WEBVTT 00:00:00.840 --> 00:00:03.700 Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're 00:00:03.700 --> 00:00:05.740 taking this journey together to read the Bible 00:00:05.740 --> 00:00:08.839 in a year. Today we'll be reading from the book 00:00:08.839 --> 00:00:13.779 of Daniel, chapters 7 and 8. Chapter 7 In the 00:00:13.779 --> 00:00:16.780 first year of Belshazzar, king of Babylon, Daniel 00:00:16.780 --> 00:00:20.140 had a dream and visions of his head while on 00:00:20.140 --> 00:00:23.339 his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, telling 00:00:23.339 --> 00:00:26.839 the main facts. Daniel spoke, saying, I saw in 00:00:26.839 --> 00:00:29.730 my vision by night, and behold, The four winds 00:00:29.730 --> 00:00:33.210 of heaven were stirring up the great sea, and 00:00:33.210 --> 00:00:36.390 four great beasts came up from the sea, each 00:00:36.390 --> 00:00:39.149 different from the other. The first was like 00:00:39.149 --> 00:00:42.810 a lion and had eagle's wings. I watched till 00:00:42.810 --> 00:00:45.829 its wings were plucked off and it was lifted 00:00:45.829 --> 00:00:49.409 up from the earth and made to stand on two feet 00:00:49.409 --> 00:00:52.289 like a man, and a man's heart was given to it. 00:00:52.530 --> 00:00:55.729 And suddenly another beast, a second, like a 00:00:55.729 --> 00:00:59.530 bear, it was raised up on one side, and had three 00:00:59.530 --> 00:01:02.909 ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they 00:01:02.909 --> 00:01:07.650 said thus to it, Arise, devour much flesh. After 00:01:07.650 --> 00:01:10.150 this I looked, and there was another, like a 00:01:10.150 --> 00:01:13.250 leopard, which had on its back four wings of 00:01:13.250 --> 00:01:17.310 a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion 00:01:17.310 --> 00:01:21.349 was given to it. After this I saw in the night 00:01:21.349 --> 00:01:24.230 visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful 00:01:24.230 --> 00:01:27.430 and terrible, exceedingly strong. it had huge 00:01:27.430 --> 00:01:30.890 iron teeth it was devouring breaking in pieces 00:01:30.890 --> 00:01:34.590 and trampling the residue with its feet it was 00:01:34.590 --> 00:01:37.150 different from all the beasts that were before 00:01:37.150 --> 00:01:40.370 it and it had ten horns i was considering the 00:01:40.370 --> 00:01:43.109 horns and there was another horn a little one 00:01:43.109 --> 00:01:46.849 coming up among them before whom three of the 00:01:46.849 --> 00:01:50.349 first horns were plucked up by the roots and 00:01:50.349 --> 00:01:53.629 there in this horn were eyes like the eyes of 00:01:53.629 --> 00:01:57.959 a man and a mouth speaking pompous words. I watched 00:01:57.959 --> 00:02:01.239 till thrones were put in place, and the Ancient 00:02:01.239 --> 00:02:04.700 of Days was seated. His garment was white as 00:02:04.700 --> 00:02:07.420 snow, and the hair of his head was like pure 00:02:07.420 --> 00:02:11.699 wool. His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels 00:02:11.699 --> 00:02:15.780 a burning fire. A fiery stream issued, and came 00:02:15.780 --> 00:02:19.819 forth from before him. A thousand thousands ministered 00:02:19.819 --> 00:02:22.319 to him, ten thousand times ten thousand stood 00:02:22.319 --> 00:02:25.340 before him. The court was seated and the books 00:02:25.340 --> 00:02:28.919 were opened. I watched then because of the sound 00:02:28.919 --> 00:02:31.900 of the pompous words which the horn was speaking. 