At this stage in Daniel's life he is in his mid 90's and he is still just as curious as when he was young. There were things in the previous prophecies that confused him and he did not understand. For Daniel that was like a smudge on the window to someone who likes things spotless. He just had to know what the prophecies meant that he had been told to write down.
I would imagine there were times in the past that a prophet would write what God had inspired him to write and he would have no idea why he wrote what he did, or what it meant; the prophet was just being a scribe for God and writing what he was told to write. Daniel's mind did not work that way though. He evidently felt that if he was going to write something out then he should also be able to understand it completely.
Daniel did not need to know everything and the angel had already told him that the events he was writing down concerned people far in the future; in the time of the end. Daniel did not care though; he wanted to know it all. He felt he knew God and believed that if he persisted in asking God for the answers that he would eventually be able to understand everything. Daniel was a man who was greatly loved by God. Like David, he was a man after God's own heart. Because of the relationship Daniel had with God, he was once again given "special treatment". The angel Gabriel told him, "I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth."
Chapter 11 brings us back to the prophetic stage of world events. The details concerning the beginning and the ending of those world events are so accurate that individual people and events are pointed out as the time for those things to happen is revealed. I am going to go through those small details with you, but I will try to prevent it from being painfully boring.
There are many people who take the writings of Nostradamus and think him to be the greatest of all prophets. What you are about to read just blows the doors off of Nostradamus. To make his prophecies fit the predictions you have to change words, turn things sideways and all but use a sledgehammer to pound them into the event. What I have shown you so far is grade school stuff compared to what you are about to read. You are going to have to be a little patient, but if I can understand this stuff then I know anybody can.
When it comes to prophetic statements out of the Bible you do not need any chisels, saws, machinery or sledgehammers to make them fit. All you have to do is blow or wipe the dust off of them, which has accumulated over the centuries because of lack of use, and then just slide them into place. What you are about to see will astound you...and it was all written down nearly three thousand years before the last event happens.
From here to the end of the book of Daniel, we will travel down the span of time and I will simply insert the correct character, kingdom, or event in its proper historical place as scripture lays it out for us. When we are through with our journey, you will be able to look back and see how it all fits together...perfectly.
You will notice, as we travel through this chapter of Daniel, how the subjects, or major players of history, will often change from one verse to the next and how the “he” in one text does not necessarily refer to the he who is mentioned in the previous text, or even in the text that is to follow. However, when we are finished with this chapter, you will also notice that the events of prophetic predictions will have been fulfilled to the word, just as history has recorded it.
Once again, God is going to take us through the world kingdoms on down to the end of time but this time he is going to show us everything, in detail, without grinding it out too fine.
The kingdom of Babylon, by this time, has long since passed from the scene, so the description of world powers begins with the Medes and the Persians.
By now the Medo-Persian kingdom is predominately the Persian kingdom; it is the leading power in the last days before Greece enters the scene.
In Daniel 11:2, Gabriel tells Daniel that three more kings would rule Persia after the king currently in power leaves the scene. He says that the last king, the fourth one after the one who is currently in power, would be richer and stronger than the ones who ruled before him.
The fourth king was Xerxes. He invaded Greece with a show of force never equaled. Xerxes was more famous for his wealth than he was for his ability to lead an army. He knew the kingdom of Greece was becoming strong and he could see nothing but trouble if he did not do something to stop it from growing.
It is said that he gathered together 5,283,220 men to go into battle against the Greeks. He then paid the Carthaginians of the west to join him; when he entered the field of battle he had a little over 5 ½ million men. He was going up against the Grecian army who had a force of about 275,000 on their side. Alexander the Great was outnumbered 20 to 1. The number did not matter in the end; the Greeks were victorious.
Daniel 11:2, 3 says, "The fourth (king) shall be far richer than then all (the other three kings); by his strength, through his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece. Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will."
The "mighty king" who arises would be Alexander the Great.
From here on out, I will take things verse by verse and then place the historical character, or event, into the correct place as we go along.
VERSE 4:
“And when he (Alexander) 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.”
That was the case exactly. Anyone from Alexander's family who would have had the opportunity to claim the throne of Greece were destroyed by the four most ruthless generals of Alexander's army. The empire of Greece remained in Grecian hands but was taken over by those four ambitious generals, each getting a part of the kingdom corresponding with a point of the compass; that is important to know because in the remaining verses of this chapter those four divisions will will continue to be refered to by their position according to a compass.
1. Lysimachus had Thrace, which included Asia Minor, the countries on the Hellespont and Bosphorus to the north of Palestine. 2. Ptolemy had Egypt and the neighboring countries to the south. 3. Seleucus had Syria and Babylon in the east. 4. Cassander had Greece and the neighboring countries to the west.
His (Alexander's) kingdom was uprooted, “…even for others besides these.” God’s plan for the progression of world kingdoms would continue just as he said.
VERSE 5:
“Also the King of the South shall become strong, as well as one of his princes; and he shall gain power over him and have dominion. His dominion shall be a great dominion.”
Two kings now come into focus here instead of the original four.
Seleucus, the King of the East, mentioned as "one of his princes" in this verse, eventually took over all of the lands of Lysimachus, the King of the North. Seleucus now becomes the King of the North. Ptolemy, the King of the South, still held onto Egypt and the surrounding countries. Seleucus, the new King of the North, eventually took over the lands of Cassander and in that way came into possession of three fourths of Alexander’s empire and became more powerful than Ptolemy, the King of the South.
VERSE 6:
“And at the end of some years they shall join forces, for the daughter of the King of the South shall go to the King of the North to make an agreement; but she shall not retain the power of her authority, and neither he nor his authority shall stand; but she shall be given up, with those who brought her, and with him who begot her, and with him who strengthened her in those times.”
Conflict between the North and the South was rather frequent and new kings to those two kingdoms eventually ascended to the thrones "at the end of some years." Ptolemy Philadelphus, the second King of the South and Antiochus Theos, the third King of the North, eventually tried to make peace. To do so, Antiochus agreed to divorce his wife Laodice and send her and her two sons away; he would then marry Berenice, the daughter of Ptolemy. Shortly after the marriage Antiochus brought his former wife, Laodice and her children, back into the household again. Laodice was afraid her “favor” would not last very long so she had her husband Antiochus poisoned. She also had her rival Berenice, the attendants who tried to protect her and Bernice’s son, who was fathered by Antiochus, all murdered. So, “…she (Berenice) shall be given up (killed), with those who brought her (her attendants), and him (her son) who begother (literally "whom she begot") and with him who strengthened her during those times.” (her husband Antiochus)
VERSES 7-10:
“But from a branch of her roots one shall arise in his place, who shall come with an army, enter the fortress of the King of the North, and deal with them and prevail. And he shall also carry their gods captive to Egypt, with their molded images and their precious articles of silver and gold; and he shall continue more years than the King of the North. Also the King of the North shall come to the kingdom of the King of the South, but shall return to his own land. However his sons shall stir up strife, and assemble a multitude of great forces; and one shall certainly come and overwhelm and pass through; then he shall return to his fortress and stir up strife.”
