The subject of Episode 37 is Daniel’s great vision of the latter days. It discusses the history of the kings of the north and the south and concludes with a description of the end times antichrist.

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Transcript
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The Future of the Teachings of Jesus
37. Daniel’s Vision of the Latter Days Part 1
 The Antichrist (Ep. 37) 

Daniel Chapters 10, 11, and 12 are all concerned with one great vision. The tenth, eleventh, and twelfth chapters of Daniel are linked together since they are all part of the story of one great vision. This vision occurs in the third year of the reign of Cyrus the Great, the Persian king, which would be around 535 BC. Chapter 9 serves as the introduction to the vision. It opens by relating that Daniel has been mourning and fasting for three weeks. He is on the bank of the Tigris river when a celestial being appears to him. The divine being tells Daniel that he has come to ” to make you understand what is to befall your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come.” (Dan 10:14; my italics)

Major events that follow the death of Cyrus the Great. The next chapter, Chapter 11, opens with the heavenly being foretelling what will transpire immediately after the death of Cyrus. He predicts that “three more kings shall arise in Persia” (Dan 11:2) and that a fourth “shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece.” (Dan 11:2) He then predicts the rise of Alexander the Great “who shall rule with great dominion.” (Dan 11:3) However, he also foretells that “his kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven.” (Dan 11:4) This prediction was accurate. At the death of Alexander in 323 BC his kingdom was divided among four of his generals. To the east Cassander got Macedonia and Greece; to the west Lysimachus took Thrace and much of Asia Minor (modern Turkey); to the north Syria and lands to the east went to Seleucus; and to the south Ptolemy retained Egypt. These directions assume Israel as the central point, with Syria to the north and Egypt to the south of the Jewish state.

Four sections of Chapter 11. Daniel Chapter 11 divides naturally into four sections. The first section, embracing Daniel 11:1-4, outlines the early history of the Persian and Greek empires, and was discussed in the previous paragraph. The next two sections focus on the relations between two of the four kingdoms that arose out of the break-up of Alexander’s Greek empire, the king of the north, Syria, and the king of the south, Egypt. The fourth section skips forward to the latter days and the doings of the end times king of the north, the one known as the antichrist.

Section two–early history of the conflict. The second section, Daniel 11:5-20, recites the early history of the conflict between the Seleucids who ruled Syria, and the Ptolemies who ruled Egypt. This second section runs from the time following the death of Alexander until the time of Antiochus III the Great, the Syrian king who ruled from 222 to 187 BC. During this second period the Seleucids in Syria followed the Ptolemies in Egypt in maintaining a mild control over Israel. They respected Jewish culture and protected Jewish institutions. This policy was drastically changed when Antiochus Epiphanes gained the throne of Syria.

Section three–the rule of Antiochus IV Epiphanes. The third major section, Daniel 11:21-35, is focused on the time of the rule of Antiochus the Great’s younger son, Antiochus IV Epiphanes. In 187 BC Antiochus’ older brother, Seleucus IV Philopator, followed his father onto the throne. However, Philopator was assassinated in 175 BC and Antiochus used this occasion to seize the throne, not allowing it to go to the rightful heir, Demetrius I Soter, the son of Philopator.

History of the reign of Antiochus. Antiochus Epiphanes then ruled Syria from 175 to 164 BC. He took the name “Epiphanes” because he claimed to be the earthly manifestation of Zeus. In 170 BC Antiochus attacked Egypt, conquering all but Alexandria and capturing King Ptolemy. To avoid alarming Rome, Antiochus allowed Ptolemy VI to continue ruling as a puppet King. On his way back to Syria with much booty, he sacked Jerusalem and plundered the treasury. In 168 BC Antiochus led a second attack on Egypt, but was turned back when Rome forced him to withdraw. Being enraged, on his return to Syria he attacked Jerusalem a second time in 167 BC. He executed many Jews who had opposed his efforts to force Greek culture on the Jews, and who had deposed the High Priest appointed by Antiochus. Antiochus destroyed Jerusalem and set up a military garrison to enforce his attempted Hellenization of the Jews

