Daniel 9
This is a study on the prophecy of Daniel 9. Daniel 9 is one of the most contentious and argued passages in end-time eschatology. It alone lays the foundation for a belief in a final seven-year period that will bring in the end of this age, and the establishment of the kingdom of Christ on the earth. As with every study of Scripture, the immediate context of the passage MUST be of ultimate authority, when determining what is going on in the text. We cannot read things into any given text from other passages in the Bible. This is where all sorts of personal interpretations come in. We should do our utmost to avoid this as Christians. So, with that let us begin.
Daniel 9:1-2 – In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans—in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the Lord through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.
The context of all that follows is set-up by these opening verses. The focus of everything is Jerusalem! Nothing else. The city of Jerusalem is the main point of all that comes after in this text. Daniel begins to pray, because the prophecy of Jeremiah, which involved the return of the Jews to Jerusalem, had said there was seventy years of exile in Babylon for their sins (Jermiah 29:10). There is much debate about when this began and ended, primarily because there is much debate about who the Darius mentioned was. I am not going to get into all of that, for the sake of time. What is important is that the seventy years regarding Jerusalem is what is in view, and the seventy years was connected to the exile of Babylon! Thus, no matter what anyone wants to say about “when” the seventy weeks that would be revealed to Daniel began, they had to begin before the ending of the prophecy regarding Babylon.
Babylon conquered Assyria and became the ruling power over the Near East in 609 BC. They were conquered by Cyrus in 539 BC. This period is seventy years. However, that’s not the time of exile in Babylon for the people of Israel. Some argue it is because the Assyrians had already led away the 10 tribes of Israel in the north, and thus some of them would have likely been led away captive by Babylon following their defeat of Assyria. But Jeremiah’s prophecy was specifically to Judah, not Israel, and thus it is far more likely that the beginning of the seventy-year count began when the people of Judah started being led away captive. This happened in two waves. The first was 597 BC. This is when Jerusalem was captured by Nebuchadnezzar. He led away several princes of Judah at this time, including Daniel. Looking at what Daniel himself said in Daniel 9 though, it is likely this is not the starting point because, he specifically mentions the “desolations of Jerusalem”. This occurred in 586 BC when, after rebelling against Nebuchadnezzar, the king returned and completely destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple! If you fast-forward in time to 516 BC, you find that this was the date, to the year, that the Temple in Jerusalem was finally rebuilt, in the reign of Darius the Great. Thus, no matter what one wishes to think about when the count of the seventy, prophetic weeks began, since it was connected to the seventy years of Babylonian exile, which had brought about the desolation of Jerusalem, then the count had to begin before 516 BC, because it was this year that the desolations of Jerusalem absolutely had begun to be healed!
READ MORE Part 1
Daniel 9:16 – “O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem, and Your people are a reproach to all those around us.
This prayer lets us know for certain that the destruction of the Temple is part and parcel of the destruction of the city of Jerusalem. They are intimately intertwined with one another in both the prayer of Daniel and in the fulfillment of what was to come.
Let us now move to the prophetic word given to Daniel from the angel Gabriel.
Daniel 9:24 – “Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.
Note what Gabriel says to Daniel. The prophecy of weeks relates to the:
- Your people (the ones whom he was praying for to return in fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy)
- The holy city (implying the deep connection between the Temple and Jerusalem)
- The finishing of transgression
- The ending of sins
- To make a reconciliation for iniquity
- To bring in everlasting righteousness
- To seal up vision and prophecy
- To anoint the Most Holy
There are those who say this prophecy is about the Jews only. I would like to point out that the prophecy is clearly not just about the Jewish people! It is an entire litany of things that must be accomplished before the prophetic timeline is finished. This should not be controversial. It is what the text says. It is mostly dispensational theologians who have said this entire chapter is about the Jews, but Gabriel’s own words preclude arriving at such a conclusion, something which will be made even clearer in a minute. What this verse lays out is that the prophecy relates to the Jews as well as the rest of what follows! When did the finishing of sins occur? The ending of sins come about? Reconciliation for iniquity made? Everlasting Righteousness entered? The answer to these questions is obvious to the believing Christian: it was the cross! This becomes more certain with the next part of the prophetic word from Gabriel.
