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Martyrdom Rekindled
In the dark ages, martyrdom abounded. It is estimated that 50,000,000 million Bible-believing souls were slain. John was given a startling depiction of these souls that would be slain by the powers of iniquity:
“How long…?”
(Rev. 6:9-11) “And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that SHOULD BE KILLED as they were, should be fulfilled.”
We see those souls, “under the altar”, who were slain as lambs to the slaughter, as living sacrifices, and a revelation of Jesus Christ. This is exactly what they were, which is exactly why the prophecy declares the souls slain were at the altar. They cried “How long O Lord do you not judge…then that dwell on the earth?” Their blood cried out as the blood of Abel, (Psa. 94:3-5) “LORD, HOW LONG shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph? HOW LONG shall they utter and speak hard things? and all the workers of iniquity boast themselves? They BREAK IN PIECES thy people, O LORD, and afflict thine heritage.”
A similar question is asked: (Daniel 8:13-14) “HOW LONG shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.”
How long until the judgment? How long will this persecuting power break in pieces? (Dan 7:21-22) ‘I beheld, and the same horn MADE WAR WITH THE SAINTS, and prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.” This little horn power thought to change times and laws, and made war with God’s children who kept His times and laws; for this reason, Paul styled him “the man of sin”.
(Rev. 13:7) “And it was given unto him to MAKE WAR WITH THE SAINTS, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations…He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. HERE IS THE PATIENCE and the faith OF THE SAINTS.”
Only one power in history that bears these prophecies out clearly, matching this description of thinking to change the law 
of God, and to persecute those that kept it. That is the Papacy.
“It was the Catholic Church which made the law obliging us to keep Sunday holy. The church made this law long after the Bible was written. Hence said law is not in the Bible. The Cath. [sic.] Church abolished not only the Sabbath, but all the other Jewish festivals.” (Letter by T. Enright, Bishop of St. Alphonsus Church, St. Louis, Missouri, June, 1905)
The patience of the saints brought them to shed their blood at the altar. When these martyrs blood cried out for the judgment to commence, it was not long until the time period of 2300 days, spoken of in the book of Daniel, came to pass, and the Sanctuary was to be cleansed, and the living saints were to be purified to prepare for the second coming of Christ. This is the work which was described in the book of Malachi:
“Behold, I will send My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, He shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. But who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand when He appeareth? for He is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.”
We are told white robes are given to each of the saints at the altar, and a prophecy is given that is for our time. We are told that that same power that made war with the saints will be revived, and that persecution will be ignited again: (Rev. 6:11) “it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that SHOULD BE KILLED as they were, SHOULD BE FULFILLED.”
What is to be fulfilled? That the brethren and fellowservants of the slain saints SHOULD BE KILLED. Here is the prophecy: (Rev. 13:15) And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast SHOULD BE KILLED.” Doubtless, this is exactly what was being referred to, as to what should be fulfilled. So what is to be fulfilled? This very word. This is the Word that is declared figuratively to how long the martyrs are to rest in Christ, until their awakening from the earthly graves into celestial glory. Yet it is not the Papal beast, but a power that makes an image, a likeness, to that apostate power, which will exercise the same persecuting power. Both beast powers will make war against the commandments of God, that were altered by the first beast. And to make war against these, is to make against the redemptive and creative power of God and Christ, as revealed in the holy Sabbath rest, and the holy feasts.
While the first class of saints that the beast made war against manifested patience through their persecution, the second class is described as manifesting just the same while undergoing the wrath of the second beast, who has made an image to the first beast.
(Rev. 14:11-12) “And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have NO REST day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. HERE IS THE PATIENCE OF THE SAINTS: here are they that KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD, and THE FAITH OF JESUS.”
When does Scripture say this persecution occurs? It says that the second beast “causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, WHOSE DEADLY WOUND WAS HEALED.” It occurs when the wound of the first beast is healed. What is a manifest sign that the papal beast’s wound is healed? Verse three says “his deadly wound was healed: and ALL THE WORLD WONDERED AFTER THE BEAST.” When the world wonders after the Papacy, then we may know that the time of persecution is drawing near. Is the world wondering after the Papacy? Yes. Whether pagans, or athiests, homosexual, evangelical Protestant, elected official or confederacy, all the world is wondering.
The Scripture tells of of the coming persecution: “They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.” (John 16:2-3)
The first persecution in this world was actuated by a man who thought to do God service. When this persecution took place, Cain showed that he had no love for his brother Abel, even though he had thought to present an offering of his own mind, which God commanded him not, to God. As a token of this perverse mindset, a mark was placed upon his forehead. And why is there such hostility against the commandments of God? “Because the fleshly mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” And we see that first beast “thinks to change times and laws.” (Dan. 7:25) And so it is no surprise that those who are at “enmity against God” are opposed to His commandments, and persecute those who keep them, even as Cain did. Thus fulfilling the words of the apostle: “But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.” (Gal. 4:29)
“In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother…. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death… (1 John 3:10,14) “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” (Rom. 8:6) “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” (1 John 4:20)
And just as it was with Cain, there is a mark in the fleshly minds of the worshippers of the beast and his image, thus developing the two sides in the final conflict. This is clearly borne out in the final warning that is to be given to the world:
“If any man worship the beast and his image, and RECEIVE HIS MARK IN HIS FOREHEAD, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb… and they have no rest day nor night…Here is the patience of the saints…”
If John saw the first beast’s persecuting power, and we see it came to pass perfectly, we can soundly conclude that John, who saw the second, saw exactly what is now coming upon the earth, and just as it what was said to the martyrs: It will “be fulfilled”. Events are ushering in this hour of persecution.
Behold, it’s coming quickly! May God that we all enter into that holy rest in the Son of God, bound together by His mercy, and strengthened to stand by His grace. Amen.
Daniel 11: The Warfare of Israel (Verses 1-22)
Daniel 10, 11, and 12 are one continuous chapter, divided up by the translators into three sections which will be divided up into four articles, of which this is the first. Chapter 10 gives us the background of Daniel’s conflict, and the appearing of the angel to impart understanding, and to reveal what powers are at play in the warfare of God’s people, and to demonstrate the overruling prove of God. Chapter 11 deals with the unfolding events to take place prophetically on the world stage, leading up to the crisis that shall befall the people of God. Chapter 12 reveals the crowning of the Messiah, and a more complete explanation of Daniel 11’s prophecy.
Daniel 11 is the second part of Daniel 10, which shows us Daniel’s desire to understand the previous prophetic dreams and visions better. Since we are building upon that foundation, now might be a good time to review those prophecies if you haven’t already:
Daniel 2: Unlocking the Forgotten Dream of Prophecy
Daniel 4: The Judgment of Seven times
Daniel 7: The Rise and Fall of Empires
Daniel 7: The Identity of the Antichrist
Daniel 7: The Coronation of the heavenly King
Daniel 8: The Vision of the Daily & Transgression of Desolation
Daniel 8: The Cleansing of the Sanctuary
Daniel 9: The Covenant of Messiah the Prince
Daniel 10: Michael the Great Prince
In the last chapter, Daniel was in earnest after it was revealed to him that the Messiah’s coming was much further off than he had first anticipated. “The commandment to restore and build Jerusalem” which would begin the 2300 days was found to be a lengthy 2300 year period. Daniel realized the “warfare” of the church “was long” and pleaded to know what would befall the church, Daniel’s people, and also when the kingdom would be restored at last. Gabriel comes in great glory, when Daniel had set his “heart to understand” (Dan. 10:12); Gabriel declared, “Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.” Therefore with this context, we find ourselves in chapter 11, where Gabriel will unite all of the previous themes of the book of Daniel into one glorious prophetic end. Therefore, understand that Gabriel is the one speaking to Daniel, giving the explanation through chapter 11.
***Due to the lengthiness of the chapter, click on the arrow beside the Bible verses see the explanation of the verses
Daniel 11:1- Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him.
Here Gabriel is revealing to Daniel that he was commissioned to establish Darius in his kingdom, and strengthen him. The unvariable purpose for this is to the end that the purposes of God might be fulfilled upon the earth. The Medo-Persian kingdom had a prominent role to play in bringing the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem. Satan would seek to prevent this from taking place as we saw in chapter 10, because in every advancement of God’s purposes on the earth, he knows his days draws nigh unto a close, when he “shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” (Isaiah 14:15) For the decree upon him was announced of old, “And thou shalt die the deaths of the slain in the midst of the seas…I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire…and never shalt thou be any more.” (Ezekiel 28:8,16,19)
Darius was the uncle of Cyrus the great, and is known by the historian Xenophon as Cyaxares II. The father of Darius, Astyages, was king of Media, and the throne would eventually fall to Darius. However, a dream came to Astyages twice, foretelling how his daughter, Mandane, would have a son who would overthrow him, and cause the Median reign to have an end. The Median princess, Mandane, was ordered by Astyages to reside in solitary confinement so that she could not have children or be wed. But the servant of Astyages, Harpages, upon orders to confine her sent her away instead, where she ended up becoming the wife of the king of Persia, Cambyses I. Mandane, now queen of Persia, gave birth to Cyrus the great, who was called by name in the prophet Isaiah, anointed by God to overthrow the kingdom of Babylon.
It was made known that Harpages had not done according to the king’s command. In anger, Astyages held a banquet for Harpages, serving him his son’s lifeless head upon a platter. Harpages, angered by this, went to Cyrus, the king of Persia, and opened the way for him to overthrow Astyages; but gave honor to his successor and uncle, Darius, to be the king of the Medes. Cyrus gave Darius the honors of the kingdom of Medo-Persia to him, being sovereign under his uncle; and Darius, having no male successor to the throne, gave Cyrus his daughter who retained the honor of the kingdom of the Medes, while being queen of Persia. It is understood that it was around two years later that Darius died, leaving Cyrus as the sole king of the Medo-Persian confederacy. It was Gabriel who established and confirmed Darius. Therefore, it was the angel Gabriel who opened the way for Cyrus and strengthened him to overthrow the kingdom of Babylon. All of the significant and providential openings, wisdom, and prophetic declaration of judgment was from the angel Gabriel by command of Messiah the prince. Moreover, the fall of Babylon, also prophesied by Isaiah, likened the fall of the kingdom of Babylon to the fall of Lucifer. At every step in the Medo-Persian kingdom’s cooperation with the purposes of God to fulfill it’s role in Bible prophecy was resisted. Even to this day, the devil has seen fit to obscure the records of history, confusing names, and bringing in false histories and interpretations of the ancient history to make this record of the book of Daniel 11 to appear false. Thankfully, our God has left enough traces of history on record that none need err.
Daniel 11:2- And now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia.
Cyrus was to stand up in Persia as the sole-king of the Medo-Persian confederacy once Darius died. His son, Cambyses II, took to the throne and undertook the conquest of Egypt, one of the few independent remaining states; this war was known as the Battle of Pelusium. In this battle, he carried many of the Egyptian idols, their treasures of gold and silver, and other works of art and carried them back into Babylon, the fortress which the Persian kings tended to occupy; but one claiming to be his younger brother seized the throne while Cambyses was in conquest, and would not yield the throne; Cambyses died that year, but Smeris, the usurper, after he vehemently resisted the Jews and forced the building of the temple to cease was slain by Darius the great. Darius the Great, also known as Darius I, was the third rightful king of Persia to come to the throne; as Cyrus was influenced by the angel Gabriel to issue a decree in building the temple, Darius was influenced, and commanded likewise, the continuation of the building (Ezra 6:1-12). Artexerxes I was far richer than them all, and “shewed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honour of his excellent majesty many days, even a hundred and eighty days” (Esther 1:3). Darius had made the attempt to fasten the Greeks under the Persian dominion, and put down any possibility of revolt, but he died. Artexerxes, Darius’ son, led the Persian war against Greece with one of the largest ancient armies ever assembled, called the Battle of Salamis, where the Persians lost; the Greeks were stirred up to war, and went on the offensive, defeating the Persian army in the Battle of Plataea. This trend continued, and the fourth king of Persia used his riches to hire the enemies within the Grecian territory to instigate revolt. This led to a series of battles, mostly in favor of the Greeks; however, one of the guards of Philip II, king of Grecia, assasinated him from the inside. Artexerxes I was also the one who was stirred to issue the final decree to restore and build Jerusalem. In his seventh year, 457 BC, the decree was issued (Ezra 6:14, 7:7-25).
From this point on, the rest of the kings of Persia are not mentioned, nor the lengthy battle between the Greeks. The only ones mentioned were according to Daniel’s inquiry of when the decree of Daniel 9:25 would go forward to commence the vision of Daniel 8. Therefore this prophecy is bringing to view the scenes of Daniel 8, with added description of what shall be at unfold in “the time of the end” (Dan. 8:17).
Daniel 11:3- And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. Alexander the great was the mighty king which stood up and “was moved with cholor” against the Medo-Persian empire, taking one country to another in rapid succession. The continued move of the Persians to hire the Greeks to incite revolt led to Philip II’s assisination. This was Alexander’s father, which moved Alexander to cholor against the Medes and Persians. Therefore it was “according to his will” that he should avenge the blood of his father and take the kingdom. Said Alexander to the final king of Persia, Darius III, after taking his mother, wife, and children captive: “You gave support to the people of Perinthus, who had done my father harm… My father died at the hand of conspirators instigated by you, as you yourself boasted to everybody in your letters…You sent unfriendly letters to the Greeks about me, to push them to war against me, and sent money to the Spartans and some other Greeks, which none of the other cities would accept apart from the Spartans. Your envoys corrupted my friends and sought to destroy the peace which I established among the Greeks. I therefore led an expedition against you, and you started the quarrel….But now I have defeated in battle first your generals and satraps, and now you in person and your army, and by the grace of the gods I control the country…Approach me therefore as the lord of all Asia… Come to me to ask and receive your mother, your wife, your children and anything else you wish. Whatever you can persuade me to give shall be yours. In future whenever you communicate with me, send to me as king of Asia; do not write to me as an equal, but state your demands to the master of all your possessions… If you wish to lay claim to the title of king, then stand your ground and fight for it; do not take to flight, as I shall pursue you wherever you may be.”
Daniel 11:4 And when he (Alexander) shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those. Upon Alexander’s victorious boasting, he came to believe he was the son of the gods. In drunken festivity at this announcement, Alexander drank himself to death, having no legitimate successor. Not according to Alexander’s children was the kingdom of Grecia given, but it was divided into a confederated four of Alexander’s generals Cassander, Ptolemy, Lysimachus, and Seleceus. This is known as the “partition of Babylon”.
Eventually, the four continued to struggle for the dominion of Alexander’s kingdom, until there were only two kingdoms of prominence remaining left. Ptolemy, who was in control of the southern area of Egypt. Later, this becomes the kingdom in Daniel 11 that we know as the King of the South. The other general is Seleucus; his is the kingdom of the north, controlling Syria. The heart of Syria was Babylon. So the rule is established in the history of the struggle between Alexander’s generals as they go throughout time; the King of the North is the power that controls Babylon and the King of the South is the Power that controls Egypt.
Daniel 11:5- And the king of the south shall be strong (Ptolemy), and one of his (Alexander's) princes; and he (Seleucus) shall be strong above him (Ptolemy), and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion. The King of the South, Ptolemy, who reigned in Egypt shall be strong and ‘one of his princes’. A distinction between Alexander’s divided kingdom is being made here between, Ptolemy, the King of the South, and one of ‘his’ (Alexander’s) princes, Seleucus, “shall be strong above him, and have dominion”; his kingdom was larger, stronger, and more powerful than the Ptolemaic kingdom, and it occupied the very grounds of Babylon, where Alexander had died. This principle of the King of the North’s strength will prove true not only now, but until the end of the prophecy, whoever occupies the title of “The King of the North” is generally stronger and more influential. The King of the North is the stronger, larger kingdom, but they’re struggling with one another.
Daniel 11:6- And in the end of years they (Ptolemy & Antiochus) shall join themselves together; for the king's daughter of the south (Bernice) shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she (Bernice) shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he (Antiochus) stand, nor his arm: but she (Bernice) shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he that was begotten of her (her children), and he that strengthened her in these times. After many wars between Ptolemy Philadelphus (II), king of Egypt (south), and Antiochus Theos (I), king of Syria (north), they agreed to make peace in confederacy with one another. The condition was that Antiochus, king of the north, on should put away his wife Laodice with her sons, and marry Berenice, Ptolemy II’s daughter. This was their agreement of peace.
The Scripture says: “She shall not retain the power of his arm”. Bernice, the King of the South’s daughter did not retain the power with Seleucus, the King of the North. Antiochus I decided that he wasn’t happy with Bernice from the South, so he divorced her, and remarried his former wife, Laodice.
Laodice’s confidence was shaken in him, so she had him killed fulfilling the word “neither shall he stand, nor his arm”. Then “she”, that is Bernice, “shall be given up”, “and they that brought her”, the attendans that came from Egypt with her, supporting her as Queen of the North, and “he that was begotten of her”, Bernice’s child, were all executed. By this, Laodice proclaimed her son Seleucus II as king.
Daniel 11:7- But out of a branch of her roots (Bernice' father Ptolemy) shall one stand up in his estate (her brother, Ptolemy Eugertes), which shall come with an army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north (Seleucus, son of Laodice), and shall deal against them, and shall prevail:
“Out of a branch of her roots”; that is Bernice’s roots. This is speaking of Ptolemy II Philadelphus. A branch out of Ptolemy II is Berenice’s brother, Ptolemy III Eugertes, who stood up in his father’s estate as King of the South because his father had died. Ptolemy III was enraged at the treachery of the Antiochus Theos, King of the North. He came with an army, and waged war on the king of the North, Laodice’s son Seleucus II. This war was called the Third Syrian War.
Daniel 11:8- And shall also carry captives into Egypt their gods, with their princes, and with their precious vessels of silver and of gold; and he (Euergetes III) shall continue more years than the king of the north (Seleucus, son of Laodice).
This war from the King of the South in the war occupied territory from the coasts of Syria, from Antioch to Babylon. History testifies that he carried back the treasures that Cambyses II, the successor of Cyrus the great, had carried into the northern territories. It had remained in the same territory until it was retrieved. Thus Ptolemy III, through the avenging of his sister, brought back all the treasures that had been lost so many years before. “And he shall continue more years than the king of the north”; Ptolemy III outlived and reigned nine years longer than the king of the north, who died a prisoner in Parthia five years before Ptolemy Euergetes. “This prince carried off 40,000 talents of silver with a prodigious quantity of gold and silver vessels and 2,500 statues, part of which were those Egyptian idols that Cambyses, after his conquest of that kingdom, had sent into Persia. Ptolemy gained the hearts of his subjects by replacing those idols in their ancient temples, when he returned from this expedition; for the Egyptians, who were more devoted to their superstitious idolatry than all the rest of mankind, thought they could not sufficiently express their veneration and gratitude to a king, who had restored their gods to them in such a manner. Ptolemy derived from this action the title of Euergetes, which signified a benefactor…” Rollin II:80
Daniel 11:9-10 - So the king of the south (Ptolemy III) shall come into his kingdom, and shall return into his own land. But his sons (the king of the North's sons Seleucus Ceraunus and Antiochus) shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces: and one (Antiochus III, the younger brother- an able field general) shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall he return, and be stirred up, even to his fortress.
Though Ptolemy III returned to the land with the riches of Egypt, Seleuces II died in prison. His sons that “shall be stirred up” are the sons of the King of the North, Seleucus Ceraunus III and Antiochus III the great. They assemble a “multitude of great forces”. ‘Sons’ is in the plural, but by the end of the verse it is in the singular, “and one shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall he return, and be stirred up, even to his fortress.” Though there was two sons, Seleucus III and Antiochus III, one was incompetent (Seleucus Ceraunus). Being the elder and the successor to the throne, he was the one that began the preparation for war. His generals were so frustrated with his abilities that they poisoned him. Seleucus was assassinated in Anatolia by members of his army while on campaign against Attalus I of Pergamon. Then the second son (Antiochus III) takes up the task. and builds a mighty army to return back against the King of the South in response to what they have done; he was the “one” that would “come, and overflow, and pass through”.
Daniel 11:11-12 - And the king of the south (Ptolemy Philopater IV) shall be moved with choler, and shall come forth and fight with him, even with the king of the north (Antiochus III): and he (the King of the North- Antiochus III) shall set forth a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into his (Ptolemy IV) hand. And when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted up; and he shall cast down many ten thousands: but he shall not be strengthened by it.
The verse explains sufficiently for itself what happened. Ptolemy IV Philopater, king of the South, was victorious over Antiochus III, king of the North, and had “taken away the multitude” by conquering many provinces.
In the historian Prudeau’s account, in the chapter ‘Connections’ under the 217 BC time period, we read: “Philopater, was a fellow of abandoned lust and dissipation. He was so elated by his victory over Antiochus that he held processions through the provinces.” So elated was the King of the South at his victory as he was coming back to Egypt, he celebrated and had processions through each area. But who were the “ten thousands” who he shall “cast down”? As he was celebrating his victory procession back into Egypt, he entered Jerusalem and after a blasphemous act of offering sacrifices to the God of heaven, he tried to enter the Most Holy Place of the temple, in spite of the protest and entreaties of the Jews in charge. “He was smitten from God with such a terror and confusion of mind that he was carried out of the place in a manner half dead. On this he departed from Jerusalem, filled with great wrath against the whole nation of the Jews for that which happened to him in that place and venting many threatenings against them for it.” Prideaux, The Old and New Testament, p. 77
The ten thousands he shall cast down is describing his retaliation against the Jews for this incident. “In vengeance for his disgrace at Jerusalem he returned to his country and endeavoured to force the many Jews in Egypt to sacrifice to Egypt’s heathen gods and renounce their worship of Jehovah. When 300 Jews adopted the heathen religion, they were excommunicated by the Jewish society. Regarding this as a further insult to himself, Philopater determined to destroy the Jews in his dominion and commanded that as many as could be rounded up, be brought in chains to Alexandria…These were placed in a large arena, and it was proposed that on a certain day, a great public spectacle would be made, by turning wild and drunken elephants upon them. The devout Jews earnestly called upon God and when the appointed time came, the drunken and maddened beasts were let loose…But they turned their rage upon all those who came to see the show and destroyed great numbers of them. Besides, several appearances were soon seen in the air, which much frightened the king and all the spectators. All which, manifesting the interposal of Divine power in the protection of those people. Philopater durst not any longer prosecute his rage against them, but ordered them to be all set free and fearing the Divine vengeance upon him in their behalf, he restored them to all their privileges, rescinding and revoking all his decrees, which he had published against them.” p. 133
Three years later, in 213 BC, despite all of this, Philopater, on another pretext, slew 40,000 Jews. Thus he cast down ten-thousands.
Daniel 11:13-14 - For the king of the north (Antiochus III) shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come after certain years with a great army and with much riches. And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south (Ptolemy V Epiphanes): also the robbers (Rome) of thy people (Daniel's people) shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they (those who stand against Ptolemy) shall fall. The king of the north (Antiochus III the great) comes against Ptolemy V Epiphanes, who is five years of age when he takes the throne as king of the south, because his father Ptolemy IV Philopater had died. The king of the North “shall set forth a multitude greater than the former” because he formed a pact with King Philip V of Macedon in 203BC to come again the Ptolemaic empire (the king of the south).
Specifically in the Battle of Panium, Antiochus III, in 201BC, through the generalship of his son, Antiochus IV, overtook many lands, and this included Judea, which fell under the control of the Seleucid empire, not long after Ptolemy Philpater of Egypt had cast down many Jews. Ptolemy V Epiphanes was five years of age when he took the throne, and being so young, many came against him at this time when the kingdom was paralyzed, and conspiracies abounded.
“And the robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision”; this refers to Rome, who had alliances with Pergamum and Rhodes, who were fighting against Philip V of Macedon, who had been united with the king of the north, Antiochus III. On the appeal of Rome’s allies for aid, the Romans came and sent an army to Greece and attacked Macedon, defeating Philip V, and forcing him to become an ally with Rome. Antiochus III sought to liberate Macedonia, but failed; the Romans sent an army to the Battle of the Eurymedon and Myonessus. The Seleucid empire of Antiochus III fought against the armies of Rome at Magnesia, but lost and Antiochus was forced to surrender to the Romans, resulting in the Treaty of Apamea. Though many came against the king of the south, because Rome exalted itself, those who came against the king of the south would fall.
