The beast also had four heads; and rulership was given to it. 31 While Darius reigned over Media and Babylon, Cyrus was the Persian king. We can compare the two positions as today s governor of a State (Darius) and President of the United States (Cyrus). Darius was king, but Cyrus was the emperor, the king of the kings, which was one of the titles of the Persian ruler. 32 A topical and not chronological order is followed here. As a matter of fact the prophet has this vision even before the events recorded in chapter five. It is common practice in the Bible. See Jeremiah or even the Gospel of Matthew for a quick confirmation. 37

38 7 After this I looked in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, frightening and terrifying, and very strong. And it had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the rest with its feet. And it was different from all the beasts before it; and it had ten horns I was thinking about the horns, and behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom three of the first horns were uprooted. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. 9 I watched until the thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days sat, whose robe was white as snow, and the hair of His head like the pure wool. His throne was like flames of fire, and His wheels like burning fire. 10 A stream of fire went out and came out from before Him. A thousand thousands served Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The judgment was set, and the books were opened. 11 Then I was looking because of the voice of the great words which the horn spoke. I watched until the beast was slain, and his body was destroyed and given to the burning flame And the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away. Yet their lives were made longer for a season and time. 13 I saw in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven 35, and came to the 33 For people and kingdoms are represented here: Babylonian, Medes and Persians, Greeks and Macedonians, and the Romans. The same four kingdoms described in Daniel two before the advent of the kingdom of God. 34 This passage has been referred to the coming Antichrist since the beginning of the Christian era and, we will show in detail in the commentary that follows, even in the New Testament. 35 This wonderful vision refers to the glorious return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He called himself the son of man, attributing to himself this messianic title. He also quoted from this passage, as we read 38

39 Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. 14 And dominion and glory was given Him, and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations and languages, should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. 15 I Daniel was distressed in my spirit in its body, and the visions of my head troubled me. 16 And I came near one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the meaning of the things. 17 These four great beasts are four kings; they shall arise out of the earth But the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever. 19 Then I wanted to know the truth of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, very frightening, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of bronze; who devoured, broke in pieces, and stamped the rest with his feet; 20 and of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth speaking very great things, whose appearance was greater than his fellows. 21 I watched, and that horn made war with the saints and overcame them 22 until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High. And the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. 23 And he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all kingdoms and in Matthew 24, a chapter filled with clear and less clear references to the book of Daniel. 36 I like when we can simply refer to the Bible to interpret the Bible. These are the same four kingdoms seen before the coming of the kingdom of God described in Daniel chapter two. 39

40 shall devour the whole earth, and shall trample it and crush it. 24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise. And another shall arise after them. And he shall be different from the first, and he shall humble three kings. 25 And he shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and plot to change times and laws. And they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and one-half time But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his rulership, to cut off and to destroy until the end And the kingdom and rulership, and the greatness of the kingdom under all the heavens, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. And all kingdoms shall serve and obey Him. 28 Here is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my thoughts troubled me much, and my face changed on me. But I kept the matter in my heart. CHAPTER 8 1 In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, to me, Daniel, after that which appeared to me at the first This expression clearly resembles the one we noticed in chapter four. The second time the word time is used, it is not plural in Aramaic, but dual. It means it refers specifically to two and not to an indefinite number of years. (just like in English between implies the presence of two, while among is used for a plurality of subjects). The expression a time and times and one-half time means three and a half years. 38 This single verse is a summary of the whole book of Revelation. 39 There is a specific reference to the preceding vision: the two are very close related. 40

41 2 And in a vision I looked. And it happened when I looked, I was at Shushan the palace, which is in the province of Elam. And in a vision I looked, and I was by the Ulai Canal. 3 Then I lifted up my eyes, and looked. And behold, a ram with two horns stood before the canal having two horns, and the two horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last I saw the ram pushing westward and northward and southward 41 ; so that no beasts could stand before him, nor any that could deliver out of his hand. But he did according to his will, and became great. 5 And as I was watching, behold, a he-goat came from the west 42, over the face of the all earth 43, and did not touch the ground 44. And the he goat had an outstanding horn between his eyes And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran to him in the fury of his power And I saw him come close beside the ram, and he was moved with anger against him, and struck the ram and shattered his two horns. And there was 40 The ram, as will be confirmed later in this same Chapter, is the Persian empire. Persia was a province of the empire of the Medes, but a certain time, it prevailed and became the center of the new and larger empire that Cyrus, the Persian king, was able to create. This is why the symbolism of the vision speaks of two horns (Media and Persia see verse 20) the higher horn (Persia) coming up last. 41 The Persian empire did not conquer eastern lands. 42 The Greek was the first western power in history. 43 Alexander the Great first united the little fragmented Greek nation. Then he moved and conquered the whole known world. 44 Some animals run so quickly they don t seem to touch the ground. Alexander became the emperor of the largest territories on earth in about ten years. This vision is quite consistent with the symbolism of the preceding. 45 The horn is Alexander the Great see verse One of the reasons that convinced the otherwise divided Greek cities to unite and move was their hatred for the Persian rulers, whom they had bitterly fought against in the past. 41

42 no power in the ram to stand before him. But he threw him down to the ground and stamped on him. And none could deliver the ram out of his hand Then the he-goat became very great. And when he was strong, the great horn was broken. And in its place came up four outstanding ones towards the four winds of the heavens And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which became very great, toward the south and toward the east and toward the bountiful land And it became great, even to the host of heaven. And it made fall some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and trampled them. 11 Yea, he magnified himself, even to the ruler of the host, and the daily sacrifice was taken away by him, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. 12 And an army was given to him against the daily sacrifice because of transgression, and it cast the truth to the ground. And it worked and succeeded Then I heard a certain holy one speaking, and another holy one said to that one who spoke, Until when shall the vision last, concerning the daily sacrifice and the transgression that astounds, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled? 14 And he said to me, For two thousand, three hundred evenings and mornings. 47 Though outnumbered by the largest army on earth, the Persian, Alexander was able to win, literally humiliating the proud Persian king. 48 When Alexander died he left no heir to the throne and the kingdom was actually divided among his generals. 49 This prophecy has all come true and so it easy for us to know that it speaks about Antiochus IV Epiphanes, eighth king of Syria a descendent of Seleucus, former general of Alexander the Great. 50 Antiochus was obsessed with unity and saw the Jewish cult as an obstacle to the cultural Hellenistic uniformity of his subjects. He was able to convince part of the Jews to comply to his requests. The daily Jewish sacrifice in the temple was interrupted and a statue of Jupiter put in the Holy of Holies. 42

43 Then the sanctuary shall be vindicated And it happened when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me the form of a man. 16 And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called and said, Gabriel, make this one understand the vision. 17 So he came near beside my place. And when he came, I was afraid and fell on my face. But he said to me, Understand, O son of man, for the vision is for the time of the end. 18 And as he was speaking with me, I was stunned, on my face toward the ground. But he touched me and set me upright. 19 And he said, Behold, I will make you know what shall happen in the last end of the indignation. For it is for the time appointed for the end. 20 The ram which you saw having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia And the shaggy goat is the king of Greece. And the great horn between his eyes is the first king And as for that being broken, and four stood up in its place; four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in its power And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors have come to the full, a king, fierce of face, and skilled at intrigues, shall stand up The orthodox Jews rebelled and prevailed. They were able to win against a large, professional army and rededicate the temple to the service of Yahweh and recover the identity of Israel. 52 This disclosure of the meaning of the prophecy is very important. It gives confirmation of the traditional interpretation of the four kingdoms of Chapters Two and Seven of Daniel. 53 Alexander the Great. 54 As we said, Alexander had no heir and his kingdom was divided among his generals. 43

44 24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power. And he shall destroy marvelously, and shall prosper and work, and destroy the mighty and the holy people. 25 And also through his understanding, he shall cause deceit to succeed in his hand. And he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many. He also shall stand up against the Ruler of rulers. But he shall be broken without a hand And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true. But you shall shut up the vision; for it shall be for many days. 27 And I Daniel fainted, and was sick for days. Afterward I rose up, and did the king's business. And I was amazed at the vision, but there was no understanding. CHAPTER 9 1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes 57, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans, 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood the number of the years by books, which came of the Word of Jehovah 58 to Jeremiah the prophet, that he 55 This prophecy has all come true and so it easy for us to know that it speaks about Antiochus IV Epiphanes, eighth king of Syria a descendent of the general Seleucus whom ruled that territory. 56 Antiochus died mysteriously during a military campaign in the eastern territories of his kingdom. 57 Cyrus conquered Babylon pretty easily. He left the previous administration staff and put Darius as king over the province of Babylon, who was also king of the large territory of Media. The first year of Darius is counted from the Babylonian point of view. He might have ruled longer over other territories, but it was his first year as king of Babylon. 58 We see the personal name of God for the first time in the book of Daniel. Jehovah is the most common English transliteration of the 44

45 would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem And I set my face toward the Lord God, to seek by prayer and holy desires, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes. 4 And I prayed to Jehovah my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and awesome God, keeping the covenant and mercy to those who love Him, and to those who keep His commandments, 5 we have sinned and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from Your commandments and from Your judgments Neither have we listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our rulers, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. 7 O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us the shame of our faces, as it is today to the men of Judah and to the people of Jerusalem, and to all Israel who are near and who are afar off, through all the countries where You have driven them because of their sin which they have sinned against You. personal Name of God revealed in Exodus 3:14. It is the Name of the Covenant between God and His people Israel. The reference here can t be more appropriate. 59 God prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem and of the nation of Judah through the mouth of Jeremiah, but also openly told his people that the desolation would last only seventy years, after which they would be restored. Daniel knew of this prophecy also through the open letter written by the prophet Jeremiah to the captives in Babylon. The word translated in this verse books is in the original Hebrew sepher which might be used also for a letter. 60 Daniel is quite aware of the fact that restoration must be preceded by repentance. The 70 years were not decreed by God, but by the rebellion of Judah. The end of the captivity was subject to the people s repentance. 45

46 8 O Lord, shame of face belongs to us, to our kings, to our rulers, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against You. 9 To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against Him. 10 We have not obeyed the voice of Jehovah our God, to walk in His Laws which He set before us by His servants the prophets. 11 Yea, all Israel has transgressed Your Law, and turned aside, that they might not obey Your voice. Therefore the curse has been poured out on us, and the oath that is written in the Law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against Him. 12 And He has confirmed His Words which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing on us a great evil. For under all the heavens it has not been done as it has been done to Jerusalem. 13 As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this evil has come on us. Yet we did not make our prayer before Jehovah our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand Your truth. 14 Therefore Jehovah has watched over the evil, and has brought it on us. For Jehovah our God is righteous in all His works which He does; for we did not obey His voice. 15 And now, O Lord our God, who have brought Your people out from the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have brought fame to Yourself, as it is today, we have sinned, we have done wrong. 16 O Lord, I pray You, according to all Your righteousness let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain. Because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become a curse to all those who are around us. 46

47 17 And now, O our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his holy desires, and cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake. 18 O my God, bow down Your ear and hear. Open Your eyes and behold our ruins, and the city which is called by Your name. For we do not present our prayers before You on account of our righteousnesses, but because of Your great mercies O Jehovah, hear; O Jehovah, forgive; O Jehovah, listen and do. Do not delay, for Your own sake, O my God; for Your city and Your people are called by Your name. 20 And while I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin, and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my cry before Jehovah my God for the holy mountain of my God; 21 yes, while I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, touched me in my severe exhaustion, about the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 And he enlightened me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I have now come out to give you skill and understanding. 23 At the beginning of your prayers the commandment came out, and I have come to explain. For you are greatly beloved; therefore understand the matter, and attend to the vision: 24 Seventy weeks 62 are decreed as to your people and as to your holy city, to finish the transgression and to make an end of sins, and to make atonement for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy. 61 This is why Christians pray in the name of Jesus because so the Lord told us to do because in Him, our Savior, all the mercy and righteousness of God became manifest to the world. 62 The translation of the Hebrew is not entirely possible here. Seventy weeks means something like seventy sevens, which actually means seventy times seven years, 490 years. 47

48 25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going out of the command to restore and to build Jerusalem, to Messiah the Prince, 63 shall be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks. The street shall be built again, and the wall, even in times of affliction. 26 And after sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, 64 but not for Himself. 65 And the people of the ruler who shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. 66 And the end of it shall be with the flood, and ruins are determined, until the end shall be war. 27 And he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week. 67 And in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease, and on a corner of the altar desolating 63 The Messiah mentioned here is the Lord Jesus. Some translations have the anointed one (ASV). The latter is the literal translation of the Hebrew and because of the little familiarity of Christians with the actual meaning of the word Messiah, they might fail to see that the prophecy openly refer to the one they consider the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. 64 The death of the Lord Jesus is prophesied. It would have taken place some 483 prophetic years after the decree to rebuild Jerusalem which is exactly what happened! 65 The Lord Jesus did not simply die because of an unjust trial, he died for our sins, he, who knew no sin, willingly offered himself so that we might live. Glory be to God and to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 66 In 70 AD the Romans destroyed both the city and the sanctuary. This was the second time in history. The first time was in 586 by the Babylonian king. The temple is still desolate up until today. But the Jews have the stones numbered and ready to build the new, third temple, as soon as the circumstances will let them do it. 67 The last week of years will begin with the Antichrist stipulating an agreement with Israel. But in the middle of the week, the Antichrist will reveal his nature, sit in the temple of God and proclaim to be God (see 1 Thessalonians 2 and Matthew 24:15). This will cause the Jewish people to rebel to his authority and be persecuted. The three and a half years mentioned right before the return of the Lord Jesus, in which the final enemy of God and man will persecute the saints and prevail, is the second half of the last week (seven years) revealed to Daniel. 48

49 abominations, even until the end. And that which was decreed shall be poured on the desolator. 68 CHAPTER 10 1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed to Daniel, 69 whose name was called Belteshazzar. And the thing was true, and a great conflict. And he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision. 2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. 3 I ate no food for delight, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, until three whole weeks were fulfilled. 4 And in the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Tigris, 5 then I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man was clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz. 6 His body also was like the beryl, and his face looked like lightning. And his eyes were like lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet in color were like polished bronze, and the voice of his words like the sound of a multitude At his return, the Lord Jesus himself will defeat the Antichrist. 69 The last vision of Daniel covers Chapters Ten to Twelve. The chapter and verse division is conventional. In no way it was part of the original. It is just helps reference to the biblical text. This must be kept in view when seriously studying the Bible, in order for it to be a help and not an hindrance to understand God s Word. 70 The similarity between this passage of Daniel and that of the book of Revelation makes me think that one and the same character must have appeared to the two prophets. May be not an angel appeared to Daniel, but the Angel of the Lord himself, the Lord Jesus before his incarnation. 49

50 7 And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision. For the men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great quaking fell on them, so that they fled to hide themselves. 8 Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me. For my beauty was turned within me to corruption, and I kept no strength. 9 Yet I heard the voice of his words. And when I heard the voice of his words, then I was in a deep sleep on my face, and my face was toward the ground. 10 And behold, a hand touched me, which set me shaking on my knees and the palms of my hands. 11 And he said to me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright. For to you I am now sent. And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood trembling. 12 Then he said to me, Do not fear, Daniel; for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and to chasten yourself before your God, your words were heard. And I have come for your words. 13 But the ruler of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days. But lo, Michael, one of the chief rulers, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. 14 Now I have come to make you understand And in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. (Revelation 1:13-18) 50

51 what shall happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is yet for many days. 15 And when he had spoken such words to me, I bowed my face toward the ground, and I became dumb. 16 And behold, one looking like the sons of men touched my lips. Then I opened my mouth and spoke and said to him who stood before me, O lord, my sorrows are turned on me by the vision, and I have kept no strength. 17 For how can the servant of my lord talk with my lord? For as for me, immediately there remained no strength in me, nor is there breath left in me. 18 Then again one like a man in form came and touched me, and he made me stronger 19 and said, O man greatly beloved, do not fear. Peace to you; be strong; yes, be strong. And when he had spoken to me, I was made stronger, and I said, Speak my lord, for you have made me stronger. 20 Then he said, Do you know why I come to you? And now I will return to fight with the ruler of Persia. And when I have gone out, lo, the ruler of Greece shall come. 21 But I will show you that which is written in the Scripture of Truth. And there is none who holds strongly with me in these things, but Michael your ruler. CHAPTER 11 1 And I, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I was standing for a supporter and for a fortress for him. 2 And now I will declare to you the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia. And the fourth shall be far richer than all of them. And by his strength, through his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece. 3 And a mighty king shall stand up, one who shall rule with great power and do according to his will. 51

