¹⁶ I came near one of those standing there [^Can angel, perhaps Gabriel who interprets visions; 8:16; 9:21] and asked ·what all this meant [the truth of all this].

“So he told me and explained to me ·what these things meant [^Lthe interpretation of the matter]: ¹⁷ ‘The four great ·animals [beasts] are four ·kingdoms [or kings] that will come from the earth [vv. 4–7]. ¹⁸ But the holy ·people [^Lones; ^Ceither the saints or angels or both] who belong to the Most High God will receive the ·power to rule [kingdom] and will have the ·power to rule [kingdom] forever, from now on.’