Gabriel calls Rome “the robbers of Daniel’s people”; this is because is by Rome, from Rome, and through Rome that the greatest losses would be sustained to his descendants, both physical and spiritual as will be seen later on. They exalt themselves against the kings, and this establishes them as a great empire in order to “establish the vision (chazon)”. This vision being spoken about is the chazon vision of Daniel 8. It is established in Daniel 9 by the crucifixion of Christ. It is Rome who crucify the Christ of Daniel 9, and destroy the city and the sanctuary, robbing it of it’s vessels. But Rome, through the the compromises of the Christian church, rob Daniel’s people of far more than the physical sanctuary vessels of gold.
***Please note, this prophecy has to do with God’s people. Every time the king of the south and the king of the north fought, Judea, which was the land of God’s people until their rejection of the Messiah, was in the center of the conflict. The king of the south was south of Judea, while the king of the north was north of Judea; the principle of these kings is not as much locality, as much as it is who is in the centrality of the conflict. God’s people exchanged hands seven times over the Ptolemaic/Seleucid wars, where it would finally have it’s end; but then God’s people would be placed under different powers, also taking the honors of the title king of the south, and king of the north.
Daniel 11:15 - So the king of the north shall come (Antiochus Ephiphanes), and cast up a mount, and take the most fenced cities: and the arms of the south shall not withstand, neither his (God's) chosen people, neither shall there be any strength to withstand. The last advance from as the Seleucid empire as the king of the north before it is taken under the complete dominion of Rome, finds Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who had set himself as king over the empire, coming against the Egyptians successfully. 1 Maccabees relates the account: “When Antiochus had firmly established himself as king, he decided to conquer Egypt and rule that country as well as Syria. He invaded Egypt with a large fleet of ships and a powerful army, including chariots, elephants, and cavalry. When the attack came, King Ptolemy of Egypt turned and fled, and many of his soldiers were killed. Antiochus was able to capture the fortified cities of Egypt and plunder the whole land.” (1 Maccabees ch. 1:16-19)
In verse 13-14, the fifth Syrian war took place when Ptolemy V Epiphanes was only a child. His successor was Ptolemy VI Philometor (King of the south), then a minor of six years of age where the sixth war began. The Ptolemies desired to retake the land that the king of the north had secured of Caelo-Syria (the district where Judea of the Jews were in the heart of) in 171-168 BC. Antiochus IV Epiphanes(king of the North) raised a greater army than before, and having defeated his best troops under Scopas, made sure of Caelo-Syria and Palestine, with all their fortified cities.
“Neither his chosen people” refers to God’s chosen people, who Antiochus IV Epiphanes had greatly harassed at this time from 168-165BC, leading to the Maccabean revolt in 165 BC, which ended in Judea securing the temple, but seeking protection in the treaty called the league Rome, where it would henceforth by under the jurisdiction and protection of Rome.
Daniel 11:16 - But he (Rome) that cometh against him (Antiochus) shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him: and he shall stand in the glorious land (Jerusalem), which by his hand shall be consumed. The Roman Empire shall “do according to his own will”, and come against Antiochus IV Epiphanes in 168BC, when Antiochus sought to make a second attack upon Egypt. It was said of Egypt in verse 15 of the king of the south, “neither shall there be any strength to stand”. The young Ptolemy VI had fled from Antiochus when the battle was lost, but when he fled, he ran to the Roman Senate for protection; and the king of the south also, like the king of the north before him, came under the banner of Rome as it established itself empirically.
Before Antiochus reached Alexandria for the second attack upon Egypt, who was now under the protection of Rome, his path was blocked by a single elderly Roman ambassador named Gaius Popillius Laenas. Popillius delivered a message from the Roman Senate directing Antiochus IV to withdraw his armies from Egypt and Cyprus or consider himself in a state of war with the Roman Republic. Antiochus IV said he would discuss it with his council, whereupon the Roman ambassador drew a line in the sand around Antiochus and said: “Before you leave this circle, give me a reply that I can take back to the Roman Senate.” This implied Rome would declare war if the King stepped out of the circle without committing to leave Egypt immediately. Weighing his options, Antiochus decided to withdraw. Only then did Popillius agree to shake hands with him. Now, the king of the north was powerless; already because of the treaty signed under Antiochus III, it was under the dominion of Roman rule, but with the king of the south becoming a protectorate state under the Roman rule, and Antiochus IV submitting to Roman authority, it was fulfilled the saying which was written: “And none shall stand before him.”
Rome would even “stand in the glorious land”. Although Judea had been in league with Rome for protection, it had peace and independance generally until 63 BC. At this time, Pompey the great, a political and military leader of Rome, was requested to intervene in a controversy which led to war taking place between the Jews via two princes.
One of the parties, Aristobulus, angered Pompey by his careless actions, sent a Roman troop came in to take Jerusalem. Aristobulus’ supporters refused the takeover. But Aristobulus’ brother, Hyrcanus II, had supporters which opened the city to him, but refused him the right to takeover. The forces of his opponent, Aristobulus, fought against Pompey and Hyrcanus. After two months, the Romans broke through and massacred some 12,000 of the Jews defending the Temple. Judea was required to pay tribute to the Roman administration. It relinquished much land, and was severely crippled in it’s movements from this time forward.
His work done in Jerusalem, Pompey returned to Rome expecting to be made the Emperor. However, he had strong competition for the job. One of his competitors was Julius Caesar, who was a great general in his own right. He did in the West what Pompey had done in the East and subdued the peoples in what is today England, France and the Rhineland of Germany.
These two great Roman generals agreed that Rome would be run by a Triumvirate: Julius Caesar, Pompey and a third General, Crassus. However, the Triumvirate lasted only five years, leaving Pompey and Caesar in a rivalry for control.
Daniel 11:17 - He (Julius Caesar) shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones (Jews) with him; thus shall he do: and he shall give him the daughter of women (Cleopatra), corrupting her: but she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him. Julius Caesar sets himself to take the entire kingdom at this time. Rome is a republic, but sole power is decided as the triumvirate of executive power disintegrates. Therefore Caesar pursues to be the emperor of Rome.
The Senate of Rome backed Pompey, but Caesar relentlessly marched his army across the Rubicon, the famous river that marked the boundary between Italy proper to the south and its provinces to the north. Roman law forbade a Roman army to cross the river. In doing so, Caesar was committing an act of war.
As Caesar’s army entered Rome, Pompey and the Roman Senate fled for their lives. Caesar declared himself Emperor and pursued Pompey all the way to Egypt. Once there, he committed a tactical error which found himself besieged in Alexandria by Pompey’s army and its allies. Desperately in need of support, he looked for any help that would aid him in his dire situation.
Until that time, Hyrcanus II (who was also high priest in Judea) had been an official ally of Pompey. But the prophecy says that Julius Caesar would set himself to enter into the whole kingdom as emperor with the aid of upright ones. Therefore, Hyracanus II switched sides and declared his allegiance to Caesar. Then were committed over 3,000 Jewish soldiers to an expeditionary force that invaded Egypt and helped raise the siege of Alexandria in 47 BC.
Thus, when the Roman civil war ended in Julius Caesar’s complete victory Hyrcanus was in a much more favorable position. Caesar showed the Jews his gratitude for their help. He revoked the harsh decrees and burdensome taxation imposed by Pompey. He also allowed the walls and fortifications of Jerusalem to be rebuilt and restored Jaffa as well as a number of other coastal cities to Jewish rule.
At the same time, a civil war because of the controversy between Cleopatra and her brother is taking place, Julius Caesar enters into an affair with her, and she becomes pregnant with Caesarion, who she hopes will become Julius’ successor; thus fulfilling the saying “he shall give him the daughter of women, corrupting her:…” Yet the prophecy also says “but she shall not stand [reign] on his side, neither be for him.” She cannot reign with him according to Roman law (it is unlawful for a Roman politician to marry a foreigner), but she seeks influence from him to gain power and gain the throne which was being seized by Ptolemy at this time. As Julius was not able to amend the Roman Law, he could not name Cleopatra or Caesarion in his will.
Daniel 11:18 - After this shall he turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many: but a prince (Marc Antony) for his (Julius) own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he shall cause it to turn upon him.
After Cleopatra, Julius Caesar takes the Roman Empire and becomes dictator. Cleopatra and Caesar’s relationship was extremely unpopular with the Roman Senate. Calpurnia, Caesar’s legitimate wife, was the daughter of a prominent Roman family and while like a good Roman woman she was subservient and demure, Cleopatra was powerful and outspoken. Caesar had many enemies in Rome by this time – chief amongst whom was the orator Cicero. Cicero declared Alexandria “the home of all tricks and deceits” and openly admitted that he despised Cleopatra. He was of the opinion that women were intellectually weak and should always be under the power of their male guardians so he was greatly concerned about Cleopatra’s influence over Caesar. Rumours began to circulate that Caesar planned to move the capital of the Empire to Alexandria and senators began plotting how they could reverse Caesar’s reforms.
After this, the Roman senate confers special honors upon Julius Caesar, and his conquests seem ready to overtake the entire world.
As pressure increased against Caesar, Mark Antony joined his mentor in Gaul and engaged in a series of battles between Caesar and Pompey. Antony again helped Caesar defeat his enemies and he returned to Rome as Caesar’s second in command. Having amassed a great deal of power, in 45 B.C., Caesar was designated dictator for one year. Pompey’s sons escaped to Spain; After spending the first months of 47 BC in Egypt, Caesar went to the Middle East, where he annihilated the king of Pontus; his victory was so swift and complete that he mocked Pompey’s previous victories over such poor enemies. Caesar gave chase and defeated the last remnants of opposition in the Battle of Munda in March 45 BC.
“A prince for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he shall cause it to turn upon him.” This was Marc Antony, the second-in-command under Caesar. Antony finds himself immersed in an affair with Cleopatra, although married to Octavia, Caesar Augsutus (Julius’ successor) daughter. As a result of this affair, he turns the reproach that was upon Julius Caesar before his assassination upon himself. As a result, Caesar Augustus declared war upon, and this led to the fall of the southern kingdom in Egypt in the battle of Actium in 31 BC, as well as the death of both Marc Antony and Cleopatra.
Antony had instituted Herod the great in Jerusalem to be king, who would rule for four decades. This was the Herod who discovered that the Messiah was to be born and it was said “Then Herod…was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under…” (Matthew 2:16)
Daniel 11:19 - Then he (Julius Caesar) shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found. Caesar’s actions led many to believe he was positioning himself to become king. A plot to assassinate him emerged, and on March 15, 44 B.C., he was killed in the Roman Senate.
Daniel 11:20 - Then shall stand up in his (Julias Caesar) estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he (Augustus Caesar) shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle.
This refers to Augustus Caesar, who succeeded Julius Caesar, and waged war against Marc Antony for treachery against his daughter with Cleopatra. He is referred to as “a raiser of taxes;”. Luke spoke of this in his account of the gospel: “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)” (Luke 2:1-2)
Daniel 11:21 - And in his (Caesar Augustus) estate shall stand up a vile person (Tiberius Caesar), to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. This speaks of Tiberius Caesar, who succeeded Augustus Caesar. “Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene…” (Luke 3:1) Born Tiberius Claudius Nero, a Claudian, Tiberius was the son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla. His mother divorced Nero and married Octavian, later known as Caesar Augustus, in 39 BC, making him a step-son of Octavian.
Livia had petitioned Augustus Caesar to proclaim that he would be emperor when Augustus died. Augustus, seeing the manner of Tiberius’ refused, and picked several others, but they died before they could take the empire.
Tiberius’ mother Livia then pled with Augustus Caesar, and he, in his old age, agreed to let him take control of the kingdom at his death.
He is the one “to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom” Tiberius was not given the honor of the kingdom, yet still received the kingdom in the end. Without warning, in 6 B.C. Tiberius, the visible heir to Augustus, announced his withdrawal from public life and went to live on Rhodes with some personal friends and an astrologer, Thrasyllus.
Augustus was forced to find other successors; his adopted sons, Gaius and Lucius Caesar, were still too young to assume the heavy responsibilities of the Principate, and Augustus now had no immediate successor to assume power and see the boys to maturity.
Augustus’s irritation of the matter is revealed by his repeated refusal to allow Tiberius to return to Rome after Tiberius realized the delicacy of his position on Rhodes; despite the pleas of Livia in favor of Tiberius. When Tiberius’s powers expired in 1 BC they were not renewed, but it seemed he would be put to death. However, in 2 AD, Lucius Caesar died of an illness at Massilia. Augustus, resistant to the idea of allowing Tiberius to return, finally yielded to the requests of Livia and Gaius Caesar on his behalf. Tiberius returned to Rome and did not partake of any politics until Gaius Caesar unexpectedly died of a wound received during a siege in Armenia. Augustus, devastated, was left without his adoptive sons and, more importantly, without an heir and successor. His careful planning for the succession had come to nothing. In the crisis, he turned once more to Tiberius.
It was said that Tiberius “shall come in peaceably”; so it was by the necessity of Augustus needing an heir. He would “take the kingdom by flatteries” because of the pleadings of Livia, his mother. Tiberius did not desire the kingdom for himself, and wished he did not have to take the position as emperor of the kingdom. He was relunctant, and refused to bear the honors of the kingdom: titles Pater Patriae, Imperator, and Augustus, and he declined the emblem of the Princeps, the Civic Crown and laurels. He was vile in his baser passions which he gave himself over to, while always being of a very dark and gloomy manner.
Daniel 11:22 - And with the arms of a flood shall they (The Jews) be overflown from before him (Tiberius), and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant (Christ). Christ is here set forth as crucified as “the Prince of the covenant”, “Messian the Prince” of Daniel 9, who confirms the covenant with many for one week during Tiberius’ reign.
Before this time, “the arms of a flood” of persecution came upon the Jews. In 19 AD, Tiberius ordered the Jews who were of military age to join the Roman army, and everyone else was banished from Rome under the threat of slavery. Tiberius’ successors all dying before him, he made no effort to secure a replacement. Finally, in 26 AD, Tiberius retired from Rome to the island of Capri.
Lucius Aelius Sejanus served as the imperial family for nearly 20 years, being made Praetorian Prefect in 15 AD. Tiberius, more and more, gave the limited powers invested in the Praetorians to rule, and chiefly Sejanus, whom Tiberius had statues erected around the city of; that Sejanus might become more and more visible, while Tiberius slow withdrew himself from public life. By 26 AD, Sejanus acted as vice-regent of Tiberius, being left in charge with the duties of communicating with the senate and the city of Rome. There was resistance to Sejanus’ authority, and Tiberius’ mother Livia held him in check until her death three years later.
After this, he became a series of trials which would put Senators and the wealthy citizens of Rome which opposed his power to death. These were accused of certain offenses by Sejanus’, who claimed to Tiberius via correspondance, that they were inciting rebellion, or seeking to take imperial power to themselves. Thus Tiberius would order them to be tried, imprisoned, and issued with the death sentence. In this way, Sejanus was able to influence Caesar according to his will.
Sejanus was also very hostile towards the Jews; thus we see the fallen angel influencing the mind Sejanus against the people of God, and by him, the Caesar.
He instituted Pontius Pilate as governor over Judea to implement his anti-Jewish policies. The followers of Judas Gaulonitis, who opposed paying tribute to Caesar and submitting to the Roman government fell victim to these policies, which caused Pilate to slaughter the Jews for any-and-every reason. A company of them came to Jerusalem during one of the great festivals, and presenting their oblations in the court of the temple, Pilate treacherously sent a company of soldiers, who slew them, and “mingled their blood with their sacrifices.” (Luke 3:1) These anti-semetic policies were “the arms of a flood” that cause them to be “overflown, and shall be broken.”
This climaxed when Sejanus plotted to take the imperial throne for himself in Rome, and Tiberius’ realizing the devices forcast by Sejanus, sent a letter to the senate, delivered by Sejanus who had not read the whole of the letter, and it condemned him at the latter sentence. When he was put to death, Tiberius Caesar reversed the anti-Jewish policies of Sejanus in 31 AD. The year Christ, the Prince of the covenant, was to be crucified. Here we see the angel Gabriel at work to influence the mind of Tiberius for good, that the Jews, who had “sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death” (Mark 14:1) might not so readily charge crimes upon him, to be responsible for his death.
Tiberius Caesar had ordered Pontius Pilate to no longer ill-treat the Jews, after the policies of Sejanus. And this placed him in a hard position. Regarding the trial of Christ, it is said: “And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.”
(John 19:12)
The Jews used Caesar’s favorable disposition towards them against Pilate; knowing that if he did not send Christ to be put to death, they would send envoys to Caesar against him, having him removed from his station as one who was against the Jews when he was ordered to do otherwise.
In order to pacify the Jews, Pilate sent Christ away to be crucified, but not without a confession of rejection. “And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away.”
(John 19:14-16)
By this, they were in league with no power higher than Caesar; by this they unchurched themselves, showing they were not the people of God. By their own will, they showed that they worked under the influence of the fallen angels rather than Michael, and his angel.
Daniel 9: The Covenant of Messiah the Prince
In the ninth chapter of Daniel, a prophecy of wonderful importance is given to us revealing the exact time when the Messiah would come to die for mankind. It also reveals the exact time necessary to understand the eighth chapter of Daniel more fully.
To understand the background of Daniel nine (which gives more understanding of the prophecy), click the arrow:
The Prayer & The Vision
my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.” (Jeremiah 29:10-14)Daniel had reached the end of the long anticipated seventy years. It was the first year of the joint-reign of Darius and Cyrus of the Medes and Persians. From this time, he confessed, with his whole heart, his sins and the sins of his people. “In the first year of Darius… In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting…:” (Daniel 9:1-3) The condition that was laid out for the restoration from the captivity to come back into Jerusalem was clear, and Daniel earnestly grasped by faith the promised restoration.
Daniel confessed that “all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.” (Daniel 9:11) This curse written in Moses was reiterated many times, that they which hated them would reign over them, they would be oppressed and crushed, driven out of their land, to be the servants of a cruel master. “The fruit of thy land, and all thy labours, shall a nation which thou knowest not eat up; and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed always…The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low. He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail. Moreover all these curses shall come upon thee…because thou hearkenedst not unto the voice of the LORD thy God…Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee…: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.” (Deuteronomy 28:33, 43-48)
“And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God; Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.” (Daniel 9:20-21) The Angel Gabriel, appearing as a man, visited Daniel. Daniel had previously seen Gabriel “in the vision at the beginning”. What vision is this? It was the vision of Daniel 8, which Daniel had in the third year of Belshazzar, king of Babylon, just before the fall of the kingdom to the Medes and Persians. This vision, called in Hebrew, the “chazone”, was the only vision Daniel had, besides dreams until this time left on record for us. It was this vision that Gabriel had made his first appearance to Daniel, and a command was given to Gabriel.
“Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision. So he came near where I stood:…he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision (chazon).” (Daniel 8:16-17) The vision gave a very important time prophecy, but although Gabriel is instructed to give understanding to Daniel regarding this very important point, he could not. “And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king’s business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.” (Daniel 8:27) Daniel, overwhelmed by the revelation, had fainted. Gabriel was able to explain many points regarding the prophecy, but he was not able to reveal it’s starting point; therefore Daniel declared “none understood it”.
It was the time of evening worship, the time in Jerusalem when the sacrifice foreshadowing the great sacrifice of the Messiah-to-come was to take place. Here it was that Gabriel came to open this critical point of understanding to Daniel. “And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision [chazon].” (Daniel 9:22-23) Remember, that there was no vision to Daniel in chapter nine; this was the added details of the vision of the previous chapter which Daniel did not have strength to understand.
Daniel was told to “understand the matter and consider the vision”. The angel Gabriel then declared what was necessary to be understood in relation to the vision of Daniel 8. There is no vision in Daniel 9. “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.” Here we find a time prophecy of seventy weeks (or 490 days) brought to view. As a prophetic rule in prophecy, a day is always given for a year (Ezekiel 4:6). While 490 days alone extends to little more than a year, 490 prophetic days would equate to 490 years.
There is a determination upon Daniel’s people and Jerusalem “thy holy city” to have a special work accomplished amongst them in this time. This work is the blessings to God’s people while in the covenant of salvation with Him through faith in the Messiah. It was their privilege to know the Messiah-to-come, and to know of the sin-pardoning redemption that comes from the Most High. It was their privilege to be His set-apart and peculiar people that His “way may be known upon earth;” His “salvation among all nations.” (Psalm 67: 2) Instead of this, they learned the ways of the heathen, and forgot the way of God.
For this cause, Babylon triumphed over Daniel’s people and over the holy city. For this reason the determination was to be decreed, giving them a space of time in which they were to live up to the light, privileges, and opportunities given to them. If they did not live up to this experience and high calling, the blessings God had conferred upon them would be removed and be given to others.
“Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.” Again, Gabriel says to understand this point. Therefore, mark this point with care. Gabriel here will give us the starting point of the 70 week prophecy; and break down the events which shall take place before the seventieth week concludes. He tells us that “from the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem” until the appearing of “Messiah the Prince” there would be 7 plus 62 weeks; thus 69 prophetic weeks (483 years) in total. The prophecy by no means is a difficult one. When was the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem to take place? The Scripture tells us exactly this:
“And the elders of the Jews builded…And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.” (Ezra 6:14)
There were three commandments to restore and build Jerusalem. The first two, under Cyrus and Darius, consisted only of building the temple. Artexerxes issued a decree in Ezra 7 on the 7th year of his reign. This decree came in 457 BC. From this time, seven prophetic weeks (49 years) were to establish the settlement of the land on the Jubilee year. By the time of the Jubilee, which was at the commencement of the 49th year (called the fiftieth year when counting from zero), all lands were to be restored to their rightful owners if sufficient proof could be made for ownership according to the law (Leviticus 25:10).
This brings us to 408 BC. From this time, there was still 62 prophetic weeks (434 years) remaining until the Messiah would be clearly revealed to mankind.
Without fail, the end of the 69th week brings us to 27AD. This was the year Jesus, the Christ, was baptized by John the baptist to begin His ministry.
At the baptism of the Messiah, John the baptist knows Christ is to be revealed at this time. “And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water…” (John 1:31-34)
“And it came to pass…that Jesus came…and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” After His baptism, Jesus bore a very important message to Israel, knowing their determination was soon to be decreed for blessing or cursing, declaring “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent and believe the gospel.” (Mark 1:9-11). Thus was marked the end of the 69th week, and beginning the final prophetic week.
“And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (Daniel 9:24-27)
Many people try to interpret this last week as being entirely separate from the 69 weeks already here, and place it at the final seven years of this age. However, to do this does tremendous damage to the time prophecy, and the text itself. Doing this takes away the decree that was to be determined by the experience of the Israelites, and thus conceals the fate decreed in heaven for the city of Jerusalem. Not only this, but it obscures the work that the Messiah came to fulfill a great work in this final week.
We are told that after the 69th week, Messiah the prince “shall be cut off, but not for Himself.” What does it mean that He was “cut off”, and who was He “cut off” for? The answer is given by the prophet Isaiah (53:8): “He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.”
(Isaiah 53:8)
Christ was cut off from life; Christ died for sin, but not for His own sins. Christ was “the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world” (John 1:29); He was the One whom Israel had the privilege of believing in, and revealing to the world. Instead of this, they failed, and murderously cried out for His crucifixion, cursing themselves and their posterity when they said: “His blood be upon us and upon our children!” (Matthew 27:25)
When was Christ cut off? It was three and a half years into His ministry. Literally in the center of the final week.
All the sacrifices and offerings of the Israelites in their worship in their Sanctuary had “a shadow of good things to come, but not the very image of the things” (Heb. 10:1). It’s sanctuary contained a priesthood who administered the sacrifices and offerings who “serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things” (Heb. 8:5) Their sacrifices contained sin offerings where lambs, bulls, rams, and goats were slain for various kinds of sin in the place of those who had sinned. This was for the purpose of revealing the true object which they shadowed forth; specifically the death of the Messiah as an offering for our sins (Isaiah 53:10). It was through the Sanctuary service of the Israelites that the work of the Messiah was to be understood more fully, not only regarding His death, but also His office as high priest. By Christ dying for our sins, “Mercy and truth are met together; justice and peace have kissed.” (Psalm 89:14) To be a just and righteous King, while also revealing His heart of love and mercy, Christ laid down His life for the transgressor of the law of God; “having made peace through the blood of His cross…” (Col. 1:20) It was in this way that “in the midst of the week, He shall cause the sacrifice and offerings to cease.” The shadow contained in the law met it’s true object and purpose, and in this, they were to cease forever.
