Today there are substantial theological differences if what Gabriel is revealing to Daniel has not already happened in history, OR, if there is a far distant and end-time revelation. To be sure, what Daniel sees is a history to us today PLUS a projected future of a similar set of events at the end of time. Distinguish between “latter time” meaning a LATER TIME, and end time. The critical verses for us to understand are Daniel 8:26 and Daniel 8:27.

Back up to verse 25. History, as we know it, shows how, when and by whom each empire power was destroyed by another opposing power. Now read Daniel 8:25b… He shall even rise against the Prince of princes; But he shall be broken without human means. Antiochus Epiphanes IV hated and fought against the people of God, it was really because he hated God. The same will be true of the coming Antichrist, who will hate the Jews because he hates God. Antiochus was destroyed by human hands. The antichrist will be broken without human means (or hands).

Review Daniel 2:31-36… “You, O king, were watching and behold, there was a single great statue; that statue, which was large and of extraordinary radiance, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was awesome. ³² The head of that statue was made of fine gold, its chest and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze, ³³ its legs of iron, and its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. ³⁴ You continued watching until a stone was broken off without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and crushed them. ³⁵ Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed to pieces all at the same time, and they were like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found. But the stone that struck the statue became a *great mountain and filled the entire earth.

*A great mountain means it’s dominance filled the whole earth. God’s “kingdom to come” will then be thy kingdom HAS COME.

From a personal perspective, we at ahabiblemoments.com appreciate how it is explained in Bible Hermeneutics under Observations.

Observations

Several things are immediately clear from the dream and its interpretation:

• The entire statue (Daniel 2) was crushed all at once. This is not a picture of a gradual conquest.
• When the kingdoms of the statue were crushed, “not a trace of them was found”; this is not a picture of a gradual infiltration, or a parallel reign of some kind, and there is no allowance for any of the statue kingdoms to continue in their existence. They were crushed, became like chaff, and were carried away by the wind.
• It is the kingdom set up by God that crushes and puts an end to the other kingdoms. So, to answer your question, the “stone cut out without hands” is the kingdom set up by God.*
• The kingdom set up by God “filled the whole earth,” “will never be destroyed” or replaced, and will “endure forever.” The picture is clear: God’s kingdom will rule the entire earth — forever — in place of the prior kingdoms of the statue.

JIV: Compare this to End Time kingdom #4…the Antichrist…Daniel 8.

Conclusion

The stone cut without hands is the kingdom of God, which would suddenly and completely obliterate all the kingdoms of the statue and rule in their place over the entire earth, forever. This is the weakness of the ten clay and iron mix toes of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue of Daniel 2.

Rev. Dr. Jstark
2023

Dr. David Guzik states per this verse:

1. Israel’s land was fought over between the dynasties of Seleucid and Ptolemy, but the Seleucids gained power over the region in the days of Antiochus III (198 B.C.).

2. Antiochus IV gained the throne by murdering his brother, the former king Seleucus Philopator. The son of Philopator was the rightful heir to the throne, but Antiochus IV had him held hostage in Rome. Antiochus IV legitimized his rule mainly through flattery and bribery.” The prophesied antichrist will do the same things. Originally named Mithradates.

Daniel 8:10 And it grew up to the host of heaven, and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground and trampled them.

This verse can be as complex as one wishes to make it. It is describing some of the previous couple of verses…

1. Grew up to the host(armies) of heaven;
2. cast down some of the host (armies);
3. threw some of the stars (pronces) to the ground;
4. trampled (on) them.

The Geneva Bible comes close to the meaning of this verse 10. It says: Antiochus raged against the elect of God, and tread his precious stars underfoot, who are so called because they are separated from the world.

Now read Exodus 12:14…(Young’s Literal Interpretation) “…and it cometh to pass, at the end of four hundred and thirty years — yea, it cometh to pass in this self-same day — all the hosts of Jehovah have gone out from the land of Egypt”. Some translations substitute “hosts” with “armies”. We know that the fleeing Israelites had their own military personnel, of sorts, but the best take on this is the word HOSTS. These are the people of God called Israelites. Oxford Reference defines host: “Derived from the Latin hostis, the term “host” evolved, designating originally an armed expedition against an enemy, then the army itself, and finally, by extension, the obligation to serve in arms.” This is why some translations use the word “armies” instead of the word “host”.

Antiochus Epiphanies raged against God’s people for the same reason the Antichrist will during End Time. They refused to abandon their “religion”, bow to, and give fidelity to him. This will also be true during the time of the Antichrist. Satan wants to be worshiped, so much so that it got him cast out of Heaven. All will not bend knee to the antichrist (Satan).

Daniel 8:11 He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down.

This verse can also be a bit of a challenge to the common reader.

1. Exalted…Prince of the host
2. He removed the daily sacrifices
3. Place of HIS sanctuary is cast down

BUG AHAMOMENT: He exalted himself, not others exalted him. This means he saw what he wanted to be and acted out the part on his own. This verse, in context with Daniel 10:1, the truth is cast down, a time is set (permitted by God), and the Book of Laws by Moses (the possibly deemed Prince of the hosts of Israel) is replaced by Satan…in this current Daniel situation, the Law of Antiochus replaces the Laws penned by Moses.

The sanctuary that was cast down, being the Temple of God, loses its purification through Epiphanies pig sacrifices at the Temple alter and his setting himself up to be worshiped in the Temple (via an idol).

Daniel 8:12 Because of transgression, an army [host] was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered.

This is a repeat (verification) of the past few verses. TRUTH was cast down to the ground and trampled upon by Antiochus Epiphanes IV; just as the antichrist will do. This will also be what happens when the antichrist sets himself up to be worshiped in the rebuilt (3^rd) Temple in Jerusalem. Temple #1 was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. Temple #2 was destroyed by the Romans about 30 years after they crucified Jesus (70 A.D.).

Because of transgression…the determined disobedience of Jews to cow-tail to Antiochus and a future antichrist. Some Jews did give in to a more Hellenistic life. Keep it in mind that these Israelites (Ju-deans) did not have a standing army to challenge Antiochus the IV. Neither the Kingdom of Israel nor the Kingdom of Judah was any longer a sovereign nation or kingdom. (soon the Jewish Maccabees eliminate Antiochus)

The following two verse go together…

Daniel 8:13 Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, “How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?”

Daniel 8:14 And he said to me, “For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.” (2,300 days)

Verse 13 is the question and verse 14 is the answer. Here we have two heavenly voices speaking to each other. Judah (Judaism) had dissolved to the leadership and High Priesthood was now given to the highest bidder. They were subject to Syrian overlords. It was their option to appoint and remove leadership in the former Judah. High Priest Onias III is replaced by his brother (Jason) by bribery; then another brother (Menelaus) via bribery replaces him. Each man outbid the previous for the title of High Priest. The bribery moneys usually came from the Temple gold. Menelaus needed to sell off the golden utensils of the Temple to fulfill his bribery promise (bid for his appointed title as High Priest) to Epiphanes IV.

One must wonder how faithful the Jewish congregants and leadership were at this time. The role of the high priest, according to God, was a religious responsibility, not a governorship. It is obvious religious title assignments were bought, not earned. Onia III, the displaced High Priest, did condemn Menelaus for selling Temple’s gold artifacts …brother Jason had him murdered. Not for his love of God and the Temple, but for greed and a hope to regain the title of high priest.

