Daniel chapters 10-12 comprises one of the most detailed and
complex prophecies in the Bible. It
starts off with Daniel getting a heavenly visit which provides a rare glimpse
into how the angelic realm works.
The
Heavenly Visitor
Daniel 10:1 – 21 ASV
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1
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In
the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel,
whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, even a great
warfare: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision.
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בשׁנת שׁלושׁ
לכורשׁ מלך פרס דבר נגלה לדניאל אשׁר־נקרא שׁמו בלטשׁאצר ואמת הדבר וצבא גדול
ובין את־הדבר ובינה לו במראה
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2
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In
those days I, Daniel, was mourning three whole weeks.
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בימים ההם אני
דניאל הייתי מתאבל שׁלשׁה שׁבעים ימים
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3
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I
ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine into my mouth, neither did
I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.
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לחם חמדות לא
אכלתי ובשׂר ויין לא־בא אל־פי וסוך לא־סכתי עד־מלאת שׁלשׁת שׁבעים ימים
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4
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And
in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the
great river, which is Hiddekel,
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וביום עשׂרים
וארבעה לחדשׁ הראשׁון ואני הייתי על יד הנהר הגדול הוא חדקל
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5
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I
lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, a man clothed in linen, whose
loins were girded with pure gold of Uphaz:
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ואשׂא את־עיני
וארא והנה אישׁ־אחד לבושׁ בדים ומתניו חגרים בכתם אופז
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6
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his
body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning,
and his eyes as flaming torches, and his arms and his feet like unto
burnished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.
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וגויתו כתרשׁישׁ
ופניו כמראה ברק ועיניו כלפידי אשׁ וזרעתיו ומרגלתיו כעין נחשׁת קלל וקול דבריו
כקול המון
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7
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And
I, Daniel, alone saw the vision; for the men that were with me saw not the
vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, and they fled to hide themselves.
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וראיתי אני
דניאל לבדי את־המראה והאנשׁים אשׁר היו עמי לא ראו את־המראה אבל חרדה גדלה נפלה
עליהם ויברחו בהחבא
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8
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So
I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength
in me; for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no
strength.
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ואני נשׁארתי
לבדי ואראה את־המראה הגדלה הזאת ולא נשׁאר־בי כח והודי נהפך עלי למשׁחית ולא
עצרתי כח
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9
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Yet
heard I the voice of his words; and when I heard the voice of his words, then
was I fallen into a deep sleep on my face, with my face toward the ground.
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ואשׁמע את־קול
דבריו וכשׁמעי את־קול דבריו ואני הייתי נרדם על־פני ופני ארצה
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10
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And,
behold, a hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of
my hands.
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והנה־יד נגעה
בי ותניעני על־ברכי וכפות ידי
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11
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And
he said unto me, O Daniel, thou man greatly beloved, understand the words
that I speak unto thee, and stand upright; for unto thee am I now sent. And
when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling.
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ויאמר אלי
דניאל אישׁ־חמדות הבן בדברים אשׁר אנכי דבר אליך ועמד על־עמדך כי עתה שׁלחתי
אליך ובדברו עמי את־הדבר הזה עמדתי מרעיד
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12
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Then
said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel; for from the first day that thou didst set
thy heart to understand, and to humble thyself before thy God, thy words were
heard: and I am come for thy words' sake.
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ויאמר אלי
אל־תירא דניאל כי מן־היום הראשׁון אשׁר נתת את־לבך להבין ולהתענות לפני אלהיך
נשׁמעו דבריך ואני־באתי בדבריך
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13
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But
the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days; but,
lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me: and I remained there
with the kings of Persia.
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ושׂר מלכות
פרס עמד לנגדי עשׂרים ואחד יום והנה מיכאל אחד השׂרים הראשׁנים בא לעזרני ואני
נותרתי שׁם אצל מלכי פרס
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14
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Now
I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter
days; for the vision is yet for many days:
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ובאתי להבינך
את אשׁר־יקרה לעמך באחרית הימים כי־עוד חזון לימים
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15
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and
when he had spoken unto me according to these words, I set my face toward the
ground, and was dumb.
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ובדברו עמי
כדברים האלה נתתי פני ארצה ונאלמתי
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16
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And,
behold, one in the likeness of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened
my mouth, and spake and said unto him that stood before me, O my lord, by
reason of the vision my sorrows are turned upon me, and I retain no strength.
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והנה כדמות
בני אדם נגע על־שׂפתי ואפתח־פי ואדברה ואמרה אל־העמד לנגדי אדני במראה נהפכו
צירי עלי ולא עצרתי כח
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17
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For
how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me,
straightway there remained no strength in me, neither was there breath left
in me.
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והיך יוכל עבד
אדני זה לדבר עם־אדני זה ואני מעתה לא־יעמד־בי כח ונשׁמה לא נשׁארה־בי
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18
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Then
there touched me again one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened
me.
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ויסף ויגע־בי
כמראה אדם ויחזקני
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19
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And
he said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea,
be strong. And when he spake unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my
lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me.
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ויאמר אל־תירא
אישׁ־חמדות שׁלום לך חזק וחזק וכדברו עמי התחזקתי ואמרה ידבר אדני כי חזקתני
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20
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Then
said he, Knowest thou wherefore I am come unto thee? and now will I return to
fight with the prince of Persia: and when I go forth, lo, the prince of
Greece shall come.
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ויאמר הידעת
למה־באתי אליך ועתה אשׁוב להלחם עם־שׂר פרס ואני יוצא והנה שׂר־יון בא
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21
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But
I will tell thee that which is inscribed in the writing of truth: and there
is none that holdeth with me against these, but Michael your prince.
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אבל אגיד לך
את־הרשׁום בכתב אמת ואין אחד מתחזק עמי על־אלה כי אם־מיכאל שׂרכם
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Daniel 11:1 ASV
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1
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And
as for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and
strengthen him.
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ואני בשׁנת
אחת לדריושׁ המדי עמדי למחזיק ולמעוז לו
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The
Coming of the Kings
Daniel’s visitor begins to tell him the outline of events leading
to the end of the world.
Daniel 11:2-4
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2
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And
now will I show thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings
in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and when he is
waxed strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of
Greece.
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ועתה אמת אגיד
לך הנה־עוד שׁלשׁה מלכים עמדים לפרס והרביעי יעשׁיר עשׁר־גדול מכל וכחזקתו
בעשׁרו יעיר הכל את מלכות יון
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3
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And
a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do
according to his will.
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ועמד מלך גבור
ומשׁל ממשׁל רב ועשׂה כרצונו
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4
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And
when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided
toward the four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to
his dominion wherewith he ruled; for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even
for others besides these.
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וכעמדו תשׁבר
מלכותו ותחץ לארבע רוחות השׁמים ולא לאחריתו ולא כמשׁלו אשׁר משׁל כי תנתשׁ
מלכותו ולאחרים מלבד־אלה
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The vision starts during the reign of Cyrus king of Persia. Verse 1 of chapter 11 mentions Darius the
Mede. Daniel 5 and 6 indicate that
Darius the Mede was a person who was set up as ruler over Babylon after its
conquest by Cyrus. However, there
doesn’t appear to be direct evidence of this in the non-Biblical records. Historians have often criticized the
historical reliability of the book of Daniel for this. Believers have proposed several different
solutions to harmonize this with the historical record. Unfortunately, they all seem to have their
strengths and weaknesses. I leave it up
to the reader to decide. The important
thing here is to clarify that the vision takes place during the reign of
Cyrus.
Daniel 11:2
2 And now will I show thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up
yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all:
and when he is waxed strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against
the realm of Greece.
Here are the first 5 kings of Persia.
