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That all peoples, nations, and 27 Then the kingdom and dominion,
languages should serve Him. And the greatness of the kingdoms
His dominion is an everlasting under the whole heaven,
dominion, Shall be given to the people, the saints
Which shall not pass away, of the Most High.
And His kingdom the one His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
Which shall not be destroyed. And all dominions shall serve and
obey Him.’
15 “I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit within
my body, and the visions of my head troubled 28 “This is the end of the account. As for me,
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me. I came near to one of those who stood Daniel, my thoughts greatly troubled me, and
by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he my countenance changed; but I kept the mat-
told me and made known to me the interpre- ter in my heart.”
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tation of these things: ‘Those great beasts, In the third year of the reign of King
which are four, are four kings which arise out 8 Belshazzar a vision appeared to me—to
of the earth. But the saints of the Most High me, Daniel—after the one that appeared to me
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shall receive the kingdom, and possess the the first time. I saw in the vision, and it so hap-
kingdom forever, even forever and ever.’ pened while I was looking, that I was in
19 “Then I wished to know the truth about the Shushan, the citadel, which is in the province
fourth beast, which was different from all the of Elam; and I saw in the vision that I was by
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others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of the River Ulai. Then I lifted my eyes and saw,
iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, and there, standing beside the river, was a ram
broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with which had two horns, and the two horns were
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its feet; and the ten horns that were on its high; but one was higher than the other, and
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head, and the other horn which came up, before the higher one came up last. I saw the ram
which three fell, namely, that horn which had pushing westward, northward, and southward,
eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, so that no animal could withstand him; nor was
whose appearance was greater than his fellows. there any that could deliver from his hand, but
21 “I was watching; and the same horn was he did according to his will and became great.
making war against the saints, and prevailing 5 And as I was considering, suddenly a male
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against them, until the Ancient of Days came, goat came from the west, across the surface of
and a judgment was made in favor of the
saints of the Most High, and the time came for
the saints to possess the kingdom.
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“Thus he said:
8:3–9 This imagery unfolded historically. The
‘The fourth beast shall be ram pictures the Medo-Persian Empire as a
A fourth kingdom on earth, whole,its two horns standing for the two enti-
Which shall be different from all other ties (the Medes and the Persians) that merged
kingdoms, into one. The history of this empire is briefly
And shall devour the whole earth, noted in v. 4, as it is seen conquering from the
Trample it and break it in pieces. east to the west,south and north,under Cyrus,
24 The ten horns are ten kings as predicted also by Isaiah 150 years earlier (Is.
Who shall arise from this kingdom. 45:1–7).The higher horn, which appeared last,
And another shall rise after them; represents Persia. The goat (v. 5) represents
He shall be different from the first ones, Greece with its great horn Alexander, who
And shall subdue three kings. with his army of 35,000 moved with such
25 He shall speak pompous words against speed that he is pictured as not even touching
the Most High, the ground. The broken horn is Alexander in
Shall persecute the saints of the Most his death; the 4 horns are generals who
High, became kings over 4 sectors of the Grecian
And shall intend to change times Empire after Alexander (7:6).The small horn is
and law. Antiochus Epiphanes, who rose from the third
Then the saints shall be given into empire to rule the Syrian division in 175–164
his hand B.C. and is the same king dominant in
For a time and times and half a time. 11:21–35. In 7:8,24–26, a similar “little horn”
clearly represents the final Antichrist.The rea-
26 ‘But the court shall be seated, son both are described as “little horns” is
And they shall take away his dominion, because one prefigures the other.
To consume and destroy it forever.

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