After having done A Biblical Overview Of Revelation, it’s time to turn to Daniel who adds a lot of detail to our understanding of what the Apostle John wrote. Of course, Daniel speaks of other things as well, and we will talk about those. Our goal will be to see the Book of Daniel clearly, without the unBiblical and foolish notions that ‘scholars’ inserted into our view of this book.
We have chosen man-centered logic over the gentle guidance of the Holy Spirit for far too long. We forgot that the Bible is the precious words of God, and that God is not amused by our corruption of what He said.
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A Biblical Overview Of Daniel
Part 2 – The Great Image of Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
Daniel’s Desperation And Faith
The Great Stone And The Millennium
Part 3 – Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego in the Furnace
Daniel 4 And Nebuchadnezzar’s Second Dream
The King Comes To Himself And Praises God
Faith Must Come With Obedience
Part 4 – The Fall of Babylon and Daniel’s Great Faith
Daniel 5 – And How Babylon Fell To Cyrus
Chapter 6 – The Incredible Faith Of Daniel
The Antichrist: The Eleventh Horn
Part 6 – Another Look At the Antichrist
THEORY 1: The It’s-All-In-The-Future Theory
THEORY 2: The Half-Past-Half-Future Theory
Sixty Nine Weeks Until Messiah
Two Parenthetical Phrases That Mess People Up
That Holy Place Jesus Spoke Of
Part 8 – Introducing Daniel’s Last Vision
The Spiritual War And The Scripture Of Truth
Part 9 – The Antichrist Revealed
Antiochus IV Epiphanes – The False Narrative
Part 10 – The Purpose Of Daniel 11
The King Of The Negev And A Transformed Israel
The Antichrist Turns Against The Holy Covenant
Part 11 – The First Resurrection And How Long The Great Tribulation Will Be
The Redemption Of Israel – When?
Mainline Eschatologies Destroyed By Daniel 12
How Long Will These Wonders Be?
Is This Prophecy 3500 Years Long?
Part 12 – Conclusions About Daniel
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Part 1 – Introduction
There is a personal tragedy at the beginning of this book that no one talks about, and only a few of us seem to recognize. And, I must confess that I didn’t see it myself until a year ago. Furthermore, this tragedy is also a fulfillment of prophecy, but it’s hard to think of this happening to one so good and Godly.
The prophecy that I speak of is from Isaiah who spoke to King Hezekiah after his foolishness in showing the Babylonian delegation all that he had, after he had been sick:
5 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord of hosts: 6 ‘Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and what your fathers have accumulated until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left,’ says the Lord. 7 ‘And they shall take away some of your sons who will descend from you, whom you will beget; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’ ”
– Isaiah 39:5-7 (NKJV)
Now, to those who say that this was a condemnation of Hezekiah, remember that Hezekiah was a good king who sought the Lord and was righteous. And, I personally believe that the turning of Hezekiah’s descendants into eunuchs was unavoidable – since that is how Babylonian bureaucracy worked. And, Nebuchadnezzar was always on the lookout for those who would help run his empire.
We also see this way of running an imperial bureaucracy in China and elsewhere, to ensure that the bureaucrats running the empire wouldn’t try to take it for themselves and their children. Lots of empires have fallen due to coups from within.
Anyway, it seems to me that when Hezekiah got a bit prideful in all that he had, so God took him down a notch, to let him know that none of what he had acquired was going to last. And, Hezekiah had the humility to accept that, here:
8 So Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the Lord which you have spoken is good!” For he said, “At least there will be peace and truth in my days.”
– Isaiah 39:8 (NKJV)
A bad king would have had Isaiah killed, or at least thrown out, for saying what he had said. But, to Hezekiah’s credit, he did not.
There is also an interesting note about this event in 2 Chronicles:
However, regarding the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, whom they sent to him to inquire about the wonder that was done in the land, God withdrew from him, in order to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart.
– 2 Chronicles 32:31 (NKJV)
So, this was a test. And, Hezekiah failed it. I’ve failed a few of my own, so I can’t criticize Hezekiah too much for this one. And, King David did far worse, and God still forgave him. But, let’s get back to Daniel.
When Nebuchadnezzar came down the first time, to capture Jerusalem, Jehoiakim king of Judah surrendered, which kept Jerusalem from being destroyed.
Here’s where we see Daniel’s personal tragedy, and that of his friends:
3 Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king’s descendants and some of the nobles, 4 young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans. 5 And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king. 6 Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 7 To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-Nego.
– Daniel 1:3-7 (NKJV)
So, Daniel was forced to become a eunuch. Now, we don’t have all the details about how much choice he had in the matter.
Was this an issue of do or die?
Was the alternative worse, but maybe less than death?
We don’t know. But, the idea of never being able to have a family. No wife. No children. No grandchildren. That would have been a truly terrible blow. The fact that God blessed him in ways that few could ever have imagined, the cost still would have been truly terrible for him personally.
God never promised that we would not suffer in this life. But, He did promise to walk with us in our times of trial and that He would lift us up when we fall. When we get to eternity, we will truly understand how good God has been to us. And, this would have been doubly true about Daniel.
Furthermore, in the second half of chapter 1, Daniel commits his way to the Lord. He follows the dietary laws that God had given, and God blessed him and his friends with wisdom and knowledge above everyone else. Thankfully, we are no longer under such Torah restrictions, but Daniel is an example of being blessed for submission and obedience to God.
May we all learn from Daniel, the need to submit to God’s words, that we would be counted as good servants when we stand before the Lord in the day of reward.
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Part 2 – The Great Image of Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
Normally we look to a man of God to give us important End Times prophecies, but the Lord gave this one to someone who wasn’t. Not even close. Yet, this prophecy is still being fulfilled as we speak, and will not finish its fulfillment until the Return of Our Lord.
This is the dream of Nebuchadnezzar’s great image. And, it has special significance for us to day, because that image still stands, and it charts the progress of history through today and into the future, when the Antichrist comes.
The question is, where are we in the chronology of this image?
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I find it interesting that God does grant visions and prophetic dreams to those who are not followers of Him. Jacob was given a prophetic dream by God before he was a follower of the Lord. Laban was met by God in a dream. The wife of Pontius Pilate was troubled with dreams that declared Jesus to be just. Cornelius was given a dream to send for Peter. And even today, there have been Muslims who were given dreams by God, to seek out Christians to hear the gospel and receive salvation.
And, in my own 28 years in Asia, I have seen things that defy the imagination. God truly works in mysterious ways.
Also, notice one other thing that is very important:
Not only was Nebuchadnezzar given the dream,
but he was given such a driving need to understand the dream –
so much so that he was willing to destroy his imperial bureaucracy (‘the wise men’)
to get someone to tell him the dream and interpret it.
That is a truly incredible compulsion that God placed upon Nebuchadnezzar. And, it illustrates the character of dreams given by God. They are like no other dream or hallucination that we might have.
I know someone whose life was saved, when he was told to avoid a certain room where he was working, at a certain time of day. When that room exploded with life-killing force, it was confirmation that the dream was real.
I also had a similar experience that helped save my own life – or, at least my sanity. I can’t tell you much about it, for it was only for myself and a few others to know. But, I remember waking up on a Friday morning, knowing that a close personal friend would seek my utter destruction in six months. And, there was such a complete certainty to what I was shown, that in my mind it was as if it had already happened. (And to my dismay, it did.)
I have never had such an experience since then, but I doubt that I would be writing this if God had not intervened in my life in the way that He did.
Does this make me Charismatic?
No.
But, it does mean that God still intervenes directly in our lives in ways that we will never truly understand until we reach eternity.
Now, back to Nebuchadnezzar…
After he commands his personal guards to kill all the wise men in Babylon, Daniel pleads for his life, to give him time to show the dream to Nebuchadnezzar and its interpretation. And, to our knowledge this would have been the first time Daniel and his friends would seek God for such a thing, or even experience something like this. This would have been a true moment of both desperation and faith.
Daniel knew that God could answer his plea, and save his life…
…but, would God do this for him?
If you have been a Christian for long enough, there will be times of such desperation where only God could solve the disaster that you face – where you know that only a miracle would save you. Such miracles have happened in my life. I know of such miracles happening in the lives of others. And, they are God’s way of helping us remember that He is there with us, even when all hope seems lost.
I have walked the Valley of the Shadow of Death many times. And, I walk through it even now, but I know that whatever happens, God walks with me.
Even though I know that this will be my final journey, He will see me through.
For those of you on a similar walk, have faith that God is with you and will see you through – even if the final destination is… unexpected. Trust me. I never expected to be in Taiwan. Ever.
Daniel’s Desperation And Faith
So, let’s return to Daniel and his own desperation. He knows that God is with him. He has faith that God knows how to fix the situation. And, he is willing to submit to God’s answer, whatever that is.
We saw in Daniel 1, how willing Daniel was to submit to God, and how he was blessed for doing so. And, Daniel was willing to do the same. But, the stakes were high, and he had to have felt truly desperate as he went to his friends that they might spend the night seeking the mercy of God:
16 So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him time, that he might tell the king the interpretation. 17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, 18 that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
– Daniel 2:16-19 (NKJV)
God answers Daniel’s prayer and gave him the same vision given to Nebuchadnezzar – along with the interpretation. Daniel responds with profound praise to God – not for saving his life, but for being powerful, wise and all knowing.
The Dream Interpreted
Daniel then goes to the king, telling him that none of the wise men could show the dream and interpretation, because only God could do this:
But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, were these:
– Daniel 2:28 (NKJV)
Here is the dream:
31 “You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great image! This great image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you; and its form was awesome. 32 This image’s head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. 34 You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
– Daniel 2:31-35 (NKJV)
Then, Daniel gives the interpretation:
36 “This is the dream. Now we will tell the interpretation of it before the king. 37 You, O king, are a king of kings. For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory; 38 and wherever the children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field and the birds of the heaven, He has given them into your hand, and has made you ruler over them all—you are this head of gold. 39 But after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours; then another, a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. 40 And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others. 41 Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. 43 As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. 44 And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. 45 Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold—the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure.”
– Daniel 2:36-45 (NKJV)
Okay, so what do we get from this?
Gold = Babylonian Empire
Silver = Persian Empire
Bronze = Greco-Alexandrian Empire
Iron = Roman Empire
Iron & Clay = ??
The Ten Toes = ??
The Stone = Jesus Christ
And yes, the Stone that struck the image and became a great mountain that filled the whole earth… that’s the Second Coming of Jesus and the Millennium. Those who want to claim that the Millennium is symbolic, have forgotten that the Stone literally breaks in pieces PHYSICAL kingdoms, not symbolic ones. So, the Millennium must also be PHYSICAL.
The Iron Legs
But, let’s look at that iron.
What does verse 40 say?
And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others.
There is literally no kingdom on earth that was better than Rome at crushing kingdoms. Their core phrase was ‘divide and rule’, (Divide et Impera) and no one did it better than they did. So, the Roman connection is pretty strong.
The Iron And Clay
But, what about the iron and clay?
Here’s the description again:
41 Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. 43 As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay.
The kingdoms of gold, silver and bronze were distinctly different from one another. You didn’t have anything mixed with them. And, each completely replaced the other. But, the iron was different.
The iron continued, but was diluted by the clay. And, this diluted kingdom was fragmented and disunited. Furthermore the iron mixed themselves with the ‘seed of men’ – common people. And, when I look across the world today, I’ve seen that iron and clay.
Like iron, the empires of Europe crushed every other empire in the world. Not a single empire survived. Every kingdom and empire on every continent was conquered and crushed by Europe and the United States.
And, when the European powers withdrew from their colonies, what did their former colonies call themselves?
Republics.
There is nothing more Roman than the word ‘republic’. It has completely Roman connotations, and it shows the Roman influence that has touched the farthest parts of the world. The island nation of Taiwan calls itself a republic. China calls itself a republic. And, except for some Muslim nations and India, they have all taken upon themselves the clothing of the Republic.
The suit and tie is literally everywhere in the world. Just as the kingdoms outside the Roman empire imitated Rome in coinage and clothing, so have the nations of the world. You could even make the claim that the current ‘mark’ of the ‘beast system’ is…
The tie.
That useless piece of cloth, tied around your neck and drooped down the front of your shirt is the single biggest sign of your citizenship in our world order. The iron mixed with clay. And, I hate ties (but not for that reason).
And our science, law and architecture?
Roman.
Science, medicine and the judiciary require us to use Latin. And, the architecture of every capital is completely Roman.
In fact, you’ll be surprised to learn that some Roman laws are still in effect today. Here’s one example:
This dude exploited an ancient Roman law to seize a dead woman’s home and then sell it for a big profit
https://notthebee.com/article/this-dude-exploited-an-ancient-roman-law-to-seize-a-dead-womans-home-and-then-sell-it-for-a-big-profit
That’s right. There is at least one law – and probably lots of them – that is purely Roman and still in effect today, in the UK – which was once a Roman colony.
Even the founding fathers of the United States used Rome as their model. And, George Washington’s greatest hero was Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus, and there is a Society of the Cincinnati that was established by Henry Knox in 1783. And, it’s About Page says this:
The Society of the Cincinnati is the nation’s oldest patriotic organization, founded in 1783 by officers of the Continental Army who served together in the American Revolution. Its mission is to promote knowledge and appreciation of the achievement of American independence and to foster fellowship among its members. Now a nonprofit educational organization devoted to the principles and ideals of its founders, the modern Society maintains its headquarters, library, and museum at Anderson House in Washington, D.C.
I could go on, but it should be pretty clear that we are – at a minimum – living during the time of the iron mixed with clay.
The Ten Toes
Then, there are those ten toes that are also iron mixed with clay.
What are those?
My suspicion is that we haven’t seen them yet. Yes, I know about the ‘ten of this’ and ‘ten of that’. I’ve heard tons of theories about a ‘ten-something’ that must be the ‘Ten Toes’. But, I’ve lived in Asia for 28 years and have seen a lot of how the world is run, and there’s nothing of any power or significance that is a group of ten.
So, what will make this ‘ten-of-something’ appear?
It would certainly require a global upheaval of cataclysmic size and power. And if you’ve read Ezekiel’s Fire or When Gog Comes, that would certainly do it. Or, it could be something else.
Just remember that the ONLY THING that comes after the Ten Toes is the Second Coming and God’s Millennial reign on Earth. There is literally nothing between those Ten Toes and the Millennium.
Oh, and I think that we’ll meet the ten toes, when we get to the Fourth Beast of Daniel 7.
The Great Stone And The Millennium
If anyone can read about the Stone that destroys this image and then takes over the world… and not see the Millennium …you might need medical help. There is literally no other possible interpretation of this.
Furthermore, this Stone is physical and destroys physical kingdoms. The only thing symbolic about this Stone, is the imagery. That’s it. And this Stone rules the world, just as Jesus said that He would.
Epilogue
After Daniel explains the dream and its meaning, what does Nebuchadnezzar do?
46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, prostrate before Daniel, and commanded that they should present an offering and incense to him. 47 The king answered Daniel, and said, “Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret.”
– Daniel 2:46-47 (NKJV)
This is the leader of the greatest empire on earth at that time, falling down on his face before Daniel, who is the lowest of the ‘wise men’ of Babylon. That should tell you what pressure God was putting on Nebuchadnezzar. God had him in a vice, and it was Daniel’s explanation that released him. And, the relief was so overwhelming that the only thing that he could think to do was to completely abase himself in public, in front of everyone and give glory to God.
If you needed proof that God can and will make the utterly unexpected happen, this is all the proof that you need. When God calls, you had better come running, because God always gets what He wants and who He chooses.
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Part 3 Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego in the Furnace
Daniel 3 and 4 is a story of foolishness, pride and complete faithfulness. And, it isn’t just a little foolishness or a little pride or even a little faithfulness. In these two chapters, there are freight trains-full of each, and it’s proof that none of us can be true to God under our own power.
Today, we are going to talk about the heroism of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego, and the utter and complete foolishness of King Nebuchadnezzar – who should have known not to do what he did. But like so many, he did it anyway.
