Daniel 10

1 In the third year of Cyrus, king of Persia, a thing was revealed to Daniel, who was called Belteshazzar; the thing was true, and the appointed time very far away. He understood it; he had understanding of the vision. 2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. 3 I ate no pleasant food, I put no flesh or wine in my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, until three whole weeks were fulfilled. 4 And in the 24^th day of the first month, as I was beside the great river, which is Hiddekel; 5 Then I lifted up my eyes, and looked, and saw a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: 6 His body was like the beryl, his face as the appearance of lightning, his eyes as lamps of fire, his arms and his feet were like the color of polished brass, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude.

• This was April 24, BC 534 (verse 4). Gabriel had been sent by God to Daniel in Daniel 9. The vision sounds similar to the appearance of Jesus in Revelation 1.

• I John 3:2 Beloved, now we are the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we will be: but we know that, when he appears, we will be like him; for we will see him as he is.

7 And I, Daniel alone, saw the vision: the men that were with me did not see the vision; but a great quaking fell on them, and they ran away to hide themselves. 8 So I was left alone and saw this great vision. And my strength left me, my face turned pale, and I retained 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 with my face toward the ground. 10 And behold, a hand touched me, which set me on my knees and on the palms of my hands.

• Revelation 1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying to me, Fear not; I am the first and the last

God loves greatly

11 And he said to me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you. Stand up, for I have been sent to you. And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood trembling. 12 Then said he to me, Do not fear, Daniel: for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come because of your words.

• 1 Corinthians 11:31-32 if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged…

• Jeremiah 31:3 The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying, Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love

13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia stood against me 21 days: but then, Michael, the first of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. 14 Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days: for the vision is still many days away. 15 And when he had spoken these words to me, I set my face toward the ground, and I became dumb. 16 And behold, one looking like sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spoke, and said to him that stood before me, O my lord, because of the vision my sorrows have overwhelmed me, and I have no strength. 17 How can this servant of my lord talk with you, my lord? For there is no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me. 18 Then again one looking like a man touched me, and he strengthened me

• 2Corinthians 12:9 And he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore I will glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

• Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

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 strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for you have strengthened me. 20 Then he said, Do you know why I have come to you? And now I will return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I have left, behold, the prince of Greece will come. 21 But I will show you what is noted in the scripture of truth: there is no one who stands firmly with me in these things except Michael, your prince.

• Today we have God himself in the person of the Holy Spirit revealing truth to us.
  

• John 14:26 But the Comforter, who is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name/person, he will teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatever I have said to you.

                                             Daniel 11

The Lord tells the future because He alone knows the future; He makes the future

1 Also, I, in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him. 2 And now I will show you the truth. Behold, there are three kings to still stand in Persia/Iran; and the fourth will be far richer than all of them: and by his strength through his riches he will stir up all against the realm of Greece. 3 And a mighty king will stand up, that will rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. 4 And when he stands up, his kingdom will be broken, and divided toward the four winds of heaven; not to his descendants, nor according to his dominion that he ruled: for his kingdom will be uprooted, and given to others.

• Notice what God sent Daniel to give him strength.
• It was truth, truths bigger than just the nation that Daniel helped rule.
• God gave him the history of the future rulers.
• He told Daniel things that were yet to come.
• Babylon was defeated by Medo-Persia.
• Medo-Persia was defeated by Greece.
• The mighty king was Alexander the great and the four winds ‘not to his posterity’ are the four generals that Alexander divided his kingdom between.

5 And the king of the south will be strong, and one of his princes will be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion will be a great dominion. 6And in the end of years they will join themselves together; for the king of the south's daughter will come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she will not retain the power of the arm; neither will he stand, nor his arm: but she will be given up, and those that brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in these times.

• The dual fulfillment of prophecy is seen in this because this passage is at ‘the end of years.’
• The Seleucid wars between Egypt and Syria in 252 BC were the near fulfillment and a succession of rulers ending with the antichrist will be the fulfillment at the end.

7 But out of a branch of her roots one will stand up in his place, who will come with an army, enter into the stronghold of the king of the north, defeat them, and prevail: 8 And also will carry their gods captive to Egypt, with their princes, and their precious articles of silver and gold; he will continue more years than the king of the north. 9 So the king of the south will come into his kingdom, and return to his own land. 10 But his sons will stir up strife, assemble a huge army: and one will certainly come, overflow, and pass through: then he will return, and stir up strife, even to his fortress. 11 And the king of the south will be furious, and will come out and fight with him, with the king of the north: he will assemble a great multitude; but the multitude will be given into the hand of his enemy. 12 And when he has taken away the multitude, his heart will be proud; he will cast down many tens of thousands: but he will not be strengthened by it. 13 For the king of the north will return with a greater multitude than at first, and will certainly come at the end of times with a great army and much riches.

