Slides for this study

So we got up to Daniel 11:35 last time we studied together.

So Daniel 11 does not spend much time in Medo-Persia at all. Just 1 verse. And then it goes straight into the kingdom of Greece. And then you will see after that it does into Rome and then we got all the way into the last kingdom, the Roman Catholic Church.

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.

What is the time of the end again?

• It is referring to 1798.
• God’s people would be persecuted, they would be purged and made white until the time of the time.
• It was an appointed time. And that appointed time was 1798.
• What was the history behind it?
• Napoleon, the French king, came in with his General Berthier, and took the Papacy of their throne. It was Pope Pius the VI that was thrown into prison and would later die in exile.
• And not only that. But there would be no more political support anymore.

But now let’s continue.

Daniel 11:36
“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.

Who is this king that will do according to his own will?

• Well we are already in the time of the Roman Catholic Church ruling as a state power. So it must be referring to them.
• But once again we are given more detail. Look at the verse.
  • He will exalt and magnify himself above every god – that’s religious.
  • We see this also mentioned in Thessalonians.
  • 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
    3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
  • In Thessalonians, this is actually talking about the Papacy.
  • Paul is telling us that God will not come until this takes place – the revealing of the antichrist power. The man of sin, the Papacy.
• But what other characteristics are mentioned in Daniel 11?
• He shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods – religious as well.
• Do you remember what the word blasphemy meant in the Bible? Remember there were 2 definitions that I gave you?
  • John 10:33 – to speak blasphemy is a man calling himself god.
  • Luke 5:21 – it is a man claiming to forgive sins.
• And so we know that the papacy has definitely claimed that they can forgive sins.
• So without a doubt it is still talking about the Papacy.

But there is more detail in Daniel 11:36 – he shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done

• What does that mean?
• The Papacy will prosper till the wrath is accomplished? Whose wrath is this speaking about? It is the wrath of the Papacy. It is the time that they would persecute, they would prosper.
• And it was a time that was determined. Not that God set it that way. But He knew that it would be for this time period. For 1260 years. From 538 to 1798. A time that has been appointed or determined. It would be done.

But even then, more details in the following verses. Let’s keep reading.

Daniel 11:37
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.

He doesn’t regard the God of his fathers.

• The Catholic Church did not regard the God of the apostles.
• We will look at this more in detail in the next verse. If he didn’t regard the God of the apostles, then whose god did they acknowledge?

Nor the desire of women.

• This one is referring to celibacy. How priests and nuns are not allowed to marry.
• The Bible also talks about it in the New Testament as well.
• 1 Timothy 4:1-3
  1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, 3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
• Paul’s letter to Timothy also warns us about the antichrist. Forbidding to marry!

He doesn’t regard any god but exalts himself about them all.

• In what way? Claiming to forgive sins and claiming to be God.

Let’s continue.

Daniel 11:38
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.

Notice this god of fortresses

• God is religious.
• Fortresses is political.
• Remember this is the only kingdom that combines religious and political which always results in persecution.
• No other kingdom did that.
• His god is force. Forcing others to believe what he believes. And if not, then you’re dead, you’re a heretic, you’re a menace to society.

And then who is this other god which his fathers did not know that they honour with gold and silver and precious stones and pleasant things?

• It is referring to the virgin Mary.
• They have turned her into a god.
• It’s called the immaculate conception.
• Since she had a virgin birth, something that no one else has ever experienced before, she must be something special.
• Mary plays a very prominent role in the Catholic religion.

Daniel 11:39
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.

Speaking still of the Roman Catholic church and their foreign god. But not only that, but now their warfare with a holy warfare. It is in the name of the holy Roman empire. And the land that was conquered, it would be divided for gain, for money.

Daniel 11:40
“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.

At the time of the end the king of the South will come against the king of the North.

• So the king of the North is the Papacy.
• Who came against him at the time of the end, 1798 which is represented as the king of the south?

