The Prophet Daniel

There were many great prophets throughout the ages, yet Daniel stands out as a preeminent figure. Daniel was a big foundation in the development of prophecies in general. The book of Revelation even has tons of similarities between its words and the prophetic words of the prophet Daniel. The book of Revelation was created by the apostle John shortly before 100 A.D. Daniel lived in a time when the Hebrews were in exile during the Babylonian exile. During that era of time, the Babylonians conquered the Fertile Crescent (including Israel). So, the first Temple was ruined by the Babylonians. Therefore, the Hebrews were captured, kidnapped, and subsequently sent

into Mesopotamia. It was another form of oppression against the Hebrews. Then, the King of Babylonia desired Daniel to interpret the dream that he witnessed. All of the astrologers & occultists couldn't formulate the accurate interpretation of the dream. Daniel made known to the King about the complete analysis of his dream. The prophet Daniel was a great prophet like Isaiah (the defender of the poor), Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and other human beings. Daniel wrote that there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets and makes known what shall be in the latter days from Daniel 2:28. There is no question that we live in an unique time in the beginning of the latter days (since there are flying machines, society is changing, Israel is here, the weather patterns are in a strange phrase of existence, we have a high level of simultaneous and rapid communication [like the Internet, cell phones, blackberries, satellites, e-mail, and other modes of advanced technological devices], etc.). What is happening now in the 21st century is that tons of people are waking up composing of numerous backgrounds. People legitimately seek truth, justice, peace, educational reforms, investments in our infrastructure, rights for workers, and a moral commitment to an end of the war on terror. This present war on terror is an evil war since it uses deception as a means to justify its wicked acts under the guise of patriotism and religious fervor. Many fake people try to use God in an exploitative fashion and then later on they want act tough again. Sometimes, a man doesnt need to yell to the roof tops. Sometimes a man can act or move in silence to get the job done. Thats a real lesson in life. Some folks refuse to mix religion and politics, but how can you make a difference in the world if you exclude discussions on religion or moral ethics. You cant. Also, its important to fight against materialism and abhor an unique form of social bigotry (that promotes the lie that if you look eclectic, if you have eclectic tastes, if you act differently than a stereotypical model of manhood or womanhood, then you are inferior. Frankly, you are not inferior. You are not less than another human being because of how you talk, what clothes you dress or wear, or what your interests are. You are special and you are unique created in Gods image. Western society falsely equates numerous folks acting nice as a sin. Let it be known that being nice is never a sin or a detriment to true human character). True human character is defined by courage, love for humanity, strength, overcoming obstacles, and being inspired to promote righteousness in society. The truth is that any human being irrespective of their physical appearance or any distinction is equal to any other human being. We are determined to be human beings and not to be ashamed of what we are. Subsequently, the naysayers say leave America if we dont like the conditions in America. Thats foolishness, because throughout Americas history, dissenters have expressed their dissatisfaction with the corruption in America. Expressing legitimate grievances against some corrupt policies in America is a part of not slander, but the expression of the freedom of speech, the freedom of the press (including the freedom of assembly, and the right to protest). We have the excellent right to protest for right.

We dont have to live under silly peer pressure or uniformly plus unconditionally submit to hypocritical societal norms. We should have independent thinking and true freedom to promote real values instead of the values of greed, of prejudice, of arrogance, of mental slavery, and of materialism. Fighting against poverty (like dealing with the problems in the ghettoes, Appalachia, and other poorer areas in the world in order to create solutions), fighting against health care disparities, and believing in an end to the killings of millions worldwide via immoral wars are great duties to perform to achieve a victory. In the final analysis, people wants some improvement and be concerned with the poor, the sojourner, and the downtrodden (including the outcast). Its very hypocritical for some to yell about redistribution of wealth when for decades; there has been a radical redistribution of wealth from the poor the rich via immoral, reactionary financial policies. I am going to fight like a man firmly for my destiny, my liberties, and for real reforms being articulated in the world.

