Daniel's Final Prophecies & the Exiles Return
Daniel mourned and fasted for three weeks. He then received a vision. He was standing on the banks of the Tigris River, and he looked up and saw a man clothed in linen with a belt of fine gold. His body was like a precious stone, and his face was like lightning. His eyes were like torches, his arms and legs looked like shining bronze, and his words sounded like a great many people speaking at once. Daniel was the only one that saw this vision.
The man was an angel that God had sent after Daniel had prayed for answers and humbled himself before God. The angel had been battling a demon he called the prince of Persia, and the archangel Michael had assisted him. The angel appeared to Daniel to give him some answers about what would happen to the house of Israel. The angel said he had to leave to fight the prince of Persia (the demon). He said that the prince of Greece, another demon, would come when he left, and none other than Michael would fight by his side.
Daniel 11 and 12 cover prophecies about the rise and fall of empires that came before Christ's birth as well as prophecies that will come to pass at the end of time (when the Antichrist comes). These chapters require a knowledge of prophecy and history. The historical parts of these prophecies have been fulfilled. The end times prophecies will be fulfilled before and during the return of Christ's kingdom on earth. The historical characters spoken of in these prophecies have been identified by scholars and noted where appropriate in the lesson.
The angel continued to tell Daniel about coming events. The angel explained that he had been with Darius and had helped him. He said that three more kings would rise to power in Persia, and a fourth king (Xerxes) would be more powerful than all. When he obtained enough strength, this king would rise against Greece. A mighty king would also rise in Greece and have a vast empire. (Alexander the Great is the king referred to here.) When he died, his empire would be divided. His descendants would not rule the divisions but by others who would rise. A king in the south and a king in the north would also rise (the kings mentioned here are Ptolemy of Egypt and his descendants and Seleucus of Syria and his descendants). The angel then said that the north and south kings would fight each other. There would also be alliances and marriages between these kings. This would continue for many years, with each side winning and losing.
A king in the north would arise, Antiochus IV, whom the angel referred to as a despicable person. He would fight the king of the south but would not defeat him. His army would be destroyed. The forces of Kittim would defeat Antiochus. After Antiochus was defeated, he would come through the land of Israel. Antiochus would remove the sacrifices and defile the temple, but the people who knew God would stand strong and do great things.
There would also be a king (the Antichrist) who would come to put himself above every god and would not regard the gods of his fathers or the god that many women revered. He would magnify himself above all and honor the god of fortresses. This would be a god that his fathers did not know. He would also greatly honor those who acknowledged his power and make them rulers and divide the land for money.
In the end times, the king of the south would attack him (this refers to a possible coalition of military forces). The Antichrist would fight and go out with great fury, killing many people. This would happen when Jesus Christ returned. Jesus would eventually defeat the Antichrist.1
The archangel Michael would arise, charged with Israel's protection. This would be a time of great trouble that had never been seen before. The people with their names recorded in the book of life would be saved. Some of the dead would arise to receive everlasting life, and others would arise to shame and contempt. The angel told Daniel to seal these prophecies into the book until the end times. Daniel asked what the outcome of these things would be, and the angel again said to seal up the book. According to the angel, many would purify themselves, but the wicked would continue to be wicked. The wicked would not understand, but the wise would. The angel told Daniel that he should go his way and rest, and he would have a place to stand at the end of days.
Cyrus, the king of Persia, declared that God had given him all of the kingdoms of the earth and had commanded him to build a temple in Jerusalem. Cyrus then ordered that God's people return to Jerusalem and build God's temple. The heads of the houses of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and Levites that God inspired, rose. Many gave gold and silver. Cyrus returned the vessels taken from the temple. There were 5,400 returned vessels in all. Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah, carried these vessels when the exiles were brought up from Babylon to Jerusalem.