But, in the end, great honor was given to God.
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We don’t know the amount of time between Daniel 2 and Daniel 3. However, it is long enough for Nebuchadnezzar to have forgotten what he said to Daniel about the God of Israel.
Here is what he said in Daniel 2 after Daniel revealed the dream and then the interpretation of it:
46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, prostrate before Daniel, and commanded that they should present an offering and incense to him. 47 The king answered Daniel, and said, “Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret.”
– Daniel 2:46-47 (NKJV)
This emperor fell on his face in public, before Daniel, and proclaimed that the God of Israel is greater than his own gods. And, Nebuchadnezzar’s experience should have been completely unforgettable. Yet, he did forget. Or, more accurately, he rebelled.
The Personality Cult
Daniel 3 is about this great statue of gold, built by king Nebuchadnezzar, and he wanted everybody and their grandmother to worship it. And, the question is…
Why?
You’ll notice that politicians and rulers all over the world do their best to create a personality cult to help support their rule, or their attempt to gain political power. And throughout history, kings and emperors have used this cult strategy. The kings and queens of Europe proclaimed ‘divine right’, and that any opposition to them was opposition to God. And, they made sure that all your money had their image on it.
The Roman emperors were first worshiped as gods with Julius Caesar, although they usually had to die before being fully deified. However, that began to change as each successive emperor chose to reinforce their power by proclaiming divinity. And, the same goes for emperors the world over.
Was this what Nebuchadnezzar trying to do?
Was he trying to strengthen his power by proclaiming himself to be a deity?
Or, was he just attempting to create a new religion, a new cult?
Notice that Daniel 3 does not say that the image looked like Nebuchadnezzar, or was some representation of Nebuchadnezzar. It just says that it was an image.
The only indication that this image represented Nebuchadnezzar, and that worshiping this image was to worship the this king as a god is here, where some reported Daniel’s friends to the king:
12 There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.”
– Daniel 3:12 (NKJV)
You can bet that those accusing these three friends of Daniel, were attempting to have them destroyed out of envy and ambition. And, their accusation might mean that the image actually depicted Nebuchadnezzar as a god.
The other possibility is that this image was the one that we saw in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2 – except that it was all gold instead of gold, silver, bronze, iron and iron mixed with clay. I’m less inclined to believe this possibility, since it would also remind Nebuchadnezzar of who God is.
Having said that, logic might have nothing to do with this in any way.
An Act Of Faith
For Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego, there was no way that they were going to worship this image that Nebuchadnezzar had made. They stood firm, willing to die for their faith in God, and that was truly impressive. They knew that God could save them, but might choose not to. But, they knew that their place in eternity was far more important than living out the rest of their lives and then suffering eternal punishment.
When confronted by the king, here was their response:
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”
– Daniel 3:16-18 (NKJV)
Now THAT was true faith. Faith in God and His ability to save them, but also faith in God’s judgment that if they died, it was for a good reason.
Do you have that kind of faith?
My hope is that you do, for that is the only kind of faith that God accepts. If you love anything in this world more than God, including your own life, God will not accept you. With God, it’s all, or nothing. And, I encourage all of you to consider the faith that you have and whether you need to ask God to build your faith.
When the father of a demon-possessed child, begged Jesus to heal his son:
23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
– Mark 9:23-24 (NKJV)
This has been my cry to God for decades. Lord, I believe; help my unbelief! And, God has always been faithful to bring me through each trial of faith. I have walked the Valley of the Shadow of Death many times. And, each time I have asked God for the faith, that He would see me through. And, He has.
If you feel that you are lacking in faith, ask God. He will give you the faith that you ask for. And, He will show you the corruption and compromises that you must give up, so that you can be the follower of Christ that He requires you to be.
Just remember this:
Sin destroys faith.
If there is sin in your life, don’t expect to have the faith that will see you through the trials and tribulations that we face. If you want God to increase your faith, He will require that you give up the sins that are in rebellion against Him.
Daniel’s three friends walked this path of obedience and faith, and they were saved from the fiery furnace that Nebuchadnezzar threw them into. And God literally stood with them in that fire. And, when Nebuchadnezzar saw this great miracle, and that God stood with these three men, he glorified God and gave this decree:
28 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! 29 Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this.”
– Daniel 3:28-29 (NKJV)
Daniel 4 And Nebuchadnezzar’s Second Dream
Then, in Daniel 4, Nebuchadnezzar has a second dream, and we – yet again – see that he forgot who God is, and who he should worship. With all that has happened, you would think that this king would have ‘got it’. But, like the children of Israel in the Sinai, he quickly forgot the miracles that he saw and experienced from the Hand of God.
Furthermore, this chapter actually seems to have been written by Nebuchadnezzar himself. In fact, it seems to indicate that it is a letter and proclamation to everyone in his empire. Here’s the first two verses that show this:
1 Nebuchadnezzar the king,
To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth:
Peace be multiplied to you.
2 I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has worked for me.
3 How great are His signs,
And how mighty His wonders!
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And His dominion is from generation to generation.
– Daniel 4:1-3 (NKJV)
The other clue that Nebuchadnezzar wrote (or dictated) this, is the high concentration of Aramaic in this chapter. Most of Daniel is written in Hebrew, and there is some in this chapter. But, there’s too much Aramaic for a Hebrew speaker to understand properly.
Furthermore, the fact that Nebuchadnezzar is making this public admission to everyone, might – just might – indicate that he finally becomes a follower of God. Maybe. But, let’s get to the point of this chapter, the Dream.
The king dreams about a fantastic tree that was beautiful with wonderful fruit that gave shade and food to all who resided in it and under it. Then an angel comes down – a ‘watcher’ – and decrees that this tree be chopped down and all that benefit from it be scattered. A band of iron and bronze binds the root of the tree, and he is given a heart of an animal – where he eats grass like an animal for seven times.
And, the angel goes on to say:
‘This decision is by the decree of the watchers,
And the sentence by the word of the holy ones,
In order that the living may know
That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men,
Gives it to whomever He will,
And sets over it the lowest of men.’
– Daniel 4:17 (NKJV)
When Nebuchadnezzar wakes from his dream, what is the first thing that he does?
Right, exactly the wrong thing.
He calls in his ‘the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers’. Only AFTER these guys come up empty, does Daniel come in and give the interpretation. And, it’s not one that anyone would like to hear.
Daniel tells the king that his kingdom will be taken from him for seven years, and he will go insane and be like an animal, eating grass for those seven years. And, Daniel tells him that this will last, “till you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.” (verse 25)
Daniel then tells Nebuchadnezzar what he needs to do if he is to avoid what is decreed to happen to him:
26 “And inasmuch as they gave the command to leave the stump and roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be assured to you, after you come to know that Heaven rules. 27 Therefore, O king, let my advice be acceptable to you; break off your sins by being righteous, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps there may be a lengthening of your prosperity.”
– Daniel 4:26-27 (NKJV)
Daniel uses the word ‘perhaps’ because he doesn’t believe that Nebuchadnezzar will actually repent of his sins and turn towards God.
Does the king do the smart thing?
Of course not.
Twelve months later, Nebuchadnezzar puffs out his chest and proudly proclaims to himself how great he is and all the great stuff he built. And then… boom …a voice from heaven speaks and his kingdom is taken away from him. And, for seven years, he eats grass like a wild animal in the field.
A Little Supposition
Now, put yourself in Daniel’s sandals. He knows what’s going to happen. And, he knows what will happen if any of Babylon’s enemies find out that the emperor has gone nuts. So, if I was Daniel – who had lots of power all by himself – I would quietly set up a way to make sure that no one would ever find out that Nebuchadnezzar was out in the fields eating grass.
I don’t know what that would have been. It could have been a ‘body double’ – someone who looked and sounded like Nebuchadnezzar. It could have been a bureaucratic coverup that made sure that anyone who tried to meet the king wouldn’t be able to. He might even have launched a minor war, claiming that the king was with the army attacking this or that enemy province. Or, all the above.
Of course, all of that is pure supposition. Daniel would have known that the empire would have been preserved anyway, because God said so. But, Daniel wasn’t stupid, and it’s really suspicious how quickly Nebuchadnezzar was able to get back on his throne as if nothing had happened.
Now, that we have that Little supposition out of the way…
The King Comes To Himself And Praises God
Then, after seven years…
34 And at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever:
For His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
And His kingdom is from generation to generation.
35 All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing;
He does according to His will in the army of heaven
And among the inhabitants of the earth.
No one can restrain His hand
Or say to Him, “What have You done?”
36 At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my honor and splendor returned to me. My counselors and nobles resorted to me, I was restored to my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added to me. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.
– Daniel 4:34-37 (NKJV)
Now, does this mean that we will meet Nebuchadnezzar when we get to heaven?
I hope so.
I am not the Judge, so it’s not my decision. But, I would love for everyone who gives honor to God to be given eternal life. But, for Nebuchadnezzar to be granted eternal life, he would have needed to follow Torah. And, we don’t know that he did that.
Faith Must Come With Obedience
Remember that faith without obedience will not grant you the right to heaven.
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
– Matthew 7:21-23 (NKJV)
So please. All of you. Obey God. I want to see you in heaven.
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Part 4 – The Fall of Babylon and Daniel’s Great Faith
I would love to jump ahead to Part 5 and talk about the prophecy in Daniel 7 that is also still in effect today – just like the image in the dream of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 2. But, we have a few things that we can learn from Daniel 5 and 6, and some of those things help clear up a couple of questions that I had.
How did the Persians take over Babylon so quickly?
Why did the Persians keep so much of the Babylonian bureaucracy in power?
Well, we have a few answers to that, and I think that you’ll find the entire story to be interesting. Including the incredible demonstration of faith by Daniel.
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Daniel 5 – And How Babylon Fell To Cyrus
Daniel 5 opens with a feast held by foolish King Belshazzar for a thousand of the highest ranking lords. He decides that drinking from the gold and silver cups from the First Temple was a good idea. And, while they do this, they begin to praise other gods – of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone.
That’s when a hand appears and writes upon a wall. Belshazzar is absolutely terrified, and says that whoever tells him the meaning of this, he will be the third ruler of the kingdom.
Wait. Third Ruler?
Why not Second Ruler?
That’s due to the fact that Belshazzar shared the rule of Babylon with his father Nabonidas, who married Nebuchadnezzar’s daughter and overthrew Nebuchadnezzar’s sons in a coup. So, Belshazzar could only make someone the ‘Third Ruler of the Kingdom’ because there were already two. And, there’s a fascinating discussion about Nabonidas, here:
The Last King of Babylon
https://www.archaeology.org/issues/458-2203/features/10334-babylon-nabonidus-last-king
However, no one could decipher the writing, so things got pretty desperate until the queen showed up.
Wait. The Queen wasn’t there?
Well, she was his mother, but Belshazzar seemed to want to keep anyone associated with Nabonidas away from this special gathering, since he probably didn’t want anyone to be reminded that his dad was still around. But, his mom tells him about Daniel, who has spiritual power and understanding from the Holy God.
By the way, Belshazzar’s mom refers to Nebuchadnezzar as his father, when we would normally call him a grandfather. But, it is customary for people to claim a grandfather as their father, if the grandfather is more prominent than the father. But, back to the story…
Daniel arrives and tells Belshazzar that he’s been a complete moron, who did not remember what happened to Nebuchadnezzar, his ‘father’. Daniel then goes on to interpret what was written on the wall:
מנא מנא תקל ופרסין
(Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin)
Here’s an interesting tidbit of knowledge that most people don’t know. Those Hebrew characters aren’t actually the original Hebrew that Daniel spent his first years of life reading.
Those characters (above) are Aramaic/Neo-Babylonian/Akkadian. If the more modern Hebrew characters had been used, the wise men might have understood at least something of the message.
But, what if they were written in the original, ancient Hebrew characters that Daniel understood?
I’m speculating a bit, but here’s what I mean:
| Letter name |
Variants | |
|---|---|---|
| Contemporary | Ancestral | |
| Alef | א |  |
| Bet | ב |  |
| Gimel | ג |  |
| Dalet | ד |  |
| He | ה |  |
| Vav | ו |  |
| Zayin | ז |  |
| Chet | ח |  |
| Tet | ט |  |
| Yod | י |  |
| Kaf | כ |  |
| Final Kaf | ך | |
| Lamed | ל |  |
| Mem | מ |  |
| Final Mem | ם | |
| Nun | נ |  |
| Final Nun | ן | |
| Samekh | ס |  |
| Ayin | ע |  |
| Pe | פ |  |
| Final Pe | ף | |
| Tsadi | צ |  |
| Final Tsadi | ץ | |
| Qof | ק |  |
| Resh | ר |  |
| Shin | ש |  |
| Tav | ת |  |
So, the wording of the writing on the wall would have looked like this:
And no, I can’t read that. I can read the “מנא מנא תקל ופרסין”, but I can’t read the original Ancient Hebrew characters. However, Daniel could. And he did.
Here’s the question:
Why did the Israelis change the character set for written Hebrew?
The words didn’t change. The content of the Bible didn’t change. Just the way that the characters were written. And, I’m not sure that we can trust the biased sources that we have, that might describe why this change happened. But, I’m very curious about this, even though it really doesn’t matter much. Nothing was changed in the Bible, except the shape of the letters it was written with.
Now, back to Daniel.
Daniel interprets what was written, which basically says that Belshazzar is an arrogant midwit who turned his back on God, and now his kingdom is over and given to the Persians. Belshazzar makes Daniel the ‘Third Ruler’ of the kingdom. And, Daniel goes back home, shaking his head.
What comes next is not from a Biblical source, but from what might be a somewhat overly dramatic depiction from something called the Cyropaedia – the biography of Cyrus the Great.
Going back home is exactly what would have saved Daniel’s life, since just a few hours later, General Gobryas personally led a group of soldiers in a decapitation strike against Belshazzar and his 1000 highest leaders. Here’s a description of the event from the Cyropaedia 7:5.26–30:
(26) Thereupon they entered: and of those they met some were struck down and slain, and others fled into their houses, and some raised the hue and cry, but Gobryas and his friends covered the cry with their shouts, as though they were revellers themselves. And thus, making their way by the quickest route, they soon found themselves before the king’s palace. (27) Here the detachment under Gobryas and Gadatas found the gates closed, but the men appointed to attack the guards rushed on them as they lay drinking round a blazing fire, and closed with them then and there. (28) As the din grew louder and louder, those within became aware of the tumult, till, the king bidding them see what it meant, some of them opened the gates and ran out. (29) Gadatas and his men, seeing the gates swing wide, darted in, hard on the heels of the others who fled back again, and they chased them at the sword’s point into the presence of the king.
(30) They found him on his feet, with his drawn scimitar in his hand. By sheer weight of numbers they overwhelmed him: and not one of his retinue escaped, they were all cut down, some flying, others snatching up anything to serve as a shield and defending themselves as best they could.
It was a very clever, high-risk, high-reward attack. King Cyrus then called on everyone who knew Assyrian to stay in their houses. By dawn the Babylonian soldiers knew that their leaders had been killed and they were persuaded to surrender. Cyrus then disarmed the populace, and put all the weapons into secured storage.
By the way, almost all the Babylonians welcomed Cyrus, since both Nabonidas and Belshazzar neglected the worship of Marduk for ten years and instead pushed everyone to worship the moon god Sin. And, the drunken celebration Belshazzar was involved in, was the eve of the big spring festival for Sin. And, the average Babylonian wasn’t real happy with their king over this change in the official religion.
Then, it appears that General Gobryas is rewarded for his heroic capture of Babylon by changing his name to Darius and appointing him as ruler of Babylon. Cyrus then continues with his conquest of the Middle East, while Gobryas/Darius rules Babylon. Assuming that my speculation about General Gobryas is correct.
There is an interesting discussion of who Darius is, here:
Who was Darius in the Bible?
https://www.gotquestions.org/Darius-in-the-Bible.html
By the way, feel free to disagree with my speculation that Gobryas was given Babylon to rule. But, Gobryas knew the Babylonians well, and would have been a good choice for the job. However, this guy gives a good argument for Cyaxares II being Darius the Mede, which also makes sense.