The temple sanctuary had become a bloody, Godless, and murderous place. The first holy one asked how long it would be that way. The second holy one said 2,300 days, i.e., just shy of 7 years. Dr. David Guzik says: The date when the temple was cleansed is well established as December 25, 165 B.C. If we count back 2,300 days from then, we come to the year when Antiochus Epiphanes began his persecution in earnest (171 B.C.). 165 B.C. is when the Maccabees cleansed the Temple and through off their overlords in Syria by military force.

Daniel 8:15 Then it happened, when I, Daniel, had seen the vision and was seeking the meaning, that suddenly there stood before me one having the appearance of a man.

Then! Suddenly! Daniel must have been taken aback to use these words of startle in one verse. What is startling to us today is that this event and the vision/prophecy of Daniel were about 350 years before Antiochus IV Epiphanes even appears in the history books.

Daniel 8:16 And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, who called, and said, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.”

The angel Gabriel is assigned to this moment in Daniel 8. Gabriel is the angel (although never identified in the Bible as an angel) who brought news to others. In this chapter, Gabriel is told to help Daniel understand the news of the future. Gabriel also announced to Mary that she would be the mother of Jesus. The third time he appears in scripture is when Gabriel informs the priest Zechariah to foretell and announce the miraculous birth of John the Baptist to him and Elizabeth (Luke 1:18-19).

The river Ulai is very close to Shoshan, Elam. Daniel spent a great deal of time there in his aging years. For additional knowledge and understanding, click HERE.

Daniel 8:17 So he [Gabriel] came near where I stood, and when he came, I was afraid and fell on my face; but he said to me, “Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end.”

Gabriel was instructed to help Daniel understand but as he came near to him, Daniel panicked.

This Vision refers to the time of the end; the Tribulation! This leaves little to the imagination. Daniel is seeing the end of this world setting the stage for the 2^nd Advent of Jesus Christ. Gabriel affirms it. It is a telling of what the time of the end will have for the Jews (Israelites). A good question to ask at this point is…Did Daniel fear seeing Gabriel? He has or should be familiar with such events of his lifetime. OR…did he fear the understanding of the meaning and the outcome of all of this?

Daniel 8:18 Now, as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep with my face to the ground; but he touched me, and stood me upright.

A deep sleep? Wasn’t Daniel awake but a few minutes ago when Gabriel approached him? In case one misses it, go back to verse 15… I, Daniel, had seen the vision. Daniel goes from deep sleep to a conscious awareness of Gabriel. he touched me and stood me upright. Gabriel spells it out for Daniel. Here Gabriel gives names and identities to places and nations that have still to appear in history.

Rev. Dr. Jstark
2013 (revised 2023)

According to Britannica, Cyrus the Great was the grandson of the King of the Medes. JIV: A large contingency of Medes trace their identities back to the Assyrian dispersion of the Northern Tribes of Israel. The same is true of the Kurds. Most of them have Abraham DNA but thy have walked away from his (their) God.

What might all this possibly mean? The Israelis dispersed to the Zagros Mountains of the Medes by the Assyrians in and after 720 B.C. are the Medes. The original kingdom of the Medes (dispersed Israelis) was established BEFORE the Persian dynasty. The larger horn that grew up later (Persia) conquered the first shorter horn (Medes).

Daniel 8:4 I saw the ram pushing westward, northward, and southward, so that no animal could withstand him; nor was there any that could deliver from his hand, but he did according to his will and became great.

The ram with two horns, charged the lands to its west, north, and south. It was only stopped when invading India. Media, ancient country of northwestern Iran, generally corresponds to the modern regions of Azerbaijan and Kurdistan (Kurds). This was once called Persia/Media. However, from a historical perspective, this was a major reason to Alexander some 150 years later to attack Persia. We see this in the next verse even though there is a 150 gap between verses 4 and 5.

Daniel 8:5 And as I was considering, suddenly a male goat came from the west, across the surface of the whole earth, without touching the ground; and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.

From Persia’s west, initially defined in Daniel 7:6 as a Leopard (for its great speed) is a ram with one prominent horn in Daniel 8:5. This is Alexander the Great. He is avenging the Persian attacks on Greece (city-states) from 150 years earlier. The four heads mentioned in Daniel 7:6 are the four generals that divided up Alexander’s massive empire. The notable horn in verse 5 is Alexander.

Daniel 8:6 Then he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing beside the river, and ran at him with furious power.

Alexander had no mercy upon Persia. “Newton very properly observes that, two hundred years before the time of Daniel, they (Macedonian Greeks; emphasis mine) were called, the goats’ people.” (Clarke Commentary). The Aegean Sea area was home to many herds of goats. Therefore, the people around the Aegean Sea were nicknamed the Goat People. Hmmm? Who else was known for large herds of sheep and goats? The large number of sheep in the land can be understood when it is realized that Job had fourteen thousand sheep (Job. 42:12), and that King Solomon at the Temple’s dedication, sacrificed one hundred and twenty thousand sheep (1 Kings 8:63).

Daniel 8:7 And I saw him confronting the ram; he was moved with rage against him, attacked the ram, and broke his two horns. There was no power in the ram to withstand him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled him, and there was no one that could deliver the ram from his hand.

Alexander had a very small army compared to the Persians and many of the previously destroyed armies in his pathway to Persia. We should remember Psalms 33:16… No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. The two horns are once again, the combined strength of the Mede & Persia Empires. Two empires melded into one. The Ram with one horn destroyed both the Media and Persian Empire.

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

the large horn was broken, and in place of it four notable ones…Seven generals of Alexander’s Greek army initially partitioned their conquered empire lands to call their own. Four Generals dominated the others and annexed the lands of three other generals. The four conquering Generals were: Cassander, ruling over Greece and its region’; Lysimachus, ruling over Asia Minor; Seleucus, ruling over Syria and Israel’s land; Ptolemy, ruling over Egypt. Now we begin to get a preview of End Time events and week 70 of Daniel’s seventy 7’s vision/dream.

This is particularly so when considering the history of the Seleucus’ rule over Syria and Israel plus their appetite for conquering additional people and lands. Add to this mix, one will soon see their hate for Jews and Judaism. Later we will identify the historical fulfillment of this little horn that grew up amongst the other four horns pictured in Antiochus IV Epiphanes who ruled over Syria and Israel’s land under the Seleucid dynasty. This verse also begins the parallel prophetic actions of the End of Time (Tribulation). No longer will it be Antiochus Epiphany IV but antichrist.

Daniel 8:9 And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land.

JIV NOTE: Notice the pronouns in this chapter. No icon is given a proper identity and name. A few weeks back we published a series of commentaries on Daniel 11. We compared the prophetic history of these unnamed characters alongside the secular history of Middle East books. We identified every single pronoun with a noun. Verse 10 of Daniel 8 begins the parallel of the antichrist during the time of the Tribulation.