The king of the south is always referring to the Ptolemic dynasty in Egypt right? But that came to its end in 31AD.

• Literal Egypt did not come against the Papacy in 1798.
• Who did?
  • Napoleon and General Berthier.
• But what do the French and Napoleon have in common with Egypt? They were not literally south, but they are represented as the king of the south.
• What is the main characteristic of Egypt?
• Revelation 11:8
  And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
  • There is a spiritual application there. It is not referring to literal Sodom and Egypt. It was a spiritual characteristics from that power in the past that is applied to our present day – or at least in 1798.
• What do we understand about Egypt in the past?
• Exodus 5:2
  And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.
• There is no other power that more boldly denied the existence of God than did Egypt and the Pharaoh that was ruling that time.
• That is the characteristics of Egypt that we would see rise up at the time of the end, close to the time of 1798 which is represented by the French Revolution, beginning in 1793.
• Bible were collected and publicly burned.
• Christians were dragged out of homes and executed – not regarding age or gender.
• There was a great persecution in France upon the Christian’s in that time. And they denied the existence of any deity. This was the characteristics of Egypt.

But the king of the north would make a resurgence.

• It says that 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 would come against these atheistic nations.
• Are there such that exist today? Yes. They are found in the communist countries today.
  • China, Cuba, North Korea, Vietnam and. They deny the existence of any God.
• This means that we are still looking into the future when the Roman Catholic Church will come against these other atheistic communist countries.
  • However it has happened in the past before.
  • Don’t think that this is such a far fetched idea.
  • How the Pope and the US came together to hasten the fall of communism there in Poland against the Soviet Union and president Mikhail Gorbachev. This is Time magazine – not a religious magazine!
• But you see, it’s not all finished yet. In order for the rest of the communist countries to fall, it means that the Roman Catholic church must regain its political power some day.
• I want to remind you of what it says in Revelation 13.
• Revelation 13:3
  And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.
• The Roman Catholic Church, represented by this beast with 7 heads and 10 horns, would receive a deadly wound. That took place in 1798.
• But one day that deadly wound would be healed and it would stretch out its influence over all the world.
• Notice that it says that he would enter countries. Not just those that are communist or atheistic, but have a world-wide influence in all the countries. It would be a world superpower.
• He will finally regain his military support.

Let’s keep reading.

Daniel 11:41
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.

What is the glorious land?

• Jeremiah 3:19
  “But I said: ‘How can I put you among the children and give you a pleasant land, a beautiful heritage of the hosts of nations?’ “And I said: ‘You shall call Me, “My Father,” and not turn away from Me.’
• Malachi 3:12
  “And all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land,” says the LORD of hosts.
• The glorious land is usually referencing God’s people in the land of Israel. It was promised to Abraham, and that promise was passed through the generations until the children of Israel conquered it through Joshua as their leader.
• But we know that that is not referring to literal Israel anymore. Just as the king of the north and the king of the south was not literal north and south of each other but the papacy and the atheistic nations.
• So who is God’s people today then?
• They are found in the church. They are those that are living up to all the light that God has given to them.

The interesting thing that we see here is this.

• The king of the north will enter into other countries.
  • The political nations.
• It will also enter into the glorious land. This is the religious arena.
• He is leaving nothing untouched.
• The whole world will be involved in this last days conflict.
• Doesn’t matter what religion or what you are not. You can’t just sit there and say that this is none of my business.

Let’s keep reading. There is more.

Daniel 11:42-43
42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 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.

• There is Egypt mentioned again.
• But this time it is in reference to all the treasures of gold and silver, and the precious things.
• This is in reference to economy, money.
• We see this in relation to the Mark of the beast as well in the book of Revelation.
• Revelation 13:16-17
  16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
• Doesn’t matter your social status, your economic status, at the end of time if you don’t want to receive the mark of the beast, then you cannot buy or sell.
• But the only way for people to control how you buy or sell, they must have control over the economy of the countries.
• So he will have power over the political, religious and also economic arena’s of the world

But what will happen?

