[Ohio-Communities-of-Faith] DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 17

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DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 17

DAILY BIBLE READING

Daniel 10-12 New King James Version
Vision of the Glorious Man
10 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to
Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar. The message was true, [a]but the
appointed time was long; and he understood the message, and had
understanding of the vision. 2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three
full weeks. 3 I ate no [b]pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth,
nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.

4 Now on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by the side of
the great river, that is, the [c]Tigris, 5 I lifted my eyes and looked, and
behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of
Uphaz! 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning,
his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in
color, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude.

7 And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not
see the vision; but a great terror fell upon them, so that they fled to hide
themselves. 8 Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and
no strength remained in me; for my [d]vigor was turned to [e]frailty in me,
and I retained no strength. 9 Yet I heard the sound of his words; and while
I heard the sound of his words I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my
face to the ground.

Prophecies Concerning Persia and Greece
10 Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the
palms of my hands. 11 And he said to me, "O Daniel, man greatly beloved,
understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now
been sent to you." While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling.

12 Then he said to me, "Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you
set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your
words were heard; and I have come because of your words. 13 But the prince
of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael,
one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there
with the kings of Persia. 14 Now I have come to make you understand what
will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many
days yet to come."

15 When he had spoken such words to me, I [f]turned my face toward the
ground and became speechless. 16 And suddenly, one having the likeness of
the [g]sons of men touched my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke, saying
to him who stood before me, "My lord, because of the vision my sorrows have
[h]overwhelmed me, and I have retained no strength. 17 For how can this
servant of my lord talk with you, my lord? As for me, no strength remains in
me now, nor is any breath left in me."

18 Then again, the one having the likeness of a man touched me and
strengthened me. 19 And he said, "O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be
to you; be strong, yes, be strong!"

So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, "Let my lord speak, for
you have strengthened me."

20 Then he said, "Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return
to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the
prince of Greece will come. 21 But I will tell you what is noted in the
Scripture of Truth. (No one upholds me against these, except Michael your
prince.

Warring Kings of North and South
11 "Also in the first year of Darius the Mede, I, even I, stood up to
confirm and strengthen him.) 2 And now I will tell you the truth: Behold,
three more kings will arise in Persia, and the fourth shall be far richer
than them all; by his strength, through his riches, he shall stir up all
against the realm of Greece. 3 Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall
rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. 4 And when he has
arisen, his kingdom shall be broken up and divided toward the four winds of
heaven, but not among his posterity nor according to his dominion with which
he ruled; for his kingdom shall be uprooted, even for others besides these.

Warring Kings of North and South
5 "Also the king of the South shall become strong, as well as one of his
princes; and he shall gain power over him and have dominion. His dominion
shall be a great dominion. 6 And at the end of some years they shall join
forces, for the daughter of the king of the South shall go to the king of
the North to make an agreement; but she shall not retain the power of her
[i]authority, and neither he nor his [j]authority shall stand; but she shall
be given up, with those who brought her, and with him who begot her, and
with him who strengthened her in those times. 7 But from a branch of her
roots one shall arise in his place, who shall come with an army, enter the
fortress of the king of the North, and deal with them and prevail. 8 And he
shall also carry their gods captive to Egypt, with their [k]princes and
their precious articles of silver and gold; and he shall continue more years
than the king of the North.

9 "Also the king of the North shall come to the kingdom of the king of the
South, but shall return to his own land. 10 However his sons shall stir up
strife, and assemble a multitude of great forces; and one shall certainly
come and overwhelm and pass through; then he shall return to his fortress
and stir up strife.

11 "And the king of the South shall be moved with rage, and go out and fight
with him, with the king of the North, who shall muster a great multitude;
but the multitude shall be given into the hand of his enemy. 12 When he has
taken away the multitude, his heart will be [l]lifted up; and he will cast
down tens of thousands, but he will not prevail. 13 For the king of the
North will return and muster a multitude greater than the former, and shall
certainly come at the end of some years with a great army and much
equipment.

14 "Now in those times many shall rise up against the king of the South.
Also, [m]violent men of your people shall exalt themselves [n]in fulfillment
of the vision, but they shall fall. 15 So the king of the North shall come
and build a siege mound, and take a fortified city; and the [o]forces of the
South shall not withstand him. Even his choice troops shall have no strength
to resist. 16 But he who comes against him shall do according to his own
will, and no one shall stand against him. He shall stand in the Glorious
Land with destruction in his [p]power.

17 "He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole
kingdom, and [q]upright ones with him; thus shall he do. And he shall give
him the daughter of women to destroy it; but she shall not stand with him,
or be for him. 18 After this he shall turn his face to the coastlands, and
shall take many. But a ruler shall bring the reproach against them to an
end; and with the reproach removed, he shall turn back on him. 19 Then he
shall turn his face toward the fortress of his own land; but he shall
stumble and fall, and not be found.

