15. Is the Book of Daniel Open?

Daniel is one of the major books on prophecy in the Bible. Daniel is divided into the first six chapters which are historical and the last six which are prophetic, though it should be noted that the famous statue of Nebuchadnezzar with the head of gold for Babylon, the upper torso and arms of silver for Medo-Persia, the bronze belly and thighs for Alexander the Great’s Greek empire, and the lower legs of iron for Rome, still awaits the identity of the feet of iron and clay, but perhaps not much longer.

Though Revelation is an open book per Revelation 22:10, Daniel is a closed book till the time of the end per Daniel 12:4, i.e., the meanings of the prophecies will not be understood until the End Days. If Daniel is now an open book, then the End Times (Daniel’s final or 70th week) could well have begun or are close to starting.

The upper four metals of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue were likely clearly understood by the mid-2nd century BC, but certainly by Christ’s crucifixion circa 32 AD. I don’t believe much happened to unlock their interpretations for almost 2,000 years. In fact, information was actually lost. Circa 400 AD, Saint Augustine did away with the idea that fallen angels had intercourse with earthly women producing giants such as Goliath. This had been the clear teaching of the church and the Jews before then, as well as Greek and Roman mythology. This was despite the following: 1. Genesis 3:15 God told Satan that he would have seed or offspring, 2. Genesis 6:1-2,4: Fallen angels, direct creations of God, like Adam, came to earth, had intercourse with earth’s women, and produced giants or Nephilim (the fallen ones in Hebrew) such as Goliath. This was one of Satan’s strategies to adulterate human DNA with angel DNA. Likely, Satan was close to success until God intervened with the Flood destroying his and his fellow fallen angels’ offspring. According to the book of Enoch, the Genesis Flood was to remove these creatures from the earth. Evil spirits are from the Nephilim, who lost their bodies in the Flood. They represent the lowest rung of Satan’s supernatural army. They seek human bodies to take over. Of course, Goliath was born more than a millennium after the flood, but per Daniel 6:4 There were giants on the earth in those days (before the Flood) and also afterward (after the Flood, though not nearly as many). Daniel 2:43 (Regarding the feet of iron and clay on Nebuchadnezzar’s statue) “As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men, but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay.”

Who are they? They must be something other than the seed of men. 4. Matthew 24:37 (Christ speaking) “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the son of man be.” The fallen angels and the Nephilim must return before Christ returns to reign. Revelation 9:15 notes that four angels that are bound at the great river Euphrates will be released during Daniel’s final week to kill a third of mankind. Likely these four angels were chained at the time of the Flood. The History Channel has a cable series called Ancient Aliens which has been ongoing for about ten years. They have noted that extraterrestrials may have introduced DNA to the earth long, long ago, and one day they will return to check on evolution. I believe they will be fallen angels and they will return with their offspring, the Nephilim who, like Goliath, are close to ten feet tall or more. They will return in flying saucers or spaceships. They are here to give us their wisdom, i.e. to help us, just like the serpent helped Eve. Since the 1990s, the idea of the fallen angels and the Nephilim has returned though the God of the Bible remains out of favor (See section 4. Who are the sons of God? for a more detailed explanation).

As already noted, there wasn’t much new in Daniel for about two millennia, and then in 1894, Sir Robert Anderson, head of Scotland Yard, wrote The Coming Prince. He explained the 69 weeks of Daniel’s prophecy in chapter 9. The prophecy was given around 539 BC. The Messiah rode the donkey’s colt into Jerusalem fulfilling Zechariah 9:9 in 32 or 33 AD on the tenth of Nisan, when the Passover lambs were presented to the priests to be sure they were perfect for sacrifice per Exodus 12:3. He was crucified on the 14th of Nisan, Passover, as the Passover Lamb. Anderson explained that the 69 weeks or 483 years were Biblical years of 360 days, the original length of the creation year and not the present 365.2422 days per calendar year. The 69 weeks began with the order to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem per Nehemiah 2:1 on Nisan 1 in either 444 or 445 BC. The Jews were likely expecting their Messiah around 39 AD using calendar years of 365.2422 days per year, but Christ was early, too early for them to believe He was the Messiah. After this prophecy was unraveled, not much happened for about a century when the fallen angels and Nephilim were explained.

