Study Desk

"The northern king will use lies and smooth talking to trick those who quit following the holy agreement, so they will sin even worse. But those who know God and obey him will be strong. They will fight back.

"Those wise teachers will help the other people understand what is happening. But even they will have to suffer persecution. Some of them will be killed with swords. Some of them will be burned or taken prisoner. Some of them will have their homes and things taken away.

When those wise people are punished, they will receive some help, but many people who join them will be hypocrites.

Some of the wise people will stumble and make mistakes. But the persecution must come so that they can be made stronger and purer until the time of the end. Then, at the right time, that time of the end will come.

The northern king will not worship any god, but he will worship power. Power and strength will be his god. His ancestors didn't love power as he does. He will honor the god of power with gold and silver, expensive jewels, and gifts.

The northern king will attack the Beautiful Land. He will defeat many countries. But Edom, Moab, and the leaders of Ammon will be saved from him.

But that northern king will hear news from the east and the north that will make him afraid and angry. He will go to completely destroy many nations.

He will set up his king's tents between the sea and the beautiful holy mountain. But finally, that bad king will die. There will be no one to help him when his end comes.

"Daniel, at that time the great prince Michael will stand up. Michael is in charge of your people. There will be a time of much trouble, the worst time since nations have been on earth. But Daniel, at that time every one of your people whose name is found written in the book of life will be saved.

There are many who are dead and buried. Some of them will wake up and live forever, but others will wake up to shame and disgrace forever.

"But you, Daniel, keep this message a secret. You must close the book and keep this secret until the time of the end. Many people will go here and there looking for true knowledge, and the true knowledge will increase."

I heard the answer, but I really didn't understand. So I asked, "Sir, what will happen after all this comes true?"

Many people will be made pure—they will make themselves clean. But evil people will continue to be evil. And those wicked people will not understand these things, but the wise people will understand them.

But I will show mercy to the nation of Judah. I will save them, but I will not use bows or swords or war horses and soldiers to save them. I will save them by my own power."

She will run after her lovers, but she will not be able to catch up with them. She will look for her lovers, but she will not be able to find them. Then she will say, ‘I will go back to my husband. Life was better for me when I was with him. Life was better then than it is now.'

"Israel didn't know that I, the Lord, was the one who gave her grain, wine, and oil. I kept giving her more and more silver and gold, but she used this silver and gold to make statues of Baal.

I will destroy her vines and fig trees. She said, ‘My lovers gave these things to me.' But I will change her gardens—they will become like a wild forest. Wild animals will come and eat from those plants.

Then the Lord said to me again, "Gomer has many lovers, but you must continue loving her. Do this because it is an example of the Lord 's love for Israel. He continues to love them, but they continue to turn to other gods, and they love to eat those raisin cakes."

They will eat, but they will not be satisfied. They will commit sexual sins, but they will not have babies. This is because they left the Lord and became like prostitutes.

The Lord has given many things to Israel. He is like a shepherd who takes his sheep to a large field with plenty of grass. But Israel is stubborn like a young cow that runs away again and again.