MATTHEW 24 15-22

 a paraphrased ‘enter the story’

 🍃🕊️reading & study 🕊️🍃

     04/27 - GospeL Verses 

15 - “So - when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand) — [DANIEL 9:27 ..”a strong treaty (berith - covenant, league, treaty) with many for one week (of years) but in the middle of the week will cause sacrifices to cease” {or place of? Hebrews 13:15 “..let us offer the sacrifice of praise” - Luke 19:41,44? “share your hopes and prayers at the Western Wall” - Jewish learning dot com, article - what is the western wall}. DANIEL 11:31 - Forces from him shall appear and defile the holy place and refuge, and shall take away the continual (tamid - perpetual, continual) sacrifices and place (there) the abomination that desolates” - during the Maccabees, the Syrian Antiochus Epiphanes offered a pig upon the temple altar, in 70 CE the razing Roman army under Titus hung Roman standards on the ramparts of the temple, at the completion/end of the age is surely? the misleading modern miracle of the triple six, this time upon the human temple meant for God’s Spirit/Presence (1Corinthians 3:16).. DANIEL 12:11,12 - “And from the time the continual is taken away (sur - turned aside, departed, taken away or removed) and the abomination that makes desolate is set up will be 1,290 days” - which is 3 hebrew years plus 30 days. “And happy is the one/those who wait, and come to the days 1,335” — {Summary? — “In the middle of the week” lauded treaty only lasts a week of years and in the middle of it, the {place of} continual sacrifice is taken away or removed, then 1,290 days later is “set up” the final abomination which desolates/makes ‘empty’. Happy those who come to the days 1,335. - The last “ten days” of, escalating to most critical? Rev.2:10.]

     15 - “So - when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand) 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let the one who is on the housetop (an Old Israel practice) not go down to take what is in the house, 18 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take their coat. 19 Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 20 Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. 22 And if not shortened, those days no flesh would be preserved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.

                     ~ * ~

🗝️ [  ] - word/language insights, usually from biblehub dot com - peering through translator partial unbelief; cross references, etc.

      {  } - thots

Tomorrows verses - Matthew 24:23-28

My own studies. Been neglecting Psalms (jan 1-20, feb-20’s, mar-30’s, apr-40’s, etc. dec-120-150) and the Prophets.

Daniel Summaries Chapters 1 - 6

      Adventures In Babylon!

           >> Ch 1 and 2 <<

The Imposing Dream Image of Empire

 • Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.. he carried off to Babylon many of the people, and some of the articles from the temple of God, he took and put in the treasure house of his god. Daniel is drafted into King Nebuchadnezzar’s court (of wise men and astrologers) and becomes known for his insight and wisdom. King Nebuchadnezzar has a troubling dream so that “his sleep escapes him”. But he can’t even remember the dream, so he calls in the wise men of his court and wants them to not only interpret the dream but tell him what the dream was. They say “Tell us the dream and we’ll interpret”. But the king says tell me the dream or you will all be executed”.

     “No one can do such a thing!” they say. Daniel asks the steward what the deal is.. Then he tells him, tell the king not to execute the wise men, there’s a God who can tell you the dream. And he tells his friends also in service to pray, and later in a vision of the night God revealed the dream, and Daniel tells the king the dream and its interpretation.

     Ch.2 - You saw, O king, a great statue. This image, was mighty and of exceeding brightness, and it stood before you, and its appearance was frightening [dechal - fearful, dreadful, intimidating]. The head of this image was of shining gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. As you looked, a stone that had not been formed by human hands struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, were all broken in pieces, and became like chaff blowing in the wind. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. 36 This was the dream. And now we will tell the king its interpretation.”