The state of mind of the prophets was in the mindset of living in ancient Middle Eastern history plus culture. They were like everyday human beings and wrote about events that were fulfilled in the future. People have the right to believe in what they want. Organized religion is what I dont follow and believing in spiritual principles from the prophets doesnt mean that I support state run religions. I dont and I reject any institutions of a theocracy in any society. Lies exist among many groups, but true spirituality can overcome deceptions. Also, being masculine isnt a sin and being feminine isnt a sin either. Its a sin when people exploit masculine and feminine influences in the Universe as an excuse to harm or immorally dominate both genders. Also, many of the prophets words came true and this has nothing to do with hanging on to nefarious socio-political and religioneconomic propaganda. Many human beings have great characters and died without experienced a 2 faced personalities including many of the ancients. The early church is made up of the first followers (including other people) during the first few centuries of Christianity. They were independent, strong, and had a growing following. That is the early church. The real early church werent made up of ignorant people, because the early church had access to the Torah, the Law, the words of the Prophets, the rest of the Tenakh, and other information at their disposal. They believed in moral living and loving kindness. They were brave to oppress the oppression from the Roman Empire and some died for standing up for their belief systems. Many in the early church can have reasoned debate and exist with an authentic, real conversation on issues. This has occurred before. Also, many interpretations of life in the world exist, but moral absolutes are real in the Universe. These moral absolutes dont have many interpretations. They are real. They are true and just like we shouldnt kill innocent people, treat your neighbor as yourself, help the poor, and love God with all of your heart & strength. The real church is made of true believers in God simply. The concept of church was invented by Jesus, his apostles, and Jesus followers. The church concept was invented to unify believers, do the communion, and have spiritual growth in the Christian religion. People discuss these issues all of the time in the world. Many languages in the Scriptures arent passive, aggressive nonsense.

The book of Daniel had words that existed in the Book of Revelation as written by the Apostle John. When John wrote the book of Revelation, the beasts, the 3 years timing, Gods throne etc. alluded to Daniels great visions. The book of Revelation mentions that there will be the mark of the Beast. The mark comes and the Beast wants everyone to take his mark in their forehead or hand, so they can buy or sell food. Those who refuse to have the mark will be beheaded. Those who take it according to the book of Revelations, God will cast into the lake of fire. The prophecy shown by the apostle John mention that the city of Babylon would be burned and destroyed for being involved in killing innocent human beings and its corruption. The prophecies from Jesus Christ, Paul, Peter, and others mention that the time of Noah would be similar to the time of the end of the age. It isnt a secret that our times are similar to the times back then. Today, we have families fighting each other, earthquakes in record times (even in Virginia in August 23, 2011. It affected D.C. with its Masonic, phallic, and pagan image of the Washington Monument), we have economic uncertainly, we have hatred, we have materialism, the rich continue to oppress the poor, recreational drug use is here, the glamorization of evil is abound, and we have blasphemers as well like Ricky Gervais. Some Baptist and Protestant Christians in Mexico have been oppressed as well because of their religious beliefs. Thats wrong since I believe in religious freedom. Earlier in the month of September, approximately 70 Evangelical Christians in the village of in the village of San Rafael Tlanalapan, Puebla were expelled from their homes by local authorities after traditionalist Catholics told them that if they remained in their homes past September 12th they would be crucified or lynched. Crop levels are doing down in America. The world reaps what it has sown. The New Age is stronger now than even 5 years ago. Just before the arrival of the Beast or Antichrist, these events will come. The Beast will act as a man of peace and try to claim to seek peace. There is good news. The good news is that people can change and accept the grace of God and follow his commandments. Also, scholars have refuted the Zoroaster/Christ link myth completely. No one is too proud for prayer. So, if you going through bad times or good times in your life, there is nothing wrong with prayer to the Lord to help you out in the journey of life.

Almost 2,000 years ago, the Apostle John gave a prediction of the end times. It is interesting to note that the prophecies from John are strikingly similar to the prophecies of Daniel. The book of Revelation has intensive information about the last days. The synopsis of the book of Revelation deals with a global Empire ruled by the Beast (or code name for the Antichrist). The Apostle John classifies the Beast as being a one world ruler that will try to make all peoples carry a mark in their hand or in their forehead (from Revelation 13:4-8, 19:19-20) in order to buy or sell items. The Beast is supported by the False Prophet that tries to make people worship the Beast. This same one world empire was predicted by Daniel. The vision from Nebuchadnezzar was classified by Daniel as describing a huge statue of a man. The statue was divided into 4 types of metal (each metal from the top to bottom goes from the metal being worth more to the eyes of man in the top into the metal on the bottom being worth least in the eyes of man). Conversely, the metals from top to bottom represent the power of the Empire from being less powerful in the top to being most powerful in the bottom. Now, the image of the head is made of gold. Each representation of the empire from the vision either influenced or governs the nation of Israel. The stone destroyed the image according to Daniel. Daniel then said that the stone that destroyed the image became a great mountain and spread across the Earth as found in Daniel 2:31-34. The stone that was cut without hands according to Christian scholars is the stone that the builders refused to support (or Jesus Christ) and the mountain formed is the new & final Kingdom of God the Most High. The first Kingdom of the head of gold is the King of Nebuchadnezzar (of ancient Babylon).

