Daniels 70 Weeks Part Two Of Three
Daniels 70 Weeks Part Two Of Three
This is the third year of the reign of Belshazzar, the last king of Babylon. The V 3, p 578 vision given in chapter 7 was in the first year of his reign; therefore, both of these visions took place toward the end of the Babylonian empire.
In the vision Daniel finds himself at Shushan, which is Susa, the capital of Media-Persia, the second world empire.
“In the palace” is more accurately, “near the fortress.”
“Ulai” is the Kerkhah River which flowed by Susa.
The reason for the setting of the vision being at Susa rather than at Babylon is that this vision concerns the second and third world empires. The events foretold in this vision were all fulfilled within two hundred years. Such fulfillment is so remarkable that the liberal critic insists upon a late dating of the Book of Daniel. That is, he maintains that Daniel was written after these events had transpired and so is merely an historical record. This is an attempt to get rid of the miraculous, which is embarrassing to his system of interpretation
“A ram which had two horns” will be identified later as Media-Persia (see v. 20)
“The higher came up last.” In other words, the horn representing Media came up first when Gobryas the Median general destroyed Babylon. Then later the Persian monarchs gained the ascendency over the Medes and took the great empire to its highest peak. This ram, then, with its two horns and one horn more prominent than the other, is the MedoPersian empire with the Persians being in the ascendancy
I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward.” Why doesn’t it say he was pushing eastward? Persia was in the east and made no further advance into the Far East. If they had gone farther in that direction, they would have stepped into the Orient, into India and China. However, they were projecting their empire in all other directions. This is the empire which was represented by the bear in chapter 7; they were motivated by the spirit of conquest.
As Daniel was marveling at the power and ability of the ram, yonder from the west came a goat with great movement and a dominant horn. The goat represents Greece (see v. 21), and the horn typifies Alexander the Great.
Under Xerxes, Persia intended to move west, but from the west came this goat which was moving so fast it “touched not the ground”—that corresponds to the four wings of the panther and denotes the speed with which Alexander moved his army.
“He was moved with choler” means that he was moved with anger and great hatred. He ran into him in order to destroy him.
Xerxes was the last great ruler of Persia, and he made a foray against Europe, against Greece. He moved with an army of 300,000 men and their families. The Greeks were smart—they didn’t go out to meet him. Instead, they waited until he got to Thermopylae, which was a narrow pass into which he could not fit a big army. Since one Greek soldier was equal to at least ten of the MediaPersians who were not a trained and disciplined army as the Greeks were, the Greeks gained the victory at Thermopylae. They decimated that tremendous Persian army as it attempted to advance through the pass a few V 3, p 579 soldiers at a time. And then at Salamis, Xerxes’ fleet of three hundred vessels was destroyed by a storm. When word was brought to him that his fleet had been destroyed, he went down to the sea, took off his belt, and beat the waves with it—they had destroyed his fleet! I would say that that was not the action of an outstanding and intelligent man, by any means.
This marked the last effort of the East to move toward the West; no great advance was ever made again. It is true that the great hordes of Mohammed, the Moors, came up through Spain, but Charles Martel stopped them at the battle of Tours. It is also true that the Turks attempted to come through the East, through the Balkans, but they failed.
Now there rises in the West this tremendous general, a young man, Alexander the Great. He was only thirty-two years old when he died. He was a military genius, one of the greatest. He could move a striking force by land quicker than any man ever had.
“When he was strong, the great horn was broken.” What was it that broke this horn? There was no human power that could break it. We are told that when he came to power, the whole world was under the heel of Alexander the Great. Tradition says that he sat down and wept because there were no more worlds to conquer—he had conquered the thenknown world. However, in the midst of his vast projects, he was seized by a fever after a nightlong drinking bout, and he died in BabyIon in the year 323 B. C. at the age of thirtytwo. “When he was strong, the great horn was broken.”
All three of these empires—the Babylonian, the Medo-Persian, and the Graeco-Macedonian—went down in a drunken orgy.
“And for it came up four notable ones.” When Alexander died, his empire was divided among four men (which correspond to the four heads of the panther in ch. 7). These were the four generals who divided the empire: Cassander, who was married to Alexander’s sister and took the European section (Macedonia and Greece); Lysimachus who took the great part of Asia Minor, which is modern Turkey; Seleueus who took Asia, all the eastern part of the empire, except Egypt; and Ptolemy who took Egypt and North Africa.