Chapter 6 – The Incredible Faith Of Daniel
So, after the dust settles, Darius sets up the bureaucracy again and makes Daniel one of the three highest governors within his administration. And, 120 ‘satraps’ answered to Daniel and the other two governors. But, Daniel was such a good administrator that Darius was thinking about putting him in charge of everything.
And, the Deep State did NOT like that idea.
(And yes, there’s always a Deep State.)
So, they set up a plan to get Daniel killed. They went to Darius and said:
6 So these governors and satraps thronged before the king, and said thus to him: “King Darius, live forever! 7 All the governors of the kingdom, the administrators and satraps, the counselors and advisors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree, that whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. 8 Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter.” 9 Therefore King Darius signed the written decree.
– Daniel 6:6-9 (NKJV)
Can you imagine a king with an opportunity like this?
Darius must have been jumping for joy that this amount of honor and power was being freely given to him. He was new to the job and would have leaped at any opportunity to sign something like this.
When Daniel heard that this decree had been made, he knew exactly what was happening. But, there is one thing that he was not going to do:
No law was going to keep him from worshiping God exactly as he always worshiped God.
So, when the time came to pray to God, he opened his windows as he always did and prayed to God out loud – like he always did. In fact, he might even have put an extra bit of volume to his prayers just to make sure that people knew what he was doing.
Immediately, Daniel’s enemies demand that Darius throw Daniel to the lions. And so, Darius discovers that he’s been tricked into killing his best governor, the one he depended upon the most. So, he works hard to rescue Daniel, but finally must do what he decreed.
Daniel is thrown into a den of super-hungry lions.
Darius spends the night fasting (and probably praying). Once dawn comes, he rushes to the den of lions and calls out to Daniel to see if he has survived. And to his great joy, God sent an angel to protect Daniel.
Darius immediately has Daniel’s enemies thrown to the lions, who demonstrate their hunger by eating them all before they get to the floor of the lion’s den. Like I said, they were super hungry cats.
Furthermore, Darius – like Nebuchadnezzar – glorifies God to everyone in his realm:
25 Then King Darius wrote:
To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth:
Peace be multiplied to you.
26 I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel.
For He is the living God, And steadfast forever; His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed, And His dominion shall endure to the end.
27 He delivers and rescues, And He works signs and wonders In heaven and on earth, Who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.
– Daniel 6:25-27 (NKJV)
And then, Daniel is made ruler of all Babylon, answering only to Darius himself.
Because of his great faith in God, Daniel was given great wisdom and power. And, he stands as an example to us all, that no matter how dangerous our situation is… God will see us through. It doesn’t mean that we’ll survive and be given great wisdom and power. But, it does mean that God will be with us all the way.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
– Psalm 23:4 (KJV)
We will all walk this valley at least once. Keep your faith in God that He will be with you every step of the way, just as God walked with Daniel.
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Part 5 – The Four Beasts
Daniel 7 is a vital chapter that confirms what was said in Daniel 2, as well as adding to our understanding of Revelation. Without this passage, it would be harder to see what God is telling us about the Last Days. And, in case you are wondering…
Yes, we are living – right now – during the time of the Fourth Beast.
When we are done, hopefully you’ll have a better understanding of what this beast is, both now and in the future. And, we really want a better understanding of our future.
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This is the vision of the Four Beasts. And, we will be able to match what is said here to Daniel 2 and Revelation 13. We can match all the kingdoms, and when we get to later chapters in Daniel we’ll be able to take what we learn here and understand what later visions are saying.
NOTE: As always, nothing said here should be considered ‘holy writ’. I get things wrong. This should only act as a way of assisting you in your own research into these things. The Bible was not written for the unwary. (See Isaiah 28:9-13)
We’ll also see proof of the Millennium and that we are living during the time of the Beast System, but not the Antichrist. And, we’ll see that the Beast and the Antichrist are two different entities.
And just like you and me, Daniel was extremely concerned about the Fourth Beast.
The First Three Beasts
So, let’s begin our overview of Daniel 7…
1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, telling the main facts.
2 Daniel spoke, saying, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. 3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other. 4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.
5 “And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’
6 “After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.
Here is the imagery that we see:
- Four Winds of Heaven (NOTE: wind and spirit are the same in Hebrew)
- Great Sea
- All four beasts come out of the sea
- Lion with eagle’s wings, which are plucked, before standing on two feet and given the heart of a man
- Bear with three ribs in its mouth
- Leopard with four wings and four heads
Where do we see similar imagery of Four Winds and/or the first three beasts?
In Revelation 7 we see the four winds commanded to be still until 12 thousand from each tribe of Israel is sealed. We also have this important verse in Ezekiel:
Ezekiel 37:9 – Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”
God is speaking here about the spiritual resurrection and salvation of Israel. And, when it says ‘O breath’ the word is הרוח (haRoo-ach, ch as in Bach) – which means ‘the spirit’ and NOT breath. In fact, I believe that it should be capitalized: The Spirit.
We will also see reference to the four winds in a different way in Daniel 8.
Where else do we sea a beast or beasts rising from a sea?
Only in Revelation 13. But, it is only one beast that rises, but notice the similarities:
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
– Revelation 13:1-2 (KJV)
So, not only do we have a beast rising out of the sea, it also has the same physical characteristics as the three beasts that have been described before. But, there’s one addition that we haven’t looked at. And that is the fourth beast, where we get the ten horns. But let’s stop for a moment and compare the three beasts to the image that we saw in Daniel 2.
We also saw four kingdoms. The golden head was Nebuchadnezzar, which would coincide with the lion. The chest and arms of silver is Persia and coincides with the Bear. The belly and thighs are bronze, which is Alexander’s empire which broke into for pieces – hence the Leopard with four heads. And, the fourth kingdom with legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay coincides with the fourth beast that we haven’t talked about yet. However, we have some additional information in Daniel 7.
Let’s look at verse four again and what happens to the lion:
7:4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.
When Nebuchadnezzar ruled Babylon, the empire was swift and powerful. But, as we saw in Daniel 5, those that came after Nebuchadnezzar allowed the empire to fail through really bad decisions.
The Bear had three ribs in its mouth and was commanded to devour much flesh. And, it certainly did devour everything in its path. In modern terms, the Persian empire, at its height, ruled Iran, Egypt, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Kuwait, the UAE, Oman, Pakistan Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and bits of Greece, Libya, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. That’s a LOT.
By contrast, the Lion – Babylon – ruled a fraction of what the Bear – Persia – ruled. So, the Bear did devour much flesh. But, you’ll also notice that the bear didn’t have wings.
Why?
Because it grew more slowly than the Babylonian and Alexandrian empires. Nebuchadnezzar had two wings. But, the next beast had four.
The Leopard was different for two important reasons. It had four wings, so it moved fast. It had four heads… and well …that will require some explanation.
Alexander the Great inherited a well trained, battle-hardened army with extremely high morale. He also realized that the Persian Empire was weakening with soldiers on the frontier lacking in fighting spirit and being often drunk. This presented a fantastic opportunity to roll up the Persian Empire. So, he did, in just five years.
The problem is that he died a very early death. In Babylon, in the Palace of Nebuchadnezzar. The suspicion is that he died of poisoning, but it might have been disease. It’s a bit unclear. What is clear, is the war among his generals that resulted in his empire splitting into four parts – the four heads.
The Fourth Beast
All of this brings us to the Fourth Beast and the Fourth Kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar’s image. And, it’s this beast that Daniel is most concerned about, because of its incredible power.
7 “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. 8 I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.
Daniel is completely perplexed by this beast and goes to ask someone:
15 “I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. 16 I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things: 17 ‘Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth. 18 But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.’
Then, like all of us, Daniel wants to know about the Antichrist:
19 “Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet; 20 and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows.
21 “I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.
23 “Thus he said:
‘The fourth beast shall be
A fourth kingdom on earth,
Which shall be different from all other kingdoms,
And shall devour the whole earth,
Trample it and break it in pieces.
24 The ten horns are ten kings
Who shall arise from this kingdom.
And another shall rise after them;
He shall be different from the first ones,
And shall subdue three kings.
25 He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,
Shall persecute the saints of the Most High,
And shall intend to change times and law.
Then the saints shall be given into his hand
For a time and times and half a time.
26 ‘But the court shall be seated,
And they shall take away his dominion,
To consume and destroy it forever.
27 Then the kingdom and dominion,
And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven,
Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High.
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.’
Now, what is this fourth beast in Daniel 2?
Well, when we look at the image in the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, this is clearly the Fourth Kingdom of Iron. Here’s the description:
40 And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others. 41 Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. 43 As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay.
What comes after this Fourth Kingdom?
Well, Daniel 2:35 says this:
…And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
Is the Iron Mixed With Clay a Fifth Kingdom?
Nope. The fifth kingdom is the mountain that fills the whole earth. That’s God’s Millennial reign. And, you can see the same for the Fourth Beast of Daniel 7. There is no fifth beast.
This also means that we are living in the Fourth Kingdom and the Fourth Beast.
Again, there’s no fifth kingdom or fifth beast. So let me repeat that this can only mean that we are living in the Fourth Kingdom and the Fourth Beast. There can be no other explanation that I can see. Others have tried to make up other interpretations, but they just don’t work.
We are – you and I – in the Fourth Beast that has crushed every empire on earth. And, when you look at the history books, it’s clear that our current civilization has done that. Not one kingdom or empire has survived the Fourth Beast. They’ve all been crushed by this Euro-American ‘beast’.
The Antichrist: The Eleventh Horn
But wait, what are the ten – actually eleven – horns?
Here is what was told to Daniel in verse 24 of chapter 7:
The ten horns are ten kings
Who shall arise from this kingdom.
Where have we seen these Ten Horns?
Well, Revelation 12 refers to the dragon as having ten horns, but that’s not the image we are looking for. Remember that we are looking for as good a match as possible. And, we find it here:
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
– Revelation 13:1 (KJV)
And, as we said before, this beast that rises from the sea, is mix of the four beasts of Daniel 7. But, that still doesn’t tell us who the horns are…
Well the guy speaking to Daniel says that they are ten kings. But then, in the rest of verse 24, he says this:
…And another shall rise after them;
He shall be different from the first ones,
And shall subdue three kings.
And, to clarify who this eleventh horn is, let’s look at verse 25 again:
25 He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,
Shall persecute the saints of the Most High,
And shall intend to change times and law.
Then the saints shall be given into his hand
For a time and times and half a time.
That’s right, the eleventh horn in Daniel 7 is the Antichrist, and we – the saints – will be persecuted by this horn for three and a half years.
And, what happens after this three and a half years?
Verse 26:
‘But the court shall be seated,
And they shall take away his dominion,
To consume and destroy it forever.
Also, earlier in the chapter, here:
11 “I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame.
Yeah, the Fourth Beast and the Eleventh Horn is destroyed forever and cast into Hell. We can see that here:
19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
– Revelation 19:19-20 (KJV)
I call that a perfect match. But, I have a question:
Are the ten toes in Daniel 2, also the ten horns in Daniel 7 and Revelation 13?
Well, those ten toes are the final-final part of the image in Daniel 2. And, from the description of the ten horns, they are also the final-final part of the Fourth Beast. So, it looks like the image in Daniel 2 might grow an eleventh toe.
Does this help us understand who the Antichrist is in Revelation?
Yeah, I think so. It looks like the Antichrist is one of the horns of the Beast rising out of the Sea in Revelation 13. However, since he’s actually the eleventh horn, that muddies the water a bit. So, I can’t be dogmatic about the toes in Daniel 2, and adding to the Book of Revelation is a pretty scary business (see Rev 22:18). So, I’ll be a little careful about that.
The Millennium
But wait. I said something at the beginning about the Millennium. And, since we’ve seen the Fourth Beast destroyed and cast into Hell, that’s obviously Armageddon. And, Revelation speaks of the Millennium coming after that, in Revelation 20.
Where do we see the Millennium in Daniel 7?
It’s right here, in verse 12 and the verse that explains it, 27:
12 As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
– and –
27 Then the kingdom and dominion,
And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven,
Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High.
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.’
That’s right. They continue on, but without any power.
Why don’t they have any power?
Because Jesus rules and reigns over them for a thousand years.
To back this up, it looks like the first part of verse 14 also refers to the Millennium:
14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,
That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him…
AND, we have confirmation here in Zechariah 14:
16 And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.
That’s right there are unsaved people, who do not (or cannot) take the Mark of the Beast, but survive to go into the Millennium. So, all of this is absolute confirmation of a physical Millennium on planet Earth – even in Daniel 7.
So, What Did We Miss?
So, we’ve identified the Fourth Beast – our current civilization – and we’ve figured out who the Antichrist is – the Eleventh Horn. We have also seen a glimpse of the Millennium.
Did we miss anything?
Well, remember these two verses that the person talking to Daniel uses to explain what he saw:
26 ‘But the court shall be seated,
And they shall take away his dominion,
To consume and destroy it forever.
27 Then the kingdom and dominion,
And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven,
Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High.
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.’
Those two verses explain this part of the vision that occurs immediately after the appearance of the Fourth Beast.
9 “I watched till thrones were put in place,
And the Ancient of Days was seated;
His garment was white as snow,
And the hair of His head was like pure wool.
His throne was a fiery flame,
Its wheels a burning fire;
10 A fiery stream issued
And came forth from before Him.
A thousand thousands ministered to Him;
Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him.
The court was seated,
And the books were opened.
11 “I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame. 12 As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
13 “I was watching in the night visions,
And behold, One like the Son of Man,
Coming with the clouds of heaven!
He came to the Ancient of Days,
And they brought Him near before Him.
14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,
That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
Which shall not pass away,
And His kingdom the one
Which shall not be destroyed.
What does all of that sound like?
THE BOOK OF REVELATION!
(Specifically, from chapter four onward.)
What are the books that are opened?
Well, we know what one of them is, the one that is sealed with Seven Seals. Only after THAT book is opened are the Seven Trumpets and then the Seven Bowls poured out. The Great Tribulation cannot start until AFTER all Seven Seals have been opened.
For more on all that, go here:
A Biblical Overview Of Revelation
In Conclusion
This is what I consider to be the best explanation that fits other key passages of the Bible, and with what we know about history. Daniel was writing at the time when the First Beast was losing its wings. And, we really do appear to be sitting at the time of the Fourth Beast. But, I don’t think that we’ve seen the horns yet.
There’s still a lot of uncertainty here. And, there are a few things that are yet to happen – such as Gog and Magog – before things get clearer. Unfortunately, Gog and Magog comes with Ezekiel’s Fire, and you will excuse me if I’m not sure that I want to go through that.
In the end, we are left with many of the same troubled thoughts as Daniel describes in the last verse:
28 “This is the end of the account. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly troubled me, and my countenance changed; but I kept the matter in my heart.”
Yeah. I think that all of us are troubled and more than a little confused by all this.
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Part 6 – Another Look At the Antichrist
In both Daniel 2 and Daniel 7, we saw visions that included Last Days events. In fact, we seem to be moving from the ‘big picture’ view, to something more detailed. For instance, we didn’t see the Antichrist in Daniel 2, but we saw him in chapter 7.
Will we see the Antichrist in Daniel 8?
I believe so, but there are three main theories for this vision, and we will look all three of them and try to find the one position to safely stand on. (Hint: I’m sticking with Gabriel.)
So, let’s take a hard look at Daniel 8 and find out.
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Let’s start with the vision:
1 In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me—to me, Daniel—after the one that appeared to me the first time. 2 I saw in the vision, and it so happened while I was looking, that I was in Shushan, the citadel, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in the vision that I was by the River Ulai. 3 Then I lifted my eyes and saw, and there, standing beside the river, was a ram which had two horns, and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. 4 I saw the ram pushing westward, northward, and southward, so that no animal could withstand him; nor was there any that could deliver from his hand, but he did according to his will and became great.