00:02:32.159 --> 00:02:36.000 I watched till the beast was slain and its body 00:02:36.000 --> 00:02:39.159 destroyed and given to the burning flame. As 00:02:39.159 --> 00:02:41.800 for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion 00:02:41.800 --> 00:02:44.979 taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for 00:02:44.979 --> 00:02:48.189 a season and a time. I was watching in the night 00:02:48.189 --> 00:02:51.310 visions, and behold, one like the Son of Man, 00:02:51.490 --> 00:02:54.969 coming with the clouds of heaven. He came to 00:02:54.969 --> 00:02:57.750 the Ancient of Days, and they brought him near 00:02:57.750 --> 00:03:00.849 before him. Then to him was given dominion and 00:03:00.849 --> 00:03:04.129 glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, 00:03:04.289 --> 00:03:07.030 and languages should serve him. His dominion 00:03:07.030 --> 00:03:09.770 is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass 00:03:09.770 --> 00:03:13.169 away, and his kingdom the one which shall not 00:03:13.169 --> 00:03:17.379 be destroyed. I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit 00:03:17.379 --> 00:03:20.819 within my body, and the visions of my head troubled 00:03:20.819 --> 00:03:23.659 me. I came near to one of those who stood by 00:03:23.659 --> 00:03:27.099 and asked him the truth of all this. So he told 00:03:27.099 --> 00:03:29.879 me and made known to me the interpretation of 00:03:29.879 --> 00:03:33.400 these things. Those great beasts, which are four, 00:03:33.520 --> 00:03:36.419 are four kings which arise out of the earth. 00:03:36.620 --> 00:03:39.159 But the saints of the Most High shall receive 00:03:39.159 --> 00:03:41.500 the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, 00:03:41.800 --> 00:03:45.280 even forever and ever. then i wished to know 00:03:45.280 --> 00:03:48.080 the truth about the fourth beast which was different 00:03:48.080 --> 00:03:51.199 from all the others exceedingly dreadful with 00:03:51.199 --> 00:03:54.939 its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze which 00:03:54.939 --> 00:03:58.080 devoured broke in pieces and trampled the residue 00:03:58.080 --> 00:04:01.620 with its feet and the ten horns that were on 00:04:01.620 --> 00:04:04.969 its head And the other horn which came up before 00:04:04.969 --> 00:04:08.750 which three fell, namely that horn which had 00:04:08.750 --> 00:04:12.169 eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose 00:04:12.169 --> 00:04:15.669 appearance was greater than his fellows. I was 00:04:15.669 --> 00:04:18.810 watching, and the same horn was making war against 00:04:18.810 --> 00:04:21.589 the saints, and prevailing against them, until 00:04:21.589 --> 00:04:24.529 the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was 00:04:24.529 --> 00:04:27.149 made in favor of the saints of the Most High, 00:04:27.329 --> 00:04:30.470 and the time came for the saints to possess the 00:04:30.470 --> 00:04:33.800 kingdom. Thus he said, The fourth beast shall 00:04:33.800 --> 00:04:36.740 be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be 00:04:36.740 --> 00:04:39.319 different from all other kingdoms, and shall 00:04:39.319 --> 00:04:42.120 devour the whole earth, trample it and break 00:04:42.120 --> 00:04:45.680 it in pieces. The ten horns are ten kings, who 00:04:45.680 --> 00:04:48.939 shall arise from this kingdom, and another shall 00:04:48.939 --> 00:04:51.639 rise after them. He shall be different from the 00:04:51.639 --> 00:04:54.500 first ones, and shall subdue three kings. He 00:04:54.500 --> 00:04:56.920 shall speak pompous words against the Most High, 00:04:57.120 --> 00:04:59.579 shall persecute the saints of the Most High, 00:04:59.660 --> 00:05:03.709 and shall intend to change times, and law. Then 00:05:03.709 --> 00:05:06.750 the saints shall be given into his hand for a 00:05:06.750 --> 00:05:10.569 time and times and half a time. But the court 00:05:10.569 --> 00:05:13.769 shall be seated, and they shall take away his 00:05:13.769 --> 00:05:17.470 dominion to consume and destroy it forever. Then 00:05:17.470 --> 00:05:19.790 the kingdom and dominion and the greatness of 00:05:19.790 --> 00:05:22.490 the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be 00:05:22.490 --> 00:05:25.029 given to the people, the saints of the Most High. 00:05:25.269 --> 00:05:28.389 His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all 00:05:28.389 --> 00:05:31.790 dominions shall serve and obey him. This is the 00:05:31.790 --> 00:05:35.550 end of the account. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts 00:05:35.550 --> 00:05:38.589 greatly troubled me, and my countenance changed, 00:05:38.910 --> 00:05:44.569 but I kept the matter in my heart. Chapter 8 00:05:44.569 --> 00:05:47.910 In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar, 00:05:48.029 --> 00:05:52.209 a vision appeared to me, to me, Daniel, after 00:05:52.209 --> 00:05:55.269 the one that appeared to me the first time. I 00:05:55.269 --> 00:05:58.269 saw in the vision, and it so happened while I 00:05:58.269 --> 00:06:01.240 was looking, that I was in Shushan. the citadel, 00:06:01.379 --> 00:06:04.720 which is in the province of Elam, and I saw in 00:06:04.720 --> 00:06:08.139 the vision that I was by the river Ulai. Then 00:06:08.139 --> 00:06:11.379 I lifted my eyes and saw, and there, standing 00:06:11.379 --> 00:06:14.639 beside the river, was a ram, which had two horns, 00:06:14.839 --> 00:06:17.959 and the two horns were high, but one was higher 00:06:17.959 --> 00:06:21.199 than the other, and the higher one came up last. 00:06:21.600 --> 00:06:25.620 I saw the ram pushing westward, northward, and 00:06:25.620 --> 00:06:28.519 southward, so that no animal could withstand 00:06:28.519 --> 00:06:32.050 him. nor was there any that could deliver from 00:06:32.050 --> 00:06:35.589 his hand but he did according to his will and 00:06:35.589 --> 00:06:39.670 became great and as i was considering suddenly 00:06:39.670 --> 00:06:43.370 a male goat came from the west across the surface 00:06:43.370 --> 00:06:46.129 of the whole earth without touching the ground 00:06:46.129 --> 00:06:50.170 and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes 00:06:50.170 --> 00:06:53.990 then he came to the ram that had two horns which 00:06:53.990 --> 00:06:56.709 i had seen standing beside the river and ran 00:06:56.709 --> 00:07:00.300 at him with furious power And I saw him confronting 00:07:00.300 --> 00:07:03.560 the ram. He was moved with rage against him, 00:07:03.620 --> 00:07:07.459 attacked the ram, and broke his two horns. There 00:07:07.459 --> 00:07:10.199 was no power in the ram to withstand him, but 00:07:10.199 --> 00:07:12.740 he cast him down to the ground and trampled him, 00:07:12.860 --> 00:07:15.699 and there was no one that could deliver the ram 00:07:15.699 --> 00:07:19.100 from his hand. Therefore the male goat grew very 00:07:19.100 --> 00:07:22.399 great, but when he became strong, the large horn 00:07:22.399 --> 00:07:26.300 was broken, and in place of it four notable ones 00:07:26.300 --> 00:07:29.620 came up toward the four winds of heaven. And 00:07:29.620 --> 00:07:32.560 out of one of them came a little horn which grew 00:07:32.560 --> 00:07:35.620 exceedingly great toward the south, toward the 00:07:35.620 --> 00:07:39.079 east, and toward the glorious land. And it grew 00:07:39.079 --> 00:07:42.860 up to the host of heaven, and it cast down some 00:07:42.860 --> 00:07:45.180 of the host and some of the stars to the ground, 00:07:45.279 --> 00:07:48.949 and trampled them. He even exalted himself as 00:07:48.949 --> 00:07:52.149 high as the prince of the host, and by him the 00:07:52.149 --> 00:07:55.290 daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place 00:07:55.290 --> 00:07:59.470 of his sanctuary was cast down. Because of transgression, 00:07:59.610 --> 00:08:02.730 an army was given over to the horn to opposite 00:08:02.730 --> 00:08:06.649 the daily sacrifices, and he cast truth down 00:08:06.649 --> 00:08:09.790 to the ground. He did all this and prospered. 