Daniel 11

You should be noticing by now that each prophecy repeats and enlarges on the previous one, likewise this chapter expounds previous visions.

We do not see as God sees. Historians often emphasize the unimportant and pass over events of universal significance, but when God's word gives the history it is of those things which are noted in the Scripture, things that play some part in connection with God's people. Bible prophecy is the only true and accurate history, given without prejudice. Men can record acts, but only God knows the true meaning and setting of those acts. History is but the unrolled scroll of prophecy.

"It is when the hour of conflict is over that history comes to a right understanding of the strife and is ready to exclaim, Lo God is here and we knew it not" George Bancroft (famous historian).

DAN 11:1 Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him.

Cyrus was the current king of the empire and the king of Babylon at the time of this vision (See Dan. 10:1,7,19-21) As we learned earlier (Dan. 9:1) Darius the Mede was the king of the city of Babylon set up as an underking to the emperor, Cyrus. The angel is identifying himself and reminding us of God's guidance and overruling of earthly governments and his ability to strengthen his servants (10:19).

DAN 11:2 And now will I show 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.

Cyrus's son was Cambyses who reigned from 530 B.C. till 522 B.C. He was followed by Bardiya, also known as Pseudo Smerdis, the Artaxerxes of Ezra 4 who ordered the work of rebuilding the city to be stopped. It is a dangerous thing to be an unjust judge and reject God's protection, for in a few months he was declared to be an impostor and was executed. He reigned for 7 months and was followed by Darius I Hystaspes, who had married the daughter of Cyrus, reigned from 522 till 486 B.C. In Ezra 5 we are told that the enemies of the people of God, again wrote asking the king to end this endeavor of the Jews to build this city. The king was expected to side with his regional governors. To the Jews this looked certain, but king Darius repeated the original order of Cyrus and added that the men who had filed the complaint were not only to help with the work but to supply from their own Government funds to help with the expenses. He was blessed with a long reign and the prophets of Haggai and Zechariah were given to spur on and inspire the people to put God and His ministry first. "Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem..." Ezra 5:1 They were told that they were cursed because they didn't try to build the house of God, but put their time and money into building up their own wealth first (Haggai 1:3-11). They were to put God's work first and then they would be blessed. They were promised the latter rain to help those who had come out of Babylon finish the work of God. The literal "latter rain" ripened the harvest, brought the fruit to its fullness but God speaks of the latter rain as a spiritual blessing for those at the end of time. For more on this see APPENDIX F.

The fourth king would be Xerxses (486-465 B.C.). He was richer then all the Persian kings before him, but not being content with all that he had, he spent four years building up an army from some 40 tribes and nations to fight the Greeks and thus stirred up a desire in the Greeks to conquer the empire. He was famous for his expeditions against the Greeks, with reportedly over 800,000 men and 1200 plus ships, but he saw his fleet overwhelmingly defeated by a small fleet and all but 40,000 were captured or died fighting Greece.

He is the Ahasuerus of the book of Esther. His wealth can be seen in that he had a six month feast for all the governors, princes and rulers for all the provinces, and yet had enough left over for all the people of the capital city for a full week (Est 1:2-5) with all of the goblets being gold (Est 1:6,7). The Jews had failed to take advantage of the time of national favor and the Persian had turned against them. If they could not be entreated to leave Babylon and return to Jerusalem and the promised land then God in his mercy would let persecution come so that they might be compelled to flee to Him for protection. The Jews had a good 16 years to rebuild the city from Cyrus's command (Ezra 1:1-6) till Pseudo-Smerdis ordered it halted. And again from Darius I till Xerxes 12th year they had the opportunity of returning to their country and rebuilding their city, but they clung to their homes in Babylon. They might have prepared for their future in a new Jerusalem that was being rebuilt but instead they prepared for a future in Babylon. They talked, ate, dressed, and acted like the Babylonians so that when the time came to leave Babylon they had no desire to do so. This was what happened to Lot's wife (Gen. 19:15-26). The time came when they wished that they had gone out during those peaceful years. It was necessary for God to bring persecution upon them in order to get them to turn back to their calling and return to the promised land.

In the king's 12th year a death decree was issued against the Jews who were still in the area of Babylon. On a set day all the Jews would be killed. Esther, the queen, had to choose between being true to her God or the monarch of the earth, the law of the land and her husband. She said "and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish." Esth. 4:16. An act of kindness done years before also wrought in the deliverance of God's people (Esth. 2:21-25). So on that day God provided that every Jew should bear arms and defend himself against the Persians. (Esth. 9).

