WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:03.200 He was such a powerful prophet that even after his death, 2 00:00:03.560 --> 00:00:08.640 his legacy continued, shaping entire empires. Daniel, the man who 3 00:00:08.640 --> 00:00:12.679 survived the Lion's den and interpreted dreams that made kings tremble, 4 00:00:13.279 --> 00:00:16.399 left a trail of prophecies that unfolded across the centuries. 5 00:00:17.280 --> 00:00:20.559 What happened after this spiritual giant closed his eyes for 6 00:00:20.640 --> 00:00:25.800 the last time, seven events marked the ancient world, fulfilling 7 00:00:25.839 --> 00:00:30.280 exactly what he had foretold. Daniel, already advanced in age, 8 00:00:30.559 --> 00:00:34.679 had served faithfully under the Babylonian and Persian kingdoms. According 9 00:00:34.679 --> 00:00:37.600 to historical and biblical records, he lived until he was 10 00:00:37.640 --> 00:00:41.200 about eighty five years old, dying in Susa in Persia 11 00:00:41.640 --> 00:00:44.880 during the Empire of Cyrus. His last recorded words in 12 00:00:44.920 --> 00:00:48.719 scripture were but you Daniel shut up these words and 13 00:00:48.799 --> 00:00:52.200 sealed the book until the time of the end Daniel 14 00:00:52.240 --> 00:00:56.359 twelve four. With these words, he sealed prophecies that would 15 00:00:56.399 --> 00:01:00.359 remain as a guide for future generations. The Bye does 16 00:01:00.439 --> 00:01:03.560 not describe Daniel's death in detail, but we know he 17 00:01:03.600 --> 00:01:07.239 reached an age considered long for his time. Taken as 18 00:01:07.280 --> 00:01:10.599 a youth into Babylonian exile, he witnessed the fall of 19 00:01:10.640 --> 00:01:14.519 Babylon and the rise of the Persian Empire, serving various 20 00:01:14.560 --> 00:01:19.120 foreign monarchs with integrity. His last recorded position was as 21 00:01:19.159 --> 00:01:22.560 one of the three administrators who governed under King Darius 22 00:01:22.560 --> 00:01:26.719 of Persia. While Persian officials prepared his body for burial 23 00:01:27.040 --> 00:01:30.159 according to the customs of the time, the royal palace 24 00:01:30.280 --> 00:01:33.760 was immersed in sincere mourning. Even though he was a 25 00:01:33.799 --> 00:01:37.400 Hebrew in a foreign land, Daniel had won everyone's respect 26 00:01:37.480 --> 00:01:40.959 for his wisdom, integrity, and unique connection with the God 27 00:01:40.959 --> 00:01:44.959 of Israel. Few knew, however, that his prophecies were only 28 00:01:45.000 --> 00:01:50.000 beginning to unfold. First shocking event the precise fulfillment of 29 00:01:50.040 --> 00:01:53.239 his prophecy about the return of the Jewish exiles to 30 00:01:53.280 --> 00:01:56.920 their homeland. As Daniel had foretold in chapter nine of 31 00:01:56.959 --> 00:02:01.079 his book, King Cyrus of Persia issued a decree allowing 32 00:02:01.079 --> 00:02:04.599 the Jews to return to Jerusalem. This decree came about 33 00:02:04.640 --> 00:02:07.959 seventy years after the start of the exile, exactly as 34 00:02:08.000 --> 00:02:11.120 Daniel had interpreted from the words of the prophet Jeremiah. 35 00:02:11.879 --> 00:02:16.719 Cyrus's edict stated thus, says Cyrus, King of Persia, the 36 00:02:16.759 --> 00:02:19.719 Lord God of Heaven has given me all the kingdoms 37 00:02:19.759 --> 00:02:22.080 of the earth, and has charged me to build him 38 00:02:22.080 --> 00:02:25.599 a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever among 39 00:02:25.639 --> 00:02:28.000 you belongs to his people, let him go up, and 40 00:02:28.080 --> 00:02:31.240 may the Lord his God be with him Ezra one, 41 00:02:31.280 --> 00:02:36.120 two three. This official document circulated through all the provinces 42 00:02:36.120 --> 00:02:39.560 of the Empire, causing a stir among the Jewish exiles. 