Daniel 8 continues Daniel’s visions. While we had some visions in the prophecies of Ezekiel, Daniel’s visions are particularly vivid. They speak about future events, both in the immediate future and the distant future. These are apocalyptic visions, visions which relate to the end of the world as we know it and the establishment of a new world by our God who is always in control. Many of the images seen in Daniel will be repeated in Revelation. Many want to make these prophecies into a kind of timeline of future events. We must guard against trying to find literal understandings of figurative events. We can be comforted by the fact that even Daniel didn’t understand the meaning of the visions.

In Daniel 9 Daniel, studying the prophecies of Jeremiah; discovers that the exile will last 70 years. Daniel prays on behalf of Jerusalem and Judah, confessing their sin and asking for forgiveness. The angel Gabriel comes to him with the interpretation of his visions. I’m afraid that even the interpretation is difficult to understand. He tells of a new prince who will come and overthrow Darius.

3 John 1 is written to a believer. It speaks well of his faith and the way he treats strangers who are believers. He is warned about another who is telling lies about the writer and other believers and is not welcoming to believers. The writer plans to come and defend his good name so that the community will not be misled.