The One Year Bible TLB (292 page)

5:13
The church here in Rome,
literally, “She who is at Babylon is likewise chosen”; but Babylon was the Christian nickname for Rome, and the “she” is thought by many to be Peter’s wife to whom reference is made in Matthew 8:14; 1 Corinthians 9:5, etc. Others believe this verse should read: “Your sister church here in Babylon salutes you, and so does my son Mark.”

4:13
one of God’s angels,
literally, “a watcher, a holy one.”

4:19
Then Daniel,
literally, “Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar.”

4:23
God’s angel,
literally, “a holy watcher.”

4:34
At the end of seven years,
literally, “At the end of the days.”

5:7
become the third ruler in the kingdom.
Belshazzar was the second under Nabonidus, his father, who was out of town at the time.

5:11
King Nebuchadnezzar,
literally, “King Nebuchadnezzar, your father”—the Aramaic word for “father” can also mean “predecessor,” in this instance, fifth removed.

5:31
Darius the Mede.
Darius the Mede is not to be confused with Darius the Persian mentioned in Ezra, Haggai, and Zechariah, nor with the one in Nehemiah 12:22.

2:10
the Glorious Ones,
or “the glories of the unseen world.”

2:12
the terrifying powers . . . they know so little about,
literally, “the things they do not understand.”
will be destroyed along with all the demons and powers of hell,
implied; literally, “will be destroyed in the same destruction with them.”

3:13
where there will be only goodness,
literally, “wherein righteousness dwells.”

7:12
a short time longer,
literally, “for a season and a time.”

7:23
the fourth world power,
usually believed to be a revived Roman Empire; see 2:40.

7:24
then another king,
probably the future Antichrist of 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4.

7:25
change all laws, morals, and customs,
literally, “change the times and the law.” Perhaps the meaning is, “change right to wrong and wrong to right.”

7:26
the Ancient of Days will come,
implied in v. 22.

7:27
the people of God,
literally, “the people of the saints of the Most High.”

1:9
confess our sins to him,
implied; literally, “confess our sins.”
Christ died to wash away our sins,
literally, “he is . . . just.”

8:2
Susa,
one of several capitals of the empire at this time.

8:8
in its place grew four good-sized horns.
The four principal successors of Alexander the Great were Ptolemy I of Egypt, Seleucus of Babylonia, Antigonus of Syria and Asia Minor, and Antipater of Macedonia and Greece.

8:9
the land of Israel,
literally, “the glorious land.” Israel was attacked by Antiochus IV Epiphanes, with a further fulfillment of this prophecy indicated for the future; see vv. 17, 19, 23.

8:10
the people of God and . . . some of their leaders,
literally, “host of heaven . . . the starry host”; see 8:24.

8:11
the Commander,
compare Joshua 5:13-15.

8:12
truth and righteousness perished, and evil triumphed and prospered,
or “and great indignities were perpetrated against the Temple ceremonies, so truth and righteousness perished.” The Hebrew text is obscure.

8:14
Twenty-three hundred days,
literally, “Twenty-three hundred mornings and evenings.”

8:23
with great shrewdness and intelligence,
literally, “who understands riddles”; an alternate rendering might read, “skilled in intrigues.” Probably a reference to Antiochus Epiphanes and further future fulfillment by the Antichrist at the end of human history.

8:24
but it will be satanic strength and not his own,
implied; literally, “but not with his power.”

8:26
This number is literal, and means just that,
literally, “The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true.” Verse 14 is the basis for the meaning expressed in the paraphrase.

2:2
he is the forgiveness for our sins,
or “he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

120:4
with glowing coals,
literally, “with coals of the broom tree.”

9:2
Jerusalem must lie desolate for seventy years,
see Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10. This interval had now almost expired.

9:3
to end our captivity and send us back to our own land,
implied.

9:24
490 years,
literally, “seventy weeks” or “seventy sevens” (of years). These were not in uninterrupted sequence. See vv. 25-27.

9:25
It will be 49 years plus 434 years.
This totals 483 years, instead of the 490 years mentioned in v. 24, leaving 7 years unaccounted for at the time of Messiah’s death. For their future fulfillment, see v. 27 and the Revelation. Or, consider the destruction of Jerusalem in
A.D.
 70 by Titus and the subsequent slaughter of one million Jews during the following three and a half years as at least a partial fulfillment of this prophecy.

10:13
the mighty Evil Spirit,
literally, “the prince of Persia.”

10:20-21
your people Israel,
literally, “your prince.”

121:5
your defender,
literally, “your shade at your right hand.”

11:2
by a fourth,
perhaps Xerxes (486–465 
B.C.
) who launched an all-out effort against Greece.

11:3
and accomplish everything he sets out to do.
Doubtless Alexander the Great.

11:5
the king of Egypt,
literally, “the southern king”—Ptolemy II.