43 00:02:40.199 --> 00:02:43.520 As the news spread among Jewish communities in Babylon and Persia, 44 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:48.280 many recalled Daniel's words. He had accurately predicted not only 45 00:02:48.319 --> 00:02:50.919 when it would occur, but also who would serve as 46 00:02:50.960 --> 00:02:55.240 God's instrument for this liberation. Entire families began preparing for 47 00:02:55.280 --> 00:02:58.520 the long journey back to a land many knew only 48 00:02:58.560 --> 00:03:03.199 through stories told by per parents and grandparents. Second impact 49 00:03:03.520 --> 00:03:08.199 the reconstruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. Daniel had prophesied 50 00:03:08.240 --> 00:03:12.639 about the restoration of Jerusalem, including the sanctuary. Under the 51 00:03:12.719 --> 00:03:16.080 leadership of Zerubabel and with the encouragement of the prophets 52 00:03:16.120 --> 00:03:20.280 Hagai and Zechariah, the returning Jews began rebuilding the temple 53 00:03:20.599 --> 00:03:25.240 amid great difficulties and opposition from neighboring peoples. Who among 54 00:03:25.319 --> 00:03:28.759 you saw this house in its former glory, and how 55 00:03:28.800 --> 00:03:31.439 do you see it now? Is it not as nothing 56 00:03:31.479 --> 00:03:36.800 in your eyes, Hagai two three. These words from the 57 00:03:36.800 --> 00:03:40.759 prophet Hagai expressed the feelings of the elders who remembered 58 00:03:40.759 --> 00:03:45.439 the splendor of Solomon's temple. However, Daniel's prophecy assured them 59 00:03:45.759 --> 00:03:49.919 that this second temple, though less magnificent in appearance, would 60 00:03:49.960 --> 00:03:54.319 be more glorious in meaning. Progress was slow, each stone 61 00:03:54.400 --> 00:03:57.520 laid was a victory against adversaries who constantly sought to 62 00:03:57.560 --> 00:04:00.560 halt the work. Letters sent to the per Persian king 63 00:04:00.599 --> 00:04:03.759 by the enemies nearly succeeded in bringing construction to a 64 00:04:03.800 --> 00:04:07.520 complete stop, but Daniel's sealed words kept coming to pass 65 00:04:07.960 --> 00:04:12.080 even when it seemed impossible. After twenty one years of hardship, 66 00:04:12.400 --> 00:04:16.240 the temple was finally dedicated, marking the fulfillment of another 67 00:04:16.240 --> 00:04:19.279 prophetic vision left by the man who had served foreign 68 00:04:19.399 --> 00:04:23.519 kings without ever forgetting his commitment to the king of kings. 69 00:04:24.199 --> 00:04:27.800 Third remarkable event the rise and fall of the Persian Empire, 70 00:04:28.439 --> 00:04:31.240 just as he had foreseen in his symbolic visions recorded 71 00:04:31.279 --> 00:04:34.519 in chapter eight of his book. Daniel had seen a 72 00:04:34.600 --> 00:04:38.600 ram with two horns representing the Medes and Persians being 73 00:04:38.639 --> 00:04:41.959 defeated by a swift goat coming from the west, representing 74 00:04:42.040 --> 00:04:45.839 the Greek Empire under Alexander the Great. While I was 75 00:04:45.879 --> 00:04:49.600 considering this, behold, a male goat came from the west 76 00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:52.920 across the face of the whole earth, without touching the 77 00:04:52.959 --> 00:04:58.000 ground Daniel eight five. This detailed depiction of the speed 78 00:04:58.079 --> 00:05:01.360 and power with which Alexander w conquered the ancient world 79 00:05:01.920 --> 00:05:05.480 was fulfilled when, in three hundred thirty one before Christ, 80 00:05:05.959 --> 00:05:09.680 the Persian Empire was definitively overthrown by the Greeks at 81 00:05:09.720 --> 00:05:13.639 the Battle of Gaugamela. In the royal halls of Persepolis, 82 00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:18.360 now occupied by Greek governors, people recalled Daniel's ancient writings 83 00:05:18.360 --> 00:05:22.199 with astonishment. How could a man have predicted so precisely 84 00:05:22.720 --> 00:05:25.360 more than two hundred years earlier the fall of the 85 00:05:25.399 --> 00:05:29.040 greatest empire the world had ever known. As Hellenism spread 86 00:05:29.120 --> 00:05:34.439 rapidly throughout the region, changing customs, languages, and traditions. People 87 00:05:34.480 --> 00:05:37.759 realized that the world was following exactly the course Daniel 88 00:05:37.800 --> 00:05:41.639 had drawn out in his visions. Inspired by God. Fourth 89 00:05:41.680 --> 00:05:44.959 impact the division of the Greek Empire after Alexander the 90 00:05:45.000 --> 00:05:50.319 Great's death. With extraordinary accuracy. Daniel had prophesied and the 91 00:05:50.319 --> 00:05:54.000 goat became exceedingly great, But when he was at his strongest, 92 00:05:54.399 --> 00:05:57.279 the great horn was broken, and in its place four 93 00:05:57.319 --> 