The Meaning of the Dream

¹⁵ “I, Daniel, was ·worried [troubled/disturbed in spirit]. The visions that went through my ·mind [^Lhead] ·frightened [terrified] me. ¹⁶ I came near one of those standing there [^Can angel, perhaps Gabriel who interprets visions; 8:16; 9:21] and asked ·what all this meant [the truth of all this].

“So he told me and explained to me ·what these things meant [^Lthe interpretation of the matter]: ¹⁷ ‘The four great ·animals [beasts] are four ·kingdoms [or kings] that will come from the earth [vv. 4–7]. ¹⁸ But the holy ·people [^Lones; ^Ceither the saints or angels or both] who belong to the Most High God will receive the ·power to rule [kingdom] and will have the ·power to rule [kingdom] forever, from now on.’

¹⁹ “Then I wanted to know what the fourth ·animal [beast] meant, because it was different from all the others. It was very ·terrible [fearsome] and had iron teeth and bronze claws. It was the ·animal [beast] that crushed and ate what it killed and then ·walked on [stamped with its feet] whatever was left [v. 7]. ²⁰ I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and about the other horn [^Cthe little one] that grew there. It had ·pulled out [uprooted] three of the other ten horns and looked greater than the others. It had eyes and a mouth that kept bragging. ²¹ As I watched, the horn [^Cthe little one] began making war against ·God’s holy people [^Lthe holy ones; v. 18] and was defeating them ²² until ·God, who has been alive forever, [^Lthe Ancient of Days; v. 9] came. He judged in favor of the holy ·people [ones; v. 18] who belong to the Most High God; then the time came for them to receive the ·power to rule [^Lkingdom].

²³ “And he explained this to me: ‘The fourth ·animal [beast] is a fourth kingdom that will come on the earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will ·destroy [consume] ·people all over the world [^Lthe whole earth]. It will ·walk on [trample] and crush the whole earth. ²⁴ The ten horns are ten kings who will ·come [arise] from this fourth kingdom. After ·those ten kings are gone [^Lthem], another king will ·come [arise]. He will be different from the ·kings who ruled before him [^Lformer ones], and he will ·defeat [cause to fall] three of the other kings. ²⁵ This king will speak against the Most High God, and he will ·hurt and kill [^Lwear out] ·God’s holy people [^Lthe holy ones of Most High God; v. 18]. He will try to change ·times [holy times] and laws that have already been set. ·The holy people that belong to God will be in that king’s [^LThey will be given into his] power for ·three and one-half years [^La time, times, and half a time; ^Che will seem to grow but then be cut back].

²⁶ “‘But the court will ·decide what should happen [^Lsit in judgment]. ·The power of the king [^LHis dominion/sovereignty] will be taken away, and his kingdom will be completely destroyed. ²⁷ Then the holy ·people [ones] who belong to the Most High God [v. 18] will have the power to rule. They will rule over all the kingdoms under heaven with power and greatness, and their power to rule will last forever. People from all the other kingdoms will ·respect [fear] and ·serve [obey] them.’

²⁸ “That was the end of the ·dream [^Lmatter]. I, Daniel, was ·very afraid [terrified]. My face became ·white from fear [pale], but I kept everything ·to myself [^Lin my own heart/mind].”