In Daniel 7:3-7, four beasts arose from the sea. This was a well-known prophecy that had been explained for likely over 2,000 years. The sea represents the Gentile nations while the land represents Israel. The first beast was a lion with eagle’s wings, which was a common symbol for Babylon. The eagle’s wings were ripped off, and the lion was made to stand on two feet. A human heart was then given to him. This represented Nebuchadnezzar after he had been put out to pasture for seven years. Then his kingdom was returned to him, according to the fourth chapter of Daniel.

Next came a bear, lifted up on one side. This referred to the Medo-Persian Empire, which became the Persian Empire. It had three ribs in its mouth, representing its three great conquests of Babylon, Lydia in Turkey, and Egypt.

Then came a leopard with four wings and four heads. A leopard is a speedy predator. With four wings it would be especially fast. This represented Alexander the Great who conquered the vast Persian Empire in three years. The four heads represented the four generals who replaced Alexander after his death.

Then came the last beast, dreadful and terrible and exceedingly strong. It had iron teeth, and later it was noted to have bronze nails. This was the Roman Empire. Most empires last two to three hundred years, but Rome lasted at least five hundred, and Byzantium another thousand till 1453 AD, when Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Turks. However, at the end of Daniel 7:7, this beast is noted to have ten horns. I am unaware of Rome being divided into ten kingdoms, so this is likely a double prophecy, one that fits the distant past, but the ten horns refers to the future, to me the near future.

JR Church wrote in his Prophecy in the News magazine that he believed the lion with eagle’s wings referred to Great Britain with the eagle representing America. America, the eagle’s wings, had to be removed before Britain could be lifted up on two feet and given a human heart. The heart was William Wilberforce, who became a Christian in 1787. He fought the slave trade in the Parliament for the next two decades before it was ended circa 1807. Parliament finally ended slavery within the Empire circa 1833 when Wilberforce was on his death bed. He also wrote a book, A Practical View of the Prevailing Religious System of Professed Christians in the Higher and Middle Classes in This Country, Contrasted with Real Christianity. Within six months it had been reprinted five times and sold 7,500 copies. He transformed British society and made Britain a Christian nation. When Wilberforce entered Parliament in 1780 there were three members who professed Christianity. Fifty years later there were close to 200. Then evolution played the moth and the worm to the British Empire.

The bear in our time would be Russia. It was lifted up on one side because most of the population was in the west. The three ribs would be Siberia, the central Asian Muslim republics, and Eastern Europe after World War II. The latter two have now been lost from the old Soviet Union.

The winged leopard would be Nazi Germany, who mastered blitzkrieg, lightning war, and very rapidly conquered most of Europe. Their tanks were called panzers, or panthers. In the 1970s, the German battle tanks were called leopards. The four heads represented the Axis powers of Nazi Germany, Japan, also noted for speedy conquests, Italy, and a rump of nations- Hungary, Bulgaria, and Romania.

The fourth beast headed by the anti-Christ will rule the entire world save the land encompassing the modern nation of Jordan per Daniel 11:41. It will have ten main nations and/or groups of nations. The Club of Rome once thought the world should be divided into ten nation groups to include: North America, South America, Australia and New Zealand, Japan, China, Russia, India and southeast Asia, Europe, the Muslim World, the black African world. Perhaps it will be both. I believe the anti-Christ will lead a European confederation; others, a Muslim confederation.