Cyrus the
Great, 559– 530
Cambyses, 530–
522
Bardiya, 522
Darius I, 522–
486
Xerxes I, 486–
465[1]
The fourth king after Cyrus was Xerxes I. He was the king who led the largest and most
famous of the Persian wars against Greece.
This is the war that was immortalized in Herodotus’s “Histories”. One of the most famous battles of the war was
fought at the pass of Thermopylae where 300 Spartans and their allies held off
the Persian army for several days before being overrun and killed.[2]
Daniel 11:3-4
3 And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall
rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.
4 And when he
shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the
four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion
wherewith he ruled; for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others
besides these.
Alexander the Great was the Greek king who truly earned his nickname. The Greek cities were fiercely independent by
nature. Phillip of Macedon began the
work of defeating the Greek city states and uniting them under a common
authority and planned to conquer Persia.
When he died, his son Alexander succeeded him. “At the time of Philip’s death in the summer
of 336, there was thus open war between Persian and Macedonian forces in
Hellespontine Phrygia. This was the war that Alexander inherited. Alexander was
twenty years old when he became king, having been tutored by the philosopher
Aristotle and groomed for kingship by governing Macedon while his father was on
campaign, when Alexander was not campaigning with him. Between 336 and 334,
Alexander consolidated Macedonian power in Thrace and in Greece.”[3]
Alexander conquered the known world by the age of thirty-two. Alexander’s main objective was conquering the
Persians, which he did in just a few years.[4]
The Bible says that the kingdom would “be divided toward the four winds of heaven, but
not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion wherewith he ruled; for his
kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others besides these”. “He was asked to whom he left his
kingdom. Since he had no obvious heir,
this was an urgent question. ‘To the
strongest,’ he replied. He also declared
– his last recorded words – that ‘all his foremost friends would hold a great
funeral contest over him’”[5]
Alexander’s empire didn’t pass to his family.
Instead, his generals set up their own kingdoms and fought for several
decades for control. By 276 B.C.E.the
Antigonid, Seleucid and Ptolemaic
dynasties were firmly established and the foundations had been laid for the Attalid dynasty.[6] These
formed the primary powers of the Hellenistic world.
The
Hellenistic Kings
Now the prophecy begins to describe the Hellenistic world up until
the rise of Rome.
Daniel 11:5
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5
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And
the king of the south shall be strong, and one
of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his
dominion shall be a great dominion.
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ויחזק
מלך־הנגב ומן־שׂריו ויחזק עליו ומשׁל ממשׁל רב ממשׁלתו
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Ptolemy (King of the South) took control of Egypt while Seleucus
(King of the North) took control of Babylon.
Geographically, their empires were more northeast and southwest. But, from the perspective of Palestine, their
armies would always approach from the north and south respectively. The Seleucid Empire (King of the North)
became the larger of the two.
Daniel 11:6
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6
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And
at the end of years they shall join themselves together; and the daughter of
the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an
agreement: but she shall not retain the strength of her arm; neither shall he
stand, nor his arm; but she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and
he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in those times.
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ולקץ שׁנים
יתחברו ובת מלך־הנגב תבוא אל־מלך הצפון לעשׂות מישׁרים ולא־תעצר כוח הזרוע ולא
יעמד וזרעו ותנתן היא ומביאיה והילדה ומחזקה בעתים
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Ptolemy II (the current Ptolemaic ruler) (King of the South) lost
much territory to Antiochus II (the current Seleucid ruler) (King of the
North). He decided to make peace through
a marriage alliance. He offered
Antiochus II (King of the North) his daughter, Berenice Syra, in marriage along
with a vast dowry. Antiochus II (King of
the North) divorced his wife, Laodice, in order to marry Berenice. Antiochus II (King of the North) fell ill and
died shortly after the marriage. Some
suspected he had been poisoned in Ephesus where Laodice was residing. Ptolemy II (King of the South) also passed
away about this time. Berenice bore the
king a son and she and Laodice competed to put each of their sons on the
throne. Soon after, Berenice and her son
were assassinated, probably by agents of Laodice, assuring Seleucus II’s
ascension to the throne.[7]
Daniel 11:7-9
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7
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But
out of a shoot from her roots shall one stand up in his place, who shall come
unto the army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north,
and shall deal against them, and shall prevail.
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ועמד מנצר
שׁרשׁיה כנו ויבא אל־החיל ויבא במעוז מלך הצפון ועשׂה בהם והחזיק
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8
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And
also their gods, with their molten images, and
with their goodly vessels of silver and of gold, shall he carry captive into
Egypt; and he shall refrain some years from the king of the north.
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וגם אלהיהם
עם־נסכיהם עם־כלי חמדתם כסף וזהב בשׁבי יבא מצרים והוא שׁנים יעמד ממלך הצפון
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9
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And
he shall come into the realm of the king of the south, but he shall return
into his own land.
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ובא במלכות
מלך הנגב ושׁב אל־אדמתו
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Berenice’s brother, Ptolemy III (King of the South) and Seleucus II
(King of the North) fought the Third Syrian (aka Laodicean) War as a result of
these events. Ptolemy III (King of the
South) won a great number of victories and new territories. One of the most significant being
Seleucia-in-Pieria, the major port of trade for Antioch. He also recovered sacred statues taken by the
Persians and returned them to their temples.
They finally signed a peace treaty which ceded much of Syria to Ptolemy. The loss of Seleucia-in-Pieria was a great
loss to Seleucus II (King of the North) and they constantly quarreled over the
Syrian frontier. However, the Seleucids
didn’t recover their lost territory until the following generation.[8]
Daniel 10:11-12
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10
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And
his sons shall war, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces, which
shall come on, and overflow, and pass through; and they shall return and war,
even to his fortress.
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ובנו יתגרו
ואספו המון חילים רבים ובא בוא ושׁטף ועבר וישׁב ויתגרו עד־מעזה
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11
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And
the king of the south shall be moved with anger, and shall come forth and
fight with him, even with the king of the north; and he shall set forth a
great multitude, and the multitude shall be given into his hand.
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ויתמרמר מלך
הנגב ויצא ונלחם עמו עם־מלך הצפון והעמיד המון רב ונתן ההמון בידו
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12
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And
the multitude shall be lifted up, and his heart shall be exalted; and he
shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail.
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ונשׂא ההמון
ירום לבבו והפיל רבאות ולא יעוז
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Upon Seleucus
II’s (King of the North) death, two of his sons ended up succeeding him. Both of them went on war campaigns. The eldest, Seleucus III (King of the North)
reigned for three years before being assassinated while he was campaigning
against Attalus I. His cousin, Achaeus,
placed Seleucus’s brother Antiochus III (King of the North) on the throne. 265
Antiochus III (King of the North) campaigned against Ptolemy IV (King of
the South) to recover Coele-Syria territory back to the gates of Egypt. He was very successful up until the battle at
Raphia in Palestine (217 B.C.), just outside the Egyptian frontier. Ptolemy IV (King of the South) won the battle
and Antiochus III (King of the North) lost most of the territory he had
recovered. Ptolemy IV (King of the
South) shattered the Seleucid phalanx at the largest formal battle since
Ipsus. But, he was self-absorbed and
indolent and failed to press his advantage to defeat the Seleucids. He settled for the status quo.[9]
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13
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And
the king of the north shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater
than the former; and he shall come on at the end of the times, even of years, with a great army and with much
substance.
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ושׁב מלך
הצפון והעמיד המון רב מן־הראשׁון ולקץ העתים שׁנים יבוא בוא בחיל גדול וברכושׁ
רב
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14
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And
in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south: also
the children of the violent among thy people shall lift themselves up to
establish the vision; but they shall fall.