Berenice’s brother, Ptolemy Euergetes, avenged his sister’s death by invading the North. He killed Laodice, plundered the city and then left the North and returned to Egypt, taking with him the images of their gods and the riches of the King of the North. The King of the North assembled an army, invaded the South and then retreated back into his own country. His heart was not in the retaliatory raid so he quit before accomplishing anything of note. However, the King of the North had two sons who gathered a great army together and took the battle back to the fortress of the King of the South.
VERSE 11:
“And the King of the South shall be moved with rage, and go out and fight with him, with the King of the North, who shall muster a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into the hand of his enemy.”
Ptolemy Philopater was the King of the South and he did defeat the large army that the North had brought against him.
VERSES 12-13:
“When he has taken away the multitude, his heart will be lifted up; and he will cast down tens of thousands, but he will not prevail. For the King of the North will return and muster a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come at the end of some years with a great army and much equipment.”
There is an interesting story with verse 12. Ptolemy did not have the desire to follow up his victory over the North. Instead, after he had "taken away the multitude", destroyed the invading army, he gave himself up to leisure and his passions. Eventually he went to Jerusalem and offered sacrifices there. He wanted very much to go into the temple and on into The Most Holy Place, but he was stopped by the Jews from doing so because he would have defiled the temple of God.
He was obviously a liberal and just did not understand the big fuss over something as ordinary as a building. Sure, to the Jews it was the temple of God, but to him it was just another building.
He left in anger and began a relentless and bitter persecution of the Jewish people. It is said that he eventually killed 60,000 people. “He will cast down tens of thousands, but he will not prevail.”
The peace between the North and the South lasted for fourteen years until Ptolemy died from excessive over-indulgence and left the Southern kingdom in the hands of his five year old son, Ptolemy Epiphanes.
Antiochus of the North saw this as too good of a chance to pass up. He gathered an army together and set off to dethrone the child king.
Here is where complications enter into the affairs of these two kingdoms. A new power comes onto the scene.
VERSE 14:
“Now in those times many shall rise up against the King of the South. Also, violent men of your people shall exalt themselves in fulfillment of the vision, but they shall fail.”
Antiochus of the North was not the only one plotting against Ptolemy Epiphanes, the child King of the South. Agathocles, the prime minister who was in charge of the young king, was so immoral and egotistical that the provinces subject to the South rebelled; Egypt itself was full of rebellion. The Alexandrians killed Agathocles, his sister, his mother and all of his friends and associates. Philip, king of Macedon entered into a pact with Antiochus of the North to divide the South between them. I would call this sufficient evidence that the prophecy of many rising up against the South can be easily verified.
The “violent men of your people” are introduced in verse 14. On the banks of the Tiber River, a small kingdom had been growing in power and size. It started out small and weak but soon grew to the point where it was able to speak in the affairs of the Earth. We now see the Roman Empire making itself known for the first time and protecting the young King of the South from Antiochus and Philip. The “violent men” succeeded and they made a name for themselves in the affairs of the world and they did "exalt themselves in fulfillment of the vision"; the Roman Empire would eventually take over the world in fulfillment of the vision that had been given.
VERSE 15:
“So the King of the North shall come and build a siege mound, and take a fortified city; and the forces of the South shall not withstand him. Even his choice troops shall have no strength to resist.”
The young King of the South was watched over by the Roman Senate. He was given into the care of M. Emilius Lepidus, who appointed Aristomenes, an old and trusted minister in Egypt, as his guardian. Aristomenes sent Scopas, a famous general, to drive Antiochus of the North out of Egypt. Scopas was defeated and fled to Sidon. Antiochus of the North then besieged Sidon. Three of the greatest generals of Egypt then came to the aid of Scopas and attacked Antiochus with all their best troops, but could not force him to abandon the siege of Sidon. In the end Scopas surrendered. He and his army left the city, stripped and naked, but with their lives. Sidon is the fortified city that was captured, as mentioned in verse 15.
VERSE 16:
“But he who comes against him shall do according to his own will, and no one shall stand against him. He shall stand in the Glorious Land with destruction in his power.”
The “…he who comes against him” is the Roman army and it finally succeeds in moving against and taking over, the kingdom of Antiochus. From this point in history there were no kingdoms that were able to resist the Roman power. It all eventually fell into the hands of the Romans. The “Glorious Land”, or Jerusalem, was also occupied by and subject to, the Roman power. Rome proved it had the power to "stand in the Glorious Land with destruction" when Pompey later destroyed the city and reduced the temple to rubble in order to destroy the followers of Aristobulus who were intent on defending it against the Romans. Bad choice as we will see later.
VERSE 17:
“He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall he do. And he shall give him the daughter of women to destroy it; but she shall not stand with him, or be for him.”
He, the Roman Kingdom, had conquered Macedon and Thrace and was also intent on having Egypt as well. Ptolemy Auletes, the king of Egypt died in 51 B.C. and left his kingdom to his oldest son and daughter, Ptolemy and Cleopatra. It was decided that they would eventually marry and rule the land of Egypt together. Since they were too young to effectively rule Egypt they were placed under the guardianship of the Romans. The people of Rome accepted the responsibility and placed them under the care of Pompey, one of Rome's leading generals.
What would end up being a four year civil war among the military forces had broken out within the Roman government and during that time a battle was fought between the forces of Pompey and those of Julius Caesar, two of Rome's leading generals. Pompey was defeated and escaped into Egypt. Caesar followed him into Egypt but before he arrived Pompey was murdered by Ptolemy, the young Egyptian prince he was guardian to. Because the guardian of Ptolemy and Cleopatra had just been killed it fell upon Caesar to take over the responsibilities of watching over the two.
Caesar landed at Alexandria with a small force of 3,200 foot soldiers and 300 cavalry mounts. He found the land of Egypt in complete turmoil because Ptolemy had refused to allow Cleopatra a voice in the government. Caesar soon found his small force unable to maintain control.
Caesar tried to bluff as best he could by demanding that Ptolemy and Cleopatra disband their armies and do as he commanded. That was considered a great insult to the rulers of Egypt and their armies prepared to destroy Caesar and his small group. Caesar then tried reason on the two by reminding Ptolemy and Cleopatra that they were under the guardianship of the senate and the people of Rome and it was his responsibility to be an arbitrator between the two.
Eventually it all fell apart and Caesar found himself fighting for his life as the forces of Egypt bore down upon him. He could not leave because it was the time of year when the wind was blowing out of the north. Caesar sent a message into Asia ordering all the troops available in that area of the empire to come to his aid. A large fleet came from Asia Minor to his assistance. Mithridates went to Egypt with an army he had gathered from Syria and Cilicia. Antipater the Idumean helped him with 3,000 Jews. Also, the Jews controlled the passes into Egypt and in that way allowed the armies going to Caesar's assistance to pass without being challenged. If it were not for the assistance of the Jews, Caesar would most likely have lost the struggle in Egypt.
As things turned out, a battle was fought near the Nile with Caesar coming out the victor. Ptolemy was drown while trying to escape by crossing the Nile. Alexandria and all of Egypt then submitted to Rome. Unfortunately, during the battles fought over the control of Egypt, the Alexandrian library, along with its 400,000 ancient "books", was destroyed.
"He (Caesar) shall also set his face to enter (Egypt) with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him."
The strength of the entire Roman kingdom was at Caesar's back. The "upright ones", undoubtedly refers to the Jewish assistance of those who came to his help while he was putting down the rebellion in Egypt.
