Daniel Series Two The Willful King I Chapter Eleven Lesson XXIV November 4, 2009

Transcription

1 Daniel Series Two The Willful King I Chapter Eleven Lesson XXIV November 4, 2009 In this eleventh chapter the Holy Spirit, who inspired all Scripture-writers (2 Timothy 3:16), leads Daniel in his vision to sweep over history from his time to the time of the Antichrist. He will be the last leader of the times of the Gentiles. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 2 Timothy 3:16 Nebuchadnezzar was the first leader of that period, the Antichrist will be the last. Being the times of the Gentiles we feel that the Antichrist must also be a gentile. And as Nebuchadnezzar became a real historical figure so the Antichrist will be. He cannot be reduced merely to a system of evil. I recommend the writings of J Vernon McGee and so insert some of what he says about this chapter. The very importance of this chapter caused Satan to hinder the Angel coming to give Daniel the answer to his prayer, because the prophecy does concern two of the Nations which were allimportant in relation to Daniel s people. The two Nations were Persia and Greece. The prophecy of this chapter is so detailed and accurate that the liberal critics will not accept the fact that it was written before it happened. He insists it was written after it had become history. McGee tells the following story about a liberal preacher. McGee, I listen to you on radio sometimes I notice that you accept prophecy as being reliable, and he cited this book of Daniel. So I asked him, what authority do you have for rejecting the early dating of Daniel and accepting a late date of Daniel? His reply was: Well, it s very simple. We know that miracles are impossible that they do not happen. Therefore if this were written beforehand, it would be a miracle; so it must have been written afterwards. When we read that, we realized that the liberals, so called, because of their unbelief, only add to the testimony of the inspiration of Daniel It remains a wonder to me as to how many questions can be created by unbelief regarding the Bible. The chapter tells us that Daniel had this vision the first year of Darius the Mede.. but the vision leads on to the time of the end (Daniel 11:35,40), at which time there will be a time of trouble such as never was Daniel 12:1 Verse 35 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. Page 1 of 10

2 Verse 40 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. Daniel 11:35,40 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. Daniel 12:1 In the Book of Daniel much attention is given to the time of the end. See Daniel 2:28. There is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known what shall be in the latter days. Daniel 8:17 for the time of the end shall be the vision Daniel 8:19 what shall be in the last end of the indignation Daniel 10:14 what shall befall thy people in the latter days. Daniel 11:35 to the time of the end Daniel 11: 40 and at the time of the end Daniel 12: 4 shut up the book to the time of the end Daniel 12:9 sealed till the time of the end So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision. Daniel 8:17 And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be. Daniel 8:19 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. Daniel 10:14 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 11:35 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. Daniel 11: 40 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. Daniel 12: 4 Page 2 of 10

3 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Daniel 12:9 In Matthew 24:3 When the disciples asked for signs of His coming and the end of the world ( the age ) in Matthew 24:4-8 Jesus answered them with a list of signs and added that all these are the beginning of sorrows And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? Matthew 24:3 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Matthew 24:4-8 The apostle Paul spells out more details in 2 Timothy 3:1 In the last days perilous times shall come Then he lists the reasons for the perilous times. Perhaps what he wrote in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 is most serious. People who turn from truth are turned to fables. This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 Timothy 3:1 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 2 Timothy 4:3-4 When people, by choice, turn from truth as found in the scriptures, they then no longer have a choice, they are turned unto fables by God. Thirty years ago John Walvoord wrote: Jesus predicted in Matthew 24: 4,5 deceivers and verse 11 many false prophets would mark the end of the age. In the last fifty years there has been an amazing increase in the complexity of error. A generation ago error was less complicated. And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. Matthew 24: 4,5 The modernists or liberals were on one side the fundamentalists on the other. The issues were relatively clear. Those who did not believe the virgin birth, the deity of Christ, His substitutionary atonement, His resurrection, and His Second Coming were the liberals. The fundamentalists believed all. But anyone who is reading religious literature today knows that error is far more complex.some have changed the meaning of words. Page 3 of 10

