Sunday Evening Bible Study
Daniel 11:36-37
Introduction
Two weeks ago we read of an incredible visit that Daniel had by an angelic visitor.
The visitor came to give Daniel an incredible prophecy
detailing things that were to happen to Daniel's people,
We saw a glimpse of mid-eastern history in the making from the overthrow of the Medo-Persian empire by the Greeks under Alexander, to the division of the Grecian empire, right through to a madman named Antiochus Epiphanes.
Though last week's lesson seemed like pure history, it was in fact an amazing set of intricate prophecies, all which were fulfilled down to the minutest detail.
We pick it up with a jump in the prophecy, almost in a time warp, into the near future.
:36-45 The Antichrist
Why a jump in time?
Is this allowable in prophetic interpretation?
Yes, Jesus set the example:
»Isaiah 61:1-2 AV The Spirit of the Lord GOD [is] upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to [them that are] bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
When Jesus read from this in the synagogue (Luke
Why? Because that would not be fulfilled until His second coming.
There are some temporal indicators that have changed.
1) "the time of the end"
Though the word "end" has been used in this chapter, it has not been used in this way.
Up to now, it has been used with specific people in the prophecies, and their own individual ends.
»Daniel 11:6-AV And in the end of years they shall join themselves together; for the king's daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement...
»Daniel 11:27-AV And both these kings' hearts [shall be] to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end [shall be] at the time appointed.
Yet it changed in verse 35:
»Daniel 11:35-AV And [some] of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make [them] white, [even] to the time of the end: because [it is] yet for a time appointed.
»Daniel 11:40-AV And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at 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 over.
2) "at that time..." (12:1)
The next chapter continues with the current one, and as you read, it brings us right into the time of the resurrection of the dead.
»Daniel 12:2-AV 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.
So, somewhere previous to this, there must have been a time gap, and the best place seems to be between verses 35 & 36.
3) until the indignation be accomplished (vs.36)
Refers to this ruler being around at the time of the tribulation period.
4) Lastly, everything up to this point (vs.1-35) have been completely fulfilled, down to the last detail.
But nobody seems to have a clue as to what in history past this next part could belong to.
It does not seem to be fulfilled yet.
:36 the king shall do according to his own will
There will be no restraint upon him.
Who is this king?
Up to this point, it has been talking about the king of the
north, Antiochus Epiphanes, who was a ruler over
But now it is this "other" ruler.
We call him the antichrist.
We have already seen him several times in Daniel:
He will have a boastful mouth.
»Daniel 7:8-AV I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn [were] eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
He comes out of a revived
»Daniel 7:23-26AV Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. 24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom [are] ten kings [that] shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. 25 And he shall speak [great] words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. 26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy [it] unto the end.
He is associated with the Roman people. He makes a covenant with the Jews for seven years. He will stop the sacrifice in the temple after 3 1/2 years and make it desolate.
»Daniel 9:26-27 AV And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof [shall be] with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. 27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make [it] desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
:36 he shall exalt himself
The antichrist will be following the example of his mentor, Satan.
»Isaiah 14:12-15 AV How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! [how] art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
Lesson:
Be careful about promoting yourself.
We are strange creatures.
The subject we usually like to talk about most is "me".
With some people, it's kind of like they aren't even listening to you, but they're just waiting for you to stop talking so they can talk about themselves.
When it comes time to toot the horn about you, it's best if you don't toot your own horn.
»Proverbs 27:2-AV Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.
If you do toot your own horn, keep in mind who's example you're following - the antichrist's.
:36 magnify himself above every god
The antichrist will demand that he be worshipped as God.
This morning we talked about Jesus saying that all men should give honor unto Him, just as they give to God.
This man will think that's a good idea, and he wants worship too.
This takes place half way through the tribulation, when the abomination of desolation occurs.
Paul writes:
»2Thessalonians 2:4-AV Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
The antichrist will have a partner in crime (called a "second beast" in Rev.13), we refer to him as the "false prophet":
»Revelation 13:15-AV And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
When I read this, I can't help but think of things like "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln", and the robots that Disney makes.
It could also be something like a television image.
Maybe the world is to worship the image on their televisions, or even their computers (gulp!).
:36 shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods
pala' - to be marvellous, be wonderful, be surpassing, be extraordinary, separate by distinguishing action;
With the Niphal stem (as here) - to be beyond one's power, be difficult to do; to be difficult to understand; to be wonderful, be extraordinary; marvellous (participle)
Some kinds of extraordinary things are going to be coming out of this man's mouth.
If they're "beyond his power", then they are things inspired by Satan.
They may be things just simply hard to understand - kind of like a politician, but aimed against God.
»Daniel 7:8b - and a mouth speaking great things.
:36 shall prosper until the indignation be accomplished
What is "the indignation"?
It is the time in history we call "the tribulation" period.
»Isaiah 26:20-21 AV Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. 21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.
Note: God's people were to run into secret hiding places and hide - we'll talk more about this in a minute ...
Also: the purpose of the tribulation is given here, in that it is to punish the people on earth for their iniquity.
So, the antichrist will do just fine, even "prospering" during the time of the tribulation.
His prosperity will run out when the tribulation runs out.
Note: I do not plan to be around for this:
»1Thessalonians 5:9-AV For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
»2Peter 2:4-9 AV For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast [them] down to hell, and delivered [them] into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; 5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth [person], a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned [them] with an overthrow, making [them] an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; 7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed [his] righteous soul from day to day with [their] unlawful deeds;) 9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
»Revelation 3:10-AV Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
If we're not going to be around for this tribulation, then why such detail about the antichrist?
Because though we won't be around, the nation of
Remember, the current prophecy is aimed at them.
»Daniel 10:14-AV Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision [is] for [many] days.
Also, the seventieth week of Daniel (which is the tribulation period) is also for the Jews:
»Daniel 9:24-AV Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
:36 that that is determined shall be done
This has all been planned out by God.
God is not going to let anything get by undone.
:37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers
or, "for the gods of his fathers"
Some feel that this means the antichrist will be of Jewish descent.
The phrase "the God of your fathers" is used several times in the O.T. to refer to the God of the Jews
(Exodus 3:13; 3:15;
3:16; Deut.1:11; 4:1; Josh.18:3; 2Chr.13:12; 28:9; 29:5; Ezr 8:28; 10:11)
There are many, many Jews who are atheists.
It may simply mean that whatever background he has, he doesn't pay attention to his own religious heritage.
It's possible that he could even come from a well established Christian family.
:37 nor the desire of women
There are several possibilities here:
1. It might be a reference to Jesus Christ, God's Messiah.
The Messiah has long been the desire of Jewish women, that they might be chosen to give birth to the Saviour of their nation!
This person, the antichrist won't have any regard for the Messiah.
I think that's obvious, but I'm not sure it's talking about this.
2. It may mean that he will be a single man.
He won't have a desire to be married, but will be more interested politics than women.
We are told that in the last days, there will be certain changes in men's attitudes:
»1Timothy 4:1-3 AV Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 3 Forbidding to marry, [and commanding] to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
Jerry Brown comes to mind as an example of this type of individual.
He supposedly has girl friends, but has never married. Instead he now has built his own commune in
3. The antichrist could be a homosexual.
To me, this seems the most obvious.
It doesn't mean that he has to be openly homosexual, but that when push comes to shove, those around him know that he does not have a desire for women, but for men.
:37 nor regard any god
He won't be a "theist" in the typical sense of the word.
There will be other "gods" he will honor though, the top of the list being himself.
:37 he shall magnify himself above all
We've already discussed this in verse 36.