His successor, Artaxerxes Longimanus, who reigned from 465 to 424 B.C. gave the final decree, including all that Cyrus and Darius had said and further commanded the establishment of Jewish government and that the city's wall be built. This was in the time of Ezra who records the decrees and later, toward the end of the kings reign, Nehemiah came and helped to finish the wall. (Dan. 9:24)

Several more kings reigned before the final overthrow of the empire but they had little to do with God's people. (Xerxes II 424 B.C.; Darius II 424-405 B.C.; Artaxerxes II 405-359 B.C.; Artaxerxes III 359-338 B.C.; Ares 338-336 B.C.; Darius III 336-330 B.C.) The history of Persia is also given in Ezra, Esther, Nehemiah, Haggai, & Zechariah. The book of Malachi, the last book written in the Old Testament, is believed to have been written shortly after Nehemiah.

DAN 11:3 And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.

DAN 11:4 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.

This is the same as Dan. 8:8's "great horn was broken toward the four winds of heaven"; (Also Dan.7:6). Alexander the Great started the Greek empire and as soon as it was established he died in 323 B.C. He died at the age of 32 in a drunken stupor "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city." Prov. 16:32. He was going to rebuild Babylon and make it into his capital city thus challenging the word of God: "Therefore the wild beasts of the desert with the wild beasts of the islands shall dwell there, and the owls shall dwell therein: and it shall be no more inhabited for ever; neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation. As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbor cities thereof, saith the lord; so shall no man abide there, neither shall any son of man dwell therein." Jer 50:39,40 (Also Isa 13:17-20 pg.20). Even at this time Babylon was not wholly deserted but every attempt to upbuild it has meet with disaster. None of his relatives inherited any part of the kingdom. His generals divided it up four ways after years of fighting among themselves.

DAN 11:5 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.

WHO IS THE KING OF THE NORTH?:

The "king of the north" according to most of the Bible and specifically according to Jeremiah, the only prophet that Daniel specifically used to study the prophecies (Dan. 9:2), is Babylon and the Euphraties river area. This region was at the north end of the fertile crescent which was known as the cradle of civilization. The "Fertile Crescent" turned largely into a desert during the middle ages. Babylon, or one of its neighboring cities was the predominate ruling power of the world for over 1500 years. On a map it is more east than north but they had to come into Palestine from the north. They didn't cross the desert and come in from the east. Likewise the people of Egypt come from the south. North can also represent God's place of authority as we will see later but this would make no sense here.

"The north by the river Euphrates,", "in the north country by the river Euphrates" Jer. 46:2,6,10; Jer. 1:13,14,15; 4:6; 6:1; 25:9,26.

"Babylon was Seleucus's first choice; and there his court was held for some years previously to his march against Antigonus." Then "He founded, and built with great rapidity, the city of Seleucia upon the Tigres, at the distance of about forty miles from Babylon....Seleucus once more transferred the seat of empire...for almost the western point of his vast territories....Antioch ... The change weakened the ties which bound the empire together... Among the causes which led to the disintegration of the Seleucid kingdom there is none that deserves so well to be considered the main cause as this" [Moving the Capital from Babylon] The Sixth Great Oriental Monarchy, by George Rawlinson, M.A., chapter 3, pgs. 34,35 Quoted in The King of the North pg. 39.

"Syria, or the kingdom of the Selucidae (312-65 B.C.) Under its first ruler this kingdom comprised nominally almost all the countries of Asia conquered by Alexander, thus stretching from Hellespont to the Indus; but in reality the monarchy embraced only Asia Minor, Syria, and the old Assyria and Babylonia...but finally the country was overrun by the Roman legions and was made a part of the Roman Republic (63 B.C.)." General History by Myers quoted in The King of the North pg. 39).

"As in the main having nothing to do with Asia Minor at all . . . Only Syria and the country to the east of it are assigned to the Seleucids." History of Greece, Vol 4, pg. 281 by Adolf Holm (39)

In fact the only area Seleucus' ruled consistently till the rise of the Roman empire, was the area around old Babylon. This is the king of the north.

The people of God were in the middle of the great power struggles between these divisions of the empire.

The southern portion of Alexander the Great's kingdom was ruled by the Ptolemys (mainly Egypt). Ptolemy I Soter (323-280 B.C.) was strong from the start. Seleucus I Nicator was beaten and fled to Egypt, but with Egypt's help he came back and ruled most of the Empire, from the Aegean to India, making Babylon his center of government.

"At this division (301 B.C.) all Syria from the Euphrates to the sea, also inland Phrygia, fell to the lot of Seleucus." THE ROMAN HISTORY quoted in The Source Book pg. 211 (also in The King of the North pg. 39).

DAN 11:6 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.

An alliance was made between these two feuding regions. The king of the Babylonian region Antochus II Theos (261-246 B.C.) and Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285-246 B.C.). The agreement required that the king (Antiochus II of the North) set aside his legitimate wife (Laodice) and take the daughter (Berenice) of the other king (Ptolemy II of the South) to make peace, thus committing adultery according to Matt. 19:9 to build the peace of nations. The new wife, Berenice, had a son but when the king of the south (Ptolemy II) died Antiochus II divorced his second wife and took the first back. Laodice then had Berenice, her son and all of their attendants killed. Latter she even killed her husband for having replaced her.