4 Words like deity, Son of God, salvation and etc (end quote) There is an old saying: when words lose meaning people lose their freedom. Here is a little glimpse into what has come to light in our lifetime. Bill Hamon, father of the prophets, at the Florida National Prophet s Conference: October 1987 estimated that there were ten thousand prophets being raise up The 1980 s were called the decade of the restoration of the prophets. John Paul Jackson said at the Vineyard Christian Fellowship that God told him that they will have billions joining them Prophet seminars, prophet schools, prophet s conferences and prophet gatherings dominated the 1980 s Paul Cain, who in the 1990 s was proclaimed to be the most anointed prophet has since been expelled from the fellowship of the prophets because of drunkenness and homosexuality James 5:1-8 also describes the last days. Think of the countries of the world that are rich Think of those heaping treasure and we must include Canada and the United States. Lottery millionaires? When these verses will be fulfilled we do not know, perhaps before the Great Tribulation. Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you. Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. James 5:1-8 2 Peter 2:3-5 In the last days scoffers saying where is the promise of His coming? Peter goes on to say they are willingly ignorant that all things are not continuing as they were. 1 John 2:18. the fact that there are antichrists tell us it is the last time. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. 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; 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; 2 Peter 2:3-5 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 1 John 2:18 Page 4 of 10

5 Jude 1:14,15,18, teaches us that the last time will be a time of increased ungodliness. And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. Jude 1:14,15,18 In his book on Daniel, John Wolvoord quotes H.C. Leupold s exposition of Daniel : There is hardly anything in the Bible that is just like these Chapters especially chapter 11. The word, the vision, and minute predictions are combined in a manner that is found nowhere else in Scripture. Only God could have been behind the writer telling him what to write. Critics have attempted to prove Daniel a forgery written in the second century instead of the sixth century BC. Jesus did not share the opinion of liberal critics that the book of Daniel was a forgery written by a second century writer. He staked his own integrity on the fact that that Daniel the prophet wrote the book as a genuine prophet. Matthew 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Matthew 24:15 Some years ago I purchased the forty-eight volumes of The Expositors Bible published over 100 years ago by Hodder and Stoughton publishers. I still have the volume on Romans written by H.C.G. Moule, (an excellent book.) In that set of books the exposition of the Book of Daniel was written by the then Dean of Canterbury. In the first 200 pages of his book he explained all the reasons why Daniel could not have written the book of Daniel. Then in the last half of the book he wrote his useless exposition (my opinion) Looking in our library to see what had been written about Daniel Chapter 11, we found the following: Joseph Parker One sermon on Daniel 10:21 but not one word about chapter eleven. Or any other portion of the book. To him it was a sealed book! But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince. Daniel 10:21 Alexander McClaren: A sermon on the Lion s Den then skips over all the rest until Daniel 12:13 That sermon is entitled A new Years Message He too had little to say about this prophetic book. The Biblical Illustrator. (66 volume set) Page 5 of 10

6 But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days. Daniel 12:13 The first article on Daniel eleven is good. Written by Joseph A Seiss. Here is what is written: Daniel 11:1-2 The object of this vision was to reveal to Daniel a still fuller account of the fortunes of his people in the latter days, that is, in the mysterious future, extending down to the end of this present world. To this revelation the whole remaining portion of this book is devoted. It was an answer to Daniel s anxieties concerning the Jewish people that this glorious apparition came But all the tribulations thus to come upon the prophet s people in these evil times, God was to be at the helm, neither suffering them to be overwhelmed, nor allowing their afflictions to be without profit. For their sins, apostasies, and infidelities the hand of judgment was to be lifted up against them. When God lets the wicked have his way, it is that he may destroy them utterly, but when he chastises his people, it is to purify and redeem them. Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him. And now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia. Daniel 11:1-2 In the volume on the Book of Daniel ( of the Illustrator) The only other verses commented on in chapter 11 are: Daniel 11:12 a spiritual application The secret of strength and Daniel 11:32 Strength in God. And when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted up; and he shall cast down many ten thousands: but he shall not be strengthened by it. Daniel 11:12 And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. Daniel 11:32. The last article again written by Joseph Seiss on Daniel 11:36-45 is as follows And a king shall do according to his will The Reign of the Antichrist It was the first belief of all Christian fathers that there is yet to come a development and impersonation of Antichristian more dreadful than has ever been seen on Earth, and which shall be destroyed only on the great day of God Almighty. This Antichrist is described in the passage of Daniel now before us. And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. Page 6 of 10

