The Character and Actions of the Antichrist Described in Daniel 11.38-39 (Doctrinal Bible Church in Huntsville, Alabama)

Doctrinal Bible Church

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Wednesday March 6, 2024

Day of the Lord Series: The Character and Actions of the Antichrist Described in Daniel 11:38-39

Lesson # 13

Daniel 11:36-45 presents a description of the character and actions of the Antichrist during the last three and a half years of the seventieth week.

Daniel 11:36 “Then, a unique king will do according to his desire. Consequently, he will exalt himself so that he will magnify himself above every deity. He will also issue extraordinary statements against the true God. However, despite this, he will succeed until the righteous indignation related to the end is completed because that which has been decreed must take place. 37 Also, he will have absolutely no respect for the gods of his ancestors as well as the one desired by women, likewise he will have absolutely no respect for each and every god because he will magnify himself above all. 38 But instead of this, he will be characterized as honoring a god, which is the capturing of fortresses, which is a god his ancestors never had knowledge of. He will be characterized as honoring this god with gold, with silver, with the precious stone as well as valuable commodities.” (Pastor’s translation)

In Daniel 11:38, the angel presents a contrast with the previous prophetic statement at the end of Daniel 11:37 that the Antichrist will have absolutely no respect for any god because he will magnify himself above every deity.

Here in verse 38 the angel reveals that instead of worshipping any deity or pagan god, the Antichrist will be characterized as honoring a god, which is the capturing of fortresses which is an expression which personifies waging war.

This god which is the capturing of fortresses is in fact no god or deity at all but rather it is an expression for the personification of waging war.

Therefore, the Antichrist will be characterized as honoring in the sense of esteeming the practice of waging war or in other words, he will idolize military power.

So we can see that the contrast is between the Antichrist not worshipping any deity but honoring the power to make war.

He will not honor any god but only war.

The angel then reveals to Daniel that the ancestors of the Antichrist never had knowledge of this god of waging war.

Remember he will be a Roman (cf. Daniel 9:26) and they worshipped a pantheon of gods but they never worshipped the god of waging war, though they waged war.

The Roman emperors and generals of the Roman Empire all worshipped pagan deities whom they honored when celebrating their military victories.

However, unlike these men, the Antichrist will never worship any pagan deities but rather will magnify himself above every god worshipped by unregenerate humanity.

The Roman Emperors deified themselves but never above all other deities like the Antichrist will do.

The Antichrist will idolize military power because it is a means to an end, which is to have the world worship him.

He will view military power as the means by which he can accomplish his goals.

In fact, the angel also reveals to Daniel that the Antichrist will also be characterized as honoring this god of waging war with gold, silver, the precious stone as well as valuable commodities.

This means that his defense budget or budget for the military will be very generous.

In other words, he will be the best friend to the military industrial complex.

This prophetic statement means that the Antichrist will pour vast amounts of money and materials into waging war since waging war will enable him to accomplish his goal of conquering the world and having the world worship Him as God.

This last prophetic statement also reveals that the Antichrist will be a materialist.

Daniel 11:39 “Furthermore, he will take action against the strongest fortified cities with the help of a foreign god. To those who cause him to receive recognition, he will cause honor to be increased so that he will cause them to rule the masses. Also, he will distribute land for a price.” (Pastor’s translation)

The angelic being continues to communicate to Daniel here in verse 39 prophecies pertaining to the character and actions of the Antichrist during the seventieth week.

The first prophetic statement in this verse reveals that the Antichrist will take military action against the strongest fortified cities with the help of a foreign god during the seventieth week.

The reference to the foreign god is best interpreted by the adversative clause, which appears in Daniel 11:38, “But instead of this, he will be characterized as honoring a god, which is the capturing of fortresses, which is a god his ancestors never had knowledge of.”

As we noted, the expression “a god, which is the capturing of fortresses” is a personification of waging war.

Thus, the Antichrist will be characterized as honoring in the sense of esteeming the practice of waging war or in other words, he will idolize military power.

Therefore, the reference to the foreign god here in Daniel 11:39 is a reference to the Antichrist’s idolization of waging war or his obsession with military power which will help him rule the world.

Therefore, the angel is telling Daniel that the Antichrist will take military action against the strongest fortified cities with the help of his military industrial complex or in other words his military power.

The second prophetic statement in Daniel 11:39 reveals that the Antichrist will cause honor to be increased to those individuals who cause him to receive recognition.

He will honor these individuals in the sense that he will bestow upon them money, power, authority resulting in a higher status in society.

So in other words, if someone scratches his back, he’ll scratch theirs.

Undoubtedly, those who are being referred to as causing him to receive recognition would be of course those in the media.

It will be extremely important to have these individuals in his camp since they have the power to propagate his lies and deception and program for planet earth.

Satan is the prince of the power of the atmosphere (Ephesians 2:2) and thus the media is a tool that the devil uses to spread his lies and propaganda against Christianity, the Bible and Jesus Christ.

Those in government will be helpful to the Antichrist since they will possess the power to advance his political agenda throughout the various governments on planet earth.

One of the ways the Antichrist will honor those who cause him to receive recognition is that of delegated political authority over groups of people.

Thus, those who cause him to receive recognition, he will delegate authority to rule over the masses.

The third prophetic statement in Daniel 11:39 reveals that the Antichrist will distribute land for a price meaning if you give him a large sum of money, he will give you land, which implies that he will already have land in his possession to distribute to others who pay him.

Of course, he will have this land because of his military conquests of various nations.

Therefore, these three prophetic statements in Daniel 11:39 reveal that the Antichrist will be a politician and a corrupt one at that whereas Daniel 11:38 indicates he will be military man.

He will be a warmonger or a man of war.

These two verses also reveal he will be the greatest materialist in history.

These verses both reveal that he will love money since money allows him to accomplish his lofty goals of ruling the world.

He will use money to get what he wants.

Daniel 11:36 and 37 reveal that the Antichrist will be an absolute world ruler during the last three and a half years of the seventieth week.

These verses reveal he will deify himself which will demonstrate the fact that he is totally and completely arrogant and full of himself.

He will be the greatest megalomaniac and egomaniac in all of human history.

He will also be against the organized religions of the world as a result of his desire to be worshipped as God by the entire world.

Thus, these verses reveal he will totally oppose God which will manifest itself in his public statements.

This character sketch of the Antichrist in Daniel 11:36-39 reveals that he will reflect the character of his father the devil.

This world today reflects the standards of Satan and what he values.

This world is marked by war, materialism, the love of money, selfishness, self-centeredness, greed, corruption of all types, hypocrisy, and egomania.

Antichrist will perfectly embody the character and standards of Satan and his cosmic system.