52 4 And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken and shall be divided toward the four winds of the heavens. And it shall not be given to his sons, nor according to his power with which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be pulled up, even for others besides these. 5 And the king of the south shall be strong. And one of his rulers, even he shall overcome him and have power. His kingdom shall be a great kingdom. 6 And in the end of years they shall join together; for the king's daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make a treaty. But she shall not keep the power of the arm. Nor shall he stand, nor his arm. But she shall be given up, and those who brought her in, and her begetter, and he who made her strong in these times. 7 But out of a branch of her roots, one shall stand up in his place, who shall come with an army and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north. And he shall act against them, and show himself strong. 8 And he shall also carry their gods captives with their molten images into Egypt, and with their precious vessels of silver and of gold. And he shall stand for years away from the king of the north. 9 So the king of the south shall come into his kingdom, and shall return into his own land. 10 But his sons shall be stirred up and shall gather a multitude of great forces. And one shall certainly come and overflow, and pass through. Then he shall return and be stirred up, even to his fortress. 11 And the king of the south shall be bitter, and shall come out and fight with him, even with the king of the north. And he shall send out a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into his hand. 12 And when he has taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted up. And he shall cast down many ten thousands, but he shall not be made stronger. 13 For the king of the 52

53 north shall return, and shall send out a multitude greater than the former, and at the end of times, years, shall come with a great army and with much equipment. 14 And in those times there shall stand up many against the king of the south. Also the robbers of your people shall rise up to establish the vision, but they shall fall. 15 So the king of the north shall come, and cast up a siege mound, and take a fortified city. And the arms of the south shall not hold out, nor his chosen people, nor will there be any strength to hold out. 16 But he who comes against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him. And he shall stand in the glorious land, which shall be destroyed by his hand. 17 He also shall set his face to enter with the strength of all his kingdom, and upright ones with him. So he shall do. And he shall give the daughter of women to him, to destroy it; but she shall not stand, nor be for him. 18 And he shall turn his face to the coastlands, and shall capture many. But a ruler shall make cease his reproach for him, but his reproach will return to him. 19 And he shall turn his face to the fortresses of his land. But he shall stumble and fall, and shall not be found. 20 And one who sends an exacter shall stand in his place, for the glory of the kingdom. But within few days he shall be broken, not in anger nor in battle. 21 And a despised one shall stand up in his place, and they shall not give to him the honor of the king; but he will enter while at ease and seize the kingdom by intrigues. 22 And the forces of the overflow will be swept from before him, and they will be broken, and also the ruler of a covenant. 23 And after they join him, he will practice deceit. For he will come and be strong with a few people. 24 He shall enter safely, even into the rich places of the province. And he 53

54 shall do what his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers. He shall plunder, and spoil, and scatter goods among them. And he shall devise his plots against the strongholds, even for a time. 25 And he shall stir up his power and his heart against the king of the south with a great army. And the king of the south shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army, but he shall not stand. For they shall devise plots against him. 26 Yea, those who eat his food shall break him, and his army shall overflow. And many shall fall down slain. 27 And both these kings' hearts shall be to do evil, and they shall speak lies at one table. But it shall not succeed. For still the end comes at the time appointed. 28 And he shall return to his land with great riches. And his heart shall be against the holy covenant. And he will act, and he shall return to his land. 29 At the time appointed he shall return and come against the south. But it shall not be as the former or as the latter. 30 For the ships of Kittim 71 shall come against him. And he shall be grieved and return, and have fury against the holy covenant. So he shall do; he shall even return and give heed to those who forsake the holy covenant. 31 And forces will stand from him, and they will profane the sanctuary, the fortress, and shall remove the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the desolating abomination. 32 And he will ruin by flattery those who do evil against the covenant. But the people who know their God will be strong and will work. 33 And those who understand among the people shall teach many; yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by exile, and spoil, for days. 34 And when they stumble, they shall be helped with a little help, but many will join them, with 71 Rome. 54

55 hypocrisy. 35 And many of those who understand shall stumble, to refine and purge them, and to make white, to the time of the end. Because it is still for the appointed time. 36 And the king 72 shall do according to his will. And he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper until the fury is fulfilled. For that which is decreed shall be done. 37 He will not regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god. For he shall magnify himself above all. 38 But in his place he shall honor the god of forces; and a god whom his fathers did not know, he shall honor with gold and silver, and with precious stones and desirable things. 39 So he shall act in the fortresses of the strongholds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge. He shall multiply in glory, and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for a price. 40 And at the end-time, the king of the south shall butt at him. And the king of the north shall come against him like a tempest, with chariots and with horsemen and with many ships. 41 And he shall enter into the countries and shall overflow and pass over. He shall also enter into the glorious land, and many shall be stumbled. But these shall escape out of his hand: Edom and Moab, and the chief of the sons of Ammon. 42 And he shall stretch out his hand on the lands. And the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt. And the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. 72 This refers to the time of the end, to the Antichrist. 55

56 44 But news out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him. Then he will go out with great fury to destroy, and to devote many to destruction. 45 And he shall plant his palace tents between the seas in the glorious holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. CHAPTER 12 1 And at that time Michael shall stand up, the great ruler who stands for the sons of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation; until that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. 2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt And those who are wise shall shine as the brightness of the sky; and those who turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars forever and ever. 4 But you, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. 5 Then I Daniel looked, and behold, there stood another two, the one on this side, and the one on that side of the bank of the river. 6 And one said to the man clothed in linen on the waters of the river: Until when shall be the end of these wonders? 7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was on 73 The reference to the final resurrection here is quite important. The events of the last king, the great tribulation time are eloquent signs that this vision is for the end times, right before the return of Jesus. 56

57 the waters of the river, when he held up his right and his left hand to Heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever that it shall be for a time, times, and a half 74. And when they have made an end of scattering the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. 8 And I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, O my lord, what shall be the end of these things? 9 And He said, Go, Daniel! For the words are closed up and sealed until the endtime. 10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried. But the wicked shall do wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. 11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the desolating abomination set up, a thousand two hundred and ninety days shall occur. 12 Blessed is he who waits and comes to the thousand three hundred and thirty-five days. 13 But you go on to the end, for you shall rest and stand in your lot at the end of the days Again we find mention the three and a half years of the history of mankind. 75 Daniel s faithfulness will avail him something. The time spent doing good and serving God is never wasted time. We study, do our jobs all to build something in this life. It is a legitimate occupation. But there are also spiritual truths and spiritual treasures that need to be build up in heaven. And we cannot forget those. 57

58 58

59 COMMENTARY 59

60 60

61 CHAPTER ONE Daniel chapter one Daniel was a prophet, a true prophet of God. He was born a Jew, from a noble or even royal family. His life of ease radically changed when, probably still a teen ager, in circa 606 BC, he was taken captive to Babylon by the great king of the empire, Nebuchadnezzar, to be trained and become a part of the State Administration of that great and ancient nation. He must have been chosen because of his qualities, that met the requirements for the Babylonian court. We know then that Daniel was quick to understand and gifted in all wisdom. Being faithful to God was another of his qualities. In fact, though in a foreign land, captive, Daniel did not forget about the God of his fathers and made up his mind to remain obedient to the Law of Moses, ready to face all the consequences. The scared hostages were probably taken in procession through the city by the conquering king, along with the treasures looted in the temple of Jerusalem. 61

62 "The Ishtar Gate was constructed by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II circa 575 BCE. It was the eighth gate of the city of Babylon (in present day Iraq) and was the main entrance into the city. The Ishtar Gate was part of Nebuchadnezzar's plan to beautify his empire's capital and during the first half of the 6th century BCE, he also restored the temple of Marduk and built the renowned wonder: the Hanging Gardens as part of this plan. The magnificence of the Ishtar Gate was so well known that it made the initial list of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World." Article and picture by Brittany Garcia Published on 23 August

63 Daniel was not alone. Others were led captive with him. Children of rich, educated families; healthy, strong, good looking the Babylonians would only take the best of everything back to their home. Three of his companions are mentioned: Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. The first thing to do with the captives was to introduce them to the Babylonian culture and language. First of all: their names needed to be changed, probably to be more easily pronounced in the dialect of their new home. Daniel, Belteshazzar; and Hananiah, Shadrach; and Mishael, Meshach; and Azariah, Abednego. The change was also intended to glorify the pagan gods worshipped by the Babylonians. However, this and other attempts could not change the character of Daniel. He was immovable in his decision to follow God, his God, no matter what would happen to him. Then the three young Jewish men made up their mind they would not contaminate themselves with foods forbidden by the law, since it had been offered to idols. Daniel showed himself to be very wise too. He acted with sharp intelligence and convinced the chief of the eunuchs, Ashpenaz, that the king s diet was not necessary for him and his friends. Life has always been hard when you want to do right. Just like when you make up your mind to serve God and everyone else seems to want to test you, to see how far your faithfulness and patience can go. Daniel is a great example for Christians. If a kid could make it, lost in a foreign country where he had been carried a prisoner, taking the risk of his own life to obey the Law of his God, Christians should have no right to 63

64 complain. If he made it, with God's help we can make it too, we can stay faithful when the trial comes. We do not know what God has in store for us until we prove to be faithful servants. I am surely not the only one who would like to know in advance what the reward will be if I do right. Well, it does not work like this with God. And it makes sense, just as Jesus said: He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much. (Luke 16:10). As a matter of fact, it usually works like this both in everyday life as well as in the Kingdom. Daniel was thus introduced to the Babylonian king and court. It was only the beginning of a long career. In fact, Daniel continued to be (in the state administration) until the times of Cyrus, the Persian king. The first chapter of Daniel always amazed me with the historical information it provides. It is evident how the vivid descriptions, the narrative, accurate to the smallest details, dates, people s names, etc. can only be the result of personal experience. Those who fall victim to the deniers of this book s authenticity need to know that increasing knowledge of the history of the time has always proven the case for Daniel. Some believe there is a discrepancy between the dating of Daniel and that Jeremiah concerning the first siege of Jerusalem. It is called into question when referring to Daniel 1:1-2. The simple truth is that Jeremiah follows the Egyptian dating methods because before Judah fell into the Babylonians' influence, it was subdued by the Egyptians. And, as one would expect, Daniel follows the Babylonian calendar. No mistakes, no discrepancies. 64

65 CHAPTER TWO Daniel Chapter Two Nebuchadnezzar had a dream. He had been king for only two years and the thoughts of what would happen in the future were already tormenting his sleep. He had the responsibility of the largest kingdom on earth. Nabopolassar, his father, had been a great king. He had brought Babylon back to its splendor, starting the so called Neo-Babylonian Empire. Nebuchadnezzar was his worthy son. For some time they must have reigned together. But now he was all alone to rule the empire. With all these thoughts in mind, tiredness must have taken over at last. But not even sleep would bring rest and the king had a dream. A dream that woke him up, that left him with an unpleasant feeling. Like only a king could do, he made up his mind that one of his subjects must be able to tell him the meaning of his dream, which was not a foreign practice in ancient kingdoms, like Babylon or Egypt. He gave orders. But to everyone s surprise, this time the king did not simply want the interpretation of the dream, but the dream itself to be told to him first and then the interpretation. 65

66 Did the king actually forget the dream? Was he simply testing his men? It s hard to say. But one thing is sure, Nebuchadnezzar looked around, mad at everyone and thought all those people he trusted, paid and fed, were just impostors. So, he commanded the wise men of Babylon to be killed. Among them were Daniel and his companions. The king s dream must have been a special one indeed. Somehow, he must have known in his heart its importance and this would explain the king s conduct. Daniel is always there, strong in his faith. If there is a problem, no matter how big it is, God can solve it. He calls his friends first, because even the strongest man of God needs his fellow brothers and sisters to join him in his spiritual battles. So, they sought together mercies from the God of Heaven. (Daniel 2:18) Why is the book of Daniel referring to God as the God of Heaven? Beginning in verse four of this chapter, where it is openly stated so, up till the end of chapter 7, the book is written in Aramaic. Why such a choice? Why deliberately switch the language from Hebrew to Aramaic? Maybe it s not so hard to understand why. Consider the very book you are reading: why am I writing in English, though I am Italian and live in Italy? Because I want everyone, everywhere, to be able to potentially read what I am writing. During the time of Daniel, Aramaic was an international language. Writing some portions of his book in that language practically made his message universal. The same happened in the New Testament: being the Gospel a universal message, the language 66

67 chosen for it was the universal language of the time, Greek. Considering this, the text makes more sense. Here God is called the God of Heaven. Daniel is not speaking of the covenant God of the Jews, identified by its proper Name, but the God who is above and God of all, the God men can naturally recognize as Creator and Sovereign of the universe. Daniel s message here was not specific for the Jewish nation, but was for all men willing to listen, universal. Daniel knew that this God of all would have no problem telling him the dream of the king, and so he prayed and the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. When praising the Lord, Daniel addresses Him as God of my fathers, but to the king he says: the God in heaven has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. The dream of the king had a divine origin. First of all, Daniel tells the dream. Daniel tells and explains (v.29) that the vision was God s specific answer to the thoughts about the future that troubled the king s mind. The king had dreamed of a great image. His head was made of gold. The chest and arms are of silver. The belly and thighs were made of bronze. The legs were of iron and the feet and toes partly of iron, partly of clay. Something happened as the king saw this image, a stone hit it and destroyed it. So far, the telling of the dream. Then, the explanation. The head of gold is the Babylonian kingdom, in the person of its most representative king, Nebuchadnezzar. You, O king, are a king of kings. For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory; 38 "and 67

68 wherever the children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field and the birds of the heaven, He has given them into your hand, and has made you ruler over them all-- you are this head of gold. (v ) These words echo those of the prophet Jeremiah: "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel-- thus you shall say to your masters: `I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are on the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and have given it to whom it seemed proper to Me. `And now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant; and the beasts of the field I have also given him to serve him. `So all nations shall serve him and his son and his son's son, until the time of his land comes; and then many nations and great kings shall make him serve them. (Jeremiah 27:4-7) The Medo-Persians entered the city of Babylon some years after the death of the great Babylonian king. Nebuchadnezzar s successors had brought shame and revolt in the kingdom and then Cyrus, the great Persian ruler, entered the city in triumph, welcomed by the oppressed subjects. By the time when this all happened, 70 years had gone by ( BC). It was no coincidence since it had already been prophesied by Jeremiah some time before. And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. (Jeremiah 25:11). The third kingdom, to follow after the Medo-Persians was that of the Greeks, which shall rule over all the earth. (Daniel 2:39) 68

69 Alexander the Great was a Macedonian by birth. He loved Greek culture, the songs of Homer, the heroes of the past (Ulysses, Achilles, etc.). His father died a premature death and he became king at the age of 23. He united the fragmentary Greek nation under one common goal: to seek revenge of the Persian Empire, that in the past had humiliated the Greek coalitions. So he moved to the mainland, and mesmerized by his excitement, his troops followed him. With sword in hand, advancing from the front line, Alexander led his army with his shining armor, like a beacon from one victory to another. He advanced along the coasts of the eastern Mediterranean, down to Egypt. All became his so easily. Afterwards, he moved towards his sworn enemy, Darius. At last, though the Persian king had the strongest and largest army of the time, Alexander defeated him and completed his mission. But he wasn t satisfied yet. He did not - maybe could not stop. Alexander moved farther: eastward. But at a certain point, even his generals thought going any further was only madness. Legend says Alexander cried: there were no more lands to conquer. The largest empire of the world till then indeed deserved the description of the prophecy. It really ruled over all the earth. Then came the fourth empire: the legs of iron of the image. Strong as iron, breaking in pieces and crushing all the others. The prophecy perfectly describes the Roman Empire, which would appear to dominate the world scene after the Greek. No one could resist the Romans - their military strategy, their political superiority, and certainly their way of dominating the 69