Chapter eight of Daniel described a vision of a ram that pushed westward, northward and southward, and no creature could stand before it. This was the Medo-Persian Empire per Daniel 8:20. Its ruler wore a ram’s head into battle. The conquests were mostly in the west to include what are now Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Israel, and Jordan, but also north above Persia (modern Iran) and southward into Egypt. It had two horns, and the one that came up last became higher. The Medo-Persian Empire became the Persian Empire over time. It came into conflict with the Greeks when it conquered the western ports of modern-day Turkey, part of the Greek maritime empire about the Aegean Sea with Aegean meaning goat. Twice, Persia invaded Greece. Though it burned Athens once, each time it had to retreat. In Daniel 8, suddenly a goat appeared. The goat had a single large horn, symbol for Macedonia, Alexander’s original kingdom. The goat moved so quickly that its feet did not touch the ground. It furiously attacked the ram of Persia and broke its two horns. The ram could do nothing against the goat. The Greek, Alexander the Great, in three years conquered the vast Persian Empire just as the prophecy foretold, beginning circa 333 BC. He then died suddenly with his kingdom divided among four of his generals. The great central horn of the goat was broken into four smaller horns according to the prophecy.

Sunni Islam is the largest sect within that religion comprising about 85% of Islam. The Shia sect makes up about 15% of Islam and is primarily in Iran. It also makes up 60% of the population of Iraq. Each sect hates the other with a passion. Iran is presently going westward to the Mediterranean Sea just like the old Persian Empire.

I thought this was a simple prophecy fulfilled long ago with Persia as the ram and Greece as the goat according to Daniel 8. However, I now believe it is another double prophecy, happening in the past and also happening now. The Iranians are extending westward through Iraq and most recently through Syria to their client states, Shia Hezbollah in Lebanon and Sunni Hamas in Gaza just like the Persian Empire. They went southward to supply the Houthi rebels in Yemen and northward for a treaty with Russia. I believe the Kurds, descendants of the Medes, will join Iran for a time. This seems exceedingly unlikely as they are the great friend of the West, especially America, but I believe the Turks will drive them into the arms of the Iranians.

I believe Alexander the Great is the model for Erdogan, the present Turkish leader, who rules over what was once part of the Greek maritime empire in western Turkey. I suspect he will put together a Sunni confederation that will include Egypt and Pakistan as Jeremiah 49:36 notes God will bring the four winds of heaven from the four quarters of heaven against Elam, which is southwestern Iran where the Bushehr nuclear reactor is located. The fourth nation could be Saudi Arabia with its huge stores of American weaponry. The death of Erdogan, like that of Alexander the Great, would break up the confederation into its four major pieces again.

I believe the most likely impetus for the attack of Sunni Islam on Shia Islam is Amos 1 & 2, where the prophet predicts the utter destruction of Damascus (likely by a nuclear bomb per Isaiah 17:1), and Lebanon (Tyre) and Gaza (likely by neutron bombs that kill living things but leave buildings intact with little radiation. The Jews outside of Israel plus the lost tribes must return to Israel, and they will need living space.). Jordan will also be heavily damaged per Amos 1:11- 2:3 as Edom, Ammon, and Moab). Modern Israel (Judah per Amos 2:4-5) will also suffer significant damage, but the Anglo-Saxon nations of Britain and America will suffer even more (Amos 2:6-16). I believe they are the lost tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, who had the blessings of God, until they gave up God for silly evolution (see section 2 What Happened to Ephraim and Manasseh? for more information).

Likely these nations contiguous to Israel except for Egypt will attack the Jewish state as proxies of Iran. The only nation that is contiguous with Israel and not a proxy of Iran, other than Egypt, at present, is Jordan. In Ezekiel 25:2,3,8,10, God says He will give Moab, Ammon, and Seir (Edom) to the men of the East. I believe that means Iran will take over Jordan. I suspect Zephaniah 2 elaborates on Amos 1 & 2. Zephaniah 2:4-5 notes there will be no inhabitant in the land of the Philistines (neutron bombs?) and 2:9 notes Moab and Ammon as perpetually desolate. In 2:12 is noted the deaths of Ethiopians too.

Zephaniah 2:13 And He will stretch out His hand against the north, destroy Assyria, and make Nineveh a desolation, as dry as the wilderness.