5 And as I was considering, suddenly a male goat came from the west, across the surface of the whole earth, without touching the ground; and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. 6 Then he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing beside the river, and ran at him with furious power. 7 And I saw him confronting the ram; he was moved with rage against him, attacked the ram, and broke his two horns. There was no power in the ram to withstand him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled him; and there was no one that could deliver the ram from his hand.
8 Therefore the male goat grew very great; but when he became strong, the large horn was broken, and in place of it four notable ones came up toward the four winds of heaven. 9 And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land. 10 And it grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them. 11 He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down. 12 Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered.
13 Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, “How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?”
14 And he said to me, “For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.”
– Daniel 8:1-14 (NKJV)
That’s the vision that Daniel saw, and if you’ve been reading the Bible long enough, you’ll have a pretty good idea of who the Ram and the Goat are. The Ram is the Persian Empire, and the Goat is the Macedonian/Greek Empire. The horn on the Goat is Alexander the Great. However, notice the difference between this vision and the previous two that we’ve talked about:
The first two visions had four main kingdoms.
This one has just two.
Gabriel Explains
But, let’s continue and get the explanation that the angel Gabriel gives to Daniel:
15 Then it happened, when I, Daniel, had seen the vision and was seeking the meaning, that suddenly there stood before me one having the appearance of a man. 16 And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, who called, and said, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.” 17 So he came near where I stood, and when he came I was afraid and fell on my face; but he said to me, “Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end.”
(NOTE: Remember verse 17. It’s important!)
18 Now, as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep with my face to the ground; but he touched me, and stood me upright. 19 And he said, “Look, I am making known to you what shall happen in the latter time of the indignation; for at the appointed time the end shall be. 20 The ram which you saw, having the two horns—they are the kings of Media and Persia. 21 And the male goat is the kingdom of Greece. The large horn that is between its eyes is the first king. 22 As for the broken horn and the four that stood up in its place, four kingdoms shall arise out of that nation, but not with its power.
23 “And in the latter time of their kingdom,
When the transgressors have reached their fullness,
A king shall arise,
Having fierce features,
Who understands sinister schemes.
24 His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power;
He shall destroy fearfully,
And shall prosper and thrive;
He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people.
25 “Through his cunning
He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule;
And he shall exalt himself in his heart.
He shall destroy many in their prosperity.
He shall even rise against the Prince of princes;
But he shall be broken without human means.
26 “And the vision of the evenings and mornings
Which was told is true;
Therefore seal up the vision,
For it refers to many days in the future.”
27 And I, Daniel, fainted and was sick for days; afterward I arose and went about the king’s business. I was astonished by the vision, but no one understood it.
– Daniel 8:15-27 (NKJV)
The Time Of The Very End
When Gabriel tells Daniel that the “vision refers to the time of the end,” that ‘to the time of the end’ is לעת קץ (leh-et ketz). It means the very edge of the end. That word ‘ketz’ means the edge or the most end of the end. If you are standing on the Ketz of a ledge, your toes are hanging over, and you are just about to fall off. It’s not just the end, it’s the VERY end. But, Gabriel doesn’t end there.
Gabriel says in verse 19:
“Look, I am making known to you what shall happen in the latter time of the indignation; for at the appointed time the end shall be.”
The ‘latter time of the indignation’ is באחרית הזעם (beh-ah-char-eet ha-za-am, ‘ch’ as in Bach). That means ‘in the end of the rage’. HaZa’am is about as angry as you can get. Using the word ‘indignation’ is NOT strong enough.
Then, in that same verse Gabriel says:
“at the appointed time the end shall be“
The Hebrew literally says למועד קץ (Leh-mo-ed ketz), which is ‘to an appointed end’. And, with that word ‘Ketz’, it’s end-end. The very end. And, the fact that Gabriel uses that word ‘ketz’ twice tells us that he really means THE END.
THEORY 1: The It’s-All-In-The-Future Theory
Now, here’s the question:
Is all of this ‘The End’?
I say no, but there are others who pound the table and say ‘yes’, that ALL OF THIS is in the future. Joel Richardson is the most prominent of those who say this, and I’m afraid that he claims a lot of things that he just cannot prove. For instance, he claims that Gog (of Gog and Magog) is the Antichrist, and that he’s a Muslim.
All of that is impossible.
Joel and I have argued personally over this, and we couldn’t even agree to disagree. His approach to eschatology does not allow him to see the Redemption of Israel before the Great Tribulation. And, I just don’t understand why this is so hard to see, unless there is something blocking his view.
I like Joel. He’s a decent guy and a good brother in Christ. But, his obsession with Islam is way over the the top.
THEORY 2: The Half-Past-Half-Future Theory
Now, if this vision is broken into two parts, past and future, where is the break?
And, what was the purpose of this vision?
Well, we all know that the Persian Empire was actually two kingdoms: the Medes and the Persians. The Medes lived in the north of what we now call Iran, and the Persians lived in the south. They were the two horns of the Ram.
In Daniel 2, the Medes and Persians were “the chest and arms of silver”, and the Bear in Daniel 7. And now, they are the Ram in Daniel 8.
Gabriel then says that the Goat is Greece, and that it completely destroys the Ram. In Daniel 2, Greece is the “belly and thighs of bronze”, and the Leopard with four heads in Daniel 7. And, when the vision says in verse five of Daniel 8:
5 And as I was considering, suddenly a male goat came from the west, across the surface of the whole earth, without touching the ground; and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.
The speed with which Alexander the Great destroyed the Medo-Persian Empire was nothing short of amazing. In just five years, the Alexander conquered everything, and the only thing that stopped him from going into India was the war-weariness of his army. They had fought so hard, won so much, and they wanted to go home. Otherwise, India might have been gobbled up as well. But, then the great horn is broken…
Like I said last week, Alexander died in Nebuchadnezzar’s palace in Babylon, leaving a child as his heir. And THAT launched a civil war that culminated in the Battle of Ipsus in 301 BC. The only survivors were:
Cassander
Lysimachus
Ptolemy
Seleucus
(There was one other survivor, Demetrius, who was able to escape with a few thousand soldiers, who eventually abandoned him.)
Those four generals went on to rule dynasties until Rome came along and conquered them. They were the four heads of the Leopard in Daniel 7 and the four horns of Daniel 8.
The Break Point
Now, here is where we get to the breaking point between past and future. And, I believe that it’s here, in verse 23:
When the transgressors have reached their fullness,
When sin gets so bad there will be a king who will rise out of one of the domains of the four horns, and it says in verse 24:
His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power;
Does that sound familiar?
Here are some other familiar attributes to this fifth horn:
He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people. (v. 24)
And he shall exalt himself in his heart. (v. 25)
Sound even more familiar?
Yeah, it sounds a lot like this from Daniel 7:
24 The ten horns are ten kings
Who shall arise from this kingdom.
And another shall rise after them;
He shall be different from the first ones,
And shall subdue three kings.
25 He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,
Shall persecute the saints of the Most High,
And shall intend to change times and law.
Then the saints shall be given into his hand
For a time and times and half a time.
That is definitely the Antichrist. And, we know from Revelation that the Antichrist is destroyed how? Well, just like it says in Daniel 8:25:
But he shall be broken without human means.
Just like Revelation 19:20 says:
20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone
So, the Antichrist is not killed by human means.
THEORY 3: Antiochus Epiphanes
But, wait… we haven’t talked about the third idea that all of this happened in the past, and that the fifth horn was called Antiochus Epiphanes. It’s an interesting idea, so let’s look at it.
Antiochus IV succeeded his father, who was called Antiochus III The Great. Unfortunately, the son was no match for that patrimony, so he referred to himself as Epiphanes – or, God Manifest.
He was essentially calling himself God. And, that sounds a LOT like what is described about the Little Horn in Daniel 8. And, as a play on the name that he chose for himself, his critics called him Epimanes, or The Mad.
He certainly was full of madness, since he decided to completely destroy the worship of God at Jerusalem, in 168 BC. That attempt at the destruction of God’s people and the worship of God, lasted until 164 BC – when he died, ‘broken without hand’ (as Daniel describes).
This is where you jump up and say that we have the interpretation, and can go home. But, there’s a nice big problem. The timing doesn’t fit. Nor, did Antiochus IV have the power to cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground. Nor did he cast down the sanctuary (The Temple).
Here’s the vision in verses 9 to 12 and the explanation in 24 and 25:
9 And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land. 10 And it grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them. 11 He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down. 12 Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered.
Explanation:
24 His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power;
He shall destroy fearfully,
And shall prosper and thrive;
He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people.
25 “Through his cunning
He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule;
And he shall exalt himself in his heart.
He shall destroy many in their prosperity.
He shall even rise against the Prince of princes;
But he shall be broken without human means.
Antiochus was pretty successful, but there is nothing to indicate that his might was not by his own power. He was able to destroy the ‘mighty and holy people’. He was able to use ‘prosperity’ to destroy many. And, it’s also true that we aren’t real sure about how Antiochus IV died.
Furthermore, Daniel is writing this around 560 BC. The end of Antiochus is 164 BC. That’s a little under 400 years.
But, is 164 BC the time of the absolute end? The Ketz?
Sorry, but that doesn’t fit or make sense. And remember that the vision is sealed until the end, but if we are to believe the Antiochus Epiphanes version, the beginning of the vision is in 336 BC, which is just a couple centuries from when Daniel is writing this.
Again, the vision is supposed to be about ‘the time of the END’. And, I’m sorry but this doesn’t fit. Trying to squeeze in Antiochus IV into being the Fifth Horn just doesn’t work.
The Biggest Problem
But, we have an even bigger problem than the three different interpretations of this vision. We have a time frame that doesn’t fit anything that we can understand, and it comes directly from two verses of the vision itself:
13 Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, “How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?”
14 And he said to me, “For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.”
– Daniel 8:13-14 (NKJV)
That’s six years, three months and eighteen days. And, that doesn’t fit with anything that we’ve seen anywhere else in the Bible. So, all that I have would be speculations that could be completely worthless – or worse, damaging theories that would lead you off in the wrong direction. It doesn’t fit within ANY time frame associated with Antiochus IV, since his crushing of worship of God at the Second Temple lasted only four years. And, we don’t see the Great Tribulation lasting longer than three and a half years.
Are the extra thousand-plus days a kind of preparation period before the Antichrist takeover?
I really don’t know. But, I’m sure that those who make it to that point will see it far better than you and me.
The Bottom Line
Even though there is going to be controversy over Daniel 8 for a long time to come, I’m going to stick with what Gabriel tells Daniel. Gabriel said that this vision was about the very end, and I’m not going to disagree with Gabriel. I won’t claim to understand every aspect of this, and I don’t expect to.
Gabriel told Daniel:
Therefore seal up the vision,
For it refers to many days in the future.
And, it is still sealed.
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Part 7 – Daniel’s 70 Weeks
Daniel 9 is maybe the most important chapter in the Bible, for it lays down the timing of the coming of our Lord and Savior – and His sacrifice upon the Cross. And maybe that is why it is one of the most fought-over passages.
Part of the problem lies in bad translations and a poor command of Hebrew. Another comes from well-meaning pronouncements by good brothers in Christ that were in error, mistakes that would be used by others to create even greater errors.
The vast majority of these errors were honest attempts at the truth. So, let’s make an honest attempt at getting Daniel 9 right.
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In the first two verses, Daniel describes how he had been reading the Book of Jeremiah and discovers that God had decreed that Jerusalem would be desolate for 70 years.
1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans— 2 in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the Lord through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.
– Daniel 9:1-2 (NKJV)
As old as Daniel is at this point, it should be clear that it took a while for this book to get into his hands. Jeremiah would not have finished his prophecies until the remnant of Judah had fled to Egypt. And, it would have been Baruch ben Neriah who would have been responsible for making as many copies of the Book of Jeremiah as possible, while trying to get them into the hands of Israelis in exile. So, it’s logical that it would have taken time for a copy of the Book of Jeremiah to get into the hands of Daniel.
When he gets to the shocking news of how long Jerusalem will be desolate, Daniel immediately begins to fast and pray in sackcloth and ashes, confessing his sins and the sins of the people. He begs God to turn His righteous anger away from Israel and Judah and the exiles that He has scattered across the face of the earth. Daniel begs for mercy for Jerusalem and the Temple that has been destroyed, and he asks the Lord that He would turn away his wrath for His own name’s sake.
This passage, from verse three to verse nineteen, is heartbreaking. You can feel the anguish that afflicts Daniel, for his people and for Jerusalem. He is devastated and begs with all his heart for mercy from God, even though he knows that such mercy is completely undeserved.
My own heart resonates with the grief that Daniel feels. I, like many others, have earnestly prayed that God would save Israel, and bring her people back from their idolatry. We are heartbroken that every Jew that dies without faith in Christ, goes to an eternity of torment. And, when any Jew suffers, we suffer with them. But as we see in the next section, God sends His angel to comfort Daniel with more than just the rebuilding of Jerusalem, but the coming of Messiah.
20 Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God, 21 yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering. 22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, “O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand. 23 At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision:
– Daniel 9:20-23 (NKJV)
The 70 Weeks Prophecy
And, the first thing that Gabriel does is explain what the prophecy will be about. He defines what it is, who it’s for and how long it will take. Anything that is not part of this defining verse, is not a key part of what he is talking about.
“Seventy weeks are determined
For your people and for your holy city,
To finish the transgression,
To make an end of sins,
To make reconciliation for iniquity,
To bring in everlasting righteousness,
To seal up vision and prophecy,
And to anoint the Most Holy.
– Daniel 9:24 (NKJV)
I’m normally a bit irritated by the NKJV inserting so many line breaks into the scriptures, as if that makes what is said more meaningful. But, this time, for this verse, I completely approve. You can almost feel Gabriel speaking in bullet points in this verse.
Those 70 weeks are for his people and the Holy city:
- Finish the transgression (i.e., end the rebellion against God)
- Make an end of sin (i.e., end the breaking of commandments)
- Make reconciliation for iniquity (i.e., atone for immorality)
Gabriel covers all the bases by using three completely different words for sinfulness and says that they will be eliminated. But, it’s not enough to end sin, so he also says this:
- Bring in righteousness everlasting(s).
Gabriel said Tseh-dek Oh-lah-meem (צדק עלמים). That’s like saying righteousness for many eternities. Oh-lam is just one eternity. Put an -eem on the end, and it’s more than one. It’s a very curious way of emphasizing how long this righteousness will last. Having said that, Oh-lam can also mean world. So, you could say that righteousness was being brought in for this world and the world to come.
Vision And Prophecy Sealed
Then something interesting is said:
- Seal vision and prophecy
Remember the scroll with Seven Seals that no one could open, except the Lamb that was slain?
That’s Revelation 5, 6 and 7. According to Gabriel, Jesus was going to seal the vision and prophecy, and we know from Revelation that only He will be able to open the seals – so that the prophecies about the Last Days can be completed.
For those who didn’t get a chance to read my Overview of Revelation, I go into that, here:
Part 4 | Revelation 6-8:1
The Seven Seals And The Redemption Of Israel
And, for 2000 years, vision and prophecy about the Last Days has been firmly sealed – at least for most Christians. It looks to me like the First Seal and maybe the Second Seal have been opened, but it’s hard to say.
Anoint The Most Holy
However, the last statement by Gabriel in verse 24, makes all the rest possible:
- Anoint the Most Holy
Literally, in Hebrew ‘Most Holy’ is קדש קדשים (Koh-desh Kah-dah-sheem), and that literally means Holy of Holies.
What is that and where is it?
Well, when Jesus said this to Mary Magdalene after He had risen from the dead and was waiting for His disciples to appear:
Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
– John 20:17 (KJV)
What was it that Jesus needed to do, when He ascended to His Father?
Anoint the Holy of Holies in the Temple that was in Heaven with His blood. That made everything that Jesus had done, permanent. He was the final sacrifice, and we would no longer need temple sacrifices that had never been enough in the eyes of God.
