INTRODUCTION
In 1968, a new comedy television show made its debut. It was “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In.” In 1993, they presented a 25-year anniversary of the show, showing clips from some of the early episodes. One of the regular features was called “News from the Future,” in which two futuristic news anchormen acted as though they were reporting news from decades in the future. It was meant as a spoof and they tried to be as funny and as outlandish as possible. However, there were two things they “predicted” with humor that actually came true! They forecast in 1968 that actor Ronald Reagan had been elected president of the U.S. And in another segment they reported the Berlin Wall had fallen. Even in their attempt at humor, these two predictions have come true. Even false prophets are right some of the time. Someone said, “A broken clock is right twice a day.” But God’s prophets are correct 100% of the time, as we shall see in Daniel 11.
Daniel chapters 10-12 make up one final climactic prophecy. It actually is a clarification and a simplification of the earlier visions Daniel received. In chapter 7 Daniel had a dream of four animals, each representing a kingdom. In chapter 11, there are no statues or animals. The prophecy is shared in a straightforward uncomplicated way. The angel makes it clear he is talking about kings and kingdoms. The eleventh chapter can be divided into two sections.
I. PROPHECY FULFILLED—OUR HISTORY
The first 35 verses of this chapter deal with the world events that would occur during the almost 500 years before Jesus was born. For Daniel, writing in 530 B.C. it was prophecy but for us, today, it is history. Let’s scan the high points of this chapter:
1. (2-4) The Persian/Greek Wars
Daniel 11:2-4: “Now then, I tell you the truth: Three more kings will appear in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. When he has gained power by his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece. Then a mighty king will appear [Alexander the Great], who will rule with great power and do as he pleases. After he has appeared his empire will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the power he exercised, because his empire will be uprooted and given to others.”
Four more kings would rule Persia after Cyrus, and the fourth would be the richest–this is Xerxes, the great king who married Esther. The “mighty king” who would stand up is Alexander the Great. After his death, there were no heirs to take the throne. He actually had an illegitimate son, a brother, and an infant son by his wife, but all were soon murdered after his death and of course, as you know, his kingdom was divided between his four generals. Two of those four, Ptolemy and Seleucus will continue to be the topic of the next few verses of chapter 11. All this occurred precisely as the angel predicted through Daniel!
2. (5-20) The North vs. South (Egypt / Syria)
This is not talking about our Civil War, in which the North and the South fought each other! But from the perspective of Israel, the kingdom to the North was Syria under the control of Seleucus and his descendents and the Kingdom to the South was Egypt under Ptolemy’s reign and those who followed him. For nearly 300 years these two kingdoms fought against each other and poor Israel was right in the crossfire! When Egypt attacked Syria, they had to go through Israel; when Syria attacked Egypt, they traveled through Israel.
History confirms the accuracy of the predictions Daniel gives about this ongoing conflict. When you study the history books, it almost reads like a modern soap opera. For instance, look at verses 6-7: “After some years they will become allies. The daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North to make an alliance, but she will not retain her power, and he and his power will not last. In those days she will be handed over, together with her royal escort and her father and the one who supported her. One from her family line will arise to take her place. He will attack the forces of the king of the North and enter his fortress; he will fight against them and be victorious.”
History tells us this Egyptian-Syrian alliance took place in 250 B.C. Here’s “the rest of the story.” Ptolemy II offered to give his daughter, Berenice, to Antiochus II, the grandson of Seleucus but her father, Ptolemy II, demanded Antiochus first divorce his current wife, Laodice, which Antiochus did. Of course, this made Laodice angry (hell hath no fury like a woman scorned). However, after only two years of marriage, Berenice’s father died back in Egypt, so Antiochus quickly remarried Laodice, and declared Berenice a concubine. However, Laodice was carrying a mighty grudge toward her husband, because he ditched her for the younger Berenice. Soon after their remarriage, Laodice poisoned Antiochus and then killed Berenice, her child, and her entourage. Meanwhile, back in Egypt, Berenice’s brother became the new king and when he heard of his sister’s murder, he invaded Syria, killed Laodice, and beat up on Syria. (I told you it sounds like a soap opera!) But all this happened exactly as Daniel prophesied.
The soap opera continues, because sixty years later, the King of Syria tried the same thing. In 193 B.C., Antiochus III gave his daughter, Cleopatra, to the Egyptian king, Ptolemy V. This was the first Egyptian queen named Cleopatra. The famous Cleopatra who consorted with Mark Anthony and Julius Caesar was a descendent, and was actually Cleopatra VII. But when the first Cleopatra got to Egypt, instead of influencing her husband toward Syria, she fell in true love with her husband and became a supporter of Egypt. Look at verse 17 to see how Daniel predicted this: “He (king of the North) will determine to come with the might of his entire kingdom and will make an alliance with the king of the South. And will give him a daughter in marriage in order to overthrow the kingdom, but his plans will not succeed or help him.” Wow! Isn’t Bible prophecy exciting when we can see it exactly fulfilled in history?