"The daughter of women to destroy it;" Caesar was passionately attracted to Cleopatra, with whom he also had a son. This relationship kept him in Egypt much longer than he should logically have stayed after the battles for Roman control in Egypt had been fought. It is said that he spent entire nights feasting and carousing with the Queen of Egypt. His influence among the Romans at home was being weakened because of his personal life. In spite of the relationship Caesar had with Cleopatra she had no intention of becoming a part of Roman. She was the Queen of Egypt and would not be a vassal to anyone, including the Roman government. "...she shall not stand with him, or be for him."
Although the battles effectively subdued the armies of Egypt, Rome was in possession of all of Alexander the Greats dynasty except for Egypt. Egypt was still ruled by Cleopatra and she was determined to retain its sovereignty.
VERSES 18-19:
“After this he shall turn his face to the coastlands, and shall take many. But a ruler shall bring the reproach against them to an end; and with the reproach removed, he shall turn back on him. Then he shall turn his face toward the fortress of his own land; but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.”
Caesar turned his attention to the areas of Syria and Asia Minor and went to war against Pharnaces, the king of The Cimmerian Bosphorus, also known as the Kerch Straight. The Kerch Straight is a shallow, 25 mile long channel, running between Ukraine and Russia. In doing so Caesar "turned his face to the coastlands" and took over those lands in the Battle of Zela. The Battle of Zela was fought in 47 B.C. between Caesar and Pharnaces II of Pontus. Caesar took over the coastlands with those famous words, “Veni, vidi, vici”, “I came, I saw, I conquered.”
After Caesar had installed Cleopatra as Queen of Egypt and, as far as he was concerned, had brought Egypt under Roman control and after he had subdued the lands of the Mediterranean he then decided to bring an end to the civil war against him that was still smoldering. The beginning of the end of that civil war is what historians call “The African Campaign”. The African Campaign was historically and dramatically marked with the suicide death of Cato, one of Caesar’s bitterest opponents.
The end of verse 18 says “…but a prince for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he shall cause it to turn upon him.” Another, clearer way to interpret the end of that verse would be: “A commander will put an end to his disgrace, even though he won’t repay that disgrace.”
Caesar's victory against the Pompeians of North Africa, Cato being one of them, in the Battle of Thapsusin 46 BC had left Cato with what he believed were only two options; either surrender, with execution for treason as his punishment, or suicide. He chose suicide and in that way he “…put an end to his disgrace…” The down side to that action was that there would be no way to hurt Caesar with it, or to “…repay that disgrace.”
After all this Caesar then returned to Rome, the “fortress of his own land,” where the Roman senate awarded/rewarded him with a ten year dictatorship of the entire Roman Kingdom. However, once back in Rome we are told that he would then “stumble and fall, and not be found.”
Here was a man who had fought and won five hundred battles, captured one thousand cities, killed 1,192,000 men and instead of dying in the confusion and noise of battle, he was assassinated in the senate chambers by those he thought were on his side; in “the fortress of his own land;”.
VERSE 20:
“There shall arise in his place one who imposes taxes on the glorious kingdom; but within a few days he shall be destroyed, but not in anger or in battle.”
Augustus Caesar succeeded his uncle Julius and he was a firm believer in taxation. He must have been a Democrat.
Luke, when he was writing about the life of Jesus said, “And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.” (counted for taxes) – Luke 2:1. Staying true to the word, Augustus died peaceably, in his bed at Nola. He was 76 years old.
VERSES 21-22:
“And in his place shall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue. With the force of a flood they shall be swept away from before him and shall be broken, and also the prince of the covenant.”
Before his death Augustus Caesar was at the place where he needed to nominate a successor to his throne. His wife, Livia, begged him to nominate her son Tiberius (a son by an earlier husband). Augustus told her, “Your son is too vile to wear the purple of Rome.” Also, Tiberius was not of royal blood. He was the perfect candidate to fill the position of "a vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty." However, it appeared that Augustus had other plans. Because of his feelings against Tiberius the nomination was given to Agrippa, who was considered a virtuous and much respected Roman citizen. The prophecy however, said a contemptible or vile person would succeed Augustus, one who is not of the royal family. Agrippa unexpectedly died and Augustus was, once again, faced with having to name a successor. Livia pled with Augustus to nominate her son Tiberius. Eventually, weakened to the point of near death, Augustus consented to give the kingdom to Tiberius, even though he was not given “the honor of royalty;”.
During the later years of Tiberius’ reign, which were marked with tyranny, murderous paranoia and fits of complete insanity, his kingdom began to come apart; revolution and violence surrounded him and he shut it all out with drunkenness and debauchery. He was eventually suffocated with pillows and died in his 78th year. It was during the time of his reign that “the prince of the covenant” was “broken"...when Jesus was crucified, just six years before Tiberius’ death.
VERSE 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.”
This verse takes us back to when the Roman power was just beginning to grow in strength and adds a detail that directly connects the Romans with the people of God, the Jewish nation.
We are now entering into a period of time when the two powers of Rome made their transition. You remember the transition between the pagan Roman Empire and the papal Roman Catholic Church we went through so extensively back in Chapter 14, concerning Daniel chapter 8 don't you? Well, we are at the same point in the history of the world again. We are not going to jump into that transition right now though. This prophecy will return us to this point in time in a little bit. Right now though, it is going to do something entirely different and take us back in time; the time when the kingdom of the Romans first began to make themselves known and here is why...
To this point, we have been brought down through the secular, or worldly military events of history. In the next verse, verse 23, the prophet is going to take us back to the point where the Roman Empire became directly connected with God’s chosen people for the first time by The Jewish League of 161 B.C. From that point on, or should I say, from this point on, we will go down through the events of time as they affect the people of God. We will be seeing the events of history unfold as we follow those events that will affect the spiritual events of history. We will be seeing what happens to God’s chosen people until the end, when he returns the second time to this Earth.
Do not miss this now. Up to this point we have prophetically traveled through time and have seen the events of the secular world unfold. Now we are going to back up a few hundred years until we see where the newly forming Roman government becomes directly connected with the people of God. We will then continue until the end of time. As we do this we will view history and how it will affect the spiritual side of this world, those who follow God and his ways. We are moving from the secular view of things to a spiritual view. I know…I am being redundant.
When the Romans were still a small group of people they made an agreement, or entered into what is called a “league”, with the Jewish people. It is known as The Jewish League of 161 B.C. That agreement said that, in the event of trouble, the Jews would come to the aid of the Romans and the Romans would come to the aid of the Jews. Of course, it was a deceitful agreement because the Romans only wanted the support of the Jewish people while they gained strength. It was never seriously honored by the Romans. After this agreement was made the Roman Empire would begin to grow to its height, “become strong with a small number of people.”
VERSE 24:
“He shall enter peaceably, even into the richest places of the province; and he shall do what his fathers have not done, nor his forefathers: he shall disperse among them the plunder, spoil, and riches; and he shall devise his plans against the strongholds, but only for a time.”
The Roman government eventually found itself in a position that no other world government had been in before. The Roman Empire was so powerful that it was doing “what his fathers have not done, nor his forefathers”. They were acquiring kingdoms by peaceful means. As the kings of other countries were reaching the end of their reigns, they began bequeathing, or leaving, their kingdoms to the Romans. In exchange, these kingdoms were treated with leniency and kindness. They were protected from their enemies and had access to the wealth of the Roman Empire. It was just as the end of verse 24 said it would be, “he shall disperse among them the plunder, spoil and riches.”