00:06:00.959 notable horns arose toward the four winds of Heaven. Daniel 94 00:06:01.040 --> 00:06:05.959 eight eight in three hundred twenty three before Christ, Alexander 95 00:06:06.000 --> 00:06:09.480 suddenly died in Babylon at thirty two years of age. 96 00:06:10.279 --> 00:06:14.000 After years of internal struggles among his generals, his vast 97 00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:18.000 empire was divided among four of them. Cassander took Macedonia 98 00:06:18.040 --> 00:06:22.240 and Greece, Lysimachus took Thrace and parts of Asia Minor 99 00:06:22.720 --> 00:06:27.639 Seleucus took Syria and Babylon, and Ptolemy took Egypt and Palestine. 100 00:06:28.519 --> 00:06:32.040 The Jews, who were familiar with Daniel's prophecies, observed these 101 00:06:32.040 --> 00:06:35.639 events with awe. The precision with which the division into 102 00:06:35.680 --> 00:06:40.040 four took place could not be mere coincidence. Some scribes 103 00:06:40.079 --> 00:06:44.639 in Jerusalem began studying Daniel's sealed writings more closely, realizing 104 00:06:45.040 --> 00:06:48.199 that if these prophecies were coming to pass with such exactness, 105 00:06:48.639 --> 00:06:51.399 the others would also be fulfilled at the appointed time. 106 00:06:53.000 --> 00:06:57.439 Fifth significant event the emergence of Antiochus, the fourth Epiphanes 107 00:06:57.839 --> 00:07:01.759 and his persecution of the Jews. Daniel had predicted the 108 00:07:01.839 --> 00:07:04.839 rise of a cruel king from the north, the Seleucid 109 00:07:04.879 --> 00:07:08.920 dynasty of Syria, who would persecute God's people. A king 110 00:07:08.959 --> 00:07:13.000 of fierce countenance shall arise, who understands riddles. He shall 111 00:07:13.040 --> 00:07:17.240 destroy the Mighty and the Holy people Daniel eight twenty 112 00:07:17.240 --> 00:07:21.279 three twenty four. In one hundred sixty seven before Christ, 113 00:07:21.680 --> 00:07:25.680 Antiochus desecrated the temple in Jerusalem by erecting an altar 114 00:07:25.720 --> 00:07:29.800 to Zeus and sacrificing pigs on the sacred altar. He 115 00:07:29.839 --> 00:07:35.480 banned circumcision, sabbath observance, and possession of sacred writings, punishing 116 00:07:35.519 --> 00:07:40.040 with death those who disobeyed his orders. This abomination of 117 00:07:40.120 --> 00:07:44.439 desolation mentioned by Daniel became a terrible reality for the 118 00:07:44.439 --> 00:07:48.000 faithful Jews. Many of those who sleep in the dust 119 00:07:48.040 --> 00:07:51.360 of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and 120 00:07:51.399 --> 00:07:56.240 some to shame and everlasting contempt Daniel, twelve two. During 121 00:07:56.240 --> 00:07:59.800 this period of intense persecution, many Jews were martyred for 122 00:07:59.800 --> 00:08:04.199 their faith, remaining steadfast in the teachings of their ancestors. 123 00:08:04.759 --> 00:08:08.560 The family of the Maccabees led a revolt against Antiochus, 124 00:08:08.680 --> 00:08:13.120 driven by the conviction that Daniel's prophecies guaranteed divine protection 125 00:08:13.600 --> 00:08:17.279 to those who stayed faithful in times of tribulation. Sixth 126 00:08:17.319 --> 00:08:22.040 profound impact the purification and rededication of the Temple, an 127 00:08:22.079 --> 00:08:25.439 event Daniel had foreseen when he spoke of the restoration 128 00:08:25.560 --> 00:08:30.600 of the sanctuary after its desecration. After three years of war, 129 00:08:31.199 --> 00:08:35.879 Judas Maccabeus and his followers reclaimed Jerusalem and purified the 130 00:08:35.919 --> 00:08:40.759 defiled temple until two thousand, three hundred evenings and mornings. 