Sixty Nine Weeks Until Messiah
The next verse should be pretty easy to understand, even though I’ve seen some confusion over it:
“Know therefore and understand,
That from the going forth of the command
To restore and build Jerusalem
Until Messiah the Prince,
There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks;
The street shall be built again, and the wall,
Even in troublesome times.
– Daniel 9:25 (NKJV)
So, from the moment that the command is made to build Jerusalem – NOT THE TEMPLE – there will be 69 weeks until Messiah comes (62 + 7 = 69). And that decree to build Jerusalem and its walls, did not occur until a hundred years after the decree to build the Temple. So people who want to go on and on about Cyrus, need to stop.
The decree to build the city of Jerusalem was made by Artaxerxes I in 457 BC.
So, let’s do a bit of calculating:
Sixty Nine Weeks is 483 years.
When we subtract 457 years, we get 26 years, as in AD 26.
OOPS.
Houston, we’ve had a problem. It looks like our calculations are wrong. Jesus should have started His ministry in AD 30. So, there’s a problem. (Well… actually, no.)
The problem comes from some dude named Dennis the Small (Dionysius Exiguus). He made a four year mistake in his math, but once we found the error, it was too late. We’re stuck with the calendar that we have.
(Thanks a lot, Dennis.)
So, now we know that Jesus was actually born in 4 BC. This fixes everything, except for the irony of Jesus being born ‘four years before Christ’. That’s a lot of irony.
So, considering all the other problems of trying to calculate when who did what. It still turns out that AD 26 was when Jesus was 30 years old, and that was exactly the date we’re looking for.
Jesus began His ministry after the 69th week was complete.
And THAT is where we will be ruffling some feathers, because no one wants to believe that this was when Jesus was baptized and anointed by the Holy Spirit, becoming the ‘Anointed One’ – Mashiach – at the beginning of week 70.
Week 70 Begins
This brings us to verses 26 and 27 of Daniel 9. And since no translation gets those two verses right, I needed to do it myself:
VERSE 26 – And after sixty and two weeks will Mashiach be cut off, but not for himself: and a people of a prince that shall come and destroy the city and the holy place, and its end in the overflow, and to an end war is desolations determined.
VERSE 27 – And, [Mashiach] shall confirm a covenant to many, for one week. And, [at] half of the week, [He] shall cause to cease the sacrifice and offering. And, to the wing of abominations, devastation – until completeness and destruction is poured on [the] devastated.
– Daniel 9:26-27, JLV (John Little Version)
NOTE: The first Hebrew word in verse 27 is והגביר (v’Heeg-Beer). That is a special version of the Hebrew verb form of Hiphil that includes the sequential perfect form, called veh-qatal. This means that the first word of verse 27 draws its subject from the previous verse. The subject of VERSE 26 is Messiah (aka, Mashiach). Someone challenged me on my previous translation of VERSE 27, and he was right. It’s not a huge mistake, but a mistake is a mistake and needs to be fixed.
Except for words in [brackets], that is a word-for-word translation of the original Hebrew. Remember that Jesus didn’t become the Anointed One – Mashiach – until after He was anointed. However, your Bibles routinely say Messiah.
Why?
Well, for some reason that probably is all about foolish tradition, Hebrew words are always messed up. For instance, the angel speaking to Daniel is actually Gahv-ree-el, not Gay-bree-el. And James the brother of John and James the half-brother of Jesus were actually called Ya’acov. Isaac is actually Yitz-hahk. Abraham is Av-rah-ham. Eve is Havah, and on and on and on and on….
Completely maddening.
Now, where was I…
So, Jesus begins His ministry in AD 26, after the 62 weeks in verse 26. And, it’s also after week 62 that He’s ‘cut off’.
When is He cut off?
We’ll see that in verse 27. However, Gavriel inserts a parenthetical phrase into this prophecy.
Two Parenthetical Phrases That Mess People Up
What is a ‘parenthetical phrase’?
From the Cambridge Dictionary:
A parenthetical remark is said in addition to the main part of what you are saying or writing.
So, a parenthetical phrase is a group of words added to the main part of what is being said. So, let’s look at verse 26 again, this time using parentheses to show the parenthetical phrase:
VERSE 26 – And after sixty and two weeks will Mashiach be cut off, but not for himself:
(and a people of a prince that shall come and destroy the city and the holy place, and its end in the overflow, and to an end war is desolations determined.)
This means that we should jump over the parenthetical phrase to see the rest of what happened:
VERSE 27 – And, [Mashiach] shall confirm a covenant to many, for one week. And, [at] half of the week, [He] shall cause to cease the sacrifice and offering.
(And, to the wing of abominations, devastation – until completeness and destruction is poured on [the] devastated.)
Both VERSE 26 and VERSE 27 have parenthetical phrases inserted. And, they are connected. Notice that if you stack them together, you get this:
26b (and a people of a prince that shall come and destroy the city and the holy place, and its end in the overflow, and to an end war is desolations determined.)
27b (And, to the wing of abominations, devastation – until completeness and destruction is poured on [the] devastated.)
Oh, that makes perfect sense. Verse 26b is about the destruction of Jerusalem in AD70 by the army of Titus on behalf of emperor Vespasian. (i.e., The people of a Prince.) And, verse 27b is about the continued devastation of the Jewish people to today, and this devastation will continue until God Redeems them as He promised that He would.
So, the parenthetical phrase in VERSE 26 continues with the parenthetical phrase of VERSE 27.
And what would it look like if we stack the core of each verse together?
VERSE 26a – And after sixty and two weeks will Mashiach be cut off, but not for himself:
VERSE 27a – And, [Mashiach] shall confirm a covenant to many, for one week. And, [at] half of the week, [He] shall cause to cease the sacrifice and offering.
They fit perfectly, especially since they also conform with the interpretation given in verse 24, which tells us what Messiah is supposed to do:
To finish the transgression,
To make an end of sins,
To make reconciliation for iniquity,
To bring in everlasting righteousness,
To seal up vision and prophecy,
And to anoint the Most Holy.
Confirming A Covenant
Verse 27 speaks of a covenant – a brit – that is confirmed for one week, but offerings and sacrifices cease in the midst of that week.
By now, it should be pretty clear about what we are talking about. The three and a half year ministry of Jesus was His presentation of the Covenant that He would make. That covenant caused the sacrifices and offerings described by Torah to no longer matter.
Yes, people would still be killing animals and giving stuff to the temple, but the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus ended any need for that. To God, it was over. And when God says that something over, it’s O-V-E-R.
This is why the first half of verse 27 is all about Jesus, and the everlasting covenant that He made with us:
And, [Mashiach] shall confirm a covenant to many, for one week. And, [at] half of the week, there is a ceasing of sacrifice and offering.
When He said that it was FINISHED, it was finished. Praise God that we are no longer required to go and offer sacrifices that God was never satisfied with.
How was the covenant confirmed for another three and a half years?
What do you think that the Apostles were doing?
What was the first church doing?
Confirming the covenant. In fact, Jesus Himself, appeared to Paul on the way to Damascus. Jesus was personally involved in what the first church was doing.
The Missing Antichrist
But wait, where’s the Antichrist?
The Anti-WHAT?
Yeah. The Antichrist.
People say that he’s in Daniel 9.
I’m sorry to disappoint so many, and ruffle their feathers, but there is no Antichrist anywhere in Daniel 9. We’ll get to him in Daniel 11, but he’s not here in this chapter.
Unfortunately, for my Dispensationalist friends, this destroys Dispensationalism. If Jesus ended the sacrifice and offering, then there cannot be a Third Temple. It just cannot happen.
But, if there isn’t a Third Temple, where does the Antichrist set up his Abomination of Desolation that Jesus talked about?
Well, here’s what Jesus said as a part of His Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24 and 25:
14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
– Matthew 24:14-16 (KJV)
People keep trying to say that Jesus was referring to Daniel 9, but He wasn’t. Jesus was referring to Daniel 11. In fact, this verse:
31 And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.
– Daniel 11:31 (KJV)
TRANSLATION NOTE: The words ‘daily sacrifice’ are a terrible translation from the original Hebrew. The word is התמיד (ha-Tah-meed), meaning ‘the continual’ or ‘the always’. That Hebrew word describes giving stuff to the priests. The ha’Tameed is exactly what you do, when you give tithes to your church.
That Holy Place Jesus Spoke Of
You might want some context to what the Antichrist is doing, so read Daniel 11:21-45. So, that’s where the Antichrist…
But wait…
(Oh no, not another question!)
…what about when Jesus said ‘holy place’ (τόπῳ ἁγίῳ)?
Well, we know about what a ‘place’ is, so the question is about this word ‘holy’. I’m not an expert in Greek, but the word in Greek is Hagio (ἁγίῳ) and the root word is Hagios (ἅγιος). And, you can find it used 229 times in the New Testament. And, when you meet for church this Sunday – or Saturday, in Israel – that place you are meeting will be Hagio – holy. It’s purpose will be Hagio. Your thoughts and praise toward God will be Hagio. You have probably heard a version of the word Hagio before.
And, τόπῳ (toh-poh) means place. In fact, a transliteration, of what Jesus said was ‘place holy’. And, for almost a thousand years the largest Topo Hagio in the world was a place that you’ve heard about:
The Hagia Sophia in Constantinople.
I’m not sure how holy I would call that church, but it was dedicated to holy wisdom. (Sophia means wisdom.) Then in 1453, the Ottoman Empire took over and converted it into a mosque.
So, I think that we understand the ‘holy place’ that Jesus was referring to.
When Israel comes to saving faith in Christ, they will NOT create a temple.
They will NOT make burnt offerings.
(Unless Bill leaves the hamburgers on the grill too long.)
What they will do is build a church building. Lots of them. But, the one on the ‘Temple Mount’ will be big, and it will probably run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. And, it will be a τόπῳ ἁγίῳ, a holy place.
And, those offerings that people talk about?
I hope that you are doing those. They are called tithes. You could give your pastor some sheep or goats as a part of your tithe, but you normally give money instead. (Few pastors would know what to do with sheep or goats, but they might taste pretty good with lots of barbecue sauce.)
NOTE: By the way, one of my favorite pastors, early in his ministry was actually given eggs as a part of the offering church members gave him. He said that his wife learned how to cook eggs in every way imaginable.
Concluding Daniel 9
So, what conclusion can we take from all of this?
Jesus fulfilled all of what the angel Gavriel said:
“Seventy weeks are determined
For your people and for your holy city,
-> To finish the transgression,
-> To make an end of sins,
-> To make reconciliation for iniquity,
-> To bring in everlasting righteousness,
-> To seal up vision and prophecy,
-> And to anoint the Most Holy.
– Daniel 9:24 (NKJV)
Jesus did all of that, and now sits at the Right Hand of the Father:
The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
– Psalm 110:1 (KJV)
One day, in the not-too-distant future, Israel will come to Christ. I did a deep dive into when this will happen in When Gog Comes. And, I investigated the global cataclysm that will also occur at the same time in Ezekiel’s Fire. And all of that will come long before the Antichrist and the Great Tribulation.
I would like for all of you to at least be mentally and spiritually ready for that.
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Part 8 – Introducing Daniel’s Last Vision
Daniel 10 is the introduction to the last prophecy given to Daniel. And, in many respects this vision is the most important one, because it shows us an Israel that has been Redeemed, who the Antichrist is, what the conditions are like in the Land of Israel, how long the Great Tribulation is, and when the Resurrection occurs.
All of that is a powerful message to end the Book of Daniel with. And, it’s even more powerful because Jesus told us to pay attention to it, and we aren’t.
So, let’s look at the beginning.
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Daniel introduces this last prophecy in this way:
1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar. The message was true, but the appointed time was long; and he understood the message, and had understanding of the vision.
– Daniel 10:1 (NKJV)
That is our first clue about when this prophecy will be fulfilled. We will see many more clues along the way, and they will confirm that this really is about the very Last Days and the Resurrection.
By the way, it looks like Daniel received the vision in verse one. And, while it may be that the first two sentences might have been an introduction, describing what follows, it appears that he really did have a vision in that first moment. And, this was his response:
2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. 3 I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.
– Daniel 10:2-3 (NKJV)
It sounds like he was mourning over the vision. If he was mourning over something else, he does not say why. However, what we read later would indicate that this really is about the vision, and he engages in a fast for three weeks to seek understanding.
After those three weeks, this happens:
4 Now on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, that is, the Tigris, 5 I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz! 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude.
7 And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great terror fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. 8 Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me; for my vigor was turned to frailty in me, and I retained no strength. 9 Yet I heard the sound of his words; and while I heard the sound of his words I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground.
– Daniel 10:4-9 (NKJV)
So, Daniel faints. You would too, if you had been fasting for so long and an angel appeared in front of you. Angels have a terrifying amount of power, and they are not to be trifled with. And, there is something within us that understands that.
Oh, and why do I call this person an angel?
An Angel Comes To Daniel
Read on:
10 Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands. 11 And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling.
12 Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. 14 Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”
– Daniel 10:10-14 (NKJV)
There is no mention of the name of the angel that speaks with Daniel. We can’t even assume that this is Gabriel. After all, there are a lot of angels out there. But, there is one thing that confirms that this is an angel, and that’s these words from verse 13:
But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.
If this had been the pre-incarnate Christ, no matter how outnumbered He was, nothing would have stopped Him. But, being outnumbered by the fallen angels of Persia, Michael had to step in and help out.
Oh, and notice something that is said about Michael:
“behold, Michael, one of the chief princes“
Apparently, there is more than one archangel than Michael, even though those ‘chief princes’ are not named. I’ve heard some say that there is only one archangel, but verse 13 says otherwise.
So, it took 21 days for this angel to reach Daniel, but now that he is there, he says that he has come to explain:
“what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”
The Vision Is Horrifying
Poor Daniel faints again. And then Daniel makes an interesting point:
15 When he had spoken such words to me, I turned my face toward the ground and became speechless. 16 And suddenly, one having the likeness of the sons of men touched my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke, saying to him who stood before me, “My lord, because of the vision my sorrows have overwhelmed me, and I have retained no strength. 17 For how can this servant of my lord talk with you, my lord? As for me, no strength remains in me now, nor is any breath left in me.”
– Daniel 10:15-17 (NKJV)
When Daniel says this:
“My lord, because of the vision my sorrows have overwhelmed me, and I have retained no strength.
He appears to be talking about the vision that he had, that he fasted and mourned over, that we will see explained in chapters 11 and 12. And indeed, it is a terrible vision, one that we would like to avoid for ourselves as well.
18 Then again, the one having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me. 19 And he said, “O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!”
So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”
The Spiritual War And The Scripture Of Truth
So, Daniel is strengthened so he can receive what he needs to hear. And then two profound statements are made that are a bit mind-blowing when you think them through:
20 Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come. 21 But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth. (No one upholds me against these, except Michael your prince.
– Daniel 10:20-21 (NKJV)
The idea that there is this ongoing war in the spiritual realm is fascinating to think about, but foolish if you go too far with it. Too many have destroyed themselves with too much speculation about this, but it does show that we only see a tiny bit of what is real. And, this is on purpose. There are mysteries that God does NOT want us to know, for they are not safe.
I accept that, but far too many do not. This Spiritual Warfare that some teach is not from the Bible. For our victory over Satan and his angels is through a humble submission to God, the power of the Gospel and a willingness to give our lives for Christ. Anything beyond that is not Biblical and therefore a sin.
The second fantastic thing is that what we will see in Daniel 11 and 12 is something that was already written in the כתב אמת (K’Tav Eh-met) – Scripture of Truth or Writing of Truth. And, as I think about the scroll that is unsealed by the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world (Rev 13:8), I am more than half-convinced this Scripture of Truth is the one with Seven Seals that must be opened before the Great Tribulation can begin.
And, for those of you who have NOT read my Biblical Overview of Revelation, you will see quite clearly that the Seven Seals must be removed before the Great Tribulation begins.
A Biblical Overview Of Revelation
Now, does this mean that the Scroll with Seven Seals must be the Scripture of Truth that the angel is talking about?
Of course not. If the Bible doesn’t actually say it, we cannot. What I just gave you is speculation, and you should NEVER claim speculation as truth. Never do that. Doing that is the way to darkness.
