Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. Today we'll be reading from the book
of Daniel, chapters 7 and 8. Chapter 7 In the
first year of Belshazzar, king of Babylon, Daniel
had a dream and visions of his head while on
his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, telling
the main facts. Daniel spoke, saying, I saw in
my vision by night, and behold, The four winds
of heaven were stirring up the great sea, and
four great beasts came up from the sea, each
different from the other. The first was like
a lion and had eagle's wings. I watched till
its wings were plucked off and it was lifted
up from the earth and made to stand on two feet
like a man, and a man's heart was given to it.
And suddenly another beast, a second, like a
bear, it was raised up on one side, and had three
ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they
said thus to it, Arise, devour much flesh. After
this I looked, and there was another, like a
leopard, which had on its back four wings of
a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion
was given to it. After this I saw in the night
visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful
and terrible, exceedingly strong. it had huge
iron teeth it was devouring breaking in pieces
and trampling the residue with its feet it was
different from all the beasts that were before
it and it had ten horns i was considering the
horns and there was another horn a little one
coming up among them before whom three of the
first horns were plucked up by the roots and
there in this horn were eyes like the eyes of
a man and a mouth speaking pompous words. I watched
till thrones were put in place, and the Ancient
of Days was seated. His garment was white as
snow, and the hair of his head was like pure
wool. His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels
a burning fire. A fiery stream issued, and came
forth from before him. A thousand thousands ministered
to him, ten thousand times ten thousand stood
before him. The court was seated and the books
were opened. I watched then because of the sound
of the pompous words which the horn was speaking.
I watched till the beast was slain and its body
destroyed and given to the burning flame. As
for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion
taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for
a season and a time. I was watching in the night
visions, and behold, one like the Son of Man,
coming with the clouds of heaven. He came to
the Ancient of Days, and they brought him near
before him. Then to him was given dominion and
glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations,
and languages should serve him. His dominion
is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass
away, and his kingdom the one which shall not
be destroyed. I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit
within my body, and the visions of my head troubled
me. I came near to one of those who stood by
and asked him the truth of all this. So he told
me and made known to me the interpretation of
these things. Those great beasts, which are four,
are four kings which arise out of the earth.
But the saints of the Most High shall receive
the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever,
even forever and ever. then i wished to know
the truth about the fourth beast which was different
from all the others exceedingly dreadful with
its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze which
devoured broke in pieces and trampled the residue
with its feet and the ten horns that were on
its head And the other horn which came up before
which three fell, namely that horn which had
eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose
appearance was greater than his fellows. I was
watching, and the same horn was making war against
the saints, and prevailing against them, until
the Ancient of Days came, 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. Thus he said, The fourth beast shall
be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be
different from all other kingdoms, and shall
devour the whole earth, trample it and break
it in pieces. The ten horns are ten kings, who
shall arise from this kingdom, and another shall
rise after them. He shall be different from the
first ones, and shall subdue three kings. He
shall speak pompous words against the Most High,
shall persecute the saints of the Most High,
and shall intend to change times, and law. Then
the saints shall be given into his hand for a
time and times and half a time. But the court
shall be seated, and they shall take away his
dominion to consume and destroy it forever. Then
the kingdom and dominion and the greatness of
the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be
given to the people, the saints of the Most High.
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all
dominions shall serve and obey him. This is the
end of the account. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts
greatly troubled me, and my countenance changed,
but I kept the matter in my heart. Chapter 8
In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar,
a vision appeared to me, to me, Daniel, after
the one that appeared to me the first time. I
saw in the vision, and it so happened while I
was looking, that I was in Shushan. the citadel,
which is in the province of Elam, and I saw in
the vision that I was by the river Ulai. Then
I lifted my eyes and saw, and there, standing
beside the river, was a ram, which had two horns,
and the two horns were high, but one was higher
than the other, and the higher one came up last.
I saw the ram pushing westward, northward, and
southward, so that no animal could withstand
him. nor was there any that could deliver from
his hand but he did according to his will and
became great and as i was considering suddenly
a male goat came from the west across the surface
of the whole earth without touching the ground
and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes
then he came to the ram that had two horns which
i had seen standing beside the river and ran
at him with furious power And I saw him confronting
the ram. He was moved with rage against him,
attacked the ram, and broke his two horns. There
was no power in the ram to withstand him, but
he cast him down to the ground and trampled him,
and there was no one that could deliver the ram
from his hand. Therefore the male goat grew very
great, but when he became strong, the large horn
was broken, and in place of it four notable ones
came up toward the four winds of heaven. And
out of one of them came a little horn which grew
exceedingly great toward the south, toward the
east, and toward the glorious land. And it grew
up to the host of heaven, and it cast down some
of the host and some of the stars to the ground,
and trampled them. He even exalted himself as
high as the prince of the host, and by him the
daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place
of his sanctuary was cast down. Because of transgression,
an army was given over to the horn to opposite
the daily sacrifices, and he cast truth down
to the ground. He did all this and prospered.
Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another
holy one said to that certain one who was speaking,
How long will the vision be concerning the daily
sacrifices and the transgression of desolation,
the giving of both the sanctuary and the host
to be trampled underfoot? And he said to me,
For two thousand three hundred days, then the
sanctuary shall be cleansed. Then it happened
when I, Daniel, had seen the vision and was seeking
the meaning, that suddenly there stood before
me one having the appearance of a man. And I
heard a man's voice between the banks of the
Uli, who called and said, Gabriel, make this
man understand the vision. So he came near where
I stood, and when he came I was afraid and fell
on my face. But he said to me, Understand, son
of man, that the vision refers to the time of
the end. Now as he was speaking with me, I was
in a deep sleep with my face to the ground, but
he touched me and stood me upright. And he said,
Look, I am making known to you what shall happen
in the latter time. of the indignation, for at
the appointed time the end shall be. The ram
which you saw having the two horns, they are
the kings of Media and Persia, and the male goat
is the kingdom of Greece. The large horn that
is between its eyes is the first king. As for
the broken horn and the four that stood up in
its place, four kingdoms shall arise out of that
nation, but not with its power. And in the latter
time of their kingdom, when the transgressors
have reached their fullness, a king shall arise,
having fierce features, who understands sinister
schemes. His power shall be mighty, but not by
his own power. He shall destroy fearfully, and
shall prosper and thrive. He shall destroy the
mighty, and also the holy people. Through his
cunning he shall cause deceit to prosper under
his rule. And he shall exalt himself in his heart,
he shall destroy many in their prosperity. He
shall even rise against the prince of princes.
But he shall be broken without human means. And
the vision of the evenings and mornings which
was told is true. Therefore seal up the vision,
for it refers to many days in the future. And
I, Daniel, fainted and was sick for days. Afterward
I arose and went about the king's business. I
was astonished by the vision, but no one understood
it. I hope you enjoyed today's reading as much
as I did, and I look forward to seeing you again
tomorrow to continue on our journey. God bless
you and have a great day.