Hmmm? And out of one of them… One of the prevailing four generals who divided the Alexandrian Empire between them, out of ONE OF THEM came a little horn which grew. Jamison-Fausset-Brown Commentary:

“…not to be confounded with the little horn of the fourth kingdom in Daniel 7:8. The little horn in Daniel 7:8 comes as an eleventh horn after ten preceding horns. In Daniel 8:9 it is not an independent fifth horn, after the four previous ones, but it arises out of one of the four existing horns. This horn is explained (Daniel 8:23) to be “a king of fierce countenance,”

However, this incident is comparable to the End Time antichrist. The Antichrist will arise out of a power that exists in End Time. This parallel prophecy of the End Time (Daniel’s 70^th week vision) was exhibited during the time of Antiochus Epiphany IV.  What he did would be like Antichrist’s action during the Tribulation. This is a forewarning to Israel at the end of times.

Rev. Dr.Jstark
2023

Daniel chapter 8 is an eye-opening look into a prophetic future when the chapter was written AND still so today. The fulfillment of Daniel 8 prophecies is 2,500 years closer today in the 21^st century. Watch and read the news of today, compare what is happening, and take an honest look at what you will be reading over the next few weeks on this website. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you knowledge, understanding, wisdom, and discernment [James 1:5].

Daniel 8 Background:

According to the highly respected Halley’s Bible Handbook, Babylon of old exceeded the beauty (Hanging Gardens; one of the 7 wonders of the world) and military strengths of any other known City-State. This chapter contains additional prophecies not mentioned in chapters 2 and 7. These two chapters were written in Chaldee, not Hebrew. Chapters 2 and 7 initially discuss the empires of the Persians, then the Greeks. Both had yet to occur; the Babylonian Empire came first. Chapters 8–12 focus on the world’s relationship with the Jews.

The Greek Empire would be the four-headed Leopard according to Daniel 7:5 in our Daniel commentary from three weeks ago. Here a divided Greek Empire is represented as a He-Goat. In chapter and verse 7:5 of Daniel, this He-Goat had but one strong horn. Now it has 4 horns. What happened? Back in chapter 7, it was Alexander the Great at the head of his army. He died in 323 B.C. at the age of 32. He had several Generals in his forces but four were dominant. They are represented by the Goat losing one powerful horn, and the speed of a Leopard, becoming four individual horns (kings), but still Greek.

Alexander’s initial motivation to bring together a powerful army and march eastward was to settle an old grudge against the Persians. Between 499 and 480 B.C. the Persians (Xerxes I; possibly aka, Ahasuerus) planned and waged war with the Greek city-states.

JIV ahamoment … This Persian war would have begun within 40 years of Daniel’s death (536 B.C.). Alexander’s revenge was about 200 years later.

Double ahamoment …This war would have been in part, during the time of the Book of Esther.

Alexander the Great was tutored as a youth by Aristotle. Aristotle taught him about the unprovoked Persian invasion of Greek city-states. So did his father Philip constantly remind him about this egregious attack by the Persians. He, as did his father King Philip of Macedonia, vowed to “get even” and did so 150 years later in 333/332/331 B.C.

Alexander was the prophesied Leopard with the single and powerful horn. [see Revelation 13 and Daniel 7]

Now Daniel 8 verse-by-verse:

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

Note: Belshazzar was on the throne of Babylon, but his father Nabonidus was the king in self-imposed exile. A fatal error made by King Nabonidus of Babylon was his self-imposed exile. The error? He took the Babylonian army with him. Only a small military guard was garrisoned in Babylon. His assigned co-regent King Belshazzar had little to protect him other than the formidable walls of Babylon.

Because of religious differences between King Nabonidus and the Babylonian priests, Nabonidus left his son, Belshazzar, as King/governor of Babylon. Nabonidus worshiped the moon god “Sin”. The powerful lobby of Babylonian priests adamantly preferred the idol god Marduk.

Daniel 8:2 I saw in the vision, and it so happened while I was looking, that I was in Shushan, the citadel, which is in the province of *Elam; and I saw in the vision that I was by the river Ulai.

*Recall that Elam (Elamite Empire) was named after a son of Shem. At this time in Daniel, it was a province of Babylon. Daniel was buried in Susa, the original capital of Elam. Its other name was Shushan…one and the same city. It appears that Daniel was in Susa/Shushan on royal business. There is probably a reason Daniel was buried there instead of in Babylon where he lived for 80 years.

Daniel 8:3 Then I lifted my eyes and saw, and there, standing beside the river, was a ram which had two horns, and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last.

Horns on animals represent power. Babylon was later (prophetically) conquered by the Medes and Persians. The Medes were the original but smaller horn on the ram. The Persians overcame the Medes and lasted longer thus the longer horn. What few realize is that when the Medes and Persians became one empire, it was Cyrus the Great who took the Medes under his control. Here is an amazing verse to consider and make connections in one’s mind. [Isaiah 11:11] “…a second time?’ Yes, Isaiah is prophesying about God’s chosen people, Israel. Isaiah 11:11 is telling us in the end time when Jesus calls his chosen back to Jerusalem from the four corners of the earth. There is a large number of Israelites scattered throughout what we know as Iran. But they have lost their commitment to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, or, they have lost their identity as descendants of Abraham.

Ahamoment: Click here and read Jeremiah 49:38.

Rev. Dr. Jstark
2023

Daniel 7:20 “…and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows”.

Once again, we read of the ten horns (temporary kings/rulers), the smaller but dominant Little horn to whom the others give their power, and the pompous words spoken from the idol made in the antichrist’s image. This is all about a history we have yet to live on earth.

Daniel 7:21 “I was watching, and the same horn was [will be] making war against the saints and prevailing against them,…

V 21…the same horn means the little horn. Read this verse carefully to find hope amid this war on the saints. Some translations leave the impression that the “little horn” [antichrist] prevailed as past tense yet prophetic. That is not the word yek-ale’. Antichrist was prevailing as, an ongoing thing but not fully accomplished. The next verse verifies this with the word “UNTIL”. He does not dominate all. He has that ability as allowed by God, but God is also the one who steps in and settles it all.

Daniel 7:22 until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.

V 22… until the Ancient of Days came. This is a reference to God, not Jesus. He too comes, as previously discussed, but God the Father is now calling the events. The word “saints” is the same Ka-deesh [Chaldee/Aramaic] discussed in Daniel 7:18. It includes Jew and Gentile believers.

Daniel 7:23 “Thus he said: ‘The fourth beast shall be A fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all other kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, Trample it and break it in pieces.”

We are reminded in verse 23 that this is the fourth and last beast with a summary of its only goal…to destroy what God has created. The beast is different in that it is not described as having a parallel earthly beast, but it is beastly in its actions.

Let’s understand the use and meaning of a couple of words in verse 23. “Earth” or ar-ah’ in the Chaldee language (Aramaic) means “an inferior place.” It has the same implication as Eretz in Hebrew.

all other kingdoms…the “ALL” here does not mean just the previous three kingdoms. The word in Chaldee is Kole/kol’ meaning any kingdom in existence without exception.

shall devour the whole earth…does not mean the entire earth will be devoured as we might understand the word in a conversation. It can mean to accuse, or devour, as in the process of doing so, like eating, not having eaten. The entirety of the earth will know it is under siege.

