Study Desk

I, Daniel, was tired and sick for days. Then I got up again and did the work that the king had given me. But I was filled with wonder because of the special dream, and did not understand it.

"But we have sinned. We have done wrong and have acted in sin. We have turned against You and against Your Laws.

You are right and good, O Lord. But we are all covered with shame, all the men of Judah, the people of Jerusalem, and all Israel. The people both near and far away in all the countries where You have driven us are covered with shame because they have not been faithful to You.

So the Lord brought trouble upon us. For the Lord our God is right and good in all He does, but we have not obeyed His voice.

O my God, turn Your ear and hear! Open Your eyes and see our trouble and the city that is called by Your name. We are not asking this of You because we are right or good, but because of Your great loving-pity.

Know and understand that seven weeks and sixty-two weeks will pass from the time the people are told to build Jerusalem again until the Chosen One comes. It will be built again, with streets and with a ditch of water around it. But that will be a troubled time.

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."

I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the special dream. The men who were with me did not see it. But they were filled with much fear, and ran away to hide themselves.

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.

But first I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. (No one helps me against these rulers except Michael, your leading angel.

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.

"Then the king of the South will become strong. But one of his leaders will become stronger than he and will rule with much power.

After some years they will join together. The daughter of the king of the South will come to the king of the North to make an agreement. But she will not keep her power, and he will not keep his. She will be killed, together with those who brought her, and her father, and the one who helped her.

But one of her family will become king in his place. He will fight against the army and go into the strong city of the king of the North. He will fight against them and win.

Then the king of the North will go to fight against the king of the South, but will return to his own land.

The king of the South will be very angry and will go and fight with the king of the North, who will have a very large army. But his army will be given over to the king of the South.

When the army is taken away, the king of the South will become very proud, and he will kill tens of thousands. But his strength will not last.

"In those times many will fight against the king of the South. Angry men among your people will also go against the king to do what was shown in the special dream, but they will not win.

He will plan to come with the strength of his whole nation and will make a peace agreement with the king of the South. He will give him a daughter in marriage to try to destroy his nation. But she will not help him or be on his side.

Then he will turn to the lands beside the sea and take many in battle. But a captain will stop him (king of the North) in his pride, and cause trouble to be put on him.