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Daniel 8

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1 In the third year of the kingdom of king Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, to me Daniel, after that which appeared to me in the beginning.

2 And I saw in a vision, and it was, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the River Ulai.

3 And I lifted my eyes and saw, and, behold, one ram stood before the river, and it had two·​·horns; and the two·​·horns were tall; but the one was taller than the second, and the taller one came·​·up afterwards.

4 I saw the ram charging·​·out westward, and northward, and southward; and all animals stood not before him, and none could rescue from his hand; but he did according·​·to his good·​·pleasure, and became·​·great.

5 And I was understanding, and behold, a he-goat of the goats came from the sunset on the faces of all the earth, and touched not on the earth; and the he-goat had a horn to·​·behold between his eyes.

6 And he came to the ram, the owner* of two·​·horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran to him in the fury of his power.

7 And I saw him reaching beside the ram, and he was made·​·bitter toward him, and smote the ram, and broke his two horns; and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down toward the earth, and trampled him, and there was none to rescue the ram from his hand.

8 And the he-goat of the goats became· very ·great; and as he was strong, the great horn was broken; and instead·​·of it came·​·up four horns to·​·behold to the four winds of the heavens.

9 And from one of them came·​·out a little horn, and it became· exceedingly ·great, toward the south, and toward the sunrise, and toward the elegance.

10 And it became·​·great, even·​·to the army of the heavens; and it made some of the army and of the stars fall toward the earth, and trampled them.

11 And it magnified itself even·​·to the Prince of the army, and by Him the continual offering was lifted·​·up away, and the establishment of His sanctuary was cast down.

12 And an army was given over upon the continual offering into transgression, because it cast the truth to the earth; and so it did, and it prospered.

13 And I heard one holy·​·one speaking, and one other holy·​·one said to that certain holy·​·one who spoke, How long shall be the vision concerning the continual offering, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the army to be trampled?

14 And he said to me, Even·​·to evening when it becomes morning, two·​·thousand and three hundred; and the sanctuary shall be made·​·just.

15 And it was, when I Daniel saw the vision, that I sought understanding, and behold, there was standing in·​·front·​·of me as the appearance of a mighty·​·man.

16 And I heard the voice of man* between the banks of Ulai, and it called and said, Gabriel, make yonder man to understand the vision.

17 And he came beside where· I ·stood; and when he came, it alarmed me, and I fell on my face; but he said to me, Understand, O son of man, for at the time of the end shall be the vision.

18 And when he spoke with me, I was·​·in·​·a·​·deep·​·sleep on my face toward the earth; but he touched me, and caused me to stand, standing me up.

19 And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the uttermost·​·part of the indignation; for at the time·​·appointed the end shall be.

20 The ram which thou sawest, the owner* of two·​·horns, are the kings of Media and Persia.

21 And the hairy he-goat is the king of Javan*; and the great horn that is between his eyes, he is the first king.

22 And she shall be broken, and four shall stand instead·​·of her; four kingdoms out·​·of the nation shall stand, but not in its power.

23 And in the last times of their kingdom, when the transgressors reach·​·their·​·height, a king of strong faces, and understanding enigmas, shall stand.

24 And his power shall be numerous, but not by his own power; and he shall destroy wonders, and shall prosper, and do, and shall destroy the numerous and the people of the holy·​·ones.

25 And on·​·account·​·of his intelligence he shall make deceit prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by tranquility shall destroy many; and he shall stand against the Prince of princes; but with no hand he shall be broken.

26 And the vision of the evening and the morning which was said, it is true; and block· thou ·off the vision, for it shall be for many days.

27 And I, Daniel, became and was·​·sick for days; and afterward I arose, and did the business of the king; and I was·​·astonished over the sight, but none understood it.

   


Thanks to the Kempton Project for the permission to use this New Church translation of the Word.

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Apocalypse Explained # 716

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716. And ten horns, signifies much power. This is evident from the signification of "horn," as being the power of truth against falsity and evil, and in the contrary sense the power of falsity against truth and good (of which above, n. 316, 567); also from the signification of "ten," as being all persons and all things, likewise many persons and many things (of which also above, n. 675; which shows that "ten horns" signify much power. That the dragon had much power is evident from what follows, namely, that because of him "the son a male that the woman brought forth was caught up unto God," that "his tail drew down from heaven the third part of the stars;" also that "he fought with Michael and his angels;" and afterwards that he stirred up Gog and Magog, and the nations in countless number, to war against the saints.

[2] "The dragon" had such power because "the dragon" means such as have separated faith from the goods of charity, which are works, and have confirmed this by the sense of the letter of the Word, which they thus twist from its genuine sense, and as it were draw it down from heaven; and because at the end of the church, which Revelation treats of, there is no charity, therefore the dragon then has power; for at the end of the church everyone wishes to live for himself, for the world, and according to his own bent, and few wish to live for the Lord, for heaven and eternal life; and the principle of faith alone, which is faith separated from charity, favors the former life, and like the current of a river draws in and carries away all to thus believing and living. This is why "the dragon," which signifies such persons and such things, was seen to have "ten horns."

[3] It has been said heretofore that falsities from evil have no power whatever; but it is to be known that falsities from evils have no power against truth from good; for truth from good is from the Lord, and the Lord has all power by His Divine truth. But falsities from evil have a power that is signified by "the ten horns of the dragon," because they prevail against those who are in falsities from evil, since such persons and such falsities act as one; moreover, man is in evil and in falsities therefrom hereditarily from his parents, and afterwards from actual life, especially at the end of the church; and these falsities from evil cannot be expelled from man in a moment, but little by little; for if they were expelled in a moment man would expire, because they constitute his life. Because such is man's state at the end of the church, the falsities of evil prevail, although they have no power whatever against truth from good. The Lord by His Divine truth might instantly cast out the falsities of evil that are with man, but this would be to cast the man instantly into hell; for these falsities must first be removed, and so far as they are removed, so far there is a place for implanting truths from good, and man is reformed. Such as are here meant by "the dragon" are meant also by "the he-goat" that fought with the ram (Daniel 8), and by "the goats" in Matthew 25; for "he-goats" there signify those who are in faith separated from charity, and "the ram" and "the sheep" those who are in charity.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for their permission to use this translation.