This is an area that has no direct correlation with History. It is also the darkest waters as most assign things like worshipping "a god whom his fathers did not know," to the most unusual of theories.
If I consider all the influences, most of which are Assyrian, then I can begin to understand what something like the idea of worshipping a god his fathers did not know, a little less difficult.
Read on and you will see what I mean.
Antiochus is resisted by the Maccabees who do exploits but are oppressed by him many days.
Daniel 11:34 NASB "Now when they fall they will be granted a little help, and many will join with them in hypocrisy.
- “Now, when they fall, they will be granted a little help.”
Since we understand that the price to be paid for coming to the Lord during the last days is ultimately death, help can only be fleeting. I cannot begin to imagine what a little help will look like, but the implications are that it is momentary and temporary.
- “and many will join with them in hypocrisy.”
Hypocrisy, as defined in the Hebrew, describes uncertain people on treacherous paths of false prophets (Jeremiah 23:12) and hated enemies.
These two possibilities I see here.
- Islam has the right to lie. They can and will play the role of a follower in order to gain an advantage in Jihad.
- The other is help coming from people that really aren't going to stick around. In either case, you will probably die.
Jeremiah 23:12 NASB "Therefore their way will be like slippery paths to them, They will be driven away into the gloom and fall down in it; For I will bring calamity upon them, The year of their punishment," declares the LORD.
Daniel 11:35 CJB Even some of those with discernment will stumble so that some of them will be refined, purified and cleansed for an end yet to come at the designated time.
- “Even some of those with discernment will stumble.”
We always want the good guy to win, however, that is not always the case, and there is a reason why.
- “so that some of them will be refined, purified and cleansed”
What is the reason for the “great tribulation”?
It is God's final punishment of: Israel, for their rejection of Him, and it is a punishment of the world for accosting his people and their rejection of Him.
If Israel has rejected Him all these years, is it possible that God is looking for a method of redemption, instead of a final punishment, as some believe?
What if you found out that God's character and nature were mercy and love?
- for an end yet to come at the designated time.”
What is the end?
Truly, it can only be the Great White Throne judgment. This event shows up in two places; one in the Revelation and the other in Matthew 25 where we see the sheep and the goats. In Revelation Jesus is played out before us as what appears to be an angry God. We get that impression for all we see is the finality of His judgment as many are sent to the lake of fire, a place that was only designed for Satan and his mutinous crew.
In Matthew's account, Jesus is the gentle shepherd and we primarily focus on the sheep and their reward. In either case, you become aware of books along with the book of life. I surmise that God scours those books looking desperately for some reason to show those standing before Him mercy.
The time of the vision.
The character of "the king" of the north (Daniel 7:25 and 8:25.)
Daniel 11:36 CJB "The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt himself and consider himself greater than any god, and he will utter monstrous blasphemies against the God of gods. He will prosper only until the period of wrath is over, for what has been determined must take place.
- “ The king will do as he pleases”
What permits such actions?
An overwhelming fear; support of loyal troops; a lack of oversight.
So, is that typical?Perhaps not, but not impossible.
- “He will exalt himself and consider himself greater than any god, and he will utter monstrous blasphemies against the God of gods”It seems that many people think this way. However, this is much more serious than the standard blasphemies of which we speak. The entity that does this specific thing is the Antichrist.
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 CJB Don't let anyone deceive you in any way. For the Day will not come until after the Apostasy has come and the man who separates himself from Torah has been revealed, the one destined for doom. 4) He will oppose himself to everything that people call a god or make an object of worship; he will put himself above them all, so that he will sit in the Temple of God and proclaim that he himself is God.
- “He will prosper only until the period of wrath is over, for what has been determined must take place.”
Revelation 11:18 NASB "And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth."
The determined time is his end.
Revelation 19:20 NASB "And the beast was seized, and with him, the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone."
Daniel 11:37 NASB "He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the desire of women, nor will he show regard for any other god; for he will magnify himself above them all."