Daniel 9:25 – “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times…
Gabriel says the seventy weeks began from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem. This is massively important. Many try to say this was a decree of Artaxerxes II, and so count from there until the cross. However, remember what we covered at the beginning. Since the seventy was specifically related to the Babylonian captivity, there is no way that this prophetic seventy could have been started AFTER 516 BC, or else Daniel would have already seen Jerusalem beginning to be taken out of its desolate state for the Temple had been rebuilt. Also, there is literally ZERO historical evidence that Artaxerxes II ever even gave a decree to rebuild Jerusalem (though I do believe the story of Nehemiah occurs during his reign). However, there is both historical and biblical evidence of the decree that Cyrus made to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple (2 Chronicles 36:20-23), and they are intricately linked together in the prophecy of Daniel 9. Some have tried to say Cyrus’ decree ONLY pertained to Jerusalem, the city. Well, the Bible says it was this decree that fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah.
Ezra 1:1-4 – Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and build the house of the Lord God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem. And whoever is left in any place where he dwells, let the men of his place help him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, besides the freewill offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.”
Without contestation then, it is the decree of Cyrus that was the beginning of the seventy weeks prophesied by Gabriel, because it was that decree that was the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy, which was the impetus for Daniel’s prayer to begin with! The problem people have with accepting this is that since the seventy weeks are weeks or years, then we see that the total number of seventy weeks is equal to four hundred and ninety years of actual time. If you go from Cyrus to the cross of Jesus, you have far more time than that! What to do? Well, you cannot just abandon what is given to us, and that’s what dispensational theology has done. It’s also what theologians of other persuasions have done as well. Many of them say this must mean that the Messiah, which is mentioned in this verse, is someone OTHER THAN Jesus! They of course provide no basis for this, but this argument does answer the timing issue. The simplest solution is to take what the text gives us, and not what we think it says or what we want it to say. It says that from the decree until Messiah, there is seven weeks and then sixty-two weeks. Most theologians lump this time together as one unit of sixty-nine weeks. The Bible doesn’t do this.
It is surprising that dispensationalists do this but then say that the final week has been waiting almost two thousand years for fulfillment. It makes that position even more ludicrous to accept. However, accepting a large gap of time between the coming of Messiah and the final week’s fulfillment is fine if one accepts that there was a gap of time between the first seven weeks and the sixty-two weeks! This is in fact what the text implies. In other words, we are given a time when the seventy weeks begins: the decree of Cyrus. Then, two sections of the seventy are given to us: seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. However, the very fact that they are separated from one another rather than Gabriel saying sixty-nine years, tells us that they are likely separate from one another. This would mean that the seven weeks began at the start of the decree and that the sixty-two weeks began at some later time, not given to us! All we are told about the sixty-two weeks is when they end: the cutting off of Messiah. Taking this interpretation of the text, lines up with Bible prophecy and with recorded history, without any difficulty, but it then makes sense to accept a large gap of time until the fulfillment of the final week, which we now move to.
Daniel 9:26-27 – And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined. Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week. He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate.”
If you look at these verses you see that no mention of sixty-nine weeks is mentioned before Messiah, only sixty-two. This is further evidence, admittedly circumstantial, that from the cross back in time one would count only four hundred and thirty-six years (sixty-two prophetic weeks), rather than the four hundred eighty-three years (sixty-nine years). When you do this, using AD 33 for the date of the cross, you arrive at the time of Artaxerxes II perfectly! (I am aware that there are those who argue for a date of the cross that is earlier, but outside of the AD 30 date, there is no date suggested that lands on the full moon at Passover besides these two, and we know that is when Jesus died). Once again, this reading of the text makes the prophecy line up with history perfectly, without twisting the text, but taking it at face value.
There is other evidence of a long gap of time before the final week given in these verses as well because we are told that regarding the destruction of the city and sanctuary, following Messiah’s death, “til the end of the war desolations are determined”. This language could easily be seen as implying a long length of time because it speaks of a “war” and “desolations”. Now, people can reject that, but those who do are usually arguing that the Messiah who was cut off was NOT Jesus. He obviously was and is the ONLY Messiah. It was through His death that deliverance for all mankind from the punishment for sins was obtained. Also, we are told that after His death, the sanctuary and city would be destroyed. That’s exactly what happened in AD 70. Again, history and prophetic language perfectly align.
