Promised Persecution

Thesis Statement: God was in control of the lives and God is still in control of history. Nothing has changed and His plan was not deviated.

What I want people to walk away with: Even though God is in control of the future and over our lives, that doesn’t mean that the evil opposition will not attack us. More so then, they want to do everything within their power to grip us away from God.

Passages: Daniel 11; 2 Corinthians 4:7-10, 16-18;

Introduction:

Chapters 10-12 are a grouped story within the book in the Old Testament.

Daniel had a vision and he was conflicted.

Last week: We spoke about Daniel fasting, and how we are living in a spiritual warfare.

We are in Daniel chapter 11, second to last chapter, and most definitely a detailed description of the prophecy.

Daniel was a prophet

He was not a fortune teller, he did not sit in a dark room

God was speaking to him about what is to come, so that people will be prepared and be ready to withstand what is to come

Chapter 11 in a nutshell:

Kingdom that will rise up and will inevitably fail

Just like kings before Daniel, there will be kings afterwards. Some are mightier than others

Kingdom that will rise and will remain in tact

Daniel spoke earlier about a king that will reign forever, the one that will rule over everything

Why is this important to Daniel? Why is this important to us?

A. God is speaking to Daniel about things that will happen in the next 300 years

Daniel 11:1–2 NIV

1 And in the first year of Darius the Mede, I took my stand to support and protect him.) 2 “Now then, I tell you the truth: Three more kings will arise in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. When he has gained power by his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece.

Persia - three kings right after King Cyrus

King Cyrus, plus three other kings after (Daniel 7:6)

king Cambyses II

Smerdis

Darius I

Fourth king - Xerxes I. far richer than all the others. power, and confrontation with the kingdom of Greece

Alexander the Great - fourth king

Daniel 11:3 NIV

3 Then a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great power and do as he pleases.

Mighty king will arise

Will rule with great power

Historians credit Alexander the Great with many heroic attributes

Well educated and a military genius (innovative and bold when it came to attacking and taking over)

Charismatic and well studied (demanded loyalty and led with knowledge beyond what people thought)

Alexandria (city named after him, where culture, religion, and knowledge was spread throughout the empire)

Promoted Hellenization (He wanted to make sure that everyone spoke Greek)

God used these kings, because in the darkest of times, God used Greek as a common language to spread the gospel much faster.

Why are we only focusing on these territories? Wasn’t the world a much larger place?

North and South America - Mayan and Azteks, Olmec civilization

China - Zhou Dynasty

India - Maurya Dynasty

B. Control over the territory of God’s nation

The rest of the chapter, the vision speaks about two kings: North and South.

There isn’t just one king, rather, a succession of multiple rulers that tried to reign and take over each other.

Northern king - Seleucid Dinasty

Located to the north of Israel

based in Syria

They fought to take and maintain control over that region

Antiochus IV Epiphanies (glorious) known for his brutal persecution of the Jews and his desecration of the temple in Jerusalem.

A more fierce leader, someone who didn’t want the Jews to worship the Almighty

Intentionally provoked and destroyed the means of them having the freedom of worshipping.

Exalting pagan gods over God the Almighty

Hated the holy covenant

Exalts and magnifies himself as a god

The farthest person that you can have from who Jesus is

Daniel 11:24–25 NIV

24 When the richest provinces feel secure, he will invade them and will achieve what neither his fathers nor his forefathers did. He will distribute plunder, loot and wealth among his followers. He will plot the overthrow of fortresses—but only for a time. 25 “With a large army he will stir up his strength and courage against the king of the South. The king of the South will wage war with a large and very powerful army, but he will not be able to stand because of the plots devised against him.

Southern king - Ptolemaic Dynasty

located to the south border of Israel (hence, the southern kingdom)

based in Egypt

Constantly fighting with the northern kingdom over the control of the land and people (Israel)

The Bible gives a great historical account of both sides, to a point where historians were using the Bible to track down the timeline:

Daniel 11:5 NIV

5 “The king of the South will become strong, but one of his commanders will become even stronger than he and will rule his own kingdom with great power.

Daniel 11:10 NIV

10 His sons will prepare for war and assemble a great army, which will sweep on like an irresistible flood and carry the battle as far as his fortress.

Daniel 11:12–13 NIV

12 When the army is carried off, the king of the South will be filled with pride and will slaughter many thousands, yet he will not remain triumphant. 13 For the king of the North will muster another army, larger than the first; and after several years, he will advance with a huge army fully equipped.

now, about the northern part of the history

Daniel 11:20–23 NIV

20 “His successor will send out a tax collector to maintain the royal splendor. In a few years, however, he will be destroyed, yet not in anger or in battle. 21 “He will be succeeded by a contemptible person who has not been given the honor of royalty. He will invade the kingdom when its people feel secure, and he will seize it through intrigue. 22 Then an overwhelming army will be swept away before him; both it and a prince of the covenant will be destroyed. 23 After coming to an agreement with him, he will act deceitfully, and with only a few people he will rise to power.

Terrible time, people are attacking you, everyone wants to see you dead, dark times are everywhere around you, your country is being taken apart bit by bit, and then verse 32 happens:

Daniel 11:32 ESV

32 He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action.

God is more aware of what will happen in the future than what we can know about our past (God has a greater and more certain understanding of the future than our limited knowledge of the past)

Conclusion:

God has a plan

You might say, “well there have been so many bad kings, how is God in control? Is God the author of everything bad that is happening to us?”

God has a purpose

Our tears and pain does not excite God

God does not rejoice in seeing us in pain and suffering

God has place for you

The book of Daniel reflects a core belief: that while God is both all-powerful and good, there are evil forces—both spiritual and human—that actively oppose him and his plans. This opposition is also directed at believers, meaning that those who follow God and strive to fulfill his will should expect to face intense hostility, which could even include martyrdom. This highlights the inherent spiritual battle and potential for suffering that believers may endure.

2 Corinthians 4:7–10 NIV

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

Continues….

2 Corinthians 4:16–18 NIV

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Action points:

What expectations do you have from God?

How does this chapter influence your relationship with God? Does it push you away or brings hope to the dark places?

Will you allow God to speak to you through difficult times as much as through prosperous times?