20 "There shall arise in his place one who imposes taxes on the glorious
kingdom; but within a few days he shall be destroyed, but not in anger or in
battle. 21 And in his place shall arise a vile person, to whom they will not
give the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the
kingdom by intrigue. 22 With the [r]force of a flood they shall be swept
away from before him and be broken, and also the prince of the covenant. 23
And after the league is made with him he shall act deceitfully, for he shall
come up and become strong with a small number of people. 24 He shall enter
peaceably, even into the richest places of the province; and he shall do
what his fathers have not done, nor his forefathers: he shall disperse among
them the plunder, [s]spoil, and riches; and he shall devise his plans
against the strongholds, but only for a time.

25 "He shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South
with a great army. And the king of the South shall be stirred up to battle
with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand, for they shall
devise plans against him. 26 Yes, those who eat of the portion of his
delicacies shall destroy him; his army shall [t]be swept away, and many
shall fall down slain. 27 Both these kings' hearts shall be bent on evil,
and they shall speak lies at the same table; but it shall not prosper, for
the end will still be at the appointed time. 28 While returning to his land
with great riches, his heart shall be moved against the holy covenant; so he
shall do damage and return to his own land.

The Northern King's Blasphemies
29 "At the appointed time he shall return and go toward the south; but it
shall not be like the former or the latter. 30 For ships from [u]Cyprus
shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and return in rage
against the holy covenant, and do damage.

"So he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant.
31 And [v]forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the
sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and
place there the abomination of desolation. 32 Those who do wickedly against
the covenant he shall [w]corrupt with flattery; but the people who know
their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. 33 And those of the
people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall
by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering. 34 Now when they fall, they
shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them by
[x]intrigue. 35 And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine
them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because
it is still for the appointed time.

36 "Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and
magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of
gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has
been determined shall be done. 37 He shall regard neither the [y]God of his
fathers nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall exalt
himself above them all. 38 But in their place he shall honor a god of
fortresses; and a god which his fathers did not know he shall honor with
gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant things. 39 Thus he shall
act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall
acknowledge, and advance its glory; and he shall cause them to rule over
many, and divide the land for [z]gain.

The Northern King's Conquests
40 "At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the
king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots,
horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm
them, and pass through. 41 He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many
countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom,
Moab, and the [aa]prominent people of Ammon. 42 He shall stretch out his
hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 He
shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the
precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at
his heels. 44 But news from the east and the north shall trouble him;
therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. 45
And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious
holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him.

Prophecy of the End Time
12 "At that time Michael shall stand up,
The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people;
And there shall be a time of trouble,
Such as never was since there was a nation,
Even to that time.
And at that time your people shall be delivered,
Every one who is found written in the book.
2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
Some to everlasting life,
Some to shame and everlasting [ab]contempt.
3 Those who are wise shall shine
Like the brightness of the firmament,
And those who turn many to righteousness
Like the stars forever and ever.

4 "But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of
the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase."

5 Then I, Daniel, looked; and there stood two others, one on this riverbank
and the other on that riverbank. 6 And one said to the man clothed in linen,
who was above the waters of the river, "How long shall the fulfillment of
these wonders be?"

7 Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the
river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore
by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a
time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered,
all these things shall be finished.

8 Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, "My lord, what shall
be the end of these things?"

9 And he said, "Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed
till the time of the end. 10 Many shall be purified, made white, and
refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall
understand, but the wise shall understand.

11 "And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the
abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred
and ninety days. 12 Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand
three hundred and thirty-five days.

13 "But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to
your inheritance at the end of the days."

Footnotes
Daniel 10:1 Or and of great conflict;
Daniel 10:3 desirable
Daniel 10:4 Heb. Hiddekel
Daniel 10:8 Lit. splendor
Daniel 10:8 Lit. ruin
Daniel 10:15 Lit. set
Daniel 10:16 Theodotion, Vg. the son; LXX a hand
Daniel 10:16 Or turned upon
Daniel 11:6 Lit. arm
Daniel 11:6 Lit. arm
Daniel 11:8 Or molded images
Daniel 11:12 Proud
Daniel 11:14 Or robbers, lit. sons of breakage
Daniel 11:14 Lit. to establish
Daniel 11:15 Lit. arms
Daniel 11:16 Lit. hand
Daniel 11:17 Or bring equitable terms
Daniel 11:22 Lit. arms
Daniel 11:24 booty
Daniel 11:26 Or overflow
Daniel 11:30 Heb. Kittim, western lands, especially Cyprus
Daniel 11:31 Lit. arms
Daniel 11:32 pollute
Daniel 11:34 Or slipperiness, flattery
Daniel 11:37 Or gods
Daniel 11:39 profit
Daniel 11:41 Lit. chief of the sons of Ammon
Daniel 12:2 Lit. abhorrence