And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
This ruler will trash-talk God himself and completely exhaust God's people with constant pressure. He'll think he can rewrite the calendar and change divine laws however he wants. God's people will be under his control for three and a half years, but that's it, there's an expiration date.
Even the worst oppression has God's timer on it, it won't last forever.
📚 Historical Context
Daniel's vision in chapter 7 was received during the Babylonian exile, around 539 BC under King Belshazzar, as part of a series of prophetic dreams about future world empires. The "he" in this verse refers to a symbolic figure, likely representing a tyrannical ruler like Antiochus IV Epiphanes in the 2nd century BC, who persecuted the Jews, desecrated the temple, and attempted to enforce pagan customs over God's laws. This period of oppression is described as lasting "a time, times, and half a time," indicating a limited duration under God's control.
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