Trample it and break it in pieces…meaning tread heavily with a big stick. This is a process and does not in any way mean the antichrist, false prophet, and Satan himself will not have some form of opposition.

Daniel 7:24 The ten horns are ten kings Who shall arise from this kingdom. And another shall rise after them; He shall be different from the first ones, and shall subdue three kings.

This is a repeat of the ten horns meaning ten authorities. The unexpected is that these kings will arise from THIS KINGDOM. Huh? Click on and read what Revelation 17:12 states. Daniel (OT) and John of Revelation (NT) see the same prophecy. As we see it at ahabiblemoments, these ten kings come out of a single authority or compromise of global leaders. They will have their KINGLY POWERS long enough to give their crowns to the antichrist. We see this in Revelation 17:13.

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

Going backward in this verse, there will be 3 ½ years of peace, then 3 ½ years of global fear, pestilence, bloodshed, disease, war, and people advocating by force their personal choices (kingdom: Luke 12:53; Mark 13:8) advantages. Click on and read both the passage in Luke 12:53 and the connecting verse in Mark 13:8.

JIV: There are ten toes (Daniel 2) and ten horns (Daniel 7 and Revelation 13, 17) associated with the rule of this final world ruler. The ten are put in power by the antichrist or some global power only to then turn their power over to the antichrist. Three of the selected kingdoms may not be so willing to “cast their crown at the feet of the antichrist”. The little horn, the antichrist, subdues them by force.

He will speak pompous words against the Most High…we addressed earlier. Not only will the antichrist speak against God in filthy ways, but so will the idol that is made to speak (Revelation 13:15).

Why will he attempt to change the times, seasons, and laws of nature? Satan will try to destroy anything God created.

Daniel 7:26 ‘But the court shall be seated, And they shall take away his dominion, To consume and destroy it forever.

JIV PS: All of this is the 70^th week of Daniel’s seventy 7’s dream or vision spoken of in chapter 9:20-27. This will follow in a couple weeks after a verse-by-verse commentary on all important Daniel 8.

Daniel 7:27 Then the kingdom and dominion, And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is everlasting, And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.’

The greatness of kingdoms under the WHOLE heaven (shaw-mah’-yin) shall be given to God’s people…the sanctified saints. It will be God’s domain yet the kingdom of Jesus. We must insert some Bible information too many do not realize what is going to happen.

Many people, including unbelievers, have heard that Jesus will be the Millennial ruler on earth. Sadly, Satan has deceived people into thinking He is [only] LOVE so no one will be deprived of this perfect kingdom. People fail to grasp that the Godhead is perfect in love AND judgment on the earth. But what about God the Father?

Here are a few Old Testament and New Testament scripture verses that declare from where the Godhead will rule. Jeremiah 3:17; Jeremiah 49:34-39; (go no further than the Lord’s Prayer…Our father [God] whose kingdom is to come); Luke 1:32-33 [Jesus will rule from the Throne of David whose throne was in Jerusalem]; Micah 4:2; Zechariah 14:8 We see that God the Father will rule from Elam. Elam was a son of Shem.

Daniel 7:28 “This is the end of the account. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly troubled me, and my countenance changed; but I kept the matter in my heart.”

but I kept the matter in my heart…One could assume this ending statement means some or much of what Daniel learned he did not record for others to read. It could also mean; he did not dismiss “this matter” out of hand. Continence or Zeev in Chaldee (Aramaic) is happiness or brightness. Daniel’s changed. What we do not know is in which direction Daniel’s continence changed. He could be very concerning about what his Hebrew relatives will endure in the end, or…it may be that the end justifies the means for Daniel.

We Teach – You Decide

This ends the part of Daniel that he wrote in Chaldee/Aramaic. Beginning in Daniel 8 is written in Hebrew to the end of the book. Why? Because the message has a primary targeted audience – the sons of Jacob (Israel).

Rev Dr. Jstark
2023

Daniel 7:11 “I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame…?

The trial of “the beast” has a foregone conclusion. It is a bit of speculation to declare that the one seated on the fiery throne is God the Father or God the Son. God is a triune God made up of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All three are part of the same God.

One may be reading into this verse, but consider this. The Beast is an identity of Satan AND the antichrist. When one reads the next verse there are many beasts. In this case, (JIV) Daniel 7:11 is the fourth beast (nation-ruler) of Nebuchadnezzar’s Statue Dream. It is destroyed along with its ruling class or political leadership positions.

Pompous words? The character who is defined by speaking pompous words is the “little horn” that conquers three of the ten horns. In this case (v11), this pompous speaking little horn character is the antichrist or his speaking idol-image (go back to 7:8).

Daniel 7:12 “As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.”

This is truly a curiosity verse. Verse 11 tells us that the fourth beast (political systems/Antichrist) is entirely gone. Many or some of the rulers of this or these subjective government systems (s) remain. A season and a time might mean 3 months and half a month or one and a half years; similar to Daniel’s 70th week of 70 sevens. The rest of the beasts [V12] are probably the remaining 7 of 10 horns. Satan will be cast into a 1,000-year visit to the abyss. This means the pompous one in this chapter is not him.

SPECIAL NOTE: The beast(s) of Daniel are probably parallel to the beasts of Revelation 13. We at ahabiblemoments suggest that the beast of Revelation is a composite meaning a combination of the four different beasts of Daniel 7 (Revelation 13:2)…looks like a leopard with the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion. Keep it in mind that the 4th beast of Daniel was NOT given the identity of an animal (Daniel 7:7).

Daniel 7:13  “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him.”

This is both an amazing disclosure and a powerful moment in the timeline of human existence. The Ancient of Days is God the Father. The one LIKE the son of man is Jesus [See Revelation 14:14]. Jesus is likened to the man he once was on earth having both the likeness of man and the likeness of God. This time he is coming in the clouds and approaching the Throne where God is seated. Be mindful That God the Father is spirit [John 4:24]. “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

A true Student Note: This may not be of great significance to most Bible readers, but…. Jesus came with the clouds, and they brought him before Him (God the Father). Whom is this plural being called “they”? JIV:  In this verse the word “clouds” and the word “they” are synonymous.  These clouds are probably like when a large group of people is identified in scripture as a sea or something from out of the sea (a sea of people).  These clouds may be angels or believers returning to earth with Jesus (2nd Advent) accompanied by a realm of people or angels. Jesus comes to occupy his kingdom; now given to him by the one that verse 14 says …

Daniel 7:14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, [all] nations, and [all] languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, And His kingdom is the one Which shall not be destroyed. (emphasis mine) What part of “ALL” might be confusing to one?

God the Father gives Jesus Christ dominion over all beginning with the millennial reign of Jesus on earth. His Kingdom [to] come (Matthew 6:10) is now JESUS’ KINGDOM. He is ushered in as the king with the clouds of saved and/or angels of heaven.  Daniel is now speaking of the end of (earth) End Time.  This goes far beyond the realm of his thousand-year reign on earth. The new heavens and earth have yet to be seen. Look at the last part of verse 14… His kingdom is the one Which shall not be destroyed. God is infinite. This is the beginning of eternity.

Daniel 7:15 “I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me….”

Why was Daniel so grieved in spirit (kârâ’ rûach)? This is Aramaic/Chaldean for something like…anticipation of or open to something one does not fully understand but aches to know.