3. (21-35) The Wicked King (Antiochus IV)
The third part of this historical section is about our old friend Antiochus Epiphanes; we met him in as the “little horn” in Daniel 8. He is a forerunner, a type of the future Antichrist. He was king of the North, Syria, and continued to fight against Egypt. Look at verse 29 to see an interesting prediction fulfilled. “At the appointed time he will invade the South again, but this time the outcome will be different from what it was before. Ships of the western coastlands [Rome] will oppose him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back and vent his fury against the holy covenant. He will return to those who forsake the holy covenant. His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation.”
Once again, history confirms the accuracy of this prophecy. In 170 B.C., Antiochus led his mighty army against Alexandria, Egypt. The King of Egypt, knowing he was outnumbered, appealed to Rome for assistance. The Roman Commander Popilius arrived in Alexandria by ship before Antiochus and his army met Antiochus four miles outside the city. Popilius showed Antiochus a letter from the Roman Senate commanding him to return to Syria. Arrogant Antiochus read it with disgust and asked for time to consider the demand. Popilius took his sword and drew a circle in the sand around Antiochus, and told him to make up his mind before he left that circle. Humiliated, Antiochus turned and left with his army but on the way back, he took out his anger and rage on Jerusalem. He killed 80,000 Jews and set up an idol of Zeus in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. He had a pig killed on the altar and sprinkled its blood around the Temple; this was the first abomination that causes desolation. It was such a horrific, abominable act that the faithful Jewish priests deserted the Temple; it was left desolate.
But beginning with verse 36, the entire scope of the prophecy changes. Everything in verses 1-35 covers what would be history for us. However, beginning in verse 36, we arrive at a section that is not history. It covers a time and events that haven’t occurred yet. There are two main reasons we know this change occurs. First, and most obviously, all the events predicted in verses 1-35 can be clearly pegged to historical events but the events beginning in verse 36 don’t coincide with any historical events. Second, there is a break in the Hebrew text. Verses 1-35 are a unit, but there is a break between verses 35 and 36. Look at the following time line to see how this chapter divides at verse 35.
HISTORY PROPHECY
Daniel 530 B.C.
Today
2000 A.D.
11:2-35 11:36-12:13
Daniel’s 69
“sevens” (See Daniel 9:25ff) Daniel’s
70th “seven”
We believe starting in verse 36, this section is talking about the end of the world–future for us. Bible scholars have held this view for many centuries. For instance, 1,600 years ago, the Bible scholar Jerome, who translated the Vulgate, wrote: “Those of our persuasion believe all these things are spoken prophetically of the Antichrist who is to arise in the end time.” (Jerome, Romans, p. 129).
II. PROPHECY PREDICTED—OUR FUTURE
The focus of these verses is the Antichrist. Let’s begin reading in verse 36. “The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the ‘time of wrath’ is completed, for what has been determined must take place. He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all.”
In the beginning of what we call the end times a king, a political ruler will come forth. The million-dollar question is “Who is he?” Daniel called him, “The little horn” in 7:8 and “The prince that shall come” in 9:26. We will call this man the Antichrist. That phrase is one we are very familiar yet is only used four times in scripture. To get an idea of this individual let’s look at these verses: In 1 John 2:18 “Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.” Let’s notice four things the angel tells Daniel about this king:
1. His time (36)
Verse 36 tells us he will be active during “the time of wrath.” Let me review with you what I believe will happen in the future. Right now, we are living in the age of grace: the church age. At any moment, the Lord Jesus could return and take His Bride (the church) home to His Father’s House. We call this the Rapture of the Church. This will take place in a twinkling of an eye–less than a nanosecond. One moment we are here, the next second, we are gone–to meet the Lord in the air and as Paul writes in I Thessalonians 4 “and so we will be with the Lord forever.” Wow! I get excited just thinking about it!
But what about those who are left behind? Many of you have read the books by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins that make up the Left Behind series; those are good books, but I still like this one (the Bible) better. After the rapture of the church, there will be a seven-year period of terrible tribulation on the earth, that’s Daniel’s 70th “seven year period.” This time of tribulation is what Gabriel is referring to in verse 36 as “the time of wrath.” That’s when the Antichrist will distinguish himself as a world leader.