All that I’m doing here is pointing out two things that appear to be similar – but might not be. Since the Bible does not say that they are the same, then we are stuck with a question mark over this K’tav Emet.
Conclusion
What did we learn from this chapter?
- The Vision is about the Last Days.
- There is more than one Archangel, besides Michael.
- There is a war going on around us that we cannot see – and shouldn’t see.
- The events of the Great Tribulation are written down in a scroll called the K’Tav Emet (Writing of Truth) – at least some of them, since not all is described in Daniel 11 and 12.
- This vision was horrifying to Daniel – causing him to fast for 21 days.
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Part 9 – The Antichrist Revealed
For those of you who want to know what the time of the Antichrist will be like, Daniel 11 will be one of the most important chapters for you to read. It shows a world that is not like the one that we live in now. It talks about kings that do not yet exist. And, while we see some similarities with Antiochus IV Epiphanes, we’ll see that Daniel 11 is not talking about him.
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Before getting into the details of this final prophecy by Daniel, let’s remember something very important:
Chapter Divisions Are Artificial
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Stephen Langton inserted the chapter divisions that we know today at some time before AD 1230. (Some say 1227) Normally such chapter divisions are useful, but they can also deceive you into thinking that you are reading an entirely new prophecy when you turn to the next chapter.
For instance, there is no division in the prophecy given to Daniel in chapters ten, eleven and twelve. They are all one prophetic account.
By the way, we didn’t get verses in the Bible until after the chapter divisions were made. Nathan, a Jewish rabbi, added verses to the Hebrew scriptures in AD 1448. For the verses in the Greek scriptures, Robert Estienne created those divisions in AD 1555. If you don’t recognize the name Estienne, it’s because he was also known by the name Stephanus, who played a role in the development of the Textus Receptus that is the foundation of the New Testament versions of the KJV and NKJV translations.
All of this means that we should look at Daniel 10, 11 and 12 are part of the same prophecy. And since chapter 12 speaks of the Great Tribulation and the Resurrection, we know that the person described in verses 21-45 can only be the Antichrist and NOT Antiochus IV Epiphanes.
You don’t create doctrine by pointing out a couple similarities to historical events and then declare the prophecy to have been fulfilled.
Daniel 11:1-4
This first part of Daniel 11 should be pretty easy to understand:
1 “Also in the first year of Darius the Mede, I, even I, stood up to confirm and strengthen him.) 2 And now I will tell you the truth: Behold, three more kings will arise in Persia, and the fourth shall be far richer than them all; by his strength, through his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece. 3 Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. 4 And when he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken up and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not among his posterity nor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be uprooted, even for others besides these.
– Daniel 11:1-4 (NKJV)
This talks about the continued rise of Medo-Persian Empire until Alexander the Great comes along and knocks it all down. Unfortunately for Alexander, he died (probably by poison) and his empire broke into four pieces that didn’t like each other very much.
Daniel 11:5-20
The history of the wars between the Ptolemaic Kingdom that held Egypt and the Seleucids that held Persia, Mesopotamia and some of Anatolia – what we call the Asian side of Turkey – are described in Daniel 11:5-20. But, there are a few details missing.
Nothing is said about the failed attempt by Antiochus III to fight Rome in Greece. It was a big mistake that bankrupted his kingdom and weakened his military. His son (Seleucus IV Philopator) took over and raised extortionary taxes, only to be poisoned by one of his top bureaucrats. (Never turn your back on the Deep State!) Seleucus IV’s son Antiochus was just five years old when his dad was murdered. The brother of Seleucus IV, Antiochus IV, saw an opportunity to grab the throne. He arrived a month later, staged a coup and took over – quietly murdering his young nephew later.
However, the account in Daniel 11 stops with Seleucus IV in verse 20 – the guy who raised all those taxes. People have tried to claim that the rest of Daniel 11 is about Antiochus IV Epiphanes. You can see some similarities, but they die pretty quickly. So, let’s dig into this last section of Daniel 11.
Daniel 11:21-45
This is where our view of the Antichrist begins, even though early parts of it sound a lot like Antiochus Epiphanes. Here’s that first verse:
And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.
– Daniel 11:21 (KJV)
That sounds an awful lot like Antiochus Epiphanes, initially. But, if you look carefully at his rule, you’ll see that he does gain quite a bit of honor for himself, even though he inherited a declining empire.
Also, notice the reference to ‘obtaining the kingdom by flatteries’. That is exactly like what Daniel 8 says, when he refers to the Antichrist as one ‘Who understands sinister schemes’. Someone who is good at intrigue and games of power, would also be someone who is exceptionally good at flattery.
The next two verses don’t sound like Antiochus Epiphanes:
22 With the force of a flood they shall be swept away from before him and be broken, and also the prince of the covenant. 23 And after the league is made with him he shall act deceitfully, for he shall come up and become strong with a small number of people.
– Daniel 11:22-23 (NKJV)
If you squint, you MIGHT be able to see that this is Antiochus. He did actually come with a small army. But, a small people? Yeah, not really. And, the comparisons start falling apart quickly as we move further.
Now, where are the invasions of Israel in this passage?
Not verse 24. Most translations get it wrong. The KJV comes close, and I’m not completely sure that I’ll translate it right. But, I’ll try anyway:
In peace and in fatness, a country he shall enter. And, he will not do that which his fathers and forefathers – distributing plunder, loot and wealth, and to strongholds, he will think thoughts and to a time.
– Daniel 11:24 (JLV, John Little Version)
Okay, to be fair, Antiochus Epiphanes did this. He was lavish in the gifts that he gave, along with promises to build entertainment facilities and temples. But, it’s not an invasion of anything.
Like Antiochus IV, the Antichrist will come in with peace and hand out lots of goodies. Where he gets those goodies is hard to say. It sounds like he will have been conquering other areas in the world, but whatever the reason, he has plunder, loot and wealth to give. And, he’s a sneaky sneak, making sneaky plans.
Remember that this guy obtained his power through flattery and schemes. And, it seems that he tries that before committing troops to combat. Only when words and bribes fail, does he go to war.
By the way, this is where things start to really deviate from the story of Antiochus Epiphanes.
Here’s the next part:
25 “He shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South with a great army. And the king of the South shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand, for they shall devise plans against him. 26 Yes, those who eat of the portion of his delicacies shall destroy him; his army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. 27 Both these kings’ hearts shall be bent on evil, and they shall speak lies at the same table; but it shall not prosper, for the end will still be at the appointed time. 28 While returning to his land with great riches, his heart shall be moved against the holy covenant; so he shall do damage and return to his own land.
– Daniel 11:25-28 (NKJV)
Note: That part in bold did not happen when Antiochus IV invaded Egypt. Antiochus actually spared the lives of the defeated soldiers, and let them go home. And that’s assuming that Egypt is the King of the Negev (King of the South), which he is not. Nor was this the moment that Antiochus IV began moving against ‘the Holy Covenant’.
So, the Antichrist seeks to dominate the ‘King of the South’, and the King of the South responds with a huge army that gets completely defeated – destroyed from within. As a result, the Antichrist engages in dishonest peace talks and returns to the north. He only starts thinking about the ‘Holy Covenant’ in verse 28.
By the way, is verse 28 the moment he actually BECOMES the Antichrist?
He was undoubtedly against any form of faith in Christ before this. And, there have been people throughout history who have been against Christ – i.e., anti Christ. My neighbors here in Taiwan are antichrist. But, this King of the North doesn’t seem to become THE Antichrist at least until verse 28. Or, maybe he becomes the Antichrist a couple verses later.
The Ships Of Chittim
In verse 30, the Antichrist tries a second time to return and fight again, against the King of the South, but a fleet of ships stops him.
At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter.
For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant.
– Daniel 11:29-30 (KJV)
The word for Chittim (כתים) doesn’t correspond with any group of people that we know of, except one. In Genesis, Chittim is the son of Javan. And, Javan (actually Yavan) is the word that we use for Greece. So, this fleet would seem to be Greek in one form or another.
NOTE: When I looked more closely at the military campaign by Antiochus against the Ptolemaic Dynasty, there were no ‘ships of Chittim’. The navy of Antiochus was quite strong and had already captured Cyprus. The closest to ‘Chittim’ was an ambassador from Rome that threatened him with war, if he took Alexandria. Which is why Antiochus backed off, and went home. Furthermore, Antiochus IV sacked the temple at Jerusalem BEFORE his second invasion of Egypt – not afterwards.
Now, why would ships be able to oppose an army marching on land?
Very simple: Logistics
If you spend enough time reading about war, you’ll hear a phrase that has been common for thousands of years, in many different languages:
An army marches on its stomach.
Without a steady and dependable supply of food, an army quickly falls apart. And, the most normal way to supply a big army is by water – ships. But, if those supply ships are stopped and/or sunk by the ‘ships of Chittim’, you have to abandon your invasion plans.
So, to be extra clear, the ships of Chittim aren’t stopping the army of the Antichrist directly. These ships are just stopping the ability of the Antichrist to supply his army with food.
By the way, this also indicates a radically changed world. Today, our advanced technology allows large military forces to be supplied over land. But, when the Antichrist rises, it looks like something will have reduced our access to the kinds of rapid transportation that we have today. And if you want to find what that ‘something’ is, read Ezekiel’s Fire.
Antiochus IV Epiphanes – The False Narrative
Since we are also neutralizing a false narrative that the King of the North in Daniel 11:21-45 is Antiochus Epiphanes, I took some time to read a thesis that did a pretty thorough job of describing the key events – and their timing – of the Seleucid Empire under Antiochus IV.
You can find that thesis here:
An Empire on the Brink of Destruction: The Stability of the Seleucid Empire Under Antiochus IV (175 B.C. – 164 B.C.) by Tyler Campbell, University of Central Florida
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2659&context=honorstheses1990-2015
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Part 10 – The Purpose Of Daniel 11
Remember that the purpose of Daniel 11 is to show us where the Antichrist comes from, what he does, and how he does it. However, there is another purpose – to lead astray those who seek to rebel against God. If you wish to take the precious words of God and twist them into a shape that you find more attractive, God has provided a way for you to do that.
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Here’s what Isaiah says about this:
12 To whom He said, “This is the rest with which
You may cause the weary to rest,”
And, “This is the refreshing”;
Yet they would not hear.
13 But the word of the Lord was to them,
“Precept upon precept, precept upon precept,
Line upon line, line upon line,
Here a little, there a little,”
That they might go and fall backward, and be broken
And snared and caught.
– Isaiah 28:12-13 (NKJV)
If you wish to rebel against God, He will provide a way for you to do so. And, there are quite a few rebels among us who tell everyone who will listen that Daniel 11:21-45 is about Antiochus IV and not the Antichrist.
The King Of The Negev And A Transformed Israel
So, let’s talk about the King of the Negev and an Israel that is not at all like what we see today.
Notice also who the Antichrist is fighting against:
The King of the South
Yes, he eventually turns against the ‘Holy Covenant’, but that’s only AFTER he starts his war against the King of the South.
Where is Israel’s military in all of this?
Seemingly nowhere.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) does not appear to be anywhere in this story. The IDF – if it still exists – seems unable to oppose the Antichrist as he moves up and down the eastern shoreline of the Mediterranean Sea. And, it should be absolutely clear that his army is also marching back and forth through the choke point at Har Megiddo – where the Battle of Armageddon will eventually be fought.
Unless you can find some way to prove that the King of the South is Israel, the Land of Israel that we know today, will not be the Land of Israel that we will know when the Antichrist rises. This doesn’t mean that Israel has ceased to exist, but it does mean that she is not strong enough to stop the Antichrist from moving through the Galil (aka, Galilee) and the coastal plain where Tel Aviv, Herzliya, Netanya and Caesarea are located.
This is pretty strong proof that something bad happens to Israel BEFORE the Antichrist arrives. And, we see an indication of terrible tragedy, here:
And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith Jehovah, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.
– Zechariah 13:8 (ASV)
That would certainly make Israel unable to stop the Antichrist from attacking the King of the South. The fact that northern Israel cannot oppose the Antichrist is strong evidence that Gog and Magog has happened BEFORE the rise of the Antichrist.
Oh, and who is the King of the South?
I once thought that this was Egypt, but that is definitely not the case. Later in Daniel 11, Egypt is referred to in a way that is different from this ‘King of the South’. And, in Hebrew, ‘King of the South’ is actually:
מלך הנגב
Melech haNegev (ch as in Bach)
King of the Negev
The word for ‘south’ in Modern Hebrew is also the same in Ancient Hebrew: דרום (pronounced: dah-rome). However, ‘negev’ is used more often than ‘darom’ in the Bible to mean ‘south’, but negev isn’t a ‘direction word’. Negev literally means ‘dry’. Nagav is the root, and it means ‘to dry’. And, the driest part of Israel, is the wilderness area of southern Israel that everyone calls The Negev.
This can be a bit confusing, but a pastoral society like Israel might consider a word that means ‘dry’ to be perfectly acceptable when pointing someone to the south. It’s a little strange, but I guess that you had to be there.
However, I have something of a different question:
Is it possible that the political center of Israel shifts southwards?
When Gog and Magog comes, there will be a massive earthquake that knocks everything down. The cities along the Mediterranean Sea will be destroyed. Every building of any size around the world will be knocked down. And, Ezekiel’s Fire will knock out all the electricity across the globe. Just look at that earthquake described in Isaiah 30:25. Nothing is left standing, anywhere.
Civilization, as we know it, will cease to exist, and it will usher in a new dark ages. Nothing will work, and it will take generations to fix what is broken.
The point is that all the infrastructure that currently exists along the Mediterranean coast will be useless for a long time after Ezekiel’s Fire hits the Earth. And, it might be those areas in southern Israel like Be’er Sheva that actually survive this cataclysm better than areas farther north. There is even prophecies that describe a shift in weather patterns, bringing more rain to the south, turning the Negev into a fertile plain. But whatever the cause, the Israel that we see today, will not be the Israel that the Antichrist will invade multiple times.
Something drastic will change the political face of Israel, and even the geography.
And, with the increased agriculture in the Negev…
Could it be that the political center of Israel shifts to Be’er Sheva?
Think about all the places in the Hebrew Scriptures that talk about the wilderness flowing with water. Isaiah 35 talks about this in verses like this:
1 The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.**
2 It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God.
—-
6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
7 And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.
—-
10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Remember that Isaiah also talks about an extreme political event that happens in Isaiah 19. Egypt will one day join in a confederation with Israel – along with a new entity called Assyria. So it might make sense for the political center of this new confederation be located in The Negev. You can read more about that, here:
Isaiah 17 And 19
https://whengogcomes.com/13-isaiah-17-and-19.html
My hope is that you will begin to realize that the world at the time of the rise of the Antichrist, will look a lot different than the world that we see today. And, that is something very important to understand. Not only do you need to be ready for the time when the Antichrist comes, you also need to be ready for the massive devastation that will happen BEFORE the Antichrist comes. I call that massive devastation, Ezekiel’s Fire. And, you really, Really, REALLY need to be ready for that. But, let’s get back to Daniel 11.
Again, this massive change to Israel, points directly to Gog and Magog happening BEFORE the Antichrist rises.
The problem is that many confuse the coming of Gog and Magog with the coming of the Antichrist.
The Antichrist Turns Against The Holy Covenant
So again, in verse 30, the Antichrist makes a second attempt to invade the King of the Negev, and the Chittim navy stops him. As a result, the Antichrist gets angry at the Holy Covenant. And this is when he makes a serious investment in conspiring with those who leave the Holy Covenant – the apostates.
Here’s verse 30 again:
For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant.
– Daniel 11:30 (KJV)
The KJV uses the word ‘indignation’, but the Hebrew word is much stronger than that. It’s זעם (zah-am), and it means ‘wrath’ or ‘rage’. Also, the word ‘intelligence’ is also a little bit incorrect. The word is יבן (yah-ven), and it’s a part of the same root as the Hebrew word for ‘understanding’ – מבין (mah-veen).