DAN 11:7 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:

The new king of the south, Ptolemy III (246-221 B.C.), the brother of the murdered Berenice, took revenge by invading Syria, going all the way to Babylon (The House of Ptolemy: A History of Egypt Under the Ptolemaic Dynasty by Edwyn Bevan, [Chicago: Argonaut, 1968] pg. 196) His navy even took over the old Syria ports.

DAN 11:8 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.

Ptolemy III captured 2500 gold and silver images, idols, from Babylon and took them home to Egypt. They were paraded through Palestine and most likely Jerusalem as all of these wars affected the people of God thus they are included in this sacred history. He did not attack the north again.

DAN 11:9 So the king of the south shall come into his kingdom, and shall return into his own land.

This version makes it seem redundant from the previous verse but the New King James is probably more accurate in this verse "Then the king of the North shall come to the kingdom of the king of the South, but shall return to his own land." Dan. 11:9 NKJV (Also The Holy Scripture (Jewish), RV, ASV, NRSV, NIV). The king of the north returned or regained his old kingdom when the king of the south left. He then went south to retaliate, but had to turn around and come back home. {Note: This is the only possible error in translation I have found in this book of the Bible and it is the lest significant of all texts. Shirley God has guarded His word and its translation so that we cannot err far from the truth, especially if we use His study methods.}

DAN 11:10 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.

DAN 11:11 And the king of the south [Ptolemy IV] shall be moved with choler, and shall come forth and fight with him, even with the king of the north [Antiochus III]: and he [Antiochus III] shall set forth a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into his [Ptolemy IV] hand.

DAN 11:12 And when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart [Ptolemy IV] shall be lifted up; and he shall cast down many ten thousands: but he shall not be strengthened by it.

In 242 B.C. Seleucus II Callinicus (246-225 B.C.) tried to get back at Egypt but was destroyed both on land and sea. The sons of Seleucus II, namely Seleucus III (225-223 B.C.) and Antiochus III (223-187 B.C.) waged war against Ptolemy IV of Egypt. This was the battle of Raphia of June 22, 217 B.C. in which Egypt defeated the army from the north.

DAN 11:13 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.

Eager for a rematch Antiochus III, of the north, raised another army.

The above prophecy was so strikingly fulfilled, verses 2-13, that Rollin's Ancient History shows how it is a perfect match and skeptics have even claimed this as proof that this book is a fraud, written after the fact. Up to this point all Christians agree on the interpretation.

DAN 11:14 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.

Even the people in Egypt were rebelling against the new king Ptolomy V (203-181 B.C.), a child king only 5 years old. Antiochus III had formed a union with Philip of Macedon to attack Ptolomy V. Egypt asked the Romans for help and the Romans fearing a new super power if Egypt was defeated, intervened ordering Antiochus III (Antiochus Epiphanes) to stay out of Egypt.

The robbers or breakers of thy people: Rome was said to be the home of a band of robbers and outlaws, for from the beginning of the city in the 8th century B.C. they stole women from neighboring cities to be their wives and servants. This same rising of this power was mentioned in Dan. 8:10. They established the vision of Daniel 8 and 9 by fulfilling the 70 weeks' prophecy of chapter 9 and in so doing they established the 2300 day vision of chapter 8. They were the ones that forever took away the temple from the Jews. They destroyed Jerusalem and forbad any Jew to come near that area for over 200 years (See Dan. 2 pg.23).

"The world in which their reigns began [Ptolomy V & Antiochus III] was the Graeco-Macedonian world as it had been constituted by the conquests of Alexander the Great; the world in which they ended was a brand new world over which was flung the shadow of Rome." The House of Ptolemy pg. 217,218 by E.R. Bevan.

DAN 11:15 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.

Antiochus III defeated the best of Egypt's troops under their experienced general Scopas, forever securing Palestine from the Egyptians.

It is commonly believed that the rest of this chapter is talking about Antiochus Epiphanes and a three year event in Judea, but that makes the "prince of the covenant" an obscure priest, Onias III, and would make "the abomination that maketh desolate" appear over 160 years before Christ warned of its coming (Matt. 24:15; Dan. 11:31). They also make the man that was "Broken, neither in anger nor in battle" as Seleucus IV Philopater (187-175 B.C.), but we know that he was murdered. (The House of Seleucus, vol. 1 pg. 125 by Edwyn Robert Bevan [London:Edward Arnold, 1902] (See God Cares pg. 282).

DAN 11:16 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.

Under the leadership of Pompay, the Roman army conquered Syria and the northern kingdom and then Palestine which resisted for three months.

DAN 11:17 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.