     37 “You, O king, as a king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, power, might, and glory, 38 and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all—you are the head of gold [Babylon]. 39 Another kingdom (Media-Persia, the silver) inferior to you shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze (Greece) which will rule all the earth. 40 And there shall be a fourth kingdom (Rome) strong as iron, because iron breaks and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all the rest. (The two legs of Rome.) 41 And as you saw the feet and toes (an ignored last days empire) partly of potter's clay and partly of iron (west), it shall become a divided kingdom, but with some of the strength of iron still in it.. 42 And as the (ten) toes (seats, divisions, “‘kings’ of the last hour”-Rev.17:12,16) were of iron and of clay, so the kingdom shall be part strong and part broken (broken by the iron?) 43 As you saw the iron mixed with clay, so the peoples will mix with one another, but will not hold together any more than iron mixes with clay. 44 But in those days the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or hurt [chabal - to destroy, hurt]. It shall stand forever ..The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”

  >> Chapter 3 <<

The Fiery Furnace

 • King Nebuchadnezzar had a large image made of gold set up on the plain and decrees that all must worship it whenever they hear the call upon any instrument of music to do do so. But Daniel’s three companions are reported for not doing so, furious the King has them thrown into the fiery furnace, but then the king says, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire? Yet I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.” ..satraps, prefects, counselors, and magistrates saw that the fire had not had any power over the three. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. (Rev.7:16) 28 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego!”

       >> Chapter 4 <<

A Stump In The Field

 • King Nebuchadnezzar has another troubling dream ..so he summoned Daniel, and said, “I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, its height was so great it was visible to the end of all the earth. Its beautiful leaves and fruit abundant was food for all. The beasts under its shade and the birds in its branches. But then a watcher, a holy one, came down from heaven, proclaiming loudly, ‘Chop down the tree! Leave the stump amid the grass of the field, bound with a band of iron and bronze for seven times”.

     “It is you, O king” Daniel said, “who has grown and become strong. Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth. It shall be for 7 years ..as it was commanded to leave the stump, your kingdom shall be returned to you from the time that you know that Heaven rules”.

     At the end of twelve months Nebuchadnezzar was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, and the king said, “Is not this great Babylon! Which I have built by my mighty power! As a royal residence, for the glory of my majesty?” Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. And he was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles' feathers, and his nails were like birds' claws.

     At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just, and those who walk in arrogance he is able to humble.

     >> Chapter 5 <<

The Writing On The Wall

 • King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and while they were drinking wine, 2 he ordered that the vessels of gold and silver be brought in that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem so the king and his lords, wives, and concubines might drink from them. 4 And so they drank wine and praised the gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. 5 And right then the finger of a hand appeared and it wrote upon the wall in the light of the lampstand. The king saw the hand as it wrote, 6 and his face paled in alarm, and 7 he called loudly to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers.  “Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and be the third ruler in the kingdom!” 

     But no one could, then the queen declared, “O king, live forever! Do not be alarmed. 11 There is a man in your kingdom.. 12 ..let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.” 

     …Daniel said, “Oh king let your gifts be for yourself, and give the rewards to another..18 The Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father kingship, greatness, glory and majesty. 19 And because of the greatness that was given to him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whoever he would, he killed, and whoever he would, he kept alive. He raised up, and he brought low, and 20 his heart was lifted up, his spirit was hardened..21 ..Then his mind was made like that of a beast, he was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with dew ..until he knew God Most High rules ..22 And you king Nebuchadnezzar’s son, Belshazzar, though you knew all that, 23 you lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. And you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have used his vessels for praising the gods of silver and gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose power is all breath, you have gone out of your way to dishonor. 24 So from his presence came the hand and this writing, 25 Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. 26 ..God has numbered the days of your kingdom, you have been weighed in the balances.. 28 your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

     29 Then Belshazzar gave the order, and Daniel was clothed in purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and proclamation was made that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. 30 And that very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. 31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.

   >> Chapter 6 <<

Daniel In The Lion’s Den

 • Darius set over the kingdom 120 satraps.. 2 and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one..  3 ..And Daniel became distinguished above the other high officials and the satraps, because of the excellent spirit in him. (Advancement isn’t aLways through conquest, colonizing and extortion/oppression.) And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom! 4 But the high officials and satraps looked to find a ground for complaint against Daniel and they could find none but said, “We shall not find anything against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”

     6 So they went by agreement to the king and said, “The king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions! 8 ..Sign the document, that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians..” 10 And although Daniel knew the document had been signed, at his window open toward Jerusalem, he still prayed three times a day to his God, and gave thanks. 11 The officials and satraps went again to the king and said, “O king! Did you not sign an injunction, that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered, “It stands fast. According to the law of the Medes and Persians, it cannot be broken.” 13 They answered him, “Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day!”