- “He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers”
Antiochus's Seleucid predecessors had elevated the god Apollo, while the Ptolemies had shown a preference for Adonis (possibly referred to here as the one desired by women). Antiochus neglects them (though by no means rejects them) in favor of Olympian Zeus. The fact that he designated himself as God Manifest on his coins is sufficient to explain the comment in this verse. IVPBBC
- “ or for the desire of women”
Based on this, some Bible scholars believe that the Antichrist will be of Jewish descent, and perhaps will also be a homosexual. These things may not be popularly known about the man, but they may be true nonetheless. But many commentators believe that the desire of women refers to Jesus, in that all women desired the honor of bearing the Messiah and understanding “desire” as it is used in Haggai 2:7. Seeing the desire of women as Jesus makes the most sense in light of the flow of context. David Guzik's Enduring Word Commentary
Daniel 11:38 NASB "But instead he will honor a god of fortresses, a god whom his fathers did not know; he will honor him with gold, silver, costly stones and treasures.
- “But instead he will honor a god of fortresses, a god whom his fathers did not know;”
“The Antichrist will take and hold power with military might and the shrewd use of great riches.” Guzik
Certainly, Islam is and has been the people of the sword, so violence is a way of life to them. But where are the fortresses? The fortresses seem to be more in their Mosques and run by the Caliphates.
Daniel 11:39 NASB "He will take action against the strongest of fortresses with the help of a foreign god; he will give great honor to those who acknowledge him and will cause them to rule over the many, and will parcel out land for a price.
The following is from the Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Thus shall he do in, the most strong holds - Margin, “fortresses of munitions.” The reference is to strongly fortified places; of those places which had been made strong for purposes of defense. The idea is that he would carry on his purposes against these places, as it were, under the auspices of this strange god. It was a fact that in his wars, Antiochus came into possession of the strong places or the fortified towns of the nations which he attacked - Jerusalem, Sidon, Peluslum, Memphis - then among the strongest places in the world.
But we are looking forward to an end-time scenario, and there are few fortresses anymore. Oh, I am not excluding the idea that there are military bases, nor am I discounting countries like Russia and Iran, which seem to operate as though they were fortresses unto themselves.
- “with the help of a foreign god”
“A foreign god whom his fathers did not acknowledge;” We have already spoken about how Antiochus IV ignored the gods of his family and brought in Zeus from the Romans. But, we are looking forward and need to look outside the box. Who or what is the god of Islam? Allah. This would certainly push this person outside the realm of his father's gods.
- “he will give great honor to those who acknowledge him and will cause them to rule over the many”
While in the short term, “the conquests of Antiochus would seem to be a setting up of the dominion of these gods over the lands which he subdued.” But in the long term, Islam demands submission to Allah.
And shall divide the land for gain - “The reference here is, probably, to the holy land, and the idea is that it would be partitioned out among his followers for a price, or with a view to gain; that is, perhaps, that it would be “farmed out” for the purpose of raising revenue, and that with this view, as often occurred, it would be set up for sale to the highest bidder. This was a common way of raising revenue, by “farming out” a conquered province; that is, by disposing of the privilege of raising a revenue in it to the one who would offer most for it, and the consequence was, that it gave rise to vast rapacity in extorting funds from the people. Compare 1 Macc. 3:35, 36, where, speaking of Lysias, whom Antiochus had “set to oversee the affairs of the king from the river Euphrates unto the borders of Egypt,” it is said of Antiochus that he “gave him (Lysias) charge of all things that he would have done, as also concerning them that dwelt in Judea and Jerusalem: to wit, that he should send an army against them, to destroy and root out the strength of Israel, and the remnant of Jerusalem, and to take away their memorial from that place; and that he should place strangers in all their quarters, ‘and divide their land by lot. ‘“
The final battles of Daniel 11:40-45
There is no known historical sequence corresponding to that which is laid out in these verses. Antiochus IV was killed in battle in Persia in December 164. Many interpreters of Daniel consider this section (perhaps starting as early as v. Dan_11:36) to contain a reference to a much more distant future.