The early Christians did not sacrifice lambs, or put any virtue on the blood of bulls or goats. To continue these rites and ceremonies once the shadow met the object would be an abomination to the God of heaven, denying the great sacrifice He has made in our behalf. They had embraced the True Sacrifice; and no longer could they return to a pale representation of what had passed away. The manner of observing their feasts was changed; now their worship commemorated the work of the Messiah, “giving thanks unto God and the Father by Him” (Col. 3:17).
The last half of the prophetic week was for the apostolic church to do it’s work of preaching the gospel, if by chance the leaders of the Jewish nation would repent of crucifying the Messiah, and be led to embrace Him. Yet this did not happen. While many of Israel embraced Christ, more murmured, resisted, and even put to death the Christians, fulfilling the words of Christ: “They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.” (John 16:2-3)
“The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins…When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.” (Acts 5:30-33)
Lastly, they stoned Stephen, a man full of faith and power from God, when he testified of Christ, and called them to repentance.
Present among the Pharisees, leaders of the temple worship in Jerusalem, was Saul, consenting to Stephen’s death. From this time “a great persecution against the church…at Jerusalem” had taken place; and “Saul…made havock for the church,entering into every house, and…committed them into prison.” (Acts 8:1,3) Yet at the same time, Saul was seeking from the synagogues of Damascus if any Christians were present, that he might seize them and take them to Jerusalem, that they might be tried, imprisoned, and put to death. Yet then the Messiah visited him, saying “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” (Acts 9:4)… Then Saul submitted himself under Christ’s hand, where he was converted, and given by Christ the mission which he was being called to, to whom Christ gave the name “Paul”, and made him the apostle to the Gentiles, even as Christ said “for he is a chosen vessel unto Me, to bear My name before the Gentiles…” (Acts 9:15).
The stoning of Stephen, where Saul was present as witness, Stephen beheld Christ, “the Son of man, standing at the right hand of God”. It was at this same time, the decree of the Israelites and the holy city was determined, and the Word of God was opened to the Gentiles in a marked manner as never before.
What was the decree determined of heaven at the end of the 70th week? The privileges, opportunities, and light was rejected. The prophets, apostles, and messengers were cast out of the synagogues, out of the city, and even put to death. Without the sacrifice of Christ, there can be no finishing of the transgression. Without Him who takes away our sins, there is no making an end of sins. There is no reconciliation for iniquity, for it is by His blood we are reconciled. And without Him, the divine standard of everlasting righteousness is unattainable; for without His power to restore, man’s heart is desperately wicked, and can only attain to outward man-made forms of righteousness. Thus the blood of Christ is declared to be “the blood of the everlasting covenant” (Hebrews 13:20) ; and by this, “He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week…”. Many from the Jews received the Messiah, and this wonderful experience in the covenant by the power of the blood of the covenant was made sure to them in the giving of the Holy Ghost.
Thus the determination that the Israelites as the exclusive people of God was at an end. Now Gentiles and Israelites alike who had embraced the Messiah found the experience in harmony with the light of Christ that the Jewish nation failed to receive. The “holy city” was to be destroyed, and it’s sanctuary which offered up empty sacrifices which were stripped of their true significance.
“And the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.” The Jews sought a messianic conqueror over Rome that seemed to suit more of their idea of what a messiah should be, and instigated war with the Romans. In 63 AD, on the feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem, a man named “Jesus, the son of Ananias” was raised up to declare “a voice from the four winds, a voice against Jerusalem and the Holy House… and a voice against this whole people!” He was beaten with stripes, and whipped until his bones were laid bare, yet he continued his testimony without the shed of a single tear; at every strike of the whip, the words rose from his lips, “Woe, woe, to Jerusalem!” This was continued for seven years without ceasing until the Romans laid seige to the city in 70 AD, where he cried his last “Woe, woe to the city again, and to the people, and to the Holy House!”
A revolt attempt by the Jews was made in 66 AD, seeking to drive out Roman control. A Roman general named Cestius surrounded Jerusalem with a great army at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles. Yet he lifted the siege, and the army left for reasons not known. Yet this was the sign Christ gave to His people to flee out of the cities: “And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out…” (Luke 21:21-22)The Christians fled to Pella, a mountainous refuge, when the watching believing ones beheld the sign.
On the feast of Pentecost, only the year prior, great armies were seen warring in the heavens; and the Sanctuary’s massive doors were thrown open as a voice heard by both Jew and heathen, and recorded faithfully by historians of each, declaring “Let Us depart hence.” Thus, the divine presence and protection were withdrawn from the city, and as it was in the seige of Babylon, so it was to be in the seige of Rome.
It was not until the feast of Unleavened bread, on the anniversary of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection, that Titus, the Roman emperor’s son, beseiged Jerusalem with his legion of armies; this war, beginning with Cestius and finished by Titus, did destroy the city and the sanctuary as foretold; the determination decreed from heaven was not immediately executed in 34 AD, at the end of the 70 week prophecy. Rather, “until the end of the war, desolations are determined.” As Christ denounced the excessive abominations of the Jewish leaders, he departed from the temple, declaring, “Your house is left to you desolate.” (Matt. 23:38) He then began to declare how it would fall because of it’s desolation, choosing rather to continue in their sins, than receive the One by which they would have power to rise above them.
Thus, the determination was to be manifested in judgment, but not until every soul who could be saved from the impending judgment would come. From 34 AD to 70 AD, the invitation and warnings were sent heralded in Jerusalem. Yet those who desired their sins above the Savior would be “desolate”, to be swept away in the woes poured out upon the city. For this reason, the prophecy concludes, “And for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.” (Daniel 9:27)
Daniel 7: III-The Coronation of the Heavenly King
This article is the final study of Daniel 7, which is a three part lesson. To read pt. 1, click here. To read pt. 2, click here.
The second coming of Christ is spoken about in great depth in the Scriptures. Yet the Scriptures do not speak indistinctly about the great events taking place just before that scene dawns upon us. In fact, it is only because of the traditions and misconceptions of those who have not carefully studied the Scriptures that these things haven’t been properly understood. For this reason, the article will look at the little horn, the antichrist power, and the great scene of events unfolding in heaven which follows after the first judgment in 1798 AD.
In the last two articles, we showed clearly how the pagan nations which reigned over God’s people in their captivity were represented by four beasts, and the absolute and unavoidable identity of the antichrist that has entered into the professed Christian church. Regarding the pagan nations, the first beast, like a lion, depicted the two phases of Babylon; one as a capital of Assyria. This was when king Manasseh was taken there in 677BC as a slave; from that time forward, the heathen kingdoms reigned over God’s people, taxing and oppressing them heavily. 
It was in 612BC, that the lion was made to stand; signifying that the capital of Assyria which was transferred to Nineveh was to fall, and Babylon would reign as the world empire in it’s stead. By 606BC, Babylon seized upon Jerusalem, and by 587BC, he deposed king Zedekiah and destroyed Jerusalem entirely. There was then given a word to the prophet Ezekiel that there should be none to sit on the throne of David, of the tribe of Judah, until Christ would be given it. “And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.” (Ezekiel 21:25-27)
The lion fell, and the bear arose, signifying the Medo-Persian empire. Then the leopard with four heads, signifying the Grecian empire. Then the devouring beast of the divided Roman Empire, which in 476AD, had ten parts to it. All of these reigned over God’s people. Each beast was symbolic of how man in the beginning lost his dominion of the earth, and fell to the serpent beast, which was lower than him, because of his sin. Likewise, the sins of Israel, who if faithful were to be sovereign, and independent “above all the nations of the earth” (Deut. 28:1), led to the their fall under pagan kingdoms, symbolized by beasts, reigning with a heavy hand over them. More than this, each beast was characteristic of the sacred beasts of the pagan gods; thus signifying the definite quality of their pagan dominions. This continued for 1260 years, until a new phase of power would arise to persecute God’s people.
From the fourth beast of the divided Roman Empire, the diverse little horn, more proud than his fellows arises, claiming great authority to alter God’s law. In the last article, we clearly showed that it was the Papacy that clearly outlined all of these marked characteristics unmistakably. Far from being called as God’s people, through ecumenical councils and forced conversion, they forced unconverted pagans into the worship of the Catholic churches. By this means, the church was converted to the world, and pagan doctrines and forms of worship came into the church. This little horn made “war with the saints” for 1260 years, or “a time (1), times (2), and a dividing of time (.5).” This leads us to two dates specifically: 1798 and 1844. One date was the completion of the seven times of Israel; the other of the remnant of Judah.
We saw in our lessons on Daniel 4 that when the northern kingdom fell into the hands of Assyria, it was for “seven times” that the heathen would reign over them; but in Daniel 7, only 3.5 times are mentioned as being under the Papal dominion of the little horn. Why was this? It was because 3.5 times of 1260 years were the exact amount of time the pagan dominion of the four beasts, which reigned before the little horn, reigned over God’s people as mentioned above. The little horn may seem like a small force to reckon with, but it actually reigned equally as long as the four great beasts before it. 
The Scripture calls these two sections of 3.5 times (1260 years) of Gentile domination “the times of the Gentiles” (Luke 21:24). This is especially mentioned in Revelation 11: “But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot 42 months. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy 1260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” (Revelation 11:2-3)
The Papal dominion is marked out for it’s reign above the other horns of the European/Roman empire; whose “sight was to be master over his associates” (Daniel 7:20) This “sight” to be above the rest of the kings of the earth came about in the fifth century, when Augustine wrote the book “The City of God”. In this book, it suggested Christ had already taken the throne of David and was reigning from heaven (An assumption which the Scriptures never teach); and that He was reigning with a rod of iron through Roman throne of the Papal power. He suggested that it was the seat of Peter which sat upon the throne of Christ on earth vicariously; and that the church was already in the millennial reign with Christ in heaven. This doctrine made the eyes of the church to feel that it had authority to punish the kings of the earth, and to exercise their power over all the earth. Essentially, the Pope upon the throne was the “vicar of Christ”, or as it may be understood, “in the place of Christ” on the earth. It was this way that the Papal power began to believe it had equal authority to Christ. “ “Perhaps the boldest thing, the most revolutionary change the Church ever did, happened in the first century. The holy day, the Sabbath, was changed from Saturday to Sunday. ‘The day of the Lord’ was chosen, not from any direction noted in the Scriptures, but from the Church’s sense of its own power….People who think that the Scriptures should be the sole authority, should logically become Seventh-day Adventists and keep Saturday holy.” St. Catherine Church Sentinel, Algonac, Michigan, May 21, 1995
Daniel saw another event after the little horn was risen. “… behold, in this horn [The Papacy] were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. I beheld till the thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of days did sit…the judgment was set, and the books were opened.” (Daniel 7:8-10) A great tribunal judgment scene is opened before Daniel, as the little horn was reigning over the kings of the earth, great events are taking place from the time of 1798-1844. It was at this time that the little horn was to see it’s end. The time when the captivity of the tribe of Israel, and the captivity of the throne of David was expired. At this scene, Daniel gives further information. “I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.” (Daniel 7:21-22)
The heavenly tribunal seems to be connected with the time when the saints of God should receive their kingdoms again. In 1798, the period of waiting for Israel when they lost their land was over, and when the little horn had a preliminary judgment made against him. In 1844, the period of Judah’s captivity was over, but that captivity did not speak of the express loss of land, but the slavery of the throne of Judah, and the heavy hand of heathen oppression, which resulted many years later in the absolute removal of the crown of David and the loss of their land until it was to be given to the Lion of the tribe of Judah.
In connection with the great judgment scene, Daniel sees Christ, “the Son of man”, at the time of this judgment period, and he is receiving a kingdom and an everlasting dominion.
“I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13-14) In 1844, Christ, as Lion of the tribe of Judah, began the great coronation event, accompanied at the heavenly judgment scene, to receive the throne of David and an everlasting kingdom. This judgment scene event is accompanied with the message “that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him.”
In the Scriptures, it is referred to as the first angel’s message; the first portion of a threefold angelic message which goes to prepare people for the heavenly King’s return: “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” (Revelation 14:6-7) Before Christ’s everlasting dominion is established, this great judgment scene must finish it’s work with the final call to embrace the everlasting gospel. Christ will, at it’s conclusion, come, deliver the righteous living, raise the righteous dead, and execute judgment according to the law of heaven as the consummation of the event.
Yet in Revelation 13, we’re given the exact details of the little horn power as a beast which integrated all of the Pagan elements of the previous beasts. We are told that when it’s dominion expired, it received “a deadly wound”, which sustained the loss of political authority in 1798. It seemed that the Papacy was going to be forever suppressed in it’s power, but the prophecy was given: “his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.” (Rev. 13:4) So the little horn will receive it’s power back again, and we see that fulfilling now on the world stage. But the partial judgment made in 1798 will be more fully manifested.
“I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame…the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. ” (Daniel 7:11) The judgment will destroy the little horn’s dominion for the boastful authority he claimed to possess.
In 677BC: The king of Judah, on the throne of David, is carried captive into Babylon.
1260 years later…
In 584AD: The Papacy claims the right to the throne of David, who makes men captive to the doctrines of Babylon.
1260 years later…
In 1844AD: Christ begins receiving the throne of David as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, commencing a judgment which overthrows Babylon and it’s doctrines.
This coronation event will end with Christ’s return, being seated upon the throne of His glory (Matt. 19:28).
The pagan dominion reigned for 1260 years from the time of the ten tribes of Israel’s captivity in 722BC. At the end of this time, the Pope was given by emperor Justinian the throne of Rome in 538AD; exactly concluding the 1260 years of pagan dominion, and commencing the 1260 years of Papal dominion. This lasted until 1798 when the Pope, through General Berthier under the orders of atheistic France, took the Pope captive, and removing it’s boasted authority over the kings of the earth.
Yet in the tribe of Judah, we have another set of 1260 years beginning from 677BC, and not 722BC. It was 1260 years later that leads us to 584AD; it was this year that uprisings were happening among the Lombards of Europe, but also the time when titles of church authority in Eastern Rome began to arise. To address this, the Pope reaffirmed his authority, and emphasis regarding Papal infallibility was declared. That was the Pope could not err in matters of faith and morals, and to him was given the seat of Peter, who was the successor to the Davidic throne. The essential declaration is that the Pope had the authority of Christ Himself, and sat upon the throne of David, as the representative of the Lion of the tribe of Judah.
It was the church’s uniting with paganism, and the kings of this world that gave the Catholic church the title of in prophecy: “Babylon the great”. This papal power continued the Gentile legacy of ruling over God’s honest children, and leading them astray, all while claiming the authority of God to do it; thus the words were fulfilled that he “opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” (2 Thessalonians 2:4) In Babylon the great’s hand was the golden cup, but it was full of abominations, and the blood of the saints. Like Belshazzar, the Papacy took the pure golden articles of the Sanctuary, and mingled it with the pagan wine of heathen doctrines, and enforced them by the power of gentile kings. Thus paganism was Christianized and clothed in Christlike robes; it was concealed and not abolished. But alas, by the infallible decree of the Pope, her doctrines are immortalized, and punishable by death to the dissenter!
This portion of the 1260 years from 584AD to 1844AD was the effect of Papal authority upon the faithful church of God until the tribe of Judah should have it’s seven times fully accomplished. Then Christ began to take the scepter of His glory, where the number of His kingdom shall be made up in the end of the heavenly judgment scene.
Daniel 4: The Seven Times V- The Beasts of Prophecy
In the days of the Assyrian captivity in 677, after Manasseh king of Judah was made a slave in Babylon, the capital of Assyria, an attempt at reform was made. Despite the efforts made to reform the evil that was brought about by the wicked kings of Israel, the current of evil was too strong upon the kingdom of Judah. The Assyrian kingdom was divided after the death of it’s king, Ashurbanipal, and Egypt struggled for the supremacy against the uprising power of Babylon. The empirical dominance of Babylon rose at this time, and Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon, was given a prominent role on the world stage. Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiakim, king of Judah, “and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.” (2 Chronicles 36:6-8) One last king was to reign upon the throne, Zedekiah, the brother of Jehoiakim. Although the remnant of Judah could not be restored from their vassal state under the heathen nations, the God of Israel desired their good. He raised up prophets to instruct them in the way they should go. But Zedekiah scorned the warnings of Jeremiah the prophet, and hardened himself against his counsel to submit themselves under Nebuchadnezzar’s rule. Only in submission would they find safety, because they were in rebellion to the God of heaven, and He allowed them to be placed under the power of the heathen nations from 677 BC onward.
Instead, Zedekiah rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar by seeking an alliance with Egypt, that they would have strength of army, to overcome him. “Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon is come to Jerusalem, and hath taken the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and led them with him to Babylon; And hath taken of the king’s seed, and made a covenant with him, and hath taken an oath of him: he hath also taken the mighty of the land: That the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping of his covenant it might stand.”
(Ezekiel 17:12-14)
In order to preserve them, and keep them humble, he allowed them to be carried away into Babylon.; now the worldwide empire.
The Most High God relented that this should be their case, and pleaded through prophets as to their course of action, to subdue the severity of the hand of the heathen over them. “And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.”
(2 Chronicles 36:15-16)
As a result of this, Zedekiah was brought to Babylon, with many other princes of Judah, including the prophet Daniel, who was made a eunuch. This was the result of Manasseh’s wickedness, according to Jeremiah: “And I will cause them to be removed into all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem…” (Jeremiah 14:4) The prophet Daniel acknowledged the seven times judgment written in the law of Moses: “Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.” (Daniel 9:11)
From this time forward, there was not to be a king to sit upon the throne of David until “He cometh whose right it is”, according to the word of Ezekiel the prophet: “And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.”
(Ezekiel 21:25-27)
So at the Babylonian captivity, Judah lost the throne entirely, and only when the Messiah is given it from the Father, where He reigns and executes judgment according to righteousness shall there be One to wear the reign and be crowned of Judah. From this time, there are seven major kingdoms that reign over God’s people before Christ returns. These heathen dominions are referred to as “beasts” in Bible prophecy (See Daniel 7:23). These beasts are especially brought to view in Daniel 7 with it’s four beasts, and Revelation 13, with it’s two beasts, and the final one in Revelation 17. These seven are detailed as one kingdom represented by Satan in Revelation 17; where it declares “There are seven kings, five are fallen, one is, and the other is not yet come…” (Rev. 17:10). These kings are as follows:
(1) Assyrian/Babylonian Empire
(2) Medo-Persia
(3) Greece
(4) Pagan Roman Empire
(5) Papal Europe/Roman Empire
(6) The United States of America
(7) The United Nations
After this time, the last of them, the United Nations, is the seventh which is “not yet come”; meaning at the time which the vision brings to view, they have no political power. The United Nations is spoken of as “ten kings”: “And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.” (Revelation 17:12-13) These kings have “one mind”, though they had not yet come in the vision. Therefore, they are united kings/united nations. Many refer to this as the “new world order”.
When coming into power, they will make war against Christ by uniting against His people, according to the word of Revelation 17:14. “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.”
(Revelation 17:14)
Thus, the Lord Jesus, having finished the great coronation of heaven, will return at this time, and “shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one 
end of heaven to the other.” (Matt. 24:31) and execute the judgment of His government as King over all the earth. Then shall be fulfilled the promise: “That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee. If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee: And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers.” (Deuteronomy 30:3-5)
The objection might be raised, “But wasn’t Judah restored after the Babylonian captivity to their land?” And we answer: Never with a king to sit on the throne, and never with sovereign independence, which shall not be seen in any great measure until Christ returns. Said Nehemiah: “Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us…since the time of the kings of Assyria (677BC) unto this day. Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us; for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly:…Behold, we are servants this day, and for the land that thou gavest unto our fathers…we are servants in it: And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins: also they have dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we are in great distress.” (Nehemiah 9:32-33, 36-37) Even Nehemiah recognized after returning from the Assyrian and Babylonian captivity, things were not the same.
At the beginning of the seven times of beastly dominion, the crown was taken away from God’s people, and they were driven out of their land into every nation because of wickedness. At the end of the seven times of beastly dominion, the power of the beast shall be destroyed. The image of the beast will be put down and the image of God restored in man; the crown restored to God’s people, and they shall be gathered because of Christ their righteousness, and “they shall reign with Him a thousand years.” (Rev. 20:6)
To see the previous articles for this subject, click on the links below:
The Judgment of Seven Times I: The Prophecy of Nebuchadnezzar
The Judgement of Seven Times II: The Fall of Man
The Judgment of Seven Times III: The Northern Kingdom
The Judgment of Seven Times IV: The Southern Kingdom
The Judgment of Seven Times V: The Beasts of Prophecy
Daniel 4: The Seven Times IV- The Southern Kingdom
The Southern kingdom of Judah fell into apostasy as their northern sister Israel did. Isaiah prophesied of the captivity to king Hezekiah, who sat on the throne of David of the tribe of Judah: “And Isaiah said unto Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD. Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried into Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD. And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which 
thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon… And Hezekiah slept with his fathers: and Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.” (2 Kings 20:16-18) Under the moving of the Spirit, Isaiah foresaw how his throne would be carried into Babylon, and “thy sons…which thou shalt beget, shall they take away…”; this happened under two distinct and separate parts.
Judah, unlike Israel who came under the Assyrian yoke and was scattered, was still sovereign and independant in the 7th century BC. But when Hezekiah died, a wicked son arose and undid all of the reforms of the righteous kinds before him.
“And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel. For he build up again the high places which his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal…”
(2 Kings 21:2)
He further made graven images, worshipped and served the sun, moon, and stars, erecting altars to them in the temple of God; he made his son to pass through the fires of Moloch; observed times, used enchantments, dealt with familiar spirits and wizards. Manasseh, king of Judah, was a greatly wicked man, and “seduced them to do more evil than did the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel.” (2 Kings 21:9)
Therefore, it was determined that a judgment, like the judgment from the king of Assyria that came upon Israel would befall Judah, His remnant people: “And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria (Israel), and the plummet of the house of Ahab: and I will wipe Jerusalem…turning it upside down. And I will forsake the remnant of mine inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies…”
(2 Kings 21:13-14)
“And the LORD spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken. Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.”
(2 Chronicles 33:10-11)
Manasseh was made a slave in Babylon, as a partial fulfillment of the word spoken by Isaiah the prophet in 677 BC. From this time, marked the captivity of Judah. Never again was Judah to have it’s sovereign independance; Manasseh the king repented of his evils late in his life, and was reinstated to the throne of Judah, but Judah was made a vassal state under Assyrian dominance, paying an annual tribute to the powerful empire.
From this time, seven times of 2520 years (7×360) would pass over until the period of 1844 AD, when Christ, of the tribe of Judah, “came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him…”; this coronation event is one that takes place from 1844 AD until the time when He shall “come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory…” (Matthew 25:31) Christ will begin to take the throne of David as the lion of the Tribe of Judah, the throne which Manasseh, king of Judah, subjected to heathen nations by rebellion, and a great judgment scene takes place, as revealed more specifically in Daniel 7 & 8.
At this time, those who recognized the great heavenly tribunal and coronation taking place, with it’s decisive work to taking place, were numbered as the spiritual
descendants of Judah; raising up “the remnant…which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Rev. 12:17) The “testimony of Jesus Christ” was to be restored in the word of prophecy to His people, and in 1844, visions and dreams came to those who, through the diligent study of the Scriptures and prophecy, saw that Christ entered upon this great final event and Messianic work before coming again as “Lord of lords, and King of kings”. In a special sense, the light of Christ came to His own who received Him. And “what advantage then hath the Jew?…Much every way; chiefly, because the oracles of God have been committed unto them.” (Romans 3:1-2) A great restoration of knowledge took place that made a great and wide distinction between these who knew the Scriptures and could explain them, from those in the other “tribes”; so much that as was said by Christ to the Samarian woman of the tribe of Ephraim, “Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.” (John 4:22) This class were diligently studying the Scriptures to prepare for Christ’s return, and became known as Adventists. Many, in seeing the corruptions that have come in their own “tribes” as with ancient Israel, went to join the remnant people, who had more light on the prophecies, law and grace, being acquainted with Christ’s high priestly ministry and work in the heavenly Sanctuary. Even now, when Judah, like Israel, became more corrupt, in it was still preserved much light and served as a temporary bulwark for the tribes of Israel which came out of national apostasy. Even today, many testify that this is the case amongst Adventists in how they handle the Scriptures.
