STUDY OF DANIEL
CHAPTER XI—PART B
Last lesson, we left off where Rome was coming on the scene as a world power. In (Daniel 11:16), “And none shall stand before him”. No one could stand in the way of Pompey, who made Jerusalem a province of Rome in 63 B.C. Then in 70 A.D., Jerusalem was destroyed by the hand of Titus.
Rome had now become “The King of the North”. Verses 17-19 are generally applied to Julius Caesar, and ending with his assassination. (Daniel 11:17), “He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom”. “He”, being Rome led by Julius Caesar. Julius Caesar set his face to enter the whole of Alexander’s Kingdom. Alexandria and all of Egypt submitted to Rome by 47B.C.
Cleopatra remained ruler until 30 B.C., and it was at that time that Egypt was made a province of Rome. Verse 17, “And he shall give him the daughter of women”. Caesar gained Cleopatra and had one son with her. “She shall not stand on his side”. Cleopatra, afterward, joined herself to Antony, the enemy of Augustus Caesar, and exerted her whole power against Rome.
Then came Caesar Augustus, who at the time of Christ’s birth, decreed that “all the world should be taken”. (verse 20)
Here, the prophecy shifts over to Papal referring to the papacy setting itself up against Christ, corresponding to “To magnified himself even to the Prince of the Host”.
Also in we see a reference to the civil war between Octavian Augustus as King of the North, in conflict with Mark Antony and Cleopatra of Egypt, King of the South, in 31 B.C.
Verse 22, “And with the arms of a flood shall they be over flown from before him, and shall be broken; yes also the Prince of Covenant”.
After leading 7 successful military campaigns, Tiberius Caesar was killed in 37 A.D., and Jesus was crucified in 31 A.D., in the year of Tiberius’ reign. This confirms the 70 week prophecy of Daniel 9. “And in His estate shall stand up a vile person”.
All these events lead up to the verses that provide insight on the Reign of Antiochus IV Epiphanes. Antiochus IV Epiphanes is referred to as “A vile person”. In 8:9-14, he is referred to as the “little horn”, and ruled from 175-164 B.C.
covers the time from Darius the Mede (Chapter 6) until Antiochus IV Epiphanes. The second part, 11:36 to covers the last Gentile ruler, who is in power at the return of the Messiah.
The period of time between the Antiochus IV and the rise of the last ruler is detailed in (Daniel 11:33:35). Antiochus is merely a picture of a future and greater desolater who is coming in the end emerges with the last Gentile king to the coming of the Messiah, who is the stone which crushes the feet of the composite man in Daniel 2. In we get a comparison made between the “little horn” (Antiochus IV Epiphanes) in Daniel 7 and the antichrist as he appears in Revelation 13, during the seven years of tribulation.
It is important to stress that unlike all antichrists who deny that Jesus is the Christ, and deny the Father and the Son, it is these two antichrists who also remove the sacrifices, and receive the praise of men as opposed to God.
In the time pendulum leaps forward from the days of Antiochus Epiphanes by more than two millennia to the future events during the seven years of tribulation. This king, the antichrist, will have such control over all human activities that he will set himself as God. In we see the antichrist will:
* Do what he wills.
* Exalt and magnify himself above every God.
* He will blaspheme God.
* He will prosper till the wrath has been accomplished for what has been determined shall be done.
* He will not regard the God of his fathers or the desire of women.
* He will not regard any God.
* He will exalt himself above every God.
The antichrist will set himself up as God, and cause all throughout the world to worship his image and
The antichrist will be very powerful. In fact, he will draw his power from satan and direct people to worship satan. (Daniel 11:39-43), also shows that the antichrist will be very powerful with the military forces he will have at his disposal.
Daniel 11, draws a contrast between two groups of people; those who know God and understand, and the wicked who act against God.
In “Then the king shall do according to his own will.” The king here is the future king at the end of time. He is the last king of the Gentile powers, the final king before the return of the Messiah.
This king is ruler of the kingdom pictured as the iron and clay toes in “And in the days of these kings… .”. He is the little horn of Daniel 7, who uproots three of his fellows (Daniel 7:8-11), and is the final earthly kingdom before the Messiah returns. This is Son of Jesus Christ, who destroys this earthly kingdom and establishes the kingdom of God, and judges the little horn.
Another characteristic of this man is hostility to the God of Israel.
“Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God… .”
This period of his prosperity is specifically stated as a period of 42 months, 1260 days, or 3 1/2 years. He will persecute and prosper until the period established by God runs its course. This period of time can be found in both Daniel and Revelation. Daniel’s 70 weeks is divided into two 3 1/2 year periods. (times and times and half a time).
God has a determined period; Gabriel informed Daniel, “Seventy sevens” or 490 years were determined on his people and his city. At the conclusion of the last half, of the last seven, the wrath will be complete. to deals with the last seven years of the seventy weeks.
This antichrist will overwhelm the nations with his power, and rather than be destroyed, nations will submit to his power. He will be an ally of Israel at the beginning. He will allow the temple to be rebuilt and sacrifices to resume. This changes, however, 3 1/2 years later, and at that point (midway through the tribulation), he proclaims his deity to the world and demands worship. Israel refuses, and he then attacks his former ally. The antichrist attacks Jerusalem and all of Israel, putting an end to sacrifice and setting up an image in the temple. This period is covered in Three nations to the East of Israel, are noted for escaping the hand of the antichrist. The nations of Moab, Edom and Ammon (namely Jordan) are saved.
In We see the final battles taking place.
The Euphrates River is dried up for the armies of East to assembly. China as well as the rest of Asia, will not just sit idle as the antichrist sets about controlling the world. According to 9:13-21, 1/3 of mankind dies. describes the battle of Armageddon. Finally in the antichrist will meet his end at the return of the Messiah, the one like the Son of Man.
“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.”