According to the last 5 words of verse 24 we are told that the Roman Empire would do all these things "...but only for a time." Remember, a time in Bible prophecy is equal to one year and according to the Roman calendar one year was 360 days long. The last part of the prophecy is saying that the Roman power would last for only 360 days/years. Question? What is the starting point for the 360 days/years reign of the Roman Empire?
The Romans could not be considered a world power while there was still another nation in the their realm, or reach, that was not under its control. Therefore, the time period would begin when Rome became the dominating power of the world they had control and influence over. For the longest time the only kingdom not under Roman rule was Egypt. The battle for the control of Egypt is coming up in the next verse and then we will have the starting point for the 360 days/years.
VERSE 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.”
Here we have the final battle that the Roman Kingdom needs to fight so it can go from a Kingdom to an Empire. After subduing the last of the resistance to the Roman government in Africa and Spain Julius Caesar then gathered his army together and came against Egypt, the King of the South. When this battle is over the Romans will have complete domination of the known world and the 360 day/year prophecy mentioned earlier will have begun ticking. The end of the battle that starts the beginning of the prophecy is the battle of Actium. It was fought in the fall of 31 B.C. at the mouth of the gulf of Ambracia, near the city of Actium. The battle pitted the Egyptian army of Cleopatra and Mark Antony against Julius Caesar and the Roman armies. Because of Mark Antony’s personal feelings for Cleopatra, and because of Cleopatra's deceptive "plans against him." the Egyptian army fell into the hands of the Romans.
Well, we have the starting point for the “official” reign of the Roman Empire. It begins in the year 31 B.C.; 360 years later will bring its conclusion in the year 330 A.D. What happened at that time?
In its final years the Roman Empire found itself slowly gasping its last breath and declining from the scene of historical significance when Constantine the Great moved the capital of government out of the city of Rome to Constantinople in 330 A.D. That then is considered the end of the Roman Empire. The last empire falls and it falls exactly when it was suppose to.
The book of Daniel was written about 600 B.C. There are people out there who try to destroy the validity of the prophecies in the book of Daniel by saying that they were written after the fact and are really just historical notes taken along the way. However, there is not even the most hard-nosed skeptic out there who will say that the prophecies were written any time after 168 B.C. With this time prophecy showing the end of the official rule of the Roman Empire occurring 500 years after that latest accepted date for the book of Daniel, God drives the point home hard that he is the one who sets up kingdoms and takes them down again. The prophecies of Daniel continue on down to the present day and God will continue to show that he is in complete control. God is the Master of choreography, he is also a master strategist!
VERSE 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.”
Antony, before he committed suicide, had no support from anyone. All of the friends and allies who used to “eat of the portion of his delicacies” , including Caesar himself, left him and in the end his army was “swept away,”.
VERSE 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.”
This verse speaks of Antony before his death. "Both these kings", Caesar and Antony, wanted the same thing: a unified Rome; they also each wanted controlling power of that unified Rome all to themselves. They became enemies to each other in their way of going about the process of unification because neither one trusted the other. They both tried to rule the same territory, but there as no cooperation between them and it all fell apart. “The end will still be at the appointed time” refers to the conquest of Egypt; when the Roman Kingdom became the Roman Empire.
VERSE 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.”
Having finally conquered Egypt, Caesar did return to his own country and with all the wealth of Egypt. Caesar decided to expand the influence of the Roman Empire into the land of Judea, "the holy covenant"; and placed the land of Judea, under complete Roman rule. Caesar understood that Rome could not control the Middle East if it did not control Judea. He also knew that if Judea remained independent it would always act as a wedge between the Northern Empire (Syria) and the Southern Empire (Egypt).
Before he died, Jesus told everyone what was going to happen to Jerusalem. Those who listened to him escaped the coming destruction. Concerning the temple, Jesus said that there would not be one stone left on top of another.
Jerusalem fell to the Romans in 70 A.D. Titus, the commander of the army, wanted to destroy Jerusalem but leave the temple intact. The inside of the temple was lined with thick cedar; the interior walls of the Holy Place and Most Holy Place of the sanctuary and the outside/exterior walls of the temple were also all overlaid in gold. It was quite an impressive structure, which is why Titus wanted it left intact. During the destruction of Jerusalem the temple was a battle station for those who were resisting the Roman army. While trying to destroy the pocket of resistance inside of the temple one of the Roman soldiers threw a burning torch into the temple and the cedar inside caused it to burn like a furnace.
The temple was constructed of huge blocks of stone. The fire was hot enough that the gold on the walls melted and a lot of it seeped into the cracks between the stones. When the fire burned out and the cleanup began, every stone in the temple was taken down so that the gold could be recovered from between the cracks. There was not one stone left on top of another.
As predicted, the King of the North “moved against the holy covenant” did damage and “returned to his own land.”
VERSE 29:
“At the appointed time he shall return and go toward the south; but it shall not be like the former or the latter.”
“The appointed time” is the time when God declares it is time for his word concerning the Roman Empire to be fulfilled...it was time for the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. When nations fall, it is usually because of war and conquest. The Roman Empire never really fell as such; it just slowly deteriorated in power.
The Roman army would “return and go toward the south” again but not like it did before. The times before were times of conquest. The last expedition was not "like the former", when it went to Egypt, or like "the latter", when it entered into Judea. Those two movements resulted in conquest. It is said that this last expedition into the south resulted in demoralization and ruin.
It was time for the government of the Empire to move its center of government because they could no longer continue to resist the powers of the disciplined and hungry hordes of barbaric nations that were slowly eating away at the northern and western edges of that declining empire. It would not be much longer until those nations entered the city of Rome and for that reason the seat of government was moved, by Constantine, from the city of Rome to Constantinople in 330 A.D. That decision, as we saw earlier, was considered the official end of the Roman Empire. Afterwards, the barbarians of the North eventually expanded their influence over the remaining imperial Roman territory until it was completely obliterated.
Remember, we are viewing history as it directly influences the spiritual side of the world equation and here is also where a transition from a secular Roman government to a religious Roman government takes place.
As Rome passes from the scene, there is a change that takes place. The power that gave out in strength of arms was subtly changed over the following years to become a power of spiritual “strength.” What the state could not do would now be done by the church. Obedience to the “law of God” was the way the world was going to be taken. The world was going to be dragged, kicking and screaming, into the church, whether it wanted to go that way or not;. That church/state combination, as we saw on the timeline of Figure 2 in Chapter 16, concerning Daniel chapter 7, would begin in 538 A.D. and would last for 1,260 years.
VERSE 30:
“For ships from Cyprus (Kittim) shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and return in rage against the holy covenant, and do damage. So he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant.”
Cyprus, also known during that time as Kittim, was the collection of islands and coast lands of the Mediterranean. It was kind of like a little empire of its own. The seat of its “government” was Carthage. The leader of those scattered areas and the one who plundered and looted these areas, was a person by the name of Genseric.