7 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain. 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. He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. Daniel 11:36-45 Whoever this king may be, or from whatever quarter he may come, he is the last representative of the bestial world power that ever bears rule on earth. Whoever he is, he is some individual person. Antichrist indeed exists at all times, but only as a working spirit which has not yet come to its final development and concentrated embodiment. Willfulness will be his characteristic; and magnify himself, and irreligion. We everywhere and in all circles and teachings, hear about the Coming Man. He is the man of sin, the lawless one, the Antichrist. Any expositor or writer who does not hold what Seiss has written here, does not have anything worth writing about Daniel chapters eleven and twelve. The other writers in these volumes belonged to the higher critics of those days. So called higher critics had invaded the Church of England and it had rejected the inspiration of the Scriptures. Such men as the Dean of Canterbury could not allow Daniel to be the writer because it would have forced them to accept the chapter as prophecy, when to them, it had too much detailed history. That very fact is a testimony by ungodly men, of Bible teaching that all Scripture is written by inspiration of God. Men held the pen but God did the writing. Blind unbelief is sure to err. I quote from Israel my Glory Biblical truth doesn t impress some people. They ll sit for hours watching gruesome television shows about the evil, powerful supernatural, but tell them there is a God in Heaven who loves them and performs miracles, and they ll think you a simpleton. I A Brief Outline of the Eleventh Chapter of Daniel 1 Daniel 11: 1-20 a. Prophecy, now history b. List of Kings from Darius to Antiochus c. A period of about 350 years Page 7 of 10

8 2 Daniel 11:21-31 a Prophecy now history b. These verses are about Antiochus, known in history as the Syrian madman 3 Daniel 11:32-35 a Prophecy now history b history of the Maccabee brothers c. During the period of 400 years between Malachi and Matthew 4 Daniel 11:36-45 a. not yet fulfilled b. the time of the end Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him. And now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia. And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those. And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion. 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: but she shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm: but she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in these times. But out of a branch of her roots shall one stand up in his estate, which shall come with an army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them, and shall prevail: And shall also carry captives into Egypt their gods, with their princes, and with their precious vessels of silver and of gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the north. So the king of the south shall come into his kingdom, and shall return into his own land. But his sons shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces: and one shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall he return, and be stirred up, even to his fortress. And the king of the south shall be moved with choler, and shall come forth and fight with him, even with the king of the north: and he shall set forth a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into his hand. And when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted up; and he shall cast down many ten thousands: but he shall not be strengthened by it. For the king of the north shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come after certain years with a great army and with much riches. And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south: also the robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fall. So the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mount, and take the most fenced cities: and the arms of the south shall not withstand, neither his chosen people, neither shall there be any strength to withstand. Page 8 of 10

9 But he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him: and he shall stand in the glorious land, which by his hand shall be consumed. 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, corrupting her: but she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him. After this shall he turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many: but a prince for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he shall cause it to turn upon him. Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found. Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle. Daniel 11:1-20 And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant. And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people. He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time. And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand: for they shall forecast devices against him. Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain. And both of 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. Then shall he return into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do exploits, and return to his own land. At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter. For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant. And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. Daniel 11:21-31 And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries. 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 11:32-35 Page 9 of 10

10 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain. 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. He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. Daniel 11:36-45 Current events are becoming very significant because they already foreshadow the time of the Great Tribulation of which the Bible clearly speaks. Without the Tribulation current events have no significance. Eventually all the armies of the world are going to gather against Israel. How easily this could come to pass. Perhaps the only thing that hinders is, the Rapture has not yet taken place. Page 10 of 10