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ובעתים ההם
רבים יעמדו על־מלך הנגב ובני פריצי עמך ינשׂאו להעמיד חזון ונכשׁלו
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15
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So
the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mound, and take a well-fortified
city: and the forces of the south shall not stand, neither his chosen people,
neither shall there be any strength to stand.
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ויבא מלך
הצפון וישׁפך סוללה ולכד עיר מבצרות וזרעות הנגב לא יעמדו ועם מבחריו ואין כח
לעמד
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Upon the death
of Ptolemy IV (King of the South), his five year old son, Ptolemy V (King of
the South), succeeded him. There was an
unusually bloody conflict over the regency (Ptolemy V being only a child) and
he ended up being passed from one ambitious advisor to another. Antiochus III (King of the North) saw his
opportunity. H amassed an army and swept
through Coele-Syria, giving Ptolemaic (King of the South) forces a crushing
blow at Panion. He achieved complete
subjugation of Coele-Syria by 198 B.C.[10]
The second half of verse 14 provides us with a
view of the up and coming power. The ASV
renders it “the children of the violent among thy people”. The KJV renders verse 14 this way:
14 And in those times there shall many stand up
against the king of the south: also the robbers of thy people shall exalt
themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fall.
The “thy people” refers to the Jews. This is obvious because the prophecy is being
given to a Jew. The kingdom that destroyed
the Jewish nation was Rome, which was coming on the scene at this time. In fact, it got itself involved in the
politics of this war and told Antiochus III (King of the North) not to invade
Egypt. Antiochus III (King of the North)
complied with this and contented himself with conquering Coele-Syria.[11] At this time they began to exalt themselves
and establish their vision of world dominance, but they eventually fell.
But, what justification is there to prefer the
KJV translation of this verse over the ASV?
There are several reasons.
First, I must admit that it is more convenient
for me because it fits better into my understanding of the next few
verses. However, convenience isn’t a
good justification.
If the ASV translation was correct, then it
would indicate the actions of a militant faction of Jews coming into play at
this time. We don’t have any historical
proof of such a group, which lends historical evidence for the KJV
translation.
The underlying Hebrew is:
ובני
פריצי עמך
(ubene paritse ammeka)
The first word (ubene ובני) means “the ones”. The second word (פריצי
paritse) is defined by Strong’s as “destroyer, ravenous, robber”. The third word (עמך ammeka) means “of your people”. So, the Hebrew can be translated either
way.
The KJV translation is also supported by the Septuagint,
which renders it:
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And in those times many shall rise up against
the king of the south; and the children of the spoilers of thy people shall
exalt themselves to establish the vision; and they shall fail.
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καὶ ἐν τοῖς καιροῖς ἐκείνοις πολλοὶ ἐπαναστήσονται ἐπὶ
βασιλέα τοῦ νότου· καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ τῶν λοιμῶν τοῦ λαοῦ σου ἐπαρθήσονται τοῦ στῆσαι
ὅρασιν καὶ ἀσθενήσουσιν.
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For these reasons, I think verse 14 refers to
the robbers or destroyers of the Jews, as indicated by the KJV translation.
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16
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But
he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall
stand before him; and he shall stand in the glorious land, and in his hand
shall be destruction.
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ויעשׂ הבא
אליו כרצונו ואין עומד לפניו ויעמד בארץ־הצבי וכלה בידו
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Daniel 7 describes the fourth beast, Rome, as a
great destroyer. This verse describes
one that comes against the King of the North who no one stands before. This power enters the glorious land (Palestine)
and is a destroyer. The Roman General
Pompey conquered Jerusalem and the remainder of the Seleucid kingdom in 63 B.C.[12] The verses so far have presented an outline
of the Seleucid dynasty up until the time when the Roman empire was coming on
the scene. With the destruction of the
Seleucids, Rome now takes its place as the King of the North.
|
17
|
And
he shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and
with him equitable conditions; and he shall perform them: and he shall give
him the daughter of women, to corrupt her; but she shall not stand, neither
be for him.
|
וישׂם פניו
לבוא בתקף כל־מלכותו וישׁרים עמו ועשׂה ובת הנשׁים יתן־לו להשׁחיתה ולא תעמד
ולא־לו תהיה
|
|
18
|
After
this shall he turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many: but a prince
shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; yea, moreover, he shall
cause his reproach to turn upon him. KJV
Afterward he shall turn his face to the coastlands and shall
capture many of them, but a commander shall put an end to his insolence.
Indeed, he shall turn his insolence back upon him. ESV
|
וישׁב פניו
לאיים ולכד רבים והשׁבית קצין חרפתו לו בלתי חרפתו ישׁיב לו
|
|
19
|
Then
he shall turn his face toward the fortresses of his own land; but he shall
stumble and fall, and shall not be found.
|
וישׁב פניו
למעוזי ארצו ונכשׁל ונפל ולא ימצא
|
|
|
|
|
The
Roman Republic
The word translated as “corrupt” is להשׁחיתה (lə·haš·ḥî·ṯāh)
which Strong’s defines as " batter, cast off, corrupter, thing,
destroyer lose, mar, perish, spill".
Caesar
(King of the North) expanded and strengthened Roman power throughout the
Mediterranean world. During his war with
Pompey for control, Pompey fled to Egypt, which was involved in its own civil
war. Ptolemy XIII (King of the South) had Pompey beheaded in
hopes of persuading Caesar to side with him in his dispute with his sister/wife
Cleopatra. Ptolemy hoped Caesar would
help him defeat (lə·haš·ḥî·ṯāh) Cleopatra. However, it backfired. Caesar and Cleopatra began an affair and he
helped her gain sole control over the throne.
However, her reign would not last.
She sided with Mark Anthony against Caesar’s successor, Augustus, before
Augustus defeated them both and conquered Egypt, making it a Roman province.
After he began his affair with Cleopatra,
Caesar quickly got her pregnant, which put him in the position of potentially
having a son on the throne of Egypt. He
fought the Alexandrian war and went on campaign in Africa, which increased his
power.
Upon his return to Rome he was showered with
unprecedented honors, including four triumphs and a ten year dictatorship. He seems to have even been considering having
himself and Cleopatra deified. However,
he eventually reached too far and was assassinated without achieving his dreams
of becoming emperor.[13]
Imperial
Rome
|
20
|
Then
shall stand up in his place one that shall cause an exactor to pass through
the glory of the kingdom; but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither
in anger, nor in battle. ASV
Then
shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in
the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither
in anger, nor in battle. KJV
|
ועמד על־כנו
מעביר נוגשׂ הדר מלכות ובימים אחדים ישׁבר ולא באפים ולא במלחמה
|
Julius Caesar’s successor, Caesar Augustus, was
successful in establishing himself as emperor of Rome. He is best known in the Bible for his taxes.
Luke 2:1-3
|
1
|
And it came to pass in those days, that there
went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.
|
εγενετο δε εν ταις ημεραις εκειναις εξηλθεν
δογμα παρα καισαρος αυγουστου απογραφεσθαι πασαν την οικουμενην
|
|
2
|
(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius
was governor of Syria.)
|
αυτη απογραφη πρωτη εγενετο ηγεμονευοντος της
συριας κυρηνιου
|
|
3
|
And all went to be taxed, every one into his
own city.
|
και επορευοντο παντες απογραφεσθαι εκαστος
εις την εαυτου πολιν
|
Unlike his predecessor, Augustus lived to an
old age and avoided assassination or death in battle.