• The king of the north is usually Russia.
• There is enough Bromine in the Dead Sea to make nuclear warheads for hundreds of years. This will be greatly valued at that time.

14 And in those times many will stand up against the king of the south: also the sons of the violent ones among your people will exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they will fall. 15 So the king of the north will come, cast up a siege mound, and capture the most fortified city: and the arms of the south will not stand, neither his chosen people, neither will there be any strength to stand. 16 But he that comes against him will do according to his own will, and none will stand before him: and he will stand in the glorious land, which by his hand will be consumed. 17 He will also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; he will do this: and he will give him the daughter of women, to corrupt: but she will not stand on his side, neither be for him. 18 After this he will turn his face to the coastlands, and will capture many: but a commander will put a stop to his scorn against him; moreover he will repay him for his scorn. 19 Then he will turn his face toward the fortress of his own land: but he will stumble, fall, and not be found. 20 Then in his place will stand up a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he will be destroyed, not in anger or in battle.

• The Lord is still in charge.
• He doesn’t lead rulers to do wrong, but He is longsuffering, giving them time to change and do right.

• Daniel 2:21 And he changes the times and the seasons: he removes kings, and sets up kings

• 2Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any perish, but that all come to repentance.

21 And in his place a despicable one will arise, on whom the honor of the kingship has not been bestowed: he will come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. 22 And the forces of the overflow will be swept from before him, and they will be broken: yes, also the prince of the covenant. 23 And after they join themselves to him he will practice deceit: for he will come. He will go up and gain power with few people. 24 He will enter peaceably into the richest places of the province; and he will do what his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he will plunder, spoil, and scatter goods among them: and he will devise plots against the strongholds, for a year. 25 He will stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south will be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he will not stand: for they will devise plots against him. 26 Yes, those that he feeds will destroy him, and his army will overflow: and many will fall down slain.

God has appointed the times for all things

27 And both these kings', their hearts seek to do evil, and they will speak lies at one table; but it will not prosper: for the end will be at the time appointed. 28 Then he will return to his land with great riches; and his heart will be against the holy covenant; and he will take action, and return to his own land. 29 At the time appointed he will return, and come into the south; but this time it will not turn out as it did before. 30 For the ships of the islands and coasts of the Mediterranean will come against him: therefore he will be grieved, and return, and be furious against the holy covenant: and he will act; he will return, and heed those forsaking the holy covenant. 31 Forces will stand with him and they will profane the sanctuary, the fortress, and remove the daily sacrifice, and they will place the abomination that makes desolate.

• This is the antichrist.
• He will put a statue of himself in God’s temple at Jerusalem.
• At which point the Jew realize that this man is not the promised messiah as they had been led by him to believe because God forbids images of any kind.

• Acts 17:26-28 And has made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27 That they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might feel after him, and find him, though he is not far from every one of us: 28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being.

• Ecclesiastes 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

Knowing God makes His people strong and courageous

32 And those that do wickedly against the covenant he will corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God will be strong, and do exploits. 33 And those that understand among the people will instruct many: yet they will fall by the sword, by fire, by captivity, and by spoil for many days. 34 Now when they fall, they will be helped with a little help: but many will cling to them with flatteries. 35 And some of those with understanding will fall, to refine and cleanse them, and to make them pure, even to the time of the end: because it is still for a time appointed.

• A time is coming for those purified and for earth when life will be lived in true righteousness before God.
• Life will not be about labor (our job) or commerce (the mall or catalog) or food (what our next meal is going to be) or entertainment.
• Then life will about the God who made us in His image.
• Life will be about living in a relationship with Him everyday, the eternal King of Kings who rules over all.

God’s indignation against sin and evil will be finished

36 This king will do according to his will; he will exalt himself, magnify himself above every god, and will arrange huge blasphemies against the God of gods. He will prosper until the indignation is accomplished: for what is determined will be done. 37 Neither will he regard the god of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he will magnify himself above all. 38 But in his place he will honor the god of forces: a god whom his fathers did not know he will honor with gold, with silver, with precious stones, and pleasant things.