Julius Caesar "set his face" to enter Alexandria (Egypt). Egypt was the only part not entered by the Romans. An argument dividing Egypt between Ptolemy and Cleopatra (51-30 B.C.) was settled by Caesar siding with Cleopatra. What she could not win on the battlefield she won in the bedroom. She was never really "for him". The story of Cleopatra should teach us something about adulterous relationships and how influential a spouse can be (See 2 Cor. 6:14).

daughter of women: What other woman except Cleopatra fits? What other women in the ancient world was so politically powerful, even to the point of nearly ruling the known world. First by nearly becoming Julius Caesar's Queen and Secondly with Mark Antony in war with Rome over who ruled Palestine. The expression suggests that she was a woman of women. This is exactly what Cleopatra was famous for. Egypt is identified as the king of the south in verses 42 & 43 as compared with verse 40. There we will learn that it is symbolic. This daughter of women is evidently the king of the south and what woman ruled Egypt as the Roman empire was rising that affected the people of God by contending over their territory, except Cleopatra? This was predicted over 500 years before by this prophecy.

DAN 11:18 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.

DAN 11:19 Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.

After Julius Caesar's affair in Egypt, he conquered the frontier or coastlands. He won five hundred battles and took a thousand cities, killing over a million people. Then he went home to his "fort", Rome. Because he was an insolent dictator and butcher, G. Cassius Longinus, one of his commanders & Brutus an old friend, assassinated him on the Ides of March 44 B.C. to free Rome of his dictatorship. He stumbled and fell down the steps of the hall. Cleopatra's affair with Mark Antony kept him from becoming the next Caesar, so Octavius became the new Caesar.

DAN 11:20 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.

Caesar Augustus, formerly known as Octavius, was the founder of the Roman Empire and the issuer of the tax of Luke 2:1 at the time of Christ. He died in peace in his bed a few years (days) later unlike his predecessors or successors. {What other raiser of taxes, evidently of the Roman Empire, in this time frame, that relates to the people of God could it be but the raiser of taxes that brought Jesus to Bethlehem?}

DAN 11:21 And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honor of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.

DAN 11:22 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.

Tiberius, a stepson and not a true heir, pleaded with Augustus to be the next Caesar, but Augustus said he was too vile and named Agrippa to succeed him but Agrippa died first and Tiberius became the new Caesar. Though successful militarily he was despised by everyone and when ill, at the sign of his recovery, his own attendants suffocated him with pillows. It was under his reign that Christ, the prince of the everlasting or new covenant, was crucified. Who else could it be but the prince, of the people of God, of the covenant? Thus we come to the end of the 70 weeks predicted in chapter 9.

DAN 11:23 And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.

The history of the 70 weeks has been explained and now the angel goes back and explains the establishment of the Roman universal rule and how God's people (the Jews at that time) became involved with them.

Between whom is this league made? The Romans must be one of the contracting parties because the angel is talking about that government before and after this text. Rome was a small republic that made the other cities and countries subject to them. Notice the similarity with Daniel 8:25 "and through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper". The other party in this league must be the people that both Daniel (Dan. 10:1,2) and the angel (Dan. 10:14) had in view, the people of God. The first time the Jews came into contact with the Romans was in 158 B.C. when the Romans repulsed the Grecian general Bachides from Jerusalem so that the Jews were never again bothered by the Greeks, and thus the Romans' and Jews' league was formed (1 Maccabees 9:72 & Josephus XII, chapter 10 sec. 6). This introduces the Roman's influence over the people of God.

DAN 11:24 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.

Rome bought more nations by riches and intrigue than she conquered in war. She accomplished by craft and strategy then what the previous empires had done by force. Notice this parallels Daniel 7:23 & 8:24, 25. Rome even managed to get the Jews to submit to be ruled by her kings and governors and even to have their high priests appointed by Roman governors for two centuries.

In Sept. 31 B.C. Octavius won the battle of Actium with Egypt, the last contender for power and the last alternative influence over Palestine. The following year he returned to Rome and changed his name to Augustus; all Caesars thereafter were known as Augustus. He was called the father of the Roman empire. This was in 30 B.C.; exactly one "time" or prophetic year later, the capital of the empire was moved to Constantinople by Constantine. In 330 A.D. Constantinople was built and by 331 A.D. the last of the official government had abandoned Rome, leaving it to the church. Since there is no year numbered zero between B.C. and A.D., going from 31 B.C. the defeat of the Egyptians to the beginning of the moving of the capital in 330 A.D. or from the official celebration of Rome as the unchallenged capital of the Mediterranean till the official closing of the capital in 331 A.D., it would be exactly 360 years as predicted in verse 24. Thus Rome ruled the Mediterranean and the territory of the Jews and the Christians from the defeat of Egypt 31/30 B.C. till 330/331 A.D. exactly 360 years or a "time", a "year" counting a day for a year. By the year 337 A.D. the empire was in no less than three divisions.

"God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, "and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;" Acts 17: 24-26.

The empire during the days of Acts 17 was the Roman empire, and its bounds or its length of reign was determined and appointed by God and told to us in this prophecy. If this is not the correct interpretation then where else in scripture has God "determined the times" of this empire?

