Daniel 11:36-45

Charlie is going to be out of town this weekend so y'all will have to suffer through my limited knowledge. As you can see from the title I am leaving Chapter 12 for Charlie to cover upon his return.

We have an interesting but very challenging text this week. So let's get started.

I. Recap of last week (Ch. 11:1-35)

A. Historical Prophecy
1. Daniel has vision about near-term future (prior to birth of Jesus)
2. Thus, "historical" to us current day readers of Daniel
B. Focus is on continued persecution of the Jews
C. Vs. 35 acts as a transition from historical prophecy to eschatological
prophecy
1. Key phrase, "for there is still an interval until the time appointed."

II. Four questions to be answered

A. What is the temporal setting of the passage?
B. What is the identity of the "willful king"?
C. What is the identity of the King of the North?
D. What is the identity of the "attacker" in 11:40-45?

II. The introduction of the Antichrist - vs. 36-39

A. Shall act as he pleases (will answer to noone)
B. Consider himself greater than any god (consider himself a deity)
C. Blasphemy against God
D. Will prosper until the period of wrath is completed (i.e., he will do well
until the one and only true God says otherwise.)
E. Shall pay no respect to the gods of his ancestors (atheist or believes he
truly is god)
F. ...or to the one beloved by women (some illogically believe this is a
reference that he will be gay)
G. He shall honor the god of fortresses (a reference to having and using strong
military power)
H. He will deal with the strongest of fortresses by the help of a foreign god
1. he will wage war against his enemies
2. this will market the middle of the 70th week (i.e., 3 1/2 years into the
period of tribulation)
I. Vs. 36-39 give us the answers to two of our four questions
1. The temporal setting as we already established is eschatological
2. The 'willful king' can be noone other than the Antichrist.

IV. The last 3 1/2 years (the beginning of the end)

A. Final years will be marked by unbelievable wars
1. First attack against the Antichrist will come from the south
2. Then north will attack
3. Antichrist forces defeat them both
B. Lots of speculation as to who is the king of the north
1. Some say Syria
2. Others say Turkey
3. Majority think it is Russia
4. I say who cares? The point is the world is at war and Armageddon
is right around the corner. We have no way of knowing when the Lord
will come again so it is not possible to know what countries will exist
in those final days.
C. Lots of confusion in vs. 41-45 as to whom is attacking whom.
1. Repeated use of the "He" pronoun causes the confusion
2. At the end of the day one has to believe the "He" in vs. 40 refers to
the king of the north
3. "He" in vs. 41-44 refer to the Antichrist
4. Antichrist destroys many, many Jews before his final defeat.
D. Answers to final two questions.
1. Who is the King of the North? He is the head of a
great power north of Israel which has wide geographical range and of
world political stature, probably Russia. (again pure speculation and
who cares)
2. Who is the "attacker" in 11:40-45? It is the King of the North and not
the Antichrist.

V. Conclusion
1. Lots of action packed into a few verses.
2. For complete picture of prophecy surrounding the tribulation must also
read many other related passages in Ezekiel, Revelations, and
Thessalonians. Jesus himself decribes the end times in Matthew.

Source Material:

1. http://gts.grace.edu/documents/Harton-Dan11-GTJ.pdf
2. http://www.gty.org/Resources/Print/Sermons/27-29