There are two possibilities here. The land of Assyria was basically the land of the Islamic State (IS), which President Trump has touted as being virtually destroyed in early 2018. However, others on television have related 5,000 to 15,000 IS fighters still around in the area. They have said the Islamic State could rapidly return if America left Syria. It appears they will come back as Zephaniah relates Assyria will be destroyed at the same time as Gaza, Moab, and Ammon.

The second choice is the destruction of Nineveh. Now Nineveh was destroyed by the Babylonians and Medes in 611 BC. Its ruins were rediscovered circa 1845 AD. When the Islamic State came into being a few years ago, it destroyed much of the remains of Nineveh that had been dug up. However, the prophecy reads that Nineveh will be destroyed at about the same time as Moab, Ammon, and Gaza. The city of Mosul is directly across the river from the ruins of Nineveh and was heavily damaged when it was taken back from the Islamic State in the last year or so. Perhaps this fulfills the prophecy, but there is a final possibility. There is a dam above the city of Mosul on the Tigris River. Our experts say it should never have been built, because without constant attention, it will collapse sending a wall of water against Mosul and then Baghdad. The Shia Islamics of Iraq would like to rebuild Babylon as their capital. According to Zechariah 5:5-11, Babylon will be rebuilt. Perhaps, the collapse of this dam on the Tigris River will lead to its rebuilding via the destruction of Baghdad, the present Iraqi capital.

The destruction of Islam per Amos 1:1 will be over about two years and end with an earthquake, that I strongly suspect is noted in Ezekiel 38:19-20 and also Revelation 6:12. This will include the destruction of the Aswan Dam in Egypt by a nuclear weapon per Ezekiel 29, most likely at the hands of the anti-Christ. Egypt will be uninhabited for forty years per Ezekiel 29:11.

One of the more interesting prophecies is found in Daniel 8:13 Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, “How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?” 14 And he said to me, “For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.” Actually, the word days means morning-evenings referring to the sacrifices offered in the Jerusalem Temple at that time at 9 AM and 3 PM. We know that a rebellion against the Greek ruler of Syria who put up the first abomination of desolation in the Jerusalem Temple took about three years, roughly 1,095 days or 2,190 morning-evenings. Over a two year span, it is possible the Jewish calendar would add 60 days or 120 morning-evenings, bringing the total to roughly 2,315 morning-evenings. It appears approximately correct to the three year span ending on Hanukkah in about 164 BC. I believe it is precisely correct, but I do not have the data to confirm this.

But what if this too is a double prophecy? We know the Great Tribulation is 1260 days or 42 months or three and one-half times from Daniel 7:25 & 12:7, and Revelation 12:6,14 and 13:5. 1260 days is half the time of Daniel’s final or 70th week (Daniel 9:27) of seven Biblical years (360 days per year), or 2,520 days. So how does 2,300 fit in? Revelation 11:2 “But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months.”

The anti-Christ must be in control of Jerusalem to set up the abomination of desolation in the Jewish Temple. I suspect there will be a treaty giving the anti-Christ control of Jerusalem. This will be after the final or 70th week of Daniel begins, but in its first year as subtracting 2300 from 2,520 yields 220. The abomination of desolation, initiating the Great Tribulation, will be set up 1040 days after this treaty on Jerusalem begins. However, it also notes the Gentiles will only control Jerusalem for 1260 days, meaning that 220 days after the abomination of desolation is set up, the anti-Christ will lose control of Jerusalem, but for some reason, the Jews will be unable to cleanse the Temple till after the Great Tribulation is finished. Also, for some reason, the anti-Christ will only be able to return to taking Jerusalem at the end of Daniel’s final week. I suspect he will have to put down insurrections within his empire, but at the appropriate time he will return to Jerusalem towards the end of Daniel’s final week for Armageddon.

Daniel 11:39 “But in their place he (the anti-Christ) 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.

Could the god his fathers did not know be a fallen angel, such as Zeus or Apollo or Satan himself, kicked out of heaven by God per Revelation 12:7-9? Perhaps the fallen angels can no longer dematerialize at will with heaven closed to them. They will need a story for us poor earthlings. They were “gods” before the Flood, when they first came to earth. Perhaps they will return as “gods” again. These “gods” could pose as extraterrestrials who began evolution millions of years ago. They are here to help us poor humans, so far down the evolutionary chain.