• ‘the god of forces’ is the ‘god of munitions/weapons.’
• This man worships a god of military power, weapons, and strategy.
• Advances in technology for weapons systems gives us some insight into this god.
• Demons or devils, like the ones Jesus cast out of people, are the power and inspiration behind all false gods.
• 1Corinthians 10:20 But I say, that the things that the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God
• Psalm 96:5 For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.

39 He will take action against the strongest of fortresses with the help of a foreign god, whom he will acknowledge and increase with glory: he will cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for price. 40 At the time of the end the king of the south will push at him: and the king of the north will come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, with horsemen, and with many ships; he will enter into the countries, and overflow and pass over. 41 He will also enter into the glorious land, and many countries will be overthrown: but these will escape out of his hand: Edom, Moab, and the foremost of the children of Ammon. 42 Then he will stretch out his hand against other countries: and the land of Egypt will not escape. 43 But he will gain control over the hidden treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians will follow at his heels. 44 But news out of the east and out of the north will trouble him: therefore he will go out with great fury to destroy, and utterly destroy many. 45 He will pitch the tents of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; but he will come to his end, and none will help him.

• The news will be our modern intelligence reports.
• ‘glorious holy mount’ is the Hebrew ‘mount of the delight of holiness.’
• This man puts his command post between the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, right in Israel.
• II Thessalonians 2:8 And when that Wicked is revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the spirit of his mouth, and will destroy with the brightness of his coming
• Matthew 24:27 For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines unto the west; so will the coming of the Son of man be.

                                              Daniel 12

God delivers His people

1 At that time Michael will stand up, the great prince who stands for the children of your people: and there will be a time of trouble like not other since nations came into existence until that time: and at that time your people will be delivered, every one found written in the book. 2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

• This was recorded around 550 BC so Daniel’s prophecies occurred over 65 years.
• Israel has had great troubles but this future one will be the greatest of them all.
• God desired only good for her, but she turned from Him to worship false things.
• The Book of Life is mentioned eight times in scripture.
  
• Everyone God created is written in this book.
• When a person dies who refused God’s gift of eternal life through the death of His Son for our sins then their name is blotted out of the book of life.
• God reveals His truth to all (John 1:9 and Romans 1:20, 21)

• Jeremiah 30:7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he will be saved out of it.

His rewards are great

3 And those that are wise will shine as the brightness of the heavens; and those that turn many to righteousness 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 will run here and there, and knowledge will be increased. 5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two more were standing, one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river. 6 And one said to the man clothed in linen, who was on the waters of the river, How long will it be to the end of these wonders? 7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was on the waters of the river, who held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by him that lives forever that it will be for 3 1/2 years, when he has finished scattering the power of the holy people, then all these things will be finished.

• Daniel 10:5-6 describes the man on the waters. 3 1/2 years to finish the great tribulation.

The Lord tests, cleanses, and purifies

8 And I heard, but I did not understand: then said I, O my Lord, what will be the end of these things? 9 And he said, Go your way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. 10 Many will be purified, made white, and tested; but the wicked will do wickedly: and none of the wicked will understand; but the wise will understand. 11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination that makes desolate set up, there will be a 1,290 days. 12 Blessed is he that waits, and comes to the 1,335 days. 13 But you go your way until the end: for you will rest, and stand in your allotted inheritance at the end of the days.

• Halfway through the tribulation the antichrist will place a statue of himself in God’s temple at Jerusalem.
• By this he proclaims himself to be god. That is the abomination that makes desolate.
• Christ was born into time after exactly 4,000 years of biblically recorded history.
• Here He tells specifically how many days His people will have to wait until the judgment is over and the His kingdom begins: 3 1/2 years plus 45 days.
• The Jews will be in such difficult times that it will lift their hearts to be able to count down the days until Christ has put an end to the reign of evil and established His kingdom here on earth. The very last thing He told Daniel reassured his heart that it would be well with him.

• Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all you that labor and are loaded down, and I will give you rest. 28 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and low in heart: and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

• Psalm 16:5 The LORD is the portion of my inheritance and my cup: you maintain my

• Job 23:10 But he knows the way that I take: when he has tried me, I will come forth as gold.

• 1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has entered into the heart of man, the things that God has prepared for those that love him.

• Psalm 90:2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or you had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, you are God.

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SUMMARY: Daniel 10-12

• God loves greatly
• The Lord tells the future because He alone knows the future; He makes the future
• God has appointed the times for all things
• Knowing God makes His people strong and courageous
• God’s indignation against sin and evil will be finished
• God delivers His people
• His rewards are great
• The Lord tests, cleanses, and purifies