Study Desk

"Seventy weeks are given for your people and your holy city to finish the wrong-doing and put an end to sin. By the end of this time, you must pay for your sins and follow what is right and good forever. You must finish what was shown in the special dream and what has been spoken in My name, and set apart the most holy place.

After the sixty-two weeks, the Chosen One will be killed and have nothing. And the people of the ruler who is to come will destroy the city and the holy place. The end will come like a flood. Even to the end there will be war. For the Lord has said that much will be destroyed.

That ruler will make a strong agreement with many for one week. But when half that time is past, he will put a stop to burnt gifts and grain gifts. And a very sinful man-made god will be put there. It will stay there until the one who put it there is destroyed."

In those days, I, Daniel, had been full of sorrow for three weeks.

And he said to me, "O Daniel, you who are loved very much, understand what I am about to tell you, and stand up. For I have now been sent to you." When he said this to me, I stood up shaking in fear.

But the ruler of Persia stood against me for twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the leading princes of honor, came to help me, because I had been left there with the king of Persia.

Now I have come to help you understand what will happen to your people in the last days. For the special dream is about the days yet to come."

He said, "O man who is loved very much, do not be afraid. May peace be with you. Be strong and have strength of heart." And when he had spoken to me, I received strength, and said, "May my lord speak, for you have given me strength."

But as soon as he has risen to power, his nation will be broken and divided to the four winds of heaven. It will not be divided among his own children, or because of his own power. For his power will be taken and given to others besides these.

And he will carry their false gods and objects of silver and gold away to Egypt. For some years he will leave the king of the North alone.

"His sons will get ready for war and gather together a very large army. They will come like a flood and pass through, and fight in battle as far as his strong city.

For the king of the North will gather together a larger army than before. And after some years he will come with a large army ready to do battle.

The king of the North will do as he pleases. No one will be able to stand against him. He will stay for awhile in the Beautiful Land with the power to destroy it.

In a time of peace he will go into the richest parts of the land, and do what his fathers and his fathers' fathers never did. He will divide the things taken in war and things of worth among them, and make plans against strong cities, but only for a time.

He will gather all his strength against the king of the South with a large army. So the king of the South will gather together a very large and powerful army for war, but he will not win the battle. Secret plans will be made against him.

The hearts of both kings will be sinful. They will lie to each other at the same table. But nothing will come of it, for the end will still come at the chosen time.

For ships of Kittim will come against him, and he will be afraid and turn back. He will return in anger and go against the holy agreement. He will come back and show favor to those who have turned away from the holy agreement.

Those people who are wise will make many understand. But for many days they will be killed by the sword or by fire, or be taken to prison or robbed.

Some of the wise people will be hurt, but this is so they will be made pure through punishment until the time of the end. For the end will still come at the chosen time.

"Then the king will do as he pleases. He will honor himself more than every god, and will say very bad things against the God of gods. Everything will go well for him until the time of anger is finished. For what has been planned will be done.