Jesus refers to this time in Luke 21, Mark 13, and Matthew 24. “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ [that can’t refer to Antiochus because that happened 200 years before Jesus spoke these words] spoken of through the prophet Daniel–let the reader understand–For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now–and never to be equaled again.”
Jesus says the Antichrist will be active during this time of great distress. Obviously, this is a reference to some future cataclysmic event–exactly what the Apostle John describes in Revelation chapters 6-18.
By the way, I can’t pass Matthew 24 without saying something very important about the book of Daniel and about the entire Bible. Most liberal scholars say Daniel did not write this book. If you go to the public library and find a commentary on Daniel, the writer is probably going to say Daniel couldn’t have written this book, because it contains so many historical details unknown in 530 B.C., so they conclude this book was written 400 years later by someone else and they just put Daniel’s name on it. Well, excuse me, but Jesus himself affirmed Daniel wrote this book! Liberal theologians often approach the Bible with an anti-supernatural bias. In other words, if there is something miraculous, it has to be explained away by natural or historical causes. So when they read Daniel 11, they say “No way” could anyone predict the future that precisely, so they say it had to be written after these events occurred.
On the other hand, I have no problem in believing in the miracles of the Bible and Bible prophecy is just one of the miracles in this Book. To those liberal skeptics I would say, “Excuse me, but Jesus called Daniel a prophet; was Jesus mistaken?” And sadly, most liberal theologians would say, “Yes, Jesus was mistaken.” Sorry folks, but I know college kids and adults are often exposed to liberal theology and I want you to know when the choice is between what Jesus says or some Dr. Sounding Brass or Professor Tinkling Cymbal says, I’ll take Jesus any day!
2. His temperament (37-39)
Attempts to identify the Antichrist prior to the Rapture are futile. 20th Century suggestions alone have included: Kaiser Wilhelm, Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin, Khrushchev, Gorbachev, Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Henry Kissinger, and Sadaam Hussein. In reality, I believe the Antichrist will be someone far superior to all of these. He will be the greatest military, social, economic and political genius who ever lived! We don’t know who he is, but we can learn what he will be like.
It is clear he will be a charismatic, ambitious, egotistical, arrogant politician–that really narrows it down, doesn’t it? Verse 37 says, “He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers.” That means he will reject his spiritual heritage, whether it is Jewish, Christian, or Muslim. He will be an atheist who worships another kind of god: power, money, and military might. Look at verse 38-40. “Instead of them, he will honor a god of fortresses; a god unknown to his fathers, he will honor with gold, silver, with precious tones and costly gifts. He will attack the mightiest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him. He will make them rulers over many people and will distribute the land for a price. At the time of the end the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood.”
Although, at first, this ruler will seem to be a man of peace, he is really a vicious, cruel warrior. He won’t recognize the God of heaven. Instead, he will bow down before the altars of secularism, humanism, and materialism. He will be wealthy and powerful in all the ways the world thinks is important. What will be his “abomination that causes desolation?” Instead of sacrificing a pig, as Antiochus did, he will just set himself up to be worshiped.
Here’s what the Apostle Paul writes about the Antichrist in II Thessalonians 2:4. You will see it coincides exactly with what Daniel is told. “He will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” The essence of sin is not atheism; it is self-worship. An atheist who says he doesn’t believe in God has actually exalted his own intellect and mind to replace God. When someone tells you they don’t believe in a god or worship God, don’t you believe it: What they really mean is they don’t worship the God of the Bible, the Living God of Israel. Instead, they bow down at the altar of their “mighty” brain’s conclusion about God.
Basically, he man is a man of violence, a man of war and will be responsible for a renewal of war between the North and the South in the Middle East.
Ray Stedman comments, “You have heard about Armageddon, and here is the record of a great part of it. We learn that it begins with an attack against Syria from Egypt, the king of the south attacking the king of the north. Their ancient enmity is restored and Israel once again becomes a convenient battlefield for them. Undoubtedly this attack occurs because Syria has made a covenant with the Jews, and this angers the Egyptians. Because Syria has made a covenant with the Jews to allow the restoration of Jewish worship in the temple at Jerusalem, the Egyptians attack. But the king of the north shall strike back, and shall ‘rush upon like a whirlwind, with chariots and horseman, and with many ships.’” Many Bible scholars feel this suggests strongly that he has at his disposal far greater forces than would be possible for the small country of Syria. They link with Syria the power of Soviet Russia. As you know, Russia has a very strong hand in that area at this present time and is backing Syria in rearming against the Jews.