IN SUMMARY
At the beginning of 677 BC, the king of Judah was brought into captivity by the pagan king of Assyria for wickedness. The reason Judah had a physical king was because of their demand for it to be like the heathen nations who had a fleshly king; but Christ said “they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them…” (1 Sam. 8:7); this demand of His people led to the Assyrian king eventually reigning over them in 677 BC, and then eventually, to when the Jews would crucify Him, declaring, “We have no king but Caesar!”
At the ending of the seven times, in 1844 AD, the rightful King of Judah was brought before the King of the Universe, to receive honor, and glory, and a crown that shall never fade away for His righteousness; signifying the closing prophetic scenes before this great event is finished, and raising up a people who would have spiritual advantages to protest the interposition of “Caesar” in the final days in the mark of the beast crisis before Christ’s return, if they prove faithful.
To see the next prophetic application (or to review the previous), click on the links below:
The Judgment of Seven Times I: The Prophecy of Nebuchadnezzar
The Judgement of Seven Times II: The Fall of Man
The Judgment of Seven Times III: The Northern Kingdom
The Judgment of Seven Times IV: The Southern Kingdom
The Judgment of Seven Times V: The Beasts of Prophecy
Daniel 4: The Seven Times- The Northern Kingdom
In the last article, we looked at how the seven times prophecy of Daniel 4 has a general application to the fall of man. Yet there is a more definite and distinct seven times that is more specific than the general fall of man. The kingdom on the earth which was specifically ordained to fulfill God’s purposes on the earth was the kingdom of Israel, which consisted of twelve tribes who entered into the land of Canaan. However, when they demanded a king to be like the other nations, they rejected their heavenly king. In this request, there was a most grievous prophecy: “…make us a king to judge us like all the nations.” The Israelites desired a physical king that they could see, rather than the heavenly King, which was invisible to mortal sight. In response to this, God declared, “…they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.” (1 Samuel 8:5-7)
It was this demand for a king that led to anointing Saul as king. Yet his course was grievous in the sight of the Lord, because he was disobedient to His voice, and set this example before the people. For this reason, David of the tribe of Judah was made king; but David lusted after Bathsheba, impregnated her in an adulterous affair, and killed her husband. Though David repented, the king’s son, Solomon, had had inherited the same weakness for women. In his reign over Israel, he joined himself to many heathen women. “But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love…For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.” (1 Kings 11:1-2, 4)
This departure taught Israel to sin, and it was prophesied to Solomon that the kingdom would be divided into two: “Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.” (1 Kings 11:11) From Solomon’s son was taken ten tribes of twelve, leaving a remnant of two tribes, and were given to Solomon’s general, Jeroboam, of the tribe of Ephraim, son of Joseph.
They were divided into two kingdoms because of the sins of the tribes, because of the sins of Solomon, because of David, who was because they demanded a king. They were well on their way to becoming like the nations around them, to be judged (and condemned) like the nations which knew not the God of Israel. The northern kingdom under Jeroboam consisted of ten tribes, while the southern consisted of only two who were more righteous and were set apart as a remnant: Judah and Benjamin. Almost all the prophets, save three from Isaiah to Malachi, were raised up during this time period to call the tribes of God’s people to repentance, with special messages of truth for Israel and Judah; this is the context and true setting of the majority of the writings of the prophets. Despite the words of the prophets, they failed to humble themselves, and fulfill the Most High’s purposes on the earth.
Of the seven times of judgment, the warning was given: “And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you. And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.” (Leviticus 26:17) This happened to Israel by the king of Assyria who took them captive and drove them out from their land, much like Nebuchadnezzar when he was driven out.
“In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes….And the king of Assyria did carry away Israel unto Assyria and put them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes: because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD their God, but transgressed His covenant, and all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded and would not hear them, nor do them.” (2 Kings 17:3–6, 18:11-12) When this happened, Assyria, which came from the north, who had scattered Israel, was the Northern kingdom (Zeph. 2:13). Then Babylon who succeeded Assyria was fro the North (Jer. 4:6-7). Then the Medes and the Persians were also raised up from the North (Jer. 51:48). The kingdoms of prophecy, which had, in a special manner, dominion over God’s people have almost consistently been referred to as from the North. In fact, Ezra the scribe referred to Xerxes, who had issued the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem “the king of Assyria”. “… the LORD had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.” (Ezra 6:22) This is a legacy that continues throughout Daniel 11 until the restitution of all things.
The ten tribes were driven from their land, and their king was taken into captivity. This was to continue seven times. In 1798, a prophecy ended (which you can read about in Daniel 7 and Revelation 13) that was for 3.5 times (42 months/1260 prophetic days). It ended at the very end of the seven times from 722BC, when the ten tribes went into captivity; approximately 2520 years from the time of their captivity leads us perfectly to the end of these time prophecies in 1798AD. The ten tribes were to constitute those who were coming into light of the obedience of the gospel, to “be reformed”, and light from God was shining more and more. In the Scriptures, the blessing is always given to the spiritual seed, in preference to the physical seed; moreover, the principle of the natural Israel comes first, then the spiritual: “Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.” (1 Corinthians 15:46) To those who do the works, the promises are given (See John 8:39). It wasn’t the firstborn Esau that received the inheritance, but Jacob. Not Ishmael, but Isaac. Not Reuben, but Judah. Likewise, it wasn’t the unbelieving Jews, but the believing Gentiles who embraced the faith of the believing Jew who received the promise and were grafted in to Israel. For spiritual Israel, a promise of restoration would be given.
As Nebuchadnezzar was restored at the end of the seven times, so the spiritual Israel was to be in some manner restored. At this time in the late 1700’s, we see 
Protestant America arising, founded upon the principles of Protestantism which separated it from priestly intolerance and kingly oppression. We will speak more in detail about this in Daniel 11; but it is America in Bible prophecy that comes up as a lamb, after 1260 years of pagan and 1260 years of papal captivity. “He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb…” (Revelation 13:10-11)
At the beginning of the seven times, we see a land removed. At the end, we see a land given “like unto a lamb”. We see Israel lose their freedom, sovereignty and independence; at the end, we see a nation founded upon Protestant principles of liberty of conscience and a declaration of independence arising, severing the iron heel of monarchy in Europe. At the beginning, we see a people who despise his prophets and hate his reproof. At the end, a people who want the Bible and the Bible only as their rule of faith and God as their judge. We see the rebellious request for a king (which led them into sin) being taken away; and afterwards, a people who desire God alone to be their king, and to live in a country without kings. Thus was the prophecy of Hosea to the ten tribes of Israel fulfilled: “O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in Me is thine help. I will be thy King: where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes? I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath.” (Hosea 13:9-11)
While He “rooted them out of their land in anger”, God “cast them forth into another land, as it is this day.” (Deuteronomy 29:28)
The book of 2 Esdras 13, there contains a prophecy to Ezra about the ten tribes:
“And whereas thou sawest that he gathered another peaceable multitude unto him; Those are the ten tribes, which were carried away prisoners out of their own land in the time of Osea the king, whom Salmanasar the king of Assyria led away captive, and he carried them over the waters, and so came they into another land. But they took this counsel among themselves, that they would leave the multitude of the heathen, and go forth into a further country, where never mankind
dwelt, That they might there keep their statutes, which they never kept in their own land. And they entered into Euphrates by the narrow places of the river. For the most High then shewed signs for them, and held still the flood, till they were passed over. For through that country there was a great way to go, namely, of a year and a half: and the same region is called Arsareth (In Hebrew: Akh-air’ Eh’-rets, which being interpreted means “Another land”). Then dwelt they there until the latter time; and now when they shall begin to come, The Highest shall stay the springs of the stream again, that they may go through: therefore sawest thou the multitude with peace.” (2 Esdra 13:39-47) From this time, the Christian church was released from a violent and oppressive period, where they could declare the gospel and where the truths of the Bible could be opened up more fully to their understanding than in the dark ages. From 722BC to 1798AD, we may rightly identify spiritual Israel as those churches who from 1798 began to earnestly study the Word of God for light and proclaim the gospel of Christ; the land of freedom was to be the United States. This was the case for spiritual Israel who had gone through the bands of iron and brass of oppression during the times of the Gentiles, and being loosed them from being bound.
Bear in mind, this is not Judah, whose captivity was a distinct and separate experience. In fact, when Israel went astray because of apostasy, it was then that it was divided, and given the king Jeroboam of the tribe of Ephraim. Jeroboam as king over Israel had made an eighth month feast, and set aside the divinely appointed seventh month feast. Moreover, he set up his own sanctuary; his own priesthood. It was because of this corruption that many from the land of Israel left their native inhabitants to join themselves to Judah and to keep their feasts, even as Abraham left Ur of his family who had been engulfed in idolatry. Even Israel of this last day has it’s counterpart, and will join with Judah upon the revelation of the corruption in the various churches. Even now, many have joined themselves to Judah. Who is Judah identified as? Look at the next article to find out.
To see the next prophetic application (or to review the previous), click on the links below:
The Judgment of Seven Times I: The Prophecy of Nebuchadnezzar
The Judgement of Seven Times II: The Fall of Man
The Judgment of Seven Times III: The Northern Kingdom
The Judgment of Seven Times IV: The Southern Kingdom
The Judgment of Seven Times V: The Beasts of Prophecy
Daniel 4: The Seven Times II- The Fall of Man
In the chapter of Daniel 4, we are introduced to a prophecy related by the dream of Nebuchadnezzar. While Daniel gave the personal application of the vision, but there were various prophetic applications of the seven times judgment which came from the law of God, as written in Leviticus 26. If these applications are understood properly, they will yield more light and understanding to the study of the book of Daniel, and to the Bible overall by revealing a wonderful internal consistency, both historically and prophetically, that no man-made narrative could accomplish.
Every single one of these “seven times” is accompanied with parallel events. Doubtless, many more parallels can be drawn from the inspired prophetic picture, but the most relevant ones are the ones we desire to draw upon. These primarily we want to draw upon from Daniel 4, as mentioned in the previous article:
1) The flourishing of a righteous dominion that fulfills God’s purposes on earth is likened to a tree.
2) The tree was cut down because of pride and rebellion against the light of heaven.
3) The tree had a band of iron and brass around the stump, not being destroyed, but spared in part.
4) Seven times was the duration of the judgment.
5) When it began, it was classified as the king being “driven out”; and likened with a beast.
6) When the first dominion was restored, the king was lowly in heart.
The first “seven times” we will examine with the above points. It began with the righteous dominion that was first given to Adam. God made Adam in His image. “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all
the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” (Genesis 1:26) God gave Adam the “dominion”, and it was righteous, being in His image. And he flourished: “Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.” The righteous tree was established with the dominion of Adam. Abiding in the manner the heavenly King established him, he would fulfill the purposes he was designed for.
Adam and Eve were to have dominion over the beasts; the beasts were not to have dominion over them.
God and Christ had dominion over them only, so long as they honored His Word. But Adam and Eve transgressed. Eve failed to obey the Word of God, and instead obeyed the words of a serpent, a beast under her dominion. Adam then fell to Eve, who had fallen to the beast. Thus, the image of God was destroyed in man, “And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.” (Romans 1:23) It was after this, that Satan became “the god of this world”. It was Satan’s pride that caused him to enter Eden, and use the serpent beast as a medium to cause man to transgress. He wanted the kingdom for himself like the king of Babylon’s pride when Babylon fell (Isaiah 14:1-4,12-14). So “He drove out the man…” (Gen. 3:24) as Nebuchadnezzar was driven out to the beasts of the field; heaven’s companionship and the righteous dominion was no longer man’s portion.
Since that time, we’ve been on the earth six thousand years as God allows pride and iniquity to have an end, and to impress His own image and likeness upon man once more. One thousand years is allotted for the great millennium of Sabbath rest, when the land shall lie desolate according to the law of God. The Scriptures 
liken a thousand years to a day, beginning from the first coming of the Messiah. “Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.” (Hosea 6:1-2) It will be for the “third day” (the final thousandth year of the seven times), the millennium, that we shall live in His sight.
After the seven times of thousand year periods, a new heavens and a new earth shall be created: “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” (2 Peter 3:13) The earth was not immediately destroyed. The stump remained. Man was allowed to pass over seven thousand years as a consequence of sin. The kingdoms of iron and brass have impressed their hard image upon the earth, and this will continue until sin is destroyed forever after the final time of a thousand years. Then shall righteousness dwell in the earth again, “And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.” (Micah 4:8)
In those days after the millenium, Christ shall reign over all the earth, and rebellion shall not be found forever; the righteous and flourishing dominion given to Adam has been restored. Thus we see a righteous dominion in the beginning. Being changed into the image of a beast and driven out because of transgression. The seven times is past over the earth. The dominion is fully restored. Therefore, Nebuchadnezzar’s pride was a type of Satan whose dominion will be cut down forever for his sins. And his humility as a type of Christ when He reigns in His glory on the throne of David in the earth made new.
The fact that this initial application is in the very beginning of the Bible, speaks of four strong points that should not go unnoticed.
(1) The judgment as given in the law of Moses was applicable for transgression even at this tme.
(2) The judgment occurs in violation of the covenant between God and man. Therefore the covenant Adam was in that he transgressed was the everlasting covenant.
(3) The manner of redemption in the everlasting covenant when it is violated is still the same at the end as it was in the beginning.
(4) The promises of the everlasting covenant are promises of restoration of the blessing of how it was in the beginning had man not sinned.
To see the next prophetic application (or to review the previous), click on the links below:
The Judgment of Seven Times I: The Prophecy of Nebuchadnezzar
The Judgement of Seven Times II: The Fall of Man
The Judgment of Seven Times III: The Northern Kingdom
The Judgment of Seven Times IV: The Southern Kingdom
The Judgment of Seven Times V: The Beasts of Prophecy
Daniel 4: The Judgment of Seven Times I
In the fourth chapter of Daniel, we find Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, declaring throughout his kingdom the signs and wonders that the Most High God had done for him. This declaration was a public confession of salvation which the God of heaven had wrought for the king despite his persistent rebellion against His revelation of Himself to the monarch. It was this public declaration which his grandson Belshazzar would later proudly rebel against, and cause the kingdom to fall. (Daniel 5:21-22)
Nebuchadnezzar declared: “I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.” (Daniel 4:5) A prophecy revealing the manifold wisdom of God and His judgments was shown to the king. Daniel, because his God was “a God of gods, and a revealer of secrets” (Dan. 2:48) was promoted to be “Master of the magicians” (Dan. 4:9), thereby having influence to teach the ways of God to the heathen.
“Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream. Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof.” (Daniel 4:6-7)
It was evident that despite what they had learned, they were not ready to speak to Nebuchadnezzar regarding the interpretation of his dream. Daniel, as Master over the magicians, was given the responsibility of declaring the matter to him. The wise men of Babylon, apparently troubled by the dream of Nebuchadnezzar and not willing to give the interpretation, called upon him because “no secret troubleth” him.
“But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and before him I told the dream, saying, O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof.” (Daniel 4:8-9)
“Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great. The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth: The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it.” (Daniel 4:10-12)
Daniel likened this tree to Nebuchadnezzar, as the dream was for him personally; yet the tree and the surrounding implications meant more than this. “It is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong: for thy greatness is grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth.” (Daniel 4:22)
The tree was symbolic of a righteous dominion under the reign of Nebuchadnezzar. To Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel explained that “the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all.” (Dan. 2:37-38) Yet why was the dominion symbolized by a tree? It is because “The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.”
(Psalms 92:12) Remember, when Nebuchadnezzar had this dream, he said “I was…flourishing in my palace.” (Daniel 4:4) Therefore the tree was symbolic of that dominion which the God of heaven gave into his hands while he reigned righteously, according to the light that He permitted to shine upon him. Yet it is not only symbolic of Nebuchadnezzar’s dominion; the personal interpretation for Nebuchadnezzar was more for God’s people at “the time of the end”. After explaining the rest of the dream, we will look at briefly at five other ways this dream is interpreted according to the Scriptures.
“I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven; He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches:…” (Daniel 4:13-14) We see that the dominion of Nebuchadnezzar is cut down, that he will not be flourishing; for this to occur, Nebuchadnezzar must rebel against the light the Most High has crowned him with. The “Watcher and Holy One” shall make a judgment for the king’s sake. “Nevertheless leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth:…” (Daniel 4:15)
The stump was not to be uprooted from the earth. Daniel explained: “whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule.” The kingdom of Babylon here was not to be entirely destroyed. It is Christ’s desire to save, and not destroy (Luke 9:56), pleading with the Father “Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants’ sakes, that I may not destroy them all.” (Isaiah 65:8) Nebuchadnezzar was to learn that the heavens do rule, and the Most High cannot bless unrighteousness; his portion was to “be with the beasts in the grass of the earth” until he learned this lesson. The judgment decree continued: “Let his heart be changed from man’s, and let a beast’s heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him.” The word for “time” means “a year”; and for seven years, Nebuchadnezzar was to lose his consciousness as a man, and become as a beast of the field for seven years.
Why was this judgment pronounced upon Nebuchadnezzar? The Most High God saw within Nebuchadnezzar the willingness to follow Him, but his pride and unbelief hindered him continually from obeying the light. We are told that “This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.” (Daniel 4:17) The Sovereign of the Universe abases the proud, and exalts the humble, giving the kingdom into their hands; for so Christ declared: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5) Infinite wisdom, goodness, and mercy made a determination to purge Nebuchadnezzar’s character that it might be polished in a manner that would make him fit to reign in heavenly places.
It came to pass that Nebuchadnezzar did indeed fall into this judgment. “All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, 
and for the honour of my majesty? While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.” (Daniel 4:28-32)
It was the king’s pride that revealed his condition. He had failed to fear God and give glory to Him; when this occurred, the judgment fell upon him. Seven years this went over Nebuchadnezzar, and then after being driven out, and having the kingdom depart from him, it was restored in his humility. “And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:…Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.”
(Daniel 4:34-37) Many truly think that’s all there is to this vision. There is no prophecy to be had in it past Nebuchadnezzar. That there is a good life lesson, but little more to had from it. Understand however, that Daniel declared the personal interpretation to him, but did not give the prophetic interpretation.
I want you to take notice of several things in this vision. As we will go over them again and again in the prophetic interpretation.
1) The flourishing of a righteous dominion that fulfills God’s purposes on earth is likened to a tree.
2) The tree was cut down because of pride and rebellion against the light of heaven.
3) The tree had a band of iron and brass around the stump, not being destroyed, but spared in part.
4) Seven times was the duration of the judgment.
5) When it began, it was classified as the king being “driven out”.
6) When the first dominion was restored, the king was lowly in heart.
Why was this judgment given “by decree of the watchers and the demand of the holy ones”? It is because the angels had marked the course of Nebuchadnezzar, eve as Christ, the heavenly Watcher beholds the children of men. The holy ones saw that judgment was necessary, and those who beheld Nebuchadnezzar’s course declare the measure of judgment. But how did they judge? They judged according to the law of God.
“If ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass:…” (Leviticus 26:18-19) The pride of power in Nebuchadnezzar was broken, and seven times passed over him, with the band of iron and brass around his dominion; symbols of judgment.
Yet this “seven times” was given to His people expressly “if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant…” (Leviticus 26:15) This reveals that, heaven judges according to the law of God (often called the law of Moses with it’s statutes and judgments).
It would be careless of us to think there is nothing more in Daniel 4 but a good moral lesson. It can easily be proven that the interpretation given was the personal application of the prophecy and not the main prophetic application. In prophecy, a symbolic vision or dream of “time” always speaks of prophetic periods of time, and not literal time. Literal time poses many problems to many of the symbolic prophecies that the Scripture gives. A day in Bible prophecy equals a year according to Leviticus 25, Ezekiel 4:6, and Numbers 14:34. More than this, a time is a year’s worth of days; on the calendar God gave in the beginning, a Scriptural year was 360 days. Therefore seven times is seven years, and seven years is seven multiplied by 360. This equates to a totality of 2520 prophetic days/years.
Does that seem like a long space of time? It would be a great judgment against a most offensive crime to punish for 2520 years. Yet that being said, not all “seven times” in Leviticus 26 referred to actual periods of time either, but rather a sevenfold punishment. Time is merely one application of the judgment which can take many diverse forms. We will examine four of the most complete prophetic interpretations of this prophecy. To do this, we will examine the six points of criteria above for each. Bearing in mind the tree symbolizing a righteous dominion, and the cutting down of it for seven times as the judgment thereof.
To see the prophetic applications of these, click on the links below:
The Judgment of Seven Times I: The Prophecy of Nebuchadnezzar
The Judgement of Seven Times II: The Fall of Man
The Judgment of Seven Times III: The Northern Kingdom
The Judgment of Seven Times IV: The Southern Kingdom
The Judgment of Seven Times V: The Beasts of Prophecy
Daniel 10: Michael the Great Prince
Daniel had a laid out a course of humbling himself to understand deep and hidden things which came as a revelation from God. We are told that the secret things belong unto the God of heaven, but those things which are revealed belong unto us, and to our children. It is our privilege to be as the children of Daniel, to whom many secret things were revealed. From Daniel’s time, we’ve inherited prophecies from the fourth chapter of Daniel, the seventh chapter, with the eighth and ninth. Each one builds upon the other; Daniel relating the eighth to the seventh in the introduction to this vision: “In the third year of the reign of Belshazzar, a vision appeared unto me…after that which appeared unto me at the first.” (Daniel 8:1) In this article, we will be laying a foundation for understanding the prophecy of Daniel 11, whilst answering the question: Who is Michael the archangel?
Two years prior, Daniel had received a vision of the rise and fall of kingdoms, with details regarding the establishment of the kingdom of God. This vision repeated some details of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, but expanded on it. It further brought to view some details of a mysterious prophecy of judgment related in Daniel chapter four. Yet the “repeat and enlarge” principle of the visions and dreams of Daniel’s book continued in the eighth chapter, which built upon certain details of the seventh chapter of Daniel. The ninth chapter of Daniel was giving a critical understanding of the eighth chapter of Daniel after he was overcome by the force of the vision, because he “was astonished at the vision, but none understood it” (Daniel 8:27). Yet Daniel sought for still more understanding of the great unfolding of revelation revealed to him already in chapter nine (why is explained later in this article). This is where chapter ten begins to expand upon the proper understanding of the previous prophecies. And it will be this understanding which lays a foundation for understanding the final three chapters of Daniel. Since we are building upon the foundation of the former prophecies, now might be a good time to review those prophecies if you haven’t already:
Daniel 2: Unlocking the Forgotten Dream of Prophecy
Daniel 4: The Judgment of Seven times
Daniel 7: The Rise and Fall of Empires
Daniel 7: The Identity of the Antichrist
Daniel 8: Entering into the Holiest of all
Daniel 9: The Coming of Messiah the Prince
“In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision.”(Daniel 10:1) Daniel had been taken as a captive in Babylon; he desperately anticipated the emancipation of his people who had gone into captivity for their sins. Formerly, the king of Assyria had scattered the northern kingdom of Israel in 722BC who “went a whoring after the gods of the people of the land” (1 Chronicles 5:25) [As explained in Daniel 4].
The king had further made a slave of the king Manasseh, who sat on the throne of David of the tribe of Judah, whose kingdom was in the south. He was carried away into Babylon, the capital of Assyria in 677-676BC. When he was permitted to return, the southern kingdom of Judah was to pay heavy taxes under the Assyrian yoke. But they persisted in their rebellion still, and when Nebuchadnezzar II overthrew Assyria, he required Judah’s submission under him. The prophet Jeremiah foretold their destruction if they revolted against Nebuchadnezzar, but they despised his words. As a result, the king of Babylon carried Daniel and many other Hebrews away captive, and later destroyed Jerusalem. From the north, the king of Babylon razed the northern kingdom of Judah to the ground (Jeremiah 4:5-6).
After Babylon fell to the Medes and Persians from the north (Jeremiah 50:1-3), Cyrus and Darius reigned jointly together. Now Cyrus had issued a decree that the temple in Jerusalem should be built, and it’s foundation laid. Yet Daniel was not satisfied. His people were still under bondage to the heathen nation; the once sovereign and independent nation no longer had a king to sit upon the throne of David, according to the prophecy of the prophet Ezekiel during the captivity of Babylon (Ezekiel 21:25-27). The land still was lying desolate. The Messiah was to be seated upon the throne of David someday, but every evidence to Daniel was that this great reign of the everlasting kingdom was an event very far off.