Later, Daniel continues to predict the meanings of the other Empires that came after Babylon. Daniel said that another Kingdom shall come being inferior to him and then another third Kingdom that shall rule over all the Earth being of bronze. The fourth Kingdom according to the prophet Daniel shall be as iron (that breaks things into pieces and subdues all things) as found in Daniel 2:39-40. There are the 10 toes of the Kingdom made of clay and iron mixed (being partly strong and partly weak) and then it will be destroyed by the Kingdom of God. Nebuchadnezzar was prideful and suffered for 7 years until he was returned back to normal. Early settlements in Mesopotamia were Al-Ubaid and Jemdet Nasr. Urbanization in Babylonia traveled from the southern regions of modern day Kuwait & Iraq into the northern sections of Iraq. Ancient Mesopotamians include a diverse amount of peoples like the Babylonians, Sumerians, Assyrians, the Gutians, the Mittani, the Arameans, etc.

Daniel also predicted in Daniel 5:26-28 that the Babylonian Empire would end and it shall be ruled by the Medes and the Persians. The 2nd Kingdom was the Medo-Persian Empire made up of chest of 2 arms of silver under Cyrus the Great (Cyrus was named by the prophet Isaiah 2 centuries before he was born in Isaiah 45:1-4). In Isaiah 44:28, 45:1, God speaks of Cyrus as rebuilding the previously destroyed Temple. Cyrus allowed the Hebrew Temple to be rebuilt in the city of Jerusalem as fulfilling God's prophecy. Cyrus allowed the Jewish people to return to Israel from their forced exile. The belly and thighs of brass describes the empire of the ancient Greeks. The famous person heading up this Empire was Alexander the Great (He was Macedonian, but he ruled under the Greco culture). Alexander defeated the Medes and the Persians. The Greek Empire is prophesized by Daniel from Daniel 8:1-22. The prophet Daniel said that the goat will smite

the ram and broke its 2 horns. The ram with 2 horns are the Medes and the Persians while the goat represents the King of Greece. Daniel specifically mentions this. Daniel 8:8 says that the goat is the first King of the Empire (refers to Alexander the Great). Daniel says that his Kingdom will fall (at the height of his power) and it will be divided into 4 horns from one toward the 4 winds of Heaven. This is all cited in Daniel 8:8. In real life, when Alexander the Great's Empire fell (when he died in 323 B.C. He was born in 356 B.C.), it was divided among the 4 Generals of Alexander (being Cassander, Lysimachus, Ptolemy, and Seleucus). Alexander died before he was 40 years old. Phillip (or Alexanders half brother), Alexander II (one of his legitimate son), and Hercules (his illegitimate son) were all killed and Alexander's general took over the power base of the Empire. Antiochus IV Epiphanes would ruthlessly persecute Jewish people took in the 2nd century B.C. Josephus confirmed the prophet Daniel's authorship and wrote about Alexander the Great knowing about the book of Daniel from his Antiquities of the Jews book. Josephus lived in the 1st century. By 169 B.C., the Greeks lost control of ancient Macedonia to the Romans.

