Daniel 11.43-The Prophecy of Antichrist Gaining Control Over Egypt’s Hidden Wealth and Libya, Sudan and Ethiopia Submitting to Him
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday July 24, 2014
Daniel: Daniel 11:43-The Prophecy of Antichrist Gaining Control Over Egypt’s Hidden Wealth and Libya, Sudan and Ethiopia Submitting to Him
Lesson # 366
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 11:40.
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: Edom as well as Moab and in addition the leadership of the citizens of Ammon. 42 Then he will stretch out his hand against other countries, and the land of Egypt will not escape. 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)
Daniel 11:40 “At the end time the king of the South will collide with him, and the king of the North will storm against him with chariots, with horsemen and with many ships; and he will enter countries, overflow them and pass through. 41 He will also enter the Beautiful Land, and many countries will fall; but these will be rescued out of his hand: Edom, Moab and the foremost of the sons of Ammon. 42 Then he will stretch out his hand against other countries, and the land of Egypt will not escape. 43 But he will gain control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver and over all the precious things of Egypt; and Libyans and Ethiopians will follow at his heels.” (NASB95)
“But he will gain control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver and over all the precious things of Egypt” indicates that this discovery of great wealth in Egypt will be extraordinary and unexpected.
It refers to the wicked king described in Daniel 11:36-39 gaining control over the hidden stores of gold and silver in Egypt and in fact all the treasures of Egypt as a result of conquering Egypt militarily.
“And over all the precious things of Egypt” advances upon and intensifies upon this previous prepositional phrase indicating that not only will this wicked king be in control over the hidden treasures of Egypt’s gold and silver but also all of their valuable commodities.
“Over all the precious things” is composed of the noun kōl (כֹּל) (kole), “all” which is modifying the noun ḥǎmǔ·ḏôṯ (חֲמֻדוֹת) (khaw-mad´), “the precious things of.”
The noun ḥǎmǔ·ḏôṯ means “valuable commodities” referring to things which are considered as the best, most costly or most valued.
The noun ḥǎmǔ·ḏôṯ is also modified by the noun kōl which means “all” since it pertains to totality indicating that this wicked king will be in control over “all” of Egypt’s valuable commodities.
“Libyans” denotes the people and land immediately to the west of Egypt and from the nineteenth Dynasty on (ca. 1300 B.C.), this was the usual designation for Libyans as well as the whole of North Africa.
“Ethiopians” is the noun kû·šî (כּוּשִׁי) (koo-shee´), which literally means “Cushites” and is used here as a geographical name and generally refers to the region of the Upper Nile.
Cush is equated with the region the Egyptians called Nubia, its name derived from the Egyptian word for “gold.”
The RSV, NRSV, NASB95, NLT and NET Bibles all translate the word “Ethiopians” whereas the ESV, LEB, NIV, and TNIV translate the word “Cushites.”
More than likely both Ethiopia and Sudan are being referred to by this designation.
Since the Ethiopians descended from Cush we will translate the word here in Daniel 11:43 as “Cushites.”
“At his heels” is composed of the preposition bĕ (בְּ) (beh), “at” and its object this time is the noun miṣ·ʿāḏ (מִצְעָד) (mits-awd´), “heels” which is modified by the third person masculine singular pronominal suffix hû(ʾ) (הוּא) (who), “his.”
The noun miṣ·ʿāḏ is in the plural and means literally means “steps” but is used figuratively here of a procession meaning a victory march which is headed by the victor and has the conquered follow in a parade of victory and speaks of a position of submission.
This prepositional phrase literally means the Libyans and Cushites will be “in his footsteps” referring to being in this wicked king’s victory procession as his conquered enemies.
However, figuratively the idea is that the Libyans and the Cushites will be “under his control.”
Daniel 11:40 marked a transition from the angel’s description of the character and actions of the king described in Daniel 11:36-39 to a description of this king’s actions during the final three and a half years of the seventieth week.
This wicked king described in Daniel 11:36-39 is a reference to the Antichrist.
In verse 40, the angel informed Daniel that during the end time the king ruling the south will go to war against this king.
Also, he tells Daniel that the king ruling the north will attack him as well during the end time with a military chariot group, a cavalry as well as a large armada of ships.
This prophecy will take place during the last three and a half years of the seventieth week which is indicated by the expression “the end time” which refers to the last three and a half years of the seventieth week.
The Antichrist will be a world ruler at this time from the final stage of the Roman Empire according to a comparison of Daniel 7:23-25, Daniel 9:26-27, 2 Thessalonians 2 and Revelation 13.
Since the king of the south throughout chapter eleven has been a reference to Egypt and the king of the north the Seleucid Empire in Syria, this two-pronged attack against Antichrist will come from both Egypt and Syria during the last three and a half years of the seventieth week.
The angel informs Daniel that the Antichrist will wage attacks against countries and conquer them.
Then, in Daniel 11:41, 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 wicked king, 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 kingdom of Jordan will not be overthrown by the armies of the Antichrist during the last three and a half years of the seventieth week.
Next, we read in Daniel 11:42, the angel issuing another prophetic statement, revealing to Daniel that this wicked king 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 week after he desecrates the temple in Jerusalem by deifying himself.
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.
Then in Daniel 11:42, the angel reveals that this attack by Egypt will fail since they are said to be conquered by the Antichrist.
Now, in Daniel 11:43, the angelic being informs Daniel that not only will this wicked king defeat Egypt but he will also gain control over hidden treasures, namely Egypt’s gold and silver.
In fact all of Egypt valuable commodities will be under his control.
Therefore, this prophetic statement indicates that when the Antichrist conquers Egypt by the exercise 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 Egyptians live in poverty.
This vast gold resources is 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 which thus reveals that Antichrist will control Libya and Sudan and possibly Ethiopia as well.