The exiles taken by Nebuchadnezzar returned to Judah. Altogether, 42,360 people returned. All of them were numbered under their particular house of Israel. The priests that could not establish their genealogies would not be allowed to perform holy duties once the temple had been reconstructed. Some heads of families came to the temple to make offerings for its reconstruction.
After seven months, and when the people were in their towns, they assembled in Jerusalem. Jeshua and Zerubbabel built an altar to God and made burnt offerings morning and night. They kept the Feast of Booths and offered daily burnt offerings. They also made regular offerings and offerings for all those that made a freewill offering to God, and they made burnt offerings from the first day of the seventh month. The temple's foundation still needed to be laid, however. They gave money to masons and carpenters. They also gave the Sidonians and Tyrians food, drink, and oil to bring cedar trees from Lebanon.
In the second year after the people of Judah came to the temple, Zerubbabel and Jeshua appointed the Levites over twenty years old to supervise the building of the temple. Jeshua and Kadmiel, along with their sons and brothers, supervised the workmen in the temple. The sons of Henadad and the Levites also supervised temple construction. When the foundations had been laid, the priests with their trumpets and the Levites with their cymbals came to praise God. The people shouted with joy that the foundation had been laid, but many priests, Levites, heads of houses, and old men wept in mourning for the first temple that had been so glorious. The noise was so great that the sounds of weeping could not be distinguished from the shouts of joy.
Daniel was given a prophecy about battles and empires that were to come. Some of these empires would come before the birth of Christ, and others would come in the end days. The prophecies made for the time before the birth of Christ all happened. Ezra recounted the return of the exiles from Babylon and the initial steps in building the second temple.
Application and Reflection
The book of Ezra provides hope for all. No matter what our sins are, God is willing to forgive those sins. Just as God forgave the people of Israel and returned them to the Promised Land, God will forgive those that repent of their sins and provide a place for them in His kingdom.
Daniel was told that the people with their names recorded in the book of life would be saved in the end days. There is only one sure way to know that your name is written in that book. That way is to believe in Jesus Christ and follow Him. Is your name written in the book of life?
Daniel mourned and fasted for three weeks. He then received a vision. He was standing on the banks of the Tigris River, and he looked up and saw a man clothed in linen with a belt of fine gold. His body was like a precious stone, and his face was like lightning. His eyes were like torches, his arms and legs looked like shining bronze, and his words sounded like a great many people speaking at once. Daniel was the only one that saw this vision.
The man was an angel that God had sent after Daniel had prayed for answers and humbled himself before God. The angel had been battling a demon he called the prince of Persia, and the archangel Michael had assisted him. The angel appeared to Daniel to give him some answers about what would happen to the house of Israel. The angel said he had to leave to fight the prince of Persia (the demon). He said that the prince of Greece, another demon, would come when he left, and none other than Michael would fight by his side.
Daniel 11 and 12 cover prophecies about the rise and fall of empires that came before Christ's birth as well as prophecies that will come to pass at the end of time (when the Antichrist comes). These chapters require a knowledge of prophecy and history. The historical parts of these prophecies have been fulfilled. The end times prophecies will be fulfilled before and during the return of Christ's kingdom on earth. The historical characters spoken of in these prophecies have been identified by scholars and noted where appropriate in the lesson.
The angel continued to tell Daniel about coming events. The angel explained that he had been with Darius and had helped him. He said that three more kings would rise to power in Persia, and a fourth king (Xerxes) would be more powerful than all. When he obtained enough strength, this king would rise against Greece. A mighty king would also rise in Greece and have a vast empire. (Alexander the Great is the king referred to here.) When he died, his empire would be divided. His descendants would not rule the divisions but by others who would rise. A king in the south and a king in the north would also rise (the kings mentioned here are Ptolemy of Egypt and his descendants and Seleucus of Syria and his descendants). The angel then said that the north and south kings would fight each other. There would also be alliances and marriages between these kings. This would continue for many years, with each side winning and losing.
