Daniel 8:10-26

10Its power became so great that it reached up into heaven. It attacked heaven's army and the stars in the sky. It threw some of them down to the ground and it stamped on them.

11It boasted that it was more powerful than the Captain of heaven's army. It stopped people from offering their sacrifices to God each day. It destroyed God's temple.

12God's people accepted the rule of the horn, because they had turned against God. They offered their sacrifices to the horn, instead of to God. The horn stopped people from believing the truth. It was able to do everything that it wanted to do.

13Then I heard two angels as they talked to each other. One angel asked, ‘How long will the things in this vision continue to happen? How long will this disgusting thing stop the sacrifices each day? How long will it stand against God and stamp on his temple and his army?’

14The other angel answered, ‘It will continue for 2,300 evenings and mornings. After that, God's temple will be clean again.’

15When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I tried to understand it. Then someone came to stand in front of me. He seemed like a man.

16I heard a person's voice. It was coming across the Ulai river. The voice said, ‘Gabriel, help this man to understand the vision.’

17So Gabriel came towards me, where I was standing. I was very afraid and I fell down onto the ground. He said to me, ‘You, as a human, need to understand that the vision is about the end of time.’

18While Gabriel spoke to me I was lying with my face on the ground. I was asleep. But he touched me and he caused me to stand up.

19Then he said to me, ‘I will tell you what will happen at the end of time. It will be a time when God is very angry. The vision shows what will happen at the time that God has chosen. That will be the time for everything to finish.

20You saw a male sheep with two horns. Those horns mean the kingdoms of Media and Persia.

21The male goat means the kingdom of Greece. The large horn between its eyes means the first king of Greece.

22When that large horn broke, four horns grew in its place. Those horns show that the nation of Greece will become four separate kingdoms. But they will not be as powerful as the first kingdom.

23Near the end of the time when those kings rule, the people will be completely wicked. Then a proud, cruel king will appear. He will deceive people.

24He will become very strong, but this will not be a result of his own power. He will completely destroy many things. He will be successful in everything that he does. He will destroy powerful leaders and the holy people who belong to God.

25Because he is clever, he will completely deceive people. He will boast about his power. People will think that they are safe, but he will kill many of them. He will stand against the Ruler of all rulers. But God will destroy him, without human help.

26This vision about the evenings and the mornings is true. I have told you what it means. But keep the vision as a secret now. It will be a long time before these things happen.’