The Antichrist’s Actions During the Armageddon Campaign as Described in Daniel 11:41-43

Both the Old and New Testament Scriptures prophesy of a man who will live during the seventieth week of Daniel who will rule the entire world as a great tyrant.

Satan is behind his power and will be the most wicked individual in the history of the world and he will stridently oppose Jesus Christ with all the power of the devil himself.

The Scriptures give this man many titles and names: (1) “The beast” (Revelation 13:1-2) (2) “The prince that will come” (Daniel 9:26-27) (3) The “man of lawlessness” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-10) (4) The “scarlet beast” (Revelation 17:3) (5) The willful king (Daniel 11:36-40) (6) “The man of sin” (2 Thessalonians 2:3), (7) “The son of perdition” (2 Thessalonians 2:3) (8) The Desolater (Daniel 9:27).

He is also called the Antichrist and will not appear until the Day of the Lord has begun (2 Thessalonians 2:2) and his manifestation is being hindered by the Holy Spirit indwelling the members of the church (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7) and this appearance will be preceded by the rapture of the church (2 Thessalonians 2:3).

Antichrist will be a Gentile since he arises from the sea according to Revelation 13:1 and since the sea depicts the Gentile nations according to Revelation 17:15, he must be of Gentile origin and he will arise from the Roman Empire, since he is a ruler of the people who destroyed Jerusalem (Dan. 9:26).

Daniel 7:21-22 identifies him as “the little horn” and asserts the following about him: (1) He will persecute the saints of the Most High and is thus a person and Daniel 7:24 says that he is a king. (2) He will overcome the nation of Israel and will bring that nation under his authority (Revelation 12:13-17; 17:7). (3) He will be judged by God (Revelation 19:19-20) and Israel will thus enter into her millennial reign.

Daniel 7:23 reveals that the little horn will have a world-wide kingdom (Compare Revelation 13:7) and it will be an overwhelming conquest, which anticipates a coming one-world government under a worldwide dictator.

Daniel 7:25 corresponds to Revelation 13:1-10 and gives us three more additional facts about the Antichrist: (1) He will oppose God’s authority as indicated by the phrase “He will speak out against the Most High” (Compare Revelation 13:6). (2) He will oppress born-again Israel as indicated by the statement “wear down the saints of the Highest One”. (3) He will abolish the Levitical sacrifices in the rebuilt temple and institute the worship of himself. (Compare Daniel 7:25; 2 Thessalonians 2:4).

Daniel 9:26 indicates that this little horn will be a Roman dictator as indicated by the phrase “the people of the prince who is to come.”

Daniel 9:27 says that Antichrist will pretend to be Israel’s benefactor and make a seven year treaty with her but will turn against her in the mid-way point of Daniel’s Seventieth Week and will persecute Israel and occupy Jerusalem for three and a half years.

Now, Daniel 11:40-45 presents a description of the Antichrist’s actions during the Armageddon campaign, which is the last three and a half years of the seventieth week of Daniel.

Daniel 11:40 “Now, during the end time, the king ruling the south will cause himself to go to war against him. Also, the king ruling the north will cause himself to storm against him with a military chariot group, with a cavalry as well as with a large armada of ships. However, despite this, he will wage attacks against countries so that he will overflow, yes, pass through like a flood. 41 “He will even wage an attack against the beautiful land. Indeed, many will be defeated. However, these will for their own benefit escape from his power: Edom as well as Moab and in addition the leadership of the citizens of Ammon.” (My translation)

Daniel 11:41 reveals that the Antichrist will turn on Israel and wage an attack against her.

Based upon Daniel 9:27, this attack and occupation of Israel immediately follows his desecration of the temple as a result of deifying himself.

Upon reaching an agreement with Israel, Antichrist will move his armies into the Middle East in accordance with this agreement.

Then, during the middle of this seven-year agreement with Israel, Antichrist will break this agreement.

He will desecrate the temple by deifying himself.

He will then attack Israel and occupy her land (cf. Daniel 11:45).

He will demand the world to worship him.