Papal
Rome
.
|
21
|
And
in his place shall stand up a contemptible person, to whom they had not given
the honor of the kingdom: but he shall come in time of security, and shall obtain
the kingdom by flatteries. ASV
And
in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the
honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom
by flatteries. KJV
|
ועמד על־כנו
נבזה ולא־נתנו עליו הוד מלכות ובא בשׁלוה והחזיק מלכות בחלקלקות
|
|
22
|
And
the overwhelming forces shall be overwhelmed from before him, and shall be
broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant.
|
וזרעות השׁטף
ישׁטפו מלפניו וישׁברו וגם נגיד ברית
|
|
23
|
And
after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully; for he shall come
up, and shall become strong, with a small people.
|
ומן־התחברות
אליו יעשׂה מרמה ועלה ועצם במעט־גוי
|
|
24
|
In
time of security shall he come even upon the fattest places of the province;
and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers'
fathers; he shall scatter among them prey, and spoil, and substance: yea, he
shall devise his devices against the strongholds, even for a time.
|
בשׁלוה
ובמשׁמני מדינה יבוא ועשׂה אשׁר לא־עשׂו אבתיו ואבות אבתיו בזה ושׁלל ורכושׁ להם
יבזור ועל מבצרים יחשׁב מחשׁבתיו ועד־עת
|
The Roman Empire ends and the Roman
Catholic Church takes its place. Pope Vigilius came to power through his
intrigues with the Empress Theodora, marking the beginning of the 1260 year
dominance of the Little Horn. He came to
power through Belisarius’s defeat of the Vandals and Ostrogoths, which brought
Imperial power back to the region, even if it was only short lived. He was not a king and was not given the honor
of the kingdom. See section on the Rise
of the Little Horn in Daniel 7 for more detail.
Before he was able to come to power,
the Western Roman armies, which had once overwhelmed Jerusalem, were themselves
overwhelmed by the barbarian armies. The last Western Roman emperor to succeed
Vespatian (the “prince of the covenant” who brought Imperial control to many
Palestinian cities through agreements) was removed. This alludes to the breaking of the power
that destroyed Jerusalem in Daniel 9:25-27.
See section on The Covenant
Confirmed For One Week in Daniel 9 for more detail.
The
Papacy Versus the Islamic World
|
25
|
And
he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with
a great army; and the king of the south shall war in battle with an exceeding
great and mighty army; but he shall not stand; for they shall devise devices
against him.
|
ויער כחו
ולבבו על־מלך הנגב בחיל גדול ומלך הנגב יתגרה למלחמה בחיל־גדול ועצום עד־מאד ולא
יעמד כי־יחשׁבו עליו מחשׁבות
|
|
26
|
Yea,
they that eat of his dainties shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow;
and many shall fall down slain.
|
ואכלי פת־בגו
ישׁברוהו וחילו ישׁטוף ונפלו חללים רבים
|
|
27
|
And
as for both these kings, their hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall
speak lies at one table: but it shall not prosper; for yet the end shall be at
the time appointed.
|
ושׁניהם
המלכים לבבם למרע ועל־שׁלחן אחד כזב ידברו ולא תצלח כי־עוד קץ למועד
|
Egypt, the
former King of the South, was conquered by the Roman Republic, the former King
of the North. However, we now have a new
King of the South, just as we have a new King of the North. Arabia, Palestine, Egypt, North Africa, had
all been conquered in the Arab expansion and were now part of the Islamic
world.[14] The spiritual center of the Islamic world was
in Mecca, which is to the south and east of Jerusalem. The spiritual center of the Christian world
was in Rome, which is to the north and west of Jerusalem.
In 1095 Pope
Urban II called on all of the Christian world to take up arms against the
Muslims and take back Palestine from the Arabs and put it back into Christian
hands. Christians responded in droves
and assembled a massive army.[15]
The Byzantine
(Eastern Roman) Empire had lost Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Turkey and so on, to
the Muslims. Now, the Muslims were
engaged in fighting amongst themselves, which provided the ideal time for the
crusade.[16]
The crusaders
were successful in their conquest of Palestine and, most importantly,
Jerusalem. When they took Jerusalem, the
Christians went through the streets, slaughtering every Moslem man, woman and
child they could find. The Jews tried to
escape the slaughter by hiding in their chief synagogue, which the Christians
then burnt, killing everyone inside.
When Raymond of Aguilers ascended the Temple Mount where al-Aqsa Mosque
is located, he said that he had to pick through blood and corpses that reached
to his knees.[17]
The Crusades
saw a large amount of treachery and deceit.
For example, they promised protection to the citizens of the city of
Maarat an-Numan if they surrendered, only to slaughter the men and sell the
women and children as slaves. The
Byzantine emperor secretly attempted to maintain good relations with the Fatimid
rulers in Egypt because he wasn’t too concerned with Palestine, nor did he
trust the crusaders. He knew the
Orthodox Christians there generally fared better under the Islamic Fatimid
rulers than under the Catholic Christian crusaders. The entire history of the crusades is filled
with lies and betrayal like this.[18]
This is the
first reference to the time appointed.
It is mentioned in verses 27, 29 and 35.
Verse 27 refers to the crusades ending in the time appointed. Verse 29 mentions the King of the North
trying to attack the King of the South again at the time appointed, but being
unsuccessful. Verse 35 implies that the
time appointed ends at the time of the end.
The time prophecy that seems to fit this best, in my opinion, is the
second woe announced by the sixth trumpet of Revelation 9. The second woe is prepared for an hour, a
day, a month and a year. This runs from
1449 to 1840. See the section on the
trumpets of Revelation 8-11 for more detail.
I believe that it fits these references because the woe is prepared for
a special time, it involves the Islamic-Christian conflicts, and it begins
after the crusades and ends in the time of the end. The prophecy in Daniel 11 doesn’t lay out
this time period, but the events it describes seem to be described with this
time period in mind. The events
described as happening before the appointed time and ending with the appointed
time happen before 1449. The events
described as happening in the appointed time happen between 1449 and 1840. The events described as happening after the
appointed time happen after 1840.
|
28
|
Then
shall he return into his land with great substance; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do
his pleasure, and return to his own land.
|
וישׁב ארצו
ברכושׁ גדול ולבבו על־ברית קדשׁ ועשׂה ושׁב לארצו
|
Many Europeans went on crusade in search of
wealth. They took back much treasure as
well as relics. These Christians did not
live in accordance with the teachings of Christ and the covenant he
established. Many of them went on
crusade purely out of greed. Ultimately,
none of the crusader states lasted. They
were all eventually reconquered by the Muslims and the crusaders returned to
Europe.
|
29
|
At
the time appointed he shall return, and come into the south; but it shall not
be in the latter time as it was in the former.
|
למועד ישׁוב
ובא בנגב ולא־תהיה כראשׁנה וכאחרנה
|
|
30
|
For
ships of Kittim shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and
shall return, and have indignation against the holy covenant, and shall do his pleasure: he shall even return, and have regard
unto them that forsake the holy covenant.
|
ובאו בו ציים
כתים ונכאה ושׁב וזעם על־ברית־קודשׁ ועשׂה ושׁב ויבן על־עזבי ברית קדשׁ
|
I discussed before that I believe
the time appointed corresponds to the second woe, announced by the sixth trumpet,
running from 1449 to 1840.
In order to identify the events in
these verses, we need to understand what is meant by Kittim. The ancient Jewish historian Josephus tells
us that:
Cethimus possessed the island
Cethima: it is now called Cyprus; and from that it is that all islands, and the
greatest part of the sea-coasts, are named Cethim by the Hebrews:[19]
We can see that the islands and
sea-coasts of the eastern Mediterranean were part of the Ottoman (Islamic)
Empire during this period. So, any sea battles
conducted by the Ottomans could be accurately described as using ships from
Kittim.
The pope assembled the Holy League
to crusade against the Ottomans. They
engaged on 27 September 1538 off the coast of Preveza and the Europeans were
soundly defeated. This led to decades of
Ottoman dominance in the Mediterranean.