Daniel 11:40 “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.

Traditionally, the king of the South was Egypt, and the king of the North was Syria. Here, I believe Egypt’s ruler is the king of the South, but I suspect the king of the North refers to Turkey’s leader- Recep Tayyip Erdogan. A new constitution for Turkey in April, 2017, gave him the most power of any Turk since the days of the expansionist Ottoman Turkish Empire which besieged Vienna in 1693. Ezekiel 30:1-5 notes the defeat of Egypt, but also Ethiopia (black African Muslims), Libya (North African Muslims), Lydia (part of present day Turkey), all the mingled people (the Muslim immigrants to Europe and beyond) and Chub (?). I believe Daniel 11:40 is referring to this.

Daniel 11:41 “He (the anti-Christ) shall also enter the Glorious Land (Israel), and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon (these three represent modern Jordan).

Jordan will be a place the Jews and Israelites can escape to.

Daniel 11:44 “But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many.

News from the east: Revelation 16:12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. This would include at least China and India, perhaps Korea reunited, perhaps Japan.

News from the north: the Russo-Muslim invasion of Israel per Ezekiel 38 & 39.

Daniel 12:4 “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.”

My readings indicate the above referred to the Bible in that many would run to and fro through its pages, and Biblical knowledge would increase. That has certainly taken place, but I also believe it is a double prophecy meaning man would easily travel all over the earth, and there would be large transfers of populations, such as the Mexicans and others pouring into the United States and the Muslims pouring into Europe. Also there would be an increase of knowledge regarding multiple subjects besides the Bible, which has also occurred.

Daniel 12:11 “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be 1,290 days.”

Why 1,290? After all, the Great Tribulation is 1260 days. Because it takes 30 days to cleanse a desecrated Temple.

Daniel 12:12 “Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the 1,335 days.”

Why 1,335 days? Christ has been fulfilling the feasts. He was the Passover Lamb on Passover, Nisan 14- Feast #1. He was in the tomb for the next 3 days during the 7 day Feast of Unleavened Bread, Nisan 15- 21, Feast #2. Leaven was a symbol for sin, but He had no sin. Hence, His body did not decay in the grave. He was the Firstfruit of the grave, and was resurrected on the Feast of Firstfruits, when the barley crop was waved before the LORD before it could be eaten. Firstfruits, Feast #3, is always on the day after the Jewish Sabbath (Friday at sunset to Saturday at sunset) within the week-long Feast of Unleavened Bread. Hence, it is always on Sunday. Weeks is 7 weeks plus one day after Firstfruits. The first day of the fifty is always on Firstfruits. Hence, Weeks too is always on Sunday. Weeks is Feast #4- the day on which the church was born. The bride of Christ is the church; the bride of God, the Father, is Israel. Christ has fulfilled the first four feasts of Israel. He will fulfill the last three.

The last three feasts occur in the seventh month, Tishri in the fall, with seven indicating complete or completeness. Feast #5, Trumpets is on Tishri 1. However, it is the only feast that is on the crescent moon. All other feasts are on full moons. One DVD noted the crescent moon was only visible in Israel from 6 to 10 PM on Trumpets. Creditable witnesses must report the crescent moon to the Temple before the feast can begin. If the clouds obscure the crescent moon so that it cannot be seen, then the feast is postponed from Tishri 1 to Tishri 2. Trumpets is the obvious choice for the rapture of the church. Christ said we would not know the day or the hour of His return to rapture His church. Trumpets is potentially two days, but there are other feasts on multiple days, e.g. seven in Tabernacles and eight in Hanukkah. Hence, it could be another feast such as Hanukkah, an extraLevitical feast like the church. It is known as the Feast of Lights. Christ was the Light of the world while He was in it and His church when He left. It is the Rededication of the Temple. From the Corinthians, “Know ye not that you are the Temple of the Holy Spirit.”