DAN 11:25 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.

DAN 11:26 Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain.

This is a description of the war in Egypt, when Mark Antony went into Egypt with a great army. Cleopatra, then queen of Egypt, deserted her husband, as she had previously done to Ptolomy, and joined Mark Antony with much of the army of Egypt, so that the army that turned Egypt over to the Romans was fed by the king of Egypt.

DAN 11:27 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.

United by a marriage between Mark Antony and Octavious's sister Mark Antony and Octavius Caesar ruled over Rome jointly, for a time, but both were deceivers and power mongers. After Antony took Egypt they quarreled, and Octavius declared war on Mark Antony in 32 B.C. Octavius marched against Cleopatra and Mark Antony and defeated them at the battle of Actium. They committed suicide and Octavius reigned supreme thus beginning the Roman Empire's allotted "Time" of rule.

This is the last mention of the king of the south until verse 40. The last ancient, or any other real sense, king/pharaoh of Egypt was Cleopatra with her lover Mark Antony. Therefore this must be the correct interpretation.

DAN 11:28 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.

Octavius returned to Rome with such vast riches that Pido in his book Connections of the History of the Old and New Testament vol. 2 pg. 566 said that after his return from Egypt the value of money dropped in half and the price of food was doubled. This was in 30 A.D. this was when Octavius changed his name to Augustus and was hailed the father of the Empire, a title for which he was known throughout history.

The next significant thing the Romans would do would be to crucify Jesus Christ and then destroy the city and temple of Jerusalem. Thus they were against the Holy Covenant. What is the Holy Covenant? "And He wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments." Ex. 34:28 "Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart." 2 Cor. 3:3,6 ". . I will make a new covenant . . But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. . . . for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." Jer. 31:31,33,34. Thus the covenant was the gospel message or word of God including the ten commandments, the basis and goal of the covenant. Any warfare against the covenant would mean war against God's people or messengers and the Emperors made great efforts to stamp out Christianity even outlawing it.

DAN 11:29 At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter.

Not as the former or as the Syrians going into Egypt or the latter, the previous conquest of Egypt by Rome, but a fleeing from the northern powers (the Huns and barbarians). No new empire was to rule. This marked the end of Rome's 'Time' of rule over the people of God.

DAN 11:30 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.

The Huns lived on the northern edge of the Adriadic Sea, which was known anciently as Chittim. Attila the Hun ravaged the Roman empire. Attila was known as "the Scourge of God" for many believed him to be punishment sent from heaven for the numerous crimes of the Roman empire.

This describes the attack on Rome by the barbarians (Vandals) known as the pirates of the sea. From Carthage, their capital, they captured the city of Rome and defeated the Roman navy.

History of the World by Ridpath vol. 3 pg. 429-430 "a vandal fleet anchored at the mouth of the Tiber, Rome was captured and for 14 days and nights was given up to indiscriminate pillage. The treasures of the eternal city were carried onboard the vandal ships and wanton destruction, fire and murder added to the horrors of the sack, she that had despoiled the nations was in her turn outraged and left lying in her own blood by the banks of the Tiber." For the next 8 years they were attacked by Gensarack, king of the vandals. Then Constantine moved the Roman government to Constantinople and the new rulers of the city of Rome were the Christian church leaders or the papacy (the bishop of Rome claimed it).

Barns in his General History pg. 321 "A new Rome arose from the ashes of the old, far mightier than the vanquished empire, for it claimed dominion over the spirits of men."

Not only would the state have indignation against the holy covenant, "genuine Christianity", but the ruler of Rome would unite with or "have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant" or unite with the apostasy. Thus a unity of church and state, of pagan Rome with apostate Christianity, thus making the sword of the government or Caesar the enforcer of church rules. Thus the Dark Ages began.

DAN 11:31 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.

Arms or the physical forces of government were working to fight this religious war, a union of church & state.

Which sanctuary? It couldn't have been the earthly sanctuary, for it didn't exist then. The only other sanctuary was the heavenly sanctuary or the source of a Christian's strength and forgiveness of sins. "Thy way, O God, is in sanctuary:" Ps. 77:13 "Send thee help from the sanctuary, and stengthen thee out of Zion;" Ps. 20:2 (Ps. 96:6). How did it get polluted? By making it of no effect, by taking away the "daily sacrifice" for sins, in that they replaced it with the abomination that maketh desolate or a false hope and system of forgiveness of sins. They even substituted a new 10 commandments. This earthly priesthood, confession of sins and forgiveness by an earthly priest caused people to stop looking to Christ in heaven for the forgiveness of sin and help.

DAN 11:32 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.

DAN 11:33 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.

Catholicism placed Popes in the chair of St. Peter, the most wicked of men, great corruption and immorality were practiced, as has been attested to by secular historians and Catholic writers.