This brings us to the most contentious part of the prophecy, verse twenty-seven. We are told that the “people of the prince who is to come” will destroy the city and the sanctuary. This is obviously a reference to the Roman armies. Some will say that the one who confirms the covenant with many is a reference to the Messiah. This is not tenable from the grammar of the sentence. The immediate direct object that the “He” in the verse refers to is the “prince who is to come”, not the Messiah who was cut off. Thus, whoever this prince is, it’s not Jesus! I would agree that it is a reference to the Antichrist, but the text doesn’t say that. Whoever he is, he is the one whose covenant kicks off the final week. In the middle of that week, an abomination occurs. I believe it is the abomination of desolation mentioned later in Daniel and referred to by Jesus, but there are those who contend, and I will leave it that it doesn’t specifically say that here. Whatever it is, it happens in the middle of the week, it ends sacrifice (which means that it would have had to begin again, thus indicating the Temple will be rebuilt after its destruction earlier in the text – a Third temple), and the desolation which comes about will remain until the consummation, or end is reached.
What is this consummation? I believe it is a reference to the Second Coming of Christ and the destruction of the Antichrist and his armies at Armageddon. Why? Because remember back to what Gabriel said the seventy weeks were all about. There were two things mentioned that we have not yet covered. Gabriel said that vision and prophecy would be sealed up and that the Most Holy would be Anointed. When have these ever occurred? It certainly wasn’t at the cross. Revelation came long after the cross, despite the ahistorical teachings of preterists. Jesus is certainly not reigning over the whole earth from Jerusalem. Being the anointed one in the Old Testament referred to the unique position of the Messiah. He was after the order of Melchizedek, a priest-king. The priests were anointed of God to stand before God on sinful man’s behalf. Jesus is our High Priest. However, it was anointed kings who ruled over mankind. Jesus, as Messiah, will rule over the world from the throne of David in Jerusalem. This is the ultimate consummation of the ages. It was what the disciples asked Jesus specifically about before He ascended into the skies in Acts 1. This is the end of the seventy weeks. There can be nothing else that fits it, and it is indeed in the future.
Daniel 10
Daniel 10:1-3 – In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar. The message was true, but the appointed time was long, and he understood the message, and had an understanding of the vision. In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.
This vision takes place in the third year of Cyrus. This is important for what follows because what is being described is something that occurs AFTER the decree to rebuild Jerusalem has been given by Cyrus. That occurred in his first year. Much is made of the fact that Daniel was supposedly fasting and praying for an answer to a prayer for 21 days, and due to spiritual warfare, he had to push through in prayer for an answer. This is then applied as a principle for prayer, in general. The Scripture does not teach this point though. Daniel was specifically looking for an answer to something, we know not what. A message from God, that he did not understand and wished to. He had many visions which he simply did not understand – Daniel 7 and 8 are prime examples. However, those came AFTER this time, so we know it was something different. The point is, that he was seeking God for an answer to something God had already shown him, and that was the point of his mourning and troubled spirit. This passage does not teach some principles of prayer and fasting in general. Rather, it is teaching that if God shows you something you don’t understand, then seek Him for the answer! True prayer starts and ends with the Lord.
Daniel 4-6 – Now on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, that is, the Tigris, I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz! His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude.
Daniel is not interacting with a typical angelic being here. The imagery of the “man clothed in linen” aligns perfectly with Jesus in Revelation 1 so as to leave no doubt. Daniel is speaking to the pre-incarnate Christ. It is not Gabriel, as some have erroneously thought. Gabriel is a chief messenger mentioned in Daniel 8 and 9, but this is not him. This is the Lord.
- Revelation 1:13-15 – and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;
Daniel 10:7-9 – And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great terror fell upon them so that they fled to hide themselves. Therefore, I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me; for my vigor was turned to frailty in me, and I retained no strength. Yet I heard the sound of his words; and while I heard the sound of his words I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground.