70 subdued countries was unique. Yes, they were as strong as iron, crushing every resistance. The legs are the longest part of the image, and it fits the description of the Roman empire, since it lasted on the world scene longer than its predecessors: the Babylonians, the Persians or the Greeks. Then, before the end of this fourth kingdom, something happens, described by the symbolism of the feet and the toes, partly of potter s clay and partly of iron. The iron is there, so the strength. But a new element of division will weaken the kingdom, make it partly fragile. Iron can t be properly mixed with clay. They will mingle with the seed of men, said the prophet, indulging here in his description. In particular, he is referring to the toes of the feet (v.42), that is the last part of the fourth kingdom. The description of the image is complete. One detail is quite significant. The prophecy clearly wants to point to one aspect of the history of mankind. Though we see evolution and progress. Though we are all advancing in hope for a better future, somehow all our efforts are not producing the desired results. We think we are better than the Greeks of Alexander. Better than the Persians of Cyrus. Better than Babylonians. Better than all those who have been on the planet before us. Maybe our technology is the most advanced in the history of mankind. But following God s standards, history has not been upward but a moral, political, social decline. The head of the image was of gold. Then came the silver. Then the bronze. Then the iron. And, in the end the catastrophe: the impossible mixture of clay with iron. The image is destined to collapse. Iron is strong, 70

71 but clay will weaken it to the point that the feet and toes won t be able to bear the weight of the whole image. But before that happens, a special, divine intervention will put an end to human efforts for a perfect world. God Himself will step into the scene and establish his own kingdom. A stone strikes the image on its feet and breaks the clay and the iron. The rest of the image is crushed too. Then the stone becomes a great mountain and fills the earth. In the interpretation, the prophet declares the meaning of this: the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed. (2:44) It is quite understandable why the Jews had such strong Messianic expectations during the first century of our era. The times were mature. The Romans, the fourth kingdom, whose coming had been foretold here, were in power. When Jesus comes back, he will destroy the last kingdom on earth, that of the Antichrist and establish his own everlasting kingdom. We will see this in detail when discussing the vision told in Chapter Seven. Josephus was a Jewish historian that lived in the first century. He wrote many books of undisputable value. In The Antiquities of the Jews he mentions Daniel and his interpretation of the Babylonian king s dream. Daniel did also declare the meaning of the stone to the king; but I do not think proper to relate it, since I have only undertaken to describe things past or things present, but not things that are future. The Jewish historian could not openly disclose in his writings, addressed to the Gentiles, the non-jewish, that the Romans would have been destroyed by God himself who was to finally establish His kingdom on earth. 71

72 In the same way, it is not easy for me to tell this world that its efforts to build a world government without God is destined to collapse and that before it does fall, Jesus will appear on the scene and put an end to the useless human efforts. Concerning these events, the book of Revelation has this to say: Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. (Revelation 19:11-16) The express declaration of the king shows he was a wise man. In fact, he acknowledges the God of Daniel and proclaims: "Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret." (Daniel 2:47) I wish our world leaders and rulers would read this chapter of the Bible and fall on their faces to worship God and not to power and money as they obviously do. 72

73 May God open the mind of each individual and live acknowledging Him as Sovereign Ruler of the Universe and of our lives individually. I really pray that the meditation of this portion of Scripture might lead some to do so. 73

74 74

75 CHAPTER THREE Daniel Chapters Three to Six There is not much to comment on Daniel Chapters Three to Six. There s a lot to read and be blessed. They are so simple and tell stories so wonderful and encouraging that not much can be said which they don t say already. So, I ll take the opportunity of this chapter to discuss a few things which need to be said about Daniel. The book of Daniel is found in the third division of the Jewish canon called Kethuvim (Writings). Jesus made open reference to the threefold division of Scriptures: Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms... (Luke 24:44). The place of Daniel in our Bible, right after Ezekiel, closing the so called major prophets, is due to the Septuagint (LXX), the Greek translation of the Old Testament, with which Christians must have been more easily acquainted in the first centuries. 75

76 Those who suppose the inclusion of Daniel among the Writings as a sign of the late date of the book, fail to see the obvious. What really matters is that it was included among the inspired Scriptures and so the Jews must have considered it authentic. The place given in the third division of the Tanakh 76 perfectly aligns with the contents of the book, its long section of narratives and the unique style of the prophecies. It would have definitely been out of place among the Prophets. And those who criticize it, would have found even more reasons to complain if it had been placed there. Chapters Two to Six are written in Aramaic. The change of language in the original, from Hebrew to Aramaic is openly introduced in Daniel 2:4. Again some find ways to cast doubt on the authenticity of Daniel on account of its bilingual version. I am convinced the book was purposely written in this wonderful way and that this characteristic confirms both authenticity and 76 says about the word Tanakh: Tanakh [תנ ך] (also Tanach or Tenach) is an acronym that identifies the Hebrew Bible. The acronym is based on the initial Hebrew letters of each of the text's three parts: 1. Torah [תורה] meaning one or all of: "The Law"; "Teaching"; "Instruction". Also called the Chumash [חומש] meaning: "The five"; "The five books of Moses". It is the "Pentateuch". 2. Nevi'im [נביאים] meaning: "Prophets" 3. Ketuvim [כתובים] meaning "Writings" or "Hagiographa". The Tanakh is also called [,[מקרא Mikra or Miqra. 76

77 unity. Daniel was a very educated person. He lived in the court of Babylon: the greatest nation in the world. He had been trained in the Hebrew language and culture when young. We know that because the Babylonian king only took with him the best among the Jews. Daniel must have been able to easily switch between Aramaic and Hebrew. Plus the two languages belonged to the same root, both were Semitic dialects. We can t fail to see the obvious again. The Aramaic portions of the book are for the whole world to know about the sovereignty of God over all Creation, since that language was an international dialect. The portions in Hebrew are those of interest for the Jewish people. I think that I have the same possibility Daniel had during his days. I use English to say things which might be of interest to everyone, no matter where they live. All over the world, potentially everyone may read and understand what I write in English. So I avoid national, confusing references to my Italian cultural background, which the writings of my native tongue are replete. The wise use of the two languages, then, perfectly aligned with the contents. Daniel has also been attacked for a few alleged historical mistakes. Sorry if I say it so rudely, but how many documents must we unearth to confirm the historical accuracy of the Bible before some can realize it? In chapter five, Daniel introduces a king of Babylon named Belshazzar. Reference to this king is found also in Daniel 5:9, 5:22, 5:30, 7:1, 8:1. Some pointed at all these references as mistakes, since profane history did not have any trace of a Babylonian king bearing such name. Until the cylinder of Nabonidus was found and the identity of the king mentioned by Daniel was disclosed: 77

78 he was Nabonidus son, ruling in his absence. With incredible historical precision, the king promises Daniel that if he can interpret the signs troubling him he shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. (Daniel 5:16). Belshazzar held the second position in the kingdom, so the highest rank he could promise to anyone was the third. While I could go on and list all the historical details which we read in the book that are in perfect harmony with the profane history, the truth is we also do not know enough to judge the entire historical accuracy of Daniel. What has been discovered by history and archeology so far has proven the biblical accounts to be correct. In this context, I beg the readers forgiveness if I state my total lack of interest for every detail that is here recorded in the book but has not been found elsewhere, in inscriptions or documents. As far as I am concerned, I believe in the reliability of the Bible, even historically. And since my salvation and spiritual walk depend on it, I definitely support a different attitude: whatever historical detail is disclosed or spoken of in the Bible is correct until satisfactory, reliable evidence is given to prove the contrary, which, I might add, has never been shown to be the case. Scholars have to say something to fill pages or present something that sounds scientific, educated, academic, in order to justify their positions and income, but the Bible is more than a theological textbook. As I said before, the quest for Bible perfection or imperfection, consistency or inconsistency is a nice sport. But the Bible is the Word of God, not grounds for controversy. 78

79 When we approach the Bible we should be doing so in an attitude of reverence. It s not simply a book. It s not a collection of stories, myths, etc. It s the Word of God. We are not supposed to judge it, but are to be judged by it. Our generation has a problem with authority, and if you find yourself contesting the Bible s authority, then ultimately you have a problem with God s authority. 79

80 80

81 CHAPTER FOUR Daniel Chapter Seven This chapter of the book of Daniel will consider the same four kingdoms plus one, already spoken of in chapter two. But it will be done from a different perspective. In the image seen by Nebuchadnezzar, the world kingdoms had a certain level of dignity, being represented with gold, silver, brass and iron. The same does not happen in this chapter, where these kings and kingdoms are seen in all their ferocity and so described as beasts, animals. Here the description of the coming of the kingdom of God will be done in details - wonderful details that have a special meaning for the Church. Daniel sees four beasts rising out of the Mediterranean Sea, called "the Great Sea", probably because of the comparison made with the Dead Sea or the Sea of Galilee, often mentioned in the Bible. He saw a lion, a bear, a leopard, and a fourth beast, different from all the beasts that were before it. (Daniel 7:7) 81

82 I like verses 17 and 18, they recollect the human history in such a way that reminds us how transitory this world is: Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever. The contrast is evident, because the kingdom of the saints (wow!) will be forever and ever. So, the four beasts here are confirmed to be the same four kingdoms spoken of in the symbolism of the great image. The lion is Babylon. It is a noble, strong animal. It had the wings of an eagle. Its sovereignty was absolute as those two animals it is identified with rule both animal kingdoms, the earth and the sky. But at a certain time, the wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man's heart was given to it. (Daniel 7:4). Again, the Babylonian rule is allowed a certain dignity, being represented in the book of Daniel by gold, a lion and an eagle. Daniel has this vision in the first year of the last king of Babylon. He had been a part of the leaders of the State for so many years. After Nebuchadnezzar s death, decline followed. A fight for power began and no one was able to duplicate or even near the glory of the great king. He had ruled 43 long years, but as often happens, it took so much less to destroy all he had done. The decline is very well described in the vision: The noble animals were changed: they became weak, like a man, with the heart of a man. At a certain time of the Babylonian history, the people s discontent was so evident that the Persian king, Cyrus was not hindered but welcomed into the city of Babylon both by the people and the religious and very probably 82

83 even political leaders, among which was Daniel. In fact, he remained in his position, along with most of his colleagues. We know from profane history and it was confirmed in Daniel 1:21. Detail of a lion found along the processional way from Ishtar Gate into the city of Babylon. The Ishtar Gate was constructed around 575 BC by King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon, made of fired bricks and decorated with animals made in glazed bricks. Both picture and description are from the website of the Ancient History Encyclopedia, 83

84 The world supremacy passed from Babylon to Persia. In the vision this new kingdom is described as a bear. It was raised up on one side (v.5) because the leadership of Cyrus was over a Medo-Persian nation. The empire of the Medes was ancient and immense. Persia was only a province of it. But through favorable circumstances, political and martial, it became the prevailing party. Under the rule of the great king Cyrus, it became the leading world power. The bear had three ribs in its mouth because the Medo- Persians moved westward, northward and southward. The third beast is the empire of Alexander the Great, which was built in less than ten years. The Greco- Macedonian king knew no obstacles and this is why in the vision the beast representing it has four wings of a bird. Unfortunately, Alexander died young, at the age of 33, in the province of Babylon. It was a fever, some say, that defeated him. Others believe that he was poisoned. Anyway, dying so young he left no heirs and four generals parted his kingdom. This is why the beast had four heads. The history of the this kingdom will be examined in detail in Daniel chapter eight. After the Greeks, the Romans dominated the world political scene. Iron is mentioned again in connection with this kingdom. In fact, the beast had huge iron teeth. Keeping in mind the parallels with the dream of the image, the number of horns is worth mentioning: ten. They correspond to the ten toes of the image. 84

85 Cyrus Cylinder Illustration by Kourosh E. Kabir published on 26 April 2012 on the website Though his father died in 551 BC, Cyrus had already succeeded to the throne in 559 BCE. However, Cyrus was not yet an independent ruler. Like his predecessors, Cyrus had to recognize Median overlordship. In 553 BC Cyrus rebelled against Astyages: He rallied the Persian people to revolt against their Median overlords. After several battles he conquered the Median capital of Ecbatana in 549 BCE, effectively controlling the Median Empire. [ ] By the year 540 BCE, Cyrus captured Elam and its capital, Susa. [ ] Cyrus conquered Babylon without any significant resistance. From the Ancient History Encyclopedia Article by Jan Van Der Crabben 85

86 Again, in the days of these last kings (Daniel 2:44) God will establish His kingdom. The fourth beast is described exactly in a way to lead the reader to identify it with the power of Rome, rising to world dominion after the Greeks. No one could resist the Roman military machine, both for strength and perfect organization. Looking back in history we see the Roman Empire has fallen without the last two details of its description having appeared on the world scene. Early Christians were praying for the unity of the Roman Empire because they knew when it would be divided in ten (the toes and the horns) then the Antichrist, the little horn, would rise, right before the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. These last two main events described in the prophecy are still future, even for us today. Right before the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, ten kingdoms will divide the ancient Roman Empire s former territories. In what way this will take place, only those who live during those days will be able to tell. In this political scenario, one man will rise. The Bible tells us what he will do, here and in other related passages. He will speak pompous words against the Most High. He will be making war against the saints and prevail, for three and a half years, which is the meaning of the Hebrew expression literally translated here as a time and times (dual in Hebrew) and half a time. (Daniel 7:25) In the dream of Daniel Chapter Two the rock smites the great image and destroys it. Here it is the fourth beast to be killed and God s kingdom established. 86

87 "I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame. (Daniel 7:11) This passage of Scripture perfectly aligns with Paul s words: And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. (2Thessalonians 2:8) Then Daniel introduces us to a unique character we find mentioned in this prophecy. I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed. (Daniel 7:13-14) Jesus used this Messianic title during his ministry, referring to himself as the Son of man. Most significant, however, is when He answers His disciples specific question: what will be the sign of your coming? by saying: Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds 87

88 of heaven with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:30) Jesus quotes Daniel. Those who think that Daniel s vision was for the past, err greatly. Our Lord pointed out clearly that this prophecy refers to his second coming. Another clear and extended reference to Daniel is found in the book of Revelation. Both direct and indirect. One has always caught my attention. By a certain description, the author of the only prophetic book of the New Testament is telling us something so important. Daniel Lion Bear Leopard Beast Lion Bear Leopard John Beast Daniel, from the sixth century BC perspective, sees a (1) lion, a (2) bear, a (3) leopard and then another terrible (4) beast. In the first century AD, John writes: "I saw a (4) beast rising up out of the sea... like a (3) leopard, his feet were like the feet of a (2) bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a (1) lion." (Revelation 13:1-2) From his perspective, John looks back and sees a leopard first, then a bear and finally a lion. He is making clear reference to Daniel Chapter Seven and, in a typical apocalyptic language, he tells his readers that the beast he is speaking about in his book is the very same of Daniel's prophecy. Both Daniel and the book of Revelation see the end of the Antichrist. 88

89 " I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame. (Daniel 7:11) Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. (Revelation 19:20) The time-length of the Antichrist s career is the same both in Daniel and Revelation: three years and a half. The expressions used are different, but the meaning is the same. a time and times and half a time. (Daniel 7:25) forty-two months. (Revelation 11:2, 13:5) one thousand two hundred and sixty days. (Revelation 11:3, 12:6) I ask the reader to keep this in mind: the length of time the beast will be fighting the saints and prevail, the last years of his kingdom before being destroyed by the Lord Jesus himself. It will prove useful later in the reading of this book. 89

90 90

91 CHAPTER FIVE Daniel Chapter Eight At the beginning of Chapter Eight, Daniel has another vision, connected to the one he had two years earlier. The end of the Babylonian Empire is near. Daniel sees this vision while in Shushan, which will be the capital city of the new rising power, the Persian and this may not be a coincidence. Daniel sees a ram, with two horns, the higher of which, came up last. Again an animal represents a kingdom. We don t have to go too far to identify it: The ram which you saw, having the two horns--they are the kings of Media and Persia (Daniel 8:20). These words disclose the symbolism here and it perfectly matches with that of Chapter Seven. The second horn is the Persian rule, which prevailed over the Median. Also, the three directions of the Medes and Persians conquest are mentioned: westward, northward and southward. Cyrus and his immediate successors founded a great empire, which had no rivals up until then. It would last for about two hundred years after the death of its great founder, but like all previous world powers, it would 91

92 eventually have to capitulate before another rising kingdom. Daniel then sees another animal, a male goat. Again the meaning of this new vision is disclosed a few verses later: And the male goat is the kingdom of Greece. (Daniel 8:21) The first extraordinary thing about this new kingdom is the fact that it comes from the West. All the world empires before Greece had risen from the area of the world that we call today Middle-East. Daniel sees the male goat coming across the surface of the whole earth and it did so with such an incredible speed that the prophet adds: without touching the ground. Indeed the conquest of Alexander the Great was sudden and total. It took him less than ten years to subdue the whole known world. And as I said before, he cried because he thought there were no more lands to conquer. Though Alexander was Macedonian, not a pure Greek, Greek was his chosen language, culture and interest. It is well known that he slept with a copy of the Iliad under his pillow. Aristotle, the famous philosopher, was his mentor. His rise began when he continued his father s work creating a coalition out of the independent Greek cities against the common enemy, the Persians. Alexander is the large horn that is between the eyes of the male goat. Josephus wrote that when Alexander came to Jerusalem, something unexpected happened. Alexander had already taken Gaza when he moved toward Jerusalem. The high priest Jaddua was afraid of what would happen to the city. But he had a dream through which God showed him what to do. So, instead of hiding in fear, the Jews opened the doors of the city of Jerusalem and in 92