It was under these circumstances that Daniel said “a thing was revealed to Daniel…the thing was true, but the time appointed was long.” That “time appointed” in Hebrew is better translated as “warfare”; Daniel saw, from the matter revealed to him, that there was a great warfare before the everlasting kingdom would be established and “stand forever” (Daniel 2:44); before Messiah the Prince would be seated upon the throne of David, and reign in everlasting righteousness; before the “the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.” (Daniel 7:22) This warfare is explained in great detail in the eleventh chapter of Daniel, which continues from chapter ten.
Originally, to God’s commandment keeping people, God promised if they walked in righteousness before Him that He would set them “above all nations of the earth” (Deut. 28:1). But now, it seems the pagan nations were to reign above them. It was in anticipation of this great deliverance and promise that made the disciples ask the Messiah, “Will you now, at this time, restore the kingdom unto Israel?” (Acts 1:6) What was the Lord’s response? “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has put in His own power…” (Acts 1:7) Shall that promise ever be fulfilled to the people of God? Daniel wonderfully exclaimed as he saw king Nebuchadnezzar’s vision the one who “changeth times and seasons, who removeth kings, and setteth up kings.” (Dan. 2:21)
Daniel’s petition was to better understand the vision of the 2300 day prophecy, and the relating matters which were revealed in earlier revelations. We know from the Hebrew that it was the vision of Daniel 8, and not the dreams previous to this time that Daniel was most eager to know about. In the Hebrew, this vision is called the “chazon” vision; this vision is only mentioned as accompanied with a vision in Daniel 8, explained in chapter 9, and made reference to in the answers from a mighty angel, whose name is Gabriel, in chapters 10 & 11. We can be most certain that “the thing” and understanding Daniel was given therefore was regarding Daniel chapter 8 & 9.
What did Daniel come to understand about Daniel 8 & 9? Daniel painfully came to understand that the 2300 day prophecy was in fact 2300 years, and set himself to fast until he received answers. How did Daniel come to learn the prophecy of eighth chapter was 2300 hundred years, and not 2300 literal days? It was because he fainted without getting an answer. He petitioned to know the beginning of the time when the vision of the 2300 days would begin. The following year, the first year of Darius & Cyrus, it was revealed to him as he sought for understanding, and the period of 70 weeks (490 days) was given him to bring in the first coming of the Messiah, and the rebuilding of Jerusalem. In literal days, this would have been little over a year. To Daniel’s disappointment, two years later in the third year of Cyrus, the thing had not even come close to taking place. With sobering realization, he saw the words of Gabriel from the eighth in a clear light: “And the vision [chazon] of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days.” (Daniel 8:26) Daniel knew without a doubt that it was years, and not days, as pertaining to the 490 day and 2300 day prophecy. This is why he said “the third year of Cyrus…a thing was revealed to Daniel…the thing was true, but the time appointed was long.” (Daniel 10:1)
In answer to Daniel’s petitions to better understand the chazon vision, a mighty angel came down from heaven, having great power and lighted with the glory of God; so great that it shook the earth, and many of Daniel’s companions would not endure the sight of it. The angel, Gabriel, would now remind Daniel of the lengthiness of the matter, while also unfolding the impending warfare brought upon God’s people for continual apostasy from truth. “Now I (Gabriel) am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision (chazon) is for many days.” (Daniel 10:14) Daniel’s people were the tribes of Israel; specifically, of the tribe of Judah, concerning which the Lion of Judah, Messian the Prince, came. The understanding that Gabriel was to impart, was chiefly to make known the events which should “befall thy people”, and lead to the everlasting rule of Messiah the Prince, and when He would take the throne of David.
Remember, this is what “thing” was revealed to Daniel in the third year of Cyrus:
(1) The lengthy duration of the time prophecies.
(2) What should befall God’s people.
(3) The developments which take place before Christ takes the throne of David and reigns forever.
Therefore the thing revealed by Gabriel must definitely deal with the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel in their captivity under the dominion of the pagan, secular, and papal rulership; given that this was what Daniel 2, 4, 7, and 8, speaks at length regarding in their prophecies. As with those previous prophecies, the understanding given is to “repeat and expand” in the same manner as each prophecy did before it. Yet since the probation of the Jews closed in 34AD as a nationally significant people, the identification of the “thy people” (Daniel of the tribe of Judah) speaks here of the spiritual Jews of the last days; and the vision itself serves to identify who those people are. Fearful things are spoken of regarding what shall befall the spiritual tribe of Judah “in the latter days” before “the kingdom shall be restored unto Israel” when “the lion of the tribe of Judah” shall take the throne of His father David.
As Daniel pleaded for understanding after fasting for 21 days, and receiving the answer, he was told the reason for the delay. It was the same reason for the delay in all of the purposes of God, and the answers towards His people. Gabriel explained to Daniel, “Fear not Daniel,: for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and to chasten yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but lo, Michael, the first and chief prince, came to help me; so I remained there with the kings of Persia.” (Daniel 10:12-13)
In the rise and fall of kingdoms, the enemy of God seeks to counteract His purposes in world affairs by working through the kings of the earth. Yet angels of God, who excel in strength, seek to influence them for good and the divine purposes of benevolence. The God of heaven restrains wicked purposes and devices of the enemy, until he proves and tries His people by letting the devil have his way in the affairs of men. Thus the warfare that John the apostle saw between Michael and his angels, and the devil and his angels in heaven is the war also taking place upon the earth. It is not uncommon for Satan to be unmasked through the prophetic word. While Isaiah was given a word predicting the fall of Babylon, he identifies the king of Babylon with Lucifer. Ezekiel, concerning the prince of Tyre who espoused himself as god, called him that “anointed cherub that covered” that was “in Eden, the garden of God”.
Michael and his angels fought and were victorious over the devil and his angels, and thus the devil, after the victory of the cross, fell like lightning from heaven to earth. The angels heralded from that time, “Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” (Revelation 12:12) While Gabriel must strengthen and bring influences to the mind of the king of Persia for good, that the chazon vision may commence it’s lengthy unfolding. The fallen angel knows this, and is on the heels ready to overthrow this very purpose. Therefore, he cannot attend to Daniel until the chief prince, Michael, comes to the aid of Gabriel. When this warfare is understood, the unfolding events of Daniel 11 take on a much deeper significance, as the contending powers of Michael and his angels, and the devil and his angels, is more clearly discerned. For in this great controversy between Christ and Satan, the war in heaven has everything to do with God’s people.
Gabriel declares the importance of Michael in this battle, declaring that it is only Michael which strengthens Gabriel for this mighty conflict. “Do you know why I come to you? And now I will return to fight with the prince of Persia, and when I have gone forth, lo, the prince of Greece shall come. However, I will show you that which is noted in the Scripture of truth, and there is none that strengthens me in these things but Michael, your Prince.” (Daniel 10:20-21)
Gabriel was an exalted angel, “that stands in the presence of God” (Luke 1:19), but only Michael could give him strength. Only Michael could aid Gabriel to fulfill the purpose he was sent to accomplish. And Michael is given the honor of “the first and chief prince”, and is called Daniel’s prince. Who is Michael?
In the Hebraic culture, names mean something. In fact, since the creation of Adam, names meant something. Therefore, names in heaven, before the fall of man, had significance. For example, Lucifer, before he fell into darkness, had the name meaning “Light bearer”, but now is called Satan, meaning “enemy”. Gabriel means “God is my strength”; why then should Michael, being the archangel, be the one who can strengthen Gabriel? And what does Michael mean? It means “One who is like God”. The Scripture further tells us that Michael “the archangel” (Jude 1:9) had the right over Moses’ body after death, so that the devil could not prevent him from being raised to life. In connection with the resurrection, Gabriel calls him “the Great Prince which stands for the children of thy people”, whose standing up will bring the deliverance and resurrection from the dead (Daniel 12:1-3).
The Scripture declares that Michael is the leader of the battle against the devil, and who prevails in heaven against him (Revelation 12:7-8).
Archangel in Greek means Chief of the angels, which is why Michael is the first and chief princes as the commanding angel, but why Daniel’s prince? The prince of God’s people? The Angel that has power to impart strength like God? That has right over the righteous dead and power to resurrect them with His voice (more on that in a moment)?
This Angel in a special manner was the Angel of Jehovah’s presence (Isaiah 63:9). The Angel appeared in the burning bush to Moses (Exodus 3:2), and in the pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night (Exo. 14:19). In fact, it was the Angel of His Presence which claimed to be worshipped by Abraham (Gen. 22:11-12). Jacob wrestled with him at night, and he took away the name Jacob (meaning deceiver) and gave him the new name Israel (meaning prince of God), for which cause he called him “The Angel which redeemed me from all evil” (Gen. 48:16). Lastly, Paul the apostle clearly identifies this Angel who has power over the righteous dead, to resurrect them with His voice: “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first…” (1 Thessalonians 4:16)
It is Christ who is Michael the Archangel. Christ is “the first and chief prince”, the prince which strengthens Gabriel, and is the Commander of the angels. In Daniel, He is called “the Prince of princes” (Daniel 8:25), “Messiah the Prince” (Daniel 9:25), “the Prince of the covenant” (Daniel 11:22), “Michael your Prince” (Daniel 10:21), “the Great Prince” (Daniel 12:1); etc. He is also called “the Prince of the host” in both Daniel 8:11 and Joshua 5:14-15, where Joshua worships Him, taking his shoes from off of his feet. With all of these evidences furnished in Scripture, it is evident that Michael can only be Christ, “One who is like God”; Lucifer had aspired to be “like the Most High” (Isaiah 12:14) but that privilege belonged to the Great Prince Michael alone, who is the divine Son of God, called the chief over the angels.
THE FOLLOWING CHAPTERS
Daniel 10, 11, and 12 are one continuous chapter, divided up by the translators into three sections which will be divided up into four articles, of which this is the first. Chapter 10 gives us the background of Daniel’s conflict, and the appearing of the angel to impart understanding, and to reveal what powers are at play in the warfare of God’s people, and to demonstrate the overruling prove of God. Chapter 11 deals with the unfolding events to take place prophetically on the world stage, leading up to the crisis that shall befall the people of God. Chapter 12 reveals the crowning of the Messiah, and a more complete explanation of Daniel 11’s prophecy.
To better understand Daniel 11, go here.
Martyrdom Rekindled
In the dark ages, martyrdom abounded. It is estimated that 50,000,000 million Bible-believing souls were slain. John was given a startling depiction of these souls that would be slain by the powers of iniquity:
“How long…?”
(Rev. 6:9-11) “And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that SHOULD BE KILLED as they were, should be fulfilled.”
We see those souls, “under the altar”, who were slain as lambs to the slaughter, as living sacrifices, and a revelation of Jesus Christ. This is exactly what they were, which is exactly why the prophecy declares the souls slain were at the altar. They cried “How long O Lord do you not judge…then that dwell on the earth?” Their blood cried out as the blood of Abel, (Psa. 94:3-5) “LORD, HOW LONG shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph? HOW LONG shall they utter and speak hard things? and all the workers of iniquity boast themselves? They BREAK IN PIECES thy people, O LORD, and afflict thine heritage.”
A similar question is asked: (Daniel 8:13-14) “HOW LONG shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.”
How long until the judgment? How long will this persecuting power break in pieces? (Dan 7:21-22) ‘I beheld, and the same horn MADE WAR WITH THE SAINTS, and prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.” This little horn power thought to change times and laws, and made war with God’s children who kept His times and laws; for this reason, Paul styled him “the man of sin”.
(Rev. 13:7) “And it was given unto him to MAKE WAR WITH THE SAINTS, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations…He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. HERE IS THE PATIENCE and the faith OF THE SAINTS.”
Only one power in history that bears these prophecies out clearly, matching this description of thinking to change the law of God, and to persecute those that kept it. That is the Papacy.
“It was the Catholic Church which made the law obliging us to keep Sunday holy. The church made this law long after the Bible was written. Hence said law is not in the Bible. The Cath. [sic.] Church abolished not only the Sabbath, but all the other Jewish festivals.” (Letter by T. Enright, Bishop of St. Alphonsus Church, St. Louis, Missouri, June, 1905)
The patience of the saints brought them to shed their blood at the altar. When these martyrs blood cried out for the judgment to commence, it was not long until the time period of 2300 days, spoken of in the book of Daniel, came to pass, and the Sanctuary was to be cleansed, and the living saints were to be purified to prepare for the second coming of Christ. This is the work which was described in the book of Malachi:
“Behold, I will send My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, He shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. But who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand when He appeareth? for He is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.”
We are told white robes are given to each of the saints at the altar, and a prophecy is given that is for our time. We are told that that same power that made war with the saints will be revived, and that persecution will be ignited again: (Rev. 6:11) “it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that SHOULD BE KILLED as they were, SHOULD BE FULFILLED.”
What is to be fulfilled? That the brethren and fellowservants of the slain saints SHOULD BE KILLED. Here is the prophecy: (Rev. 13:15) And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast SHOULD BE KILLED.” Doubtless, this is exactly what was being referred to, as to what should be fulfilled. So what is to be fulfilled? This very word. This is the Word that is declared figuratively to how long the martyrs are to rest in Christ, until their awakening from the earthly graves into celestial glory. Yet it is not the Papal beast, but a power that makes an image, a likeness, to that apostate power, which will exercise the same persecuting power. Both beast powers will make war against the commandments of God, that were altered by the first beast. And to make war against these, is to make against the redemptive and creative power of God and Christ, as revealed in the holy Sabbath rest, and the holy feasts.
While the first class of saints that the beast made war against manifested patience through their persecution, the second class is described as manifesting just the same while undergoing the wrath of the second beast, who has made an image to the first beast.
(Rev. 14:11-12) “And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have NO REST day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. HERE IS THE PATIENCE OF THE SAINTS: here are they that KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD, and THE FAITH OF JESUS.”
When does Scripture say this persecution occurs? It says that the second beast “causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, WHOSE DEADLY WOUND WAS HEALED.” It occurs when the wound of the first beast is healed. What is a manifest sign that the papal beast’s wound is healed? Verse three says “his deadly wound was healed: and ALL THE WORLD WONDERED AFTER THE BEAST.” When the world wonders after the Papacy, then we may know that the time of persecution is drawing near. Is the world wondering after the Papacy? Yes. Whether pagans, or athiests, homosexual, evangelical Protestant, elected official or confederacy, all the world is wondering.
The Scripture tells of of the coming persecution: “They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.” (John 16:2-3)
The first persecution in this world was actuated by a man who thought to do God service. When this persecution took place, Cain showed that he had no love for his brother Abel, even though he had thought to present an offering of his own mind, which God commanded him not, to God. As a token of this perverse mindset, a mark was placed upon his forehead. And why is there such hostility against the commandments of God? “Because the fleshly mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” And we see that first beast “thinks to change times and laws.” (Dan. 7:25) And so it is no surprise that those who are at “enmity against God” are opposed to His commandments, and persecute those who keep them, even as Cain did. Thus fulfilling the words of the apostle: “But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.” (Gal. 4:29)
“In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother…. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death… (1 John 3:10,14) “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” (Rom. 8:6) “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” (1 John 4:20)
And just as it was with Cain, there is a mark in the fleshly minds of the worshippers of the beast and his image, thus developing the two sides in the final conflict. This is clearly borne out in the final warning that is to be given to the world:
“If any man worship the beast and his image, and RECEIVE HIS MARK IN HIS FOREHEAD, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb… and they have no rest day nor night…Here is the patience of the saints…”
If John saw the first beast’s persecuting power, and we see it came to pass perfectly, we can soundly conclude that John, who saw the second, saw exactly what is now coming upon the earth, and just as it what was said to the martyrs: It will “be fulfilled”. Events are ushering in this hour of persecution.
Behold, it’s coming quickly! May God that we all enter into that holy rest in the Son of God, bound together by His mercy, and strengthened to stand by His grace. Amen.
Daniel 11: The Warfare of Israel (Verses 1-22)
Daniel 10, 11, and 12 are one continuous chapter, divided up by the translators into three sections which will be divided up into four articles, of which this is the first. Chapter 10 gives us the background of Daniel’s conflict, and the appearing of the angel to impart understanding, and to reveal what powers are at play in the warfare of God’s people, and to demonstrate the overruling prove of God. Chapter 11 deals with the unfolding events to take place prophetically on the world stage, leading up to the crisis that shall befall the people of God. Chapter 12 reveals the crowning of the Messiah, and a more complete explanation of Daniel 11’s prophecy.
Daniel 11 is the second part of Daniel 10, which shows us Daniel’s desire to understand the previous prophetic dreams and visions better. Since we are building upon that foundation, now might be a good time to review those prophecies if you haven’t already:
Daniel 2: Unlocking the Forgotten Dream of Prophecy
Daniel 4: The Judgment of Seven times
Daniel 7: The Rise and Fall of Empires
Daniel 7: The Identity of the Antichrist
Daniel 7: The Coronation of the heavenly King
Daniel 8: The Vision of the Daily & Transgression of Desolation
Daniel 8: The Cleansing of the Sanctuary
Daniel 9: The Covenant of Messiah the Prince
Daniel 10: Michael the Great Prince
In the last chapter, Daniel was in earnest after it was revealed to him that the Messiah’s coming was much further off than he had first anticipated. “The commandment to restore and build Jerusalem” which would begin the 2300 days was found to be a lengthy 2300 year period. Daniel realized the “warfare” of the church “was long” and pleaded to know what would befall the church, Daniel’s people, and also when the kingdom would be restored at last. Gabriel comes in great glory, when Daniel had set his “heart to understand” (Dan. 10:12); Gabriel declared, “Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.” Therefore with this context, we find ourselves in chapter 11, where Gabriel will unite all of the previous themes of the book of Daniel into one glorious prophetic end. Therefore, understand that Gabriel is the one speaking to Daniel, giving the explanation through chapter 11.
***Due to the lengthiness of the chapter, click on the arrow beside the Bible verses see the explanation of the verses
Daniel 11:1- Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him.
Here Gabriel is revealing to Daniel that he was commissioned to establish Darius in his kingdom, and strengthen him. The unvariable purpose for this is to the end that the purposes of God might be fulfilled upon the earth. The Medo-Persian kingdom had a prominent role to play in bringing the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem. Satan would seek to prevent this from taking place as we saw in chapter 10, because in every advancement of God’s purposes on the earth, he knows his days draws nigh unto a close, when he “shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” (Isaiah 14:15) For the decree upon him was announced of old, “And thou shalt die the deaths of the slain in the midst of the seas…I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire…and never shalt thou be any more.” (Ezekiel 28:8,16,19)
Darius was the uncle of Cyrus the great, and is known by the historian Xenophon as Cyaxares II. The father of Darius, Astyages, was king of Media, and the throne would eventually fall to Darius. However, a dream came to Astyages twice, foretelling how his daughter, Mandane, would have a son who would overthrow him, and cause the Median reign to have an end. The Median princess, Mandane, was ordered by Astyages to reside in solitary confinement so that she could not have children or be wed. But the servant of Astyages, Harpages, upon orders to confine her sent her away instead, where she ended up becoming the wife of the king of Persia, Cambyses I. Mandane, now queen of Persia, gave birth to Cyrus the great, who was called by name in the prophet Isaiah, anointed by God to overthrow the kingdom of Babylon.
It was made known that Harpages had not done according to the king’s command. In anger, Astyages held a banquet for Harpages, serving him his son’s lifeless head upon a platter. Harpages, angered by this, went to Cyrus, the king of Persia, and opened the way for him to overthrow Astyages; but gave honor to his successor and uncle, Darius, to be the king of the Medes. Cyrus gave Darius the honors of the kingdom of Medo-Persia to him, being sovereign under his uncle; and Darius, having no male successor to the throne, gave Cyrus his daughter who retained the honor of the kingdom of the Medes, while being queen of Persia. It is understood that it was around two years later that Darius died, leaving Cyrus as the sole king of the Medo-Persian confederacy. It was Gabriel who established and confirmed Darius. Therefore, it was the angel Gabriel who opened the way for Cyrus and strengthened him to overthrow the kingdom of Babylon. All of the significant and providential openings, wisdom, and prophetic declaration of judgment was from the angel Gabriel by command of Messiah the prince. Moreover, the fall of Babylon, also prophesied by Isaiah, likened the fall of the kingdom of Babylon to the fall of Lucifer. At every step in the Medo-Persian kingdom’s cooperation with the purposes of God to fulfill it’s role in Bible prophecy was resisted. Even to this day, the devil has seen fit to obscure the records of history, confusing names, and bringing in false histories and interpretations of the ancient history to make this record of the book of Daniel 11 to appear false. Thankfully, our God has left enough traces of history on record that none need err.
Daniel 11:2- And now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia.
Cyrus was to stand up in Persia as the sole-king of the Medo-Persian confederacy once Darius died. His son, Cambyses II, took to the throne and undertook the conquest of Egypt, one of the few independent remaining states; this war was known as the Battle of Pelusium. In this battle, he carried many of the Egyptian idols, their treasures of gold and silver, and other works of art and carried them back into Babylon, the fortress which the Persian kings tended to occupy; but one claiming to be his younger brother seized the throne while Cambyses was in conquest, and would not yield the throne; Cambyses died that year, but Smeris, the usurper, after he vehemently resisted the Jews and forced the building of the temple to cease was slain by Darius the great. Darius the Great, also known as Darius I, was the third rightful king of Persia to come to the throne; as Cyrus was influenced by the angel Gabriel to issue a decree in building the temple, Darius was influenced, and commanded likewise, the continuation of the building (Ezra 6:1-12). Artexerxes I was far richer than them all, and “shewed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honour of his excellent majesty many days, even a hundred and eighty days” (Esther 1:3). Darius had made the attempt to fasten the Greeks under the Persian dominion, and put down any possibility of revolt, but he died. Artexerxes, Darius’ son, led the Persian war against Greece with one of the largest ancient armies ever assembled, called the Battle of Salamis, where the Persians lost; the Greeks were stirred up to war, and went on the offensive, defeating the Persian army in the Battle of Plataea. This trend continued, and the fourth king of Persia used his riches to hire the enemies within the Grecian territory to instigate revolt. This led to a series of battles, mostly in favor of the Greeks; however, one of the guards of Philip II, king of Grecia, assasinated him from the inside. Artexerxes I was also the one who was stirred to issue the final decree to restore and build Jerusalem. In his seventh year, 457 BC, the decree was issued (Ezra 6:14, 7:7-25).
From this point on, the rest of the kings of Persia are not mentioned, nor the lengthy battle between the Greeks. The only ones mentioned were according to Daniel’s inquiry of when the decree of Daniel 9:25 would go forward to commence the vision of Daniel 8. Therefore this prophecy is bringing to view the scenes of Daniel 8, with added description of what shall be at unfold in “the time of the end” (Dan. 8:17).
Daniel 11:3- And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. Alexander the great was the mighty king which stood up and “was moved with cholor” against the Medo-Persian empire, taking one country to another in rapid succession. The continued move of the Persians to hire the Greeks to incite revolt led to Philip II’s assisination. This was Alexander’s father, which moved Alexander to cholor against the Medes and Persians. Therefore it was “according to his will” that he should avenge the blood of his father and take the kingdom. Said Alexander to the final king of Persia, Darius III, after taking his mother, wife, and children captive: “You gave support to the people of Perinthus, who had done my father harm… My father died at the hand of conspirators instigated by you, as you yourself boasted to everybody in your letters…You sent unfriendly letters to the Greeks about me, to push them to war against me, and sent money to the Spartans and some other Greeks, which none of the other cities would accept apart from the Spartans. Your envoys corrupted my friends and sought to destroy the peace which I established among the Greeks. I therefore led an expedition against you, and you started the quarrel….But now I have defeated in battle first your generals and satraps, and now you in person and your army, and by the grace of the gods I control the country…Approach me therefore as the lord of all Asia… Come to me to ask and receive your mother, your wife, your children and anything else you wish. Whatever you can persuade me to give shall be yours. In future whenever you communicate with me, send to me as king of Asia; do not write to me as an equal, but state your demands to the master of all your possessions… If you wish to lay claim to the title of king, then stand your ground and fight for it; do not take to flight, as I shall pursue you wherever you may be.”
