The Prophecies of Daniel
Part 14: The First 42 Months (Daniel 11:25-28; 40-43)
This morning is week 14 of our study of the Prophecies found in the Old Testament book of Daniel. Daniel was a Jewish man who received visions from God concerning what has been come to be called the Times of the Gentiles and the end times. And he received these visions of the future while he was a captive in the Babylonian and Medo-Persian Empires.
Presently we are working our way verse by verse through the last half of Daniel chapter 11. If you brought your handouts back with you of the map and the parallel verse in the eleventh chapter of the book of Daniel that is great. If you weren’t here or don’t have a copy of them I did include all the verses we will be looking at this morning in your bulletins so you will be able to follow along with us. There are also copies of the original handouts on the vestibule table should you wish to pick them up for yourself.
Before we begin, just a brief reminder. Daniel 11:21-45 are revealing to us the activities of the Antichrist during the first 42 months of the seven-year Tribulation period. References to the king of the North are speaking about the Antichrist and references to the king of the South are mentioning Egypt and the surrounding territories.
We are also interpreting these verses on the premise that the Antichrist will be a Muslim who will arise from the Middle East, most likely from within the Shiite branch of this religion. I also showed you how I believe that when the Antichrist does appear, he will be the long awaited Islamic prophet of the end times, their Mahdi. Because the Islamic beliefs concerning their Mahdi are eerily similar to the Bible’s prophecies concerning the final evil world ruler known as the Antichrist. (If you haven’t been with us the past few weeks to hear these teachings, I encourage you to pick up copies of this sermon series so that you can understand where I am coming from.)
The verses we are going to look at this morning are verses 25-28 and verses 40-43. Looking at your handouts you will see that they are across from each other or side-by-side in opposing columns. Again this is because I believe they are prophecies referring to the same end time event or events. They compliment each other and give us greater detail concerning a single prophecy. Having said that let’s start with verses 40-43.
Daniel 11:40-43, “At the time of the end the king of the South [Egypt] will engage him [Antichrist] in battle, and the king of the North [Antichrist] will storm out against him [the king of the South] with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood. [41] He will invade the Beautiful Land [Israel]. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab, and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand. [42] He will extend his power over many countries; Egypt will not escape. [43] He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Nubians [Sudanese and Ethiopians] in submission.”
Okay, the last two weeks we have seen the Antichrist rise to power from somewhere in the Middle East. We speculated based on all of the Biblical prophecies found within the book of Daniel that the most likely area for him to arise from would be the country of Iraq. From there he will begin to build he base of power in the ancient city of Babylon. (Dan. 11:21)
We then saw in verse 22 how the Battle of Gog and Magog would occur and pave the way for the Antichrist to rise to prominence in the Middle East. He would be forced into signing a peace treaty, v. 23, which he has no plans of ever keeping, and then he will turn his attention to gaining his strength and power and wealth in the Middle East region.
Last week we saw in verse 24 that he will specifically turn his attention to gaining control over the oil-rich nations and thus not only gaining wealth, but also effectively gaining control of the world’s economy as a whole. Basically, if you don’t do business with him, you don’t do business period. The rising fuel prices and the impact they have been having on our way of life is just a small sample of what life will be like when the Antichrist gains control of the oil wells of the Middle East.
We also learned through the original Hebrew interpretation of the word “province”, which is medyinah or Medina that it is likely that Saudi Arabia will be one of the first countries he focuses upon.
Now verses 40-43 are continuing this theme. We are still in the first 42 months or three and a half years of the Tribulation, and the Antichrist is amassing his power by invading and controlling surrounding countries. “He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood…Many countries will fall…he will extend his power over many countries…” A few of them are even mentioned by name: the Beautiful Land [Israel], Egypt, Libya, and Ethiopia [Nubians].
But One Escapes
But before we get into the countries he will conquer notice the names of those who will escape his control: Edom, Moab, and the leaders of Ammon. These are ancient names of peoples who once lived in the Middle East.
(Map) Look at the map that I have included in your bulletins this morning. This map shows some of the modern-day countries of the Middle East. Over the top of it I have placed the territories that were once controlled by the ancient tribes of Edom, Moab, and Ammon. Look where they fall -- Jordan. In fact the capital city of the country of Jordan is called Amman after the ancient people who once lived there.
