Daniel 10 was the introduction to Daniel 11. We are going to see that this is a repeat of all the kingdoms that we have studied in the past chapters of Daniel.
Daniel 11:1
“Also in the first year of Darius the Mede, I, even I, stood up to confirm and strengthen him.)
- This is a continuation from the previous chapter.
- Daniel is not back in the time of Darius.
- The angel was just tell him that he was there during the time of Darius to confirm and strengthen him when he came and conquered Babylon.
- Which king is reigning right now?
- Daniel 10:1
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 understanding of the vision. - Cyrus is king.
Daniel 11:2
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.
How many more kings? Three.
- Three from where he stands right now, which is Cyrus as king.
- Cambyses (530-522BC)
- Smerdis (522BC)
- Darius Hystaspes (522-456BC)
Then it said there would be the fourth and he would be far richer than them all.
- He would even use his wealth to strengthen himself to fight against the kingdom of Greece.
- Who is this king?
- It is Xerxes, who is also known as Ahasuerus, son of Darius Hystaspes.
- He is famous for his wealth.
- And he is mentioned in the book of Esther.
- He would ultimately be defeated by Greece.
Daniel 11:3
Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.
- Who do you think this mighty king is?
- It is none other than Alexander the Great!
- He would rule with great dominion.
- However, at his peak, what would happen?
Daniel 11:4
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.
So his kingdom would be broken up and divided into four.
- This clearly parallels Daniel 7, the leopard with the 4 heads.
- And Daniel 8, the horn that splits into 4 horns.
- The generals of Alexander the great.
- Lysimachus, Cassander, Ptolemy and Seleucus.
- Look at the other detail there.
- It would not be according to his posterity – none of Alexander’s children would inherit the kingdom.
- “nor according to his dominion” – because it would be divided into 4 parts, the kingdom was not like what Alexander the Great ruled.
So we are seeing a lot of repeat from what we have already studied.
- There are new names – the kings of Medo-Persia.
- But this kingdom starts just like in Daniel 8, it begins with Medo-Persia.
- Babylon is not mentioned anymore.
- Remember – repeat and enlarge.
- We are given much more detail here.
Let me show you in the following verses just how much detail is given here in Daniel 11.
Daniel 11:5
“Also the king of the South shall become strong, as well as one of his princes; and he shall gain power over him and have dominion. His dominion shall be a great dominion.
“the king of the south shall become strong”
- This is referring to Ptolemy.
- He was the king of the south.
“as well as one of his princes”
- This is referring to one of the other generals.
- He shall gain power over him and have dominion. His dominion shall be a great dominion.
- This is referring to Seleucus.
- He eventually conquered Cassander and Lysimachus.
- So he was king of three parts out of four of Alexander’s dominion and established a more powerful kingdom than that of Egypt which was where Ptolemy was king.
- So it would eventually be Ptolemy vs Seleucus, or the Ptolemic empire vs the Seleucid empire
Daniel 11:6
And at the end of some years they shall join forces, for the daughter of the king of the South shall go to the king of the North to make an agreement; but she shall not retain the power of her authority, and neither he nor his authority shall stand; but she shall be given up, with those who brought her, and with him who begot her, and with him who strengthened her in those times.
“they shall join forces”
- There were extensive wars between the two kingdoms.
- But they decided to make peace between each other.
- How?
“for the daughter of the king of the South shall go to the king of the North to make an agreement”
- King of the south – Ptolemy Philadelphus.
- He sent his daughter (Berenice) to marry the king of the North – Antiochus Theos.
- In doing so, Antiochus had to put away his current wife, Laodice who already had two sons.
“but she shall not retain the power of her authority”
- Though they were married, after about 2 years Antiochus (the king of the north) got tired of his second wife (Berenice) and so he brought his former wife back in, Laodice.
“neither he nor his authority shall stand”
- This is referring to Antiochus.
- He was poisoned by his first wife, Laodice. She didn’t trust him anymore. Wanted to make sure that her son rose to power – Seleucus Callinus.
“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”
- Referring there to Berenice, the one he married from Egypt (king of the south) would be killed and also her son and Egyptian servants were all also killed.
This was a perfect fulfilment of what would happen hundreds of years before it happened with all the detail and precision mentioned here
- The reason we say this is so we know that at the end of Daniel 11, it would be just as precise and accurate.
We are not going to go into all that detail with every verse here in Daniel 11.