131 00:08:41.159 --> 00:08:43.840 Then the Sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state 132 00:08:44.559 --> 00:08:49.080 Daniel eight fourteen. This prophecy was fulfilled when, in one 133 00:08:49.200 --> 00:08:53.200 hundred sixty four before Christ, the Temple was purified and 134 00:08:53.279 --> 00:08:58.120 rededicated to God's service. This event is still commemorated today 135 00:08:58.480 --> 00:09:02.080 by the Jewish people during the festival of Hannaka, remembering 136 00:09:02.080 --> 00:09:05.320 how the Menora light miraculously stayed lit for eight days 137 00:09:05.679 --> 00:09:08.919 with only enough oil for one. As the celebration spread 138 00:09:08.919 --> 00:09:13.799 throughout Jerusalem, the priest's recited passages from Daniel's book, acknowledging 139 00:09:13.799 --> 00:09:17.279 how his sealed words had guided the people through dark times, 140 00:09:18.080 --> 00:09:20.440 the exactness with which he had predicted not only the 141 00:09:20.480 --> 00:09:26.480 desecration but also its precise duration and subsequent purification strengthened 142 00:09:26.480 --> 00:09:29.039 the faith of many who had wondered whether God was 143 00:09:29.080 --> 00:09:34.080 still with his chosen people. Seventh significant event the rise 144 00:09:34.120 --> 00:09:37.480 of the Roman Empire, the fourth beast of Daniel's vision 145 00:09:38.360 --> 00:09:42.759 in his prophecy about four successive world empires. After the Babylonian, 146 00:09:43.080 --> 00:09:46.759 the Meadow, Persian, and the Greek, Daniel describes a fourth 147 00:09:46.840 --> 00:09:50.559 kingdom strong as iron, because iron breaks and crushes everything 148 00:09:51.240 --> 00:09:57.559 Daniel two forty. In sixty three, before Christ Pompey conquered Jerusalem, 149 00:09:57.720 --> 00:10:01.919 bringing Judea under Roman rule. When the Roman legions marched 150 00:10:01.960 --> 00:10:06.120 on Jerusalem, scripture scholars recognized the arrival of the fourth Beast, 151 00:10:06.519 --> 00:10:11.399 described by Daniel terrifying, dreadful, and exceedingly strong. It had 152 00:10:11.440 --> 00:10:14.559 great iron teeth. It devoured and broke in pieces, and 153 00:10:14.600 --> 00:10:19.720 stamped what was left Daniel seven seven. Roman domination over 154 00:10:19.799 --> 00:10:24.879 Judea signified the fulfillment of another layer of Daniel's prophetic visions. 155 00:10:25.440 --> 00:10:29.480 As the Romans implemented their system of government, taxation, and law, 156 00:10:30.080 --> 00:10:32.720 the Jews realized they were living in the period Daniel 157 00:10:32.759 --> 00:10:35.639 had called the time of the End for many of 158 00:10:35.639 --> 00:10:40.720 his prophecies. This understanding created a climate of Messianic expectation 159 00:10:41.279 --> 00:10:45.759 that permeated Jewish culture in the following years. During the 160 00:10:45.840 --> 00:10:50.159 Roman period, many Jewish religious groups intensified their study of 161 00:10:50.200 --> 00:10:55.559 Daniel's prophecies, especially the prediction about the seventy weeks Daniel 162 00:10:55.639 --> 00:11:00.480 nine twenty four, twenty seven. This complex prophecy indicated the 163 00:11:00.519 --> 00:11:04.039 timing of the coming of the Messiah called the Most Holy. 164 00:11:05.120 --> 00:11:08.720 Groups such as the Asscenes, who lived in isolated communities 165 00:11:08.759 --> 00:11:12.320 near the Dead Sea, dedicated themselves to copying and studying 166 00:11:12.440 --> 00:11:15.840 Daniel's writings. They believed they were living in the last 167 00:11:15.919 --> 00:11:19.679 days mentioned in the prophecies, and prepared themselves for the 168 00:11:19.720 --> 00:11:24.480 Messiah's arrival. The Pharisees debated intensively the exact meaning of 169 00:11:24.519 --> 00:11:28.480 the seventy weeks, calculating dates and watching for signs of 170 00:11:28.519 --> 00:11:33.000 the times. Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and 171 00:11:33.080 --> 00:11:36.519 your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an 172 00:11:36.639 --> 00:11:39.799 end to sin, to atone for iniquity, to bring in 173 00:11:39.879 --> 00:11:44.039 everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and profit, and to 174 00:11:44.120 --> 00:11:48.919 anoint a most holy place Daniel nine twenty four. This 175 00:11:49.039 --> 00:11:53.200 prophecy created an atmosphere of expectation among devout Jews, who 176 00:11:53.279 --> 00:11:56.480 awaited the precise moment when the Anointed One would appear 177 00:11:56.519 --> 00:12:00.879 to deliver Israel. Amid Roman oppression and polit political tensions 178 00:12:00.879 --> 00:12:06.519 in Judea, various messianic movements emerged inspired by Daniel's prophecies. 179 00:12:07.279 --> 00:12:11.000 Some were led by charismatic figures who proclaimed themselves the 180 00:12:11.039 --> 00:12:17.720 fulfillment of these Messianic expectations, often leading revolts against Roman authority. 