Daniel 11:4 And when he (Alexander) shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those. Upon Alexander’s victorious boasting, he came to believe he was the son of the gods. In drunken festivity at this announcement, Alexander drank himself to death, having no legitimate successor. Not according to Alexander’s children was the kingdom of Grecia given, but it was divided into a confederated four of Alexander’s generals Cassander, Ptolemy, Lysimachus, and Seleceus. This is known as the “partition of Babylon”.
Eventually, the four continued to struggle for the dominion of Alexander’s kingdom, until there were only two kingdoms of prominence remaining left. Ptolemy, who was in control of the southern area of Egypt. Later, this becomes the kingdom in Daniel 11 that we know as the King of the South. The other general is Seleucus; his is the kingdom of the north, controlling Syria. The heart of Syria was Babylon. So the rule is established in the history of the struggle between Alexander’s generals as they go throughout time; the King of the North is the power that controls Babylon and the King of the South is the Power that controls Egypt.
Daniel 11:5- And the king of the south shall be strong (Ptolemy), and one of his (Alexander's) princes; and he (Seleucus) shall be strong above him (Ptolemy), and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion. The King of the South, Ptolemy, who reigned in Egypt shall be strong and ‘one of his princes’. A distinction between Alexander’s divided kingdom is being made here between, Ptolemy, the King of the South, and one of ‘his’ (Alexander’s) princes, Seleucus, “shall be strong above him, and have dominion”; his kingdom was larger, stronger, and more powerful than the Ptolemaic kingdom, and it occupied the very grounds of Babylon, where Alexander had died. This principle of the King of the North’s strength will prove true not only now, but until the end of the prophecy, whoever occupies the title of “The King of the North” is generally stronger and more influential. The King of the North is the stronger, larger kingdom, but they’re struggling with one another.
Daniel 11:6- And in the end of years they (Ptolemy & Antiochus) shall join themselves together; for the king's daughter of the south (Bernice) shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she (Bernice) shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he (Antiochus) stand, nor his arm: but she (Bernice) shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he that was begotten of her (her children), and he that strengthened her in these times. After many wars between Ptolemy Philadelphus (II), king of Egypt (south), and Antiochus Theos (I), king of Syria (north), they agreed to make peace in confederacy with one another. The condition was that Antiochus, king of the north, on should put away his wife Laodice with her sons, and marry Berenice, Ptolemy II’s daughter. This was their agreement of peace.
The Scripture says: “She shall not retain the power of his arm”. Bernice, the King of the South’s daughter did not retain the power with Seleucus, the King of the North. Antiochus I decided that he wasn’t happy with Bernice from the South, so he divorced her, and remarried his former wife, Laodice.
Laodice’s confidence was shaken in him, so she had him killed fulfilling the word “neither shall he stand, nor his arm”. Then “she”, that is Bernice, “shall be given up”, “and they that brought her”, the attendans that came from Egypt with her, supporting her as Queen of the North, and “he that was begotten of her”, Bernice’s child, were all executed. By this, Laodice proclaimed her son Seleucus II as king.
Daniel 11:7- But out of a branch of her roots (Bernice' father Ptolemy) shall one stand up in his estate (her brother, Ptolemy Eugertes), which shall come with an army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north (Seleucus, son of Laodice), and shall deal against them, and shall prevail:
“Out of a branch of her roots”; that is Bernice’s roots. This is speaking of Ptolemy II Philadelphus. A branch out of Ptolemy II is Berenice’s brother, Ptolemy III Eugertes, who stood up in his father’s estate as King of the South because his father had died. Ptolemy III was enraged at the treachery of the Antiochus Theos, King of the North. He came with an army, and waged war on the king of the North, Laodice’s son Seleucus II. This war was called the Third Syrian War.
Daniel 11:8- And shall also carry captives into Egypt their gods, with their princes, and with their precious vessels of silver and of gold; and he (Euergetes III) shall continue more years than the king of the north (Seleucus, son of Laodice).
This war from the King of the South in the war occupied territory from the coasts of Syria, from Antioch to Babylon. History testifies that he carried back the treasures that Cambyses II, the successor of Cyrus the great, had carried into the northern territories. It had remained in the same territory until it was retrieved. Thus Ptolemy III, through the avenging of his sister, brought back all the treasures that had been lost so many years before. “And he shall continue more years than the king of the north”; Ptolemy III outlived and reigned nine years longer than the king of the north, who died a prisoner in Parthia five years before Ptolemy Euergetes. “This prince carried off 40,000 talents of silver with a prodigious quantity of gold and silver vessels and 2,500 statues, part of which were those Egyptian idols that Cambyses, after his conquest of that kingdom, had sent into Persia. Ptolemy gained the hearts of his subjects by replacing those idols in their ancient temples, when he returned from this expedition; for the Egyptians, who were more devoted to their superstitious idolatry than all the rest of mankind, thought they could not sufficiently express their veneration and gratitude to a king, who had restored their gods to them in such a manner. Ptolemy derived from this action the title of Euergetes, which signified a benefactor…” Rollin II:80
Daniel 11:9-10 - So the king of the south (Ptolemy III) shall come into his kingdom, and shall return into his own land. But his sons (the king of the North's sons Seleucus Ceraunus and Antiochus) shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces: and one (Antiochus III, the younger brother- an able field general) shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall he return, and be stirred up, even to his fortress.
Though Ptolemy III returned to the land with the riches of Egypt, Seleuces II died in prison. His sons that “shall be stirred up” are the sons of the King of the North, Seleucus Ceraunus III and Antiochus III the great. They assemble a “multitude of great forces”. ‘Sons’ is in the plural, but by the end of the verse it is in the singular, “and one shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall he return, and be stirred up, even to his fortress.” Though there was two sons, Seleucus III and Antiochus III, one was incompetent (Seleucus Ceraunus). Being the elder and the successor to the throne, he was the one that began the preparation for war. His generals were so frustrated with his abilities that they poisoned him. Seleucus was assassinated in Anatolia by members of his army while on campaign against Attalus I of Pergamon. Then the second son (Antiochus III) takes up the task. and builds a mighty army to return back against the King of the South in response to what they have done; he was the “one” that would “come, and overflow, and pass through”.
Daniel 11:11-12 - And the king of the south (Ptolemy Philopater IV) shall be moved with choler, and shall come forth and fight with him, even with the king of the north (Antiochus III): and he (the King of the North- Antiochus III) shall set forth a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into his (Ptolemy IV) hand. And when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted up; and he shall cast down many ten thousands: but he shall not be strengthened by it.
The verse explains sufficiently for itself what happened. Ptolemy IV Philopater, king of the South, was victorious over Antiochus III, king of the North, and had “taken away the multitude” by conquering many provinces.
In the historian Prudeau’s account, in the chapter ‘Connections’ under the 217 BC time period, we read: “Philopater, was a fellow of abandoned lust and dissipation. He was so elated by his victory over Antiochus that he held processions through the provinces.” So elated was the King of the South at his victory as he was coming back to Egypt, he celebrated and had processions through each area. But who were the “ten thousands” who he shall “cast down”? As he was celebrating his victory procession back into Egypt, he entered Jerusalem and after a blasphemous act of offering sacrifices to the God of heaven, he tried to enter the Most Holy Place of the temple, in spite of the protest and entreaties of the Jews in charge. “He was smitten from God with such a terror and confusion of mind that he was carried out of the place in a manner half dead. On this he departed from Jerusalem, filled with great wrath against the whole nation of the Jews for that which happened to him in that place and venting many threatenings against them for it.” Prideaux, The Old and New Testament, p. 77
The ten thousands he shall cast down is describing his retaliation against the Jews for this incident. “In vengeance for his disgrace at Jerusalem he returned to his country and endeavoured to force the many Jews in Egypt to sacrifice to Egypt’s heathen gods and renounce their worship of Jehovah. When 300 Jews adopted the heathen religion, they were excommunicated by the Jewish society. Regarding this as a further insult to himself, Philopater determined to destroy the Jews in his dominion and commanded that as many as could be rounded up, be brought in chains to Alexandria…These were placed in a large arena, and it was proposed that on a certain day, a great public spectacle would be made, by turning wild and drunken elephants upon them. The devout Jews earnestly called upon God and when the appointed time came, the drunken and maddened beasts were let loose…But they turned their rage upon all those who came to see the show and destroyed great numbers of them. Besides, several appearances were soon seen in the air, which much frightened the king and all the spectators. All which, manifesting the interposal of Divine power in the protection of those people. Philopater durst not any longer prosecute his rage against them, but ordered them to be all set free and fearing the Divine vengeance upon him in their behalf, he restored them to all their privileges, rescinding and revoking all his decrees, which he had published against them.” p. 133
Three years later, in 213 BC, despite all of this, Philopater, on another pretext, slew 40,000 Jews. Thus he cast down ten-thousands.
Daniel 11:13-14 - For the king of the north (Antiochus III) shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come after certain years with a great army and with much riches. And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south (Ptolemy V Epiphanes): also the robbers (Rome) of thy people (Daniel's people) shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they (those who stand against Ptolemy) shall fall. The king of the north (Antiochus III the great) comes against Ptolemy V Epiphanes, who is five years of age when he takes the throne as king of the south, because his father Ptolemy IV Philopater had died. The king of the North “shall set forth a multitude greater than the former” because he formed a pact with King Philip V of Macedon in 203BC to come again the Ptolemaic empire (the king of the south).
Specifically in the Battle of Panium, Antiochus III, in 201BC, through the generalship of his son, Antiochus IV, overtook many lands, and this included Judea, which fell under the control of the Seleucid empire, not long after Ptolemy Philpater of Egypt had cast down many Jews. Ptolemy V Epiphanes was five years of age when he took the throne, and being so young, many came against him at this time when the kingdom was paralyzed, and conspiracies abounded.
“And the robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision”; this refers to Rome, who had alliances with Pergamum and Rhodes, who were fighting against Philip V of Macedon, who had been united with the king of the north, Antiochus III. On the appeal of Rome’s allies for aid, the Romans came and sent an army to Greece and attacked Macedon, defeating Philip V, and forcing him to become an ally with Rome. Antiochus III sought to liberate Macedonia, but failed; the Romans sent an army to the Battle of the Eurymedon and Myonessus. The Seleucid empire of Antiochus III fought against the armies of Rome at Magnesia, but lost and Antiochus was forced to surrender to the Romans, resulting in the Treaty of Apamea. Though many came against the king of the south, because Rome exalted itself, those who came against the king of the south would fall.
Gabriel calls Rome “the robbers of Daniel’s people”; this is because is by Rome, from Rome, and through Rome that the greatest losses would be sustained to his descendants, both physical and spiritual as will be seen later on. They exalt themselves against the kings, and this establishes them as a great empire in order to “establish the vision (chazon)”. This vision being spoken about is the chazon vision of Daniel 8. It is established in Daniel 9 by the crucifixion of Christ. It is Rome who crucify the Christ of Daniel 9, and destroy the city and the sanctuary, robbing it of it’s vessels. But Rome, through the the compromises of the Christian church, rob Daniel’s people of far more than the physical sanctuary vessels of gold.
***Please note, this prophecy has to do with God’s people. Every time the king of the south and the king of the north fought, Judea, which was the land of God’s people until their rejection of the Messiah, was in the center of the conflict. The king of the south was south of Judea, while the king of the north was north of Judea; the principle of these kings is not as much locality, as much as it is who is in the centrality of the conflict. God’s people exchanged hands seven times over the Ptolemaic/Seleucid wars, where it would finally have it’s end; but then God’s people would be placed under different powers, also taking the honors of the title king of the south, and king of the north.
Daniel 11:15 - So the king of the north shall come (Antiochus Ephiphanes), and cast up a mount, and take the most fenced cities: and the arms of the south shall not withstand, neither his (God's) chosen people, neither shall there be any strength to withstand. The last advance from as the Seleucid empire as the king of the north before it is taken under the complete dominion of Rome, finds Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who had set himself as king over the empire, coming against the Egyptians successfully. 1 Maccabees relates the account: “When Antiochus had firmly established himself as king, he decided to conquer Egypt and rule that country as well as Syria. He invaded Egypt with a large fleet of ships and a powerful army, including chariots, elephants, and cavalry. When the attack came, King Ptolemy of Egypt turned and fled, and many of his soldiers were killed. Antiochus was able to capture the fortified cities of Egypt and plunder the whole land.” (1 Maccabees ch. 1:16-19)
In verse 13-14, the fifth Syrian war took place when Ptolemy V Epiphanes was only a child. His successor was Ptolemy VI Philometor (King of the south), then a minor of six years of age where the sixth war began. The Ptolemies desired to retake the land that the king of the north had secured of Caelo-Syria (the district where Judea of the Jews were in the heart of) in 171-168 BC. Antiochus IV Epiphanes(king of the North) raised a greater army than before, and having defeated his best troops under Scopas, made sure of Caelo-Syria and Palestine, with all their fortified cities.
“Neither his chosen people” refers to God’s chosen people, who Antiochus IV Epiphanes had greatly harassed at this time from 168-165BC, leading to the Maccabean revolt in 165 BC, which ended in Judea securing the temple, but seeking protection in the treaty called the league Rome, where it would henceforth by under the jurisdiction and protection of Rome.
Daniel 11:16 - But he (Rome) that cometh against him (Antiochus) shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him: and he shall stand in the glorious land (Jerusalem), which by his hand shall be consumed. The Roman Empire shall “do according to his own will”, and come against Antiochus IV Epiphanes in 168BC, when Antiochus sought to make a second attack upon Egypt. It was said of Egypt in verse 15 of the king of the south, “neither shall there be any strength to stand”. The young Ptolemy VI had fled from Antiochus when the battle was lost, but when he fled, he ran to the Roman Senate for protection; and the king of the south also, like the king of the north before him, came under the banner of Rome as it established itself empirically.
Before Antiochus reached Alexandria for the second attack upon Egypt, who was now under the protection of Rome, his path was blocked by a single elderly Roman ambassador named Gaius Popillius Laenas. Popillius delivered a message from the Roman Senate directing Antiochus IV to withdraw his armies from Egypt and Cyprus or consider himself in a state of war with the Roman Republic. Antiochus IV said he would discuss it with his council, whereupon the Roman ambassador drew a line in the sand around Antiochus and said: “Before you leave this circle, give me a reply that I can take back to the Roman Senate.” This implied Rome would declare war if the King stepped out of the circle without committing to leave Egypt immediately. Weighing his options, Antiochus decided to withdraw. Only then did Popillius agree to shake hands with him. Now, the king of the north was powerless; already because of the treaty signed under Antiochus III, it was under the dominion of Roman rule, but with the king of the south becoming a protectorate state under the Roman rule, and Antiochus IV submitting to Roman authority, it was fulfilled the saying which was written: “And none shall stand before him.”
Rome would even “stand in the glorious land”. Although Judea had been in league with Rome for protection, it had peace and independance generally until 63 BC. At this time, Pompey the great, a political and military leader of Rome, was requested to intervene in a controversy which led to war taking place between the Jews via two princes.
One of the parties, Aristobulus, angered Pompey by his careless actions, sent a Roman troop came in to take Jerusalem. Aristobulus’ supporters refused the takeover. But Aristobulus’ brother, Hyrcanus II, had supporters which opened the city to him, but refused him the right to takeover. The forces of his opponent, Aristobulus, fought against Pompey and Hyrcanus. After two months, the Romans broke through and massacred some 12,000 of the Jews defending the Temple. Judea was required to pay tribute to the Roman administration. It relinquished much land, and was severely crippled in it’s movements from this time forward.
His work done in Jerusalem, Pompey returned to Rome expecting to be made the Emperor. However, he had strong competition for the job. One of his competitors was Julius Caesar, who was a great general in his own right. He did in the West what Pompey had done in the East and subdued the peoples in what is today England, France and the Rhineland of Germany.
These two great Roman generals agreed that Rome would be run by a Triumvirate: Julius Caesar, Pompey and a third General, Crassus. However, the Triumvirate lasted only five years, leaving Pompey and Caesar in a rivalry for control.
Daniel 11:17 - He (Julius Caesar) shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones (Jews) with him; thus shall he do: and he shall give him the daughter of women (Cleopatra), corrupting her: but she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him. Julius Caesar sets himself to take the entire kingdom at this time. Rome is a republic, but sole power is decided as the triumvirate of executive power disintegrates. Therefore Caesar pursues to be the emperor of Rome.
The Senate of Rome backed Pompey, but Caesar relentlessly marched his army across the Rubicon, the famous river that marked the boundary between Italy proper to the south and its provinces to the north. Roman law forbade a Roman army to cross the river. In doing so, Caesar was committing an act of war.
As Caesar’s army entered Rome, Pompey and the Roman Senate fled for their lives. Caesar declared himself Emperor and pursued Pompey all the way to Egypt. Once there, he committed a tactical error which found himself besieged in Alexandria by Pompey’s army and its allies. Desperately in need of support, he looked for any help that would aid him in his dire situation.
Until that time, Hyrcanus II (who was also high priest in Judea) had been an official ally of Pompey. But the prophecy says that Julius Caesar would set himself to enter into the whole kingdom as emperor with the aid of upright ones. Therefore, Hyracanus II switched sides and declared his allegiance to Caesar. Then were committed over 3,000 Jewish soldiers to an expeditionary force that invaded Egypt and helped raise the siege of Alexandria in 47 BC.
Thus, when the Roman civil war ended in Julius Caesar’s complete victory Hyrcanus was in a much more favorable position. Caesar showed the Jews his gratitude for their help. He revoked the harsh decrees and burdensome taxation imposed by Pompey. He also allowed the walls and fortifications of Jerusalem to be rebuilt and restored Jaffa as well as a number of other coastal cities to Jewish rule.
At the same time, a civil war because of the controversy between Cleopatra and her brother is taking place, Julius Caesar enters into an affair with her, and she becomes pregnant with Caesarion, who she hopes will become Julius’ successor; thus fulfilling the saying “he shall give him the daughter of women, corrupting her:…” Yet the prophecy also says “but she shall not stand [reign] on his side, neither be for him.” She cannot reign with him according to Roman law (it is unlawful for a Roman politician to marry a foreigner), but she seeks influence from him to gain power and gain the throne which was being seized by Ptolemy at this time. As Julius was not able to amend the Roman Law, he could not name Cleopatra or Caesarion in his will.
Daniel 11:18 - After this shall he turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many: but a prince (Marc Antony) for his (Julius) own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he shall cause it to turn upon him.
After Cleopatra, Julius Caesar takes the Roman Empire and becomes dictator. Cleopatra and Caesar’s relationship was extremely unpopular with the Roman Senate. Calpurnia, Caesar’s legitimate wife, was the daughter of a prominent Roman family and while like a good Roman woman she was subservient and demure, Cleopatra was powerful and outspoken. Caesar had many enemies in Rome by this time – chief amongst whom was the orator Cicero. Cicero declared Alexandria “the home of all tricks and deceits” and openly admitted that he despised Cleopatra. He was of the opinion that women were intellectually weak and should always be under the power of their male guardians so he was greatly concerned about Cleopatra’s influence over Caesar. Rumours began to circulate that Caesar planned to move the capital of the Empire to Alexandria and senators began plotting how they could reverse Caesar’s reforms.
After this, the Roman senate confers special honors upon Julius Caesar, and his conquests seem ready to overtake the entire world.
As pressure increased against Caesar, Mark Antony joined his mentor in Gaul and engaged in a series of battles between Caesar and Pompey. Antony again helped Caesar defeat his enemies and he returned to Rome as Caesar’s second in command. Having amassed a great deal of power, in 45 B.C., Caesar was designated dictator for one year. Pompey’s sons escaped to Spain; After spending the first months of 47 BC in Egypt, Caesar went to the Middle East, where he annihilated the king of Pontus; his victory was so swift and complete that he mocked Pompey’s previous victories over such poor enemies. Caesar gave chase and defeated the last remnants of opposition in the Battle of Munda in March 45 BC.
“A prince for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he shall cause it to turn upon him.” This was Marc Antony, the second-in-command under Caesar. Antony finds himself immersed in an affair with Cleopatra, although married to Octavia, Caesar Augsutus (Julius’ successor) daughter. As a result of this affair, he turns the reproach that was upon Julius Caesar before his assassination upon himself. As a result, Caesar Augustus declared war upon, and this led to the fall of the southern kingdom in Egypt in the battle of Actium in 31 BC, as well as the death of both Marc Antony and Cleopatra.
Antony had instituted Herod the great in Jerusalem to be king, who would rule for four decades. This was the Herod who discovered that the Messiah was to be born and it was said “Then Herod…was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under…” (Matthew 2:16)
Daniel 11:19 - Then he (Julius Caesar) shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found. Caesar’s actions led many to believe he was positioning himself to become king. A plot to assassinate him emerged, and on March 15, 44 B.C., he was killed in the Roman Senate.
Daniel 11:20 - Then shall stand up in his (Julias Caesar) estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he (Augustus Caesar) shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle.
This refers to Augustus Caesar, who succeeded Julius Caesar, and waged war against Marc Antony for treachery against his daughter with Cleopatra. He is referred to as “a raiser of taxes;”. Luke spoke of this in his account of the gospel: “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)” (Luke 2:1-2)
Daniel 11:21 - And in his (Caesar Augustus) estate shall stand up a vile person (Tiberius Caesar), to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. This speaks of Tiberius Caesar, who succeeded Augustus Caesar. “Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene…” (Luke 3:1) Born Tiberius Claudius Nero, a Claudian, Tiberius was the son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla. His mother divorced Nero and married Octavian, later known as Caesar Augustus, in 39 BC, making him a step-son of Octavian.
Livia had petitioned Augustus Caesar to proclaim that he would be emperor when Augustus died. Augustus, seeing the manner of Tiberius’ refused, and picked several others, but they died before they could take the empire.
Tiberius’ mother Livia then pled with Augustus Caesar, and he, in his old age, agreed to let him take control of the kingdom at his death.
He is the one “to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom” Tiberius was not given the honor of the kingdom, yet still received the kingdom in the end. Without warning, in 6 B.C. Tiberius, the visible heir to Augustus, announced his withdrawal from public life and went to live on Rhodes with some personal friends and an astrologer, Thrasyllus.
Augustus was forced to find other successors; his adopted sons, Gaius and Lucius Caesar, were still too young to assume the heavy responsibilities of the Principate, and Augustus now had no immediate successor to assume power and see the boys to maturity.
Augustus’s irritation of the matter is revealed by his repeated refusal to allow Tiberius to return to Rome after Tiberius realized the delicacy of his position on Rhodes; despite the pleas of Livia in favor of Tiberius. When Tiberius’s powers expired in 1 BC they were not renewed, but it seemed he would be put to death. However, in 2 AD, Lucius Caesar died of an illness at Massilia. Augustus, resistant to the idea of allowing Tiberius to return, finally yielded to the requests of Livia and Gaius Caesar on his behalf. Tiberius returned to Rome and did not partake of any politics until Gaius Caesar unexpectedly died of a wound received during a siege in Armenia. Augustus, devastated, was left without his adoptive sons and, more importantly, without an heir and successor. His careful planning for the succession had come to nothing. In the crisis, he turned once more to Tiberius.
It was said that Tiberius “shall come in peaceably”; so it was by the necessity of Augustus needing an heir. He would “take the kingdom by flatteries” because of the pleadings of Livia, his mother. Tiberius did not desire the kingdom for himself, and wished he did not have to take the position as emperor of the kingdom. He was relunctant, and refused to bear the honors of the kingdom: titles Pater Patriae, Imperator, and Augustus, and he declined the emblem of the Princeps, the Civic Crown and laurels. He was vile in his baser passions which he gave himself over to, while always being of a very dark and gloomy manner.
Daniel 11:22 - And with the arms of a flood shall they (The Jews) be overflown from before him (Tiberius), and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant (Christ). Christ is here set forth as crucified as “the Prince of the covenant”, “Messian the Prince” of Daniel 9, who confirms the covenant with many for one week during Tiberius’ reign.
Before this time, “the arms of a flood” of persecution came upon the Jews. In 19 AD, Tiberius ordered the Jews who were of military age to join the Roman army, and everyone else was banished from Rome under the threat of slavery. Tiberius’ successors all dying before him, he made no effort to secure a replacement. Finally, in 26 AD, Tiberius retired from Rome to the island of Capri.