Daniel 11:44
But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many.

Something comes out from the east and the north to trouble the king of the north, the Papacy, at the end of time.

• Matthew 24:27
  For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
• The second coming of Jesus is like lightning that comes from the east and flashes to the west.
• And this news from the east, it is the news of Jesus’ second coming!
• It is the gospel being preached to the whole world.
• Oh, the Papacy will not like that. It will make him angry. He doesn’t want the truth to get out.
• So what does he do?
  • He will go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many more people.
  • Just like the dark ages, as the protestants tried to share the truth, the Catholic Church went out to persecute them even more.
• It will be a repeat of the dark ages all over again. Except this time it will be worldwide.

Let’s keep reading because he’s not done yet!

Daniel 11:45
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.

Do you see that word “tents” there?

• It means tabernacle. The sacred tent of Jehovah.

Now look at this.

• Tent, tabernacle – more religious.
• Palace – that is where the king resides – it’s more political.
• We see the coming together of religious and political.
• And when we add these two things together, what do we get? We get persecution!
• This is the final persecution of the saints at the end of time.
• Because what happens right after that?
• He shall come to his end and no one will help him.

How does he come to an end? What actually happens? We have to read into the next chapter.

Daniel 12:1
“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, every one who is found written in the book.

Michael will stand up.

• At the very time that the Papacy is persecuting again and reigning terror on the world, Michael (who we know is Jesus), He will stand up and stand watch over each of His people.
• He is the only One that will be able to protect us during that time.
• There is no human worldly preparation that we can do to protect us.
• No bunker 50 feet underground is going to help us.
• No 1000’s of cans of food is going to keep us from starving.
• No human invention or human means is going to be able to protect us in those times.
• It will just be like Elijah when he was running for the wicked king Ahab in the book of 1 Kings, when he was seeking for his life, God was the One that miraculously saved Elijah and kept him from being found.
• He was kept safe next to a stream. And who was it that fed him?
• 1 Kings 17:6
  The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook.
• It was the birds!
• Elijah was totally at the mercy and grace of God to provide for him his daily food.

But why was he sustained by God?

• 1 Kings 17:2
  Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying,
• 1 Kings 17:8
  Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying,
• He was guided by the word of God.
• He learnt to obey God even when it didn’t make sense to.
• But there he would go, and it would be there that God would protect him and feed him and care for him.
• He had learnt to take heed of God’s word and to follow every instruction.

And today, we have so much more blessing than Elijah did.

• Yes he had the spoken word of God.
• But today we have the written word of God.
• None need be confused about our present duties and what God’s will is for us.
• All we need to do is go and read the Bible.
• All we need to do is go and read Exodus 20. Begin there. It’s the 10 commandments!
• His will is made clear and plain.
• God says today, if you love me, keep my commandments.
• If we will learn to apply God’s word to each of our lives, then God says I will be able to stand for you when the times of trouble come. You need not be afraid of what man will do to you. Michael our Prince and Saviour will stand and fight for us and protect us.

And it says:

• Daniel 12:1
  “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, every one who is found written in the book.
• His people will be delivered, every one who is found written in the book.
• How to have our names written in the book of life?
• Revelation 3:5
  He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
• We must overcome.
• Overcome what? Sin!

Daniel 11 has given us much more detail into the last days – not just of Daniel’s time but even the time that we are living in today. And Revelation will go into even more detail!

But can you see that we are now living in a time of great significance and that our personal decisions for Christ and His word are urgent? The time of the end is already upon us. The great prophecies of Daniel in relation to time have already been fulfilled. The only last 2 great events to take place is that great time of trouble that will come upon all the world, and then shortly after that the second coming of Jesus. Let us purpose in our hearts to be ready for that great day! Only a real and living relationship with Jesus will help us to be ready in those days!