Every spring Genseric would lead out a large, well-disciplined naval force from the port of Carthage. "For ships from Cyprus (Kittim) shall come against him (the power of Rome)". In spite of its attempts to destroy Genseric, the power of Rome was unable to withstand his forces. The power of Rome, as in the Roman army was nothing of consequence. What was left of the old Roman Empire in the west had declined to the point where it was nothing but skin and bones. The power of Rome I am talking about is not only the governing power of the Western Roman Empire, which was weak and ineffectual, but also the city of Rome. Those who now governed the city of Rome were the papal authorities of the newly forming Catholic Church.
Genseric’s group of pillagers took whatever they wanted. His group was a collection of three tribes. Genseric was a Vandal; that is the name of a tribe of people. They were looters and thieves. Now you know where the word vandal or destroyer of property came from. The other two groups were the Heruli and the Goths. These three groups were of the Arian faith and were a constant source of trouble to the power of the Catholic Church in Rome, and considered heretics for their religious beliefs.
Arianism is a teaching that was first attributed to Arius, a Christian minister in Egypt during the third and fourth century AD. Arius taught that the Son of God/Jesus was inferior to God the Father. The Arian teaching is that Christ, the Son of God, did not always exist but was created by God the Father. In that way the deity of Christ/Jesus is done away with and he just becomes another created being.
People like the Vandals, the Heruli and the Goths found it easy to take advantage of a peace loving people who were learning to follow the teachings of Jesus/Christ and who believed in peaceful resistance. When these three groups began moving into the neighborhood by taking land instead of just things, the good, peace loving people decided it was time to clean up the neighborhood.
There were actually two different attempts to expel Genseric and his horde; the first attempt was made by Majorian, the Western Roman Emperor; the second and last attempt was made by Pope Leo I. Both attempts were complete failures.
"Therefore he (Genseric) shall be grieved (because of the attacks against him), and return in rage against the holy covenant (the city of Rome), and do damage."
Those who ruled in Rome could do nothing while its land and its capital city were under the control of the Goths. Because Rome had been taken over by the Goths, it was considered by God to be a direct attack against his peace loving people. According to scripture they were going up “against the holy covenant”.
"So he (the Roman Empire) shall return (to the city of Rome) and show regard for those (the papal leaders) who forsake the holy covenant."
Here now is where the papal Roman Church receives the power of secular government it has so long craved.
In Chapter 13, concerning Daniel chapter 7, we went into detail outlining a vision that Daniel hand. Remember those three horns that were uprooted so that the little horn with the eyes of a man and a mouth speaking great things could take their place? This is the time in history when those three horns are to be uprooted. Justinian issued a decree announcing that the pope was the official head of the church and the corrector of heretics. Because those "three horns", the Heruli, the Goths and the Vandals were the enemies of the Roman Church they were going to be destroyed by Justinian who was funded by and supplied with soldiers by the church of Rome.
When all opposition to the church of Rome was finally removed the pope of Rome was left with the power of ruling over the spiritual lives of the people of the world. "Absolute power corrupts absolutely." That is very much the case here. Because of the ignorance, superstition, and lack of education among the people of the land, it was not long before the Bible came to be seen as a dangerous book. It was determined, because of the "complexity" of the Bible, that it should not be read or translated by anyone other than the pope and his clergy. If there were any questions in regards to what scripture said, those questions would have to be directed to the leaders of the church and they would then give the interpretations of what was in question.
This gave the newly formed Roman Catholic Church the opportunity to make up their own traditions and rules and claim they are the words of God. Who would be able to question them? The pope will soon be thought of as God in the flesh.
The popes were those who are mentioned as "those who forsake the holy covenant". In exchange for unlimited power to rule over the bodies, minds and souls of humanity they set aside the words of God and in their place they instituted the doctrines and traditions of men.
VERSE 31:
“And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices and place there the abomination of desolation.”
I am going to directly translate this verse so that it will say exactly what is meant instead of what it symbolically says. I will then give the details for that direct translation.
DIRECT TRANSLATION: "And an army shall be mustered by the Goths, and they shall defile the city of Rome by occupying it; then the papal Church will replace the power of the Roman Empire in the city of Rome and as a result will place the city of Rome under the power of the Roman papal Church."
When forces were mustered by the Goths they then took over the city of Rome and in doing so they defiled the sanctuary fortress, the city of Rome. Emperor Justinian then set up a task force to stop the moral and social decay that was taking place. He appointed the pope of the Catholic Church as the the corrector of heretics and wrongdoers. This is where “the abomination of desolation” takes “away the daily”. By destroying the Goths who had taken control of the City of Rome, Justinian effectively left the place of power in the city of Rome open for the pope of the Roman Church to occupy. Justinian did not fill the position of power in the city of Rome which should have rightfully been his. It did not take too long for the pope to realize the kind of power he had just been given by Justinian and he wasted no time in moving Justinian aside, "take away the daily" and sitting himself down in the place of power, and in so doing, "place there the abomination of desolation."
Justinian, by not taking the place of power in the city of Rome after the Goths had been defeated, had effectively allowed the papal Roman Church to take that place of power to itself. In effect, and in fact, the final transition of power from the Roman Empire to the papal church of Rome had just taken place and the last vestiges of the Roman Empire then disappeared, as did the Western Roman Empire. It was now all under the control and power of the papal Roman Church.
You do you see what happened here now don't you? I am not making any of this up. It is all a matter of historical record. Those deep into history know I am telling the truth. When a man can seriously say that he is the only representative of Jesus/Christ on this Earth he has effectively removed Jesus/Christ from his place and has then taken that place over for himself. If there is a sacrilege, a violation of everything sacred, an “abomination of desolation”, that is it to the max. These are not my words, you should be able to see that clearly enough. They are the words of God, being spoken before any of this ever took place. This is all history; history that was foreseen thousands of years before it happened.
VERSE 32:
“Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.”
It is an easy thing to lead people astray if they do not have any way of navigating on their own. With the Word of God effectively locked up in the Papal churches, and no copies in circulation among the masses, you can pretty much say what you want and claim to have biblical authority for it. That is exactly what happened. Millions and millions of people “joined the church” because it was the only way, as they were told and as they later came to believe, for them to have access to God. It was also a very good way for them to stay healthy and alive as well. The alternative was to be hunted down and either being forced to agree with the teachings of the Roman church or to be burned at the stake for being a heretic.
Some of these people were still idol worshipers, so to fill the need of those who wanted to bow down to something tangible, and to fill the pews with revenue generating people, statues and figures of Jesus, the saints, the apostles and the mother of Jesus were made and the second commandment that forbids images and idolatry was removed from the Bible. “With flattery he will corrupt.”
The idol worshipers who joined the church were not bad people but they were being led down a path that was going in the wrong direction. Never let another person stand between you and God and then allow that person to be the only one who is responsible of your life. There is only one God and EVERYONE has direct access to him. He can easily handle everything that is necessary for your spiritual and physical life. He does not need anyone to help him.
Unfortunately, there are still untold millions of people who know nothing about God except for what they have heard from someone else. They have never taken the time to get to know him. They never communicate with him…well, maybe when they are in real trouble they do, but otherwise…. They never read his word. Many of the people who go to church every week are even in the same position. It is amazing to watch some churches empty out in the afternoon and see only a handful of people in a group of 200, with Bibles in their hands. There are so many professed believers in the God of creation who are not students of the Bible that so completely explains the true meaning of life. That is a sad commentary on us as a people when we do not care enough about our Creator to read what he has to say to us. If you fall into that category then you are being “corrupted with flattery.”