93 procession they went out to meet the great leader. The king spared Jerusalem and followed the Jews in peace inside the city walls. And when the book of Daniel was showed him, wherein Daniel declared that one of the Greeks should destroy the empire of the Persians, he supposed that himself was the person intended. The Antiquities of the Jews, book 11, chapter 8. This map shows the route that Alexander the Great took to conquer Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, and Bactria From Alexander won against the Persians, though he was outnumbered. No army could resist him and his men were motivated by the courage and excitement of their leader. 93

94 Unfortunately, he died too soon, barely thirty-three while in Babylon, leaving no heirs to carry on his throne. the large horn was broken, and in place of it four notable ones came up toward the four winds of heaven. (Daniel 8:8) The prophecy of Daniel was fulfilled to the detail. In fact, the four generals of Alexander parted his empire among them: four kingdoms shall arise out of that nation, but not with its power. (Daniel 8:22) As far as the interrelation with Israel is concerned, only two of the four rising Hellenistic kingdoms are discussed in Daniel. The first is in the South, covering more or less the limits of ancient Egypt, ruled by Ptolemy, who founded the last Egyptian dynasty, the Ptolemaic. The second kingdom is in the North, which was mainly that of Syria, but that extended as far as Babylon and modern Iran, ruled by Seleucus, who founded the Seleucid dynasty. As it is evident, Israel stood right between the two kingdoms. Since its commercial routes and territories were of interest for both kings, it became object of different wars and was sometimes dominated by the Syrians, sometimes by the Egyptians. The vision is not over, though. On the contrary, it seems like everything said so far points to the climax of the kingdom of Syria. It can be very easily anticipated, that all events described in this vision have already transpired. All we have to do is look back in history and see how the prophecy of Daniel came true. And in the latter time of their kingdom, When the transgressors have reached their fullness, A king shall 94

95 arise (Daniel 8:23). This king is Antiochus IV, surnamed the Epiphanes, which means God manifest. He was the eighth king of Syria from Seleucus I. Our text says that he grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land. (Daniel 8:9) In 170 BC, after Antiochus led a first successful military campaign against Egypt, he went against Jerusalem and profaned the temple. Daniel says: by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down. (Daniel 8:11) Later, in 168 BC, Antiochus second military campaign against Egypt resulted in his humiliating defeat and so, returning to the north, he went against the city of Jerusalem and the temple a second time, led by frustration and a savage anger. Josephus writes: from among them (the successors of Alexander the Great) there should arise a certain king that should overcome our nation and their laws, and should take away our political government, and should spoil the temple, and forbid the sacrifices to be offered for three years time. And indeed it so came to pass, that our nation suffered these things under Antiochus Epiphanes, according to Daniel s vision. Antiquities of the Jews, book 10, chapter 11. There has been some speculation concerning the 2300 days mentioned in this prophecy. Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, "How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled under foot?" 95

96 And he said to me, "For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed. (Daniel 8:13-14 NKJ) A more literal translation has: two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings. (Daniel 8:14 - American Standard Version). This passage refers not to two thousand and three hundred days but daily sacrifices, which were two: one in the morning, one in the evening. So, we are looking at one thousand one hundred and fifty calendar days. As I said, there is not much to argue about in this first part of the book of Daniel, since, as the historian of the first century AD said, all has already happened. We are looking here at events of the past. While the First and Second books of the Maccabees are not received as inspired by the Protestant churches, they are considered canonical by the Roman Catholic Church, mostly because they were in the Septuagint (Greek) version of the Old Testament. I am convinced that these books have no right to be considered inspired since they were never and are not considered Scripture by the Jews, and are out of their Tanakh. Whatever meaning we attribute to these books, their historical value is undeniable. There we find the story of Antiochus, how he persecuted the Jews and how they rebelled against him and prevailed. Thus they shed innocent blood on every side of the sanctuary, and defiled it: Insomuch that the inhabitants of Jerusalem fled because of them: 96

97 whereupon the city was made an habitation of strangers, and became strange to those that were born in her; and her own children left her. Her sanctuary was laid waste like a wilderness, her feasts were turned into mourning, her sabbaths into reproach her honour into contempt. [ ] For the king had sent letters by messengers unto Jerusalem and the cities of Juda that they should follow the strange laws of the land, and forbid burnt offerings, and sacrifice, and drink offerings, in the temple; and that they should profane the Sabbaths and festival days: and pollute the sanctuary and holy people: set up altars, and groves, and chapels of idols, and sacrifice swine's flesh, and unclean beasts [ ] Now the fifteenth day of the month Casleu, in the hundred forty and fifth year (of the Greeks, which corresponds to 167 BC), they set up the abomination of desolation upon the altar, and builded idol altars throughout the cities of Juda on every side; (1Maccabees 1:37-39, 44-47, 54 King James Version of 1611) For three years the temple was desolate and the sacrifice according to the Law of Moses could not be performed. At last as the prophecy foretold, the people of God would prevail and the temple would be consecrated again to the divine service. Now on the five and twentieth day of the ninth month, which is called the month Casleu, in the hundred forty and eighth year (which is 164 BC of our calendar), they rose up betimes in the morning, and offered sacrifice according to the law upon the new altar of burnt offerings, which they had made. Look, at what time and what day the heathen had profaned it, even in that was it dedicated with songs, 97

98 and citherns, and harps, and cymbals. (1Maccabees 4: King James Version) Daniel s prophecy had been fulfilled. Literally and completely. This event is still celebrated in Israel. It is mentioned in the New Testament. "Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter." (John 10:22) "Chanukah, the Jewish festival of rededication, also known as the festival of lights, is an eight day festival beginning on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev... Two groups opposed Antiochus: a basically nationalistic group led by Mattathias the Hasmonean and his son Judah Maccabee, and a religious traditionalist group known as the Chasidim, the forerunners of the Pharisees (no direct connection to the modern movement known as Chasidism). They joined forces in a revolt against both the assimilation of the Hellenistic Jews and oppression by the Selucid Greek government. The revolution succeeded and the Temple was rededicated. According to tradition as recorded in the Talmud, at the time of the rededication, there was very little oil left that had not been defiled by the Greeks. Oil was needed for the menorah (candelabrum) in the Temple, which was supposed to burn throughout the night every night. There was only enough oil to burn for one day, yet miraculously, it burned for eight days. An eight day festival was declared to commemorate this miracle. Note that the holiday commemorates the miracle of the oil, not the military victory: Jews do not glorify war." From the Jewish Virtual Library website. 98

99 In this context it is easier to understand John's narrative and the meaning of the miracle (sign) performed by Jesus in the circumstance of that specific Jewish festival. I understand that many commentators refer the last verses of this Scripture (v ) to the Antichrist, but this description perfectly depicts the person of Antiochus, his actions and his mysterious end. David was a type of the Christ and many prophecies about the person of the Messiah were revealed in the person of the great Jewish king. At the same time Antiochus is a type of the future Antichrist: they have so much in common that the description of one may well fit the characteristics of the other. 99

100 100

101 CHAPTER SIX Daniel Chapter Nine: The Seventy Weeks The prophecy found in Daniel Chapter Nine is one of the most amazing in the whole Bible. It challenges both the unbelievers as well as the believers. It is not very easy to study or to go into the details of this passage of Scripture, but I ll try here to make it as simple as possible, because the Bible was never meant to be only for the educated and the well informed, but for those who diligently seek God. This chapter is complicated if we look at the details, but at the same time so powerful and clear if we don't get lost in calculations and speculations. First of all and again, I need to clarify the accuracy of the historical information given in verse 1. The king Darius, of which profane history seems to know nothing, is the vassal king left by Cyrus, the Persian, on the throne of Babylon and various provinces see Daniel Chapter Six. Should we consider wrong any historical information supported by one single ancient authority if not confirmed by other sources? Well, if this be the case we might be surprised to see how many 101

102 events that we boldly call history in our books should be reconsidered. The truth is that, whatever information the Bible provides without being substantiated by extra biblical authorities, is questioned. How many times must the Bible be confirmed in places where it has been accused of being wrong or mistaken, before it will be seriously taken into consideration as a reliable historical authority? The problem here is that the critics of the Bible at all cost, fail to see the accuracy of Daniel's words. He clearly speaks of "Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans". The Darius cited here and Darius I of Persia (king from 522 to 486 B.C.) have nothing in common except the name. Yet, critics accuse Daniel of confusing the two. Daniel's Darius was the son of Ahasuerus, while Darius I of Persia was the son of Vishtaspa (also known as Hystaspes). Daniel's character was "of the lineage of the Medes", not a Persian! Daniel's Darius was made - appointed - over the realm of the Chaldeans, not the whole Persian empire, like Darius I who was the legitimate ruler of the Persian empire by succession to the throne. - Ancient History Encyclopedia - by Steven Fife - published on 02 September 2009 Darius I "the Great" ( BCE) was a king of Persia who ruled for 35 years, from September 522 BCE to October 486 BCE. He was the third Achaemenian king and was considered by many to be the greatest of the Achaemenian kings. During his reign, Darius 102

103 completed the work of his predecessors, and not only did he hold together the empire, but he also extended it in all directions. Thus, with Darius as Great King, Achaemenian Persia became the largest empire in the world. Daniel s Darius has nothing to do with the Persian king who will rule some time later. In light of past experience, it is not wise to assume a biblical account or information is wrong simply because it is not confirmed by other history sources. As historically accurate as this portion of Scripture is, so it is concerning prophecy. The word given to Daniel was a specific reply to his prayer. He knew that according to the writings of Jeremiah the time of liberation for the people of Judah had come. And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. (Jeremiah 25:11) Exactly 70 years had gone by since Daniel had been taken captive from the Babylonian king in his first assault to the city of Jerusalem ( BC). Jeremiah had written a letter to the people captive in Babylon and Daniel must have been acquainted with it. Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the remainder of the elders who were carried away captive-- to the priests, the prophets, and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon For thus says the LORD: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. (Jeremiah 29:1, 10) 103

104 Daniel prayed and the answer to his fervent prayer was a new revelation. Since this prophecy must be examined in detail, and word after word, I ll use here the verse division as a help. 24 "Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy. 25 "Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixtytwo weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times. 26 "And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined. 27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate." Seventy Weeks is the usual translation of the original and, The Hebrew alphabet has no vowels.שׁבעים שׁבעים as you can see, though the two words here are pronounced differently, they spell the same. This was intended, of course, to make the original quite effective to the reader. 104

105 What is usually translated weeks does not necessarily mean a group of seven days, but, in general, a group of seven like in English, a dozen corresponds to a collection of twelve. The truth is, there is not a word in our language for the Hebrew expression used here. The Revised Standard Version comes to our help in Leviticus 25:8: And you shall count seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, so that the time of the seven weeks of years shall be to you forty-nine years. See also Genesis 29:26-28 not necessarily in the RSV. By consequence, the Seventy Weeks mentioned in Daniel s prophecy correspond to 490 years. The Babylonian captivity lasted 70 years, but God reveals to Daniel the time of the true and final liberation of his people. 490 years are 7 times the 70 years of the Babylonian captivity. It makes sense, since 7 is the biblical number of perfection. The years are decreed for the "people" and "the holy city". It is a vain application to try to find a spiritual meaning where it is not intended. The key to understanding a biblical the text is, above all, take it for what it actually says. Context, language and background must be diligently considered. Then it must be considered in light of other Scriptures. This prophecy is for the people (the Jews) and the holy city (Jerusalem). Spiritualizing this passage by applying it to the Church can t be done when following sound, reasonable rules of exegesis. There will be a time when the transgression will be over, when there will be no more sins, when the final reconciliation will be made, when the everlasting righteousness will be brought in, when, finally, all vision and prophecy will culminate, and there will be no 105

106 more need for them, when the temple of God - the final and everlasting abode of God with man will be anointed. "Know therefore and understand" introduces the explanation of the 490 years. They start with a specific command, a decree: "to restore and build the city of Jerusalem." Till the coming "Messiah, the Prince" there will be 69 weeks, which are equal to 483 years. There is only one decree which satisfies the requirements of this prophecy and it is mentioned in the Bible. In Nehemiah 2:1 we read when it happens: in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, which we know corresponds to the year 445 BC of our calendar. Nehemiah tells the story of how the Persian king gave specific orders so that he could go and actually begin to "restore and build the city of Jerusalem". It is the only Persian decree that meets these exact requirements. Other royal commands were issued in favor of the Jews, including that of Cyrus in 536 BC that freed them, but none of them can be associated to this prophecy. A quick counting of 483 years from 445 BC will take us to 37 AD. But we have to consider that the Jewish years are 360 days/years (i.e. days-per-year). So, to be more accurate, 483 years of 360 days correspond to 173,880 days. 173,880 days (173,880:365,25) correspond to 476 years of our Gregorian calendar. If we count 476 years from 445 BC, we will arrive at about the year 29 AD. Can we be more precise, find the month or the day? The sad answer is: no. I believe our calendar system (not the prophecy) is not accurate enough to let us do that and be dogmatic about the results. But circa 29 AD is a good 106

107 result already to state that the Seventy Weeks is another prophecy, whose requirements are (and can be) fulfilled by Jesus of Nazareth alone, who is the Messiah spoken of here. Some commentators claim the triumphal entry of Jesus in Jerusalem might be the end of the 69 weeks. It is possible, since 29 AD is a good candidate date for Jesus Crucifixion. Anyway, in light of what follows, the details about the calendar years become so irrelevant. In verse 26 we read: "And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined." Jesus of Nazareth alone in history fulfilled this prophecy. No one else did. No one else will be able to fulfill it in the future, since the 69 weeks of years have long since passed. Our Lord was both killed and rejected as the prophecy implies. Also, after His death, as prophesied, the city and the temple of Jerusalem were destroyed. The destruction of both temple and city is an event recorded only two times in history. The first time, by the hands of the Babylonians, in 586 BC. The second by the Romans in 70 AD, right after the death and rejection of the Messiah, as prophesied here. Those who suppose this prophecy to have been fulfilled during the Maccabean period fail to see the obvious: Antiochus Epiphanes never destroyed the city and the temple, as the text of the prophecy openly states. The Mishnah, Tractate Taanith 4, which is the most important written redaction of the Jewish traditions, 107

108 preserves the vivid memory of the two destructions of the temple, remembering the very days in which it happened: On the 9 th of Ab it was decreed against our fathers that they should not enter into the land [of Israel], and the Temple was destroyed the first and the second time. Walter A. Elwell and Robert W. Yarbrough, Readings from the first-century world, p.52. The wonderful and simultaneously simple order of events foretold here, is evidence both of the supernatural origin of the Bible and that Jesus is the Messiah. Year Event Notes 445 BC Edict of restoring and rebuilding Jerusalem 483 prophetic Jewish years, equal to 476 years of our Calendar 29 AD Messiah the Prince Jesus of Cut off Not for himself 70 AD The city and the temple of Jerusalem destroyed by the Romans Nazareth 4 BC 29 AD The non Messianic interpretations that I have studied simply do not match with both history and the words of the prophecy themselves. This convinced me even more that the book of Daniel actually predicted the time when our Lord should be born, his death and the destruction of the Temple and city of Jerusalem which would follow. Jesus himself prophesied: O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to 108

109 gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! "See! Your house is left to you desolate; "for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, `Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' (Matthew 23:37-39 ) The Seventy Weeks prophecy further describes the days of the destruction brought by the Romans. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined. This description perfectly fits the series of events following the Jewish revolt that led to the siege of Masada and the total destruction of the state of Israel. 27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate." There is one week of years left. I need the reader to pay very close attention to what we are about to say here. Please notice how the vision in Daniel Chapter Seven was connected with and shed more light on that given in Chapter Two. The vision in Chapter Eight dealt with the second and third kingdom of the visions of Chapters Two and Seven, adding more information on those two kingdoms and introducing the persecution of the Jews by the descendant of the Greek empire, Antiochus Epiphanes. 109

