Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

Gabriel Tells Daniel What His Vision Means

¹⁵ I was having the vision. And I was trying to understand it. Then I saw someone who looked like a man. ¹⁶ I heard a voice from the Ulai Canal. It called out, “Gabriel, tell Daniel what his vision means.”

¹⁷ Gabriel came close to where I was standing. I was terrified and fell down flat with my face toward the ground. Here is what he said to me. “Son of man, I want you to understand the vision. It’s about the time of the end.”

¹⁸ While he was speaking to me, I was sound asleep. I lay with my face on the ground. Then he touched me. He raised me to my feet.

¹⁹ He said, “I am going to tell you what will happen later. It will take place when God is angry. The vision is about the appointed time of the end. ²⁰ You saw a ram that had two horns. It stands for the kings of Media and Persia. ²¹ The goat stands for the king of Greece. The large horn between its eyes is the first king. ²² Four horns took the horn’s place when it was broken off. They stand for four kingdoms that will come from his nation. But those kingdoms will not be as powerful as his.

²³ “Toward the end of their rule, those who refuse to obey God will become completely evil. Then another king will appear. He will have a scary-looking face. He will be a master at making clever plans. ²⁴ He will become very strong. But he will not get that way by his own power. People will be amazed at the way he destroys everything. He will be successful no matter what he does. He will destroy mighty people. Those mighty people are God’s holy people. ²⁵ He will tell lies in order to succeed. He will think he is more important than anyone else. When people feel safe, he will destroy many of them. He will stand up against the greatest Prince of all. Then he will be destroyed. But he will not be killed by human beings.

²⁶ “The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given to you is true. But seal up the vision. It is about a time far off.”

²⁷ I, Daniel, was worn out. I was too tired to get up for several days. Then I got up and returned to my work for the king. The vision bewildered me. I couldn’t understand it.

³² Remember those earlier days after you received the light. You remained strong in a great battle that was full of suffering. ³³ Sometimes people spoke badly about you in front of others. Sometimes you were treated badly. At other times you stood side by side with people being treated like this. ³⁴ You suffered along with people in prison. When your property was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew that God had given you better and more lasting things. ³⁵ So don’t throw away your bold faith. It will bring you rich rewards.

³⁶ You need to be faithful. Then you will do what God wants. You will receive what he has promised.

³⁸ And,

³⁹ But we don’t belong to the people who pull back and are destroyed. We belong to the people who believe and are saved.