So, while all of the nations around Iraq, where the Antichrist originates, are being captured and conquered by the Antichrist, the country of Jordan appears to escape from his grasp. Why?
Well, I don’t know for sure, since the Bible doesn’t tell us, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it has something to do with the fact that half way through the Tribulation a remnant of Jews is going to be finding refuge in the area of Petra, which is located in the country of Jordan, in the territory that once belonged to the Edomites. The Lord is preparing a safe place not under the control of the Antichrist for His children to hide from him.
The King of the South
Now let’s turn our attention to the countries that he is going to gain control of. First is Egypt or the king of the South. For some reason we can see from the verses we just read and the parallel verses 25-28 that although Egypt will be conquered it is not going to give in without a fight. While many of the surrounding nations have had their armies decimated at the Battle of Gog and Magog, Egypt did not because they are not listed among the nations who will take part in that battle.
Let’s read verse 25 (Typo on handouts – a few words left out, Sorry!), “With a large army he will stir up his strength and courage against the king of the South. The king of the South will wage war with a large and very powerful army, but he will not be able to stand because of plots devised against him.”
While the official state religion of Egypt is Islam, and the Antichrist we believe will be the Islamic Mahdi, the majority of the Muslims in Egypt are Suni and not Shiite. Suni Muslims are what we would call the more moderate branch of the Islamic religion. While they do believe in the same End Times events that the Shiites do, they do not believe the Mahdi is almost on the level with deity. They believe he is just a man and treat him as such. He is an End Time prophet and leader, but not a great mystic or the godlike figure the Shiites make him out to be.
So, even if a man arises claiming to be the Islamic Mahdi, that does not mean all Muslim nations are just going to hand over the countries to him. We saw this truth last week with the country of Saudi Arabia. If the country was weakened by the loss of its military during the Battle of Gog and Magog or if it is a strong Shiite country then they may give in to the Antichrist without a fight. They wouldn’t be able to stand against him. But the nations mentioned in verses 40-43 are nations that are still powerful enough to put up a fight for sovereignty.
Now, a major reason for the Antichrist wanting to gain control of Egypt is not just to increase his power and wealth, which it would do, but also to gain control of the Suez Canal. Egypt has control of some major shipping lanes that connect the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea and then ultimately to the Indian Ocean and the countries of the East. Controlling Egypt would give him control of oil exports to the East.
How The King of the South Will Be Defeated
So, there is going to be a major battle between the king of the North, the Antichrist, and the king of the South, Egypt. We also know that the Egypt is going to lose this battle. Verse 25 tells us that he won’t be able to stand. And verse 42 and 43 say that Egypt will not escape and that the Antichrist will gain control of the treasures of Egypt.
Then in the last phrase of verse 25 and verse 26 we find out some of the details about how the king of the South is defeated.
Daniel 11:25-26, “…he will not be able to stand because of plots devised against him. [26] Those who eat from the king’s [king of the South, Egypt] provisions will try to destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall in battle.”
Egypt is going to fall, not because they are weaker militarily than the Antichrist and his armies, but because he has a traitor or traitors within the government and/or military. These verses show us that there is going to be some behind-the-scenes action going on that is going to lead to Egypt’s downfall. There will be some spying and espionage occurring amongst the highest ranks.
What I found interesting is that the words “plots” and “devised” which are found in verse 25 come from the same Hebrew root word hamas (hay-mas) which means “to do violence, to lay waste, or to be mistreated.” That word hamas is spelled H-A-M-A-S. We would pronounce it in English (huh-mas) – as in the radical Islamic terrorist group located in the Gaza Strip just over the border from Egypt.
Now, I don’t know for sure but could it be possible that this spying and intrigue and infiltration of the Egyptian government or military comes from someone(s) with ties to Hamas? It wouldn’t be at all surprising if that turns out to be true.
Now let’s read verse 27, “The two kings [the Antichrist and the leader of Egypt] with their hearts bent on evil, will sit at the same table and lie to each other, but to no avail, because an end will still come at the appointed time.”