Augustus Caesar was the first Emperor of Rome whose reign lasted from 31 B.C. to 14 A.D. The ancient Romans were mostly descendants from Indo-European tribes (that came in the Italian Peninsula in ca. the mid 3rd millennium B.C.) like the Latins, Sabines, etc. Ancient Rome was very much agricultural. As early as 8,000 B.C., there were rock drawings in Valcamonica in Italy. The 3rd millennium B.C. Remedello culture is said to be the first Indo-Europeans civilization in that region. They took over the Po Valley to develop cooper smithing. The Beaker culture came into Italy as well, which was a second wave of immigration from the late 3rd-early 2nd millennium BC. They used bronze smithing. In the mid-2nd millennium BC, a third wave arrived, associated with the Terramare culture. The Terramare culture takes its name from the black earth (terremare) residue of settlement mounds, which have long served the fertilizing needs of local farmers. Sardinia has the Nuragic civilization with towes, dolmens, and menhirs. The Iron Age came from the 8th to the 5th century B.C. This was called the Villanovan culture, which is related to the Urnfeld culture that gave iron working to the Italian peninsula. They or these Indo-European tribes took influence in the development of their Empire from the ancient non-Indo-European peoples called the Etruscans. They existed in Italy in ca. 800 B.C. with their center called Viterbo. Their citadel was called Acquarossa and it was destroyed in ca. 500 B.C. The Etruscans had an abundance of civilization from Temples, art, travel, etc. The Etruscans developed their own culture and even had their own alphabet that I knew about back in the 1990s. Ancient Rome evolved or transformed itself from a Republic into an Empire. Ancient Rome was a mighty empire. Ancient Rome would be divided as shown in the 2 legs of iron in Daniel's prophecy. The Roman Empire was split in 2 among the Eastern Roman Empire (whose capital was Constantinople or modern day Istanbul) and Western Roman Empire (whose head was Rome). The Roman Empire experienced the physical existence of Messiah ben David or the prophet & Messiah Yeshua. Old prophecies described Yeshua as being called the Son of God (Psalm 2:2, 7,12), being born in Bethlehem in order to rule Israel plus be called God (Micah 5:2), he was born to a specific young Hebrew maiden (Isaiah 7:4), he is called the everlasting Mighty God (Isaiah 9:6), he is called Salvation as found in Isaiah 62:11, and he was terribly assaulted in his own nation (Isaiah 52:14). There are other like minded prophecies that definitely confirm that Jesus Christ is a very important figure in history. Jesus promotes loving your neighbor, the defense of the poor, he promoted justice, and he disagreed with the oppression done by the Roman Empire.

During the Roman Empire, the 2nd Temple was destroyed. The prophet & Messiah Yeshua talked about the destruction of Jerusalem and the scattering of Jewish people worldwide. This is a historical fact that happened in ca. 70 A.D. under the power of Titus Vespasian. This was the beginning of the Diaspora (and the suffering of the Jewish people). The Roman Catholic Church was split into the Catholic Church and the Greek Orthodox Empire. The 10 feet of clay mixed with iron has many interpretations. One is of the 10 European tribes that conquered Rome and others feel it's the final Antichrist Empire with 10 Kings with 10 regions worldwide. There are the 4 beasts shown by Daniel.

You dont discuss about the prophet Daniel without mentioning his seventy weeks prophecy. Daniel 9:24-27 mentioned that: Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate

The prophecy was given to the Prophet Daniel by the Angel Gabriel. Now, the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem came from Nehemiah 2:1-6. This command was established in the first day of the Hebrew New Year, the first of Nisan, in the 20th year of the reign of Artaxerxes, King of Persia. That date, as proven by Sir Robert Anderson in his epic work, The Coming Prince, was March 14, 445 BC. 445 B.C. is the time of the command to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. As per Daniel 9:25, that command would begin the countdown to "Messiah the Prince." Many Biblical scholars mention that the 70 week period details a long period of time. There is the first 69 weeks that terminated with the First Coming of the Messiah. Weeks in the Hebrew language refers to years, therefore 1 week is equated to 7 years. The 70th week will end with the Second Coming of the Messiah. Further, the early church looked forward to a coming Antichrist and thus a future time of Great Tribulation. Sir Robert Anderson wrote in his The Coming Prince on page 184: "That the seventieth week will be the last seven years of the dispensation, and the term of the reign of Antichrist, is a belief as old as the writings of the Ante-Nicene Fathers." [Emphasis added]

Clarence Larkin adds in his Dispensational Truth on page 5: "...This view [that chapters 6-19 of The Revelation are future and thus transpire during the future 70th week of Daniel], while it dates in modern times only from the close of the Sixteenth Century, is really the most ancient of the three [schools, the Preterist, the Historical and the Futurist]. It was held in many of its prominent features by the primitive Fathers of the Church, and is one of the early interpretations of scripture truth that sunk into oblivion with the growth of the Papacy, and that has been restored to the Church in these last times..."