There were many of those who followed the teachings and orders of the Papal Roman Church, who were quickly put to work. These were "those who do wickedly against the covenant," and they, with religious fervor and a mistaken zeal for God, persecuted those who remained apart from the established Papal Church. Those who wanted to remain separate from the Papal Church did so because of the church's obvious reliance on tradition and man-made laws that were not supported by scripture. Those who refused to bow down at the Papal throne were a group of people who really were a part of God's true church. These are the ones who are described as, “The people who know their God...". They were strong and they did resist being corrupted with flattery.
VERSE 33:
“And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering.”
Those “people who understand” were not deceived by the lies told to them by the popes and priests. One of those lies is that people have to work their way to heaven with good works, through suffering, or by self-punishment. Another of those lies is, if we give enough to the church we can have our sins, or the sins of someone else forgiven. Then there is the lie of how God is just waiting to catch you doing something wrong so he can punish you. One of the biggest lies of all is when we are told that when we die we go to either heaven or hell and that hell is a place where God will torture you throughout eternity because you lived your 75 year life without him. In conjunction with that we can not forget about the lie of those who have died and gone to heaven before us and how they are watching over us and helping us; all of those patriarchs, prophets, saints, apostles and Mary, the mother of God. In Chapter 22 of this book I go into a fuller understanding of what scripture teaches concerning happens to us when we die. There you will begin to see just how far from the truth mainstream Christianity has strayed.
The ones “who understand” are the ones who find it a pleasure to “instruct many” in regards to the truth about God and the love and freedom his gift of redemption has brought into their lives. It is those wise ones who “shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering.” Any time the truth is told there are always those who hate it, especially if the truth being told places them in a bad light and shows how wrong they are. They will do anything in their power to destroy it. The 1,260 year reign of darkness the papal Church put people through is a prime example of that statement. The murder of Jesus by the leading religious rulers, because the truth was not acceptable to them, is the ultimate example.
VERSE 34:
"Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them by intrigue.”
During those dark days, the true believers of God were “aided with a little help” from the German states. They were glad to help the Protestant cause and protect the reformers from persecution; but like any good cause, there are always those who wanted to “join with them by intrigue”, just because of what they could get out of it. There were many people who joined the Protestant movement for that very reason. They were not sincere in their beliefs and only stayed around as long as there was something to gain. It is true even today. Once again we can see the sad state of human nature.
As a side note here for those of you who do not know, the label of protestant meant that you were in protest against the Roman Church and its teaching of righteousness by works...among other objections.
VERSE 35:
“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.”
Any time a person is faced with a situation where they can take either the easy way or the hard-but-better way, their character is shaped. Persecution to the true Christian was a time when they were really faced with the serious choice of going the hard-but-better way, or taking the safer, more popular and easy way. On the one hand you have a clear conscience because you are doing everything, as far as you know, the way God wants you to. As a result, you are an outcast, disliked, hated, abused, beaten, robbed and in the end maybe even killed. On the other hand, you are compromising your principles and although you have peace and security in a practical, physical sense, you do not have the peace and security within yourself that lets you know that you are doing what is truly right.
“The appointed time”, or the time of the end, is finally seen by the people going through this time of persecution. God said it would end at a specific time and that is exactly what took place. At "the appointed time", the 1,260 days/years period ended in 1798 when the pope of Rome was taken prisoner by General Berthier under the direction of Napoleon and the French army. The religious power that had controlled the spiritual and physical lives of many millions and also destroyed the lives of many millions, is finally taken away in chains. So ended the reign of “god” on Earth. The dark days are not over though. Those dark days will not end until the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our God and of his Christ. The negative influence experienced by people during those 1,260 years of hypocrisy has been carried down through the "protestant" churches to this very day. As a result, there are millions who do not care to become like those who profess to believe in the God of creation…personally…I don't blame them at all; I blame those who have misrepresent the God of creation.
"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. 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?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.!'" - Matthew 7:21. God knows those who are his.
VERSE 36-38:
“Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done. He shall regard neither the God of his fathers nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all. But in their place he shall honor a god of fortresses; and a god which his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant things.”
The king who is mention here can not be the papal power anymore because that power was taken away in verse 35, when the "time of the end" began. Besides, even though the papacy placed God in a false light and considered themselves equal to him in power, they never really did away with him as this power just mentioned is said to have done. What took place at the time of the downfall of the papacy? Is there some power that did away with God completely and set itself up as the real god? This would have to be an atheistic power to completely deny the existence of God. Is there an atheistic power that developed on the world’s stage during this time, one that meets this description? Rhetorical question time? Yes. A revolution just like the one described took place in France.
Voltaire wrote, “I am weary of hearing people repeat that 12 men established the Christian religion. I will prove that one man may suffice to overthrow it.” Quite a boast for a mere mortal to make. He did not really do it by himself though. He had help from associates of his, people like Rousseau, D’Alembert, Diderot and other popular writers and “intellects" of like mind. What was the result? Their writings and teachings fed the fires that ultimately resulted in France's “Reign of Terror” in 1793 when the Bible was publicly discarded and the existence of God and all deity was denied in France. References are found all over the pages of history regarding the effects that this public decision had on the nation of France. Other than communism, and I believe we pretty much know how that works, France was the first nation to completely deny the existence of God. The following writers of history describe this change away from religion in France by saying:
"It is not enough, they said, for a regenerate nation to have dethroned Earthly kings, unless she stretched out the arm of defiance toward those powers which superstition had represented as reigning over boundless space. The constitutional bishop of Paris was brought forward to play the principal part in the most impudent and scandalous farce ever enacted in the face of a national representation. He was brought forward, in full procession, to declare to the convention that the religion which he had taught for so many years was in every respect, a piece of ‘priestcraft’, which had no foundation either in history or sacred truth. He disowned, in solemn and explicit terms, the ‘existence of Deity’ to whose worship he had been consecrated, and devoted himself in the future to the homage of Liberty, Equality, Virtue, and Morality. He then laid on the table his Episcopal decorations and received a fraternal embrace from the president of the convention. Several apostate priests followed the example of this prelate. The world for the first time heard an assembly of men, born and educated in civilization and assuming the right to govern one of the finest of the European nations, uplift their united voice to deny the most solemn truth which man’s soul receives, and renounce unanimously the belief and worship of Deity.” - Scott, Napoleon, Vol. I pp. 172, 173.
“France is the only nation in the world concerning which the authentic record survives, that as a nation she lifted her hand in open rebellion against the Author of the universe. Plenty of blasphemers, plenty of infidels, there have been and still continue to be, in England, Germany, Spain, and elsewhere; but France stands apart in the world’s history as the single state which, by the decree of her legislative assembly, pronounced that there was no God, and of which the entire population of the capital, and a vast majority elsewhere, women as well as men, danced and sang with joy in accepting the announcement.” - Blackwood’s Magazine, November, 1870.
All was not a happy state of affairs in France as this atheistic approach to living continued. The attempt to make France a nation without a God caused so much anarchy that those in power were afraid of losing control of the population. Those leaders eventually felt some kind of “higher power” was needed for the people to focus on. What better choice could there be than to have a Goddess of Reason. This is true folks. The history books say it really happened. Read on.