A king in the north would arise, Antiochus IV, whom the angel referred to as a despicable person. He would fight the king of the south but would not defeat him. His army would be destroyed. The forces of Kittim would defeat Antiochus. After Antiochus was defeated, he would come through the land of Israel. Antiochus would remove the sacrifices and defile the temple, but the people who knew God would stand strong and do great things.
There would also be a king (the Antichrist) who would come to put himself above every god and would not regard the gods of his fathers or the god that many women revered. He would magnify himself above all and honor the god of fortresses. This would be a god that his fathers did not know. He would also greatly honor those who acknowledged his power and make them rulers and divide the land for money.
In the end times, the king of the south would attack him (this refers to a possible coalition of military forces). The Antichrist would fight and go out with great fury, killing many people. This would happen when Jesus Christ returned. Jesus would eventually defeat the Antichrist.1
The archangel Michael would arise, charged with Israel's protection. This would be a time of great trouble that had never been seen before. The people with their names recorded in the book of life would be saved. Some of the dead would arise to receive everlasting life, and others would arise to shame and contempt. The angel told Daniel to seal these prophecies into the book until the end times. Daniel asked what the outcome of these things would be, and the angel again said to seal up the book. According to the angel, many would purify themselves, but the wicked would continue to be wicked. The wicked would not understand, but the wise would. The angel told Daniel that he should go his way and rest, and he would have a place to stand at the end of days.
Cyrus, the king of Persia, declared that God had given him all of the kingdoms of the earth and had commanded him to build a temple in Jerusalem. Cyrus then ordered that God's people return to Jerusalem and build God's temple. The heads of the houses of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and Levites that God inspired, rose. Many gave gold and silver. Cyrus returned the vessels taken from the temple. There were 5,400 returned vessels in all. Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah, carried these vessels when the exiles were brought up from Babylon to Jerusalem.
The exiles taken by Nebuchadnezzar returned to Judah. Altogether, 42,360 people returned. All of them were numbered under their particular house of Israel. The priests that could not establish their genealogies would not be allowed to perform holy duties once the temple had been reconstructed. Some heads of families came to the temple to make offerings for its reconstruction.
After seven months, and when the people were in their towns, they assembled in Jerusalem. Jeshua and Zerubbabel built an altar to God and made burnt offerings morning and night. They kept the Feast of Booths and offered daily burnt offerings. They also made regular offerings and offerings for all those that made a freewill offering to God, and they made burnt offerings from the first day of the seventh month. The temple's foundation still needed to be laid, however. They gave money to masons and carpenters. They also gave the Sidonians and Tyrians food, drink, and oil to bring cedar trees from Lebanon.
In the second year after the people of Judah came to the temple, Zerubbabel and Jeshua appointed the Levites over twenty years old to supervise the building of the temple. Jeshua and Kadmiel, along with their sons and brothers, supervised the workmen in the temple. The sons of Henadad and the Levites also supervised temple construction. When the foundations had been laid, the priests with their trumpets and the Levites with their cymbals came to praise God. The people shouted with joy that the foundation had been laid, but many priests, Levites, heads of houses, and old men wept in mourning for the first temple that had been so glorious. The noise was so great that the sounds of weeping could not be distinguished from the shouts of joy.
Daniel was given a prophecy about battles and empires that were to come. Some of these empires would come before the birth of Christ, and others would come in the end days. The prophecies made for the time before the birth of Christ all happened. Ezra recounted the return of the exiles from Babylon and the initial steps in building the second temple.
Application and Reflection
The book of Ezra provides hope for all. No matter what our sins are, God is willing to forgive those sins. Just as God forgave the people of Israel and returned them to the Promised Land, God will forgive those that repent of their sins and provide a place for them in His kingdom.
Daniel was told that the people with their names recorded in the book of life would be saved in the end days. There is only one sure way to know that your name is written in that book. That way is to believe in Jesus Christ and follow Him. Is your name written in the book of life?