“The pleasant land” is Israel.
The “little horn” of this chapter is not the same as described in the previous chapter. There the little horn arises out of the fourth kingdom; here the little horn comes out of the third kingdom. This little horn is historical, while the little horn of chapter 7 is to be revealed in the future. The little horn being presently considered came out of Syria from the Seleucid dynasty. He was Antiochus IV, or Epiphanes, the son of Antiochus the Great. He is sometimes called Epimanes, “the madman”—he was another demented ruler.
This statement is admittedly difficult to interpret. I think that the natural interpretation is that Antiochus challenged God and was permitted to capture Jerusalem and the temple. This warfare included the spiritual realm where angels and demons were involved. Some of the feats attributed to Antiochus are astounding; if they are true, demonic power was exhibited.
Antiochus was a devotee of Jupiter of whom he may have thought himself an incarnation. He chose for himself the title Theos Epiphanes, meaning “God manifest.”
8:9–12. Out of one of the four horns came another horn. It had an insignificant beginning but it exerted power southward and eastward and toward the Beautiful Land, that is, the land of Israel. He became a great persecutor of the people of Israel (the host of the heaven; cf. “host” in v. 13) and he subjugated that nation (trampled on them). He set himself up as Israel’s king, calling himself the Prince of the host. He compelled the nation to worship him, as suggested by the fact that he prohibited Israel from following her religious practices (removing the daily sacrifice) and desecrated the temple (brought the sanctuary … low). The nation Israel (the saints; cf. comments on 7:18) acceded to this individual’s wishes because of his rebellious attitude (cf. “rebellion” in 8:13). He prospered and so despised the truth contained in God’s Word that truth was said to be thrown to the ground.
Saint is an “holy one” and refers to one of God’s created intelligences other than man—what we would call a supernatural creature. (I often wonder what angels call us, by the way.)
This profaning of the temple is called here a “transgression of desolation.”
However, if the twenty-three hundred days are taken as being literal twenty-four-hour days, the period would be between six and seven years, which approximates the time of Antiochus who began to perpetrate his atrocities in about 170 B. C. Finally the Jewish priest, Judas Maccabeus (“the hammer”), drove out the Syrian army, at which time the temple was cleansed and rededicated after its pollution. This cleansing is celebrated in the Feast of Lights. In John 10:22 we read: “And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication [rededication or Lights], and it was winter.” This was one of the holy days celebrated at the time of Christ and which is still remembered by the Jews. It is a feast not mentioned in the Old Testament at all, because it was established in the intertestamental period between the Old and New Testaments.
Daniel was puzzled by the vision, and he desired to learn the meaning of it. There appeared to him the angel Gabriel. This is the first time Gabriel is introduced to us in the Bible.
Gabriel, in the explanation that follows, will make it clear that Antiochus Epiphanes is but a picture in miniature of the coming Antichrist.
“For at the time of the end shall be the vision.” Notice that it is for “the time of the end,” not the end of time. Nowhere in the Bible are we told about the end of time. “The time of the end” locates the complete fulfillment of this prophecy in the period which our Lord Jesus called the Great Tribulation. The man referred to is the Antichrist, also called the Man of Sin and the little horn of chapter 7. This prophecy goes beyond the immediate future and is projected into the distant future—even in our day it is still future. Antiochus is merely an adumbration of the other “little horn” who will come at the end of the “times of the Gentiles,” which is made abundantly clear by the use of these eschatological terms.
Notice the physical effect of this vision upon Daniel
Again Gabriel moves from the local fulfillment in Antiochus to the end of the Times of the Gentiles
They are clearly identified for us; we do not have to speculate. The ram definitely represents the kings of Media and Persia.
So the “rough goat” is likewise labeled the king of Greece, and the “great horn” is the first king, Alexander the Great
In other words, none of these kings would have the power that Alexander the Great had.
The “little horn” is Antiochus Epiphanes of the line of the Seleucidae that took Syria. The only adequate explanation of this verse and of the facts of history is that this man was demon possessed. In this respect he is also a picture of the coming Antichrist. The Lord Jesus made reference to him when He said, “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (Matt. 24:24).
The “little horn” is Antiochus Epiphanes of the line of the Seleucidae that took Syria. The only adequate explanation of this verse and of the facts of history is that this man was demon possessed. In this respect he is also a picture of the coming Antichrist. The Lord Jesus made reference to him when He said, “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (Matt. 24:24).
shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people [Dan. 8:24].