Their fortunes did change at the battle of Lepanto in September 1571
when the pope again assembled an alliance of Christian nations and managed to
defeat the Ottoman navy. This battle
stopped the advance of the Ottomans, but the Christians did not make the
territorial gains like the First Crusade.[21]
The focus of this prophecy now turns
to the battles the Papacy waged against those in the Christian world who were
trying to keep the Holy Covenant established by Jesus. The Protestant Reformation had begun and a
war was beginning in Christendom.
The
Papacy Versus the Christians
|
31
|
And
forces shall stand on his part, and they shall profane the sanctuary, even
the fortress, and shall take away the continual burnt-offering,
and they shall set up the abomination that maketh desolate.
|
וזרעים ממנו
יעמדו וחללו המקדשׁ המעוז והסירו התמיד ונתנו השׁקוץ משׁומם
|
The last few
verses were focusing on the medieval church’s battles against external forces,
namely the Islamic world. The next few
verses introduce the Protestant Reformation which was becoming a major movement
about this time. The name “Protestant”
indicates a protester. Verse 31 explains
what the Protestants are protesting against.
They were protesting against the corruption and false teachings of the
Church.
When
interpreting these prophecies, we should be let the way the prophecy is laid
out inform our interpretation of it. In
this case, the verses before and the verses after 31 cover two different
themes. The events in the next theme largely
take place after the events in the first theme.
However, verse 31 provides the background information for the events in
this new theme. Hence, it is listed
here, even though it takes place much earlier.
The events are still chronological within the theme, even if the two
themes overlap some.
You will
immediately notice that it uses the same language as was used to describe the
activities of the little horn in Daniel 8.
So, this helps us provide us pinpoint those events more precisely.
First, we need
to establish if this is the same abomination of desolation mentioned in Daniel
9. In Daniel 9 Pagan Rome set up an
abomination of desolation when they attempted to capture the temple mount. Daniel 9 describes the Roman leadership as
setting up a covenant with those cities who submitted to Rome and describes how
it destroyed Jerusalem with an overwhelming flood of soldiers. In this prophecy, the current King of the
North (Papal Rome) comes up after the prince of the covenant (Pagan Roman
leadership) is broken and the overwhelming forces are themselves
overwhelmed. So, the abomination of desolation
it sets up is different.
It profanes the
sanctuary. Since the sanctuary on earth
has already been destroyed, it can only be talking about the heavenly
sanctuary, which the little horn in Daniel 8 profanes. The vision in Daniel 8 also involves the “continual burnt-offering, and the transgression that maketh desolate”. Daniel 12 provides some more explanation for
this vision using the same “how long” we saw in Daniel 8. From all of this we can see that both the
Pagan and Papal phases of Rome set up an abomination of desolation which
involves an assault on the sanctuary.
Both of these are talked about in the prophecies of Daniel. Pagan Rome made a literal assault on the sanctuary
on earth, which foreshadowing the spiritual assault on the sanctuary in heaven
made by Papal Rome.
Daniel 12 gives
us the time period for this.
Daniel 12:6-7,
11-12
6 And one said to the man clothed in linen, who
was above the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these
wonders?
7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was
above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand
unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time,
times, and a half; and when they have made an end of breaking in pieces the
power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.
------------------------------------------------------
11 And from the time that the continual
burnt-offering shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate
set up, there shall be a thousand and two hundred and ninety days.
12 Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the
thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.
We know from our study in Daniel 7 that the
time, times and a half refer to the 1260 year period from 538 C.E. to 1798
C.E. Verse 11 states that counting from
the taking away of the continual burnt-offering would be 1290 days
(years). Why? Because it indicates that
the taking away of the continual burnt-offering leads to the setting up of the
abomination of desolation. So, we should
find something in 508 C.E. that led up to the establishment of the authority of
the medieval church in 538 C.E. If you
recall from the study in Daniel 7, there were three Arian kingdoms whose
destruction helped establish the Trinitarian church’s authority over Western
Europe. You may also recall that the
first of these kingdoms was destroyed and its people scattered in 508 C.E.,
exactly as this prophecy indicates.
So, the abomination of desolation lasts from
538 C.E. to 1798 C.E. The taking away of
the continual or daily (remember, the “burnt-offering” or “sacrifice” is
supplied by the translators), the spiritual assault on the sanctuary in heaven,
begins in 508 C.E. However, this problem
doesn’t begin to be corrected until later.
Verse 12 blesses those who wait until the end of the 1335 days
(years). This comes down to 1843. This perfectly lines up with the cleansing of
the sanctuary in heaven predicted in Daniel 8.
This also provides a cross-reference in the Bible to check the accuracy
of the interpretation of the date in Daniel 8 since we don’t have a major
political event on earth to check it against.
|
32
|
And
such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he pervert by flatteries; but
the people that know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.
|
ומרשׁיעי ברית
יחניף בחלקות ועם ידעי אלהיו יחזקו ועשׂו
|
|
33
|
And
they that are wise among the people shall instruct many; yet they shall fall
by the sword and by flame, by captivity and by spoil, many days.
|
ומשׂכילי עם
יבינו לרבים ונכשׁלו בחרב ובלהבה בשׁבי ובבזה ימים
|
|
34
|
Now
when they shall fall, they shall be helped with a little help; but many shall
join themselves unto them with flatteries.
|
ובהכשׁלם
יעזרו עזר מעט ונלוו עליהם רבים בחלקלקות
|
Those who
corrupted the true teachings of God were given places of honor and power. For example, the Borgia and Medici families
were both known for their wealth, power and corruption and both produced
multiple popes. The church’s most famous
corruption was the selling of indulgences, which allowed people to have their
sins forgiven in exchange for a donation to the church. This meant that the
wealthy could literally buy their way out of hell, according to the
church. By these and other means, those
that did wickedly were perverted further by the flatteries of the church.
Some people
began to realize that these corruptions were not in line with the Scriptures
and began to push for reform. The
Protestant Reformation is traditionally dated to 1517 when Martin Luther nailed
his 95 theses to the door, although there were some pushes for reform much
earlier. The Reformation brought with it
numerous wars and conflicts in Europe as Catholics and Protestants fought for
control.
The Protestants
were helped by rulers who joined their cause, some through religious sincerity,
and some for their own benefit. For
example, Henry VIII broke from the Catholic Church and made England a
Protestant nation. However, his main
motivation was the fact that the Church wouldn’t grant him a divorce so he
could change wives. The Church of
England still maintains many of the theologies and traditions of Catholicism.
|
35
|
And
some of them that are wise shall fall, to refine them, and to purify, and to
make them white, even to the time of the end; because it is yet for the time
appointed.
|
ומן־המשׂכילים
יכשׁלו לצרוף בהם ולברר וללבן עד־עת קץ כי־עוד למועד
|
This states that some of those among the wise
(the reformers) would fall so that the people can be purified and made white,
presumably through persecution. It also
mentions the time of the end which seems to immediately follow the time
appointed. One more piece of evidence
that the time appointed corresponds with the second woe of 1449 to 1840 is that
the timeline we looked at earlier indicates that the corrupt church’s rule
would be from 538 to 1798, but the sanctuary in heaven would start to be
cleansed in 1843, right after the end of the second woe. This verse would seem to indicate that the
time of the end begins around this time.
This verse seems to indicate that the following verses will be a
summary of events during the church’s reign.
|
36
|
And
the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and
magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against
the God of gods; and he shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished;
for that which is determined shall be done.
|
ועשׂה כרצונו
המלך ויתרומם ויתגדל על־כל־אל ועל אל אלים ידבר נפלאות והצליח עד־כלה זעם כי
נחרצה נעשׂתה
|
The core tenant
of the Protestant Reformation was that the Scriptures were the ultimate
authority, not the church. Many of the
early reformers, such as Martin Luther, were sincerely trying to reform the
Catholic Church instead of splitting the church into different
denominations.
