THE PROPHECY OF DANIEL
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
10:4. And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, I was by the great river, which is the Tigris.
10:5. And I lifted up my eyes, and I saw: and behold a man clothed in linen, and his loins were girded with the finest gold:
10:6. And his body was like the chrysolite, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as a burning lamp: and his arms, and all downward even to the feet, like in appearance to glittering brass: and the voice of his word like the voice of a multitude.
10:7. And I, Daniel alone, saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw it not: but an exceeding great terror fell upon them, and they fled away, and hid themselves.
10:8. And I, being left alone, saw this great vision: and there remained no strength in me, and the appearance of my countenance was changed in me, and I fainted away, and retained no strength.
10:9. And I heard the voice of his words: and when I heard I lay in a consternation upon my face, and my face was close to the ground.
10:10. And behold a hand touched me, and lifted me up upon my knees, and upon the joints of my hands.
10:11. And he said to me: Daniel, thou man of desires, understand the words that I speak to thee, and stand upright: for I am sent now to thee. And when he had said this word to me, I stood trembling.
10:12. And he said to me: Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thy heart to understand, to afflict thyself in the sight of thy God, thy words have been heard: and I am come for thy words.
10:13. But the prince of the kingdom of the Persians resisted me one and twenty days: and behold Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, and I remained there by the king of the Persians.
The prince, etc... That is, the angel guardian of Persia: who according to his office, seeking the spiritual good of the Persians was desirous that many of the Jews should remain among them.
10:14. But I am come to teach thee what things shall befall thy people in the latter days, for as yet the vision is for days.
10:15. And when he was speaking such words to me, I cast down my countenance to the ground, and held my peace.
10:16. And behold as it were the likeness of a son of man touched my lips: then I opened my mouth and spoke, and said to him that stood before me: O my lord, at the sight of thee my joints are loosed, and no strength hath remained in me.
10:17. And how can the servant of my lord speak with my lord? for no strength remaineth in me; moreover, my breath is stopped.
10:18. Therefore, he that looked like a man, touched me again, and strengthened me.
10:19. And he said: Fear not, O man of desires, peace be to thee: take courage, and be strong. And when he spoke to me, I grew strong, and I said: Speak, O my lord, for thou hast strengthened me.
10:20. And he said: Dost thou know wherefore I am come to thee? And now I will return, to fight against the prince of the Persians. When I went forth, there appeared the prince of the Greeks coming.
10:21. But I will tell thee what is set down in the scripture of truth: and none is my helper in all these things, but Michael your prince.
Michael your prince... The guardian general of the church of God.
Daniel Chapter 11
The angel declares to Daniel many things to come, with regard to the Persian and Grecian kings: more especially with regard to Antiochus as a figure of Antichrist.
11:1. And from the first year of Darius, the Mede, I stood up, that he might be strengthened, and confirmed.
11:2. And now I will shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand yet three kings in Persia, and the fourth shall be enriched exceedingly above them all: and when he shall be grown mighty by his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece.
Three kings... Viz., Cambyses, Smerdes Magus, and Darius, the son of Hystaspes.-Ibid. The fourth... Xerxes.
11:3. But there shall rise up a strong king, and shall rule with great power: and he shall do what he pleaseth.
A strong king... Alexander.
11:4. And when he shall come to his height, his kingdom shall be broken, and it shall be divided towards the four winds of the heaven: but not to his posterity, nor according to his pwoer with wheich he ruled. For his kingdom shall be rent in pieces, even for strangers, besides these.
11:5. And the king of the south shall be strengthened, and one of his princes shall prevail over him, and he shall rule with great power: for his dominions shall be great.
The king of the south... Ptolemeus the son of Lagus, king of Egypt, which lies south of Jerusalem.-Ibid. One of his princes... that is, one of Alexander's princes, shall prevail over him: that is, shall be stronger than the king of Egypt. He speaks of Seleucus Nicator, king of Asia and Syria, whose successors are here called the kings of the north, because their dominions lay to the north in respect to Jerusalem.
11:6. And after the end of years they shall be in league together: and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make friendship, but she shall not obtain the strength of the arm, neither shall her seed stand: and she shall be given up, and her young men that brought her, and they that strengthened her in these times.
The daughter of the king of the south... Viz., Berenice, daughter of Ptolemeus Philadelphus, given in marriage to Antiochus Theos, grandson of Seleucus.
11:7. And a plant of the bud of her roots shall stand up: and he shall come with an army, and shall enter into the province of the king of the north: and he shall abuse them, and shall prevail.
A plant, etc... Ptolemeus Evergetes, the son of Philadelphus.
11:8. And he shall also carry away captive into Egypt their gods, and their graven things, and their precious vessels of gold and silver: he shall prevail aginst the king of the north.
The king of the north... Seleucus Callinicus.
11:9. And the king of the south shall enter into the kingdom, and shall return to his own land.
11:10. And his sons shall be provoked, and they shall assemble a multitude of great forces: and he shall come with haste like a flood: and he shall return, and be stirred up, and he shall join battle with his force.
His sons... Seleucus Ceraunius, and Antiochus the Great, the sons of Callinicus.-Ibid. He shall come... Viz., Antiochus the Great.
11:11. And the king of the south being provoked, shall go forth, and shall fight against the king of the north, and shall prepare an exceeding great multitude, and a multitude shall be given into his hands.