Day 365 – December 31, 2022

Daniel 11:29-Bel 42

²⁹ “At the appointed time he shall return and come into the south again; but this last coming will not be like the first. ³⁰ For the Kitians shall go out and come against him, and he will be humbled. Then he will return and be enraged against the holy covenant. He shall do evil, and return and show regard for those who forsook the holy covenant. ³¹ Then offspring shall arise from him, and they shall defile the sanctuary of power. They shall take away the daily sacrifice, and place there the abomination of desolation. ³² Transgressors will bring about a covenant by deceitful means, but the people who know their God will be strong and do valiantly. ³³ Those of the people who understand shall understand much, yet they shall be weakened by sword and flame, and by captivity and days of plundering. ³⁴ When they are weak, they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them by intrigue. ³⁵ Some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them as by fire and to test them, so they may be revealed at the time of the end; because the matter is still for the appointed time.
³⁶ “Then the king shall do according to his will. He will be exalted and magnified above every god, and speak arrogant words. He shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished, for it is to be ended. ³⁷ He shall not regard any gods of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor shall he regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all. ³⁸ But in his locality he shall honor a god of fortresses, and a god his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, and with precious stones and desirable things. ³⁹ Thus he shall do in the strong fortresses of refuge with a foreign god, and he shall increase his glory. He shall subject many to them and distribute gifts in the land.
The Northern King’s Victories
⁴⁰ “At the time of the end, the king of the north will attack the king of the south and come against him with chariots, horsemen, and many ships. He shall enter his land, crush it, and move on. ⁴¹ He shall also enter the Land of Beauty, and many shall fall. But these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent among the children of Ammon. ⁴² He shall stretch out his hand upon the land, and the land of Egypt will not escape. ⁴³ He shall gain control over the hidden stores of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt, and of the Libyans and Ethiopians in their strongholds. ⁴⁴ But rumors and anxieties from the east and the north will trouble him; therefore, he shall come with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. ⁴⁵ He shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas, upon the holy mountain of beauty. Yet he will come to his portion, but there shall be no one to deliver him.
The Prophecy of Michael
​¹ “At that time Michael the great prince, who stands watch over the sons of your people, shall stand up; and there shall be a time of tribulation, such as never happened until that time, since there was a nation upon the earth. But at that time your people shall be saved, all found written in the book. ² Then many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to disgrace and everlasting shame. ³ Those who understand shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and some who are righteous, like the stars of heaven forever and ever. ⁴ As for you, Daniel, close up these words and seal the book until the time of the end, until many are taught and knowledge is increased.”
⁵ Then I, Daniel, looked and behold, there stood two others, one on this riverbank and the other on the other riverbank. ⁶ One said to the man clothed in fine linen who was above the water of the river, “How long will it be to the end of these wonders of which You have spoken?” ⁷ Then I heard from the man clothed in fine linen who was above the water of the river, as he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven and swore by Him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time. Thus when the dispersion is ended, they shall know all these things.
⁸ Although I heard, I did not understand. So I said, “My lord, what shall be the end of these things?” ⁹ He replied, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. ¹⁰ Many shall choose to be made white and refined through fire; but the lawless shall act lawlessly. None of the lawless shall understand, but the wise shall understand. ¹¹ From the time the daily sacrifice is taken away and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. ¹² Blessed is he who waits and comes to one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days. ¹³ But now, go your way and rest, for there are yet days to the fulfillment of the end; and you shall arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.”
​¹ When King Astyages was gathered to his fathers, Cyrus of Persia received his kingdom. ² Daniel was a confidant of the king and was honored above all his friends.
³ Now the Babylonians had an idol whose name was Bel, and every day they spent on it twelve bushels of fine flour, forty sheep, and six vessels of wine. ⁴ The king adored it and went every day to worship it; but Daniel worshiped his own God. So the king asked him, “Why do you not worship Bel?” ⁵ Daniel answered, “Because I do not worship idols made with hands, but only the living God who created heaven and earth and has dominion over all flesh.” ⁶ The king said to him, “Do you not think Bel is a living god? Do you not see how much he eats and drinks every day?” ⁷ Daniel smiled and said, “Do not be deceived, O king, for it is but clay inside and bronze outside, and it has never eaten or drunk anything.”
Bel Is Deposed
⁸ Very angry, the king summoned his priests and said to them, “If you do not tell me who it is that consumes these provisions, you shall die. ⁹ But if you can prove Bel consumes them, then Daniel shall die, because he blasphemed against Bel.” So Daniel said to the king, “Let it be according to your word.”
¹⁰ Now there were seventy priests of Bel, besides their wives and children, and the king went with Daniel into the temple. ¹¹ Then the priests of Bel said, “Look, we will step outside. You, O king, set out the food and prepare the wine, then shut the door and seal it with your signet. ¹² If you do not find Bel has eaten it all when you come tomorrow, we will suffer death—or else Daniel shall die, who speaks lies against us.” ¹³ They were unconcerned, for under the table they had made a secret entrance through which they always came in to consume the provisions.
¹⁴ So when they had all gone, the king set out the food for Bel. And Daniel ordered his servants to bring in ashes, which they sprinkled throughout all the temple in the presence of the king alone. Then they went out, shut the door, sealed it with the king’s signet, and departed. ¹⁵ During the night the priests came with their wives and children, as they usually did, and ate and drank everything.
¹⁶ The king rose early the next morning, and Daniel with him. ¹⁷ Then the king said, “Are the seals intact, Daniel?” Daniel answered, “They are intact, O king.” ¹⁸ As soon as the doors were opened, the king looked at the table and cried out in a loud voice, “Great are you, O Bel, and with you there is no deceit at all.” ¹⁹ Then Daniel laughed and restrained the king from going in. He said, “Look at the floor, and notice whose footprints these are.” ²⁰ The king replied, “I see the footprints of men, women, and children.” ²¹ With great anger, the king seized the priests and their wives and children, and they showed him the hidden doors where they came in and consumed such things as were upon the table. ²² Therefore the king put them to death and handed Bel over to Daniel, who destroyed it and its temple.
The Serpent Is Destroyed
²³ There was also a large serpent the people of Babylon worshiped. ²⁴ So the king said to Daniel, “Will you also say this is made of bronze? Look, he lives, he eats, and he drinks—you cannot say he is no living god. Therefore worship him.” ²⁵ Daniel replied, “I will worship the Lord my God; for He is the living God. ²⁶ But with your permission, O king, I shall slay this serpent without sword or staff.” The king said, “I will give my permission.” ²⁷ Then Daniel took pitch, tar, and hair; these he boiled together and made cakes, and put them in the mouth of the serpent. The serpent ate them and burst open. Then Daniel said, “Behold the things you have been worshiping.”
Daniel Is Vindicated
²⁸ Now when the people of Babylon heard what had been done, they were indignant and conspired against the king, saying, “The king has become a Jew; he has destroyed Bel, slain the serpent, and put the priests to death.” ²⁹ Going to the king, they said, “Deliver Daniel to us, or else we will destroy you and your house.” ³⁰ Now when the king saw they were pressing him hard, he handed Daniel over to them under compulsion. ³¹ They threw Daniel into the lions’ den, where he was left for six days. ³² Now there were seven lions in the den, and they had to give them two carcasses every day and two sheep. But these things were not given to them now, so they might devour Daniel.
³³ Now the prophet Habakkuk was in Judea. He had made a stew and had broken bread into a bowl, and was going to the fields to take it to the reapers. ³⁴ But the angel of the Lord said unto Habakkuk, “Go, carry the dinner you have into Babylon to Daniel, who is in the lions’ den.” ³⁵ Habakkuk said, “O Lord, I have never seen Babylon, nor do I know the den.” ³⁶ Then the angel of the Lord took him by the crown, and carried him by the hair of his head, and with the speed of the wind set him in Babylon over the den. ³⁷ Habakkuk cried out, saying, “O Daniel, Daniel, take the meal God has sent you.” ³⁸ Daniel said, “You have remembered me, O God, and You have not forsaken those who love You.” ³⁹ So Daniel arose and ate; and the angel of the Lord immediately set Habakkuk down in his own place once more.
⁴⁰ After this, on the seventh day the king went to the lions’ den to mourn for Daniel, and he came to the pit and looked inside—and there sat Daniel. ⁴¹ The king cried out with a loud voice, “Great are You, O Lord God of Daniel, and there is no other besides You.” ⁴² Then he drew him out of the den, and cast in those who had plotted Daniel’s destruction; and they were devoured in a moment before his face.