With great ceremony, the government threw open the doors to their convention room and brought a veiled woman in on a raised platform. Singing a hymn of praise to liberty they brought her to the front and with great ceremony they unveiled their “Goddess of Reason”. As it turned out she was rather well known by everyone there, since she was a local dance hall girl and had entertained the majority of those present. That doesn't make her a bad girl though.
Those who controlled the masses saw that they needed a foundation, something to build on, so they believed that the Goddess of Reason would keep people under control. However, even that was not enough. In the end, the government pronounced itself god and declared that all of the people were to focus their attention and adoration on the government. The government would take care of their every need. Sounds just like a bunch of Democrats doesn’t it?
I will end all of this with the reminder of what God has said; this atheistic nation would “exalt and magnify himself above every god”, he would be “a god of fortresses”, and “a god which his fathers did not know” and “he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant things.” In other words, the government became the god of the people and reaped the benefits of collecting offerings from the public until it became quite rich. What a plan.
VERSE 39:
“Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for gain.”
The atheistic nation that France had become was in great need of money. At the time, the lands were owned by just a few landowners who lived on huge estates. By law, these estates were required to remain undivided so no heirs or creditors could subdivide them and sell them for development. Revolution however knows no laws so the government confiscated the land and did the subdividing itself. KA-CHING! Major money started flowing into the government treasury; over 700,000,000 pounds sterling by historical record. He “shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for gain.”
VERSE 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.”
It has been a while since we have had the King of the North and the King of the South on the world stage, but here we go again. It is generally agreed that Egypt was, and remains, the King of the South. The lands making up the King of the North have changed names by this time. For the past 400 years they have been known as Turkey. According to verse 40, what we are looking for here is a three-way confrontation. The King of the North and the king of the South both go after “him”. Him is France, remember. So, what we need is to see some confrontation between France and Turkey and France and Egypt; and it all has to take place at “the time of the end.”
Now then, according to verse 35, when was the time of the end suppose to begin? 1798, that’s right, when the reigning power of the Popes was finally taken away. Do you think this can all fit together?
Notice first the actions of the two forces coming against France. The King of the South, Egypt, is said to “attack him”; the King of the North however, will “come against him like a whirlwind”. Because of the detail of the prophecy, and the great amount of written history confirming this prophecy I could draw this all out for the next four pages as I describe how it all falls together as predicted 1,800 years ago, but I will nutshell it this way: France invaded Egypt in such a way as to make it seem as though Egypt was the aggressor. We have all seen that kind of foreign policy at work elsewhere if you think about it. The resistance that France encountered as he entered into Egypt was minor. France began its military campaign by going against Rome first, when on February 10, 1798, General Berthier liberated Rome from the pope and then waited for Napoleon to leave Paris on May 3 to join up with him on his way to Egypt.
Starting with Alexandria on July 5, Napoleon invaded Egypt/The King of the South and everything ended shortly after Napoleon entered Cairo on July 24. He had to wait for the floodwaters of the Nile to subside before he could enter into Upper Egypt and finish off the resistance of Murad Bey who had run from him previously at the battle of the pyramids.
That was easy, but now he had Turkey, the King of the North, to contend with. Turkey had declared war on France and on March 18 1799 Napoleon found himself facing the Turkish forces as well as some allied forces with ships from England and Russia. So "the King of the North shall come at him with chariots, horsemen and with many ships”. The siege of St. Jean d’Acre in the northern part of Israel, against Napoleon’s troops had begun. On May 21, after two months, Napoleon, for the first time, made a retreat and went back to Egypt. Turkey pursued the armies of France back to Egypt and took over the lands the French had left behind. As the prophesy said, “he (the King of the North) shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through”.
VERSE 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.”
Turkey, while driving the French army before it, would “also enter the Glorious Land”. Also, “many countries shall be overthrown” as the Turkish army occupied the lands that the French had left behind as mention earlier.
It is interesting to note however, that the lands of Edom, Moab, and Ammon were out of the line of march for the Turks, so they were able to "escape from his hand" as the King of the North swept through the “Glorious Land”.
VERSES 42-43:
“He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels.”
I can not say it any better than Dr. Adam Clarke did, so I am going to give you another quote on this one.
“History gives the following facts: When the French were driven out of Egypt, and the Turks took possession, the sultan permitted the Egyptians to reorganize their government as it was before the French invasion. He asked of the Egyptians neither soldiers, guns, no fortifications, but left them to manage their own affairs independently, with the important exception of putting the nation under tribute to himself. In the articles of agreement between the sultan and the pasha of Egypt, it was stipulated that the Egyptians should pay annually to the Turkish government a certain amount of gold and silver, and ‘six hundred thousand measures of corn, and four hundred thousand of barley.’” – Dr. Clarke, Historic Echoes of the Voice of God, p. 49.
Dr. Clarke adds, “The Libyans and the Ethiopians, the unconquered Arabs, have sought the friendship of the Turks, many of whom are tributary to them at the present time.”
VERSE 44:
“But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many.”
In 1853 the Russians to the north, and the Persians to the east, began giving Turkey problems. In their attitudes and their troop movements, they enraged the sultan to anger. Russia was the more aggressive of the two so Russia was the object of Turkeys “great fury". Turkey later received help from England and France, but the entire world was amazed with the ways the Turks responded. They were described as “fighting like devils.”
VERSE 45:
“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.”
You have noticed, as we have traveled through this chapter of Daniel, how the subjects, or major players of history, have kept changing from one verse to the next and how the “he” in one text did not necessarily refer to the "he" who was mentioned in the previous text, or even in the text that was to follow. However, you will also have noticed that the events of prophetic predictions have been fulfilled, to the word, just as history has recorded it. Also, be sure to note that the history of those prophetic predictions are not laid out in a haphazard manner. They begin with the fall of the Babylonian Empire and continue on, unbroken, through the span of history...until our current place in time.
I am sure that God could just as easily have mentioned individual names when he made these prophetic announcements; he has done that in the past. In my opinion, if we can to see that he knew exactly what was going to happen in the future we should also be able to understand that he would just as easily know who would be responsible for those historical events. God does not have to prove how smart he is but as long as we know he is in complete control of events in this world it should give us more confidence when we are tempted to wonder if we are all just victims of random chance in a world of chaos.
Going back to verse 44 we have reached the end of history as far as Daniel's prophecies outline it. With the actions of Turkey fulfilling the prophecy in verse 44 we are now into the year 1856, with the end of the 2,300 days/years prophecy, which ended in 1844, twelve years behind us.
Understanding that and getting back to verse 45 of Daniel chapter 11, the question of who “he” is, as far as many people are concerned, still remains a mystery.
There are a lot of theories about how it will all end on the world’s stage and the identity of the “he” who is mentioned in verse 45. I have my own theories, but I am hesitant to reveal them here. The last thing I want to be thought of is a subversive who is trying to undermine my own country. The way our country is now viewing those who make a loud noise, especially since terrorism delivered its wake-up call on September 11, 2001, my main desire is to live my life by following the golden rule.
Although I am tempted to take the easy way out and say the “he” of verse 45 is and remains unknown, I am also compelled by the I AM who sent me to reveal what I believe, in regards to this final verse in the history of the world. Yes, we are living in the final verse of Daniel 11 in this world’s history.