The days from Tishri 1 to Tishri 10, Yom Kippur, the sixth feast, are known as the Days of Awe, when God opens His books. If you are good, He will grant you another year of life. If you are bad, He will take your life in the next year. If you are in between, but sincerely repent during the Days of Awe, He will give you another year of life. Hence, Trumpets points to Yom Kippur. Trumpets remains to me the obvious choice for the rapture or removal of the church from the earth, although other feasts are possible.

The crescent moon is the symbol for Islam. What would the Muslims do if their most formidable opponents were removed on a crescent moon? They would believe Allah was with them. The cry of “Kill the infidel!” and “jihad (holy war)” would arise not only in the Muslim world but wherever Muslims were living. Perhaps this would initiate Amos 1 & 2.

The sixth feast is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement on Tishri 10. It was the only day the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies in the Jerusalem Temple to offer a blood sacrifice to atone for his sins and those of the nation. It is the holiest day in Judaism.

The seventh feast is Tabernacles from Tishri 15 to Tishri 21. It is a harvest feast for the ingathering of the crop for the year, the model for the Pilgrims’ Thanksgiving. It is the feast of Christ’s millennium per Zechariah 14:16. All the nations shall come to Jerusalem to worship the King.

I have also mentioned the eight day Feast of Hanukkah, which celebrated the removal of the first abomination of desolation in 164 BC. It is always 74 to 75 days after Yom Kippur, which I believe is why there is an extra 75 days after the Great Tribulation’s 1260 days in Daniel 12:12. I believe the LORD will return to reign, not rapture, on Yom Kippur, and 75 days later will begin Hanukkah to celebrate not only the removal of the first abomination of desolation, but also the second noted in Revelation 13:15, an image which speaks and kills those who will not worship it. Daniel’s final or 70th week will end on Hanukkah. If this is the correct interpretation, the final week of Daniel is broken into three pieces and not the traditional two of 1260 days each. The Great Tribulation is the middle piece of 1260 days. The third piece ending on Hanukkah is 75 to 82 days as Hanukkah is an eight day feast. The first piece is 1260 less 75 to 82 days.

If the LORD returns on Yom Kippur to take out anti-Christ and reign thereafter, this has interesting implications. 1260 days back from Yom Kippur often, but not always, falls on the fourth day of the one week Feast of Unleavened Bread. Daniel 9:27 Then he (anti-Christ) shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.

Traditionally, the middle of the week was believed to refer to years with equal halves of 1260 days. However, middle can mean close to the exact middle which is what I believe it refers to here. The middle refers to the fourth year of the seven year period, but also the fourth day of the seven day feast, i.e. another double prophecy. It could also mean the anti-Christ will mimic Christ’s death and resurrection. He will be killed on Passover, resurrected on the third day of Unleavened Bread, and put up the abomination of desolation on the fourth day of the feast. Per Zechariah 11:17, the anti-Christ will be totally blinded in his right eye and have a withered arm (see Revelation 13:3) from the assassination attempt likely on Passover.

This also explains why the two witnesses of Revelation are resurrected after three and one-half days. Likely they too will be killed on Passover. They will then be resurrected and taken up to heaven on the fourth day of Unleavened Bread, likely the first or second anniversary of Satan putting up the abomination of desolation. This is God’s way of saying, “Satan, you want to take over one of my feasts. That’ll be the day!” Their mission is 1260 days per Revelation 11:3. Hence, if my assertion is correct, 1260 days from the day they appear should fall on the Jewish Passover, when they will be killed.

In any event, Daniel was a closed book for almost two thousand years. Then in 1894, there was a small opening by Sir Robert Anderson. Then nothing more occurred for almost another century. However, in the last two decades or so, multiple prophecies have developed what seem to be solid explanations. Will we go another century before they are all explained? Have they all been explained already? Time will tell, but personally, I don’t believe it will be much longer before the LORD returns to rapture His church on a Hebrew feast, with Trumpets the best choice, but not the only choice.

-Gentry