So, when the ships of Chittim block his invasion, he flies into a rage and starts conspiring with those who are apostates. And, these apostates have forsaken…
Wait…
…The Holy Covenant.
There’s a Holy Covenant in Israel BEFORE the Antichrist?
What is this Holy Covenant?
BEFORE the Antichrist rises, there will be a Holy Covenant. This means that Israel will be led by those who are followers of God, who are obedient in every way.
Again, this is BEFORE the Antichrist.
So, what is this Holy Covenant?
Judaism CANNOT be the Holy Covenant. Judaism is a synthetic religion formulated after the fall of the second temple as a way to get around the inability to properly sacrifice. It was also formulated to keep Jewish men and women from becoming Christian. If you live in Israel long enough, you’ll figure this out.
The Rabbinic Judaism that sprang up in the first and second century AD, is not anything close to a ‘holy covenant’. But, it’s bigger than that.
Is it possible to have a holy covenant that is different than the one paid for by Jesus on the cross, and sanctified by His Blood?
Let me make this point as clearly as possible:
JESUS IS THE ONLY COVENANT!!!
If you think that there is any other way to salvation, except through faith and obedience in Jesus Christ, you are not a Christian. There is only one eternal sacrifice that paid for our sins. That covenant was made in His blood and sacrifice. Adding the blood of bulls and goats would be blasphemy.
Therefore, the Holy Covenant in Daniel 11:30 is faith in Christ.
Here is proof of this in Jeremiah:
31 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord:
33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
– Jeremiah 31:31-34 (KJV)
When God tells Israel that He will make a New Covenant with them, and that it will not be like the covenant that He gave them in the desert of Sinai…
…what could that possibly mean?
You can bet that the Rabbis have torn their hair out trying to figure out what this New Covenant would be. And, the best that they can do is claim that this will be a covenant that happens when Messiah comes. In fact, the number one reason why many Orthodox Jews are against the formation of the State of Israel, is that they believe that Messiah will do this.
Well, Messiah HAS been doing this. And, they missed Him by 2000 years. And furthermore, they can’t see that God is going to bring them into the group of people that we call the Body of Christ. That’s right, Christians. Israel, at the time of the Antichrist will be followers of Christ, like you and me. Israeli Christians that are faithfully worshiping God in the area of the Middle East where the Antichrist will run around in. These Israeli Christians do not begin their Life in Christ after the Antichrist. They begin their Life in Christ a long time BEFORE the Antichrist. And, I can’t help but point out here that Ezekiel 38 and 39 show that Israel doesn’t join the Holy Covenant until AFTER Gog and Magog has been destroyed. Not before.
Gog and Magog is destroyed.
After that, Israel accepts Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Gog Cannot Be The Antichrist
It’s that simple, and it is absolute and undeniable proof that:
Gog is NOT the Antichrist.
So, let me say again – Gog just cannot be the Antichrist, especially, since Gog DIES during the Battle of Gog and Magog and is buried. The Antichrist is NOT buried, but is cast alive into the Lake of Fire. Nor have we seen any battles that look like the coming of Gog and Magog in Daniel 11. So, let’s keep going.
To summarize this point:
Gog cannot be the Antichrist, because Daniel describes an Israel that has accepted Christ BEFORE the Antichrist rises.
Ezekiel and Zechariah describe the salvation of Israel AFTER Gog is destroyed.
For more on that, look at a summary of reasons:
Why Israel Must Be Saved BEFORE The Great Tribulation
https://whengogcomes.com/10-why-israel-saved-before-great-tribulation.html
Okay, that was a lot of jumping up and yelling about Daniel 11:30. But, I’ve been yelling about this for a very long time, and people are struggling to understand this. And, the fault lies with Bible teachers who claim to understand, but do not. So, I hope that you don’t mind my rather emphatic emphasis on this point.
I don’t want you to die because you didn’t know what was coming. And, the coming of Gog and Magog will lead to the destruction of our civilization, the death of billions and a new dark ages. How long that dark ages lasts is anybody’s guess. Even now, our civilization is teetering on the brink of one, as we speak. In fact, Gog and Magog may come down because our civilization has finally crumbled. Ezekiel’s Fire would just be final crushing blow that flattens what’s left.
The Forces Of The Antichrist
Okay so let’s move on to the next verse, verse 31. And, it’s not all that easy to translate for some reason. And, I find it strange that the NASB did the best job of actually translating Daniel 11:31.
Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation.
– Daniel 11:31 (NASB)
However, the phrase ‘forces from him’ is interesting:
וזרעים ממנו (oo-zro-eem mee-meh-no)
When I first saw that phrase, I thought “SEEDS!” And yes, זרע (zeh-ra) means seed. But… not in this case. I was looking at the wrong Hebrew root for this word. Here’s the correct root:
זרוע
(zro-ah)
It means arm, and everyone has two of them – unless you’ve had an accident. It also means tentacle, so any octopus reading this will have a lot more than that. (Just sayin’)
So, these arms will come from the Antichrist, defile the building of the holy place, stop whatever worship of God that is happening there and then set up the Abomination of Desolation. And, this isn’t the Antichrist doing it directly. It is these ‘arms’, plural that are doing it.
Hebrew is specific when it comes to word agreement. Plural nouns have plural verbs. Singular nouns have singular verbs. So, this isn’t the Antichrist (singular) doing this. It’s these arms (plural) that are setting up the Abomination of Desolation.
The Abomination Of Desolation
Now, notice that phrase, Abomination of Desolation. The Hebrew is this:
השקוץ משומם (ha-shee-koots meh-sho-mem)
Where did we hear of this before?
Right here:
15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, 18 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak.
– Matthew 24:15-18 (ESV)
And, right here:
Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who spoke, “For how long is the vision concerning the regular burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled underfoot?”
– Daniel 8:13 (ESV)
Here’s Daniel 11:31 again:
Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation.
– Daniel 11:31 (NASB)
It’s clear that Daniel 11 and Matthew 24 are talking about the same moment in time. And, Daniel 8 is so close that you need to assume that it is also the same moment in time. The only difference for Daniel 8:13 is that Gabriel says ‘transgression’ instead of ‘abomination’. But, abomination is always transgression, and transgression is always an abomination.
So, I think that we must conclude that…
Jesus was talking about BOTH Daniel 8:13 and Daniel 11:31!
SIDE NOTE:
WHAT is this Abomination of Desolation?
We are used to assuming that this is the Antichrist himself, but now that I’ve looked at Daniel 11 more closely, I don’t think so. Remember that the Book of Revelation talks about an ‘image’ that people are required to worship. The setting up of a statue or image seems to fit better than just having the Antichrist stand there. Ultimately, we’ll see it, when it happens.
Whatever this Abomination of Desolation is, it means that verse 31 is at the beginning of the persecution phase of the Great Tribulation, and verses 32 to 39 confirm that with a description of persecution – as well as a discussion of what the Antichrist does. And, it all conforms to what Revelation says.
The Great Tribulation
Daniel 11:32-39 is a terrible account of betrayal, persecution and great suffering. Apostate Christians will betray those who follow Christ. Christian men and women will be imprisoned and killed. The Antichrist will blaspheme God and place himself above Yehovah and all other gods. He even places another god, a god of fortresses, above all gods. And, he will use this god against the strongest fortresses.
What is this new ‘god of fortresses’ that the Antichrist will use as a tool to defeat those who continue to stand against him?
I could give you theory after theory about what all that could be, but that would be meaningless. I would undoubtedly get all of those theories wrong, and divert your attention from the main point. All that we know is that it’s new, and useful to the Antichrist.
Oh, and one more thing. And, this extra bit is important. This passage in Daniel about the Great Tribulation describes an important outcome for all Christians who go through this time and stay faithful:
Purification
Here’s an important verse that explains much:
And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time.
– Daniel 11:35 (NKJV)
Given enough time and enough prosperity, Christians become corrupted. The history of Christianity is full of churches that started out well, and ended up falling from grace. And, right now, Christians in the developed world are a horrifying mess. We have corrupted ourselves so badly, that I wonder how many of us are still in Christ.
We need to be purified. And, if we don’t choose purity now, God will impose it upon us. I believe that Gog and Magog will be a time of purification. The coming of the Antichrist will be the last one.
But, let’s get back to looking at the Army of the Antichrist.
The Place Of Escape
Now, notice that after the Antichrist captures Jerusalem, the King of the Negev is still in power over the southern part of Israel. So, he attack the Antichrist and loses badly:
40 “At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. 41 He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon.
– Daniel 11:40-41 (NKJV)
In response to the attack by the King of the Negev, the Antichrist hits back, invading Israel in verse 41 and taking over Egypt and lots of Africa in verses 42 and 43.
(NOTE: Antiochus Epiphanes DEFINITELY does not do this.)
But, who escapes from being conquered by the Antichrist?
Most of what we call the Kingdom of Jordan
After rushing about and capturing so much territory, the one place that he doesn’t get to, is the mountainous area to the east and southeast of the Jordan River. And, one reason why he can’t, is that he runs out of time, in verse 44:
But news from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many to destruction.
– Daniel 11:44 (ESV)
All of the above adds detail to what we see in Revelation 12:
14 And there were given to the woman the two wings of the great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness unto her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. 15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman water as a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream. 16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon waxed wroth with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, that keep the commandments of God, and hold the testimony of Jesus:
– Revelation 12:14-17 (ASV)
So, the news that the Antichrist hears from ‘the east’ and ‘the north’ in Daniel 11:44, might be a message from his people, saying that there are Christians that are defying and even rising up against him. And, this news happens just at the right time, before he can destroy the Christians fleeing from Jerusalem and Judea. The Israeli Christians escape to a place of safety, and the Antichrist can’t do much about them.
Now, claiming that verse 44 is about Christians defying him, is speculation. There could be any number of reasons why ‘news from the east and the north would alarm him’. It could be a disgruntled political faction. It could even be a group that’s upset over Allah or Muhammad or Buddha being blasphemed. But, since the Antichrist hates Christians more than any other group of people, I feel like the best explanation would be one that points to Christians defying the Antichrist in the north and east. But, as always… we’ll see when it happens.
Why Jezreel
Then, in Daniel 11:45, the last verse of the chapter, the Antichrist is destroyed.
And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him.
– Daniel 11:45 (NKJV)
In the original Hebrew, ‘plant’ is literally a verb that you would use when describing how you would insert seeds into the ground for the purposes of growing a plant. So, the Antichrist PLANTS his tent between two seas and TO the glorious holy mountain.
Not ‘in’.
‘To’.
The Antichrist firmly places his tents – yes, tents – BETWEEN two seas and TOWARDS the ‘glorious holy mountain’. Most translations garble this verse badly. They say that the Antichrist puts his tents in/on/at Jerusalem, but that’s not what Daniel 11:45 says.
A careful look at the original Hebrew – along with a little triangulation – makes it pretty clear that the tents of the Antichrist are in the Jezreel Valley, which is where the Battle of Armageddon will be fought in Revelation 16.
Why Jezreel?
That’s easy. The Antichrist has a big army. And, that army needs a nice, big flat area that is easy to defend and has lots of access to water and food. The vast Jezreel Valley fits all of that perfectly.
However, history shows that there is a better place for putting your capital. It is an even safer, easier to defend location. And that location has been the regional capital of this region. But, there’s a problem.
Damascus is so thoroughly destroyed that it cannot be resurrected as a city. I talk about it here:
Isaiah 17 and 19
https://whengogcomes.com/13-isaiah-17-and-19.html
Damascus has always been the best location for a regional capital for the Levant – the area of land directly east of the Mediterranean Sea. Conquerors of Syria, Jordan and Israel have always placed the regional capital for the area, at Damascus. There was plenty of water. It was at the crossroads for what is modern-day Turkey, Iraq, Egypt, Arabia and Africa. Everything going back and forth overland between Europe and Asia and Africa, had to go through Damascus. Yes, there were other routes, but you had to be insane to use them.
The other thing about Damascus is that it was a great place to put an army. It was the perfect staging area for invading other provinces, or defending the provinces that you had. But, when Damascus is destroyed with its source of water eliminated, you can’t put your army there. You have to put it in a similar location.
And, that’s why the Antichrist chooses to put his palace in the Jezreel valley.
Armageddon is at the entrance to the Jezreel valley, and it will be the place that the ‘Kings of the East’ will rush to, in hopes of rescuing the Antichrist from the armies of heaven.
This finishes chapter eleven. However, the prophecy isn’t finished until we get to the end of chapter 12. We are all looking forward to the Resurrection and the Rapture, and that’s what Daniel 12 talks about. But, there are a few ‘mysteries’ in that chapter.
————————————
Part 11 – The First Resurrection And How Long The Great Tribulation Will Be
Daniel 12 is the capstone that tells us how to interpret Daniel 11:21-45. It tells us when the Resurrection will be. It tells us that some in the kingdom of God will suffer shame and everlasting contempt in the First Resurrection – just as Jesus told us in His parables. It also tells us how long the Great Tribulation will be.
This is why chapter 12 is a vital part of End Times prophecy. It neutralizes false eschatology. It shows us the direction that we should be looking.
Unfortunately, there are many who do not wish to understand Daniel 12, for it demolishes their carefully crafted idol that they have created by twisting the words of God into something that He does not say.
————————————
Chapter 12 starts out with a knockout blow to almost every eschatology we have:
1 “At that time Michael shall stand up,
The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people;
And there shall be a time of trouble,
Such as never was since there was a nation,
Even to that time.
And at that time your people shall be delivered,
Every one who is found written in the book.
2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
Some to everlasting life,
Some to shame and everlasting contempt.
3 Those who are wise shall shine
Like the brightness of the firmament,
And those who turn many to righteousness
Like the stars forever and ever.
– Daniel 12:1-3 (NKJV)
Verse one makes it very clear that this is the Great Tribulation. It cannot be anything else. It also shows that the people of Israel will have accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Why?
Because it says here:
And at that time your people shall be delivered,
Every one who is found written in the book.
The Redemption Of Israel – When?
When does this Redemption of Israel happen?
Well, I did a deep dive into finding the key passages that determine when it will happen, and the key focal point is the coming of Gog and Magog. And, I found that it must happen at least decades before the Great Tribulation. In fact, it must happen long enough before the coming of the Antichrist that corruption will begin again in the people of Israel, just as it has come to our churches.
For more on that, go here:
When Gog Comes – Correcting The Timeline Of The Last Days
https://whengogcomes.com/
For those who do not wish to wade through all that, here are a few verses that make it clear that Gog and Magog is the moment when Israel considers the One that they pierced:
So I will make My holy name known in the midst of My people Israel, and I will not let them profane My holy name anymore. Then the nations shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel.
– Ezekiel 39:7 (NKJV)
So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day forward.
– Ezekiel 39:22 (NKJV)
And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,’ says the Lord God.”
– Ezekiel 39:29 (NKJV)
That’s the salvation of Israel, the Return of Jacob to God. And, they show a direct connection to this important verse:
Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities and your abominations.
– Ezekiel 36:31 (NKJV)
10 “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.
– Zechariah 12:10 (NKJV)
TRANSLATION NOTE: The root word for ‘look’ in verse 10 is הביט (pronounced: hee-beet), and it’s not the same as ‘see’ רואה (pronounced: roh-eh). The word ‘look’ (הביט) would be more accurately translated as ‘regard’ or ‘consider’. It’s a seeing from the heart, not the eyes. The word for ‘see’ (רואה) is about the eyes, and you don’t find that here.
Then, Zechariah gives us two verses that fill me with dread:
8 And it shall come to pass in all the land,”
Says the Lord,
“That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die,
But one-third shall be left in it:
9 I will bring the one-third through the fire,
Will refine them as silver is refined,
And test them as gold is tested.
They will call on My name,
And I will answer them.
I will say, ‘This is My people’;
And each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’ ”
– Zechariah 13:8-9 (NKJV)
The fact that two thirds of Israel will be killed is horrifying.