181 00:12:18.159 --> 00:12:21.080 Daniel's words about the son of Man who would receive 182 00:12:21.120 --> 00:12:28.039 eternal dominion Daniel seven thirteen fourteen fueled hopes of political liberation. However, 183 00:12:28.559 --> 00:12:32.600 many misunderstood these prophecies as promises of an immediate earthly 184 00:12:32.720 --> 00:12:36.919 kingdom that would defeat Rome by military force. I saw 185 00:12:36.960 --> 00:12:40.399 in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven, 186 00:12:40.480 --> 00:12:42.840 there came one like a son of man, And he 187 00:12:42.919 --> 00:12:46.279 came to the ancient of days, and was presented before him, 188 00:12:46.559 --> 00:12:49.120 and to him was given dominion and glory, and a 189 00:12:49.240 --> 00:12:53.840 kingdom that all peoples, nations and languages should serve him. Daniel, 190 00:12:53.919 --> 00:12:59.799 seven thirteen fourteen. The tension between spiritual and political interpretations 191 00:12:59.840 --> 00:13:04.360 of this passage caused divisions among various Jewish factions, each 192 00:13:04.360 --> 00:13:07.919 holding its own view of how the Messianic kingdom would manifest. 193 00:13:08.799 --> 00:13:12.840 In the midst of this atmosphere of Messianic expectation, Jesus 194 00:13:12.879 --> 00:13:17.600 of Nazareth was born. His teachings frequently referred to Daniel's prophecies, 195 00:13:18.039 --> 00:13:20.440 particularly when he used the title Son of Man for 196 00:13:20.559 --> 00:13:23.320 himself and spoke of the Kingdom of God that was 197 00:13:23.399 --> 00:13:27.399 coming not as a political domain, but as a spiritual reality. 198 00:13:28.519 --> 00:13:32.960 During his ministry, Jesus explicitly cited Daniel when speaking of 199 00:13:33.000 --> 00:13:37.000 future events. So when you see the abomination of desolation 200 00:13:37.519 --> 00:13:40.559 spoken of by the prophet Daniel standing in the Holy 201 00:13:40.639 --> 00:13:45.480 Place Matthew, twenty four, fifteen. This direct reference shows how 202 00:13:45.559 --> 00:13:50.840 Daniel's prophecies remained relevant and awaited further fulfillments even centuries 203 00:13:50.879 --> 00:13:55.639 after his death. The crucifixion of Jesus around four hundred 204 00:13:55.720 --> 00:13:59.960 ninety years seventy weeks of years after art Exerx's decree 205 00:14:00.080 --> 00:14:04.080 to rebuild Jerusalem, was seen by many early Christians as 206 00:14:04.120 --> 00:14:08.000 the exact fulfillment of Daniel's prophecy concerning the time when 207 00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:13.080 the Messiah would be cut off Daniel nine twenty six. Thus, 208 00:14:13.360 --> 00:14:16.200 the life and death of Jesus became part of the 209 00:14:16.240 --> 00:14:20.679 ongoing unfolding of the prophetic visions sealed by the ancient 210 00:14:20.720 --> 00:14:25.360 Babylonian prophet. The destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 211 00:14:25.399 --> 00:14:28.360 the year seventy of the Common Era by the Romans 212 00:14:28.399 --> 00:14:32.960 marked another striking fulfillment of Daniel's words. He had prophesied, 213 00:14:33.759 --> 00:14:36.159 the people of the Prince who is to come, shall 214 00:14:36.159 --> 00:14:39.879 destroy the city and the sanctuary Daniel nine twenty six. 215 00:14:40.919 --> 00:14:44.840 When the Roman legions under Titus besieged Jerusalem and finally 216 00:14:44.919 --> 00:14:48.360 took the city, setting fire to the Temple and tearing 217 00:14:48.399 --> 00:14:52.759 down its structures, Christians and many Jews recognized in these 218 00:14:52.799 --> 00:14:57.840 tragic events the literal fulfillment of the prophetic words Jesus 219 00:14:57.840 --> 00:15:01.360 had warned his followers about this imminent dist struction, basing 220 00:15:01.399 --> 00:15:06.559 his warning on Daniel's prophecies. The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus 221 00:15:06.600 --> 00:15:09.519 recorded that more than one million Jews died during the 222 00:15:09.559 --> 00:15:13.000 siege and fall of Jerusalem, and around one hundred thousand 223 00:15:13.000 --> 00:15:17.080 were taken captive. The dispersion of the Jews around the world, 224 00:15:17.519 --> 00:15:21.720 known as the diaspora, that intensified after this event, also 225 00:15:21.759 --> 00:15:25.000 aligned with Daniel's