Egypt is defeated on the battlefield and will end up losing its sovereignty to the Antichrist. Here we see that even though these two enemies will sit down and maybe try to hammer out some sort of agreement, it ultimately won’t matter what is decided because the Tribulation period is going to end with the appearing of Jesus Christ who is going to rule and reign over the entire earth. So no matter what they agree upon or argue over in the end, Christ will rule over Egypt.
The downfall of Egypt is also predicted elsewhere in the Old Testament prophetic book of the Bible. I found a very interesting prophecy in the book of Ezekiel that echoes these passages in Daniel even mentioning some of the other nations that will fall to the Antichrist in the end.
Ezekiel 30:1-5 (NIV), “The word of the Lord came to me: [2] “Son of man, prophesy and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Wail and say, Alas for that day!” [3] For the day is near, the day of the Lord is near – a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations. [4] A sword will come against Egypt, and anguish will come upon Cush [upper Nile]. When the slain fall in Egypt, her wealth will be carried away and her foundations torn down. [5] Cush [Sudan and Ethiopia] and Put [Libya and northern Egypt], Lydia [Egypt] and all Arabia [Saudi Arabia], Libya and the people of the covenant land [Israel] will fall by the sword along with Egypt.” And then the prophecy continues on through verse 8 of that chapter.
Here we see that Ezekiel received almost exactly the same prophecy as Daniel. In the day of the Lord, which is a period of time that covers the Tribulation period and the Millennium, Egypt is going to fall by the sword. This means she will fall in battle. And I believe this is the sword of Islam under the control of the Antichrist. And her wealth is going to be carried away just as Daniel said in chapter 11:43. I also find in fascinating that the same countries are mentioned here in Ezekiel as falling to the Antichrist as Daniel mentioned: Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, and Israel (Dan. 11:24).
The Beautiful Land, The Holy Covenant
The last country that I want to talk about this morning as coming under attack by the Antichrist during the first 42 months of the Tribulation is the country of Israel. (This is where I had the most difficulty this week.)
Israel is called the Beautiful Land in verse 41, “He will also invade the Beautiful Land.” And in verse 28 it is called the holy covenant, “…his heart will be set against the holy covenant. He will taken action against it.…” When I first read these passages they through me for a loop, because always before I have been taught and have taught you that the Antichrist won’t take over Israel until halfway through the Tribulation when he gains control of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, desecrates the Temple and sets himself up as God.
If that is true then how could he take control of Israel sometime during the first three and a half years of the Tribulation? And what about the peace treaty or covenant he signed with Israel?
I thought that maybe my whole interpretation of the timing of these verses all occurring during the first 42 months was wrong. And that is completely possible. I’m only human and extremely fallible. Of course, if my timing were off then everything we have studied for the past few weeks would likewise be off.
But before I completely abandoned this time frame, which I’m sure is correct, I went back to Daniel 9:27 and reread the main verse that talks about this peace treaty and covenant the Antichrist makes and began to realize a few things.
Daniel 9:27 (NIV), “He will confirm a covenant with many for one seven. In the middle of the seven he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.”
Okay, if my timing of these verses is correct and Israel is invaded and taken over by the Antichrist during the first 42 months of the Tribulation period, I found out that there were two possible explanations for how this could happen.
Treaty With Others?
The first possibility is that the covenant the Antichrist makes may not be made with Israel at all. Notice that this verse does not say he makes a covenant with Israel. It only says he makes a covenant with many and that half way through the Tribulation he takes control the Temple Mount by putting an end to the sacrifices and offerings and setting up an abomination there.
Now, this goes against most prophecy teachings and to tell you the truth I’m not too comfortable with it. However, it is possible. I couldn’t find anything to disprove this theory. But who would the Antichrist be making a pact or agreement, or treaty with, if not Israel, and why? I don’t know. So, while possible this explanation is a little “iffy.”
Capture Israel Not Jerusalem
The second possibility for explaining this passage is what I feel is the best one. Reading Daniel 9:27, I do believe the Antichrist makes a peace treaty with Israel. Only notice that it does not say that he will break the peace treaty in the middle of the Tribulation. It says he will cause sacrifice and offering to cease and desecrate the Temple at this point. It is possible that he will invade Israel and break the peace treaty at an earlier point in time.
There are passages that say that the Antichrist will not gain control of the city of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount until mid-Trib. (Zech. 14:2, Dan. 9:27, Rev. 11 and 12). But there is no prophecy that says he won’t invade and take over the rest of Israel before then.