Because of how the book of Revelation and the book of Daniel complement each other when detailing the events that would take place in the history of the world, down to the end of time, I have seriously considered putting my thoughts down into another book and writing a prophetic commentary on the book of Revelation. It has always been my purpose to keep this book as simple and easy to read as I could. To take too much of a detour on into the book of Revelation would overwhelm too many people with so much information that they might put this book down and find something else to do. If that were to happen then it would really be a great loss in the search for the truth that Jesus has said that he came to bear witness to. With that said, to take just a quick look into God’s knowledge concerning this country we have come to know as The United States of America we do have to turn to Revelation 13.
If you have made it this far then you will be familiar with the symbolism used in prophecy.
At the beginning of Revelation 13 John saw a beast (kingdom) rise up out of the sea (the population of the world), it had seven heads and ten horns, with a crown on each of those ten horns. As we have seen the normal rise of kingdoms, as seen by the prophet, we have found that their beginnings have always originated in the masses of humanity (the sea).
Just eleven verses later John again sees a beast (kingdom) arise, only this time he sees this beast (kingdom) arise out of the earth. Now that is different. Why did the beast (kingdom) arise out of the earth instead of out of the sea and what could it mean that the beast rose from out of the "earth"?
“Then I saw another beast coming up out the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.” – Revelation 13:11.
Here we have a kingdom (beast) that does not find it origins in the masses of humanity as the results of war and political strife. This one arises all by itself and it is described as a peaceful lamb with two horns.
I am not going to go into detail right now because I do not want to wander too far from the book of Daniel. One day I will show you how the beast that John saw come out of the sea, the one that had seven heads and ten horns, depicts the ruling European powers. Those powers were constantly combining the secular and spiritual powers of their kingdoms together; as a result they were responsible for the migration of those who were looking for freedom to worship God as they chose, to leave the European continent in search of a new land where they could live and worship as they pleased, without fear of persecution by either the church or the state.
When we read about the lamb-like beast that arises out of the earth we are witnessing the rise of The United States of America in this world’s history as predicted by prophecy. Originally this was a nation that had its origins in peace, just as a lamb. Unfortunately, the peaceful character of this country's beginning would change as the forces of greed and power would take over the minds of those who wanted everything they could take from this land. A change from a nation dedicated to the principals that all people were created equal would become those of a nation dedicated to taking what it wanted, raping the land and resources of that land and destroying all those who opposed its savage advances.
There is another change that is going to take place at the end of the verse, or at the end of this nations history. The last part of verse 11 says “he spoke like a dragon.” This peaceful, lamb-like nation, dedicated since its beginning to the principles of a separation of church and state, will find itself, because of the results of circumstances in the future, enforcing laws of religious obedience and will end its days speaking like the dragon it had escaped from when it left Europe.
“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.
Because the recorded history of Daniel 11:44 ends with the Turks defeating the Russians in the Crimean War which lasted from 1853 to 1856 we have to look for another power to come onto the scene, one to rule in an area on the other side of the “seas” in relation to itself and “the glorious holy mountain”, which has always been recognized as Israel; more specifically, Jerusalem. This power will “plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain”. Tents, as we well know are only temporary places to live in. They are also easily moved and therefore very suitable to a wartime or invading environment.
At this writing, in January 2011, the United States of America is currently involved in wars on two different fronts; a military occupation of Iraq and to a lesser extent, for now anyway, in Afghanistan. A world map shows us that those countries are to the east of "the glorious holy mountain". By occupying the lands of the middle east with its own military troops the United States has effectively, "planted the tents of his palace between the seas"...off the coast lands of our country..."and the glorious holy mountain." The prophecy mentions the planting of tents which are not a permanent place of residence, therefore that occupying, or intrusive power cannot be considered a permanent fixture but one that is mobile and meant to be there for a limited period of time...or an occupying force.
Until the Gulf War, that prophecy would not have made any more sense to us than it did to those who were reading it 100 years ago. Now, however, we can see that the United States of America, has "planted the tents of his palace" (military forces) between those seas and where “the glorious holy mountain” is located. We are told in verse 45 that the one who makes that move will “come to his end, and no one will help him.” – Daniel 11:45.
Do you understand the importance of understanding of who "he" is? The final act, of the last, final and greatest world influencing nation, is depicted in prophecy and that final act will take place on the other side of the ocean and be the result of an involvement in the area of the middle east.
You might argue that the current U.S. occupation of Iraq and involvement in Afghanistan might not be the specific fulfillment of this prophecy but because of our ongoing and continued interest in that area, and the resulting expressed and hostile feelings of those who live in the middle east because of that unwelcome interest, it is easy to see how and why the fulfillment of that prophecy will eventually be realized.
We have seen how God has shown us the road map of world history. We have also seen how his road map has brought us down to this very moment in time. Going back to the map analogy I began with at the beginning of this book, the journey we are on, in the course of this Earth's history, is very much like a journey from Los Angeles to New York City. At this moment in time, at this very moment, you might say that we are at the border of the state of New York. It will not take us much longer to reach New York City in relation to how far we have come.
We have seen that the "map" we have been following has been 100% accurate 100% of the time. Taking the map example to its fullest extent, we have traveled to the eastern border of New Jersey, we are on I-78 and are still traveling east; we have entered the Holland Tunnel and are traveling under the Hudson River. When we reach the half-way point of that river "crossing" we will officially be entering New York State and will have traveled 2,760 miles from Los Angeles. According to the map we have, we will reach New York City Hall in two more miles. Even though we are only at the border of the state of New York we should be able to see by now that we can trust the map we have as we travel those last two miles to New York City Hall.
In the same way, according to the word of God, we are on the absolute border of the end of time as we know it. In relation to the historical past that this world has traveled through since creation, we have about as much time left before the history of this world comes to an end as we have miles left to travel since we reached the middle of the Holland Tunnel.
I was raised a country boy and freedom is important to me. Also, I love this land I have been born into. God has blessed this nation of ours like no other. What we have done with those blessing however, is a tragedy, but according to those who selfishly enjoy the power of this land and government, “It's all going to burn some time so let’s use it all up while we have it.” That is such a sad way to look at all we have been given. It shows how far we have strayed from the garden, where we were once caretakers and managers of the treasure we call the Earth. Greed for more and hunger for glory and praise have driven us to do whatever we please with what we have. With every nation we have seen, from the Garden, to the here and now, there has always been a day of reckoning.
Even today, we see the consequences that plague the nations who have wasted their resources and given up the humanity of their countries for more, more, more. It is pathetic to see any nation become so self-absorbed in its own private treasures that it becomes insensitive to the death, destruction and rage against humanity that happens within its own borders.
I will not go on any more. It is like I said earlier; we have a hard time looking at ourselves in the mirror sometimes. We all know what we are doing wrong. The real question is, when are we going to stop doing what we are doing wrong? Think about all that as you consider verse 45. There will be a power that will span the sea. It will become involved in an area located between the seas and the holy mountain. That power will come to an end, and it will not find help from anyone. In the book of Daniel we see the final prophetic end of the last great nation in Earth's history.
There is no nation, under God, that is free from, or can prevent, God's final judgment when it all comes crashing down.
“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His. And he changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him.” – Daniel 2:20-22.
He raises kingdoms up, and he tears them down. No one is exempt. I’m not going to argue with him.