However, the Catholic Church would not yield its authority to
Scriptures and arguments based on Scripture.
It launched the counter-reformation which aimed to preserver Catholicism
in predominantly Catholic countries and reconvert formerly Catholic countries. It was a comprehensive effort which included eecclesiastical
reconfiguration, new religious orders, spiritual movements, and political
dimensions. These included the Roman
Inquisition and an increasing devotion to Mary, the mother of Jesus. Marian piety experienced and unprecedented
growth. For example, the victory of the
Battle of Lepanto in 1571 was attributed to Mary.[22] This is in contrast to the principle laid out
in the Lord’s Prayer that our prayers are to be addressed to God himself.
|
37
|
Neither
shall he regard the gods of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard
any god; for he shall magnify himself above all.
|
ועל־אלהי
אבתיו לא יבין ועל־חמדת נשׁים ועל־כל־אלוה לא יבין כי על־כל יתגדל
|
Just for clarification, the word translated as
“gods” is Elohim which is technically plural, but can refer to a single
person. For example, Moses is called
Elohim in Exodus 7:1. Some translations
render it “God” instead of “gods”. If
the entire chapter was prophesying about the Hellenistic world, like many
people argue, then “gods” would be a more appropriate translation. If the argument presented here is correct and
clues in the prophecy indicate that it transitions to the Roman Empire and the
Roman Church, then “God” more accurately translates what it is saying. The Church does not promote the true
teachings of God, no matter what it claims.
Of course the reference to not regarding the
“desire of women” is talking about the practice of celibacy in the Church.
And the Church continued to magnify its own
power rather than humbling itself and following the Scriptures.
|
38
|
But
in his place shall he honor the god of fortresses; and a god whom his fathers
knew not shall he honor with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and
pleasant things.
|
ולאלה מעזים
על־כנו יכבד ולאלוה אשׁר לא־ידעהו אבתיו יכבד בזהב ובכסף ובאבן יקרה ובחמדות
|
The Church built great cathedrals and
basilicas. Its devotion to Mary is
definitely not in line with Judaism, which Christianity emerged from. Also, while the Church does worship the God
of Abraham, it has redefined who God is.
Judaism is very strictly monotheistic in that there is only one person
who is truly God. There are numerous
example in the Old Testament where angelic and human representatives of God are
referred to as God (i.e. Exodus 7:1, Judges 13:21-22), but this signifies that
they have received authority from God (Matthew 28:18, Acts 2:36). However, the Church teaches that God is
composed of three persons.
|
39
|
And
he shall deal with the strongest fortresses by the help of a foreign god:
whosoever acknowledgeth him he will increase
with glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the
land for a price.
|
ועשׂה למבצרי
מעזים עם־אלוה נכר אשׁר הכיר ירבה כבוד והמשׁילם ברבים ואדמה יחלק במחיר
|
During the
height of the Church’s power, the kings of Europe submitted their authority to
the Church. For example, Napoleon became emperor when he was crowned emperor by
the Church. Of course, it was Napoleon
who later had the pope imprisoned, which signified that the 1260 year reign of
the Church had come to an end. Though,
in truth, its authority had been on the decline for several centuries, this act
signified that the decline was complete.
Future
Conflict between Christian World and Islamic World
|
40
|
And
at the time of the end shall the king of the south contend with him; and the
king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and
with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries,
and shall overflow and pass through.
|
ובעת קץ יתנגח
עמו מלך הנגב וישׂתער עליו מלך הצפון ברכב ובפרשׁים ובאניות רבות ובא בארצות
ושׁטף ועבר
|
I gave the
reasons earlier why the time of the end probably indicates events that happen
after the mid-1840s. In Revelation 13 we
learn that the Roman Catholic Church receives a deadly wound, which corresponds
to the end of the 1260 year reign in 1798.
It recovers from this wound and the world follows after it. We have already seen the beginning of this by
the fact that Protestants no longer do much protesting against
Catholicism. If you want to see how
different it used to be, read Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. Today, Protestants see the pope as a major
spiritual leader instead of someone to be feared and hated. Not only that, the pope is recognized as a
major world leader. The pope was granted
full sovereignty over the Vatican and it is now politically independent of
Italy. It is its own nation. The pope is becoming more involved in
reshaping the global political landscape.
For example, Pope John Paul II is credited with playing a major part in
bringing down the Soviet Union.[23]
The events
described from here on in this prophecy seem to take place when the pope is in
an even higher position of power than he is today. I am writing this in 2015 and it would be
tempting to see the conflicts of the last 14 years as a fulfillment of these
prophecies. The king of the South began
as the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt. The
Ptolemys were conquered by the Roman King of the North. Then Egypt was conquered by the Arabs and
became part of the Islamic world, which became the new King of the South. The King of the South wasn’t mentioned for a
while as the King of the North (Papal Rome) struggled against the Protestants. Now
the King of the South has come back on the scene. I don’t see anything in in the prophecy or
world history that would indicate that the King of the North has shifted away
from Papal Rome or that the King of the South has shifted away from the Islamic
world. In fact, many regions in the
Islamic world are named later in this prophecy and identified as territories of
the King of the South. So, the King of
the South is definitely a power based in the Arab world even if something
hypothetical happened to move away from Islam.
I don’t think the Arab world will move away from Islam, I’m just trying
to keep clear about what the prophecy definitely says versus human assumptions
about what it says.
I don’t want to
say too much about how I think things will unfold. The Biblical prophecies provide a broad
outline of the conflict between God and Satan.
It points out some specific events and shows how they fit into the
larger picture. This helps us to see how
God has had foreknowledge of events.
This gives credence to the events still in our future. However, we must keep in mind that they often
aren’t specific enough for us to predict the exact events very far in advance. But they are specific enough to help us
recognize the events when they happen and prepare for the events still coming
up. The prophecy shows us the overall
pattern.
Here we are
moving into our future. I will try not
to speculate too much, but instead figure out what we can know from the
prophecy. Although I will point out a
few things based on the text that I think are likely. The current conflicts in the Middle East could
be a precursor to the events in the prophecy, possibly even a fulfillment of
the contentions between the King of the South and the King of the North that
begin verse 40. However, since it seems
to be describing conflicts between Papal Rome (or a coalition of states
influenced by Papal Rome and mainstream churches) and the Islamic World, the
Papacy must be heavily involved in the events for them to be a fulfillment of
this prophecy. So far, the pope has not
played much of a role in the current conflicts.
This verse
opens a new wave of conflicts as the King of the South (Islamic World)
struggles against the King of the North (Papal Rome and allies). The King of the North (Papal Rome and allies)
leads a massive invasion of the territories of the King of the South (Islamic
World).
|
41
|
He
shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries
shall be overthrown; but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom, and
Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.
|
ובא בארץ הצבי
ורבות יכשׁלו ואלה ימלטו מידו אדום ומואב וראשׁית בני עמון
|
The glorious
land is obviously the Holy Land given by God to Abraham. Christians generally understand it to
correspond to the regions known as Israel and Palestine. On and interesting side note, while the
Promised Land included this territory, God promised Abraham all of the land
between the Nile and the Euphrates.
Genesis 15:18
|
18
|
In the same
day [Yehovah] made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given
this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
|
ביום ההוא כרת
יהוה את־אברם ברית לאמר לזרעך נתתי את־הארץ הזאת מנהר מצרים עד־הנהר הגדל
נהר־פרת
|
If you look at
a map of the Nile and Euphrates and all the territory between them, it contains
the much of the Middle East in general.