Now, how is that possible? How could he control all of Israel and not Jerusalem or the Temple Mount? Well, the answer to that question is because God won’t let him, and God sends some spiritual heavy-weights to keep the Antichrist and Satan in check until the appointed time.
Two Powerful Witnesses
The eleventh chapter of the book of Revelation tells us that God is going to send two witnesses to Jerusalem and the Temple Mount during the Tribulation period. One of these witnesses is Elijah (Malachi 4:5, Matthew 17:11). The other one the Bible doesn’t name but is believed to be either Enoch or Moses. I lean toward it being Enoch.
But we find in Rev. 11 that the purpose of these two witnesses is to prophesy and testify to the world about God. But I also believe they are there to see that the Third Temple is built. I believe this because the Lord Jesus says in And then in Revelation 11, which talks about the two witnesses we see John measuring the Temple that will be built during the Tribulation period. So, I think these verses point to the fact that Elijah and the other witness will be restoring the ancient sacrifices and offerings of Israel by seeing to the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple.
So, one of the reasons that the Antichrist will not be able to take over Jerusalem and the Temple Mount is because these two witnesses from God are there to see to it that the Third Temple is built. Revelation 11 tells us that these two witnesses have the power to devour their enemies with fire from the mouths. They can shut up heaven so it won’t rain, they can turn water into blood and strike the earth with plagues whenever they want. The Antichrist wouldn’t stand a chance against these two unless God allowed him to have access to them. And that happens at the midpoint of the Tribulation, not before then.
Archangel Michael
And another reason that the Antichrist won’t be able to take over Jerusalem until the halfway point is because the Archangel Michael, who is the defender of the Jewish nation won’t step aside and let him attack until that midway point. This is found in Revelation 12 and a reference to it in Daniel 12, which we will study in a few weeks.
So, I believe that according to Daniel 11 and Ezekiel 30, the Antichrist will be able to invade and take control of most of Israel sometime within the first half of the Tribulation period. But because of the two witnesses and the angel Michael he won’t be able to touch Jerusalem or the Temple Mount until the first 42 months are over.
Okay, so during the first 42 months of the Tribulation we see the Antichrist rise to power in the country of Iraq. The Battle of Gog and Magog and the destruction of the city of Damascus will occur. The Antichrist will be forced to sign a peace treaty with the nation of Israel which he has no intention of keeping. He will then turn his attention to gaining wealth and power by invading the oil-rich countries of the Middle East and setting up his base of power in Babylon. When he gains control of these wealthy countries he will greatly reward those who follow and support him. He will also gain control of most of the world’s economies. Growing in strength and power with each country he gains control of, the only things he won’t be able to conquer is the country of Jordan and for the first 42 months the city of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount.
We are going to stop there this morning. We have almost made it all the way through the eleventh chapter of Daniel. I hope we will be able to finish it next week and then all we have left is chapter 12.
Sermon Sources:
The Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible, King James Version. Edited by Spiros Zodhiates, Th.D. AMG Publishers. Chattanooga, TN. Copyright 1991.
The Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible, New International Version. Edited by Spiros Zodhiates, Th.D. AMG Publishers. Chattanooga, TN. Copyright 1996.
The Holy Bible. English Standard Version. Wheaton, IL. Crossway Bibles. Copyright 2002.
Larkin, Rev. Clarence. The Book of Daniel. Clarence Larkin Estate, Glenside, PA. Copyright 1929.
Stone, Dr. Perry. The Antichrist Fact File. Two-hour VHS teaching. Copyright 2003. www.perrystone.org.
Stone, Dr. Perry. Israel and the Battle of Gog and Magog. Two-hour VHS teaching. Copyright 2007. www.perrystone.org.
Stone, Dr. Perry. Daniel:Unlocking the Secrets of the Scroll. Two-hour VHS teaching. Copyright 2007. www.perrystone.org.
Stone, Dr. Perry. Unleashing the Beast. Book. Cleveland, TN. Pathway Press and the Voice of Evangelism. Copyright 2003.
Strong, James. Abingdon’s Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible with the Exclusive Key-Word Comparison. Nashville, TN. Copyright 1980.