- But enough detail is given to us that we may understand where we are in the timeline of history.
After Medo-Persia, we already know Greece comes to conquer them.
- Greece goes on from verse 3 until verse 14.
- And then after Greece, we see the Roman Empire arise.
- They are mentioned in verse 14 but it is in verse 15 onwards that we see the rise of this mighty empire.
We pick it up in Daniel 11:20
Daniel 11:20
“There shall arise in his place one who imposes taxes on the glorious kingdom; but within a few days he shall be destroyed, but not in anger or in battle.
Who is this referring to who was an imposer of taxes?
- Luke 2:1
And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. - That word “registered” means taxed.
- Caesar Augustus was the one who raised the taxes.
“on the glorious kingdom”
- Rome had reached the pinnacle and greatness of its power by the time Augustus Caesar come to the stage.
“but within a few days he shall be destroyed, but not in anger or in battle.”
- Caesar Augustus was one of the few kings here who died peacefully
So we now know for a certainty we are in the Roman empire.
Daniel 11:21
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.
“vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty”
- This is referring to Tiberius Caesar.
- Luke 3:1
Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene. - He was a vile man. History records that he abused small children and threw opponents off island cliffs. Many Romans escaped his tyranny only by suicide.
Daniel 11:22
With the force of a flood they shall be swept away from before him and be broken, and also the prince of the covenant.
“the prince of the covenant”
- Who is the prince of the covenant here?
- This is referring to Jesus Christ.
- We saw in Daniel 9 the reference of “Messiah the Prince.”
- It would be during the reign of Tiberius Caesar that Christ would be crucified.
Roman historian, Tacitus (AD55-120) recorded the death of Christ with this brief sentence:
- “Chrestus, the founder of that name, was put to death as a criminal by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea, in the reign of Tiberius.”
The breaking of the Prince of the Covenant is the great landmark prediction of Daniel 11 – history’s major reference point from which we check our bearings for the rest of the chapter. This is the crucial event of world history on which the destiny of the human race depends.
Verses 23-30 continue to talk about the Roman Empire. There is quite a lot of detail there which we’re going to skip over. But let’s move to the next section.
Daniel 11:31
And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation.
“forces shall be mustered by him”
- Allow me to put in the KJV reading of this part. It is clearer.
- “And arms shall stand on his part”
- An army is given to him.
- This is now referring to the Catholic church. The only power that needed to have armies given to then.
“they shall defile the sanctuary fortress”
- The Pagan Roman temples are being removed.
“then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation.”
- Here is the transition.
- Do you remember the daily? It referring to the Pagan worship.
- How was it being removed? The Pagan temples were removed.
- But in its place the abomination of desolation replaces it.
- Do you remember what the abomination of desolation was?
- Abomination – more religious.
- Desolation – political.
- What is that religious political power? It was the Roman Catholic Church.
So from verse 31 it is now talking about the next world power that would come up – the Roman Catholic Church.
Daniel 11:32
Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.
The Roman Catholic church would corrupt people with flattery.
- Giving promises of rewards as inducements to people.
- What the sword could not accomplish, flattery did.
- Promotion, honour, wealth were given in exchange for the truth.
“but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.”
- Who were those that knew their God?
- This is referring to the Christian church during the dark ages.
- The Waldensians (northern Italy)
- The Lollards (England)
- The Hussites (Bohemia)
- The Huguenots (France)
- The Lutherans (Germany)
- The Albagenses
- The Anabaptists.
- They would do all that God commanded them to do.
- They would go out and protest against the evils of the church.
- They would go out under the guide of merchant men to sell trinkets but give the scripture to those that seemed to have a spiritual interest.
Daniel 11:33
And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering.
“those of the people who understand shall instruct many”
- The Waldensian’s had a great education system.
- The college of the Barb’s.
- They would memorize large portions of scripture, copy them on to parchment paper and roll them up and then go out and give them to people.
- Many of them would not come back as they would be killed.
“yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering”
- Many martyrs were made during this time.
- Sword – killed by the sword.
- Flame – burnt at the stake.
- Captivity – put into prison and tortured.
- Plundering – means spoil or booty – they were induced with earthly treasures to betray others or to kill others.
We see this spoken of in other parts of scripture:
- Revelation 13:10
He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. - Hebrews 11:36-38
36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. - Great was the persecution!
This would go on for many days. How many days?
- 1260 day prophecy, which is 1260 years!