Lucius Aelius Sejanus served as the imperial family for nearly 20 years, being made Praetorian Prefect in 15 AD. Tiberius, more and more, gave the limited powers invested in the Praetorians to rule, and chiefly Sejanus, whom Tiberius had statues erected around the city of; that Sejanus might become more and more visible, while Tiberius slow withdrew himself from public life. By 26 AD, Sejanus acted as vice-regent of Tiberius, being left in charge with the duties of communicating with the senate and the city of Rome. There was resistance to Sejanus’ authority, and Tiberius’ mother Livia held him in check until her death three years later.
After this, he became a series of trials which would put Senators and the wealthy citizens of Rome which opposed his power to death. These were accused of certain offenses by Sejanus’, who claimed to Tiberius via correspondance, that they were inciting rebellion, or seeking to take imperial power to themselves. Thus Tiberius would order them to be tried, imprisoned, and issued with the death sentence. In this way, Sejanus was able to influence Caesar according to his will.
Sejanus was also very hostile towards the Jews; thus we see the fallen angel influencing the mind Sejanus against the people of God, and by him, the Caesar.
He instituted Pontius Pilate as governor over Judea to implement his anti-Jewish policies. The followers of Judas Gaulonitis, who opposed paying tribute to Caesar and submitting to the Roman government fell victim to these policies, which caused Pilate to slaughter the Jews for any-and-every reason. A company of them came to Jerusalem during one of the great festivals, and presenting their oblations in the court of the temple, Pilate treacherously sent a company of soldiers, who slew them, and “mingled their blood with their sacrifices.” (Luke 3:1) These anti-semetic policies were “the arms of a flood” that cause them to be “overflown, and shall be broken.”
This climaxed when Sejanus plotted to take the imperial throne for himself in Rome, and Tiberius’ realizing the devices forcast by Sejanus, sent a letter to the senate, delivered by Sejanus who had not read the whole of the letter, and it condemned him at the latter sentence. When he was put to death, Tiberius Caesar reversed the anti-Jewish policies of Sejanus in 31 AD. The year Christ, the Prince of the covenant, was to be crucified. Here we see the angel Gabriel at work to influence the mind of Tiberius for good, that the Jews, who had “sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death” (Mark 14:1) might not so readily charge crimes upon him, to be responsible for his death.
Tiberius Caesar had ordered Pontius Pilate to no longer ill-treat the Jews, after the policies of Sejanus. And this placed him in a hard position. Regarding the trial of Christ, it is said: “And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.”
(John 19:12)
The Jews used Caesar’s favorable disposition towards them against Pilate; knowing that if he did not send Christ to be put to death, they would send envoys to Caesar against him, having him removed from his station as one who was against the Jews when he was ordered to do otherwise.
In order to pacify the Jews, Pilate sent Christ away to be crucified, but not without a confession of rejection. “And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away.”
(John 19:14-16)
By this, they were in league with no power higher than Caesar; by this they unchurched themselves, showing they were not the people of God. By their own will, they showed that they worked under the influence of the fallen angels rather than Michael, and his angel.
Daniel 9: The Covenant of Messiah the Prince
In the ninth chapter of Daniel, a prophecy of wonderful importance is given to us revealing the exact time when the Messiah would come to die for mankind. It also reveals the exact time necessary to understand the eighth chapter of Daniel more fully.
To understand the background of Daniel nine (which gives more understanding of the prophecy), click the arrow:
The Prayer & The Vision
my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.” (Jeremiah 29:10-14)Daniel had reached the end of the long anticipated seventy years. It was the first year of the joint-reign of Darius and Cyrus of the Medes and Persians. From this time, he confessed, with his whole heart, his sins and the sins of his people. “In the first year of Darius… In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting…:” (Daniel 9:1-3) The condition that was laid out for the restoration from the captivity to come back into Jerusalem was clear, and Daniel earnestly grasped by faith the promised restoration.
Daniel confessed that “all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.” (Daniel 9:11) This curse written in Moses was reiterated many times, that they which hated them would reign over them, they would be oppressed and crushed, driven out of their land, to be the servants of a cruel master. “The fruit of thy land, and all thy labours, shall a nation which thou knowest not eat up; and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed always…The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low. He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail. Moreover all these curses shall come upon thee…because thou hearkenedst not unto the voice of the LORD thy God…Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee…: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.” (Deuteronomy 28:33, 43-48)
“And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God; Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.” (Daniel 9:20-21) The Angel Gabriel, appearing as a man, visited Daniel. Daniel had previously seen Gabriel “in the vision at the beginning”. What vision is this? It was the vision of Daniel 8, which Daniel had in the third year of Belshazzar, king of Babylon, just before the fall of the kingdom to the Medes and Persians. This vision, called in Hebrew, the “chazone”, was the only vision Daniel had, besides dreams until this time left on record for us. It was this vision that Gabriel had made his first appearance to Daniel, and a command was given to Gabriel.
“Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision. So he came near where I stood:…he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision (chazon).” (Daniel 8:16-17) The vision gave a very important time prophecy, but although Gabriel is instructed to give understanding to Daniel regarding this very important point, he could not. “And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king’s business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.” (Daniel 8:27) Daniel, overwhelmed by the revelation, had fainted. Gabriel was able to explain many points regarding the prophecy, but he was not able to reveal it’s starting point; therefore Daniel declared “none understood it”.
It was the time of evening worship, the time in Jerusalem when the sacrifice foreshadowing the great sacrifice of the Messiah-to-come was to take place. Here it was that Gabriel came to open this critical point of understanding to Daniel. “And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision [chazon].” (Daniel 9:22-23) Remember, that there was no vision to Daniel in chapter nine; this was the added details of the vision of the previous chapter which Daniel did not have strength to understand.
Daniel was told to “understand the matter and consider the vision”. The angel Gabriel then declared what was necessary to be understood in relation to the vision of Daniel 8. There is no vision in Daniel 9. “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.” Here we find a time prophecy of seventy weeks (or 490 days) brought to view. As a prophetic rule in prophecy, a day is always given for a year (Ezekiel 4:6). While 490 days alone extends to little more than a year, 490 prophetic days would equate to 490 years.
There is a determination upon Daniel’s people and Jerusalem “thy holy city” to have a special work accomplished amongst them in this time. This work is the blessings to God’s people while in the covenant of salvation with Him through faith in the Messiah. It was their privilege to know the Messiah-to-come, and to know of the sin-pardoning redemption that comes from the Most High. It was their privilege to be His set-apart and peculiar people that His “way may be known upon earth;” His “salvation among all nations.” (Psalm 67: 2) Instead of this, they learned the ways of the heathen, and forgot the way of God.
For this cause, Babylon triumphed over Daniel’s people and over the holy city. For this reason the determination was to be decreed, giving them a space of time in which they were to live up to the light, privileges, and opportunities given to them. If they did not live up to this experience and high calling, the blessings God had conferred upon them would be removed and be given to others.
“Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.” Again, Gabriel says to understand this point. Therefore, mark this point with care. Gabriel here will give us the starting point of the 70 week prophecy; and break down the events which shall take place before the seventieth week concludes. He tells us that “from the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem” until the appearing of “Messiah the Prince” there would be 7 plus 62 weeks; thus 69 prophetic weeks (483 years) in total. The prophecy by no means is a difficult one. When was the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem to take place? The Scripture tells us exactly this:
“And the elders of the Jews builded…And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.” (Ezra 6:14)
There were three commandments to restore and build Jerusalem. The first two, under Cyrus and Darius, consisted only of building the temple. Artexerxes issued a decree in Ezra 7 on the 7th year of his reign. This decree came in 457 BC. From this time, seven prophetic weeks (49 years) were to establish the settlement of the land on the Jubilee year. By the time of the Jubilee, which was at the commencement of the 49th year (called the fiftieth year when counting from zero), all lands were to be restored to their rightful owners if sufficient proof could be made for ownership according to the law (Leviticus 25:10).
This brings us to 408 BC. From this time, there was still 62 prophetic weeks (434 years) remaining until the Messiah would be clearly revealed to mankind.
Without fail, the end of the 69th week brings us to 27AD. This was the year Jesus, the Christ, was baptized by John the baptist to begin His ministry.
At the baptism of the Messiah, John the baptist knows Christ is to be revealed at this time. “And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water…” (John 1:31-34)
“And it came to pass…that Jesus came…and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” After His baptism, Jesus bore a very important message to Israel, knowing their determination was soon to be decreed for blessing or cursing, declaring “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent and believe the gospel.” (Mark 1:9-11). Thus was marked the end of the 69th week, and beginning the final prophetic week.
“And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (Daniel 9:24-27)
Many people try to interpret this last week as being entirely separate from the 69 weeks already here, and place it at the final seven years of this age. However, to do this does tremendous damage to the time prophecy, and the text itself. Doing this takes away the decree that was to be determined by the experience of the Israelites, and thus conceals the fate decreed in heaven for the city of Jerusalem. Not only this, but it obscures the work that the Messiah came to fulfill a great work in this final week.
We are told that after the 69th week, Messiah the prince “shall be cut off, but not for Himself.” What does it mean that He was “cut off”, and who was He “cut off” for? The answer is given by the prophet Isaiah (53:8): “He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.”
(Isaiah 53:8)
Christ was cut off from life; Christ died for sin, but not for His own sins. Christ was “the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world” (John 1:29); He was the One whom Israel had the privilege of believing in, and revealing to the world. Instead of this, they failed, and murderously cried out for His crucifixion, cursing themselves and their posterity when they said: “His blood be upon us and upon our children!” (Matthew 27:25)
When was Christ cut off? It was three and a half years into His ministry. Literally in the center of the final week.
All the sacrifices and offerings of the Israelites in their worship in their Sanctuary had “a shadow of good things to come, but not the very image of the things” (Heb. 10:1). It’s sanctuary contained a priesthood who administered the sacrifices and offerings who “serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things” (Heb. 8:5) Their sacrifices contained sin offerings where lambs, bulls, rams, and goats were slain for various kinds of sin in the place of those who had sinned. This was for the purpose of revealing the true object which they shadowed forth; specifically the death of the Messiah as an offering for our sins (Isaiah 53:10). It was through the Sanctuary service of the Israelites that the work of the Messiah was to be understood more fully, not only regarding His death, but also His office as high priest. By Christ dying for our sins, “Mercy and truth are met together; justice and peace have kissed.” (Psalm 89:14) To be a just and righteous King, while also revealing His heart of love and mercy, Christ laid down His life for the transgressor of the law of God; “having made peace through the blood of His cross…” (Col. 1:20) It was in this way that “in the midst of the week, He shall cause the sacrifice and offerings to cease.” The shadow contained in the law met it’s true object and purpose, and in this, they were to cease forever.
The early Christians did not sacrifice lambs, or put any virtue on the blood of bulls or goats. To continue these rites and ceremonies once the shadow met the object would be an abomination to the God of heaven, denying the great sacrifice He has made in our behalf. They had embraced the True Sacrifice; and no longer could they return to a pale representation of what had passed away. The manner of observing their feasts was changed; now their worship commemorated the work of the Messiah, “giving thanks unto God and the Father by Him” (Col. 3:17).
The last half of the prophetic week was for the apostolic church to do it’s work of preaching the gospel, if by chance the leaders of the Jewish nation would repent of crucifying the Messiah, and be led to embrace Him. Yet this did not happen. While many of Israel embraced Christ, more murmured, resisted, and even put to death the Christians, fulfilling the words of Christ: “They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.” (John 16:2-3)
“The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins…When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.” (Acts 5:30-33)
Lastly, they stoned Stephen, a man full of faith and power from God, when he testified of Christ, and called them to repentance.
Present among the Pharisees, leaders of the temple worship in Jerusalem, was Saul, consenting to Stephen’s death. From this time “a great persecution against the church…at Jerusalem” had taken place; and “Saul…made havock for the church,entering into every house, and…committed them into prison.” (Acts 8:1,3) Yet at the same time, Saul was seeking from the synagogues of Damascus if any Christians were present, that he might seize them and take them to Jerusalem, that they might be tried, imprisoned, and put to death. Yet then the Messiah visited him, saying “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” (Acts 9:4)… Then Saul submitted himself under Christ’s hand, where he was converted, and given by Christ the mission which he was being called to, to whom Christ gave the name “Paul”, and made him the apostle to the Gentiles, even as Christ said “for he is a chosen vessel unto Me, to bear My name before the Gentiles…” (Acts 9:15).
The stoning of Stephen, where Saul was present as witness, Stephen beheld Christ, “the Son of man, standing at the right hand of God”. It was at this same time, the decree of the Israelites and the holy city was determined, and the Word of God was opened to the Gentiles in a marked manner as never before.
What was the decree determined of heaven at the end of the 70th week? The privileges, opportunities, and light was rejected. The prophets, apostles, and messengers were cast out of the synagogues, out of the city, and even put to death. Without the sacrifice of Christ, there can be no finishing of the transgression. Without Him who takes away our sins, there is no making an end of sins. There is no reconciliation for iniquity, for it is by His blood we are reconciled. And without Him, the divine standard of everlasting righteousness is unattainable; for without His power to restore, man’s heart is desperately wicked, and can only attain to outward man-made forms of righteousness. Thus the blood of Christ is declared to be “the blood of the everlasting covenant” (Hebrews 13:20) ; and by this, “He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week…”. Many from the Jews received the Messiah, and this wonderful experience in the covenant by the power of the blood of the covenant was made sure to them in the giving of the Holy Ghost.
Thus the determination that the Israelites as the exclusive people of God was at an end. Now Gentiles and Israelites alike who had embraced the Messiah found the experience in harmony with the light of Christ that the Jewish nation failed to receive. The “holy city” was to be destroyed, and it’s sanctuary which offered up empty sacrifices which were stripped of their true significance.
“And the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.” The Jews sought a messianic conqueror over Rome that seemed to suit more of their idea of what a messiah should be, and instigated war with the Romans. In 63 AD, on the feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem, a man named “Jesus, the son of Ananias” was raised up to declare “a voice from the four winds, a voice against Jerusalem and the Holy House… and a voice against this whole people!” He was beaten with stripes, and whipped until his bones were laid bare, yet he continued his testimony without the shed of a single tear; at every strike of the whip, the words rose from his lips, “Woe, woe, to Jerusalem!” This was continued for seven years without ceasing until the Romans laid seige to the city in 70 AD, where he cried his last “Woe, woe to the city again, and to the people, and to the Holy House!”
A revolt attempt by the Jews was made in 66 AD, seeking to drive out Roman control. A Roman general named Cestius surrounded Jerusalem with a great army at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles. Yet he lifted the siege, and the army left for reasons not known. Yet this was the sign Christ gave to His people to flee out of the cities: “And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out…” (Luke 21:21-22)The Christians fled to Pella, a mountainous refuge, when the watching believing ones beheld the sign.
On the feast of Pentecost, only the year prior, great armies were seen warring in the heavens; and the Sanctuary’s massive doors were thrown open as a voice heard by both Jew and heathen, and recorded faithfully by historians of each, declaring “Let Us depart hence.” Thus, the divine presence and protection were withdrawn from the city, and as it was in the seige of Babylon, so it was to be in the seige of Rome.
It was not until the feast of Unleavened bread, on the anniversary of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection, that Titus, the Roman emperor’s son, beseiged Jerusalem with his legion of armies; this war, beginning with Cestius and finished by Titus, did destroy the city and the sanctuary as foretold; the determination decreed from heaven was not immediately executed in 34 AD, at the end of the 70 week prophecy. Rather, “until the end of the war, desolations are determined.” As Christ denounced the excessive abominations of the Jewish leaders, he departed from the temple, declaring, “Your house is left to you desolate.” (Matt. 23:38) He then began to declare how it would fall because of it’s desolation, choosing rather to continue in their sins, than receive the One by which they would have power to rise above them.
Thus, the determination was to be manifested in judgment, but not until every soul who could be saved from the impending judgment would come. From 34 AD to 70 AD, the invitation and warnings were sent heralded in Jerusalem. Yet those who desired their sins above the Savior would be “desolate”, to be swept away in the woes poured out upon the city. For this reason, the prophecy concludes, “And for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.” (Daniel 9:27)
Daniel 7: III-The Coronation of the Heavenly King
This article is the final study of Daniel 7, which is a three part lesson. To read pt. 1, click here. To read pt. 2, click here.
The second coming of Christ is spoken about in great depth in the Scriptures. Yet the Scriptures do not speak indistinctly about the great events taking place just before that scene dawns upon us. In fact, it is only because of the traditions and misconceptions of those who have not carefully studied the Scriptures that these things haven’t been properly understood. For this reason, the article will look at the little horn, the antichrist power, and the great scene of events unfolding in heaven which follows after the first judgment in 1798 AD.
In the last two articles, we showed clearly how the pagan nations which reigned over God’s people in their captivity were represented by four beasts, and the absolute and unavoidable identity of the antichrist that has entered into the professed Christian church. Regarding the pagan nations, the first beast, like a lion, depicted the two phases of Babylon; one as a capital of Assyria. This was when king Manasseh was taken there in 677BC as a slave; from that time forward, the heathen kingdoms reigned over God’s people, taxing and oppressing them heavily.
It was in 612BC, that the lion was made to stand; signifying that the capital of Assyria which was transferred to Nineveh was to fall, and Babylon would reign as the world empire in it’s stead. By 606BC, Babylon seized upon Jerusalem, and by 587BC, he deposed king Zedekiah and destroyed Jerusalem entirely. There was then given a word to the prophet Ezekiel that there should be none to sit on the throne of David, of the tribe of Judah, until Christ would be given it. “And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.” (Ezekiel 21:25-27)
The lion fell, and the bear arose, signifying the Medo-Persian empire. Then the leopard with four heads, signifying the Grecian empire. Then the devouring beast of the divided Roman Empire, which in 476AD, had ten parts to it. All of these reigned over God’s people. Each beast was symbolic of how man in the beginning lost his dominion of the earth, and fell to the serpent beast, which was lower than him, because of his sin. Likewise, the sins of Israel, who if faithful were to be sovereign, and independent “above all the nations of the earth” (Deut. 28:1), led to the their fall under pagan kingdoms, symbolized by beasts, reigning with a heavy hand over them. More than this, each beast was characteristic of the sacred beasts of the pagan gods; thus signifying the definite quality of their pagan dominions. This continued for 1260 years, until a new phase of power would arise to persecute God’s people.
From the fourth beast of the divided Roman Empire, the diverse little horn, more proud than his fellows arises, claiming great authority to alter God’s law. In the last article, we clearly showed that it was the Papacy that clearly outlined all of these marked characteristics unmistakably. Far from being called as God’s people, through ecumenical councils and forced conversion, they forced unconverted pagans into the worship of the Catholic churches. By this means, the church was converted to the world, and pagan doctrines and forms of worship came into the church. This little horn made “war with the saints” for 1260 years, or “a time (1), times (2), and a dividing of time (.5).” This leads us to two dates specifically: 1798 and 1844. One date was the completion of the seven times of Israel; the other of the remnant of Judah.
We saw in our lessons on Daniel 4 that when the northern kingdom fell into the hands of Assyria, it was for “seven times” that the heathen would reign over them; but in Daniel 7, only 3.5 times are mentioned as being under the Papal dominion of the little horn. Why was this? It was because 3.5 times of 1260 years were the exact amount of time the pagan dominion of the four beasts, which reigned before the little horn, reigned over God’s people as mentioned above. The little horn may seem like a small force to reckon with, but it actually reigned equally as long as the four great beasts before it.
The Scripture calls these two sections of 3.5 times (1260 years) of Gentile domination “the times of the Gentiles” (Luke 21:24). This is especially mentioned in Revelation 11: “But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot 42 months. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy 1260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” (Revelation 11:2-3)
The Papal dominion is marked out for it’s reign above the other horns of the European/Roman empire; whose “sight was to be master over his associates” (Daniel 7:20) This “sight” to be above the rest of the kings of the earth came about in the fifth century, when Augustine wrote the book “The City of God”. In this book, it suggested Christ had already taken the throne of David and was reigning from heaven (An assumption which the Scriptures never teach); and that He was reigning with a rod of iron through Roman throne of the Papal power. He suggested that it was the seat of Peter which sat upon the throne of Christ on earth vicariously; and that the church was already in the millennial reign with Christ in heaven. This doctrine made the eyes of the church to feel that it had authority to punish the kings of the earth, and to exercise their power over all the earth. Essentially, the Pope upon the throne was the “vicar of Christ”, or as it may be understood, “in the place of Christ” on the earth. It was this way that the Papal power began to believe it had equal authority to Christ. “ “Perhaps the boldest thing, the most revolutionary change the Church ever did, happened in the first century. The holy day, the Sabbath, was changed from Saturday to Sunday. ‘The day of the Lord’ was chosen, not from any direction noted in the Scriptures, but from the Church’s sense of its own power….People who think that the Scriptures should be the sole authority, should logically become Seventh-day Adventists and keep Saturday holy.” St. Catherine Church Sentinel, Algonac, Michigan, May 21, 1995
Daniel saw another event after the little horn was risen. “… behold, in this horn [The Papacy] were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. I beheld till the thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of days did sit…the judgment was set, and the books were opened.” (Daniel 7:8-10) A great tribunal judgment scene is opened before Daniel, as the little horn was reigning over the kings of the earth, great events are taking place from the time of 1798-1844. It was at this time that the little horn was to see it’s end. The time when the captivity of the tribe of Israel, and the captivity of the throne of David was expired. At this scene, Daniel gives further information. “I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.” (Daniel 7:21-22)
The heavenly tribunal seems to be connected with the time when the saints of God should receive their kingdoms again. In 1798, the period of waiting for Israel when they lost their land was over, and when the little horn had a preliminary judgment made against him. In 1844, the period of Judah’s captivity was over, but that captivity did not speak of the express loss of land, but the slavery of the throne of Judah, and the heavy hand of heathen oppression, which resulted many years later in the absolute removal of the crown of David and the loss of their land until it was to be given to the Lion of the tribe of Judah.
In connection with the great judgment scene, Daniel sees Christ, “the Son of man”, at the time of this judgment period, and he is receiving a kingdom and an everlasting dominion.
“I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13-14) In 1844, Christ, as Lion of the tribe of Judah, began the great coronation event, accompanied at the heavenly judgment scene, to receive the throne of David and an everlasting kingdom. This judgment scene event is accompanied with the message “that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him.”
In the Scriptures, it is referred to as the first angel’s message; the first portion of a threefold angelic message which goes to prepare people for the heavenly King’s return: “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” (Revelation 14:6-7) Before Christ’s everlasting dominion is established, this great judgment scene must finish it’s work with the final call to embrace the everlasting gospel. Christ will, at it’s conclusion, come, deliver the righteous living, raise the righteous dead, and execute judgment according to the law of heaven as the consummation of the event.
Yet in Revelation 13, we’re given the exact details of the little horn power as a beast which integrated all of the Pagan elements of the previous beasts. We are told that when it’s dominion expired, it received “a deadly wound”, which sustained the loss of political authority in 1798. It seemed that the Papacy was going to be forever suppressed in it’s power, but the prophecy was given: “his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.” (Rev. 13:4) So the little horn will receive it’s power back again, and we see that fulfilling now on the world stage. But the partial judgment made in 1798 will be more fully manifested.
“I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame…the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. ” (Daniel 7:11) The judgment will destroy the little horn’s dominion for the boastful authority he claimed to possess.
In 677BC: The king of Judah, on the throne of David, is carried captive into Babylon.
1260 years later…
In 584AD: The Papacy claims the right to the throne of David, who makes men captive to the doctrines of Babylon.
1260 years later…
In 1844AD: Christ begins receiving the throne of David as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, commencing a judgment which overthrows Babylon and it’s doctrines.
This coronation event will end with Christ’s return, being seated upon the throne of His glory (Matt. 19:28).
The pagan dominion reigned for 1260 years from the time of the ten tribes of Israel’s captivity in 722BC. At the end of this time, the Pope was given by emperor Justinian the throne of Rome in 538AD; exactly concluding the 1260 years of pagan dominion, and commencing the 1260 years of Papal dominion. This lasted until 1798 when the Pope, through General Berthier under the orders of atheistic France, took the Pope captive, and removing it’s boasted authority over the kings of the earth.
Yet in the tribe of Judah, we have another set of 1260 years beginning from 677BC, and not 722BC. It was 1260 years later that leads us to 584AD; it was this year that uprisings were happening among the Lombards of Europe, but also the time when titles of church authority in Eastern Rome began to arise. To address this, the Pope reaffirmed his authority, and emphasis regarding Papal infallibility was declared. That was the Pope could not err in matters of faith and morals, and to him was given the seat of Peter, who was the successor to the Davidic throne. The essential declaration is that the Pope had the authority of Christ Himself, and sat upon the throne of David, as the representative of the Lion of the tribe of Judah.