This is
significant for this prophecy because it mentions Edom, Moab and Ammon escaping
from the King of the North. If we look
at a map of these ancient territories, then look at a modern map, we can see
that they roughly correspond to the modern nation of Jordan.
There are many
countries who will be conquered by the King of the North (Papal alliance). The people represented by Jordan will
escape. Because we are talking about a
spiritual as well as military conflict, I think the prophecy is talking about
both real territories and the people symbolized by these nations, which can
include individuals not living in those territories. Spiritually, those who escape the King of the
North (Papal alliance) symbolize those who escape the false teachings of the
Papacy, as well as escape being killed by the King of the North. We will get into that later when we study the
Mark of the Beast in Revelation. Jesus
predicted that there would be many true followers of God from an eastern
background (Arab/Islamic) and western background (European/Christian) who would
be saved.
Matthew 8:11
|
11
|
And I say
unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down
with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
|
λεγω δε υμιν
οτι πολλοι απο ανατολων και δυσμων ηξουσιν και ανακλιθησονται μετα αβρααμ και
ισαακ και ιακωβ εν τη βασιλεια των ουρανων
|
It makes sense
that many sincere Muslims would escape from the Papal deceptions since the
Trinity is the core teaching of Catholicism.
The
mystery of the Trinity is the central doctrine of Catholic faith. Upon it are
based all other teachings of the Church.[27]
Both Islam and
Judaism hold the oneness of God as their central doctrine. The Islamic declaration of faith begins with
the declaration that there is no god but God and the Jewish morning and evening
prayers begin with “Hear, O Israel: [Yehovah] our God is one
[Yehovah]”.
In fact, Jesus,
who the Quran recognizes as the Messiah, used this as the beginning of the
Greatest Commandment.
Mark 12:29-30
|
29
|
And Jesus
answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord
our God is one Lord:
|
απεκριθη ο
ιησους οτι πρωτη εστιν ακουε ισραηλ κυριος ο θεος ημων κυριος εις εστιν
|
|
30
|
And thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and
with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
|
και αγαπησεις
κυριον τον θεον σου εξ ολης καρδιας σου και εξ ολης της ψυχης σου και εξ ολης
της διανοιας σου και εξ ολης της ισχυος σου
|
We continue in Daniel.
|
42
|
He
shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries; and the land of Egypt
shall not escape.
|
וישׁלח ידו
בארצות וארץ מצרים לא תהיה לפליטה
|
|
43
|
But
he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all
the precious things of Egypt; and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at
his steps.
|
ומשׁל במכמני
הזהב והכסף ובכל חמדות מצרים ולבים וכשׁים במצעדיו
|
The Islamic world represented by Egypt are those that do not escape
the King of the North (Papal alliance) are conqured. This can mean military conquest. It is possible that it is also describing
spiritual conquests since this is a religiously motivated war. Spiritually, there are two reasons why
Muslims would not join a Papal alliance.
They may be true followers of God who won’t submit to false
teachings. We already identified who may
represent these people in the last verse.
The other reason is that they are fanatics who twist the Quran to justify
killing and committing acts of terrorism in the name of Islam. They will fight a Papal alliance militarily
and would reject Catholic teachings, but not because they are true followers of
God. Their twisting of the Quran to
justify their evil deeds is just as bad as the Papacy has twisted the
Bible. They will be conquered by the
King of the North. They will not
escape. I theorize that the King of the
North (Papal alliance) may use the actions of these fanatics as part of the
justification for a holy war.
There is also a third kind of people represented by Libya and
Ethiopia. We are talking about the
ancient territories called Libya and Ethiopia.
For example, Libya in the ancient world could refer to most of Northwest
Africa. Here is a map of the world
described by the ancient Greek historian Herodotus.
These are the people who join with the King of the North (Papal
alliance). Submit to the authority of
the King of the North (Papal alliance) and join its cause. Spiritually, this can include people who
truly convert. But I think many of them
simply compromise their actions and go along with the King of the North. When we get to Revelation, we will talk about
the Mark of the Beast. We learn in
Revelation that the Beast represents the same power as the Little Horn in
Daniel 7 and 8 and the King of the North here.
One of the features of this mark is that it can be received in the
forehead or in the hand. This is opposed
to the seal of God which is only received in the forehead. I believe this represents the fact that one
must truly worship God to count as one of His followers. But those who follow the Beast include those
who truly believe as well as those who simply follow with their actions.
|
44
|
But
tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him; and he shall
go forth with great fury to destroy and utterly to sweep away many.
|
ושׁמעות
יבהלהו ממזרח ומצפון ויצא בחמא גדלה להשׁמיד ולהחרים רבים
|
These tidings
come from two directions, east and north.
We aren’t told exactly what these tidings are, but the Bible gives some
clues. First, the prophecies in Daniel
2, 7, and 8 all ended with the end of the earthly kingdoms and establishment of
God’s kingdom. The next few verses
indicate that this prophecy has almost come to that point too.
Now, the
tidings out of the east and north indicate the King of the North sees signs or
news of something soon to happen involving the east and north. To see what these are signs of we need to
first remember what Daniel 7 said about this time period.
Daniel 7:11-14
11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great
words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his
body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.
12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had
their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and
time.
13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one
like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of
days, and they brought him near before him.
14 And there was given him dominion, and glory,
and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his
dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom
that which shall not be destroyed.
Jesus
referenced this at his trial.
Matthew
26:63-64
63 But Jesus held his peace, And the high priest
answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us
whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.
64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said:
nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on
the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
And he
described his coming as starting in the east.
Matthew 24:27
27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto
the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Just as Jesus receives
the kingdom from God, he will return the authority back to God and submit to
God so that God will rule the world.
1 Corinthians
15:24-28
24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have
delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down
all rule and all authority and power.
25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies
under his feet.
26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is
death.
27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But
when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted,
which did put all things under him.
28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him,
then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under
him, that God may be all in all.
When Jesus
conquers the King of the North, he will become the new King of the North. Then he will turn the kingdom over to God,
making God the final King of the North.
We can see the
further significance of the east and north in these verses.
Ezekiel 43:1-9
|
1
|
Afterward he
brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east:
|
ויולכני
אל־השׁער שׁער אשׁר פנה דרך הקדים
|
|
2
|
And, behold,
the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice
was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory.
|
והנה כבוד
אלהי ישׂראל בא מדרך הקדים וקולו כקול מים רבים והארץ האירה מכבדו
|
|
3
|
And it was
according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the
vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city: and the visions were like
the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face.
|
וכמראה המראה
אשׁר ראיתי כמראה אשׁר־ראיתי בבאי לשׁחת את־העיר ומראות כמראה אשׁר ראיתי
אל־נהר־כבר ואפל אל־פני
|
|
4
|
And the glory
of [Yehovah] came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is
toward the east.
|
וכבוד יהוה בא
אל־הבית דרך שׁער אשׁר פניו דרך הקדים
|
|
5
|
So the spirit
took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of [Yehovah]
filled the house.
|
ותשׂאני רוח
ותביאני אל־החצר הפנימי והנה מלא כבוד־יהוה הבית
|
|
6
|
And I heard
him speaking unto me out of the house; and the man stood by me.
|
ואשׁמע מדבר
אלי מהבית ואישׁ היה עמד אצלי
|
|
7
|
And he said
unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my
feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and
my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor
their kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcases of their kings in their
high places.