From Daniel 7:15 to Daniel 7:26 we read the prophecy of the end of time as we know it.

PS: Why do we refer to happenings on earth and in the universe as the “end of Time”?
ANSWER: Time was created in Genesis 1:1, 2 Peter 3:8. Genesis 1:1 states “in the beginning”...time had a beginning. To end time is to begin eternity.

Daniel 7:16 I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things:

Daniel 7:17 ‘Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth.

Verses 16 & 17 are obvious. Four great beasts ARE four kings (rulers). Note it reads, out of the earth. They do not rise from Satan’s headquarters somewhere in the earth. They are part of the populations on earth and out of them they will rise to power. What is key is inserted into this passage in the next verse.

Daniel 7:18 ‘…But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.’

Saints of the most high? This is an assurance that all is not going to end with ruthless rulers having dominion over this earth. “…the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever”. The *Aramaic (Chaldee) for ‘saints’ is kad-deesh’ [Click on]. In brief: The KJV translates Strong’s H6942 [kad-deesh]: sanctify (108x), hallow (25x), dedicate (10x), holy (7x), prepare (7x), consecrate (5x), appointed (1x), bid (1x), purified (1x), miscellaneous (7x). If the reader of this commentary article is a believer, s/he is included.

Daniel 7:19 “Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet;

Once again that fourth beast or power is a mystery to us until it happens. It has already been described as a multi-beast creature in verse 7 of chapter 7. Yet, this fourth beast is not given a comparative name of a known beast. As previous scripture says, IT IS LIKE ONTO A BEAST. Do not be mistaken. This 4^th beast is the feet of iron and clay per Nebuchadnezzar’s statue back in chapter 2. What we don’t know is if there are two feet, as in Nebuchadnezzar’s statue dream, then are there two divided powers? At ahabiblemoments, we suggest (JIV) that there are two powers. One is the antichrist and the other is his opposition…possibly it is [Islam] that is given appeasement of ¼ of the earth to rule and dominate according to Revelation 6:8. We might remind the reader that the pale horse means a greenish-colored horse. Green was Mohammed’s favorite color. It is also a color that is in almost every Arabic (Islamic) national flag.

JIV NOTE: “…the original Bible (Greek) language describes the color of the last horse as chlōros. This is a green-tinged yellow, the same word to describe the color of the grass on which the 5,000 sat to be fed by Jesus (Mark 6:39). The word “grass” in Mark 6:39 is chlōros.

This is JIV (Jim’s Introspective View) but the above is why we connect the “pale horse” with Islam and the slaughter that takes place according to Revelation 6:8. Secular history states that Islam was spread by fear of death, not conviction.

Rev. Dr. Jstark
2023

Daniel 7:5 “And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’

The suddenness of the Medes conquest of Babylon (i.e., Belshazzar) without a fight, entering and taking total control of this emerald and huge center of political power. Aristotle describes the Medes and Persians to be like a bear… an” all-devouring animal”. The cruelness of Persians can be seen back in Daniel 6:24. Not only were the false accusers of Daniel (lion’s den) thrown into the den of lions but so were their families. The much flesh devoured was the cruel conquest of many other city-nations.

Daniel 7:6  “After this, I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.”

This refers to the prophesied swiftness of Alexander the Great. He conquered many nations and city-states with the speed of a Leopard. His conquest began as a drive for vengeance against Persia for their aggression against Greece that he was taught about by his tutor Aristotle and his father Philip, King of Macedonia. Persian King Darius III, not the Darius who reigned over Babylon for only two years before retiring, had attempted to conquer Greece a hundred years earlier. It was Alexander’s father, Philip, who transformed the Macedonian army into one of the most feared fighting machines in the ancient world. This was part of Alexander’s inheritance.

Four wings and four heads and dominion were given to it. These are the four succeeding Generals of Alexander’s conquests who divided between them and fought over what the Greek Macedonians had conquered. Alexander had no heirs.

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

The fourth beast is not described as like unto another wild animal. So far, we have seen lion, bear, and leopard comparisons…three different kingdoms/empires.  This one is not given a comparison identity. Why? What we do get is a similarity to Daniel_2:41-43; the “iron teeth” here allude to one of the materials in the fourth kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue image in Daniel chapter 2. The iron is the legs. Recall history. There are two legs of iron. Rome was divided between the West empire in Rome and the east empire in Byzantine (*Constantinople). The western Roman Empire eventually became the seat of power for the Catholic Church and the Holy Roman Empire. The eastern Roman empire, Byzantine eventually fell to the sultans of Turkey meaning Islam.

*Constantinople became the de facto capital of the Roman Empire upon its founding in B.C. 330, and became the de jure capital in AD 476 after the fall of Ravenna and the Western Roman Empire. It remained the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire (also known as the Byzantine Empire; 330–1204 and 1261–1453), the Latin Empire (1204–1261), and the Ottoman Empire (1453–1922). Following the Turkish War of Independence, the Turkish capital then moved to Ankara. Officially renamed Istanbul in 1930 A.D. (Wikipedia)

PS: For an intriguing comparison and educating read, look up the Bahman Yasht.

The Ten Horns: Jamison-Fausset Commentary writes… The ten kingdoms, therefore, prefigured by the ten “toes” (Daniel_2:41; compare Revelation_13:1 & 17:12), are the ten kingdoms into which Rome shall be found finally divided when Antichrist shall appear. [Revelation 17:12 says that the ten kings are given authority but for one hour by Antichrist] These, probably, are prefigured by the number ten being the prevalent one at the chief turning points of Roman history. (modification mine)

Daniel 7:8  I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.

The “I” here is Daniel speaking. Look back a few sentences in the bold print of this verse-by-verse commentary. There are ten kings given authority for one hour. Then, seven of these temporary kings will surrender their crowns to the little horn. The mouth speaking pompous words is the idle made of the Antichrist and ordered to be made by the false prophet (church). It will be given the power to speak [Revelation 13:15]. The three horns plucked out by the roots mean three of these kings will need to be forcibly removed.

Daniel seems to shift in his prophesies and vision of End Time. We now see the intervention of the Godhead. He begins to alert the Israelites (Jews) of their pending troubles (chapters 8-12). Not that Israelis haven’t paid huge bounties over the centuries just to exist, the severity, they will finally declare the Messiah for who he is.

Daniel 7:9 “I watched till thrones were put in place, And the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a burning fire” [NKJV]

Dr. David Guzic writes: The King James Version poorly translates this as thrones were cast down. The New King James Version corrects this and indicates that the thrones are established.

Ephesians 3:1-7 helps with an understanding of these thrones, Gentiles, and Israelites. It will not just be Jews who are given the future power to be sons of God. Ezekiel’s visions are synchronicity with Daniel’s prophecies. Most people do not realize that Ezekiel too was a Jewish Babylonian captive. Take a side road and glance through Ezekiel chapter 1 (click on the highlighted text).

Thrones are in place, the Ancient of Days is seated on HIS throne, he wears a pure white garment, his hair is like pure WOOL (?), his throne is ablaze [in holiness] … does your mind picture the true God/Christ?