War between Syria (north) and Egypt (south) at the end time: Antichrist (Syria, North) is victorious over Egypt (south) and many countries up to the middle of Daniel's seventieth week when the "eighth" or Revived Grecian Empire is formed. (Dan 7:24; 8:23-25; Rev 11:7; 13:1-18; 16:10; 17:3, 8-14, 16-17; 19:19-21)
Daniel 11:40 NASB "At the end time the king of the South will collide with him, and the king of the North will storm against him with chariots, with horsemen, and with many ships; and he will enter countries, overflow them and pass through.
- “At the end time, the king of the South will collide with him”
These kings are to be understood in reference to the times in which the prophet speaks. While the kingdoms of Egypt and Syria were subsisting, the king of the south and the north applied to them exclusively: but they did not exist at the time of which the prophet speaks; therefore, other southern and northern powers must be sought. These we may find in the Saracens, who were of the Arabians, who came from the south, headed by the false prophet Mohammed, who pushed at him - made war on the Greek emperor Heraclius, and with amazing rapidity deprived him of Egypt, Syria, and many of his finest provinces. [Adam Clarke]
- “and the king of the North will storm against him with chariots, with horsemen, and with many ships”
Pastor Dave Guzik says, “The Turks, who were originally Scythians, seized on the remains of the Greek empire; and in process of time rendered themselves masters of the whole. They are represented as coming like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen; their armies being chiefly composed of cavalry.”
An aspect we need to remind ourselves of is that the Bible is Israel and Middle-east centric. With Jerusalem as the center, the North passes straight through Aleppo, Syria, Ankara, Turkey, and finally through Moscow, Russia. It is likely that Turkey is the focus here, but I am not sure that Turkey has the naval power to fulfill the many ships aspect.
- “and he will enter countries, overflow them and pass through.”
Having both the North and the South come against him would under normal circumstances mean the end for most. The word overflow also carries the meanings of rinsed, wash away, and to overwhelm. Here I am talking about the possibilities that this is Muslim leader and that might be, but I do not think it is in the strictest sense. Moscow is Russian, and, even though there is a Muslim influence, the animosity is great. Turkey, on the other hand, is not only Islamic but their leader, Erdogan Princip, thinks of himself as the last Mahdi, potentially filling the role of the Antichrist. Should the Muslim world throw itself behind him, there would be little to stand in his way.
New adversaries in the north and east in the middle of the week after he has conquered and acquired control of the ten kingdoms of Revised Rome. He conquers these in the last three and a half years and then brings them into Palestine to destroy Israel as he intended to do in the middle of the week when he broke the covenant with them and planted his tabernacle in the glorious holy mountain.
Daniel 11:41 NASB "He will also enter the Beautiful Land, and many countries will fall, but these will be rescued out of his hand: Edom, Moab, and the foremost of the sons of Ammon.
- “He will also enter the Beautiful Land, and many countries will fall”
Any student of end-times events understands that the beast/antichrist persona will enter Jerusalem. What we don't seem to see is that other countries will fall as well. It truly seems that we are seeing prophecy played out before our eyes as several countries in the Middle East have had their leaders taken down and their countries left in piles of rubble. Syria is an ongoing process as we speak. Just because many of us live in the United States of America, we think we will be secure. I no longer think that will be the case.
- “but these will be rescued out of his hand: Edom, Moab and the foremost of the sons of Ammon.”
Why? That is a good question but it requires background knowledge and the prophetic look into the future. If we start with the fact that Edom was/is the eldest son of Isaac, that in itself answers nothing pertaining to the question as to why God will rescue them. Perhaps the answer is somewhat buried and requires diligence to sort it out.
- The Prophet Isaiah tells us,
Isaiah 11:14-15 NET. They will swoop down on the Philistine hills to the west; together they will loot the people of the east. They will take over Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites will be their subjects. 15) The LORD will divide the gulf of the Egyptian Sea; he will wave his hand over the Euphrates River and send a strong wind, he will turn it into seven dried-up streams, and enable them to walk across in their sandals.