|
ויאמר אלי
בן־אדם את־מקום כסאי ואת־מקום כפות רגלי אשׁר אשׁכן־שׁם בתוך בני־ישׂראל לעולם
ולא יטמאו עוד בית־ישׂראל שׁם קדשׁי המה ומלכיהם בזנותם ובפגרי מלכיהם במותם
|
|
8
|
In their
setting of their threshold by my thresholds, and their post by my posts, and
the wall between me and them, they have even defiled my holy name by their
abominations that they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in mine
anger.
|
בתתם ספם
את־ספי ומזוזתם אצל מזוזתי והקיר ביני וביניהם וטמאו את־שׁם קדשׁי בתועבותם אשׁר
עשׂו ואכל אתם באפי
|
|
9
|
Now let them
put away their whoredom, and the carcases of their kings, far from me, and I
will dwell in the midst of them for ever.
|
עתה ירחקו
את־זנותם ופגרי מלכיהם ממני ושׁכנתי בתוכם לעולם
|
Ezekiel 1:4,
26-28
|
4
|
And I looked,
and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire
infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof
as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.
|
וארא והנה רוח
סערה באה מן־הצפון ענן גדול ואשׁ מתלקחת ונגה לו סביב ומתוכה כעין החשׁמל מתוך
האשׁ
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
26
|
And above the
firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the
appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the
likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.
|
וממעל לרקיע
אשׁר על־ראשׁם כמראה אבן־ספיר דמות כסא ועל דמות הכסא דמות כמראה אדם עליו
מלמעלה
|
|
27
|
And I saw as
the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from
the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins
even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness
round about.
|
וארא כעין
חשׁמל כמראה־אשׁ בית־לה סביב ממראה מתניו ולמעלה וממראה מתניו ולמטה ראיתי
כמראה־אשׁ ונגה לו סביב
|
|
28
|
As the
appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the
appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the
likeness of the glory of [Yehovah]. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face,
and I heard a voice of one that spake.
|
כמראה הקשׁת
אשׁר יהיה בענן ביום הגשׁם כן מראה הנגה סביב הוא מראה דמות כבוד־יהוה ואראה
ואפל על־פני ואשׁמע קול מדבר
|
Daniel 12:45
|
45
|
And
he shall plant the tents of his palace between the sea and the glorious holy
mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
|
ויטע אהלי
אפדנו בין ימים להר־צבי־קדשׁ ובא עד־קצו ואין עוזר לו
|
This seems to
indicate that the headquarters of the King of the North (Papal alliance) will
be moved to Palestine. But it will come
to its end now.
Daniel 12 ASV
|
1
|
And at that time shall Michael
stand up, the great prince who standeth for the children of thy people; and
there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation
even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every
one that shall be found written in the book.
|
ובעת ההיא
יעמד מיכאל השׂר הגדול העמד על־בני עמך והיתה עת צרה אשׁר לא־נהיתה מהיות גוי עד
העת ההיא ובעת ההיא ימלט עמך כל־הנמצא כתוב בספר
|
|
2
|
And many of them that sleep in the
dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame
and everlasting contempt.
|
ורבים מישׁני
אדמת־עפר יקיצו אלה לחיי עולם ואלה לחרפות לדראון עולם
|
|
3
|
And they that are wise shall shine
as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness
as the stars for ever and ever.
|
והמשׂכלים
יזהרו כזהר הרקיע ומצדיקי הרבים ככוכבים לעולם ועד
|
God’s faithful
will be delivered, the dead will be raised and judged.
|
4
|
But thou, O Daniel, shut up the
words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and
fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
|
ואתה דניאל
סתם הדברים וחתם הספר עד־עת קץ ישׁטטו רבים ותרבה הדעת
|
Daniel and
Revelation share many of the same symbols and terms which indicate that they
should be studied together. Here is one
more clue. At the end of Daniel the
statement is made to seal the book. Its
prophecies were to be understood by those of a later age. At the end of Revelation, John is told not to
seal the book. Its wording is a
reflection of the wording at the end of Daniel.
Revelation
22:10
|
10
|
And he saith
unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is
at hand.
|
και λεγει μοι
μη σφραγισης τους λογους της προφητειας του βιβλιου τουτου ο καιρος γαρ εγγυς
εστιν
|
Back to Daniel.
|
5
|
Then I, Daniel, looked, and,
behold, there stood other two, the one on the brink of the river on this
side, and the other on the brink of the river on that side.
|
וראיתי אני
דניאל והנה שׁנים אחרים עמדים אחד הנה לשׂפת היאר ואחד הנה לשׂפת היאר
|
|
6
|
And one said to the man clothed in
linen, who was above the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end
of these wonders?
|
ויאמר לאישׁ
לבושׁ הבדים אשׁר ממעל למימי היאר עד־מתי קץ הפלאות
|
|
7
|
And I heard the man clothed in
linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand
and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it
shall be for a time, times, and a half; and when they have made an end of
breaking in pieces the power of the holy people, all these things shall be
finished.
|
ואשׁמע
את־האישׁ לבושׁ הבדים אשׁר ממעל למימי היאר וירם ימינו ושׂמאלו אל־השׁמים וישׁבע
בחי העולם כי למועד מועדים וחצי וככלות נפץ יד־עם־קדשׁ תכלינה כל־אלה
|
|
8
|
And I heard, but I understood not:
then said I, O my lord, what shall be the issue of these things?
|
ואני שׁמעתי
ולא אבין ואמרה אדני מה אחרית אלה
|
|
9
|
And he said, Go thy way, Daniel;
for the words are shut up and sealed till the time of the end.
|
ויאמר לך
דניאל כי־סתמים וחתמים הדברים עד־עת קץ
|
|
10
|
Many shall purify themselves, and make
themselves white, and be refined; but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none
of the wicked shall understand; but they that are wise shall understand.
|
יתבררו
ויתלבנו ויצרפו רבים והרשׁיעו רשׁעים ולא יבינו כל־רשׁעים והמשׂכלים יבינו
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11
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And from the time that the
continual burnt-offering shall be taken away,
and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand
and two hundred and ninety days.
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ומעת הוסר
התמיד ולתת שׁקוץ שׁמם ימים אלף מאתים ותשׁעים
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12
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Blessed is he that waiteth, and
cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.
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אשׁרי המחכה
ויגיע לימים אלף שׁלשׁ מאות שׁלשׁים וחמשׁה
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13
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But go thou thy way till the end
be; for thou shalt rest, and shalt stand in thy lot, at the end of the days.
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ואתה לך לקץ
ותנוח ותעמד לגרלך לקץ הימין
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We know from our study in Daniel 7 that the
time, times and a half refer to the 1260 year period from 538 C.E. to 1798
C.E. Verse 11 states that counting from
the taking away of the continual burnt-offering would be 1290 days
(years). Why? Because it indicates that
the taking away of the continual burnt-offering leads to the setting up of the
abomination of desolation. So, we should
find something in 508 C.E. that led up to the establishment of the authority of
the medieval church in 538 C.E. If you
recall from the study in Daniel 7, there were three Arian kingdoms whose
destruction helped establish the Trinitarian church’s authority over Western
Europe. You may also recall that the
first of these kingdoms was destroyed and its people scattered in 508 C.E.,
exactly as this prophecy indicates.
So, the abomination of desolation lasts from
538 C.E. to 1798 C.E. The taking away of
the continual or daily (remember, the “burnt-offering” or “sacrifice” is
supplied by the translators), the spiritual assault on the sanctuary in heaven,
begins in 508 C.E. However, this problem
doesn’t begin to be corrected until later.
Verse 12 blesses those who wait until the end of the 1335 days
(years). This comes down to 1843. This perfectly lines up with the cleansing of
the sanctuary in heaven predicted in Daniel 8.
This also provides a cross-reference in the Bible to check the accuracy
of the interpretation of the date in Daniel 8 since we don’t have a major
political event on earth to check it against.
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