Giving even more credence to the idea that this is the Lord speaking to Daniel is the “death-like” state that comes over him, much like what happened to John the Apostle in Revelation 1. Anyone who encounters the glorified Christ will not be able to stand in His presence, nor is it something casual. It is awesome, and awe-inspiring. Beware those who claim to have seen Jesus, and do not have the same reverential awe when describing their interaction with Him! They likely saw a fake Jesus or are lying. Note too that no one else heard the words, nor saw the vision. Much like what happened to the Apostle Paul. Terror was on all who were around, as the presence of God wants to do, but only the one God wishes to reveal Himself to can see or hear Him.
Daniel 10:10-14 – Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands. And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling. Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”
It is these verses that have caused so many to assume Daniel is interacting with an angel, as opposed to the Lord. Specifically, the claim is made that Gabriel is bringing Daniel a message and that he needed Michael to come to his aid against other demonic forces. Hence, the idea is conveyed of a spiritual battle. However, that is clearly wrong from the description of the individual Daniel encounters, as well as Daniel’s behavior. It will become even clearer in the next verses that it is definitely the pre-incarnate Christ who Daniel is encountering here, but for now, the reason many scholars want to say it is Gabriel is that the claim is made that God wouldn’t need help in defeating the prince of Persia or any other demon, and thus it cannot be God, but an angel. This is faulty reasoning though. God is a God of authority. Satan was created with a specific authority that operates in this earth. He is even called the prince and power of the air (Ephesians 2:2), he has a throne and dominion given to him (Revelation 13:2); and Jesus recognized this authority by quoting Scripture when dealing with him in earth (Matthew 4, Luke 4). In other words, what is going on is God respecting the very authority structures he has set in place in the earth until all things are put under Jesus’ feet (Hebrews 2:5-8). Who is the prince of Persia, and why does it take Michael to deal with him? It is my contention that this is Satan, himself. I will explain why in the next passages.
Daniel 10:15-21 – When he had spoken such words to me, I turned my face toward the ground and became speechless. And suddenly, one having the likeness of the sons of men touched my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke, saying to him who stood before me, “My lord, because of the vision my sorrows have overwhelmed me, and I have retained no strength. For how can this servant of my lord talk with you, my lord? As for me, no strength remains in me now, nor is any breath left in me.” Then again, the one having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me. And he said, “O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!” So, when he spoke to me, I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.” Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come. But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth. (No one upholds me against these, except Michael your prince.
The clearest truth that it is Jesus, the pre-incarnate Christ speaking to Daniel, is the reference to “one having the likeness of a man”. This is Jesus. It is from this person that Daniel receives strength and then the revelation of what is to be unfolded in the coming chapters can begin. Only Jesus brings revelation! Angels do not. Nowhere in Scripture do angels reveal anything. They deliver messages. They do not unseal them. Only the Lord can unseal what is hidden. That’s why the Apostle Peter spoke of them wanting to peer into the mysteries of salvation and being unable to.
- 1 Peter 1:10-12 – Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. To them, it was revealed that not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.
READ MORE Part 2
Who is the Prince of Persia? Whoever he is, he is in opposition to the Lord. Throughout the Scriptures, there is only one entity that is always referred to as the one who opposes God: Satan. More than that, it is only when Michael appears on the scene that this entity is defeated, as it were. The Prince of Persia is powerful enough to successfully contend with the work of God, for a time, and Michael is his chief adversary in the heavenly sphere. This cosmic battle between two chief angelic beings is precisely what Revelation 12 appeals to when it says Satan is kicked out of heaven once and for all at the end of the age by Michael and his angels! Thus, it can be reasonably stated, that the prince of Persia is this Satan, the Dragon of old, and that he shares archangel status with Michael. This is why Michael is the one that must contend with him. No other entity in Scripture does so, save the Lord Himself. As mentioned before, from the book of Jude, even Michael contends with Satan only by appealing to the Lord, thus showing that he is not over Satan in authority. Rather, we have learned he is on par with him. They are both chief princes of angelic hosts.