predictions about what would happen to the 226 00:15:25.039 --> 00:15:29.720 Holy People in the latter days. Daniel's prophecies about the 227 00:15:29.799 --> 00:15:33.320 time of the end continued to influence both Judaism and 228 00:15:33.399 --> 00:15:37.679 Christianity in the centuries that followed. His visions of kingdoms 229 00:15:37.720 --> 00:15:41.440 that would rise and fall, periods of persecution and the 230 00:15:41.440 --> 00:15:45.720 final resurrection became central to the development of eschatology, the 231 00:15:45.759 --> 00:15:50.679 study of last things in both religious traditions. During periods 232 00:15:50.679 --> 00:15:54.600 of Christian persecution in the Roman Empire, Jesus followers found 233 00:15:54.679 --> 00:15:59.000 solace in Daniel's words. At that time shall arise Michael, 234 00:15:59.399 --> 00:16:01.679 the great Prix Vince, who has charge of your people, 235 00:16:02.279 --> 00:16:04.679 And there shall be a time of trouble such as 236 00:16:04.720 --> 00:16:07.679 never has been since there was a nation until that time. 237 00:16:08.440 --> 00:16:11.799 But at that time your people shall be delivered, every 238 00:16:11.840 --> 00:16:14.159 one whose name shall be found. Written in the book 239 00:16:14.840 --> 00:16:20.000 Daniel twelve, one the earliest Christian commentaries on Daniel, written 240 00:16:20.000 --> 00:16:23.799 by figures such as Irenaeus of Lion and Hippolytus of Rome, 241 00:16:24.360 --> 00:16:28.840 interpreted the prophecies as descriptions of church history and foreshadowings 242 00:16:28.840 --> 00:16:34.799 of Christ's return. These interpretations illustrate how Daniel's visions continued 243 00:16:34.840 --> 00:16:39.600 shaping religious understanding long after his death. The spread of 244 00:16:39.679 --> 00:16:43.840 Christianity throughout the Roman Empire and beyond was seen by 245 00:16:43.879 --> 00:16:48.279 many as an additional fulfillment of Daniel's vision of God's kingdom. 246 00:16:48.720 --> 00:16:52.360 Daniel had described a stone cut out by no human hand, 247 00:16:52.799 --> 00:16:56.080 that would destroy earthly kingdoms and grow until it filled 248 00:16:56.080 --> 00:17:00.559 the whole earth Daniel, two thirty four thirty five. As 249 00:17:00.639 --> 00:17:03.799 Christian communities emerged in various parts of the known world, 250 00:17:04.279 --> 00:17:08.920 even under intense persecution, many interpreted this expansion as the 251 00:17:09.039 --> 00:17:13.000 unfolding of the stone that became a great mountain. Emperor 252 00:17:13.000 --> 00:17:17.200 Constantine's conversion in the early fourth century and the subsequent 253 00:17:17.240 --> 00:17:23.039 official acceptance of Christianity seemed to confirm this interpretation. In 254 00:17:23.079 --> 00:17:25.880 the days of those kings, the God of Heaven will 255 00:17:25.880 --> 00:17:29.279 set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor 256 00:17:29.319 --> 00:17:32.359 shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall 257 00:17:32.359 --> 00:17:35.400 break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to 258 00:17:35.440 --> 00:17:39.519 an end, and it shall stand forever Daniel, two forty four. 259 00:17:41.039 --> 00:17:45.000 This prophecy continued to inspire Christian missionaries, who took their 260 00:17:45.039 --> 00:17:48.720 faith to new lands, believing they were establishing the eternal 261 00:17:48.799 --> 00:17:54.559 kingdom Daniel had foreseen. Daniel's prophecies significantly influenced the development 262 00:17:54.640 --> 00:17:59.400 of Jewish and Christian apocalyptic literature texts such as the 263 00:17:59.400 --> 00:18:03.240 Book of Enol, The Apocalypse of Barruch, and the Sybilline 264 00:18:03.240 --> 00:18:08.599 Oracles followed Daniel's visionary and symbolic style, exploring similar themes 265 00:18:08.640 --> 00:18:13.200 about humanity's ultimate destiny and God's final victory over evil. 266 00:18:14.400 --> 00:18:17.200 In the New Testament, the Book of Revelation by John 267 00:18:17.279 --> 00:18:21.880 presents numerous parallels with Daniel, including visions of symbolic beasts 268 00:18:22.000 --> 00:18:26.640 representing political powers, tribulation periods for the faithful, and the 269 00:18:26.680 --> 00:18:31.039 final promise of resurrection and reward. These connections demonstrate how 270 00:18:31.119 --> 00:18:36.119 Daniel's visions served as a foundational model for later apocalyptic literature. 