Looking to the End
Notes
Transcript
Prophecy of rulers from Cyrus thru Antiochus Epiphanes. We saw some of this described in chapter 8.
From 11:36 through chapter 12 most theologians think we are seeing a description of the rise, rule and fall of the antichrist.
36 “And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done.
37 He shall pay no attention to the gods of his fathers, or to the one beloved by women. He shall not pay attention to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all.
38 He shall honor the god of fortresses instead of these. A god whom his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts.
39 He shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall load with honor. He shall make them rulers over many and shall divide the land for a price.
40 “At the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack him, but the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. And he shall come into countries and shall overflow and pass through.
41 He shall come into the glorious land. And tens of thousands shall fall, but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom and Moab and the main part of the Ammonites.
42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape.
43 He shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver, and all the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans and the Cushites shall follow in his train.
44 But news from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many to destruction.
45 And he shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the glorious holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, with none to help him.
1 “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.
2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
3 And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
4 But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”
Most of you have lived through all the time I have. You were alive when people were convinced the antichrist was coming out of russia. Gorbechov was supposed to equal 666. Procter and Gamble was supposed to be satanic because of a 666 in their logo. Church culture has been looking for the antichrist under every rock for as long as I’m alive. If we would spend that kind of time and energy looking for the real Christ, our world might look a lot different!
A time on earth like no other!
What does God want us to understand about this time on earth? That we shouldn’t focus on this time on earth, but be prepared for His return whenever that may be! If my eyes are on the author and perfecter of my faith, what is happening around me is of little consequence. If my eyes are on Jesus, I cant be deceived. If my eyes are on my Lord, I will see Him split the eastern sky and will meet Him in the air!
The angel is describing to Daniel some details about what will happen on earth in the end time. Since he is talking to Daniel, some of what he says relates directly to Daniel’s people, the Jews. To take all of the angel’s words and apply them to the church would be a misinterpretation. When Jesus answered the disciples question about the end of the age, He answered in terms of Judea, the Sabbath and the prophecies of Daniel concerning the Jewish people.
11:36 he shall prosper until the indignation is accomplished. The word indignation is wrath. The antichrist will prosper until the time of wrath is accomplished. I see no clear avenue to connect this statement to the church. Jesus took the wrath of God at the cross for all who would believe on Him. To say He will pour His wrath on the church would diminish the work of Calvary. Is it possible the wrath is poured on the earth and the church is caught in the mix? Maybe.
When Daniel was given the visions, he was given them on earth, in a place he recognized. Let me point you to the visions Paul and John had. Each of them were taken up into the 3rd heaven, so to speak. John was shown the tribulation, not from the perspective of earth in a place he was familiar with, but from the perspective of heaven. Can you read into that? I dunno. But He pulled Noah off the face of the earth before judgement. He removed Lot before judging Sodom.
12:1 is where we see the distinction about ‘your people’. The angel talking to Daniel in Babylon but about the Jews. It was worth noting Michael, who Jude calls the archangel, had charge of the Jews. This is part of the culmination of the 70 weeks (years) we saw in earlier chapters. The thing about the 70 week prophecy: there seems to be a significant gap () between 69 and 70. Week 70 seems to be a distant future compared to the fulfillment of the previous 69. But it also appears the 70th week is still directly intended for the Jews. The first 69 definitely were. I am NOT saying the tribulation is a localized event, its not. It will be judgement of the earth. But once again, God will intend to draw His Chosen People back to Himself.
For the antichrist to be given power to do the evil he will do, ‘that which holds him back will be taken out of the way’ 2 Thessalonians 2. This verse appears to be referring to the power of the Holy Spirit in the church.
12:2-3 those who believe in the One True God are headed to eternal life. Those who do not, for eternal shame and contempt. This beautiful truth, tucked away in the terribleness of the description of the earth at the time of the antichrist, is confirmed and expanded on in the writing of the New Testament. Its not that this didnt exist in the OT, Job 19 states even when my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God. Its just part of the mystery that wasnt fully revealed until Jesus came and gave life and understanding to all who would believe.
12:4 Seal. The biblical term seal is to own and protect. When the seals are broken in Revelation, the protection is opened and judgements are poured out. When Daniel is told to seal the words he is told to keep and protect them. They will be needed and useful. We take great encouragement in knowing they have been protected, not tampered with, since they were given to Daniel.
13 But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days.”
What a great way to end the vision. It was actually the second time he was told to go his way (v.9) and its almost as though Daniel is being told to stop fretting, stop asking and be satisfied in the information he has been given.
As we look to the end, can we stop fretting? Can we rest in the knowledge we will stand in our allotted place at the end of the days?
If we believe in Jesus we can.