110 See how every new added detail wonderfully paints this prophetic picture before our own eyes. In Daniel Chapter Seven, we have seen the Son of Man who will come and rule over an everlasting kingdom. What the prophecy of the 70 weeks points to is: the same kingdom that will take the place of all the other human kingdoms and last forever! As spoken of in the previous chapters. It is plainly stated at the beginning of the prophecy ("Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy. ). We might agree or disagree on the single details, but there can be no doubt that the end of the 490 years is the kingdom of the Messiah. Then, the last (seventieth) week is to be referred to the end times, when the 10 kings of Chapter Seven, the toes of the image of Chapter Two, will appear on the scene, before the coming of the Son of Man. Verse 27 starts like this: Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week. Who is this he? Let s go back to verse 26 and read who will destroy the city and temple of Jerusalem. "And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined. 27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; 110

111 We said the forth kingdom of the previous visions is the Roman Empire. The Romans are the people of the prince who is to come. They destroyed the temple and the city. As a consequence, the he of verse 27 is the prince who is to come, the little horn of Daniel Chapter Seven the Antichrist. In fact, he shows up in the last week, before the very end of human history, right before the Son of man will be coming with the cloud of heaven (Daniel 7:13) and the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom (Daniel 7:18) He, for reasons yet unknown, will make a covenant with many at the beginning of this last prophetic (week) seven years. The Antichrist will not gain power in violence, but in peace. This is well established by many other related prophetic biblical passages. And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. (Revelation 6:2) The man riding this horse is a king, a leader, a ruler, a man in power, which is clear by the white horse he rides and the crown he wears. The bow has no arrows: he has potential military force, but he is not using it. Yet, he conquers. In the middle of the week something happens: But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate." (Daniel 9:27) 111

112 He will cause the Jewish Temple offices to stop. He will not let the sacrifice and the offering of the temple to be performed, as the Law of Moses commanded. Then he will do something even more terrible. The expression And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate is explained by the apostle Paul. for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (2Thessalonians 2:3-4) That Day is Jesus Second Coming and the saints receiving the kingdom: This Scripture perfectly aligns with Scripture. One passage sheds light on another, the Bible interpreting itself: this is the simplest and most reliable way of studying the Word. The words of Jesus shed further light on Daniel 9:27 as well: "Therefore when you see the `abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place " (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man 112

113 coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:15-16, 21, 30) Jesus answered with these words when the disciples asked him: And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age? (Matthew 24:3) So, the Antichrist, also called the man of sin and son of perdition, in the middle of the last week of Daniel, will sit in the temple of Jerusalem and declare himself as God. Having done this, the Jews will then recognize that he is the last enemy of humanity and will flee from his persecution. In the light of the book of Revelation, we can say that he will persecute both the Jews and the Christians who won t submit to his blasphemies. We read in Daniel 7: the saints shall be given into his hand For a time and times and half a time. (Daniel 7:25). We said this expression means three and a half years: the second half of the last week of Daniel. Other references to the time of the career of this wicked man, are found in Daniel 12:7, Revelation 12:14 (a time and times and half a time), Revelation 11:2, 13:5 (forty-two months) Revelation 11:3, 12:6 (one thousand two hundred and sixty days.) With the end time prophecies in the Bible perfectly aligning with each other, interpreting each other, we see the larger picture taking shape before our very eyes don t we? Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate. The last words of the prophecy of the 70 weeks, refer to the great tribulation mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 24, 113

114 considered there from a Jewish perspective. The New Testament book of Revelation, on the other hand, sees the implications of the Antichrist s actions worldwide. 114

115 second half of the last week. 3 and a half years 42 months A time and times and half a time 1260 days Daniel 9:27 Matthew 24 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate. 15 "Therefore when you see the `abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place " (whoever reads, let him understand) "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be Jesus return And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom His kingdom shall not be destroyed. (Daniel 7:13-14) Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:30) Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. (Revelation 1:7) THE SEVENTY WEEKS 490 prophetic years for the Jewish nation Jesus Jesus 445 BC 29 AD return _ 7 62 Church 1 kingdom of God weeks weeks week everlasting 115

116 116

117 CHAPTER SEVEN Daniel Chapters Ten to Twelve: The last Vision Daniel Chapters Ten, Eleven and Twelve describe the last vision of the book. The key to properly understanding it is in Daniel 10:14: Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come. I want the reader to notice that all we study in the Hebrew Chapters of Daniel (1, 8 t0 12) relates to the Jewish nation: this is key to correctly understanding of this whole book. This last vision deals with the Old Testament s Antichrist, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, as well as the New Testament s final enemy of our Lord, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. (2Thessalonians 2:8) The vision of the angel in Chapter Ten closely resembles that of John in Patmos, recorded in the book of Revelation. Because there are so many things to say about this wonderful encounter, which cannot be treated in only a few words, I think it isn t presently 117

118 appropriate to discuss the matter at length. We must stay focused on the main topic of the book. Chapter Eleven begins with the prophecy itself. The fourth king of Persia mentioned here is Darius I, who moved against the Greeks. It was in response to this Persian threat that Alexander the Great, king of Macedonia, united the independent Greek city-states into a solidified coalition against their common enemy and advance into Asia Minor. It is of this great king that the angel says: Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. (Daniel 11:3) Alexander wrote a letter to Darius III, emperor of Persia, to tell him that he was going to avenge what the Persians had done to the Greeks and the Macedonians. Indeed, Alexander defeated the Persians and before that, he even conquered all the lands between Greece and Persia, becoming the head of the greatest world empire until then. Daniel 11:4 clearly mentions the premature death of Alexander, at 33, in the city of Babylon. He left no heir to the throne and his kingdom was divided among his generals. The king of the southern portion of Alexander s territories would be his general Ptolemy I Soter, who would reign from Egypt. He is mentioned in verse 5. This king ruled over the city of Jerusalem and carried captives to Egypt, though many would freely immigrate there because of their economic prosperity. His son, Ptolemy II Philadelphus became famous because he founded the illustrious Library of Alexandria, which had more than two-hundred-thousand books, according to Jewish historian Josephus. Ptolemy II sponsored the 118

119 Greek translation of the books of Moses, the famous Septuagint version of the Old Testament. The events told from Daniel 11:6 to Daniel 11:20 concern the fights between the king of the south (Egypt) and the king of the north (Syria). They are relevant to our discussion, since Israel was between the two kingdoms and part of the commercial trade routes, the control of which both Egypt and Syria claimed. All the things here prophesied came to pass exactly as the angel told Daniel. From verse 21 on, Antiochus IV Epiphanes enters the scene, and according to the book of Maccabees, he took power in the 137 th year of the Greeks (i.e. 175 BC). Five years later, he led a victorious military campaign against Egypt (verse 25). On his way home in the north (verse 28) he openly displayed and played out his hatred for the Jewish religion. The following is what the book of Maccabees has to say about his actions: After his conquest of Egypt, in the year 143 (143 rd year of the Greeks), Antiochus turned about and advanced on Israel and Jerusalem in massive strength. Insolently breaking into the sanctuary, he removed the golden altar and the lamp-stand for the light with all its fittings, together with the table for the loaves of permanent offering, the libation vessels, the cups, the golden censers, the veil, the crowns, and the golden decoration on the front of the Temple, which he stripped of everything. He made off with the silver and gold and precious vessels; he discovered the secret treasures and seized them and, removing all these, he went back to his own country, having shed much blood and uttered words of extreme arrogance. There was 119

120 deep mourning for Israel throughout the country. (1Maccabees 1: New Jerusalem Bible) Then, two years later, in 168 BC, Antiochus would try for a second campaign against Egypt. But this time (verse 29) the Romans will force him to retreat. This is why, in his violent rage against the Jewish religious customs, he turned the temple of Jerusalem to pagan worship. they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation. (Daniel 11:31). It seems probable that the statue of Jupiter that Antiochus put in the Holy of Holies bore his resemblance. This would cause the faithful Jews to take up arms against the enemy of their faith and their nation. They were led by a man called Judas Maccabeus verses 32 through 35. The revolt miraculously defeated the enemy and rededicated the temple to exclusive worship of, the only true God. This occurred while Antiochus 77 יהוה was away in the eastern regions of his territories, where he also died mysteriously. From verse 36 on, the subject changes entirely. How do we know? Verse 36 reads: Then the king shall do according to his own will (Daniel 11:36). This is in open contrast to what has been said about Antiochus a few verses earlier, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue (Daniel 11:21). Verse 36 is openly quoted in the New Testament and referred to the Antichrist to come. Daniel writes: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god 77 Pronounce it: Ha Shem, or Adonai. 120

121 (Daniel 11:36). Paul confirms that the antichrist will exalt himself above all that is called God (2Thessalonians 2:4). Both passages are clearly referred to the same individual. There is another peculiar detail. Antiochus was in the previous verses one of the kings of the North (Syria) whose wars against the king of the South (Egypt) were described in verses 4 through 35. But the king mentioned from verse 36 on is not the king of the North. In fact, in verse 40 we read: At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him (Daniel 11:40) These verses speak of the Antichrist s career. In the future, the Jews will read Daniel and identify the last enemy of mankind and of their nation. We do not know now where the nations will be located when the Antichrist is in power. That is why I am convinced it is useless to take wild guesses: those who will live during those days will see it all come to pass and be able to understand the words of Daniel. This last vision is concluded with words which unequivocally point to the time of the end. Jesus reference to the last words of Daniel is noteworthy: For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. (Matthew 24:21) And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time. (Daniel 12:1) 121

122 All this happens during the times of the last king, mentioned from Daniel 11:36 on. So he is to be understood as "the little horn" of Chapter Seven and "the prince to come" of Chapter Nine. Additionally, this last chapter has two wonderful references to the final resurrection. One is the general resurrection. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt. (Daniel 12:2) Jesus himself spoke of the last resurrection: "Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth -- those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. (John 5:28-29) This is confirmed by the book of Revelation in the famous White Throne Judgment passage (Revelation 20:11-15). Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the 122

123 dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. One day, every man will have to give an account of what he has done in his life and with his life. One of the problems of today s society is that we seem to have forgotten this Truth. There is a verse of the Bible that everyone should consider before every action: it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes the judgment. (Hebrew 9:27 - RSV) I am sorry to say that I do not believe in a society that is able to remove God and still have a decent set of morals, both individually and collectively. If what is happening today does not convince us of this, nothing will and the sad truth is that everyone wants to live as they please, neglecting the consequences. Man has a desperate need of God, whether he wants to admit that or not. We miss the Genesis Garden experience of communion with our Creator. It s in us and no other human experience can replace that. We need so desperately to make peace with our heavenly Father! There are few things more disturbing in an average person s life than a dysfunctional relationship with their parents. And the Truth is: we need to make peace with God. He himself provided a way to do so: Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this 123

124 grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:1-2) The last words spoken by the angel to Daniel are precious. Here we find the second reference to the resurrection, and the hope of the saints. No better words could seal this wonderful book. No better words could be found to close my commentary too: Go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days. 124

125 CHAPTER EIGHT The Maccabean Theory This chapter is more technical and not directly connected to the text of Daniel. If you are interested in the book of Daniel's prophecies alone, you can simply choose not to read it at all. If you believe in the authenticity of the book and are interested in knowing why you are right, continue to read. In the third century AD, Porphyry, a pagan philosopher, denied the authenticity of Daniel's prophecies. "Porphyry wrote his twelfth book against the prophecy of Daniel, denying that it was composed by the person to whom it is ascribed in its title, but rather by some individual living in Judaea at the time of the Antiochus who was surnamed Epiphanes. He furthermore alleged that "Daniel" did not foretell the future so much as he related the past, and lastly that whatever he spoke of up till the time of Antiochus contained authentic history, whereas anything he may have conjectured beyond that point was false, inasmuch as he would not have foreknown the future." St. 125

126 Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, translated by Gleason L. Archer. Jerome was the author of the Vulgate, the famous Latin translation of the Bible. He lived during the fifth century. His commentary on Daniel is of undisputable value. Of all the ancient writers, he was probably the one that had the best knowledge of Hebrew and this makes his work more reliable. Jerome considers Daniel an authentic book, containing true divine prophecies, some of which speak of events that will transpire immediately before the return of Jesus Christ. Jerome s view was, beyond any reasonable doubt, the Church's as well up to his days. It is regrettable that the modern liberal school has revived an old antichristian conception, renewed it, adapted it and embraced it, claiming it is the latest Christian development in the field of biblical studies. If we do not believe that the Bible may contain true prophecy, it's not a problem unless we call ourselves Christians. If we are intoxicated by rationalism to doubt all that can be doubted, we'd better reconsider our position in the Faith. Because it is natural for nonbelievers to consider whatever they will in order to establish (or motivate) their unbelief. But a Christian needs to be sure of his identity. And being a Christian, I think, means also believing the Bible to be the Word of God, with all that this implies. Daniel was not a product of the Maccabean period. It was not false prophecy (call it post-eventum, or whatever you want it s still a fraud) depicted as authentic by some unknown Jewish writer in the second century in order to give credibility to his account and encourage his people during the persecution of Antiochus 126

127 Epiphanes, like some scholars want us to believe. For a series of good reasons, some of which will be discussed here. The reference of our Lord Jesus to Daniel is quite relevant and cannot be ignored. He called him by name and openly declared him to be a prophet. (Matthew 24:15). He spoke of some of his prophecies as future events. He applied to himself the Messianic title "Son of Man" and referred to his second coming the events spoken of in Daniel Chapter Seven. (Matthew 24:30) The above should be conclusive evidence. Though I understand that the mind of the average educated western person demands some good reasons to support their defense of the inspiration of the Bible, it is hard to believe that Christians might deny what their Master has declared to be true. Honestly, I cannot imagine questioning the person I call Lord. The historical accuracy of Daniel is astonishing. All the details of his narratives, where possible, are confirmed by profane history. Throughout discovered archeological history, all the details are sometimes slow to reveal themselves, but this does not detract from authenticity, as much as holding someone guilty for a crime is improper if the evidence isn t immediately clear. For instance, in Chapter Five, Daniel speaks of a king, who had formerly not been found in profane history: Belshazzar. Of course, critics pointed out that it was a mistake of the book. But later, archeological discoveries shed new light on the last years of the Babylonian empire. This proved that, while the last king of Babylon was Nabonidus, his son reigned as king in his stead, and for quite some time, while he was away from Babylon. 127

128 Such conduct was one of the reasons for the widespread discontent among his subjects. Belshazzar is perfectly depicted in Daniel Chapter Five. The final expression of that chapter ( that very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain" - Daniel 5:30) perfectly aligns with extra-biblical information. In fact, Cyrus army entered the town of Babylon in one night. This cylinder includes three columns of cuneiform inscriptions that record the reconstruction and restoration of the temple of Shamash, the sun God, at Larsa, by the last king of Babylon, Nabonidus. Probably from Larsa, neo-babylonian era, BCE, Mesopotamia, Iraq. (The British Museum, London). photo by Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin published on 22 April

129 It s been argued that Daniel 5:31 is a wrong historical statement: And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old. Some maintain that Daniel make a mistake here, because Darius reigned in Persia much later than the time of Cyrus conquest. This accusation is based on the clearly wrong assumption that Darius the Mede mentioned here is one and the same with Darius the Persian king, who actually lived much later than the conquest of Babylon. The text plainly says here that the king Darius mentioned by Daniel belonged to the dynasty of the Medes. Cyrus did not destroy the Median Kingdom, he just gained supremacy over it. Persia was just a province of the Median Empire, but through a series of events, it became the center of the whole Medo-Persian Kingdom. This took place between the fall of the Assyrians caused by a coalition of Medes and Babylonians and the conquest of Babylon by Cyrus. The Darius mentioned here in Daniel 5:31 is simply the vassal king that Cyrus set over the Babylonian-Median province. Daniel makes it clear elsewhere: In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans. (Daniel 9:1 ). No legitimate heir to the throne is made king, but becomes king, is crowned king. The Egyptian king Necho and his son were at the court of king Ashurbanipal and were appointed head of some regions of the Assyrian empire. Pharaoh Necho put Jehoiakim on the throne of Judah, as an Egyptian vassal king. The historical accuracy and first hand information given in Daniel are both a sign of his authenticity and reliability. 129