And then, we come to the clearest reason why the Redemption of Israel must be at least decades before the Antichrist can rise to power and start the Great Tribulation:
25 There will be on every high mountain
And on every high hill
Rivers and streams of waters,
In the day of the great slaughter,
When the towers fall.
26 Moreover the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun,
And the light of the sun will be sevenfold,
As the light of seven days,
In the day that the Lord binds up the bruise of His people
And heals the stroke of their wound.
– Isaiah 30:25-26 (NKJV)
Every city across the globe will be destroyed. There will be no electricity or running water. No transportation. Billions will die. And, if you don’t believe me, there’s another book that is actually the sixth edition of a project that is more than 12 years old.
Ezekiel’s Fire – The Great Solar Cataclysm Straight Out Of Prophecy
https://ezekielsfire.com/
If you just read the science portion that starts here, that should be enough to get you thinking:
Ezekiel’s Fire – The Science
https://ezekielsfire.com/03-section-one-the-science.html
That section will tell you that the civilization we have today, is doomed. If we’re lucky it will take decades to recover. If we aren’t, it will be centuries. It will be a new dark ages that will give Israel time to grow in Christ, free from her enemies.
Mainline Eschatologies Destroyed By Daniel 12
Oh, and one more thing. For my pretrib brothers and sisters that I love dearly, Daniel 12 destroys the pretribulation rapture theory.
Why?
Well, we saw that the Resurrection is AFTER the Great Tribulation in Daniel 12:2.
What comes immediately after the Resurrection?
Well, Paul said it best:
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
– 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (KJV)
The Rapture is AFTER THE RESURRECTION. There can be no arguing with that. Yet, some will still try, even though they have no verse that actually describes the Rapture as occurring before the Great Tribulation.
However, all the other mainline eschatologies are destroyed as well:
- The Amillennials don’t believe in the Redemption of Israel, so they are knocked out.
- The Postmillennials who claim that we are going to conquer the world and hand the kingdom to Christ… they’re knocked out.
- The Preterists who believe that all prophecy is merely historical fact… do I even need to talk about them?
- The vast majority of Premillennial Post Tribbers claim that Israel will go through Armageddon and then be saved during the Millennium, so they get knocked out too. (In addition to being anti-Semites.)
Did I miss anyone?
I did a study of the beliefs and history of Bad Eschatology here:
Bad Eschatology
https://revelationsix.com/bad-eschatology/
That’s a knockout blow to every mainline eschatology except one:
Those who believe that the Redemption of Israel will be LONG before the Great Tribulation, and that we will experience the Great Tribulation alongside our Israeli brothers and sisters in Christ.
And, there are so very, very few of us.
The Book Sealed
But, wait… there’s more. We haven’t even gotten to verse four:
“But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”
– Daniel 12:4 (NKJV)
By the way, what is the name of this book?
We talked about it before:
The second fantastic thing is that what we will see in Daniel 11 and 12 is something that was already written in the כתב אמת (K’Tav Eh-met) – Scripture of Truth or Writing of Truth. And, as I think about the scroll that is unsealed by the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world (Rev 13:8), I would be willing to bet that this Scripture of Truth is the one with Seven Seals that must be opened before the Great Tribulation can begin.
And, for those of you who have NOT read my Biblical Overview of Revelation, you will see quite clearly that the Seven Seals must be removed before the Great Tribulation begins.
I don’t claim that this MUST be the scroll sealed with Seven Seals, but I find it hard to believe that it isn’t, since it describes in detail some of what is written in that scroll.
Remember that the Great Tribulation does not begin until after the Scroll with Seven Seals has been unsealed. If you want a better understanding of what I’m talking about, go here:
A Biblical Overview Of Revelation
https://revelationsix.com/a-biblical-overview-of-revelation/
Revelation is completely chronological except for the parenthetical (i.e. explanatory) chapters. Others claim otherwise, and they twist the words of God to fit their own image.
Someone once said that the Bible is like a person. If you torture it enough, you can get it to say anything.
Stop torturing the precious words of God.
The Fantastic Last Days
Now, remember that other part of Daniel 12:4?
It’s this one: “…many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase”
With this statement, is there any other time in history that so perfectly describes what we see around us?
Here I am, writing to you from the middle of nowhere Taiwan, where this will literally be read in every continent on this planet. And, I have personally traveled around the globe twice and have lived and worked in Asia for 28 years. And, I’m an Indiana boy who grew up surrounded by the green acres of beautiful farmland, just north of Indianapolis. What an amazing thing to think about.
And knowledge?
The absolutely fantastic explosion in knowledge is beyond comparison. At no time in history has this ever occurred. And yet, there are still some who will deny this verse. Amazing.
How Long Will These Wonders Be?
Then, Daniel asks the important question:
5 Then I, Daniel, looked; and there stood two others, one on this riverbank and the other on that riverbank. 6 And one said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be?”
7 Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished.
– Daniel 12:5-7 (NKJV)
This great tribulation will last for a time, times and a half. And, when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, it will end. That’s right, our power to influence mankind through the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ and our willingness to die for Christ (Revelation 12:11) – when that power is shattered – Jesus will come with the armies of heaven to destroy the Antichrist and his followers.
And, what does it mean that our power is completely shattered?
We will be forced into hiding. We will be forced to shelter from the storm, as God protects us. But, our flight to shelter will mean that we no longer have the power that we have now. Only those who remain in the cities, continuing to proclaim the gospel and die for it, only they will still retain their power. But, when they are all finally killed… the end comes.
Is This Prophecy 3500 Years Long?
By the way, just to cover all the bases. It is possible that Daniel was asking about the entire length of time of the prophecy, beginning from where he is now, to the very end. If that is true, then we are talking about three and a half thousand years. And, we’ve already used up more than two and a half thousand of that already. And, there is a certain fit to this idea that Israel might have centuries – even a thousand years of salvation before the Antichrist puts his foot in.
Do any of you remember the Dark Ages?
Yeah. That was about a thousand years. So, I could see God giving Israel that length of time. But, I’m not real sure that we can say this with any confidence. We’re speculating here, and that should never be considered doctrine.
Daniel Asks About The End
But Daniel is confused, so he asks a different question that focuses just on the end of this prophecy:
Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, “My lord, what shall be the end of these things?”
– Daniel 12:8 (NKJV)
Daniel did not understand that ‘time, times and a half’. So, he asks a somewhat different question that may or may not give him a completely different answer. And, it’s a little perplexing to us as well.
9 And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. 10 Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.
11 “And from the time that 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 the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.
13 “But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.”
– Daniel 12:9-13 (NKJV)
TRANSLATION NOTE: The word sacrifice is not in the original. The word התמיד (ha-Tah-meed), just means ‘the always’ or ‘the continual’. IT DOES NOT MEAN SACRIFICE. When you give tithes to your church, you are doing haTamid. You are doing the continual offering. People who do not know Hebrew love to twist that word to make it look like there is a temple.
So, three things are said here:
- the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end
- the tribulation will last one thousand two hundred and ninety days
- But, there is a special blessing for those who survive an extra 45 days – one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.
The first is pretty clear. We know from revelation that the woman flees into the wilderness in Revelation and is protected for one thousand two hundred and sixty days. The extra thirty days could be anything from the amount of time it would take to get to this wilderness, or some other delay. But, the next one is curious.
What are the extra 45 days about?
No one knows. The best that we have are guesses, but since this bit of knowledge is for those going through that time, they will understand.
It could be the extra 45 days is:
…the ‘cleanup period’ after Armageddon.
…the amount of time it takes for the Kings of the East to make it to the Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:12-17)
…a moment of calm, tricking some to leave their place of refuge and be caught by what happens during those 45 days.
Or, it could be something completely different. Just remember that speculation should NEVER be doctrine. If it is not clearly explained in the Bible, then you cannot speak with certainty. Many churches have destroyed themselves by putting speculation at the foundation of their faith.
NEVER. EVER. DO. THAT.
Daniel 12 tells us many things. It proves that Daniel 11:21-45 is the Antichrist. It tells us when the Resurrection happens, which allows Paul to tell us when the Rapture occurs. It tells us how long the Great Tribulation is. It might even tell us how long it will be before the Tribulation even comes, but I would call that speculation and NOT doctrine. It also tells us that our understanding of what is coming is sealed until those seals have been removed.
That’s a lot in just one rather small chapter.
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Part 12 – Conclusions About Daniel
Daniel is one of the most unusual prophets of the Hebrew Scriptures, and the prophecies that God gave him are also unique. Three prophecies have been completely fulfilled. We are actually living in two of prophecies right now. And, two prophecies have been broken in half, with the first part fulfilled and the second part to be fulfilled when the Antichrist rises.
In fact, Daniel is the only prophet who actually speaks about the person of the Antichrist. And outside of Daniel, only Isaiah and Zechariah make any reference to the Great Tribulation.
This makes Daniel a VERY unique book.
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In the Hebrew scriptures, Daniel is considered by God as one of the three most righteous men. We see this in Ezekiel:
12 The word of the Lord came again to me, saying: 13 “Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it. 14 Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,” says the Lord God.
15 “If I cause wild beasts to pass through the land, and they empty it, and make it so desolate that no man may pass through because of the beasts, 16 even though these three men were in it, as I live,” says the Lord God, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters; only they would be delivered, and the land would be desolate.
….
19 “Or if I send a pestilence into that land and pour out My fury on it in blood, and cut off from it man and beast, 20 even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live,” says the Lord God, “they would deliver neither son nor daughter; they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.”
– Ezekiel 14:12-16, 19-20 (NKJV)
Daniel also represents the fulfillment of the prophecy given to King Hezekiah by the prophet Isaiah:
7 ‘And they shall take away some of your sons who will descend from you, whom you will beget; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’ ”
– Isaiah 39:7 (NKJV)
That, in itself was a great tragedy, for he was never able to marry and have children. He knew that his lineage would die with him, and that there would be no one to carry on his name. He also mourned every day for the sins and destruction of his people. He was truly a man of sorrow and grief.
Yet, from him come some of the greatest prophecies that we have ever seen. He gave us the great image from Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, a prophecy that still lives on to this day and will not end until the Second Coming. It is truly fascinating to think that we live during the time of iron mixed with clay, and that one day… we’ll see the ten toes – should we live long enough.
Daniel gave us the term, ‘the handwriting on the wall’. And, I am sadden to see that such Biblical vocabulary is slipping away from our daily speech.
Then, in chapter seven, Daniel gives us yet another vision that is still playing out as we speak. In the vision of the four beasts, God showed Daniel that there would be Four Beasts, with the first three being Babylon, Persia and the Alexandrian Kingdoms. And finally, the fourth beast, the one that we are living in now.
Did you notice that Daniel skipped over Rome?
Oh right. He didn’t. The Fourth Beast is Rome and her descendants that crushed every empire around the world, as God described to Daniel. We live in the time of that Fourth Beast. So, this prophecy is also ongoing as we speak. The only thing missing is the rise of the ten horns, followed by the eleventh. And yes, that eleventh horn is the Antichrist, who subdues three of the ten horns.
Are we descendants of the Roman Empire?
Of course. Our political systems are Roman. Our medical system is Roman. Our judicial system is Roman. Even our architecture is Roman. And, if you live in the United States or any European country, your nation has devoured every empire known to man. There isn’t one kingdom or empire that has withstood the might of the European powers, or the United States.
So, like the image in Nebuchadnezzar’s vision, we also live during the time of Daniel’s prophecy of the Fourth Beast. And yes, like Nebuchadnezzar’s image, this fourth beast will be destroyed at the Second Coming.
Then in chapter eight, Daniel has a vision in which Gabriel tells him where the Antichrist comes from. The vision describes the fall of the Persian Empire at the hands of Alexander the Great, whose own empire breaks into four. Then, from the four horns of the four kingdoms that arose after Alexander the Great, out of one of them a fifth horn arises – The Antichrist.
In Daniel 9, we come to the most fantastic vision of all, the prophecy of the coming of Messsiah:
“Seventy weeks are determined
For your people and for your holy city,
To finish the transgression,
To make an end of sins,
To make reconciliation for iniquity,
To bring in everlasting righteousness,
To seal up vision and prophecy,
And to anoint the Most Holy.
– Daniel 9:24 (NKJV)
Gabriel tells Daniel the exact time when Messiah would come. He tells Daniel that Messiah would finish transgression, make an end of sin, make reconciliation for iniquity, bring in everlasting righteousness, seal up vision and prophecy and anoint the Most Holy in heaven with His blood.
Jesus did all of that, exactly as described, exactly on time. And, the last two verses of Daniel 9 describe events connected to what Jesus did in verse 24. But, think about how astounding that God the Son would come down and sacrifice Himself for us, that we might have all that verse 24 gives us.
The idea that God would do this for us, who deserve it least of all, is beyond my ability to comprehend. But my astonishment at this wonderful gift does not keep me from gratefully accepting what Our Lord has freely given, and I hope to hear – when this life is over:
“Well done thou good and faithful servant.” – Matthew 25
There is nothing that we can do to repay God for what He has given us, but we can dedicate our lives to serving Him in whatever way that we can. It is the very least that we can do.
Then, in Daniel’s final vision, he shows us in more exact detail where the Antichrist comes from, what he does and how he conquers Jerusalem. And, this vision even goes farther, showing us that the Resurrection is after the Great Tribulation.
Some of the more interesting elements of this vision show the Antichrist rising out of the Seleucid Empire, which stretched from the eastern part of modern Turkey, through Syria, Iraq and Iran. It also included Israel, and some claim that the Antichrist will be Jewish. This is utter foolishness, when you look at how the Antichrist in Daniel 11:21-45 acts.
The Antichrist invades Israel four times, completely bypassing Jerusalem until he is opposed by the ships of Chittim (which is NOT the word for Cyprus). He then decides to take over Jerusalem, and uses intrigue against the Holy Covenant – which proves that Israel has been redeemed a long time before the Antichrist rises. For there is only one holy covenant, the one given to us through the Final Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It is THAT holy covenant that the Antichrist works against.
This is where Jesus tells those living in Judea to run for their lives, and we see where they will have a place of refuge:
41 He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon.
– Daniel 11:41 (NKJV)
If you want to escape the Antichrist, the lands of Edom, Moab and Ammon would be your best choice. Unfortunately, you would also need to ride out Ezekiel’s Fire when Gog and Magog come, and I would not want to be in those areas until AFTER all of that is over.
I’ve been to Petra a couple times. I doubt that it would stand up well to the earthquake that Isaiah and others predict. You would need to stick to open ground to survive an earthquake that big.
Then we get to the final part of this prophecy in chapter 12, where we hear of the Great Tribulation and the Resurrection afterwards. Daniel is told to shut up the book and seal it until the time of the end, but Daniel hears someone ask how long this final prophecy will be. The response is “a time, times and a half of a time” – three and a half years. And we have confirmation of how long we are talking about when Daniel asks, “Lord, what will be the end result of these things?”
Part of that answer is here:
11 From the time when the regular daily offering is removed and an abominable thing that causes desolation is set up, there will be one thousand two hundred ninety days. 12 Blessed is the one who waits and reaches one thousand three hundred thirty-five days.
Daniel 12:11-12
Evangelical Heritage Version
I want to say a ‘very well done’ to whoever made that translation. The word ‘sacrifice’ is not used, but almost every translation makes the mistake of saying it. The word is haTamid (התמיד). That’s the continual offering. When you give your tithe to your church, you are giving haTamid (‘i’ pronounced like ‘ee’).
There will be no Temple of burnt offering for sin in Jerusalem. But, there will be a place of continual worship and continual offering, and the Antichrist will stop it. For three and a half years.
Then Daniel 12 ends with a verse that probably applies to us all:
13 “But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.”
Like Daniel, I doubt that we will understand the Last Days until the time is right for us to see them. Most of us might not live long enough to see Gog and Magog and the Redemption of Israel. But, we each have our place in God’s plan. So, we should all go our way till the end, and then rest and arise to our inheritance when the Resurrection comes.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
שאלו שלום ירושלים
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My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
Because you have rejected knowledge,
I also will reject you… Hosea 4:6
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