“They,” in this passage, seems to be Judah. Judah was the Northern kingdom and seemed to be the bad seed. This is where we find King Ahab and his wife Jezebel. She also plays a significant role in end times events, as her name is associated with the Harlot (a rather surreal socio-economic empire) that rides the beast.
Revelation 17:3 Moffatt NT 3) So he bore me away rapt in the Spirit to the desert, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet Beast covered with blasphemous titles; it had seven heads and ten horns.
Revelation 17:16 MKJV and the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked. And they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.
So what we can ascertain from all this is that God deems Edom, Moab, and the Ammonites to have been punished enough and releases them from punishment.
Daniel 11:42 MKJV And he shall stretch out his hand on the lands. And the land of Egypt shall not escape.
- He, of course, is this person. While Antiochus Epiphanes may have done this, it applies to the near future as well. Egypt will not escape.
Ezekiel 29:14-15 NASB "I will turn the fortunes of Egypt and make them return to the land of Pathros, to the land of their origin, and there they will be a lowly kingdom. 15) "It will be the lowest of the kingdoms, and it will never again lift itself up above the nations. And I will make them so small that they will not rule over the nations.
Daniel 11:43 CJB he will control the treasures of gold and silver, as well as everything else in Egypt of value. Put, and Ethiopia will be subject to him.
We already went over Daniel 11:28 but note how it says, “Then the king of the north will return to his own land with great wealth;” CJB
Albert Barnes's commentary states, “Enriched with the spoils of Egypt. Having taken Memphis and the fairest portions of Egypt, he would, of course, carry great wealth to his own country on his return. Thus it is said in 1 Macc. 1:19: “Thus they got the strong cities in the land of Egypt, and he took the spoils thereof.”
Sadly, because they are Apocryphal books, we ignore the historical aspects of books like 1Maccabees, which confirms that this person spoils the strong cities of the land of Egypt. This includes Chad, Sudan, Somalia, Lybia, Nigeria, and anything along the northern coast of Africa.
Daniel 11:44 CJB However, news from the east and north will frighten him so that he moves out in great fury to ruin and completely do away with many.
- Everything we have seen so far points to a ruler in his attempts at global domination, but even that seems to evade him.
- Extend a line to the farthest eastern coastlands, and you will be in China. Since China is not Muslim-friendly, perhaps this plays a role.
- Merely because his goal is to do away with many does not mean he will be successful.
Daniel 11:45 CJB Finally, when he pitches the tents of his palace between the seas and the mountain of the holy Glory, he will come to his end with no one to help him.
- Tents, or as the KJV translates it, tabernacles. It is the Hebrew word 'ôhel and means a tent (as clearly conspicuous from a distance.)
- of his palace - ’appeḏen: A masculine noun indicating tent structure, a tented palace, pavilion.What can I ascertain from this?
- He is establishing a palace.
- It, at this point, is temporary.
- It is meant to be seen as; either that or he is attempting to be an affront to God.
- And that this is his last resting place on earth.How do I know that?
- “he will come to his end, with no one to help him.”
The next thing we see is Christ returning with His saints to slaughter everyone that chooses to fight against Him. The NASB entitles this explanatory section of the Bible, The Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
The epic battle begins in Revelation 19:6 and in Revelation 19:9 the speaker says to John the beloved, “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”
Verse 19:11 initiates the Rider on the white horse and there is little doubt that we are seeing Jesus upon this horse. Verse 13 indicates that His name is called, The Word of God.
In verse 14 He is followed by the armies of Heaven, also riding on white horses.
These have one purpose, which we find in verse 15: “That He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.
- Revelation 19:19-21 NASB 19) And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20) And the beast was seized, and with him, the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. 21) And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.
And thus ends chapter 11. This idea of a far distant future is not so far-fetched as Daniel chapter 12 continues on with, "Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued.” NASB
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