130 The large territory entrusted to Darius needed some wise administration, and the opening sentences in Daniel Chapter Six show the perfectly legitimate action of a wise ruler. It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty satraps, to be over the whole kingdom; and over these, three governors, of whom Daniel was one, that the satraps might give account to them (Daniel 6:1-2) I repeat here what I said earlier: the book of Daniel is the account written by - or with the supervision of - the person who lived the things it describes. It contains accurate, true prophecy as well as reliable historical information. The contrary has never been satisfactorily proven. Something should also be said about the language of Daniel. The book was written in Hebrew: from Daniel 1 to 2:4 and 8:1 to the end of the book. The remaining portions are in Aramaic. I believe the author did it with a specific purpose. Some parts of the narratives were addressed to the Jewish people alone. But the portions in Aramaic were meant to bring a universal message. Truly your God, proclaims Nebuchadnezzar, is the God of gods, the Lord of kings. (Daniel 2:47). There is no other God who can deliver like this. (Daniel 3:29). Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down. (Daniel 4:37) Darius said: He is the living God, And steadfast forever; His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed, And His dominion shall endure to the end. He delivers and rescues, And He 130

131 works signs and wonders In heaven and on earth. (Daniel 6:26-27 ) The contents of each part speak for themselves and the truth is, I believe, evident. The quality of the Hebrew or Aramaic of Daniel is often called into question. But it is my opinion that it cannot be effectively used to ascertain the book's age, as it is done by some critics. I'll try to keep it as simple as I can. Let's say some archeologist of the year 4000 AD finds a copy of Shakespeare s plays printed in the year 1950 AD. There the book says that the plays were written by Shakespeare in the seventeenth century. Now, we must imagine that the future scientists have scanty evidence and will have to leave much to conjecture - like today's scholars dealing with the sixth century BC. Well, comparing the English of the plays of Shakespeare with some texts actually proved to belong to the seventeenth century and other belonging to the nineteenth century, having no other evidence of when Mr. Shakespeare actually lived, the potential scholars of the future will be forced to conclude that the plays of Shakespeare were actually written later than claimed by the books printed in 1950! Why? Because Shakespeare s works have been revised much later than they were written. That is why today's version does not spell like the originals. Another example. The King James Version we read today is not the actual 1611's. The spelling of words has been updated, to make it more readable. If you had no other reference, comparing our KJV which has on the cover the claim that it was first printed in 1611 with an actual 131

132 manuscript of any other book dated in the 1600, you would be forced to conclude that the claim of the modern printing is destitute of evidence and that the actual date of the translation is around In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. This is Genesis 1:1-2 as we read in a copy of today s 1611 King James Version, actually revised and published in This is how the text read in 1611: In the beginning God created the Heauen, and the Earth. And the earth was without forme, and voyd, and darkenesse was vpon the face of the deepe: and the Spirit of God mooued vpon the face of the waters. What I am trying to say here is that it is impossible to simply try to fix the date of composition of Daniel examining the state of the text as we read it today. It has travelled in time through centuries of manuscript transmission and it should not surprise anyone if it has gone through legitimate linguistic adjustments, necessary when a book is passed on from one generation to another. Another famous objection to Daniel s authenticity is based on the presence of three Greek words in the text of Daniel 3:5, 7, 10, 15. These words are transliterated in Aramaic in the text: פסנתרין סומפניה. קיתרוס The Greek translation of the Daniel has: κιθάρας (kitaras), ψαλτηρίου (psalteriu), συµφωνίας (simfonias). Scholars attacking the book maintain that those words could not have been known in the sixth century BC and this proves that Daniel was written later. This argument is 132

133 still found in books, but I believe it is no longer tenable. It is now well known that commercial and cultural relationships among nations of the past, going back to the third millennium BC, were far more frequent than previously thought. The fact that three Greek words had made their way into the Aramaic dialect of Babylon is not impossible. On the contrary, it is quite probable. Many Greeks were soldiers in foreign armies and they could have probably taken some music instruments with them. Everyone should benefit from the information given by the book of Daniel and other Bible books in general, instead of desperately looking for inconsistencies and mistakes. I hope enough has been said to satisfy the average reader of the historical accuracy of the book of Daniel. I ll just quickly mention one last thing: the testimony of the Dead Sea Scrolls on the book of Daniel is remarkable evidence in favor of its antiquity. The Dead Sea Scrolls are the oldest Old Testament manuscript evidence. The entire book as we know it was among them and was also quoted in other scrolls as Scripture. Eight is the most probable number of manuscripts of Daniel at Qumran of which only fragments survive, the oldest of which is 4QDanc. Cross dated it in 1961 to the "late second century B.C." I believe this is conclusive evidence that if critics do not want to embrace the traditional view they should work at another explanation for the date of possible composition for the Book of Daniel, because the Maccabean theory is no longer tenable. I will say more about Daniel s presence among the Dead Sea Scrolls in a specific chapter. 133

134 The above being said, I conclude that the sad truth is that the only reason why a sophisticated, new porphyrian theory was conceived because the critics refuse to believe that Daniel could have actually prophesied anything at all. I believe Daniel is an inspired book with its right, proper place in the Bible. It is Word of God. It contains true prophecies and the next chapter will concur to prove it. If some don t believe it, I wonder why they waste so much time studying it? It s very sad if they can t find a better, more positive occupation. Especially since they are wrong. 134

135 CHAPTER NINE The Return of the Lord Jesus Christ The book of Daniel speaks of the Messiah in various passages. We read of the Son of Man in Chapter Seven, "coming with the clouds of heaven to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom..." (7:13-14). The Gospel of Matthew, written from a Jewish perspective, recalls this event and defines it as the second coming of our Lord, at the end of this age - see Matthew 24. In a sense the times are mature for both Christians and Jews to be animated by this same desire for the Son of man to appear in the clouds of Heaven, to execute the final judgment, and bring the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Pinchas Lapide ( ) was a Jewish scholar, whose works I cannot help but admire (though I don't always agree with him). Being engaged in a debate with a Christian ministry on the Trinity, at a certain point he makes a wonderful statement, which I will translate as best as I can from the Italian edition: "Since none of the Jews knows who is the coming Messiah, while you are 135

136 sure to know his identity, I cannot say no to your certainties, but simply propose a question mark. I am willing to wait for the one who is to come and if he is Jesus of Nazareth, I don't think that any Jew who believes in God will have anything against it." Pinchas Lapide and Jurgen Moltmann, Monoteismo ebraico dottrina trinitaria cristiana, Queriniana, p.71. One day the words of John will come true: "Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. (Revelation 1:7 ) Daniel also saw the suffering Messiah. In Daniel 9:26 we read that Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself (Daniel 9:26). The Amplified Bible has: shall the Anointed One be cut off or killed and shall have nothing [and no one] belonging to [and defending] him. Please notice that the Messiah dies after the first 69 weeks of years and before the 70 th. This is very accurate, since the suffering Christ was not received by the Jewish nation, it was outside of the 70 weeks period. Still the testimony for them is there. The Messiah appeared before the destruction of the city and temple of Jerusalem in 70 AD. He was killed before that event and abandoned to his destiny alone. The Word of God openly declares that Jesus was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification. (Romans 4:25) This is what we need to believe in order to be saved: If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9) Paul confirms that the Church, the assembly of those who are saved, is "looking for the blessed hope and glorious 136

137 appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. (Titus 2:13) What does the New Testament say about Jesus' return? So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation. (Hebrew 9:28) It is clear also that the Lord Jesus Christ will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom. (2Timothy 4:1) The hope for Jesus return began a few days before Pentecost. Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? And He said to them, It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven. " (Act 1:6-11) Few believers were present when Jesus was taken up in Heaven. But all men will see Him coming back: every eye will see him. (Revelation 1:7) After that day no one will be wondering who the Jewish - Christian Messiah is: everyone will know. 137

138 Lately some seducing spirits have led people to propose exact dates for the return of the Lord, but He himself was very clear when he said: But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. (Matthew 24:36) There are some people who suppose that Jesus has already come back. Some say that the Second Coming will not be literal. But again I say that after Jesus shows up for the last battle against evil, in the person of the Antichrist, no one will be asking if He came or who He was. At very long last, everything will be clear. "Then if anyone says to you,`look, here is the Christ!' or`there!' do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. Therefore if they say to you,`look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or`look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. (Matthew 25:23-27) Paul himself was confronted with believers who had been told some lies concerning the return of the Lord Jesus. Someone must have been able to convince the church in Thessalonica that Jesus had already come back, because the apostle wrote: Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the 138

139 man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (2Thessalonians 2:1-4 ) We learn from this passage that before the coming of our Lord: (1) there will be a falling away, and (2) the man of sin will be revealed. He will sit in the temple and say that he is God the abomination of desolation, of which Daniel (9:27) spoke and the Lord quoted (Matthew 24:15). And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. (2Thessalonians 2:8). When Jesus comes He will personally destroy the Antichrist. The Russell-Jehovah's witnesses delusion is there for all to see. Charles Taze Russell ( ) was the cofounder of the Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in The following information is taken from the website "Russell believed that Christ had returned invisibly in 1874, and that he had been ruling from the heavens since that date. He predicted that a period known as the Gentile Times would end in 1914, and that Christ would take power of Earth's affairs at that time. He interpreted the outbreak of World War I as the beginning of Armageddon." "Russell believed that the Great Pyramid of Giza was built by the Hebrews (associated to the Hyksos) under God s direction, but to be understood only in our day. 139

140 He adopted and used Seiss's phrase, referring to it as the Bible in stone. He believed that certain biblical texts, including Isaiah 19:19 20 and others, prophesied a future understanding of the Great Pyramid. He believed that the various ascending and descending passages represented the fall of man, the provision of the Mosaic Law, the death of Christ, the exultation of the saints in heaven, etc. Calculations were made using the pattern of an inch per year. Dates such as 1874, 1914, and 1948 were purported to have been found through the study of this monument." Of course since then the Watch Tower has been trying to justify, motivate and manipulate the truth about their false predictions in order to continue in its career, but more than 100 years have gone by. If the 1914 theory is not a false interpretation of prophecy, what is it? It could have simply been recognized as such long before, just by recalling Jesus words: But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only (Matthew 24:36 ). William Miller ( ) acted as a Baptist preacher, but he was probably not ordained. He made a prediction about the day of Jesus' return based on the two thousand three hundred days of Daniel Chapter Eight. He changed the days into years and calculated the day of Jesus' return counting the years from 457 BC. He came up with the year 1843 AD. Miller believed Jesus would return between March 21, 1843 to March 21, Of course this gentleman was only another false prophet. Other predictions have been made more recently. 140

141 The Mayan Calendar prediction of notable fame, indicated that the world was supposed to end on 12/21/2012. Before that prediction, a so-called minister came up with his own Bible calculations (again) and said the world would end on 10/21/2011. Of course Jesus did not come back on that day, nor had the world ended. It is astonishing. Jesus himself said it would happen and and yet people read the Bible, calling themselves Christians but ignoring what Christ said, like new Peters, confirm the exactness of the Lord s predictions. I hope they too have time for repentance. Deceiving men will continue to appear on the scene in the years to come, you can be sure of that. This is why the Lord openly warned us. Then if anyone says to you,`look, here is the Christ!' or`there!' do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. Therefore if they say to you,`look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or`look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. (Matthew 24:23-27) Since we do not know when Jesus will come, we need to watch, be ready any time that may happen. "Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. (Matthew 24:42-44) 141

142 There are some events that will precede the return of our Lord, but we cannot say exactly how near is the time see Matthew 24. What will happen when Jesus comes back? Daniel spoke about the Stone cut out without hands, and the Son of Man, who will establish the eternal kingdom of God. The New Testament goes further to describe some other wonderful facts. I believe there is not much to comment, but a lot to contemplate with great expectations and thank God for, so I ll just quote the passages. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. (1Thessalonians 4:13-18) When the Lord comes back the believers that have died will be raised. Together with those alive, all will be caught up to meet the Lord in the clouds. From that moment on we will be with him, for evermore. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall 142

143 be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. (1Corinthians 15:51-53) Not all the believers will die, all will be changed. This particular event is known as the Rapture of the Church. I confess that I live with this hope, to be among those who are alive and remain when the Lord Himself will descend from heaven. It is biblical that some Christians will never die. That is why Paul says We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. The believers who are alive when the Lord comes back will be given glorified bodies in order to be able to meet the Lord in the air together with the risen saints. I suggest the reading of 1Corinthians 15 where all things concerning the resurrection are explained in detail. There are various opinions concerning the time when the Rapture of the Church will take place. Some believe in pre-tribulation, some in mid- tribulation, others in a post-tribulation Rapture. At present, I do not think we have enough light on this subject to be able to say more than the Scripture clearly says. Those who will live during the last days will see the things foretold in the Word happen before their own eyes and will have a clear understanding. Another very important event that take place at the return of the Lord Jesus is judgment. Let us consider some Scriptures on this quite important topic. I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His 143

144 appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! (2Timothy 4:1-2) Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. "For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, "and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. "Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice "and come forth-- those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. (John 5:25-29) Again, I prefer to let the Word conclude a chapter of my book. But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. (1Thessalonians 5:1-6) 144

145 CHAPTER TEN The Book of Daniel at Qumran In 1947, a young shepherd made the discovery of the century: in a cave near the Dead Sea he found a scroll. From that year on to 1956, eleven caves were discovered. They brought back to light hundreds of Old Testament manuscripts, along with a large number of other writings. Though not unanimously accepted, the writings were probably connected to the Jewish monastic, possibly Essenes, community which dwelt at Qumran. All agree in the fact that the caves were sealed and the site abandoned in 68 AD, and that the manuscripts in them could not have been written after that date. The magnitude of such a discovery is undeniable. From the very first moment, even the newspapers around the world began to show interest in the Scrolls. The reason is very simple. Up until then, the Old Testament manuscripts adopted for the critical editions of the original Hebrew were dating about a thousand years after Christ, in that form of text called the Masoretic. Such a late date of the witnesses had 145

146 facilitated the task of those who desired to attack the accuracy of the Bible. The Dead Sea Scrolls gave the world witnesses to the Old Testament text about a thousand years older. The book of Daniel was among the Scrolls. Its presence is not secondary. At least eight manuscripts were in the caves. Fragments of the book of Daniel have been found in cave 1, 4 and 6. The following are the mss ascribed to the Hasmonean period ( BC) and their contents. Name of the Manuscript 1QDAN b 3:22-30 Portions of the book of Daniel survived 4QDAN a 1:16-20 // 2:9-11, // 3:1,2 // 4:29,30 // 5:5-7, 12-14, // 7:5-7, // 8:1-5 //10:16-20// 11: QDAN c 10:5-9, 11-16, 21 // 11:1, 2, 13-17, DAN e 9:12-14, 15-16, 17 The following are those ascribed to the Herodian period (30 BC 68/70 AD) and their contents. Name of the Manuscript 1QDAN a 1:10-17, 2:2-6 Portions of the book of Daniel survived 4QDAN b 5:10-12, 14-16, // 6:8-22, // 7:1-6, 11, // 8:1-8, QDAN d 3:23-25 // 4:5-9, // 7:15-19, Pap6QDAN 8:16, 17, 21, 22 // 10:8-16 // 11:33-36,38 146

147 If critics believe that the position of Daniel among the Writings in the Jewish Tanakh (Old Testament) is a sign of its late composition, they should admit that his presence at Qumran is overwhelming evidence that the opposite is the case. First of all, the Writings are considered inspired by the Jews as well as the other canonical books. Second, Daniel is definitely quite different than the other prophetic books. It does not take an expert to see this; a quick reading will reveal: there is a long narrative portion in the book, including Chapter One and Chapters Three to Six. Even the rest of the book speaks of the visions given to Daniel and not of prophecy in the manner we find it in Isaiah or Jeremiah. But the death blow to the misconception about the late reception of the book in the Jewish canon - if necessary - comes right from the Scrolls. In fact they witness to the existence of at least eight manuscripts. Jeremiah was found in 6 manuscripts a higher rate of presence than Joshua, Job, Proverbs, Ruth, Ezekiel, Numbers, etc. The books of Moses are best represented, along with the book of Psalms (36 copies) and Isaiah (21). Then comes Daniel. This is clear, objective evidence of Daniel's rightful place among the inspired Jewish Scriptures. In 4Q Daniel is mentioned and openly referred to as "the book of Daniel, the prophet" along with other Midrashic material of the books of Psalms and Samuel. Concerning the state of the text, there are more remarks of great interest to be made. The manuscripts confirm the traditional, bilingual composition: Hebrew and Aramaic. The places where 78 4Q174 means: manuscript number 174, found in cave 4 at Qumran. 147