“The holy people” refers to Israel. The slaughter of these people by Antiochus Epiphanes seems almost unbelievable. He was as bad as Hitler. However, he is merely an adumbration of the Antichrist who is coming, of whom it is said: “And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations” (Rev. 13:7).
Antiochus was but a faint type of this king who is coming. And he will do four things which Antiochus did in pygmy style:
1. “He shall cause craft to prosper in his hand.” We are told in Revelation 13:17 that no man will be able to buy or sell save the one who has the mark of the beast. He will control the economy with a vengeance.
2. “He shall magnify himself in his heart.” Revelation 13:5 says that he is given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies. He will be given power to continue forty-two months. Humility is not a characteristic of the Antichrist! He is like Satan who was filled with pride.
3. “By peace shall destroy many.” He V 3, p 582 comes in as a lamb, but he goes out as a lion. In Revelation 6 he is the rider on the white horse. Notice that right after him comes the red horse of war—he has brought in a false peace.
4. “He shall stand up against the Prince of princes.” You see, he will oppose and fight against Christ. One of the marks of Antichrist and of that first beast in Revelation 13 is that he is against Christ.
Daniel was told that the vision would be for the distant future—“for it shall be for many days” to come.
The physical and psychological effect of this vision upon Daniel was devastating. At this point God was beginning to mesh the “times of the Gentiles” into the history of the nation Israel. That was the thing that puzzled Daniel at the first, and it still puzzles a great many people. How can God mesh His program with Israel into His program for the Gentiles in the world? And today to further complicate it, there is His program with the church. The answer is quite simple, of course. In our day God is calling out a people to His name—we label this called-out group “the church.” When that is concluded, and the church is removed from the earth at the Rapture, then He will again turn to His purpose with Israel and the gentile nations.
1. TO FINISH THE TRANSGRESSION.
It is the transgression of ISRAEL that is here referred to, and the finishing of it will be the turning away of UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB. Rom. 11:26–27. The transgression of Israel has not yet come to an end, and will not until they as a Nation shall be converted.
2. TO MAKE AN END OF SINS.
The margin reads to “seal up” sins. The sins of ISRAEL. This may refer to the author of Israel’s sins—Satan, who shall at that time be “sealed up” in the Pit. Rev. 20:1–3.
3. TO MAKE RECONCILIATION FOR INIQUITY.
This refers to ISRAEL’S iniquity in the rejection of their Messiah. While atonement was made for their sin on the Cross, its application to Israel as a Nation awaits the day when they shall look on Him whom they pierced (Zech. 12:10), and a fountain shall be opened to the “House of David,” and the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and uncleanliness, Zech. 13:1, and a nation, the Jewish Nation, shall be “born again” in a day. Isa. 66:8.
4. TO BRING IN EVERLASTING RIGHTEOUSNESS.
When the “Transgression of ISRAEL” has come to an end, and her sins are “sealed up,” then everlasting righteousness shall be brought in. The King will come, and the Kingdom be restored to Israel, and the Millennium will be here, and the “Knowledge of the Lord” shall cover the earth, as the waters cover the sea. Hab. 2:14.
5. TO SEAL UP THE VISION AND PROPHECY.
When the “Transgression of ISRAEL” has ceased and they have uninterrupted communion with God, there will no longer be any need for “Vision” or “Prophet.” It is a noteworthy fact that “Vision” and “Prophecy” has been confined to the Jewish race.
6. TO ANOINT THE MOST HOLY.
This probably refers to the anointing of the “Most Holy Place,” or the “Holy of Holies” of the MILLENNIAL TEMPLE, described by Ezekiel. Ezek. 41. There is great significance in this announcement; for, although the Tabernacle of Moses was anointed (Lev. 8:10), there is no mention of such a ceremony in the Consecration of either Solomon’s Temple, or the Temple of Zerubbabel, for those buildings were considered merely as continuations of the Mosaic Tabernacle. But when the King comes back and sits upon the Throne of His father David, there is to be a magnificent Temple erected, the like of which has never as yet been seen on this planet of ours. There will be no “Ark of the Covenant” with its “Mercy Seat,” in the “Most Holy Place” of the Millennial Temple (Jer. 3:16), but in its place will stand the ROYAL THRONE on which the “BRANCH,” the Messiah shall sit as a KING-PRIEST (Zech. 6:12–13), and whose anointing is here referred to.