"But during the papacy of Surgius rose into power the famous Theadora with her daughters Maroazea and Theadora the prostuts who in the strong language of historians disposed for many years the papal tiara, and not content with disgracing their own licentious lives the chief city of Christendom actually placed their paramours or base born sons, in the chair of St. Peter. The influence obtained by Theadora and her daughters, if it chose not the criminal conivance of Pope Sergious or a still more disgraceful connection by which he was charged by the scandal of the times, proves at least the utter degradation of the papal power of Rome" The Historians History of the World vol. 8 pg. 579.

But despite these things "those that know their God would be strong and do exploits" such as the Waldenses, Huguenots, and Albagenses who kept the truth burning, during the 1260 years of Papal supremacy. It is estimated that between 50 and 150 million people were martyred for their faith.

DAN 11:34 Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries.

A little help was promised, the rise of the reformers.

DAN 11:35 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.

Persecution is a blessing in disguise, for the church has always been the purest and most spiritual during times of persecution. It is God's refining agency (Isa. 1:25-27 Zach. 13:9 Mal. 3:3).

The trials of life are God's workman to remove the impurities and roughness from our character; their hewing, squaring and chiseling and polishing is a painful process. It is hard to be pressed down to the grinding wheel, but the stone is brought forth prepared to fill its place in the heavenly temple. But upon no useless material does the Master bestow such careful and thorough work.

'Even to the time of the end .. time appointed' this prophesy of the destruction of God's people just prior to the return of Jesus indicates that Papal power will rise again uniting with her former enemies to make war or religious persecution with God's true people.

DAN 11:36 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 is determined shall be done.

"From this place (verse 36) as St. Jerome asserts, the Jews, as also the Christians of his time, understood all to be spoken of the Antichrist" Bishop Newton in his Dissertations on the Prophecies page 299, 300. The papacy claims to be the Vicar of Christ, God's all powerful throne on earth if you will. Note that the Papacy occupies the last place in all the prophecies of Dan. 7 & 8 and much of Revelation. It is the same here. "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation." 2 Peter 1:20 Does this mean that we must have a committee to understand the bible? NO! It means that no important doctrine or prophecy stands alone or in private, on only one portion of scripture. No teaching is to be accepted that comes from human deduction but rather by letting the scriptures interpret themselves. "The infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself. . . It must be searched and known from other places that speak more clearly." The Westminster Confession. So whenever anyone tells you of a doctrine that is only founded or based on one scripture, be careful!

DAN 11:37 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.

No wives for priests, and nuns cannot marry. ". . in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, . . ." 1 Tim. 4:1-3 (Gen. 3:16).

DAN 11:38 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.

DAN 11:39 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.

Strange god whom his fathers knew not . . . "He was a god of a new system of idolatry, whose idols were the images of Mahuzzim, or 'the ghosts' of pretended saints and martyrs ... Now, to honour a god of guardians with such things, is to enrich the institutions dedicated to the guardian saints... The churches, chapels, and cathedrals are the strongholds, and houses of merchandise, dedicated by the prospering craft to guardian-saints and angels. There are the images and pictures of the saints. They are the saints' houses in which are deposited their shrines; silver, gold, and ivory crucifixes... They are truly bazaars of spiritual merchandise... But, then, bazaars of priestly wares are distinguished from places of honorable trade, by being dedicated to Mahuzzim. This is a remarkable feature of the prophecy, which finds its counterpart in the dedication of the churches to guardian saints and angels. St. Sophia at Constantinople, St. Peter's at Rome, Our Lady's at Paris, St. Paul's at London, and innumerable other bazaars, dedicated to all conceivable kinds of saints, and, lest any should be forgotten, to All Saints, and even to All Souls - are examples in point." Elpis Israel, by Dr. Thomas pgs. 365-369. Regarding the wafer or host used in communion or mass Cardinal Vohn says in his book On the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass pg. 12 "So far as the practical effects upon the soul are concerned the holy mass has in some senses the advantage over calvary"

Neither the Jews nor the early Christians ever built shrines or worshiped statues of the prophets nor believed that they were their mediators.

King shall do according as his will This is the same expression as verse 3 used to describe Alexander the Great and verse 16 of Rome under the Caesars, thus Papal Rome acts in the same way, with a spirit of self exaltation as "Lucifer.. I will ascend into heaven.." Isa. 14:12-14.

He breaks the narrative to interpret further the work of the little horn. No new power is introduced but an expanding on the self-exalting power that attacks God's dominion. Notice the similarity to descriptions of the little horn in chapters 7 and 8 and 2 Thes. 2:2,3 also compare Rev. 16:13,14. Willy the historian in his book History of the Papacy page 102 "History presents us with a list of not less than 64 empires and kings that were deposed by the Popes".