Psalm 150

​¹ Alleluia.
Praise God in His saints;
Praise Him in the firmament of His power;
² Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to the abundance of His greatness.
³ Praise Him with the sound of a trumpet;
Praise Him with the harp and lyre;
⁴ Praise Him with timbrel and dance;
Praise Him with strings and flute;
⁵ Praise Him with resounding cymbals;
Praise Him with triumphant cymbals;
⁶ Let everything that breathes praise the Lord.
Alleluia.

Psalm 151

​¹ This is a psalm written with David’s own hand, although outside the number, when he fought in single combat with Goliath.
I was small among my brothers
And the youngest in my father’s house;
I tended my father’s sheep.
² My hands built a musical instrument;
My fingers tuned a lyre.
³ And who shall tell my Lord?
The Lord Himself, He Himself hears.
⁴ He sent forth His Angel
And took me from my father’s sheep;
And he anointed me with his anointing oil.
⁵ My brothers were handsome and tall,
But the Lord took no pleasure in them.
⁶ I went out to meet the foreigner,
And he cursed me with his idols;
⁷ But I drew his own sword and beheaded him,
And removed disgrace from the children of Israel.

Proverbs 31:26–30

²⁶ She runs her household carefully,
And she does not eat the bread of idleness.
²⁷ She opens her mouth wisely and lawfully,
And her charity raises her children, and they become rich,
And her husband praises her,
²⁸ “Many daughters acquire riches; many do mighty things,
But you excel and surpass all.”
²⁹ Desires to please are deceitful, and the beauty of a wife is vain;
For a wise wife is blessed,
And let her in fear praise the Lord.
³⁰ Give to her from the fruits of her hands,
And let her husband praise her at the gates.

Revelation 22

​¹ And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
² In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
³ And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.
⁴ They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.
⁵ There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.
The Time Is Near
⁶ Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place.
⁷ “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
⁸ Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things.
⁹ Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”
¹⁰ And he said to me, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand.
¹¹ “He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.”
Jesus Testifies to the Churches
¹² “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.
¹³ “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”
¹⁴ Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.
¹⁵ But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.
¹⁶ “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”
¹⁷ And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
A Warning
¹⁸ For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book;
  ¹⁹ and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
I Am Coming Quickly
²⁰ He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
²¹ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.