There are those who might contend that there is at least one more spiritual entity on the level of Michael and Satan, because of the way Daniel 10 ends, because it would seem multiple princes are being discussed in the text. Let us look more closely at this. At first glance, it would appear that there is another spiritual entity, distinct from the Prince of Persia, called the Prince of Greece. Undoubtedly, this is how most commentators view this text. However, upon closer examination, there is no reason to think that these two entities are not the same entity: Satan, in different forms. Throughout the context of Daniel 10, the vision that Daniel is being shown by the Lord extends from Daniel 10 all the way to the end of Daniel 12. It is one long vision of things to come regarding the nation of Israel and two kingdoms, in particular, who will be intricately connected to the destiny of Israel from the time of Daniel. It is an answer to the future of Daniel’s people that Daniel has been seeking the Lord about. He is two years into the prophecy of Jeremiah’s 70 7’s being fulfilled, and yet, as history tells us, the work on the temple in Jerusalem had faltered! It would not rise for another twenty years! Daniel had all these thoughts and worries on his mind, and God came along to give him an answer to everything to calm him.
Why was there such opposition in the kingdom of Persia? Didn’t God ordain, through Cyrus, that the Temple be rebuilt? Yet, it remained unfinished at this time. The prophecy of Daniel 9 remained a mystery, by and large to Daniel. What was going on? Well, Satan, the chief opposition to God was working to stop what the Lord was trying to do. The Persian kings, under the influence of the prince of Persia, were fighting to stop the Jews from returning to Jerusalem and rebuilding the Temple (this is actual history). This was the immediate point of conflict between the Lord and Satan. However, Satan had been defeated in his machinations and the will of the Lord would go forth in furtherance of the decree of Cyrus and those of Darius I and Artaxerxes II that came after.
The Lord went further though, and telegraphed to Daniel that after the Persian kings the Grecian world would be coming forth, and from there more opposition would arise to Daniel and the covenant people. That’s what is meant by the prince of Greece coming. It is not another entity. It is Satan in another form, just like he was referred to as Beelzebub and countless other names. Many are confused by the phrase translated “against these”, which implies a plurality of beings that Michael is engaged against. But that entire phrase is an interpolation into the text and is not there in the original language. All Daniel is being told is that through his prayers, the wicked spiritual force that had been behind Persia was being thwarted in its efforts to prevent the prophetic purpose of God for Israel and that the war would shift later to the coming kings of Greece. That’s it. This spiritual opposition that manifests in human governments is a vital part of the spiritual war that takes place in the world, but in no way do these verses point to multiple princes over differing regions of the world. Both entities can be and should be viewed as a reference to the prince of the demons who opposes and exalts himself above the purposes of God: The Devil.
Daniel 11
Daniel 11:1-4 – “Also in the first year of Darius the Mede, I, even I, stood up to confirm and strengthen him.) And now I will tell you the truth: Behold, three more kings will arise in Persia, and the fourth shall be far richer than them all; by his strength, through his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece. Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. And when he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken up and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not among his posterity nor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be uprooted, even for others besides these.
The first year of Darius (Cyaxeres II) is probably when Babylon was defeated. There is historical evidence regarding Cyaxeres II being the Darius of Daniel 6, in the story of the Lion’s Den, and the king specifically mentioned at the beginning of Daniel 9. There are a lot of secular scholars who reject this, and thus say Daniel was wrong. However, they base this almost entirely on the account of Herodotus, an ancient Greek historian. There are plenty of other historical supports for the existence of Cyaxeres, the greatest of which is the work of the Greek mercenary and traveler, Xenophon. He attests to the reality of Cyaxeres II as this Darius and claims he reigned with Cyrus, specifically over Babylon, until his death. It is important to note, that all early Christian historians knew this history and accepted it! Only in modernity has it been called into question by secular historians, who I feel wish to discredit the Bible.