The claim of infallibility, taking on the name of God, claiming the power to forgive sins, is identified as the mystery of iniquity. He shall prosper till the "indignation be accomplished" which is the wrath of God poured out, on the beast and those who are in Babylon, before the resurrection. (See Rev. 11:15,18; 14:9,10; 15:1; 16:1,17,19; Job 14:13; Isa. 26:19-21). Thus revealing the final doom of this evil power (Dan. 8:19 "make known what shall be at end").

Divide the land for gain: Pope Adrian IV gave Henry II king of the Normans permission to take Ireland in the papal bull, "Laudabiliter."

"You have expressed to us your desire to enter the island of Ireland in order to subject its people to law, and to root out from them the weeds of vice, and your willingness to pay an annual tribute to the blessed Peter of one penny from every house... We, therefore, meeting your pious and laudable desire with due favour and according a gracious assent to your petition, do hereby declare our will and pleasure ... you shall enter that island.." Quoted in The king of the North at Jerusalem by Louis F. Were pg. 30.

In 1172, when king Henry invaded, Ireland the new Pope Alexander III ratified his predecessors bull by blessing the kings desire to "extend the privileges of the church... to establish her jurisdiction where at present she has none."

"The Popes had given Portugal a monopoly on the sea route to India by way of Good Hope. Spain and Portugal, rival sea powers, had found it impossible to traffic with the Far East without violating the papal mandate - until this westward route was proposed, and against which there was no papal edict," The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers vol. II, pgs. 165,166 "Pope Divides Globe Between Spain and Portugal. The Spanish and Portuguese discoveries offered a wide field for papal extension. However, soon after Christopher Columbus discovered the New World, a hot dispute arose between Spain and Portugal... Ferdinand and Isabella at once dispatched an embassy to Alexander VI for the purpose of ensuring their rights to the new territories, on the principle that Martin V had given to the king of Portugal possession of all lands he might discover between Cape Bojador and the East Indies... In two bulls, of May 4 and 5, 1493, Alexander VI presumed to divide the Western world between Portugal and Spain by a line one hundred leagues west of the Azores, north and south. The possession of the lands discovered, and to be discovered, was assigned to the two countries to be held in perpetuity... Thus half the globe was divided between Spain and Portugal."

"As Peter's successor, the Pope claimed the right to give away the Western continent, a gift that involved an unending right of tenure." The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers vol. II, pgs. 168,169 by LeRoy E. Froom.

"His flatterers call him our Lord God the Pope... and honours the god of forces, the god Mahuzzim, or strongholds, saints and angels, whom his followers take for their protectors, and the heathen did of old their demons; these they make presidents of several countries, etc. These they honour with vast treasures dedicated to them." Matthew Henry's Bible comments on Daniel 11.

"The whole earth has been divided. Whole countries have been dedicated to patron and protecting saints as tutelary deities. The country has been divided up and cities have seen consecrated to different saints as witness in our land - San Francisco, St. Louis, St. Paul, St. Augustine, St. Joseph. And the earth, its countries, its cities, have not only been parceled out to the saints but to clericals of various ranks, the representatives of the Papacy., and always and ever to the gain of the Papacy." The King of the North by M.C. Wilcox pgs. 27, 28 quoted in The King of the North at Jerusalem by Louis F. Were pg. 32.

Thus things and even countries can be dedicated to protecting saints for - example Australia is dedicated to Mary.

They divided the world into dioceses under the rule of a bishop, subdivided by priests and monks. Several dioceses form the kingdom of the archbishop and over the archbishops are the cardinals. From all these divisions come money into the coffers of Rome on the river Tigre (Rev. 18:) They seek gain in the trafficking of the souls of men, for a price suffering can be relived for others in Hell or Purgatory, sins may be forgiven, holy things may be seen. It traffics in the things of salvation (See Rev. 17:4, 18:3,11-19) though they cannot be purchased with money (Acts 8:20).

This revealed what the mystery of iniquity would do. Verses 30-39 show the development and 1260 day reign of the Papacy during the Dark Ages and its expanding European and world wide influence. Verses 40-45 refer to the gathering of its forces for its final assault on the law of God at the end of the world, culminating in the second coming of Christ.

DAN 11:40 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.

DAN 11:41 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.

As this is yet future I will only explain that which I know.

In fulfillment of prophecy, such as Obadiah 18, the Edomites as a separate people have not existed for over a thousand years. The Edomites as well as the other Ammorites were those that fought against the Israelites as they tried to enter the promised land. Acts 15:17 quotes Amos 9:12 except that it changes the reference from Edomites to the word Gentiles, demonstrating its symbolism. So the Amorites of the last days must be symbolic of those that do the same, that is, the enemies of God's spiritual Israel. Escaping out of his hand must mean that some of the principal enemies of God's last day movement will be converted to the truth, leaving the devils ranks.

DAN 11:42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.

