Daniel, Chapter 11 & 12

Overview

in these chapters we get the same earlier prophecies, but with a lot more detailed added

so much detail that critics call this chapter history. in other words, So accurate that they believe these things happened, someone wrote it down, and then tried to claim that it was prophecy.

They have no proof, they just don’t want to believe that God’s Word could be so accurate

A lot of info:

chapters deal a Persia, Greece, and the splitting of the Greek empire, period we call the Syrian wars, and the end times

we see wars between King of the North, King of the South, alliances, marriages, betrayals, desecration of the temple, Michael the archangel, resurrection

We could do a whole college class on just chapter 11, lining up the prophecies with the actual people in history who fulfilled it . . . you can literally read about these people in history books, and they rose to power and fell from power just like Daniel predicted

but let me give you some tidbits

4th Persian ruler named in Daniel 11 is Xerxes.

Same king that is in Esther

same king of Persia in the movie 300

Great leader will rise but as soon as we rises, his kingdom will be broken up into 4 sections

Alexander the Great, dead at 32 of fever

only relatives left to claim throne were a half-brother with mental challenges, and an illegitimate son . . . they were murdered

4 top generals divided kingdom into 4 sections

then it focuses on the Kings of the North and the Kings of the South - the sections that had the most influence on Jewish land and life

North (Seleucids) vs South (Ptolemies)

Kings of the North - Seleucids

Kings of the South - Ptolemies

fought over 130 years for control (Syrian Wars)

Daniel 11:6 NLT

“Some years later an alliance will be formed between the king of the north and the king of the south. The daughter of the king of the south will be given in marriage to the king of the north to secure the alliance, but she will lose her influence over him, and so will her father. She will be abandoned along with her supporters.

want some juicy historical gossip from this scripture?

King Antiochus II (of the Seleucids) was married to a woman named Laodice

but to for the alliance, he kicked her to the curb and married the daughter of King Ptolemy II, Bernice (daughter of Ptolemy II).

There was peace for a time because of this marriage, but when Bernice’s father, Ptolemy II died . . . so King Antiochus II apparently felt this marriage was not beneficial to his kingdom, and he kicked Bernice to the curb (lost influence) and took Laodice, his former wife back

though Laodice was back, she didn’t trust her husband Antiochus II; so she had him poisoned.

and then Laodice had Bernice, her infant son, and all of Bernice’s attendants killed, and made her own son the king . . . wow

there is a Cleopatra, not THE Cleopatra but one of her ancestors

and then there is Dual Fulfillment going on

You can tell Daniel was talking about the future and then the far future (end times)

for us it’s the past and the end times

Too much to talk about in a 45 minute Bible Study so I felt led to concentrate on two things:

#1 When will we know the end is super close?

and

#2 What do we do with this information (the verse I asked you to focus on)

but if you want to try to put it all together, the main books are Daniel, the words of Jesus about the endtimes, and Revelation. (But there are others)

also many of his prophecies will make more sense as the end approaches,:like the idea that you won’t be able to buy or sell without the mark of the beast. When I was young it was still hard to figure out how, now it’s easy to see. e-commerce

When will we know THE END is super close?

Daniel 12:11 NLT

“From the time the daily sacrifice is stopped and the sacrilegious object that causes desecration is set up to be worshiped, there will be 1,290 days.

we’re talking days, 3 1/2 years worth of days

1,335 number of days is also given . . . not sure what they mean

this has already been brought up before in Daniel 9:27

Daniel 9:27 NLT

The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him.”

Jesus talks about it when speaking of the last days

Matthew 24:15 NLT

“The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place.” (Reader, pay attention!)

Paul writes about it because false prophets were saying that Jesus had already come back and they missed it

2 Thessalonians 2:3–4 NLT

Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction. He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God.

so there has to be a temple for this person to go into and desecrate

1st temple built by Solomon

2nd temple built by Ezra

3rd temple?

and when we see a man go into there and desecrate it and bascially declare himself as god

down to less than 4 years

What do I do with this information?

This last verse of the book of Daniel is a good verse for all believers, servants of God who want to know, “What do I do with this information?”

Daniel 12:13 NLT

“As for you, go your way until the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days, you will rise again to receive the inheritance set aside for you.”

all of this revelation, various events, world figures presents confusion, uncertainty, and even fear . . . . so what should our outlook be?

as for you, go your way until the end

go your way - walk the path God has for you

keep living your life like you are supposed to live it

live right, person of integrity, served God, keep praying a lot

until the end - until your death . . . the experience for most people ever born (except for Enoch, Elijah, and those alive when the end comes)

some people have worried so much about the endtimes that they did not live their lives to the fullest . . . and they died and the endtimes have not come yet

so go your way . . . then if it comes to it, and you see the abomination in the temple, you can adjust

You will rest

does rest mean I will just sleep in the ground at death?

Jesus spoke with Moses and Elijah on the mount of Transfiguration (spoke of what Jesus would do, they knew what was up)

Jesus, “today you will be with me in paradise

Paul, “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord”

so rest means your time in heaven - your spirit goes to heaven (body in the ground)

reminder, heaven is not the final destination . . . new earth is

in fact the streets of Gold is for New Jerusalem on EARTH

and then at the end of days

thought it has been long in coming, it will come

there was a beginning in Genesis and there is an end described in here in Daniel and books like Revelation

there is an end to our human history

there is a judgment day

Ecclesiastes 12:13–14 NASB95

The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.

back to our main verse

Daniel 12:13 NLT

“As for you, go your way until the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days, you will rise again to receive the inheritance set aside for you.”

you will rise again

live in a body again

rise in a resurrected body, body like Jesus (the first) - be seen, touched, eat, appear places, ascend in to heaven

Job said it this way . . .

Job 19:25–26 NLT

“But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God!

yet in his body, he will see God

in fact, all will rise . . . verse two talks about some to everlasting life but others to everlasting contempt

back to our main verse

Daniel 12:13 NLT

“As for you, go your way until the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days, you will rise again to receive the inheritance set aside for you.”

to receive the inheritance set aside for you

there are eternal rewards

there are eternal benefits

they will differ according to your faithfulness (for you)

Jesus says lays up treasures in heaven

we should live for more than this short life . . . some of our rewards will come on the otherside of death - I believe we will be very disappointed that we wanted everything on this side

“I would have been willing to suffer more if I knew I would have received that!”

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