Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

In the third year of King Belshazzar's reign, a vision appeared to me in Shushan, at the palace in the province of Elam. As I stood beside the river Ulai, I saw a ram with two horns: one was higher than the other, but the higher horn came up last. The ram pushed westward, northward, and southward, and no other beast could stand before him or escape his power.

He became incredibly powerful, doing everything according to his own will. As I watched, a goat emerged from the west on the face of the whole earth. It had a notable horn between its eyes and touched not the ground as it came forward. The goat charged at the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river Ulai, in a frenzy of fury and power.

The goat struck the ram with incredible force, shattering its two horns. The ram was powerless to resist, and the goat cast it down to the ground and trampled upon it. No one could deliver the ram out of the goat's hand. The goat became even more powerful, but when it reached its peak strength, the great horn between its eyes was shattered.

In its place, four prominent horns emerged, pointing towards the four winds of heaven. One of them produced a little horn that grew extremely powerful and extended its dominion towards the south and the east, as well as to the glorious land. The little horn grew great, even to the host of heaven, casting down some of the host and stars to the ground.

It magnified itself against the prince of the host and through him took away the daily sacrifice, with the sanctuary's place cast down. An army was given to it against the regular sacrifice because of transgression, and it cast down truth to the ground, prospering in its actions. Then I heard one holy being speak to another, asking how long the vision would last for the daily sacrifice and the desecration that led to the destruction of both the sanctuary and its worshipers.

He said to me, "For two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." When I saw this vision, I was seeking its meaning. Then a man appeared before me in appearance like a man, standing between the banks of Ulai. He called out to Gabriel, saying, "Make this person understand the vision."

So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I fell on my face. But he said unto me, "Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end." As he spoke with me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face towards the ground, but he touched me and set me upright.

He said, Behold, I will reveal to you what shall be at the appointed time of the end. The ram you saw with two horns represents the kings of Media and Persia. The rough goat is the king of Greece, and the great horn between his eyes represents the first king. When the ram was broken, four kingdoms would rise from its place but not with the same power.

In the final period of their reign, when those who have rebelled against God are at their most wicked, a king will arise with a fierce and intimidating presence, possessing an understanding of dark and mysterious prophecies. His power shall be mighty, but not by his own strength; he will destroy with great success and accomplish all he sets out to do.

He will cause deceit to flourish in his hand and exalt himself in his heart, using peace to destroy many. He will also stand against the Prince of princes, but he will be broken without human intervention. The vision of the evening and morning that was told is true: shut it up, for it will be for many days.

I fainted and was sick for several days; afterward I rose up and attended to the king's business, yet I remained astonished by the vision, which no one else understood.