Four Persian kings are mentioned here. The last is specifically mentioned as being richer than all who came before him and stirring up the conflict against Greece. This was undoubtedly Xerxes I, as he was the one who initiated the attack on Greece. We have a problem though. Xerexes would be the fifth from Darius, not the fourth if Cyrus is counted. However, if the Darius mentioned here has his reign synonymous with Cyrus; then the kings are Darius (Cyaxeres II), Cambyses II, Darius I, and Xerxes I. This is important because it is well known from Revelation, that the final kingdom will be called “Mystery Babylon”. Daniel’s point of reference for this prophetic “end-time” vision, regarding his nation is tied to who controls Babylon! However, what follows the Persian kings’ list is a truncated history of Greece. Interesting, no? Not if one remembers that in all the visions Daniel would receive, all of them work together to explain the final, world kingdom that would be ruling on the earth, and we know it is a composite kingdom, that has its start in Babylon, but has its body and leadership in Persia and Greece. One cannot separate what is said in one part of Daniel from what is said in the other parts. They all work together. Daniel 11 is the Lord Himself explaining visions that Daniel had already been shown regarding his people and their place in the end times. It follows directly from Daniel 9 and 10, as it is the same Darius that is mentioned, and lays out a historical synopsis for the Jewish nation specifically that is particular to the final culmination of the visions Daniel had been shown to that point.
The “mighty king” that arose to throw off the Persian yoke was none other than Alexander the Great. It was his kingdom that was short-lived and literally scattered to the four winds when it was broken into four parts: the Diodachi. From these would go forth the great wars between two of them, called here, the kings of the North and South. Remember, The Lord told Daniel in chapter 10 that after the Prince of Persia had been dealt with, it was the Prince of Greece that would arise. After the initial struggles to get the Second Temple built, from Darius the Great onward, the Jewish people had the support of the Persian kings. This explains why Satan shifted his tactics, and the opposition to the Jews that would arrive would come no longer from Persia, but from Greece.
Daniel 11:5-20 – “Also the king of the South shall become strong, as well as one of his princes; and he shall gain power over him and have dominion. His dominion shall be a great dominion. And at the end of some years they shall join forces, for the daughter of the king of the South shall go to the king of the North to make an agreement; but she shall not retain the power of her authority, and neither he nor his authority shall stand; but she shall be given up, with those who brought her, and with him who begot her, and with him who strengthened her in those times. But from a branch of her roots, one shall arise in his place, who shall come with an army, enter the fortress of the king of the North, and deal with them and prevail. And he shall also carry their gods captive to Egypt, with their princes and their precious articles of silver and gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the North. “Also, the king of the North shall come to the kingdom of the king of the South but shall return to his own land. However, his sons shall stir up strife and assemble a multitude of great forces; and one shall certainly come and overwhelm and pass through; then he shall return to his fortress and stir up strife. “And the king of the South shall be moved with rage, and go out and fight with him, with the king of the North, who shall muster a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into the hand of his enemy. When he has taken away the multitude, his heart will be lifted up; and he will cast down tens of thousands, but he will not prevail. For the king of the North will return and muster a multitude greater than the former and shall certainly come at the end of some years with a great army and much equipment. “Now in those times, many shall rise up against the king of the South. Also, violent men of your people shall exalt themselves in fulfillment of the vision, but they shall fall. So, the king of the North shall come and build a siege mound and take a fortified city; and the forces of the South shall not withstand him. Even his choice troops shall have no strength to resist. But he who comes against him shall do according to his own will, and no one shall stand against him. He shall stand in the Glorious Land with destruction in his power. “He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom and upright ones with him; thus, shall he do. And he shall give him the daughter of women to destroy it; but she shall not stand with him or be for him. After this, he shall turn his face to the coastlands and shall take many. But a ruler shall bring the reproach against them to an end; and with the reproach removed, he shall turn back on him. Then he shall turn his face toward the fortress of his own land, but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found. “There shall arise in his place one who imposes taxes on the glorious kingdom, but within a few days he shall be destroyed, but not in anger or in battle.
This history is a concise and precise history of the wars of the Diodachi. The primary antagonists in this were the Seleucids and the Ptolemies. The kingdom of Ptolemy was centered in Alexandria, Egypt (the king of the South). While the Seleucid Empire was centered originally in Mesopotamia at Seleucia, only to later be moved to Antioch, in what is modern Turkey (the king of the North). The Seleucid Empire controlled all of the Alexandrian territories of ancient Assyria, Babylon, and Persia, along with Asia Minor. However, it was the Ptolemies who controlled Jerusalem until Antiochus III defeated them, and the area came under the authority of the Seleucids.