The Egypt, the king of the South, of the last days is not talking about the literal country of Egypt but what it spiritually stands for. (See Rev. 11:8 "spiritually called Sodom and Egypt") of all the nations in Bible history Egypt was the most bold in denying the existence of God and resisting his commandments. No other king was so open in his rebellion of the authority of Heaven. When the message was brought to him by Moses in Ex. 5:2 he said "Who is this Jehovah that I should harken unto his voice. I know not Jehovah" This is atheism, this is the nation represented by Egypt that would give great voice to the denial of a living God and would manifest a like spirit of unbelief and defiance to God. France during the french revolution, as we will see in Rev. 11:8, officially denied God as much as any State and was the birthplace of modern communism and atheism. We have witnessed how "The Church", the Papacy, has triumphed over these atheistic regimes.

DAN 11:43 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.

Ethiopians & Libyans is symbolic of the supporters or servants of Egypt. They were also the poorer or 3rd world "backward" countries on the outskirts or fringes of the Christian world (Acts 8:27-39; Nah 3:9; Ps. 68:31; Ps. 87:4; Isa. 18:1, 20:3-5, 43:3, 45:14-16; Ezek. 30:4-8, 38:5).

DAN 11:44 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.

The North & East. " And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: . . ." Ezek. 43:1-4, "For as lightning cometh out of the east,. . . so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Matt. 24:27, Rev. 16:12, Rev. 22:16,20. I believe that these are the trinity.

"Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, . ." Zech 8:3, "For, lo, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the north country: and they shall set themselves in array against her; . . ." Jer. 50:9, "Who raised up the righteous man from the east, . .I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come: from the rising of the sun shall he call upon my name: and he shall come upon princes as upon mortar, and as the potter treadeth clay." Isa. 41:2, 25 "Calling a ravenous bird from the east, . ." Isa. 46:11, ". . . Mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great king." Ps. 48:2 "And I looked, and behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, . . . " Ezek. 1:4. This was when God came to Ezekiel. "For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: . . . I will be like the most high." Isa. 14:13,14.

Thus the north can represent the position of God. God tells us that He comes from the east when He comes. Therefore when Satan tries to establish himself as god on earth, the glorious holy mountain, the tidings of God's coming from the East and North bother him for he knows that he has but a short time.

Utterly to make away many Isaac Newton said regarding "the original word we translate utterly to make away many signifies to anathematize, to consecrate, to devote to utter perdition, so that it strongly implies this war should be made upon a religious account". Quoted in King of the North at Jerusalem by Louis Were pg. 118.

DAN 11:45 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.

The Holy Mountain is the dwelling place of God "His foundation is in the Holy mountains." Ps. 87:1, "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain" Isa. 11:9, ". . . to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the Lord," Isa. 66:20, "So shall ye know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: . ." Joel 3:17.

This is not a literal invasion of Palestine by a power to set up some building. Everything up to this point has been an ever expanding world encompassing view. The book of Revelation which is an exposition and explanation of these prophecies for the last days, giving even more details, has no mention of any thing like this, but it does mention a lot about the spiritual world-wide battle in the last days. The other outlines of history in Daniel (chapters 2, 7, & 8) all end with world wide events. This chapter introduces no new power but is a further explanation.

The context and purpose of these prophecies' climax is the persecution and deliverance of God's last day people just before his second coming. We are not directed to watch for a building in Jerusalem which would have any real connection with God's people or their persecution and deliverance. (See Rev. 13:16,17)

So now we can see that "when you see the abomination that maketh desolate set up" of Matt. 24:15,16 it is actually a principle. Whenever you see the pagans, or enemies of God's people, set up their pagan standard against the heart of the people of God, essentially a declaration of spiritual war, it is time to flee.

The pagan Romans set up their standard in 70 A.D. at the gates of the city of Jerusalem, essentially declaring that city to belong to their Roman gods and declared war to enforce that declaration. Similarly the abomination that maketh desolate in the last days is the sign of paganism, Sunday sacredness, the sign of the authority of the Catholic church. Its sabbath, its mark of authority, is set up by the pseudo-Christian church against the true 10 commandments, his law and covenant the bases of his sanctuary or tabernacle which is abiding in his people. Thus we see a world Sunday law which would start primarily where the majority of God's people are.

REVIEW NOTE:

Note that in this chapter the HE/HIM/HIS is the agency, the king, government, or power through which Satan worked to persecute, dominate, and rule over God's people.

The conflict was between literal Babylon and the Euphraties area verses and the people of God. Then there is a transition between literal Babylon and the Euphraties river area to spiritual Babylon, as seen in Revelation 17,18 as the enemies of God's people. There is no more literal city of Babylon, yet revelation talks about it being destroyed, thrown down by God at the end of this worlds history at the time of the second coming of Christ.

Old Babylon was paganism. It was ruled by the Assyrians, then the Persians, then the Greeks, and then the Romans. They could be identified by their literal idolatry, likewise the last day Babylon by its false forms and methods of worship, its false sabbath and false mediators for sin.

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