Daniel 11:21-35
“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. And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant.” (Daniel 11:21-22)
As we saw in the previous post, repeated efforts by the southern kingdom to take over the northern kingdom will lead to the northern kingdom attacking and occupying the territory in a “peace keeping“ move. The northern kingdom will then turn and try to occupy some islands and be stopped by another world power. They will be forced to return home where the entire coalition collapses and is replaced by a raiser of taxes.
My guess is that the king of the north refers to some group like NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which has conducted many such “peace keeping” operations. That does not mean that it will be NATO, but only that it is a group with similar intentions. When their efforts are stymied, leading to their collapse, an economic union similat to the European Economic Union or the United Nations, the “raiser of taxes”, takes power for a brief time.
According to these verses, that organization will then be taken over by an evil person who uses deceptive means to gain power even though people would not normally place him such a position. His accession to power will be like an unstoppable flood, sweeping everything before him. Revelation 6 describes him as a fake Messiah riding a white horse during this period, promising peace and prosperity to everyone.
“And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people. He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time.” (Daniel 11:23-24)
In both Daniel 7 and 8 we read about a little horn that destroys three other kingdoms. Here this ruler is described as having only a relatively small people behind him who breaks his treaty once he is in power, peaceably gaining entrance into the richest parts of the empire, using government support programs and policies to gain control while maintaining a strong threat of military action against any opposition.
Daniel 2, 7, and 8 make it clear that the little horn will come from remains of the old Roman and Greek empires. Ezekiel 38 narrows his source down to the area of northern Europe including southern Russia and Hungary. That the verse here describes him as leading a small people implies that he comes from one of the smaller countries in the region, and probably not from Russia itself.
“And 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 forecast devices against him. Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain.” (Daniel 11:25-26)
Though the southern empire had been conquered by his predecessors, this ruler decides to again attack them, and the southern kingdom assembles a great force to repel them. The southern kingdom will be defeated as a result of betrayal by some of the southern forces as a result of negotiations with the north. There will be great losses and the once again the defeat will be unstoppable. This is the period described by the red horse of Revelation 6.
“And both these kings' hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed. Then shall he return into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do exploits, and return to his own land.” (Daniel 11:27-28)
While a treaty will be signed, neither will have any intention of keeping it. It just provides a brief respite from the fighting, a lull before God’s judgment begins. There is a brief period of prosperity, but the northern king will become very resentful of the covenant between God and Israel and the blessings they incur as a result, much like what happened in Germany just before World War II.
“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)
Angered by their failure to keep treaty, the northern kingdom will launch an unsuccessful attack on the southern kingdom. They will blame the traditional Jews for their failure and begin to negotiate with the non traditional Jews.
“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. And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.
And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries. And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.” (Daniel 11:31-35)
There will be a concerted effort to destroy the traditional Jewish faith in God. They will deliberately make a mockery of the sacrifices using military and police forces to prevent believers from interfering and rewarding those who give up their religion. Teachers and religious leaders who stand up for the traditional beliefs, and their followers will be killed, although there will be small efforts to protect them. There will be a lot of pressure for them to just give in and some will, as a test to separate out those who are only following tradition and don’t really believe.
According to Revelation 12:13-17 this is actually a Satanic effort to destroy faith in god using human forces. “And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
Angered by their failure to destroy the Jewish faith, their attention will be turned to those whose faith is based on the old Jewish faith, the Christians. Every effort will be made to destroy them. Again we have what happened in Nazi Germany as an example, when Christians were killed for suspicion of supporting the Jews..
Revelation 6:9-11 gives only a little detail. “And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.”
“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. And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant.” (Daniel 11:21-22)
As we saw in the previous post, repeated efforts by the southern kingdom to take over the northern kingdom will lead to the northern kingdom attacking and occupying the territory in a “peace keeping“ move. The northern kingdom will then turn and try to occupy some islands and be stopped by another world power. They will be forced to return home where the entire coalition collapses and is replaced by a raiser of taxes.
My guess is that the king of the north refers to some group like NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which has conducted many such “peace keeping” operations. That does not mean that it will be NATO, but only that it is a group with similar intentions. When their efforts are stymied, leading to their collapse, an economic union similat to the European Economic Union or the United Nations, the “raiser of taxes”, takes power for a brief time.
According to these verses, that organization will then be taken over by an evil person who uses deceptive means to gain power even though people would not normally place him such a position. His accession to power will be like an unstoppable flood, sweeping everything before him. Revelation 6 describes him as a fake Messiah riding a white horse during this period, promising peace and prosperity to everyone.
“And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people. He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time.” (Daniel 11:23-24)
In both Daniel 7 and 8 we read about a little horn that destroys three other kingdoms. Here this ruler is described as having only a relatively small people behind him who breaks his treaty once he is in power, peaceably gaining entrance into the richest parts of the empire, using government support programs and policies to gain control while maintaining a strong threat of military action against any opposition.
Daniel 2, 7, and 8 make it clear that the little horn will come from remains of the old Roman and Greek empires. Ezekiel 38 narrows his source down to the area of northern Europe including southern Russia and Hungary. That the verse here describes him as leading a small people implies that he comes from one of the smaller countries in the region, and probably not from Russia itself.
“And 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 forecast devices against him. Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain.” (Daniel 11:25-26)
Though the southern empire had been conquered by his predecessors, this ruler decides to again attack them, and the southern kingdom assembles a great force to repel them. The southern kingdom will be defeated as a result of betrayal by some of the southern forces as a result of negotiations with the north. There will be great losses and the once again the defeat will be unstoppable. This is the period described by the red horse of Revelation 6.
“And both these kings' hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed. Then shall he return into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do exploits, and return to his own land.” (Daniel 11:27-28)
While a treaty will be signed, neither will have any intention of keeping it. It just provides a brief respite from the fighting, a lull before God’s judgment begins. There is a brief period of prosperity, but the northern king will become very resentful of the covenant between God and Israel and the blessings they incur as a result, much like what happened in Germany just before World War II.
“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)
Angered by their failure to keep treaty, the northern kingdom will launch an unsuccessful attack on the southern kingdom. They will blame the traditional Jews for their failure and begin to negotiate with the non traditional Jews.
“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. And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.
And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries. And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.” (Daniel 11:31-35)
There will be a concerted effort to destroy the traditional Jewish faith in God. They will deliberately make a mockery of the sacrifices using military and police forces to prevent believers from interfering and rewarding those who give up their religion. Teachers and religious leaders who stand up for the traditional beliefs, and their followers will be killed, although there will be small efforts to protect them. There will be a lot of pressure for them to just give in and some will, as a test to separate out those who are only following tradition and don’t really believe.
According to Revelation 12:13-17 this is actually a Satanic effort to destroy faith in god using human forces. “And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
Angered by their failure to destroy the Jewish faith, their attention will be turned to those whose faith is based on the old Jewish faith, the Christians. Every effort will be made to destroy them. Again we have what happened in Nazi Germany as an example, when Christians were killed for suspicion of supporting the Jews..
Revelation 6:9-11 gives only a little detail. “And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.”
Fascinating post, Donald. There are now so many rumors of wars and unusual alliances forming (mostly against Israel) that it seems like the second coming must be very near. May we look up and be ready!
ReplyDeleteGod bless,
Laurie
It has been a fascinating study. So many things are coming together that I think it could happen at any time, but As Jesus said it is not for us to know, just to be ready when it happens.
ReplyDelete