Daniel 7:10 “A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him. A thousand-thousands ministered to Him; Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, And the books were opened”.

If this verse does not increase the anticipation of the reader, there is a problem with understanding. This does not mean one struggles to interpret the scene. It means one’s mind needs to picture this scene. This is a continuation of the previous verse. Click on and read the following passages from Revelation 4:4 and Ephesians 3:1-7. Although Daniel writes his autobiography, local and global prophecies, and a prophetic view of our tomorrows, he makes it clear that this is not the elimination of Gentiles in God’s judgment and Millennial Reign. It is now Christ on the throne and judgment day is come.

…AND THE BOOKS ARE OPENED! The unbeliever will then (now) be judged as will be all unbelievers in heaven and on earth. Satan’s doom is now at hand. So is his fellow fallen angels, Satan’s minions.

Rev. Dr. Jstark
2013

This is the last chapter in Daniel that is written in the common tongue (language) of Daniel’s time. In chapter 8, Daniel switches from Chaldee/Aramaic to Hebrew.

Chapter 8:1 will introduce a significant change in Daniel’s life and prophecy. This begins a dialogue of facts that had yet to be fulfilled while Daniel lived. The prophetic accuracy is so profound that many try to say these prophecies in chapters 8-12, written by Daniel during his life on earth, had to be written after the fact, then inserted into Daniel’s Book. Of course, that would not make them Daniel’s prophecies. God does not make mistakes other than to allow man’s free will to be free in thought and actions.

The Book of Daniel was originally written in two languages. From the beginning of the book through Daniel 2:3 it was originally written in Hebrew. In Daniel 2:4 the prophet switched to Aramaic [Chaldee], the language of the Babylonians and the general commercial world. The message and prophecies within these chapters are to the world in general. Beginning in Daniel 8:1, he switches to Hebrew…not a common language outside of the Israelites, especially the Ju-deans taken captive by the Babylonians. The purpose of changing languages is that the messages, dreams, visions, and prophetic words are a caution to Israelis. This means, to an Israel that had yet to exist…up to and including the time of Jacob’s Trouble, aka, Great Tribulation.

AHAMOMENT: Other passages in scripture that were written in Chaldee include Ezra 4:8–6:18; 7:12-26; Genesis 31:46; Jeremiah 10:11.

We will review Daniel 7:1-28, then step into the prophetic future of the world as it aligns itself with and often against Israel. Right off the starting pad, chapter 7 addresses an overview of the then, now, and tomorrow.

Chapter 7: Daniel’s dream of the four great world empires are key to understanding the book of Revelations. Beasts come up out of the sea – Judgment of the beasts – One who is like the Son of man.

Here is a review of the final five chapters of verse-by-verse in the Book of Daniel. It is all about Israel and the End of Time as we know it.

Chapter 8: A Vision of Daniel; Alexander the Great (destruction of the Medo-Persian Empire by the Macedonians); Empire broken into four kingdoms (Syria and Egypt most notable).

Chapter 9: The prayer of Daniel answered in the latter part in the definition of the Messianic kingdom. A better prayer to pray than the Lord’s Prayer which is supposed to be done in secret private if one reads the six verse prior to Jesus offering the prayer. This includes Daniel’s vision of what is known as the 70 7s.

Chapter 10: Conflict between Egypt and Syria (Judah under the Syrians paralleling what it will be like under the antichrist).

Chapter 11: The nameless persons, places, and things (pronouns) now identified (nouns).

Chapter 12: The time of the end of the world before Christ is on the throne in Jerusalem.

Daniel 7:1-4 Verse by verse commentary (NKJV)

Chapters 2:5 through 7:28 was written in Chaldee/Aramaic. Why? Most of this content had little to do with Israel directly as time moves through Daniel’s 69 of 70 weeks vision i.e., Daniels vision of the 70 7s as found in Daniel 9. This will be covered to a much greater extent as we comment verse by verse on Daniel 8 -12.

Daniel 7:1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, telling the main facts.

Dr. David Guzik puts it this way… [This first] vision – one of four described between Daniel 7 through 12 – is the most comprehensive. The other three visions go into greater detail within the general framework of this first vision. Belshazzar is either a son or grandson of King Nebuchadnezzar. There were three short-reigning kings between the great Nebuchadnezzar and son or grandson Belshazzar; a total of six years:

Daniel 7:2 Daniel spoke, saying, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea.

Whether this was a vision (by night) or a dream, it matters not. What does matter is what follows. The four winds (rûach) of heaven stir up the waters (people) of the Great Sea, i.e., the Mediterranean Sea or bordering countries. How might one deduce this is the Great Sea? It is often referred to in scripture as the Great Sea. PLUS: all for empires that Daniel will refer to border on the Mediterranean Sea. This may also mean that the great sea of politics and people get greatly stirred up.

Daniel 7:3  And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other.

Four great beasts from out of the sea? Consider this. Scriptures often refer to they’re being a sea of people or, probably in this case, the sea of politics. It is political differences or power that arise out of each new ruling empire. This is the meaning of “each different from the other”. From the sea of politics, we get four different political scenes in the areas surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. One has yet to come.

This may very well refer to Revelation 7:1 in combination with Revelation 17:15. The other common denominator is Jerusalem being a centerpiece of each successive empire. Each empire is a point in time. There are gaps between them.

Daniel 7:4 The first was like a lion and had an eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.

Adam Clark puts it… The beast like a lion is the kingdom of the Babylonians; and the king of Babylon is compared to a lion, Jeremiah_4:7; Isaiah_5:29; and is said to fly as an eagle, Jeremiah_48:40; Ezekiel 17:3”. Imagery is common to the Bible. It is the featured points of an animal that helps define the power.

Wings plucked, lifted up, made to stand like a man, given the heart of a man. These each describe the different phases of Nebuchadnezzar’s life when Daniel’s God cut him down. His wings were plucked as a king. He was insane for 7-years. He was then given back his sane mind by God (made to stand up like a man). Next, he stood up once again as the Golden statue head of Babylon, but this time with his mind on the one true God. He died shortly after.

Rev. Dr. Jstark
2023

Does the book of Daniel’s prophecies fit into the rest of the Bible, secular history, and the world yet to be?

After 70 years in Babylon, a small percentage of the captive Judeans returned to the land of Judah. It was by written decree of their conquering Medes and Persians through King Cyrus of Persia. It took over 100 years for three different groupings of Babylonian Judeans to return to their homeland. They rebuilt both the temple and the city of Jerusalem, but it took many years. The books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther cover a  post-exilic prophetic period of Israeli history. Note in the Book of Esther that there remains a significant number of Jews in Babylon; enough for Haman to wish to exterminate all of them. Queen Esther appears in scripture some 50 to 60 years after the return of some Judeans, under Zerubbabel, to their former kingdom. Obviously there remained a goodly number of Jews in and around Babylon. The Book of Esther follows well the Book of Daniel.

The Old Testament concludes about 400 BC. There is a gap between the end of written Old Testament scripture and the beginning of the New Testament. If one did not realize it before, most of the resettled Jews in and around the former Kingdom of Judah, today called Israel, are mostly offspring of those JU-DEANS who returned to their homeland after the Babylonian exile. Others have returned since 1948. President Truman was surprised when the newly establish Jewish homeland in 1948 didn’t call themselves Judah. The New Testament “Jews” are the offspring of those whose ancestors returned from the Babylonian captivity. The Apocrypha books were written during this 400 years between the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament.