Even Irenaeus (120-202 A.D.) of the early Church wrote the following:

"This is also the unjust judge, whom the Lord mentioned as one 'who feared not God, neither regarded man,' to whom the widow fled in her forgetfulness of God, that is, the earthly Jerusalem, - to be avenged of her adversary. Which also he shall do in the time of his kingdom: he shall remove his kingdom into that city, and shall sit in the temple of God, leading astray those who worship him, as if he were Christ. To this purpose Daniel says again: 'And he shall desolate the holy place; and sin has been given for a sacrifice, and righteousness been cast away in the earth, and he has been active (fecit), and gone on prosperously.' ... And then he points out the time that his tyranny shall last, during which the saints shall be put to flight, they who offer a pure sacrifice unto God: And in the midst of the week, he says, the sacrifice and the libation shall be taken away, and the abomination of desolation shall be brought into the temple: even unto the consummation of the time shall the desolation be complete. Now three years and six months constitute the half-week." [Against Heresies, Book V, XXV, 2] "But when this Antichrist shall have devastated all things in this world, he will reign for three years and six months, and sit in the temple at Jerusalem; and then the Lord will come from heaven in the clouds, in the glory of the Father, sending this man and those who follow him into the lake of fire; but bringing in for the righteous the times of the kingdom, that is, the rest, the hallowed seventh day; and restoring to Abraham the promised inheritance, in which kingdom the Lord declared, that 'many coming from the east and from the west should sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.'" [Against Heresies, V, XXX, 4]

Scholars believe that Daniels 69 weeks prophecy lasted from 445 B.C. to the 30s A.D. (in the end of Jesus Christs life). Gavin Finley, M.D. used the 360 day per year calculation. A week is 7 years according to some theologians. So, Gavin believed those 69 weeks times 7 weeks equals to 483 holy days. 483 days times 360 days are equaled to 173,880 days in solar years (or years plus 24.7 days in calendar years). According to Gavin: And when is our finishing day? As we shall see the 173,880 day time line comes to its terminus on a very auspicious day in the Passover month of Nisan in 32 A.D., specifically Nisan 10 of that year. As we shall discover, that Nisan 10 date was 5,888 moons and 8 days later.With those

extra 24 days we shall measure out the days from the spring equinox points to reach out to those two auspicious dates, the decree of Artaxerxes to Nehemiah in 445 B.C. and the Palm Sunday entry into Jerusalem of Jesus at "Messiah the Prince" in 32 A.D... So, as we see that the prophet Daniel was a great leader and one of the greatest prophets in human history. That is why its easy to see that the great feasts as mentioned by the prophets (including the prophet & Messiah Yeshua ben Joseph) relate to future prophetic times.
Here are some quotes from two respected and authoritative Jewish sources: Rabbi Abraham ben Ezra (12th century): "All the heathen shall look to me to see what I shall do to those who pierced Messiah, the son of Joseph." Rabbi Moshe el Sheikh, chief rabbi of Safed: "I will do yet a third thing, and that is, that 'they shall look unto me,' for they shall lift up their eyes unto me in perfect repentance, when they see Him whom they pierced, that is Messiah, the Son of Joseph; for our Rabbis, of blessed memory, have said that He will take upon Himself all the guilt of Israel, and shall then be slain in the war to make an atonement in such manner that it shall be accounted as if Israel had pierced Him, for on account of their sin He has died; and, therefore, in order that it may be reckoned to them as a perfect atonement, they will repent and look to the blessed One, saying, that there is none beside Him to forgive those that mourn on account of Him who died for their sin: this is the meaning of 'They shall look upon me.'"

Liberation isnt found in Empires oppressing human beings, but in the power of the Creator of the Universe. People fighting for justice is always a cogent, strong, and legitimate way of seeking true peace. Regardless of what this generation says, character, decency, strength, and improvement are real qualities to embrace not fake bravado or a narrow minded, materialistic philosophy.

One mostly accepted interpretation is that the 4 beast represent 3 ancient Empires and the final Antichrist Empire. Another interpretation is that the 4 beasts represent the modern age Empires and the final beat is the Antichrist Empire. Most religious scholars believe that the non-descript fourth beast

outlines an unique worldwide Empire (with the horn outlining the mouth of beast or Antichrist). The prophet Daniel says that in the days of the final 10 kings shall the God of heaven set up a Kingdom that will never be destroyed (in reference to the Millennial reign of Yeshua and the eternal Kingdom of the Most High). The 10 Kings ruling the Earth has been predicted by the Apostle John in the book of Revelations17:12-13.

By Timothy