Daniel 11:21-39 – And in his place shall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably and seize the kingdom by intrigue. With the force of a flood, they shall be swept away from before him and be broken, and also the prince of the covenant. And after the league is made with him he shall act deceitfully, for he shall come up and become strong with a small number of people. He shall enter peaceably, even into the richest places of the province; and he shall do what his fathers have not done, nor his forefathers: he shall disperse among them the plunder, spoil, and riches; and he shall devise his plans against the strongholds, but only for a time.
“He shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South with a great army. And the king of the South shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand, for they shall devise plans against him. Yes, those who eat of the portion of his delicacies shall destroy him; his army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. Both these kings’ hearts shall be bent on evil, and they shall speak lies at the same table; but it shall not prosper, for the end will still be at the appointed time. While returning to his land with great riches, his heart shall be moved against the holy covenant; so, he shall do damage and return to his own land. “At the appointed time he shall return and go toward the south, but it shall not be like the former or the latter. For ships from Cyprus shall come against him; therefore, he shall be grieved, and return in rage against the holy covenant, and do damage. “So, he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant. And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation. Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits. And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days, they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering. Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them by intrigue. And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time. “Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done. He shall regard neither the God of his fathers nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all. But in their place, he shall honor a god of fortresses; and a god which his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant things. Thus, he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many and divide the land for gain.
These verses accurately portray the rule and reign of Antiochus IV. It was he who was in power when the Maccabean revolt took place. The reason so much detail is given about how he came to power (through intrigue), how he behaved regarding the covenant and sacrifices, how he blasphemed the temple of God, via an abomination of desolation (he erected a statue of himself with the face of Zeus, and sacrificed a pig in the Temple), is because the final king of the North will have so much of these same characteristics! Antiochus IV is the primary, Antichrist prototype given in Scripture. If you want to know where from and how the Antichrist will arise, read this chapter! There is a reason the prophecy is laid out in the way it is. No actual kings of Greece are named. Only the war between the kings of the south and north are related, using general language. This is because they are all interconnected. The world still awaits the final king of the north. The final king of Babylon (though he will be Grecian). The final king was controlled by the prince of Greece, Satan, to attempt to destroy the Jewish people.
Daniel 11:40-45 – “At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown, but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon. He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also, the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels. But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore, he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him.
Most biblical scholars say that these verses are a part of the history of Antiochus IV. The reason I reject that is because we are specifically told this occurs at the “time of the end”! I choose to take the Bible at face value. It says what it means, and it means what it says. This is a huge hint that these final verses refer to the END TIMES!!! The king of the North, in a general, spiritual sense, will come again. This time though he will destroy the king of the South totally. The people of Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon will escape his wrath though. This means that the Antichrist will not conquer and subjugate Jordan, or Saudi Arabia, but he will destroy Egypt. He will also take over Israel and Jerusalem, along with many other countries. His kingdom will be quite large. The nations of Libya and Sudan (Ethiopia) are specifically mentioned as well as being a part of those under his authority.
From other Scriptures, we know that the Antichrist kingdom will eventually control the entire world. This was originally the goal of Alexander the Great. This, of course, is the goal of the prince of Greece, who is the spirit behind all of this. After the conquests of the final king of the North, we are told he is troubled by news from the North and the East, specifically. The Book of Revelation tells us that the kings of the east are brought to Jerusalem to do battle (Revelation 16:12). This occurs in the sixth bowl of wrath. The Bible tells us it is specifically for the coming battle of Armageddon. The text here in Daniel seems to suggest, at first, that the news that troubles him is of approaching armies from the two directions given. However, considering that Revelation only mentions an army from the east, and they are not coming to do battle against the Antichrist, but to join him in battle against Jesus Christ, it is likely something else is going on here.