11:6
the king of Syria,
literally, “the king of the north,” and so also throughout this passage. These prophecies seem to have been fulfilled many years later in the Seleucid wars between Egypt and Syria.
as a gesture of peace.
In 252 
B.C.
Ptolemy II of Egypt gave his daughter Berenice in marriage to Antiochus II of Syria to conclude a treaty of peace between their two lands.

11:7
when her brother,
literally, “from a branch.” Berenice, murdered in Antioch by Antiochus II’s former wife, Laodice, was the sister of Ptolemy III, who now ascended the Egyptian throne and declared war against the Seleucids to avenge his sister’s murder.

11:9
the king of Syria,
Seleucus II.

11:10-11
the king of Egypt,
Ptolemy IV.

11:13
the Syrian king,
possibly Antiochus III the Great, who was later defeated by the Romans at Magnesia; compare v. 18.

11:14
thus fulfilling prophecy,
literally, “in order to fulfill the vision.”

11:20
His successor.
Seleucus IV, successor to Antiochus III, sent Heliodorus to rob and desecrate the Temple in Jerusalem.

11:21
Next to come to power will be an evil man not directly in line for royal succession.
This may refer to Antiochus IV Epiphanes who, when his brother Seleucus was assassinated, ingratiated himself with the Romans and took over.

11:22
including a leader of the priests,
probably Jason, treacherously removed by the Hellenist Menelaus.

11:27
Both these kings,
probably Antiochus IV and Ptolemy IV.

11:30-31
For Roman warships,
or “From Cyprus.”
pollute the sanctuary,
by offering swine on the altar. This event was fulfilled in 168–167 
B.C.
worshiping idols inside the Temple,
literally, “they shall set up the abomination that astonished.”

11:32
He will flatter those who hate the things of God.
Menelaus, the High Priest, who conspired with Antiochus against the Jews who were loyal to God’s laws.
But the people who know their God,
perhaps the valiant Maccabees and their sympathizers. But a further fulfillment may lie in the future.

3:20
the Lord will surely feel it even more,
or perhaps “the Lord will be merciful anyway”; literally, “God is greater than our heart.”

11:37
the god beloved of women,
probably Tammuz-Adonis, whose worship was popular among women; compare Ezekiel 8:14.

11:38
the Fortress god,
literally, “the god of Fortresses.”

11:40
at the time of the end.
The prophecy takes a turn here. Antiochus IV fades from view, and the Antichrist of the last days becomes the center of attention from this point on.

12:1
and fight for you in heaven against satanic forces,
implied.

12:5
two men,
Hebrew, “two others,” probably angels.

12:7
three and a half years after the power of God’s people has been crushed,
literally, “a time, times, and half a time when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end.”

12:11
1,290 days.
Three and a half years (v. 7) plus one month.

12:13
of those last days,
literally, “at the end of the days.”

1:4-5
avenge the murders he committed.
He went far beyond God’s command to execute the family of Ahab. See 1 Kings 21:21 and 2 Kings 10:11.
breaking the power of the nation in the valley of Jezreel,
a prediction of the Assyrian conquest of Israel twenty-five years later.

1:7
I will personally free her from her enemies without any help from her armies or her weapons.
Shortly after defeating Israel, the Assyrian emperor Sennacherib invaded Judah and besieged Jerusalem. He was driven off by special intervention of God’s angel (Isaiah 36–37).

1:11
the day when God will sow his people in the fertile soil of their own land again,
literally, “the day of Jezreel (‘God sows’)”; see 2:23.

2:1
Jezreel
is implied in the preceding chapter and verse.

2:16
“My Husband” instead of “My Master,”
literally, “My Baal,” meaning “My Lord,” but this was a tainted word because it applied to idols, so it will no longer be used in reference to the true God.

2:21-22
“God sows,”
literally, “Jezreel.”

2:23
“not pitied,”
see 1:6, 9-10.

3:2
back from her slavery,
implied.

3:5
to the Messiah, their King,
literally, “to David, their king.” Christ was “the Greater David.”

5:6-8
as he was facing death,
literally, “This is he who came by water and blood,” see Matthew 3:16-17; Luke 9:31, 35; John 12:27-28, 32-33. Other interpretations of this verse are equally possible.
as he faced death,
literally, “not by water only, but by water and blood.”
and the voice before he died,
literally, “the Spirit, and the water, and the blood.”
that Jesus Christ is the Son of God,
implied.

5:17
that one that ends in death.
Commentators differ widely in their thoughts about what sin this is and whether it causes physical death or spiritual death. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit results in spiritual death (Mark 3:29), but can a Christian ever sin in such a way? Impenitence at the Communion Table sometimes ends in physical death (1 Corinthians 11:30). And Hebrews 6:4-8 speaks of the terrible end of those who fall away.

4:12
through tea leaves,
literally, “through their staff.” There is no modern parallel to this ancient practice used by sorcerers, whose predictions were based on how their staffs landed on the ground when thrown or allowed to fall.

4:18
Their love for shame is greater than for honor.
The Hebrew text is uncertain. The translation follows the Greek version.