NOTE: Matthew comes first in the New Testament but it was not the first New Testament book that was written. It is quite possible Mark wrote the first New Testament book.

The following is about the end of the short-term independence of Judah by the Maccabees and is from the Jewish History website. This is during the 400 silent years of the Bible.

The final period of Old Testament history is prior to the 400-years between the end of the Book of Ezra-Nehemiah and the birth of Christ. During this time, no eventually canonized Scripture was written. Ezra is usually credited with pulling the Old Testament together. Original Ezra and Nehemiah was one book. Technically, this 400 year is post-Old Testament and pre-New Testament. It is sometimes called the 400 Silent Years. This leads us to the time of the birth of Christ; about 4 or 3 BC. It is also when the Apocrypha Maccabeus books their a were written. The Maccabees ruled an almost autonomous Judah. This Maccabean Hasmonean dynasty ruled Judah between 167 to 63 BC. Rome ended that. Click here to read about this. The Bible student should make note that the number of “Jews” in Judah was much less after their release than pre-Babylonian captivity. MOST of the Judeans did NOT RETURN once they were released by King Cyrus of Persia.

During this 400-years of Bible silence, an evil ruler named Antiochus (IV) Epiphany [175 BC] of Syria killed many Judeans, desecrated their temple, set an idol of himself in the temple, and offered pigs as a sacrifice. (We ran into him in our earlier study on the Book of Daniel). Antiochus (IV) Epiphany history is a prophesied parallel to the New Testament tribulation and antichrist. It is not the same characters but there is a strong parallel of what Israel will endure in End Time. The Maccabees revolt [167 BC] occurred against and because of Antiochus (IV) Epiphany. Judaism of today celebrates Hanukkah in memory of this period in Israeli history. It is a parallel history to Daniel’s/Revelation prophecy of the Tribulation, Israel, and the antichrist.

This leads us to the New Testament birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ. The Book of Daniel also addresses this Gentile, New Testament time. It is the 69th week of his 70 sevens vision found in Daniel (Daniel 9:24-27). Christ was born around 4 or 3 BC and died sometime around 30 AD. Right after Christ’s death and resurrection, the Church Age began. It continues up to this very day today. This involves the 70-7’s dream of Daniel 9:24-27. The 70^th week of Daniel’s vision is the 7-year Tribulation. The Old Testament is about a nation and their God. The New Testament is about individual relationships with Jesus and the body of believers.

JIV NOTE: The entire New Testament was written and completed between the approximate dates of 36 AD and 100 AD. Islam [Mohammed] comes over 500 years later; in 610 A.D. The chronological order of the origin of the three dominant religions known today is and centered in Jerusalem…Judaism, then Christianity, then Islam.

How does the book of Daniel fit into Old Testament history? Daniel covers his life-history from about 605 BC, to around 535/530 BC. It is the 70-year Babylonian Exile. Daniel was forced into a Babylonian exile (present-day Iraq) around 606/605 BC. He was perhaps 15 years old. He served King Nebuchadnezzar and 2, perhaps 3 other Babylonian kings. He also served King Darius the Mede. Darius was the Medo-Persian general who temporary ruled over Babylon after his forces assaulted and captured Babylon. It is also him who was responsible for the history of Daniel in the Lion’s Den.

King Belshazzar’s history includes the infamous “writing on the wall”. Darius’ the Mede’s rule was temporary, about two years, and under the authority of the Persian king Cyrus. The Bible tells us General Darius was 62 years old when he assumed the role of an appointed king. There is often a good reason the Bible to sometimes includes such seemingly trivial information as one’s age . This is a time when a Bible student MUST pay close attention. Darius only ruled for two years, then retired. No secular record exists of him because he was simply Babylon’s interim King.

Daniel’s initial short-term prophesies are focused on the period between when he lived up through the time of Christ. He prophesies about the first advent of Jesus the Messiah or Christ and his yet pending second advent. Daniel gives detailed prophecies about long-term future events leading up to the end of the world i.e., the Millennial period. The Bible gives us little information during and after the Millennial period. Daniel’s parallel prophetic history of Antiochus IV Epiphany is a prophecy-in-kind of End Time. What happened to Jerusalem during his rule of terror is the parallel of the “Jews” during the Tribulation, aka, Jacob’s Trouble [Matthew 24:15-31].

There are two covenants given by God that are unchangeable and exist throughout the entirety of the Old and New Testament; the promise to Israel of a land free from outside influence, i.e., a Promised Land where they are honored as God’s chosen People by their neighbors, and the covenant of the Church Rapture and his 2^nd Advent. Daniel basically covers this in his prophecies.

During the time of the Exodus of Israelis from Egypt, right before Moses’ death, and just before Israel began conquering the land of Canaan, God warned Israel through Moses the consequences of disobedience to God’s Law. We believe the same thing is true of the Canaanites Israel was to destroy and drive out of the Promised lands. It was promised to through Abraham who had lived there after he left Ur, Babylon. God used His personally Chosen People to bring judgment upon a people who originated from Ishmael and Esau. They totally rejected God. They knew better. God also used outside peoples to conquer the Old Testament Israelis. They too knew better.

The New Testament Jews of Jerusalem, then and now, are mostly descendants of those few Jews who returned from Babylonian exile under Zerubbabel, Ezra, then Nehemiah. See the scriptural sequence of Ezra, Haggai, Zechariah, and Nehemiah…click here. It is an eye-opener.

Deuteronomy 27:1 thru 28:48 summarize the warning and the promise that God gives Israel for their on and off obedience to His Law. In a very real way, God chose exclusively through Abraham to isolate a people of Israel. At the same time, through Abraham and Isaac, we get the Arabs. In an Identifiable power struggle in modern times, we get the age-old fight with Muslims over Jerusalem. Somehow, today this includes non-Arab and non-Israeli people; nations also taking sides. Jesus said that the WORLD hated him first. Satan hates God’s chosen people. He has and continues to try to destroy them, right up to and into the time of the Tribulation of Israel. This is not man’s design, but Satan’s. The proof of this is in the almost universal enemies of Israel.

God continues his warning through Moses in the verses following Deuteronomy 28:48. In the next few verses he prophesies:

The LORD will bring a nation against you from afar, from the *end of the earth, as the eagle swoops down, a nation whose language you shall not understand, a nation of fierce countenance who shall have no respect for the old, nor show favor to the young. Moreover, it shall eat the offspring of your herd and the produce of your ground until you are destroyed, who also leaves you no grain, new wine, or oil, nor the increase of your herd or the young of your flock until they have caused you to perish. And it shall besiege you in all your towns until your high and fortified walls in which you trusted come down throughout your land, and it shall besiege you in all your towns throughout your land which the LORD your God has given you. … Deuteronomy 28:49-52 (NASB)

*End of the earth means the settled lands of civilization that is futuristic to this scripture. This would include America. As we see America disintegrate, and becomes less Godly, we see how easily political powers and social trends can move toward aligning against Israel.