271 00:18:37.119 --> 00:18:41.720 Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, 272 00:18:42.240 --> 00:18:45.039 But the wicked shall act wickedly, and none of the 273 00:18:45.079 --> 00:18:49.319 wicked shall understand, But those who are wise shall understand 274 00:18:50.079 --> 00:18:54.599 Daniel twelve ten. This distinction between those who perceived the 275 00:18:54.640 --> 00:18:57.680 signs of the times and those who remain in spiritual 276 00:18:57.720 --> 00:19:03.039 ignorance became a recurring theme in apocalyptic literature influenced by Daniel. 277 00:19:04.240 --> 00:19:07.880 During the Middle Ages, Daniel's prophecies continued to be studied 278 00:19:08.160 --> 00:19:12.440 and interpreted by Jewish and Christian scholars commentators such as 279 00:19:12.559 --> 00:19:17.519 Jerome Augustine and Thomas Aquinas devoted considerable attention to the 280 00:19:17.519 --> 00:19:20.880 Book of Daniel, viewing his visions as a prophetic road 281 00:19:20.920 --> 00:19:26.000 map of human history. In Jewish communities, sages like Rashi 282 00:19:26.039 --> 00:19:30.880 and Mimonodes offered interpretations of Daniel's visions, often linking them 283 00:19:30.920 --> 00:19:36.119 to contemporary experiences of persecution and hopes for redemption. Jewish 284 00:19:36.160 --> 00:19:41.160 mystical communities such as the Kabbalists, found profound esoteric meanings 285 00:19:41.160 --> 00:19:45.279 in Daniel's symbols and numbers. But you, Daniel, shut up 286 00:19:45.319 --> 00:19:47.720 the words and sealed the book. Until the time of 287 00:19:47.759 --> 00:19:51.079 the end, many shall run to and fro, and knowledge 288 00:19:51.119 --> 00:19:56.319 shall increase Daniel twelve four. This passage was often interpreted 289 00:19:56.359 --> 00:19:59.440 as a prediction about the increase in knowledge and human 290 00:19:59.480 --> 00:20:04.839 mobility in the last days, inspiring speculation about when exactly 291 00:20:05.240 --> 00:20:09.240 the time of the end would arrive. The Protestant Reformation 292 00:20:09.359 --> 00:20:13.240 in the sixteenth century brought renewed interest in Daniel's prophecies. 293 00:20:14.119 --> 00:20:18.160 Reformers like Martin Luther and John Calvin identified the Roman 294 00:20:18.200 --> 00:20:22.200 papacy with the little horn of Daniel seven that would 295 00:20:22.240 --> 00:20:24.960 speak words against the most high and change the Times 296 00:20:24.960 --> 00:20:31.039 and Law Daniel, seven twenty five. This interpretation contributed significantly 297 00:20:31.440 --> 00:20:34.240 to a view of history in which the medieval period 298 00:20:34.319 --> 00:20:37.599 was seen as an era of apostasy, while the Reformation 299 00:20:38.119 --> 00:20:42.599 represented a return to the purity of the Gospel. Daniel's 300 00:20:42.599 --> 00:20:47.200 prophecies about persecution and a temporary apostasy followed by the 301 00:20:47.240 --> 00:20:51.400 final vindication of the faithful offered a framework for understanding 302 00:20:51.440 --> 00:20:55.200 the religious upheavals of that time. Some of the wise 303 00:20:55.240 --> 00:20:59.319 shall stumble so that they may be refined, purified, and 304 00:20:59.400 --> 00:21:03.279 made white until the time of the End Daniel, eleven 305 00:21:03.359 --> 00:21:08.119 thirty five. Protestants often saw their own martyrs as the 306 00:21:08.119 --> 00:21:11.960 fulfillment of this prophecy, believing the suffering of the faithful 307 00:21:12.440 --> 00:21:16.480 was part of the divine plan revealed to Daniel centuries earlier. 