3. His territory (40-44)
Look at the last part of verse 39, it says, “…He will make them rulers over many people and will distribute the land for a price.” Would you agree that one of the hottest political and religious issues we face in our world today is how the territory of Israel will be distributed? The Israelis and the Syrians are meeting about that at this very moment. Yasser Arafat declared a free Palestinian State will be declared this September. The only thing they haven’t worked out is how the land will be distributed. Apparently, the Antichrist will be the one who finally settles this issue—for a price. What does that mean? President Clinton very much wants Syria to come to the negotiating table to talk about the distribution of land in the Golan Heights–the Syrians know this. So a month ago, when the talks broke down, Syria requested an aid package from the U.S. of $75 million (our tax dollars). Can you say, “Bribe?” All I’m saying is the solution of the “land issue” is going to involve money—and lots of it. But don’t be surprised; that’s what God said would happen 2,600 years ago.
Look at verse 41: “He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab, and the leaders of Ammon [modern Jordan] will be delivered from his hand. He will extend his power over many countries; Egypt will not escape. He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Nubians [Sudan] in submission.” Skip down to verse 45. “He will pitch his royal tents between the seas [the Mediterranean and the Dead Seas] at the beautiful holy mountain [Jerusalem]. Yet, he will come to his end, and no one will help him.”
The main thing I want you to see is his territory will be the Middle East. Are you surprised? You shouldn’t be; that’s where the greatest political, economic, and religious conflicts are happening today. The angel predicts the Antichrist will invade Egypt and claim the gold and silver of that country. Although Egypt seems to be a country of great poverty, the value of their antiquities–gold, silver, and jewels–is said to be worth many times more than the all the gold the U.S. has EVER stored at Fort Knox.
When you consider the value of oil in the Middle East and the turmoil already fermenting, it is easy to see why this will be the territory of the Antichrist’s conquest. He will ultimately set up his throne in Jerusalem. (“on the holy mountain”) According to Daniel 9, his coup de grâce will be a peace treaty he affirms, no doubt some kind of peace treaty between Israel and her Arab neighbors. In order to maintain this “peace” he will set up a residence in Jerusalem.
There is no doubt in my mind Jerusalem is the center of the world. I’ve walked in London, Paris, and even the Financial District of Manhattan, all of which lay claim to the “center of the world.” But, Jerusalem beats them all. It is and always will be “the city of God.” You can almost hear the heartbeat of God in that city. There is vibrancy and a mood permeating the city. Every time I’m there, I can almost feel the tension in the air but it’s not a scary tension. It’s like when I played sports, and it was the night of a big game; there was an excited sense of anticipation.
By the way, for centuries, Jerusalem lay in ruins and was little more than just an obscure village. In the 15th Century it was a small Turkish village with another name with less than 15,000 people living there. Since 1967, Jerusalem has exploded with growth and almost a million people live there now.
A few days ago, as I sat in the Garden of Gethsemane and looked across at the Golden Gate of the Temple Mount, the Eastern Gate through which Jesus will walk after He has won the Battle of Armageddon, I got chill bumps just thinking “this is where it’s going to happen.” Most people who visit Jerusalem with me also express there is a sense in the air that “something big is going to happen here.” And I believe it could be soon. I’m not a date-setter, you know, but every time I go to Jerusalem, I learn more about the progress on the third Jewish temple. We can all see our world is moving toward some kind of one world economic and political order. The stage is being set, just as God predicted hundreds of years ago.
Don’t get upset or let your heart be frightened about these future events. Relax. God is in control!
4. His termination (45)
Dr. Wallace Emerson writes: “Today, there are a lot of people who have high hopes for a New World Order. They are working hard to organize the United Nations into a world government that can impose its will on every nation. They have chartered an international criminal court to try national leaders and others who do not cooperate. They have founded command and control centers for an international army to support the one world government, and they are looking for a great leader who can pull off all this together. They will find one, but his world government will eventually come crashing down. The phrase in Daniel 11:45, ‘he will come to his end, and one will help him’ dismisses Antichrist without fanfare and almost with the wave of God’s hand. He is not even given a lengthy obituary in God’s Word.” (Unlocking the Mysteries of Daniel, p. 191)
During the seven years of the Tribulation, the Antichrist will be the lead dog in the pack. No doubt, he will be Time Magazine’s Man of the Year. He will probably receive the Nobel Peace Prize. During the last 3-½ years of his reign, his true demonic nature will come out. Revelation 16:16 tells us he will gather the nations of the world together to make war against Israel at a place called “the hill of Megiddo.” That’s what Armageddon is. This arrogant monster will finally be defeated and as Daniel writes, “There will be no one to help him.” It’s true “if God be for us, who can be against us?” Antichrist will learn the opposite is also true: “If God be against you, who can be for you?”