     14 Then the king, was much distressed and set his mind to pardon Daniel, worrying until the sun went down how to rescue him. 15 But the men came again by agreement again, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.” 16 So the king commanded, and Daniel was cast into the den of lions. He said to Daniel, “May your God deliver you!” 17 A stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own stamp. 18 And his sleep fled him, and 19 at break of day, he went in haste to the den of lions, “O Daniel, servant of the living God! Has your God, whom you always serve, been able to deliver you?” 21 Then Daniel said, “O king, live forever! 22 My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths..” So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. 24 And the king commanded, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions. (“Your doings will return upon your own heads” Obadiah 1:15.) 25 And King Darius wrote a decree to all the peoples, nations, and languages: “Peace be multiplied to you. 26 I make a decree.. in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel (such was the ancient view) for he is the living God, enduring forever, his kingdom will never be destroyed, and his dominion never end. 27 He delivers and rescues, works signs and wonders in heaven and upon earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.” 28 So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

FROM THE PROPHETS - Daniel

           Part 1— study notes

        before beginning Daniel

598bc babylonia conquers Judah (Israel has already been carried off to Assyria)

586bc Nebuchadnezzar sacked Jerusalem, carried many off to Babylon.. Babylon later fell to Persia:

    Nabonidus; Belshazzar - the writing on the wall king; Darius the Mede “received the kingdom” (under?) Cyrus the Great of Persia 550bc to 538bc - Cyrus decreed all Israel in all his kingdom should go home, and some/many did, led by Zerubbabel, and they began to “rebuild the TEMPLE” (and at the time of Cyrus’ proclamation, the massive empire included once again Assyria)

           — — — — —

Then there’s 3 kings (Dn.11:2) Cambyses; Smerdis; Darius the Great

516bc the rebuilt temple is dedicated

Note - “the captivity” and resulting “diaspora/dispersion” is when synagogues were first established, they were needed for observing the Sabbath, and for holy days, etc, and this is when **prayers were substituted for temple sacrifices** (a biblically repeated theme..)

            — — — — —

(4th king, Dn.11) 486bc Xerxes, great and famous war against Greece …non-consequential reigns are left out of the prophecy list. Alexander such a while later said his war against Persia was in revenge, then he died, the kingdom going to four of his generals.. which became the wars of the Ptolemies (Egypt) and the Seleucids (Syria) up to Antiochus Epiphanes the villain, super persecuter, in the prophecy’s (immediate, more ‘micro’ fulfillment) and of course in the Maccabean account.

            — — — — —

464bc to 425bc Artaxerxes (son of Xerxes) ruled the Persian empire; Esther was one of his queens; it was from his court, around 440bc that Ezra and Nehemiah traveled from Persia to Jerusalem to start rebuilding the rubble that was Jerusalem’s WALLS; Artaxerxes’ decree to - rebuild Jerusalem - fulfilled part of Daniel’s 70 weeks (of years) prophecy (very technical, um, code?) 9:25 - from the decree (and support) to rebuild aNd restore Jerusalem - until the coming of Messiah/an anointed one (Palm Sunday, the declaration of) - there will be seven weeks (of years, 49 years of building, until the 16th year of Darius the Great, lion’s den account, the ancient Persian empire was at its largest) and (then) sixty-two (more) weeks (of years, 7x62/434 years) until Messiah (entered Jerusalem in the Triumphal Entry).

     So, the prophecy was 7 weeks of years (49 weeks) of rebuilding Jerusalem, then 62 more weeks of years, which is 434 years, to Messiah’s Triumphal Entry.

     49 plus 434 is 483, leaving one week of years left - 7 of the total 490.

           — — — — —

I’m hoping Part 2 starts with Daniel 1:1 - though I have more notes.. Should I include them here? After all anyone can read or not read.. For the sake of Part 2, even though the book of Daniel is pretty complicated and intense:

Every part of the study will be included below the new parts. So this can always be read later.

