3 The wise leaders will shine with all the brightness of the sky. And those who have taught many people to do what is right will shine like the stars forever.”
4 He said to me, “And now, Daniel, close the book and put a seal on it until the end of the world. Meanwhile, many people will waste their efforts trying to understand what is happening.”
5 Then I saw two men standing by a river, one on each bank.
6 One of them asked the angel who was standing further upstream, “How long will it be until these amazing events come to an end?”
7 The angel raised both hands toward the sky and made a solemn promise in the name of the Eternal God. I heard him say, “It will be three and a half years. When the persecution of God's people ends, all these things will have happened.”
8 I heard what he said, but I did not understand it. So I asked, “But, sir, how will it all end?”
9 He answered, “You must go now, Daniel, because these words are to be kept secret and hidden until the end comes.