This will then prompt Egypt and Syria to attack him since they find his presence in the Middle East to be a threat to their interests and they will find repulsive his claims of being God.

They will be repulsed by his decree that the world must worship him.

Antichrist will consequently retaliate and attack these nations.

When the angel says in Daniel 11:41 that the wicked king described in Daniel 11:36-40 will wage an attack against Israel, he is prophesying that the Antichrist will attack Israel after he breaks the treaty with her and desecrates the temple by deifying himself and demanding the world to worship him as God.

In other words, this attack is the direct result of the actions of Antichrist in the temple in deifying himself and demanding the world to worship him.

Therefore, the three prophetic events recorded in Daniel 11:40 and the first in Daniel 11:41 will all take place after the Antichrist desecrates the temple by deifying himself and demanding the world to worship him.

Thus these prophetic events will take place after and as a direct result of the second and third prophetic events recorded in Daniel 9:27.

Then, the elect angel of God advances upon and intensifies the prophetic statement in Daniel 11:40 that despite being attacked by the kings of the north and south, the king described in Daniel 11:36-39 will wage attacks against countries so that he will overflow, yes, pass through like a flood.

Although many countries will be conquered by this king described in Daniel 11:36-39 who will be attacked by the kings of the north and south during the end time, Edom, Moab and the Ammonite leadership will not be captured by this king.

Today, in the twenty-first century, the ancient nations of Edom, Moab and Ammon would all be included in the present kingdom of Jordan.

Thus, the historical enemies of Israel will not be overthrown by the armies of the Antichrist during the last three and a half years of the seventieth week.

Daniel 11:42 “Yes, he will exercise his power against countries with the Egyptian people by no means being able to escape.” (My translation)

The angel issues another prophetic statement, revealing to Daniel that this wicked king described in Daniel 11:36-39 will exercise his power against countries with the Egyptian people by no means being able to escape this military might of this wicked king.

The angel reiterates in Daniel 11:42 the prophecy in Daniel 11:40 that the king described in Daniel 11:36-39 will wage attacks against countries and conquer them.

Therefore, Daniel 11:42 is a prophecy of the Antichrist conquering other nations with the exercise of his military power during the last three and a half years of the seventieth after he desecrates the temple in Jerusalem by deifying himself.

The countries mentioned in Daniel 11:41-42 appear to be Libya and Ethiopia as indicated by the angel’s prophetic statements in Daniel 11:43 since these nations are said to capitulate to the Antichrist.

If you recall, Daniel 11:40 teaches that Egypt (“the king ruling the south”) will attack the Antichrist during the last three and a half years of the seventieth week in response to the Antichrist deifying himself and demanding that the entire world worship him.

Here in Daniel 11:42, the angel reveals that this attack by Egypt will fail since they are said to be conquered by the Antichrist.

Daniel 11:43 “He will even be in control over hidden treasures, namely their gold as well as their silver, indeed, over all Egypt’s valuable commodities. Also, the Libyans as well as the Cushites will be under his control.” (My translation)

This prophetic statement indicates that when the Antichrist conquers Egypt by the exercise of his military power, he will find something extraordinary and unexpected, namely he will control the hidden treasures of gold and silver in Egypt.

He will in fact control all of her wealth as a result of his military victory over Egypt.

This is fascinating since today Egypt is a poor country based on western culture’s living standards.

However, in reality Egypt is very rich and the world’s leaders all know this.

The archaeological work performed in Egypt over the last hundred years has revealed that Egypt has a wealth of gold.

But it has not taken advantage of this vast possession of gold for other resources or modern conveniences, thus most of Egyptians live in poverty.

This vast gold resources are hidden from public view today.

The book of Revelation makes clear that the Antichrist will control the world’s economy during the seventieth week of Daniel and in particular the last three and a half years of it.

Here Daniel 11:43 reveals one of the reasons why he will control the world’s economy, namely because he will have acquired vast gold reserves to support his new world economy.

Then, as an addition the angel tells Daniel that both the Libyans and the Cushites will be under the control of this wicked king.

This prophetic statement thus reveals that Antichrist will control Libya and Sudan and possibly Ethiopia as well.