00:08:10.139 --> 00:08:12.819 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another 00:08:12.819 --> 00:08:16.540 holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, 00:08:16.800 --> 00:08:19.980 How long will the vision be concerning the daily 00:08:19.980 --> 00:08:23.060 sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, 00:08:23.220 --> 00:08:26.100 the giving of both the sanctuary and the host 00:08:26.100 --> 00:08:29.100 to be trampled underfoot? And he said to me, 00:08:29.180 --> 00:08:32.899 For two thousand three hundred days, then the 00:08:32.899 --> 00:08:36.129 sanctuary shall be cleansed. Then it happened 00:08:36.129 --> 00:08:39.929 when I, Daniel, had seen the vision and was seeking 00:08:39.929 --> 00:08:42.649 the meaning, that suddenly there stood before 00:08:42.649 --> 00:08:46.230 me one having the appearance of a man. And I 00:08:46.230 --> 00:08:49.289 heard a man's voice between the banks of the 00:08:49.289 --> 00:08:52.929 Uli, who called and said, Gabriel, make this 00:08:52.929 --> 00:08:56.100 man understand the vision. So he came near where 00:08:56.100 --> 00:08:59.220 I stood, and when he came I was afraid and fell 00:08:59.220 --> 00:09:02.299 on my face. But he said to me, Understand, son 00:09:02.299 --> 00:09:05.559 of man, that the vision refers to the time of 00:09:05.559 --> 00:09:09.039 the end. Now as he was speaking with me, I was 00:09:09.039 --> 00:09:12.019 in a deep sleep with my face to the ground, but 00:09:12.019 --> 00:09:15.220 he touched me and stood me upright. And he said, 00:09:15.399 --> 00:09:18.919 Look, I am making known to you what shall happen 00:09:18.919 --> 00:09:22.179 in the latter time. of the indignation, for at 00:09:22.179 --> 00:09:25.679 the appointed time the end shall be. The ram 00:09:25.679 --> 00:09:28.980 which you saw having the two horns, they are 00:09:28.980 --> 00:09:32.399 the kings of Media and Persia, and the male goat 00:09:32.399 --> 00:09:36.039 is the kingdom of Greece. The large horn that 00:09:36.039 --> 00:09:39.779 is between its eyes is the first king. As for 00:09:39.779 --> 00:09:42.580 the broken horn and the four that stood up in 00:09:42.580 --> 00:09:46.059 its place, four kingdoms shall arise out of that 00:09:46.059 --> 00:09:49.779 nation, but not with its power. And in the latter 00:09:49.779 --> 00:09:52.700 time of their kingdom, when the transgressors 00:09:52.700 --> 00:09:55.620 have reached their fullness, a king shall arise, 00:09:55.879 --> 00:09:59.299 having fierce features, who understands sinister 00:09:59.299 --> 00:10:03.080 schemes. His power shall be mighty, but not by 00:10:03.080 --> 00:10:06.340 his own power. He shall destroy fearfully, and 00:10:06.340 --> 00:10:09.340 shall prosper and thrive. He shall destroy the 00:10:09.340 --> 00:10:12.399 mighty, and also the holy people. Through his 00:10:12.399 --> 00:10:15.379 cunning he shall cause deceit to prosper under 00:10:15.379 --> 00:10:18.590 his rule. And he shall exalt himself in his heart, 00:10:18.750 --> 00:10:22.110 he shall destroy many in their prosperity. He 00:10:22.110 --> 00:10:24.350 shall even rise against the prince of princes. 00:10:24.629 --> 00:10:28.289 But he shall be broken without human means. And 00:10:28.289 --> 00:10:30.950 the vision of the evenings and mornings which 00:10:30.950 --> 00:10:34.710 was told is true. Therefore seal up the vision, 00:10:34.850 --> 00:10:38.279 for it refers to many days in the future. And 00:10:38.279 --> 00:10:42.059 I, Daniel, fainted and was sick for days. Afterward 00:10:42.059 --> 00:10:45.059 I arose and went about the king's business. I 00:10:45.059 --> 00:10:48.299 was astonished by the vision, but no one understood 00:10:48.299 --> 00:10:55.759 it. I hope you enjoyed today's reading as much 00:10:55.759 --> 00:10:58.000 as I did, and I look forward to seeing you again 00:10:58.000 --> 00:11:00.440 tomorrow to continue on our journey. God bless 00:11:00.440 --> 00:11:01.500 you and have a great day.