6:10–13
WHO IS THE ENEMY?
No matter who we are or what we do for a living, all of us are bound to face struggles in life. Financial pressures, job loss, personality conflicts, time demands, injury, illness, emotional pain, death—as Job’s friend Eliphaz wryly noted, “Man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward” (Job 5:7).
When faced with setbacks like these, people often tend to blame God for their circumstances, or other people, or even themselves. However, Scripture urges us to consider another, more sinister source for troubles, what Paul called the “principalities” and “powers” in the heavenly places. Our struggle is not against God or other people but against “spiritual hosts of wickedness” (Eph. 6:11–12).
Certainly there’s a place for human responsibility. But Paul is telling us that ultimately, people are not our enemy, sin and Satan are. If we intend to stand up to the onslaught of these powerful adversaries, we must fight them on their own turf—the spiritual—with weapons appropriate to the conflict (6:14–18).
Of course, it can be very difficult to persuade people of that in this day and age. Secular thinking dismisses all talk of the supernatural realm as so much superstition left over from the ancient world. At the same time, advocates of the occult have stimulated people’s curiosity and have developed in many a fascination with evil rather than a determination to overcome it.
Nevertheless, the Bible is straightforward. It declares that evil forces exist in the spiritual realm that have a substantial influence on the world and human events. Paul called them “principalities.” The word is often used in the New Testament, sometimes, as here, referring to fallen angels (Rom. 8:38; Col. 2:15), sometimes to human rulers (Titus 3:1; translated “authorities” in the NKJV), or sometimes to any type of ruler other than God Himself (Eph. 1:21; Col. 2:10).
Sometimes the presence of evil powers is evident, as in demon possession (see Luke 11:14). However, Satan and his hosts have numerous other ways to influence human activity and carry out their ultimate purpose, the capture of people away from God. For example, two means through which they can work are:
Belief systems. Philosophies and worldviews have a powerful effect on the way people live. By introducing lies into the very principles upon which entire societies are based, the evil one can wreak incredible havoc on the world.
Consider, for instance, the beliefs that fueled Nazism. Eventually they led to the most destructive war in history, which claimed tens of millions of lives. They brought about extermination camps in which millions of Jews and others were slaughtered. They disrupted entire nations and economies. Indeed, the aftermath of that dark era is still with us.
Again, none of this is to suggest that humans are excused from responsibility. But behind the visible, knowable element of human choice, one can detect or at least suspect the activity of forces with supernatural ability and evil intent, prompting people to accept and act on falsehoods.
That’s why we cannot be too careful about the ideas we embrace, whether they come from religious teachers, educators, government leaders, or the media. Ideas have consequences, both in individual lives and entire nations. Our best protection against deception is a grounding in biblical truth (Eph. 6:14).
Human institutions and leaders.Human systems and people in authority make ideal targets of Satanic activity because of their influence on others. In the first century, one has only to consider the character and especially the spiritual choices of such groups as the Pharisees (Matt. 23:13–15, 31–36), the Jewish council (Acts 7:51–60), the Herods (see Acts 12:1–2), Caiaphas (see Matt. 26:3), Pilate (John 18:37–38; 19:10–11; 1 Cor. 2:8), and the Caesars, especially Nero (see Acts 25:12), to appreciate the counterattack that Satan must have launched after the coming of Christ and the founding of the church.
Scripture asserts that human authorities are established by God to carry out good purposes (Rom. 13:1–7). But because they are operated by humans, they are vulnerable to the influence of evil spiritual forces.
Paul knew that all too well. As he wrote the Ephesians, he sat chained to a Roman soldier for no other crime than the preaching of the gospel (Eph. 6:19–20). On another occasion, he instructed Timothy, the pastor at Ephesus, to have the people pray “for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence” because God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:1–4).
There are many other ways in which the powers of darkness attempt to subvert the purposes of God. But it is pointless for us to try to determine at any moment whether something is being “caused” by a wicked spiritual power. A preoccupation with that leads only to foolish speculation.
Paul gives us a far more positive, constructive strategy for “standing firm” against our spiritual enemies: “put on the whole armor of God” (Eph. 6:11). That armor is made up entirely of spiritual weapons: truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, the word of God, and prayer (6:14–18). By learning to wear and to wield these powerful armaments, we can resist the carefully laid plans of the devil and, when the fight is over, still be standing.