148 the book switches from Hebrew to Aramaic and then back again to Hebrew are confirmed. The copies of Daniel at Qumran did not contain the (late, Greek) additions found in the LXX (Septuagint) versions of it, which are not retained in the Protestant and Jewish canon. Considering that a thousand years spans between the manuscripts on which the Hebrew text translated in our Bibles today is based and those found at Qumran, it is worth notice that the chief differences, like those in the Isaiah manuscript, have to do with the spelling of words. G. Ernest Wright, Biblical Archeologist, (No. XII, 1949). It is incredible that a book should be copied for a thousand years and remain virtually intact. Despite the fragmentary state of most of Daniel scrolls, they reveal no major disagreements against the Masoretic Text, although individual readings differ on occasion. Peter W. Flint, The Daniel Tradition at Qumran in Studies in the Dead Sea Scrolls and Related Literature, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan. Individual readings, as well as small variations in the spelling and other minor differences, only make the Scrolls witness to the book of Daniel more relevant: agreeing, independent witnesses are very reliable. Frank Moore Cross dated 4QDAN c to the late second century. This is the oldest existing fragment of the book, almost a deathblow to the Maccabean theory of the composition of Daniel. It is quite improbable, if not impossible, that the book of Daniel was written in the 148

149 second century and that in such a short length of time it would gain acceptance as an inspired book. We can fairly conclude that the early date of the witnesses at Qumran, the large number of copies of the book, and the consideration it had as Scripture is all evidence against the late dating of the book and in favor of the traditional view. 149

150 Fragments 4QDAN c From From 150

151 CHAPTER ELEVEN Messiah the Prince We have spoken at length of "Messiah the Prince" of Daniel 9:25 and "Messiah" of Daniel 9:26. I have adopted the New King James Version of the Bible for my book with a specific purpose. One is the fact that in these two verses they translate the Hebrew word here as Messiah. While Messiah is not a translation of the Hebrew, it is a transliteration. This means that the exact, original Hebrew letters of the word have been adapted into our alphabet. Let's examine this in detail. This is the Hebrew words, which reads from right to left:.משׁיח The Hebrew alphabet has no vowels, only consonants, with a few letters that sometimes are used with vowel sounds. The Masoretes fixed the sound of the words by using some conventional signs which did not change the consonantal (sacred) text but made it to be more readable for future generations. This is how Messiah appears in the Masoretic Text as follows:. 151

152 In our Christian language the word Messiah has become technical and a prerogative of Jesus. In the New Testament the Lord is usually called the Christ or Christ. Christ transliterates the Greek word Χριστος. The Greek word has exactly the same meaning of the correspondent Hebrew.משׁיח word So they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household. (Acts 16:31) This passage in the Hebrew Version of the New Testament reads as follows. (Please remember that Hebrew is read from right to left): Another example is found in Matthew: And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ. (Matthew 1:16) The occurrence of Messiah in Daniel 9:25, 26 is transliterated in both the King James Version (1611) and the New King James Version (as well as the New American Standard Bible). For the reason that this terminology identifies Jesus as the Messiah, the Christ, this helps even the average Bible reader understand that this is a Messianic prophecy. Other Bible versions prefer not to transliterate, but translate. The NIV, for example, has: "The Anointed One, the ruler" in verse 25 and "The Anointed One" in 152

153 verse 26. The English Standard Version has: "an anointed one, a prince" and "an anointed one." The American Standard Version and the English Revised Version read: "the Anointed One, the Prince" and "the Anointed One." It is important for us to be aware that no matter what translation of the Bible we use, the original Hebrew text of this passage is always.משׁיח Whether it is translated as "anointed one", or we find it transliterated as "Messiah", the interpretation we have given of the prophecy is not affected. 153

154 154

155 CHAPTER TWELVE Patristic evidence I am sure the reader noticed that my book is not advocating any novel or sensational interpretation of Daniel and Bible prophecies in general. This study will not particularly shake the world of biblical interpretation, I know. It wasn t my intention to do so. The purpose of this work is to promote a sound, biblical, Christian interpretation of the Old Testament book of Daniel, aligned with the moderate futuristic interpretation that has been predominant in the Church since the very beginning. I need to warn the readers against those who come up with new doctrines, teachings, sensational interpretation of biblical prophecy, etc. All we have to know was written in the Bible. And the teaching of the early Church is so important because the purest water is that which is found closer to the spring. The so called fathers of the Church are usually overestimated by the Catholic Church. But at the same time are neglected by the majority of Protestants. A balanced view would be the best attitude. 155

156 The teachings of the Christian writers of the first four century of our era are a precious witness to the Truth. While they are not the Bible, they can be a powerful witness to the authentic beliefs in the Church, with exercised discretion. Let us examine what the fathers have to say about the topics mentioned in my discussion on Daniel. 1 Clement (95/96 AD), this letter was written by the church of Rome to that in Corinth. Therein, we find the expectation for the coming of the Lord Jesus: For he forewarns us Behold, the Lord comes, and his reward is with him, to pay each one according to his works. The Didache, this work is of an uncertain date, while some have proposed an extremely early date of 50 AD, it seems far more likely to have originated in the first century or around 150 AD. It states: For in the last days the false prophets and corrupters will abound, and the sheep will be turned into wolves, and love will be turned into hate. For as lawlessness increases, they will hate and persecute and betray one another. And then the deceiver of the world will appear as a son of God and will perform signs and wonders, and the earth will be delivered into his hands, and will commit abominations the likes of which have never happened before. Then all humankind will come to the fiery test, and many will fall away and perish; but those who endure in their faith will be saved by the accursed one himself. And then will appear the signs of the truth: first the sign of an opening in heaven, then the sign of the sound of a trumpet, and third, the resurrection of the dead but not of all; rather, as it has 156

157 been said, the Lord will come, and all his saints with him. Then the world will see the Lord coming upon the clouds of heaven. The interpretation of biblical prophecies in the first centuries of the Church was very scriptural and sober. It focused on the expectation of the return of the Lord Jesus, but also in the inevitability of the manifestation of the Antichrist before that glorious event. The Epistle of Barnabas (between 70 AD & 135 AD), a writing of extraordinary beauty, states: The day is near when everything will perish together with the evil one. The Lord, and his reward, is near. The above information and quotations were taken from The Apostolic Fathers Second Edition Translated by J.B. Lightfoot and J.R. Harmer, Edited and Revised by Michael W. Holmes, Baker Book House, Second printing, August Justin, who died a martyr s death, lived between 110 and 165 AD. The following is found in his First Apology: Since, then, we prove that all things which have already happened had been predicted by the prophets before they came to pass, we must necessarily believe also that those things which are in like manner predicted, but are yet to come to pass, shall certainly happen For the prophets have prophesied two advents of His: the one, that which is already past, when He came as a dishonored and suffering Man; but the second, when, according to prophecy, He shall come from Heaven with glory, accompanied by His angelic host, when also 157

158 He shall raise the bodies of all men who have lived, and shall clothe those of the worthy with immortality Hippolytus ( AD) is a Christian who lived in Rome, though of Greek origin. He wrote a treatise on the Antichrist. His interpretation of prophetical events found in Daniel and in the New Testament, is consistent with the interpretation I have given in this book. In his Treatise on the Antichrist, while commenting on the dream of the Babylonian king described in Daniel Chapter Two and the vision of Chapter Seven, he writes: The golden head of the image and the lioness denoted the Babylonians; the shoulders and arms of silver, and the bear, represented the Persians and the Medes; the belly and the thighs of brass, and the leopard, meant the Greeks, who held the sovereignty from Alexander s time; the legs of iron, and the beast dreadful and terrible, expressed Romans, who hold the sovereignty at present; the toes and the feet which were part clay and part iron, and the ten horns, were emblems of the kingdoms that are yet to rise; the other little horn that grows up among them meant the Antichrist in their midst; the stone that smites the earth and brings judgment upon the world was Christ. I suggest the reading of his treatise to anyone seriously interested in Bible prophecies. It is easily found online. Hippolytus agrees that the last of the seventy weeks of Daniel Chapter Nine still belongs to the future: the last week which is to be at the end of the whole world. Not only his writing is useful, if not even precious; it is also very beautiful. This is what he has to say about our Savior: For as two advents of our Lord and Savior are 158

159 indicated in the Scriptures, the one being His first advent in the flesh, which took place without honor by reason of his set at naught, as Isaiah spoke of Him aforetime But His second advent is announced as glorious, when He shall come from heaven with the host of angels, and the glory of His Father, as the prophet said, you shall see the King in glory; and I saw one like the Son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. Hippolytus quotes here from Isaiah 53:2-5, 33:17 and Daniel 7: Irenaeus was bishop of Lyons and lived between AD. His magnificent Against Heresies is an apology in five books, written against the Gnostic heresies. Though prophecy is not the main topic it was impossible in such a gigantic endeavor not to find anything about the vital subject of the return of the Lord and the prophecies connected to that event. In book five we find: Daniel too, looking forward to the end of the last kingdom, i.e., the ten last kings, amongst whom the kingdom of those men shall be portioned, and upon whom the son of perdition shall come, declares that ten horns shall spring from the beast, and that another little horn shall arise in the midst of them for three years and six months, during which time, when he comes, he shall reign over the earth Now three years and six months constitute the half-week. The quotations from the works of Justin, Hippolytus and Irenaeus are from the ten volumes of the Ante- Nicene fathers, Hendrickson Publishers, first printing

160 As you can see, the interpretation given in this book is perfectly consistent with that of the early Church. Details here and there may be different, as there is some variance even among the above mentioned Christian writers. But honestly we are far from the fancy interpretations of some, the fanciful predictions of others, as well as from the cold skepticism of the new Porphyrys of today. Jerome was born in 347 and died in 420 AD. His most famous work was the Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible. His was the first Latin translation of the Old Testament from the original Hebrew text. He wrote a commentary of the book of Daniel, which I have read and studied in the translation of Gleason L. Archer ( ), originally published in 1958 by Baker Book House. Jerome s is by far one of the most comprehensive and authoritative commentaries on Daniel that I have ever read. He mentions Porphyry and how he wrote his twelfth book against the prophecy of Daniel, denying that it was composed by the person to whom it is ascribed He furthermore alleged that Daniel did not foretell the future so much as he related the past Doesn t it ring a bell? (Ecclesiastes 1:9) Jerome s reply was not criticism, but an affirmation of the Truth of the Gospel: none of the prophets has so clearly spoken concerning Christ as has this prophet Daniel. For not only did he assert that he would come, a prediction common to the other prophets as well, but also he set forth the very time at which he would 160

161 come. This latest statement is a clear reference to the prophecy of the Seventy Weeks. His comments of Daniel Chapter Two and Chapter Seven confirm our view on the four kingdoms. We should therefore concur with the traditional interpretation of all the commentators of the Christian Church, that at the end of the world, when the Roman Empire is to be destroyed, there shall be ten kings who will partition the Roman world amongst themselves. Then an insignificant eleventh king will arise this is the man of sin, the son of perdition, and that too to such a degree that he dares to sit in the temple of God, making himself out to be like God. Jerome also comments another very important detail of Daniel s prophecies: and they shall be delivered into his hand for a time, and times, and half a time. Time is equivalent to year. The word times, according to the idiom of the Hebrews (who also possess the dual number) represents two years. The half a year signifies six months. During this period the saints are to be over to the power of the Antichrist It is noteworthy how Jerome lists the various opinions of the early fathers of the Church before him concerning the Seventy weeks: while there is variance in the interpretation of some details, the messianic aspect and the open reference to Christ was never questioned. The reliability of the book of Daniel, its inspiration by the Holy Spirit, its right to be considered among the Holy Scriptures, and its authentic prophecies (both past and future) were all facts for the early Church. The 161

162 resulting interpretation aligns perfectly with the New Testament words of Jesus and His apostles. The correct interpretation of the book of Daniel today, as was in the past, will lead to the certainty of the Lord s first advent and the hope of His return. 162

163 CHAPTER THIRTEEN Chronology in Daniel For those of us that live in the Western Countries, the most natural way of telling a story or relating a series of events is chronologically. But, if we try to find this same kind of arrangement for all the events told in the Bible, we might wind up pretty frustrated and jump to wrong conclusions. Actually, the gospels could be said to have a fine chronological order, since Jesus does not heal anyone before he is born, die before He is tried, or ascend to the father before He is resurrected. But, at times certain events are arranged with a specific purpose in mind, other than chronological. One might look at certain parts of the narratives of Luke, Mark and Matthew, notice the difference in the order of the same events and be confused. Anyway, this is perfectly consistent with the Hebrew-biblical mind. The article Before and after by Rabbi Mordecai Finley clarifies: There is no before and after in the Torah. The term is used when Torah scholars, in their careful 163

164 analysis of passages from the Torah, see that certain events seem out of order. They often resolve this problem by teaching that the way the Torah presents a series of events or teachings is often by an inner logic other than chronological (for those of you who like nonlinear thinking, this is a concept for you). - January 24, There are some seeming chronological discrepancies in the book of Jeremiah. But they are there for a reason: sometimes thematic arrangement can be more helpful and important than temporal. That is, in other words, events can be examined for intent and not necessarily sequence. Please compare the following passages to see for yourself: Jeremiah 25:10, 35:1, 36:1, 36:9, 46:2. When I was much younger I tried to reconstruct the last week of Jesus in Jerusalem. It took a long time, and I came up with the conclusion that the only Gospel arranged in chronological order, at least for that series of events I was considering, was Mark. I noticed Matthew s focus on the deep spiritual significance of what was going on is revealed in the organization of narrative. In it, sometimes, the what and the why became in some points a lot more relevant than the when things were happening. I grew up with it, so it's pretty understandable that the non-chronological order does not bother me anymore. But I do understand that it might be disturbing, even confusing, to some. Daniel has a peculiar chronological arrangement too. Chapter One is written in Hebrew and it's clearly an introduction to the whole book. It takes place right after Daniel and his friends were taken captive. 164

165 With Chapter Two, as it is also evident because of the transition from Hebrew to Aramaic in Daniel 2:4, we enter the second section of the book. The Aramaic chapters are not chronologically arranged. The vision in Chapter Seven takes place before the events told in Chapter Five and Six. But, for all purposes, Chapter Seven connects thematically to the Aramaic part of the book, since it is related, for its contents, to Chapter Two. Though, at the same time, it perfectly introduces the rest of the book. Chapters Two and Seven cover the so called Times of the Gentiles, the four kingdoms, and the last one s doings before the coming of the kingdom of God. Chapters Three and Six tell the story of the persecuted Jews. Please notice that in Chapter Three Daniel is not in the story, as well as in Chapter Six his companions are not there with him. This could not happen by chance. Chapters Four and Five tell of the prophet dealing with two crucial moments of the Babylonian kingdom. The unity of this section is undeniable. The reason why the language switched from Hebrew to Aramaic is clear: this last language was as universal then as English is today, so the message of this portion of the book was for the whole world to acknowledge the sovereignty of God. Those who suppose anything else which is not this intent in the bilingual phenomenon of Daniel complicate their lives with ideas and theories, when the truth is as simple as the intent of having an impact on the nations, the non Jewish readers of the book or hearer of the stories told there. 165

166 The unity of the book of Daniel is quite evident. In fact, Chapters Two through Six are in chronological order. So are Seven through Twelve, though Chapter Seven is written in Aramaic. Chapter Seven is a perfect bridge between the two sections. It speaks of the same four kingdoms as Chapter Two, but it is also connected to Chapter Eight, which focuses the reader s attention on the second and third kingdoms of the previous vision. The Chapters in Hebrew tell events that see Israel directly involved: that is why they are written in that language. The rise of Antiochus IV Epiphanes who persecuted the Jews is seen in Chapters Eight, Ten and Eleven. Chapter Nine contains the Seventy Weeks prophecy given to Daniel: the period seven times longer than the Seventy Years prophecies by Jeremiah for the Babylonian captivity, which will see the final, perfect restoration of Israel and the coming of the kingdom of God. In these remarkable characteristics, I see unity of intent and a magnificent result. There is a long debate concerning some additions to the book found in the Catholic and Greek Orthodox editions of the Bible which consist of a longer version of Chapter Three and two additional Chapters: Thirteen and Fourteen. They are usually termed Deuterocanonical by those who receive them as Scripture, Apocripha by those who don't. There are various reasons why this addition and chapters do not have a rightful place in the canonical book of Daniel. 166

