Daniel 8–12

Daniel’s Vision of a Ram and a Goat

In the third year of King Belshazzar’s^a reign, I, Daniel, had a vision,^b after the one that had already appeared to me. In my vision I saw myself in the citadel of Susa^c in the province of Elam;^d in the vision I was beside the Ulai Canal. I looked up,^e and there before me was a ram^f with two horns, standing beside the canal, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than the other but grew up later. I watched the ram as it charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against it, and none could rescue from its power.^g It did as it pleased^h and became great.

As I was thinking about this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between its eyes came from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground. It came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at it in great rage. I saw it attack the ram furiously, striking the ram and shattering its two horns. The ram was powerless to stand against it; the goat knocked it to the ground and trampled on it,ⁱ and none could rescue the ram from its power.^j The goat became very great, but at the height of its power the large horn was broken off,^k and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven.^l

Out of one of them came another horn, which started small^m but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land.ⁿ It grew until it reached^o the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth^p and trampled^q on them. It set itself up to be as great as the commander^r of the army of the Lord;^s it took away the daily sacrifice^t from the Lord, and his sanctuary was thrown down.^u Because of rebellion, the Lord’s people and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground.^v

Then I heard a holy one^w speaking, and another holy one said to him, “How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled^x—the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, the surrender of the sanctuary and the trampling underfoot^y of the Lord’s people?”

He said to me, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated.”^z

The Interpretation of the Vision

While I, Daniel, was watching the vision^a and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man.^b And I heard a man’s voice from the Ulai^c calling, “Gabriel,^d tell this man the meaning of the vision.”^e

As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate.^f “Son of man,” he said to me, “understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.”^g

While he was speaking to me, I was in a deep sleep, with my face to the ground.^h Then he touched me and raised me to my feet.ⁱ

He said: “I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath,^j because the vision concerns the appointed time^k of the end.^l The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia.^m The shaggy goat is the king of Greece,ⁿ and the large horn between its eyes is the first king.^o The four horns that replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power.

“In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a fierce-looking king, a master of intrigue, will arise. He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy the mighty warriors, the holy people.^p He will cause deceit^q to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes.^r Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power.^s

“The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true,^t but seal^u up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.”^v

I, Daniel, was worn out. I lay exhausted^w for several days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business.^x I was appalled^y by the vision; it was beyond understanding.

Daniel’s Prayer

In the first year of Darius^a son of Xerxes^b (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom— in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy^c years. So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting,^d and in sackcloth and ashes.^e

I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:^f

“Lord, the great and awesome God,^g who keeps his covenant of love^h with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinnedⁱ and done wrong.^j We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away^k from your commands and laws.^l We have not listened^m to your servants the prophets,ⁿ who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors,^o and to all the people of the land.

“Lord, you are righteous,^p but this day we are covered with shame^q—the people of Judah and Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered^r us because of our unfaithfulness^s to you.^t We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, Lord, because we have sinned against you.^u The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving,^v even though we have rebelled against him;^w we have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets.^x All Israel has transgressed^y your law^z and turned away, refusing to obey you.

“Therefore the curses^a and sworn judgments^b written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned^c against you. You have fulfilled^d the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster.^e Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like^f what has been done to Jerusalem.^g Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord^h our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth.ⁱ The Lord did not hesitate to bring the disaster^j on us, for the Lord our God is righteous in everything he does;^k yet we have not obeyed him.^l

“Now, Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand^m and who made for yourself a nameⁿ that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts,^o turn away^p your anger and your wrath^q from Jerusalem,^r your city, your holy hill.^s Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn^t to all those around us.

“Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor^u on your desolate sanctuary. Give ear,^v our God, and hear;^w open your eyes and see^x the desolation of the city that bears your Name.^y We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.^z Lord, listen! Lord, forgive!^a Lord, hear and act! For your sake,^b my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.”

The Seventy “Sevens”

While I was speaking and praying, confessing^a my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the Lord my God for his holy hill^b— while I was still in prayer, Gabriel,^c the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice.^d He instructed me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding.^e As soon as you began to pray,^f a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed.^g Therefore, consider the word and understand the vision:^h

“Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy cityⁱ to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone^j for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness,^k to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place.

“Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild^l Jerusalem until the Anointed One,^m the ruler,ⁿ comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble.^o After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death^p and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood:^q War will continue until the end, and desolations^r have been decreed.^s He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed^t is poured out on him.”

Daniel’s Vision of a Man

In the third year of Cyrus^a king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar).^b Its message was true^c and it concerned a great war. The understanding of the message came to him in a vision.

At that time I, Daniel, mourned^d for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips;^e and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over.

On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank^f of the great river, the Tigris,^g I looked up^h and there before me was a man dressed in linen,ⁱ with a belt of fine gold^j from Uphaz around his waist. His body was like topaz,^k his face like lightning,^l his eyes like flaming torches,^m his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze,ⁿ and his voice^o like the sound of a multitude.

I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; those who were with me did not see it,^p but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. So I was left alone,^q gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left,^r my face turned deathly pale^s and I was helpless.^t Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my…