- From 538 to 1798.
You can see that even more detail is given here.
- This is the principle of repeat and enlarge. We are zooming in.
Daniel 11:34
Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them by intrigue.
“Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help”
- The massacre of 1655, the Waldensian’s were almost wiped off the face of the earth.
- But during that time, there occurred an unbelievable event.
- What happened?
- The great Reformation by Luther, Zwingli, Knox, Calvin.
- Now they had a little help.
“but many shall join with them by intrigue”
- The word intrigue there means flatteries and fine promises.
- The Waldensian’s were never corrupted by doctrines per say. But not so with the reformers. They were all Roman Catholics coming out of a corrupt system. But the Waldensian’s didn’t have that problem. But they found out about them and were sympathetic with the suffering they went through, so they came to help them. But the problem was this, the Waldensian’s were much more purer in faith than the reformers. Zwingli and Luther were staunch believers in what they believed was truth. But they had flaws.
- Zwingli and Luther butchered the Anabaptists.
- You could never get them to change by persecuting them. But they began to adopt some of the reformers doctrines. From that day forth, the Waldensian’s ceased to be the people they were once were.
- The Hussites did the same thing. It was compromise. They signed the agreement with the Catholic Church. Just like Samson with Delilah. He lost his power.
When we compromise the integrity of God’s word, He cannot protect us anymore. We lose our spiritual strength.
Daniel 11:35
And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time.
So we still see persecution. They would be refined and purified and made white.
However, how long would this go on for?
- Until the time of the end!
- When is the time of the end?
- The key is understanding how long persecution would exist for.
- And also it is still for the appointed time.
- In the book of Daniel we see 2 times that are appointed.
- The time, times and half a time. Which is the 1260 day prophecy from 538 to 1798.
- And then we see the 2300 day prophecy which is from 457BC to 1844AD.
- Which one do we see a period of persecution? It is the 1260 year prophecy from 538 to 1798.
- So when we apply that understanding, then the time of the end must begin in 1798AD.
Let’s have a look at a couple of other places where we see the time of the end mentioned.
- Daniel 12:4
“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.” - Daniel 12:9
And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. - The book of Daniel would be sealed up and closed until the time of the end.
- Surely the book of Daniel would be understood before the second coming. The time of the end cannot be referring to the second coming. And we understand this book today.
- So in 1798, the persecution stopped, and we began to live in the time of the end.
- And in fact we are still living in that time.
There is a difference between the end of time and the time of the end.
- The end of time is when time will cease to exist for us on the earth.
- That will be at the second coming. That is when time will end. Or the end of time.
- However, the time of the end is a time period.
Let me illustrate this.
- Example:
- Chicken farmer.
- Grows its chickens.
- And it doesn’t take long for chickens to grow. Approximately 3 weeks and then they are ready to be processed for their meat.
- So when is the time of the end?
- It’s when they come through with a machine to gather up the chickens to put into the truck. The time of the end has begun for them.
- They are whisked off. They are sorted.
- Then they are transported off to the slaughter house.
- This is all the time of the end.
- But when is the end of time for the chicken?
- It is at the slaughter house.
- When the life is taken from them.
You see, in 1798, we began to live in the time of the end.
- And in 2024 we are still living in the time of the end.
- We are in that period in which Jesus can come for a second time.
- We don’t know when that will be.
- But when that day finally arrives, then it will be the end of time.
- But no man knows the day or the hour. Not even the angels in heaven knows.
2 Peter 3:11-14
11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless.
How should we live in this time? In this time of the end?
- How should we conduct our lives?
- Our focus should not be on earthly things. Because all of that will be destroyed at the second coming.
- All the elements will melt.
- Everything we have worked so hard for will be dissolved.
- We look forward to a new heaven and a new earth. Nothing will be remembered or retained from the former earth except one thing.
- That is our characters.
- Therefore, our focus needs to be on our characters.
- We need to ask God to help us to be spotless and blameless in our lives.
- We need to seek to be free from sin and to overcome every sinful desire and stain from the world and from the devil.
- That needs to be our focus above everything else.
- Making money, going through the round of studies, supporting ourselves – that is all secondary.
- It is Jesus that tells us that He would take care of all our needs. We don’t need to worry about tomorrow.
Matthew 6:31-34
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Let’s make sure we have the right focus, and the proper priorities.
- Let’s seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.
- Is that your desire? Let’s pray.