Next week will be Part #4 of 5 in this series.

Does the book of Daniel’s prophecies fit with the rest of the Bible, secular history, and the world yet to be?

The people of Canaan were evil, but their origin is based on the time of Ham through Ishmael and Esau. The Canaanites are identified in Genesis as descendants of Ham, the son of Noah. Be mindful that Ishmael and Esau Arabs and Israelis are cousins. Other than the offspring of Joktan (Genesis 10:25), Arabs not in Joktan’s DNA lineage are a mixture of Abrahamic DNA and either Esau or Ishmael. They are known as “dirty” (mixed) Arabs. The original “pure” Arabs were through Joktan, son of Eber. The later mixed or dirty Arabs came through Ishmael and Esau. Eber was a great-grandson of Noah‘s son Shem.

Moving forward several hundred years, the ISRAELIS (history) eventually made the God of Israel just another one of their many gods. They began to sacrifice their own children to a god named Molech in the Valley of *Hinnon, sometimes called *Gehenna. This gruesome act is one of the same reasons God initially brought judgment upon the people of Canaan by using the wandering Israelites as their punishment.

The tribes of Israelis began to conquer Canaan around 1406 BC but never completed their God-given mission…to be a light on the hillside and onto other nations.

They were told to completely remove the Canaanites from the land. This is one of the primary reasons Israel today has such internal strife within their own borders and next-door neighbors. God commanded Israel to “Completely destroy them …Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the LORD your God.” Deuteronomy 20:17-18. In 2023, the vast majority (93%) of the DNA of the Lebanese is that of the displaced Canaanites. Live Science and other research groups have verified this DNA connection.

AHA NOTE: For those who identify Ham as the first Black person, pay close attention. With our knowledge that the original Canaanites descended from Ham, and that Lebanon today is predominantly of Canaanite DNA, where does one find a dominance of Black peoples in Lebanon today? It isn’t there! We forget that all DNA types originated in Adam and Eve. Noah carried the same genetic genes. We do not know anything about the wives of Ham, Shem, or Japheth. Diversity exploded after the Tower of Babel.

AHA NOTE: “The Tower of Babel” incident occurred around 3,200 B.C.—possibly 100 years after the Flood but long before Abraham was born. This was before ancient Egypt, Greece, and other early civilizations existed. These places couldn’t have existed until after people left Babel to establish these other civilizations”. (credit)

Mizraim, Noah’s grandson, through Ham, is credited with founding the lands called by his name. One would translate Mizraim to be Egypt. Here we begin to find the darker people of color. Nimrod, the son of Cush, had an impact on ancient Israel unmatched by any other of Ham’s descendants. Canaan fell under the Noahic curse [Genesis 9:25].

There were about 380 years of Israeli rule by the Judges. The books of Judges, Ruth, and part of 1 Samuel cover this time in history. Judge rule over Israel lasted until 1040ish BC.

Around 1040 BC Saul becomes the first king of Israel. He came from the Tribe of Benjamin. Twelve independent Tribes of Israel became a United tribal Nation. Their kings were Saul, David, and Solomon. Upon the death of Solomon in 931 BC, the United Nation of Israel divided into the Northern Kingdom of Israel (10 Tribes), often identified as Samaria, and the Southern Kingdom of Judah (Tribes of Judah and Benjamin).

During this time in history, multiple kings ruled over the divided nation of Israel. Some in the Kingdom of Judah were evil; some were God-fearing.  The kings of the Northern Kingdom of Israel were all evil in the eyes of God. The books of 1^st & 2nd Samuel and 1^st & 2nd Kings cover these historic periods. 1 and 2 Chronicles are often called the histories of the times of the Kings.

Warned by God through the prophet Isaiah, the Northern Kingdom of Israel was conquered by Assyria in 732 and 722/20 BC. The first to fall was the Tribes of Manasseh, Gad, and Reuben, east of the Jordan River. The fall and total dispersion of the Northern Kingdom of Israelis is due to their falling away from behaving like God’s chosen people; the light that was never seen on the hillside (Matthew 5:14). There is no Bible record of these ten Tribes other than The beginning geographies of their Assyrian dispersions. However, under different names, we can trace their footprints. Here is an almost foolproof way to see these footprints. When a given population disappears and is relocated, then shortly after in another location a NEW population begins, there is a great probability they are one and the same populations. Today in investigative practices, one would say, “follow the money.”

The Southern Kingdom of Judah lasted until 607, 597, and 586 BC. It took three stages of Babylonian conquests to exile almost all of Judah. The land became barren. Only a few of the very poor farmers were left on their land. The 70-year exile of Judeans begins its countdown from 607 BC. It ends with the decree of Cyrus in 537 BC [Ezra 1]. The first phase of the Babylonian exile began about 607 BC when Daniel, his three friends, including 10,000 of the nobility in Judah were exiled to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar. In 586 BC when Nebuchadnezzar attacked a third time, he destroyed the 2^nd temple and Jerusalem itself. This ended any recognition of an independent kingdom of Ju-deans and associated stragglers living within their borders from the other 11 tribes.

NOTE: When reading scripture, be mindful that Jeremiah and Isaiah were contemporaries.

The conquering of the Kingdom of Judah is written about in the books of 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, and some of the prophetical books. Jeremiah warned of the immediacy of Judah’s fate. Daniel upon his study of Jeremiah’s writings is the prophet who 70 years later got the captives of Babylon released. Sadly, very few exiled Ju-deans returned to their native land. The rest dispersed to surrounding lands. Some were forced to settle the uninhabited lands to the south and east, mixing with some of their previously dispersed cousins from the scattered ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Of course, some remained within Babylon. They are mostly unknown today because they have lost their identities. DNA testing will eventually make their identifications known.

JIV NOTE – Ever since the Northern Kingdom of Israel, 732/720 BC were scattered, and the Southern Kingdom of Judah, 607 to 586 BC, were exiled, descendants of the 12 Tribes of Israel remain dispersed throughout the world. A few of the very poor and some farmers were left by Nebuchadnezzar within the territories of Judah, their Israeli homeland. Many of their descendants never left the Promised Land. Historical dispersions and migrations are why we can find members of the 12 Tribes of Israelites in various countries around the world (Matthew 24:31, Isaiah 11:12, Revelation 7). This is called the Diaspora. Only recently have many DNA Israelites begun to return to Israel; those who are scattered around the world. Up to recently, there were more Jews (mixed Tribes of Israel) living in the United States than in Israel, particularly in New York City.

It should also be noted that we are not exactly sure what happened to many of the people from the Northern Kingdom of Israel; There are theories and some evidence about different people groups claiming to be related to the “ten lost tribes of Israel” such as the Kurds, Ethiopians, Finland, Scandinavia, etc. The term Jew comes from the name Ju-dah. In general, they are descendants of the Southern kingdom and Tribe of Judah. One is either from the Tribe of Ju-dah or identified as from residing in the Kingdom of Judah. Today the identity “Jew” seems to be assigned to anyone whose DNA goes back to any of the 12 Tribes of Israel. We studied the migrations and exiles of the Israeli Tribes in a previous ahabiblemoments.com study…Which Way Did They Go?

Rev. Dr. Jstark
2023

Next week – Part 3