308 00:21:17.839 --> 00:21:21.400 With the arrival of the modern era, Daniel's prophecies continued 309 00:21:21.440 --> 00:21:25.400 to be interpreted in light of world events. The political 310 00:21:25.440 --> 00:21:29.000 revolutions of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the rise and 311 00:21:29.079 --> 00:21:32.319 fall of colonial empires, and the social upheavals of the 312 00:21:32.359 --> 00:21:37.000 twentieth century were frequently analyzed through Daniel's visions of successive 313 00:21:37.039 --> 00:21:41.480 world empires. During times of global turmoil, such as the 314 00:21:41.559 --> 00:21:45.559 Two World Wars. Many turned to Daniel's prophecies for understanding 315 00:21:45.640 --> 00:21:50.160 and hope. Daniel's apocalyptic language about a time of trouble 316 00:21:50.440 --> 00:21:54.440 such as never has Been Daniel twelve one, seemed especially 317 00:21:54.480 --> 00:21:58.920 relevant in an era of unprecedented destruction. Blessed is he 318 00:21:58.960 --> 00:22:01.960 who waits and arrive at the one thousand, three hundred 319 00:22:02.039 --> 00:22:07.599 thirty five days Daniel twelve twelve. This and other numerical 320 00:22:07.599 --> 00:22:12.359 references in Daniel inspired countless attempts at establishing prophetic timelines 321 00:22:12.799 --> 00:22:16.160 and dates for end time events, showing the enduring power 322 00:22:16.160 --> 00:22:19.960 of these ancient texts to shape expectations about the future. 323 00:22:21.000 --> 00:22:24.359 One of the most surprising impacts of Daniel's prophecies was 324 00:22:24.440 --> 00:22:26.759 their role in the creation of the state of Israel 325 00:22:27.079 --> 00:22:31.000 in the twentieth century. The promise of national restoration for 326 00:22:31.039 --> 00:22:35.079 the Jewish people implied in many of Daniel's visions became 327 00:22:35.119 --> 00:22:38.680 a fundamental part of the Zionist movement that advocated the 328 00:22:38.799 --> 00:22:42.960 Jews return to their ancestral land. When Israel became an 329 00:22:42.960 --> 00:22:47.200 independent nation in one thousand, nine hundred forty eight, many 330 00:22:47.279 --> 00:22:51.400 saw in this event the fulfillment of biblical prophecies, including 331 00:22:51.440 --> 00:22:55.319 those of Daniel regarding Israel's restoration in the last Days. 332 00:22:55.839 --> 00:22:59.680 The subsequent Arab Israeli wars and the recapture of Jerusalem 333 00:22:59.680 --> 00:23:04.000 in nineteen sixty seven were likewise interpreted as developments of 334 00:23:04.039 --> 00:23:08.720 the prophetic scenarios outlined by Daniel. And many of those 335 00:23:08.759 --> 00:23:11.119 who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, 336 00:23:11.599 --> 00:23:15.319 some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting 337 00:23:15.359 --> 00:23:20.720 contempt Daniel, twelve two. The national resurrection of Israel after 338 00:23:20.759 --> 00:23:24.640 centuries of dispersion was viewed by many as a parallel 339 00:23:24.680 --> 00:23:28.599 to the literal resurrection described by Daniel, a sign that 340 00:23:28.680 --> 00:23:34.839 history was moving inexorably toward its divine conclusion. Today, Daniel's 341 00:23:34.839 --> 00:23:38.720 prophecies continue to exert a profound influence on the religious 342 00:23:38.759 --> 00:23:43.200 and cultural understanding of Jews and Christians worldwide. His visions 343 00:23:43.200 --> 00:23:47.839 of successive empires, periods of tribulation, and the ultimate triumph 344 00:23:47.920 --> 00:23:53.519 of divine authority still provide a framework for interpreting contemporary events. 345 00:23:53.559 --> 00:23:56.680 In a world marked by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, 346 00:23:57.200 --> 00:24:02.839 unprecedented technological advances, and complex ethical challenges. Many people look 347 00:24:02.880 --> 00:24:07.039 to Daniel's words for guidance and hope. His central message 348 00:24:07.240 --> 00:24:10.400 that God remains sovereign over human history, and that his 349 00:24:10.519 --> 00:24:15.880 purpose will prevail despite all opposition. Continues to resonate with millions. 350 00:24:16.440 --> 00:24:18.759 But at the end of the times, many shall rise up. 351 00:24:19.160 --> 00:24:24.319 Knowledge shall be multiplied Daniel twelve four. This prophecy about 352 00:24:24.319 --> 00:24:27.519 the increase of knowledge in the last days seems especially 353 00:24:27.559 --> 00:24:30.799 relevant in our digital information era and in a time 354 00:24:30.880 --> 00:24:37.400 of exponential scientific progress. As humanity faces unprecedented challenges, Daniel's 355 00:24:37.480 --> 00:24:42.400 ancient visions still offer perspective and hope, demonstrating the extraordinary 356 00:24:42.440 --> 00:24:46.000 and lasting impact of this prophet, who, even after his death, 357 00:24:46.400 --> 00:24:49.640 continues to shape our understanding of history's ultimate meaning.