                      - - -

The first two of the large prophetic visions in Daniel, end with obvious, last days fulfillment. These two visions are, first, Nebuchadnezzar’s dream statue of earth empires (Dn.2 and 2) which impressive statue is struck upon the feet (the ten toes/divisions called kings of the last hour in Rev.17:12,16) with a stone, so that the statue topples, and the stone (kingdom) becomes a great mountain/kingdom that fills the earth.

     And the second vision, of the four, succeeding one another beasts, the last one “more terrible”  - with the iron and bronze-7:7,19 & Rev.13:1 - of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream statue. The iron and bronze representing the empires of Rome and Greece, that shatters/roman and subdues/greek - also - concludes with an obvious last days reference, as it ends with — as Daniel watched “thrones were set in place and the ancient of days took his seat”. (All the world is a stage - Shakespeare.)

     So in the same pattern (?) a third vision. In chapter 8. And we know the ram is the same old (Media) Persia, and the goat that charges at it is Greece - so maNy wars! Spanning so long - Xerxes.. Alexander.. Antiochus Epiphanes (who claimed he was Zeus incarnate) —> to today? As west against east.. Verse 23, the power of the west (of today, goat which charged so far east) becomes diluted by breaking off (dividing, division) into four different powers. Or two powers (the liberal and conservative of the west?) - but each with their extremes.. Making four. Weakness, division. BUT one of them, portrayed as “a horn with eyes” will rise.. (A SAME seat/oFFice, which Revelation, verse 13:13 pinpoints/pinpointed. Not yet? pointing to an individual.)

                    - - -

History, thus prophecy, repeats. Having a more or less immediate ‘micro’ fulfillment, and then later a culmination of all history macro fulfillment - 9:26 - “After the sixty-two ‘sevens’ (weeks of years) the Anointed One will be put to death and will (appear to) have nothing. (After that) The people of the ruler/prince (Caesars, emperors) who will come, will destroy the city and the sanctuary (70A.D.). The end will come like a flood.

Julius who wasn’t an emperor; Augustus first Roman emperor, Luke 2:1 - “In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered” - just before Jesus was born; Tiberius; Caligula; Claudius under whom the Jews thus Priscilla and Aquila had to leave Rome; Nero; Galba; Otho; Vitellius; Vespasian; Titus who sacked Jerusalem as a general under Vespasian before he (Titus) became emperor; Domitian who banished disciple/apostle John to Patmos — Note Napolean Bonaparte crowned himself an emperor of a Roman Empire.

   War will continue - until, the end. And desolations are decreed [decided] (made into laws?) 

The 70th week starts when the ‘prince’/a.c. of-the-day, makes and confirms a strong covenant with many for one week.

(Rev.13:1-5)  Daniel 9:27 - In the middle of the week he will “put an end to sacrifice” (of prayers?) in 12:11 it’s worded as “takes away the perpetual sacrifice” — oR (current) place of? Lk.19:41,44.

     …will put an end to sacrifice and offering. [Yes, did occur under Antiochus Epiphanes whom the Maccabees valiantly fought and routed.]

      Dn.9:27 (12:11) - ..Will end/prohibit/take away the perpetual sacrifices. And on the wing of abominations (as one exceeding them all, of that day?) will set up an abomination that causes desolation.

     Dn.12:11 - “From the time that the daily (hebrew, perpetual) sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. Verse 12 - Blessed are they who wait and come to the 1,335 days.”

     So what is set up lasts/runs for 45 days? Escalating the last “ten days”? Rev.2:10.

     The abominations in the past- which desolated, had to do with the temple(s). The brick and mortar temple. Could the final one have to do with the human temple made for God’s Spirit/Presence?

     “..Until the end [kalah: the completion, consummation]” 9:27 - “And on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, until the decreed destruction is poured out upon him.”

     Rev.15:1, 16:1 - “..seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last.. Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.”

      Verse 9:24 (at day 1,335) Jesus returns and anoints a holy place..