The abomination that makes desolate. Further, Antiochus outlawed all Jewish religious rights, and forced the cessation of the daily sacrifice. An altar to Zeus was erected over the Jewish altar of burnt offerings, and the worship of Zeus was instituted in the temple. The historian Josephus reported this ultimate abomination which Antiochus committed: “And when the king had built an idol alter upon God’s alter, he slew swine upon it….” Daniel 11:31 describes this great assault of Antiochus on the Jewish religion as follows:

         Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the continual burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate.

The parallels of Antiochus and the antichrist. The section on Antiochus is extensive, embracing 15 verses; his actions foreshadow the actions of the future antichrist. Antiochus’ place as king of the north, his conquest of Egypt, his conquest of Jerusalem and persecution of the Jews, his claim to be a God, his destruction of the Jewish religious rituals and his setting up “the abomination that makes desolate” (Dan 11:31) all parallel and foreshadow the actions, and the greater abomination and desolation, which the antichrist will bring to Israel in the latter days.

The Maccabean rebellion and the death of Antiochus. The actions of Antiochus sparked the Jewish Maccabean rebellion, and the Jews were victorious over the forces of Antiochus and the enforced Greek rule. The Maccabees’ (Jewish) Hasmonean Dynasty then ruled Judea from 164 to 37 BC, when they were conquered by the Romans under Herod the Great. The Parthians took advantage of Antiochus’ problems with the Maccabean rebellion and attacked from the east in 167 BC. Antiochus sent a commander to deal with the Maccabees, while he led his main army against the Parthians. He had initial success, but died suddenly of disease in 164 BC.

Section 4­–What will be in the latter days. In the introduction to the vision in Chapter 10 the celestial being tells Daniel that he has come “to make you understand what is to befall your people in the latter days for the vision is for days yet to come.” (Dan 10:14) It is here in this final section of Chapter 11, verses 36 through 45, that the words of the divine being are fulfilled.

The transition from Antiochus to the antichrist. The last phrase in the section on Antiochus Epiphanes, verse 35, reads as follows: “until the time of the end, for it is yet for the time appointed.” (Dan 11:35) After this last verse depicting the time of Antiochus, which the divine being explicitly states is not the “time of the end,” the prophecy skips forward to “the time of the end” in the next verse. This fourth and final section, Daniel 11:36-45, moves forward to the “latter days” and describes the nature and actions of a future Antiochus like ruler, the end times king of the north, the European antichrist.

Daniel 11:36. Daniel 11:36-39 gives us an overall picture of the antichrist’s attitude, methods and actions. Daniel 11:36 reads as follows:

And the king shall do according to his will; 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 determined shall be done.

Three facts about the antichrist. From this verse we learn three important things: First, the antichrist will be very powerful; he will “do according to his will.” Second, he will be a secularist and “speak astonishing things” against God. He will “exalt and magnify himself above every God.” And third, he will succeed in his efforts; he will prosper until “the indignation is accomplished.”

Daniel 11:37­-39–the antichrist’s attitude, actions, and method. The next verse, Daniel 11:37, reinforce his secular attitude and pride. We learn that: “he shall not give heed to any other God, for he shall magnify himself above all.” Daniel 11:38 and 39 describe his actions: “He shall honor the god of fortresses” and he “shall deal with the strongest fortresses by the help of a foreign god.” Daniel 11:39 describe his methods: “those who acknowledge him he shall magnify with honor. He shall make them rulers over many” and he “shall divide the land for a price.”

The time of the end. The remaining verses in Chapter 11, 40-45, explicitly focus on the actions of the antichrist at “the time of the end.” (Dan 11:40) This story of the vision of the antichrist, and the time of the end continues over into Daniel Chapter 12. It will be discussed in the next episode.

 

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