It is my view that the final king of the North is going back to Jerusalem (we are told he pitches his tent in the valley of Megiddo – between the Sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean Sea and against the holy mountain). The two directions refer to what is likely occurring at that time. If he is in Egypt, destroying the king of the South once and for all, then Jerusalem would be to the north and east of his position. What could trouble him to arise and go quickly to Jerusalem, where he meets his final end at the hands of God? I think it will be the actions of the Two Witnesses. They are wreaking havoc on the earth and against the Antichrist for the entirety of the three- and one-half year Great Tribulation period. Only at the end of it, does the Antichrist arrive, in person, to kill them. Not long after this, the Antichrist is dealt with by the appearance of Christ on the Mount of Olives.
Daniel 12
Daniel 12:1-13 – “At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book.
And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament,
and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever. “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” Then I, Daniel, looked; and there stood two others, one on this riverbank and the other on that riverbank. And one said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be?” Then 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 to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished. Although I heard it, I did not understand. Then I said, “My lord, what shall be the end of these things?” And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he who waits and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days. “But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.”
In understanding this chapter, one must remember that it is a continuation of the dissertation from the pre-incarnate Christ’s revelation to Daniel that started in Daniel 10, and it is a direct continuation of Chapter 11. The timing is “the time of the end”, as established by verse 40 of Chapter 11. Here we are told that Michael will stand up to defend Israel in a time of tribulation the likes of which the world has never known. If this sounds like the Great Tribulation, that’s because it is! However, the imagery of Revelation 12 is somewhat different. There is relates how Michael kicks Satan out of heaven, and that he comes down to earth. However, he is unable to get the woman (Israel), because a great eagle is protecting her. The binding tie between the two passages is the expression “a time, times, and half a time”. Revelation 12 gives this to us as 1260 days. While it could be argued that these are not equal, we are told in Revelation 12 that Israel is protected from Satan, therefore he persecutes Christians during this time – “those who hold to the testimony of Jesus”. This aligns perfectly with Daniel 7:25, where we are introduced to the final beast of Daniel’s vision that persecutes the saints of God for a period of “a time, times, and half a time”. All of this is further proof that believers in Christ, not Jews, will be persecuted during the Great Tribulation.
Daniel 12 confirms what Revelation 12 does: the Jews will be divinely protected from the enemy during this period. However, something happens at the end of the period. Daniel mentions it here. He says that from the time the sacrifices are stopped and the abomination of desolation is set up there shall be 1290 days. This is similar to the language of Jesus in Matthew 24, where He relates the start of the great tribulation with the abomination of desolation. What is this? It is a man, sitting as God, in the Temple of God, as explained by Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2. If compared with Revelation 12’s 1260 days, we see a thirty-day difference, that is only explained by understanding how Jewish time is calculated. The two times are equal, if one takes into account a Jewish leap month, and counts each month by thirty days. However, we know that the 1260 days of Revelation 12 are specific to non-Jews since the Jews were protected from Satan during that time, whereas the 1290 days are specific to the Jews since Daniel 12 is only about the people of Daniel. Both time frames start at the same time though: with the stopping of sacrifices and the abomination of desolation.
What is going on in the thirty days? If Revelation 11 is to be understood in context with everything else, we are told that the Two Witnesses are protecting the Temple area for a period of 42 months from the onslaught of the beast (Antichrist). However, we are told at the end of this time, they are killed by the beast. Thus, it would seem that this thirty-day period is when the Jewish nation is now under the control of those who are seeking their destruction. This makes sense from the immediate context of Daniel 12 as well, because remember, it is the last king of the North who has set himself against the “glorious holy mountain” before he is destroyed. That’s exactly where the Two Witnesses are defending Israel from him until they are slain. It is the place where Christ will return to, and where the Battle of Armageddon will occur. So then, it would seem that after the Jewish people are subdued, at the end of the 1290 days, something glorious occurs forty-five days later (the end of the 1335 days) requiring people to wait for it. This charge to wait indicates that persecution of some kind is occurring. It is my view that this is the brief time period when the statue of the beast of Revelation 12 will be erected, where the Mark of the Beast will be implemented, and the world commanded to worship the Antichrist. The Blessing that the righteous must wait for is the Rapture of the Church and the appearance of Jesus in the clouds. A great proof of this is that Daniel is told to rest and that he would arise at the end of days. The rapture happens AT the resurrection, according to Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4.