167 - Daniel was written in Hebrew and Aramaic, but these additions only in Greek - there is no Hebrew original of them. - The Jews do not receive them as Scripture. - The book of Daniel at Qumran knows nothing of those additions. - The unity of intent of the book and the perfect harmony which we have outlined are entirely broken by the two Chapters added in the end. They are out of context. They have nothing to do with the rest of the book. - To the question: were these additions part of the original book of Daniel, one honest student of the Bible must answer: "no." One last, curious detail is that Jerome, in his commentary openly spoke about those additions and openly shared his opinion with the readers: " when I was translating Daniel many years ago, I noted these visions with a critical symbol, showing that they were not included in the Hebrew. And in this connection I am surprised to be told that certain fault-finders complain that I have on my own initiative truncated the book. After all, both Origen, Eusebius and Apollinarius, and other outstanding churchmen and teachers of Greece acknowledge that, as I have said, these visions are not found amongst the Hebrews, and that therefore they are not obliged to answer Porphyry for these portions which exhibit no authority as Holy Scriptures." Jerome was the first Latin father to have direct access to the Hebrew text of the Old Testament. For many centuries Christians relied on the Septuagint, the Greek 167

168 translation of the Old Testament, which is an important witness, and often quoted in the New Testament, originally written in Greek. But the LXX (Septuagint) was not in the hands of the Jewish scribes, who were diligent - even radical - about their task of preserving the Holy Writings beyond imagination. The Greek mind was open to the new, the Jewish very cautious. Jerome's education gave him the chance to evaluate the matter from a better perspective and had to conclude that the work of preservation of the Old Testament had been best performed by those whom God had charged with it: the Jews. So he could not help but warn his readers that those portions added in the Greek language only, were not part of the inspired original book. Up to this day, his view is the most consistent. 168

169 CHAPTER FOURTEEN Historical Background It might be very useful to consider the historical background of the book of Daniel preceded by a short account of Jewish history after the Exodus from Egypt down to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian exile. There is no conclusive opinion concerning the time when Moses led his people out of Egypt. Egyptologist David Rohl has recently published a book entitled: Exodus: Myth or History? Incredibly, while Rohl is a self-professed agnostic, he is far more radical about the historical accuracy of the Bible than the average Christian scholars. He opens his book proclaiming: I am an unabashed advocate of treating the Old Testament not as a work of pious fiction but as a genuine source of history (p. i.). This is what he has to say about the date of the exodus calculated according to biblical dates in circa 1450 BC: clearly the biblical date appears to be more consistent with the archeological picture that we have been examining so far (p. 40). 169

170 We all know the story. The people of Israel went out of Egypt and wondered in the desert for forty years. Then, under the leadership of Joshua they began to take possession of the Promised Land. For four hundred years, during the long period of the Judges, Israel had no king. When the people of Israel wanted a king, Samuel anointed Saul. After him, the great king David. Under his leadership, Israel became a great nation, reaching a wide territory with Jerusalem as capital city. After David died, Solomon his son became king. The kingdom of Israel was still at its highest splendor. When Solomon died, ten tribes rebelled against the descendants of David and formed the northern kingdom of Israel. The two tribes in the south, Judah and Benjamin, faithful to David s house, formed the kingdom of Judah with Jerusalem as its capital city. The northern kingdom would later be completely destroyed and the people carried away captive by the Assyrians in 722 BC. In the seventh century BC, the Assyrians lost their position of leadership in the Middle-East. The Babylonians allied with the Medes and fought against them. In 614 BC they conquered the city of Assur, and in 612, Nineveh fell. 170

171 The Neo Babylonian kingdom ruled over a large territory, which included the Fertile Crescent (Mesopotamia) and the commercial routes down to Egypt. At the death of his father, Nebuchadnezzar became king over this empire. In 609 BC, the Egyptian Pharaoh, Necho, moved his army over Carchemish, close to the Euphrates River. He defeated and killed king Josiah the last independent king of Judah. Necho put Jehoiakim on the throne, who was only a vassal king of Egypt. This situation did not please the Babylonian king who sieged the city of Jerusalem in order to reaffirm his leadership over the region. It was circa 606 BC. On this occasion, Nebuchadnezzar plundered the Temple and took the best of the Jewish people captive to Babylon, among whom was Daniel. And it was during this period that the prophet Jeremiah prophesied. And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. `Then it will come to pass, when seventy years are completed, that I will punish the 171

172 king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity,' says the LORD;` and I will make it a perpetual desolation. (Jeremiah 25:11-12) Leaving behind a remnant government, Nebuchadnezzar would have to deal with rebellious kings of Judah more than once. In 586 BC, he was tired of the conduct of the Jewish kings and so he destroyed the city and the temple, carrying away captive most of the people in Babylon. The prophecy of Jeremiah speaks of terrible things for the people of God it s true. But at the same time it announces the destruction of the destroyer. It s all been recorded in the book of Chronicles. And all the articles from the house of God, great and small, the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king and of his leaders, all these he took to Babylon. Then they burned the house of God, broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all its precious possessions. And those who escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon, where they became servants to him and his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years. Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among 172

173 you of all His people? May the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up! (2Chronicles 36:18-23) After 43 year of reign, Nebuchadnezzar died and the Babylonian empire began to decline. In 536 Cyrus, having the united power of the Medes and Persians, easily conquered Babylon. Jeremiah s prophecy came true and the Persian king set the Jewish people free. Of course, seventy years is a long time and the people of Judah were now living and prospering in Babylon. As a matter of fact, a Jewish colony in Babylon remained for centuries after the return of the faithful to Judah. In fact, during the days of Jesus, they were still there, and Peter served that community for some time (1 Peter 5:3). The biblical books of Ezra and Nehemiah tell the story of how, following the Persian kings permissions, people of God who did return to the land, were able to return to Judah, first begin to rebuild the temple, and after receiving the Persian king s direct command, the city of Jerusalem itself. In the fourth century BC, Judah passed from the influence of the Persians to that of the Greeks. Alexander the Great became king of Macedonia in 333 BC, after the death of his father Philip. He united Greece against the hated Persian enemy and, in only ten years, he built the largest empire of his time. It included the territories of the Persian empire, Egypt and most of the then known countries. The legend says the king cried because there were no more lands left to conquer. Alexander died without leaving any heirs to the throne and the conflicts following his death led four parties to prevail. 173

174 From that moment on, the land of Israel was right in the middle of the wars between Egypt and Syria. Both kingdoms were interested in the strategic position of the Holy Land. The persecution of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, king of Syria was particularly cruel. Antiochus desperately wanted to homogenize his kingdom under the Hellenistic cults and philosophy. Of course, the orthodox Jews would refuse to give up their traditional religion and pollute the temple with idols. In 168 BC, the Syrian king erected a statue of Jupiter in the temple of Jerusalem and sacrificed to his gods. That meant war. The rebellious party fought under the leadership of Judas Maccabeus. Then, as often happens, God led His people to victory. Incredible as it may have seemed, the outnumbered Jewish party prevailed and the city was liberated. On the month Kislev, the 25 th day, the year 164 BC, the temple was rededicated to the exclusive service of Yahweh. Simon, brother of Judas Maccabeus, became both king and high priest and the descendents of the Hasmonean family became the rightful heirs to the throne of Jerusalem until the Romans stepped into the scene. It was with the approval of Julius Caesar himself that Herod the Great would rule as king. During his reign, which began in 37 BC, that Jesus was born. This Idumean king met the end of his rule and life in 4 BC, leaving his territories to be divided among his children. The Jewish revolts which would later ensue (66-73 AD) brought destruction of the city of Jerusalem and its temple in 70 AD. In 73 AD, the Romans attacked the fortress of Masada, where the last rebels were gathered, 174

175 only to find 960 Jews who had committed suicide rather than fall alive into the hands of their enemies. It was the end of the war and of the Jewish nation, till 1948 AD when the birth of the State of Israel was proclaimed. 175

176 1530 Birth of Moses 1450 Exodus 1400 Judges in Israel 1040 Saul first king 1011 David 971 Salomon 922 Ten tribes north Kingdom of Israel Two tribes south Kingdom of Judah Geroboamo Roboamo Various kings 722 The Kingdom is utterly destroyed by the Assyrians Various kings Josiah 609 Jehoiakim 597 Jehoiakin 597 Sedekiah 586 Jerusalem and the temple are destroyed. The people exiled. 536 Persians Cyrus frees the Jews The building of the second temple begins 445 The building of Jerusalem begins 333 The Greeks rule the world 167 Antiochus IV Epiphanes 164 The Temple rededicated 63 The Romans rule the world Birth of JESUS end of BC and beginning of AD 70 Destruction of the Temple and of the town of Jerusalem by the Romans 176

177 CHAPTER FIFTEEN The Rapture: When will it take place? I just finished watching the movie "Left Behind" starring Nicholas Cage. Honestly, I liked it. Some time ago I watched and liked the "Left Behind" movie series. But to this day, the best movie I have seen about the Rapture is "The Years of the Beast" released in Doing quick research online, on youtube, I found that there are a lot of movies on this topic and the end times in general. As much as they succeed in stirring people's conscience, they are more than welcome. But a movie is a movie, a book is a book. The Bible is the Bible. My study, as I said earlier, advocates a sound, biblical interpretation. It might be a bit boring and not so sensational, I am aware of this. But the purpose of this book is not to entertain but to communicate a better knowledge and understanding of Daniel and Bible prophecies in general. And I have never and will never 177

178 add to what the Bible says. My goal is to provide the reader with information - good information - and not opinions. As a matter of fact, there are different theories about when the Rapture will take place. They are basically three: pre, mid and post Tribulation. 79 There is also an entire portion of believers who are either unaware or simply uninformed about the Return of the Lord Jesus at all Indeed I am more worried about this category of believers. During the 70 s I was a Roman Catholic. I knew nothing of Jesus coming back and had no idea there was even going to be a Rapture. I don't think things changed much for Italian Catholics - I don't know about American's. Neither have I ever heard the Pope say: "Jesus is coming back!" It is likely that a lot of clergy men are so busy with church business (I am not speaking of Catholics only) that they have no time to be ready to welcome our Lord's return or even proclaim it. Sorry, I have already been told I speak too much truth! Anyway, I respect the various ideas on when the Rapture will take place. People of different ideological persuasions show a sincere desire to understand the Bible better and an intent to be ready for the future events that will take place before and after Jesus' return to earth. I do have my own opinion on the subject. Though, opinions are just that and, as I stated earlier, the purpose 79 Usually for Tribulation evangelical eschatologists mean the last seven years of the Seventy Weeks of Daniel. The Great Tribulation is the last three years and a half, the second part of the last week of years of Daniel, the time described by our Lord beginning with Matthew 24:

179 of this book is not to provide the reader with subjective, but objective, reliable evidence on Bible exegesis and history. I have tried to do my best in order to confirm that the Bible is the Word of God, that it is composed of true events, past or future, and that we will meet the Lord Jesus and be judged by Him whether we die before or will survive until the day he comes back. Let us enquiry into the Word and understand what is meant by the term Rapture of the Church. "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord." (1Thessalonians 4:13-18) What is Paul saying here? At the return of the Lord Jesus Christ the dead in Christ will be raised, literally, from their graves or wherever their bodies might be, and meet the Lord in the air. Would this leave the living out of the promise of the resurrection? By no means. Those of us who are alive at that glorious moment will be transformed. Our bodies will be changed and we will be caught up in the air, to meet the Lord and the resurrected saints. 179

180 Elsewhere the same Paul wrote: Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. (1Corinthians 15:51-53) Whatever is your opinion about the "when" the Rapture of the Church will take place, all Christians can share some conclusions about it: - We know Jesus is coming back. No matter how many false prophets will rise denying this fact, the Lord will physically return as He physically ascended before Pentecost. - We can hope to be alive till the Lord returns. I never felt I am waiting to die, but I expect the Lord to return anytime. And since there is a chance it might really happen during my lifetime, I'll never quit hoping that. If I should die before He comes, I know I will rise anyway at his second advent and meet Him in the air to be with Him forever. It's not arrogance but faith in God's Word and in His Grace. - Since we actually don't know when it is going to happen, we need to be pretty open minded on this subject and watch, as the Bible suggests us to do in many passages: watch. We can watch and enjoy all kinds of movies on the end times, but we need to live with a good and motivated faith based on what the Word actually says on the Return of the Lord Jesus Christ. 180

181 CHAPTER SIXTEEN Did Daniel really exist? Daniel was a real person. His existence is stated in many passages of the Bible. The book that bears his name is historically reliable - I think I have proven the case as far as profane history can confirm it. Ezekiel was his contemporary and mentioned him in his book. Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness, says the Lord GOD. (Ezekiel 14:14) Even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, says the Lord GOD. (Ezekiel 14:20) Behold, you are wiser than Daniel! There is no secret that can be hidden from you! (Ezekiel 28:3) Some deny that the prophet actually spoke of the character we are familiar, and maintain that he made 181

182 reference to a hero, of whom trace was found in the writings found during the archeological excavations at Ugarit. I strongly doubt that, for various reasons. The context in which Ezekiel calls the person of Daniel into question is perfectly consistent with the qualities of the biblical character bearing his name. Also, the two prophets must have been somehow acquainted with each other or, in any case, Ezekiel must have been aware of the great way God used Daniel in Babylon. The change in the spelling of the name in the original Hebrew is called into question as evidence that the biblical Daniel and that cited by Ezekiel in his book are not one and the same. This is not a fair representation of evidence. I will show the reader that the matter is simpler than it seems. Hebrew reads from right to left. This is how Ezekiel calls Daniel ל א נ ד L - N D א is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It is called Aleph and it cannot be exactly transliterated in our alphabet. This is how the name of Daniel is spelled in his book. ל א י נ ד L - I N D The difference in spelling is only in the י (yod) the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet the same mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 5:18. The Hebrew alphabet is made of 22 consonants. Of course, this makes the reading a bit more complicated than the reading of our alphabets. Some consonants, 182

183 though, are of help since they also have a vocalic value, like, in this case, the yod. The change in the spelling of Daniel's name has another very important parallel in the Hebrew Scriptures. This is how the name of David is spelled in the book of Samuel: ד ו ד D V D But in a post-exilic book like Zachariah (12:10) the name spells as follows ד י ו ד D I V D Exactly like it happened with Daniel's, David's name, after the exile, was added a yod in order to facilitate the correct pronunciation of the king's name. No serious scholar has ever supposed that the two characters mentioned in Samuel and Zachariah are not one and the same David, king of Israel. So, no matter the similarities with the name of any other hero, the Daniel mentioned by the prophet Ezekiel is the same biblical prophet that we know of from other books the Bible. As we have said so many times, the historical existence of Daniel is substantiated by the mention made by the Lord Jesus himself. Therefore when you see the `abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet (Matthew 24:15) The book of Hebrews speaks of events found only in the book of Daniel. And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked 183

184 righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions (Daniel 6), quenched the violence of fire (Daniel 3), escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. (Hebrews 11:32-34) The Jewish historian Josephus seals both the book of Daniel and the prophecies it contains as absolutely authentic. Those who deny the historical Daniel are misled by preconceived ideas. Daniel is a true historical character. The Lord declared it and the Bible confirms it. 184

185 CHAPTER SEVENTEEN Daniel and the wise men from the East Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him. (Matthew 2:1-2) Tradition says the wise men were three and each has been given a name: Balthasar, Caspar, Melchior, and that they were there at Jesus birth. This is not supported by the Bible. The original, historical facts are reported by the gospel of Matthew and we do not know anything more than what it says. Perhaps, the book of Daniel may help us to understand who these men were and why they were looking for the king of the Jews. Where Matthew is usually translated wise men, the original Greek has µάγοι (in our alphabet it spells magoi ) which is the plural of µάγος (magos). This word is the same found in the Greek version of Daniel (LXX) to describe the magicians (NKJV) of Chapter Two. This can hardly be a coincidence. 185

186 We do not know exactly what was the field of knowledge entrusted to the magicians of the Babylonian court, nor that of the others mentioned: the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans. But one thing we know for sure: it is not possible to underestimate the level of scientific development of the Babylonians, especially in the field of astronomy. The following information and pictures are from the British Museum official website: This tablet picture to the left talks about how the planet Venus will appear at certain times in the future. In the 6th century B.C. the scribes of Enuma Anu Enlil were a group of men at the Babylonian court who were experts in astronomy and astrology. for hundreds of years the scribes kept accurate records of natural events on the earth and in the sky in order to predict the future. In the ancient city of Babylon astronomers charted the movements of the stars and planets. Their observations were used to predict events and regulate the calendar. The picture to the left shows a letter written to the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal reporting a lunar eclipse. 186