In Revelation 19, we are told Jesus returns to planet Earth at the Battle of Armageddon. His army of saints and angels will be right behind Him but we won’t even need a weapon, because we are told a sharp two-edged sword comes out of the mouth of Jesus and the Antichrist and his armies are defeated. That means one word from the lips of Jesus will defeat the devil and his wicked king. One word will be all it takes! This is how Martin Luther described it when he wrote that majestic hymn “The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him; his rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure, one little word shall fell him.” (“A Mighty Fortress is Our God,” Martin Luther, 1483-1546)
Listen to how John describes this devastating defeat of this demonic demagogue in Revelation 19:20: “But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.” Talk about a victory in Jesus!!!
APPLICATION
Daniel 11 is an amazing chapter. The first 35 verses were future for Daniel, but they are history for us. The last 10 verses were future for Daniel and they are still future for us! What does this all mean for you? How can you apply all this to your life today?”
Most of you are familiar with the tragic religious group in Africa that committed mass suicide early this year. Their leader predicted the world would end at the beginning of the year 2000. When it didn’t, they committed suicide. Over 1,000 bodies have been recovered. How sad! How tragic! In light of the end of the world how should we react? Let me make several practical applications:
(1) All this talk about the end of the world should never discourage you or cause you to be depressed. It should give you more and more confidence in God. He is in control; everything is happening according to His plan. Remember, one word God never utters is “oops.” He never makes a mistake. History is His story. How should we react to when we see prophecy being fulfilled in our lifetime? Look at what Jesus said in Luke 21:28, “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” That means that we are to get excited –to rejoice–to lift up our heads and to shout for joy, because Jesus is coming and our full redemption is getting closer and closer!
In light of the fact Jesus is coming, we shouldn’t put on a white robe and climb the nearest hill to wait. We shouldn’t dig bomb shelters and stockpile supplies. We should rejoice and get exceedingly glad, because our redemption is getting closer.
(2) In light of Daniel 11, you should have more and more confidence in the Bible as the infallible, inspired Word of God. In the first 35 verses there are 135 specific details predicted about what will take place over the next 400 years after Daniel’s vision. As we have already noted, history has confirmed the accuracy of these predictions. If the predictions about the past have come true, then we can have confidence to believe what God says will happen in our future is secure. This is just another proof that the Bible is a divinely inspired book. Jesus said, “heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (Mark 13:31)
There is an African legend about a man walking through a strange valley one dark night. He hears a voice that says, “Pick up some pebbles and put them in your pocket, tomorrow you will be both sad and glad.” The man did so and the next morning, he discovered that they were diamonds! He was glad he had picked up some but sad that he hadn’t picked up more. And that’s the way it is with the Bible. The riches of God’s Word are there for your taking, but you must read and study it.
(3) There is one more verse you need to know as we move toward the fulfillment of God’s prophetic plan. Hebrews 10:25 says, “Let us not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” That means, as we get closer and closer to the Day of the Lord, we must be more and more faithful to gather together and encourage one another.
I don’t know when Jesus will return to set all this in motion, but I do know we are one week closer to it than we were a week ago. This is not a time for us to play church: We must get serious. When I became a man, I put away childish things. What I’m talking about today is eternal truth. There is a lost world out there without Jesus and we must encourage the Believers and evangelize the Lost! Do you believe the Word of God is true? Then we must know God is in control. We must realize Jesus is coming soon and until He does, we must share this good news with everyone around us.
A couple of weeks ago I had the chance to speak to an intelligent, lovely young lady who lives here in East Texas. She was born and raised in Iran. She was raised a strict Muslim woman. When she was a child, someone gave her a cross necklace as a gift. She didn’t even know what a cross was or what it stood for. She was intrigued and fascinated by the symbol. Realizing she would get in a lot of trouble if anyone knew she had the cross, she hid it underneath her clothing. As a teen, she visited Germany and saw a building with a spire that had that symbol on it. She immediately went into the church in inquire about the meaning of the cross. This began a long journey of struggle and learning for her. That’s where she first heard the message that Jesus died on a cross for our sins.
She is now a nurse at one of our local hospitals and has been attending our church for several months. The other day in our conversation, she told me she was ready to accept Jesus as her Lord and Savior. With tears streaming down her face, she told me she believed Jesus is the Son of God and God raised Jesus from the dead. A week ago, she was baptized in our church, confessing that Jesus is her Lord! Now, she doesn’t have to hide the cross anymore.
What about you? Are you ready to meet Jesus–either by death, or when He comes to rapture His church? If you would like to receive Christ as your Lord and Savior, please contact us on our web site www.gabc.org and there is someone who will share information with you about how you can become a Christian.