It was the church’s uniting with paganism, and the kings of this world that gave the Catholic church the title of in prophecy: “Babylon the great”. This papal power continued the Gentile legacy of ruling over God’s honest children, and leading them astray, all while claiming the authority of God to do it; thus the words were fulfilled that he “opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” (2 Thessalonians 2:4) In Babylon the great’s hand was the golden cup, but it was full of abominations, and the blood of the saints. Like Belshazzar, the Papacy took the pure golden articles of the Sanctuary, and mingled it with the pagan wine of heathen doctrines, and enforced them by the power of gentile kings. Thus paganism was Christianized and clothed in Christlike robes; it was concealed and not abolished. But alas, by the infallible decree of the Pope, her doctrines are immortalized, and punishable by death to the dissenter!
This portion of the 1260 years from 584AD to 1844AD was the effect of Papal authority upon the faithful church of God until the tribe of Judah should have it’s seven times fully accomplished. Then Christ began to take the scepter of His glory, where the number of His kingdom shall be made up in the end of the heavenly judgment scene.
Daniel 4: The Seven Times V- The Beasts of Prophecy
In the days of the Assyrian captivity in 677, after Manasseh king of Judah was made a slave in Babylon, the capital of Assyria, an attempt at reform was made. Despite the efforts made to reform the evil that was brought about by the wicked kings of Israel, the current of evil was too strong upon the kingdom of Judah. The Assyrian kingdom was divided after the death of it’s king, Ashurbanipal, and Egypt struggled for the supremacy against the uprising power of Babylon. The empirical dominance of Babylon rose at this time, and Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon, was given a prominent role on the world stage. Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiakim, king of Judah, “and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.” (2 Chronicles 36:6-8) One last king was to reign upon the throne, Zedekiah, the brother of Jehoiakim. Although the remnant of Judah could not be restored from their vassal state under the heathen nations, the God of Israel desired their good. He raised up prophets to instruct them in the way they should go. But Zedekiah scorned the warnings of Jeremiah the prophet, and hardened himself against his counsel to submit themselves under Nebuchadnezzar’s rule. Only in submission would they find safety, because they were in rebellion to the God of heaven, and He allowed them to be placed under the power of the heathen nations from 677 BC onward.
Instead, Zedekiah rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar by seeking an alliance with Egypt, that they would have strength of army, to overcome him. “Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon is come to Jerusalem, and hath taken the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and led them with him to Babylon; And hath taken of the king’s seed, and made a covenant with him, and hath taken an oath of him: he hath also taken the mighty of the land: That the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping of his covenant it might stand.”
(Ezekiel 17:12-14)
In order to preserve them, and keep them humble, he allowed them to be carried away into Babylon.; now the worldwide empire.
The Most High God relented that this should be their case, and pleaded through prophets as to their course of action, to subdue the severity of the hand of the heathen over them. “And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.”
(2 Chronicles 36:15-16)
As a result of this, Zedekiah was brought to Babylon, with many other princes of Judah, including the prophet Daniel, who was made a eunuch. This was the result of Manasseh’s wickedness, according to Jeremiah: “And I will cause them to be removed into all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem…” (Jeremiah 14:4) The prophet Daniel acknowledged the seven times judgment written in the law of Moses: “Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.” (Daniel 9:11)
From this time forward, there was not to be a king to sit upon the throne of David until “He cometh whose right it is”, according to the word of Ezekiel the prophet: “And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.”
(Ezekiel 21:25-27)
So at the Babylonian captivity, Judah lost the throne entirely, and only when the Messiah is given it from the Father, where He reigns and executes judgment according to righteousness shall there be One to wear the reign and be crowned of Judah. From this time, there are seven major kingdoms that reign over God’s people before Christ returns. These heathen dominions are referred to as “beasts” in Bible prophecy (See Daniel 7:23). These beasts are especially brought to view in Daniel 7 with it’s four beasts, and Revelation 13, with it’s two beasts, and the final one in Revelation 17. These seven are detailed as one kingdom represented by Satan in Revelation 17; where it declares “There are seven kings, five are fallen, one is, and the other is not yet come…” (Rev. 17:10). These kings are as follows:
(1) Assyrian/Babylonian Empire
(2) Medo-Persia
(3) Greece
(4) Pagan Roman Empire
(5) Papal Europe/Roman Empire
(6) The United States of America
(7) The United Nations
After this time, the last of them, the United Nations, is the seventh which is “not yet come”; meaning at the time which the vision brings to view, they have no political power. The United Nations is spoken of as “ten kings”: “And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.” (Revelation 17:12-13) These kings have “one mind”, though they had not yet come in the vision. Therefore, they are united kings/united nations. Many refer to this as the “new world order”.
When coming into power, they will make war against Christ by uniting against His people, according to the word of Revelation 17:14. “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.”
(Revelation 17:14)
Thus, the Lord Jesus, having finished the great coronation of heaven, will return at this time, and “shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” (Matt. 24:31) and execute the judgment of His government as King over all the earth. Then shall be fulfilled the promise: “That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee. If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee: And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers.” (Deuteronomy 30:3-5)
The objection might be raised, “But wasn’t Judah restored after the Babylonian captivity to their land?” And we answer: Never with a king to sit on the throne, and never with sovereign independence, which shall not be seen in any great measure until Christ returns. Said Nehemiah: “Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us…since the time of the kings of Assyria (677BC) unto this day. Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us; for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly:…Behold, we are servants this day, and for the land that thou gavest unto our fathers…we are servants in it: And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins: also they have dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we are in great distress.” (Nehemiah 9:32-33, 36-37) Even Nehemiah recognized after returning from the Assyrian and Babylonian captivity, things were not the same.
At the beginning of the seven times of beastly dominion, the crown was taken away from God’s people, and they were driven out of their land into every nation because of wickedness. At the end of the seven times of beastly dominion, the power of the beast shall be destroyed. The image of the beast will be put down and the image of God restored in man; the crown restored to God’s people, and they shall be gathered because of Christ their righteousness, and “they shall reign with Him a thousand years.” (Rev. 20:6)
To see the previous articles for this subject, click on the links below:
The Judgment of Seven Times I: The Prophecy of Nebuchadnezzar
The Judgement of Seven Times II: The Fall of Man
The Judgment of Seven Times III: The Northern Kingdom
The Judgment of Seven Times IV: The Southern Kingdom
The Judgment of Seven Times V: The Beasts of Prophecy
Daniel 4: The Seven Times IV- The Southern Kingdom
The Southern kingdom of Judah fell into apostasy as their northern sister Israel did. Isaiah prophesied of the captivity to king Hezekiah, who sat on the throne of David of the tribe of Judah: “And Isaiah said unto Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD. Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried into Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD. And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon… And Hezekiah slept with his fathers: and Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.” (2 Kings 20:16-18) Under the moving of the Spirit, Isaiah foresaw how his throne would be carried into Babylon, and “thy sons…which thou shalt beget, shall they take away…”; this happened under two distinct and separate parts.
Judah, unlike Israel who came under the Assyrian yoke and was scattered, was still sovereign and independant in the 7th century BC. But when Hezekiah died, a wicked son arose and undid all of the reforms of the righteous kinds before him.
“And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel. For he build up again the high places which his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal…”
(2 Kings 21:2)
He further made graven images, worshipped and served the sun, moon, and stars, erecting altars to them in the temple of God; he made his son to pass through the fires of Moloch; observed times, used enchantments, dealt with familiar spirits and wizards. Manasseh, king of Judah, was a greatly wicked man, and “seduced them to do more evil than did the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel.” (2 Kings 21:9)
Therefore, it was determined that a judgment, like the judgment from the king of Assyria that came upon Israel would befall Judah, His remnant people: “And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria (Israel), and the plummet of the house of Ahab: and I will wipe Jerusalem…turning it upside down. And I will forsake the remnant of mine inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies…”
(2 Kings 21:13-14)
“And the LORD spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken. Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.”
(2 Chronicles 33:10-11)
Manasseh was made a slave in Babylon, as a partial fulfillment of the word spoken by Isaiah the prophet in 677 BC. From this time, marked the captivity of Judah. Never again was Judah to have it’s sovereign independance; Manasseh the king repented of his evils late in his life, and was reinstated to the throne of Judah, but Judah was made a vassal state under Assyrian dominance, paying an annual tribute to the powerful empire.
From this time, seven times of 2520 years (7×360) would pass over until the period of 1844 AD, when Christ, of the tribe of Judah, “came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him…”; this coronation event is one that takes place from 1844 AD until the time when He shall “come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory…” (Matthew 25:31) Christ will begin to take the throne of David as the lion of the Tribe of Judah, the throne which Manasseh, king of Judah, subjected to heathen nations by rebellion, and a great judgment scene takes place, as revealed more specifically in Daniel 7 & 8.
At this time, those who recognized the great heavenly tribunal and coronation taking place, with it’s decisive work to taking place, were numbered as the spiritual descendants of Judah; raising up “the remnant…which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Rev. 12:17) The “testimony of Jesus Christ” was to be restored in the word of prophecy to His people, and in 1844, visions and dreams came to those who, through the diligent study of the Scriptures and prophecy, saw that Christ entered upon this great final event and Messianic work before coming again as “Lord of lords, and King of kings”. In a special sense, the light of Christ came to His own who received Him. And “what advantage then hath the Jew?…Much every way; chiefly, because the oracles of God have been committed unto them.” (Romans 3:1-2) A great restoration of knowledge took place that made a great and wide distinction between these who knew the Scriptures and could explain them, from those in the other “tribes”; so much that as was said by Christ to the Samarian woman of the tribe of Ephraim, “Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.” (John 4:22) This class were diligently studying the Scriptures to prepare for Christ’s return, and became known as Adventists. Many, in seeing the corruptions that have come in their own “tribes” as with ancient Israel, went to join the remnant people, who had more light on the prophecies, law and grace, being acquainted with Christ’s high priestly ministry and work in the heavenly Sanctuary. Even now, when Judah, like Israel, became more corrupt, in it was still preserved much light and served as a temporary bulwark for the tribes of Israel which came out of national apostasy. Even today, many testify that this is the case amongst Adventists in how they handle the Scriptures.
IN SUMMARY
At the beginning of 677 BC, the king of Judah was brought into captivity by the pagan king of Assyria for wickedness. The reason Judah had a physical king was because of their demand for it to be like the heathen nations who had a fleshly king; but Christ said “they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them…” (1 Sam. 8:7); this demand of His people led to the Assyrian king eventually reigning over them in 677 BC, and then eventually, to when the Jews would crucify Him, declaring, “We have no king but Caesar!”
At the ending of the seven times, in 1844 AD, the rightful King of Judah was brought before the King of the Universe, to receive honor, and glory, and a crown that shall never fade away for His righteousness; signifying the closing prophetic scenes before this great event is finished, and raising up a people who would have spiritual advantages to protest the interposition of “Caesar” in the final days in the mark of the beast crisis before Christ’s return, if they prove faithful.
To see the next prophetic application (or to review the previous), click on the links below:
The Judgment of Seven Times I: The Prophecy of Nebuchadnezzar
The Judgement of Seven Times II: The Fall of Man
The Judgment of Seven Times III: The Northern Kingdom
The Judgment of Seven Times IV: The Southern Kingdom
The Judgment of Seven Times V: The Beasts of Prophecy
Daniel 4: The Seven Times- The Northern Kingdom
In the last article, we looked at how the seven times prophecy of Daniel 4 has a general application to the fall of man. Yet there is a more definite and distinct seven times that is more specific than the general fall of man. The kingdom on the earth which was specifically ordained to fulfill God’s purposes on the earth was the kingdom of Israel, which consisted of twelve tribes who entered into the land of Canaan. However, when they demanded a king to be like the other nations, they rejected their heavenly king. In this request, there was a most grievous prophecy: “…make us a king to judge us like all the nations.” The Israelites desired a physical king that they could see, rather than the heavenly King, which was invisible to mortal sight. In response to this, God declared, “…they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.” (1 Samuel 8:5-7)
It was this demand for a king that led to anointing Saul as king. Yet his course was grievous in the sight of the Lord, because he was disobedient to His voice, and set this example before the people. For this reason, David of the tribe of Judah was made king; but David lusted after Bathsheba, impregnated her in an adulterous affair, and killed her husband. Though David repented, the king’s son, Solomon, had had inherited the same weakness for women. In his reign over Israel, he joined himself to many heathen women. “But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love…For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.” (1 Kings 11:1-2, 4)
This departure taught Israel to sin, and it was prophesied to Solomon that the kingdom would be divided into two: “Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.” (1 Kings 11:11) From Solomon’s son was taken ten tribes of twelve, leaving a remnant of two tribes, and were given to Solomon’s general, Jeroboam, of the tribe of Ephraim, son of Joseph.
They were divided into two kingdoms because of the sins of the tribes, because of the sins of Solomon, because of David, who was because they demanded a king. They were well on their way to becoming like the nations around them, to be judged (and condemned) like the nations which knew not the God of Israel. The northern kingdom under Jeroboam consisted of ten tribes, while the southern consisted of only two who were more righteous and were set apart as a remnant: Judah and Benjamin. Almost all the prophets, save three from Isaiah to Malachi, were raised up during this time period to call the tribes of God’s people to repentance, with special messages of truth for Israel and Judah; this is the context and true setting of the majority of the writings of the prophets. Despite the words of the prophets, they failed to humble themselves, and fulfill the Most High’s purposes on the earth.
Of the seven times of judgment, the warning was given: “And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you. And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.” (Leviticus 26:17) This happened to Israel by the king of Assyria who took them captive and drove them out from their land, much like Nebuchadnezzar when he was driven out.
“In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes….And the king of Assyria did carry away Israel unto Assyria and put them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes: because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD their God, but transgressed His covenant, and all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded and would not hear them, nor do them.” (2 Kings 17:3–6, 18:11-12) When this happened, Assyria, which came from the north, who had scattered Israel, was the Northern kingdom (Zeph. 2:13). Then Babylon who succeeded Assyria was fro the North (Jer. 4:6-7). Then the Medes and the Persians were also raised up from the North (Jer. 51:48). The kingdoms of prophecy, which had, in a special manner, dominion over God’s people have almost consistently been referred to as from the North. In fact, Ezra the scribe referred to Xerxes, who had issued the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem “the king of Assyria”. “… the LORD had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.” (Ezra 6:22) This is a legacy that continues throughout Daniel 11 until the restitution of all things.
The ten tribes were driven from their land, and their king was taken into captivity. This was to continue seven times. In 1798, a prophecy ended (which you can read about in Daniel 7 and Revelation 13) that was for 3.5 times (42 months/1260 prophetic days). It ended at the very end of the seven times from 722BC, when the ten tribes went into captivity; approximately 2520 years from the time of their captivity leads us perfectly to the end of these time prophecies in 1798AD. The ten tribes were to constitute those who were coming into light of the obedience of the gospel, to “be reformed”, and light from God was shining more and more. In the Scriptures, the blessing is always given to the spiritual seed, in preference to the physical seed; moreover, the principle of the natural Israel comes first, then the spiritual: “Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.” (1 Corinthians 15:46) To those who do the works, the promises are given (See John 8:39). It wasn’t the firstborn Esau that received the inheritance, but Jacob. Not Ishmael, but Isaac. Not Reuben, but Judah. Likewise, it wasn’t the unbelieving Jews, but the believing Gentiles who embraced the faith of the believing Jew who received the promise and were grafted in to Israel. For spiritual Israel, a promise of restoration would be given.
As Nebuchadnezzar was restored at the end of the seven times, so the spiritual Israel was to be in some manner restored. At this time in the late 1700’s, we see Protestant America arising, founded upon the principles of Protestantism which separated it from priestly intolerance and kingly oppression. We will speak more in detail about this in Daniel 11; but it is America in Bible prophecy that comes up as a lamb, after 1260 years of pagan and 1260 years of papal captivity. “He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb…” (Revelation 13:10-11)
At the beginning of the seven times, we see a land removed. At the end, we see a land given “like unto a lamb”. We see Israel lose their freedom, sovereignty and independence; at the end, we see a nation founded upon Protestant principles of liberty of conscience and a declaration of independence arising, severing the iron heel of monarchy in Europe. At the beginning, we see a people who despise his prophets and hate his reproof. At the end, a people who want the Bible and the Bible only as their rule of faith and God as their judge. We see the rebellious request for a king (which led them into sin) being taken away; and afterwards, a people who desire God alone to be their king, and to live in a country without kings. Thus was the prophecy of Hosea to the ten tribes of Israel fulfilled: “O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in Me is thine help. I will be thy King: where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes? I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath.” (Hosea 13:9-11)
While He “rooted them out of their land in anger”, God “cast them forth into another land, as it is this day.” (Deuteronomy 29:28)
The book of 2 Esdras 13, there contains a prophecy to Ezra about the ten tribes:
“And whereas thou sawest that he gathered another peaceable multitude unto him; Those are the ten tribes, which were carried away prisoners out of their own land in the time of Osea the king, whom Salmanasar the king of Assyria led away captive, and he carried them over the waters, and so came they into another land. But they took this counsel among themselves, that they would leave the multitude of the heathen, and go forth into a further country, where never mankind
dwelt, That they might there keep their statutes, which they never kept in their own land. And they entered into Euphrates by the narrow places of the river. For the most High then shewed signs for them, and held still the flood, till they were passed over. For through that country there was a great way to go, namely, of a year and a half: and the same region is called Arsareth (In Hebrew: Akh-air’ Eh’-rets, which being interpreted means “Another land”). Then dwelt they there until the latter time; and now when they shall begin to come, The Highest shall stay the springs of the stream again, that they may go through: therefore sawest thou the multitude with peace.” (2 Esdra 13:39-47) From this time, the Christian church was released from a violent and oppressive period, where they could declare the gospel and where the truths of the Bible could be opened up more fully to their understanding than in the dark ages. From 722BC to 1798AD, we may rightly identify spiritual Israel as those churches who from 1798 began to earnestly study the Word of God for light and proclaim the gospel of Christ; the land of freedom was to be the United States. This was the case for spiritual Israel who had gone through the bands of iron and brass of oppression during the times of the Gentiles, and being loosed them from being bound.
Bear in mind, this is not Judah, whose captivity was a distinct and separate experience. In fact, when Israel went astray because of apostasy, it was then that it was divided, and given the king Jeroboam of the tribe of Ephraim. Jeroboam as king over Israel had made an eighth month feast, and set aside the divinely appointed seventh month feast. Moreover, he set up his own sanctuary; his own priesthood. It was because of this corruption that many from the land of Israel left their native inhabitants to join themselves to Judah and to keep their feasts, even as Abraham left Ur of his family who had been engulfed in idolatry. Even Israel of this last day has it’s counterpart, and will join with Judah upon the revelation of the corruption in the various churches. Even now, many have joined themselves to Judah. Who is Judah identified as? Look at the next article to find out.
To see the next prophetic application (or to review the previous), click on the links below:
The Judgment of Seven Times I: The Prophecy of Nebuchadnezzar
The Judgement of Seven Times II: The Fall of Man
The Judgment of Seven Times III: The Northern Kingdom
The Judgment of Seven Times IV: The Southern Kingdom
The Judgment of Seven Times V: The Beasts of Prophecy
Daniel 4: The Seven Times II- The Fall of Man
In the chapter of Daniel 4, we are introduced to a prophecy related by the dream of Nebuchadnezzar. While Daniel gave the personal application of the vision, but there were various prophetic applications of the seven times judgment which came from the law of God, as written in Leviticus 26. If these applications are understood properly, they will yield more light and understanding to the study of the book of Daniel, and to the Bible overall by revealing a wonderful internal consistency, both historically and prophetically, that no man-made narrative could accomplish.
Every single one of these “seven times” is accompanied with parallel events. Doubtless, many more parallels can be drawn from the inspired prophetic picture, but the most relevant ones are the ones we desire to draw upon. These primarily we want to draw upon from Daniel 4, as mentioned in the previous article:
1) The flourishing of a righteous dominion that fulfills God’s purposes on earth is likened to a tree.
2) The tree was cut down because of pride and rebellion against the light of heaven.
3) The tree had a band of iron and brass around the stump, not being destroyed, but spared in part.
4) Seven times was the duration of the judgment.
5) When it began, it was classified as the king being “driven out”; and likened with a beast.
6) When the first dominion was restored, the king was lowly in heart.
The first “seven times” we will examine with the above points. It began with the righteous dominion that was first given to Adam. God made Adam in His image. “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” (Genesis 1:26) God gave Adam the “dominion”, and it was righteous, being in His image. And he flourished: “Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.” The righteous tree was established with the dominion of Adam. Abiding in the manner the heavenly King established him, he would fulfill the purposes he was designed for.
Adam and Eve were to have dominion over the beasts; the beasts were not to have dominion over them.
God and Christ had dominion over them only, so long as they honored His Word. But Adam and Eve transgressed. Eve failed to obey the Word of God, and instead obeyed the words of a serpent, a beast under her dominion. Adam then fell to Eve, who had fallen to the beast. Thus, the image of God was destroyed in man, “And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.” (Romans 1:23) It was after this, that Satan became “the god of this world”. It was Satan’s pride that caused him to enter Eden, and use the serpent beast as a medium to cause man to transgress. He wanted the kingdom for himself like the king of Babylon’s pride when Babylon fell (Isaiah 14:1-4,12-14). So “He drove out the man…” (Gen. 3:24) as Nebuchadnezzar was driven out to the beasts of the field; heaven’s companionship and the righteous dominion was no longer man’s portion.
Since that time, we’ve been on the earth six thousand years as God allows pride and iniquity to have an end, and to impress His own image and likeness upon man once more. One thousand years is allotted for the great millennium of Sabbath rest, when the land shall lie desolate according to the law of God. The Scriptures liken a thousand years to a day, beginning from the first coming of the Messiah. “Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.” (Hosea 6:1-2) It will be for the “third day” (the final thousandth year of the seven times), the millennium, that we shall live in His sight.
After the seven times of thousand year periods, a new heavens and a new earth shall be created: “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” (2 Peter 3:13) The earth was not immediately destroyed. The stump remained. Man was allowed to pass over seven thousand years as a consequence of sin. The kingdoms of iron and brass have impressed their hard image upon the earth, and this will continue until sin is destroyed forever after the final time of a thousand years. Then shall righteousness dwell in the earth again, “And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.” (Micah 4:8)
In those days after the millenium, Christ shall reign over all the earth, and rebellion shall not be found forever; the righteous and flourishing dominion given to Adam has been restored. Thus we see a righteous dominion in the beginning. Being changed into the image of a beast and driven out because of transgression. The seven times is past over the earth. The dominion is fully restored. Therefore, Nebuchadnezzar’s pride was a type of Satan whose dominion will be cut down forever for his sins. And his humility as a type of Christ when He reigns in His glory on the throne of David in the earth made new.
The fact that this initial application is in the very beginning of the Bible, speaks of four strong points that should not go unnoticed.
(1) The judgment as given in the law of Moses was applicable for transgression even at this tme.
(2) The judgment occurs in violation of the covenant between God and man. Therefore the covenant Adam was in that he transgressed was the everlasting covenant.
(3) The manner of redemption in the everlasting covenant when it is violated is still the same at the end as it was in the beginning.
(4) The promises of the everlasting covenant are promises of restoration of the blessing of how it was in the beginning had man not sinned.
To see the next prophetic application (or to review the previous), click on the links below:
The Judgment of Seven Times I: The Prophecy of Nebuchadnezzar
The Judgement of Seven Times II: The Fall of Man
The Judgment of Seven Times III: The Northern Kingdom
The Judgment of Seven Times IV: The Southern Kingdom
The Judgment of Seven Times V: The Beasts of Prophecy
Daniel 4: The Judgment of Seven Times I
In the fourth chapter of Daniel, we find Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, declaring throughout his kingdom the signs and wonders that the Most High God had done for him. This declaration was a public confession of salvation which the God of heaven had wrought for the king despite his persistent rebellion against His revelation of Himself to the monarch. It was this public declaration which his grandson Belshazzar would later proudly rebel against, and cause the kingdom to fall. (Daniel 5:21-22)
Nebuchadnezzar declared: “I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.” (Daniel 4:5) A prophecy revealing the manifold wisdom of God and His judgments was shown to the king. Daniel, because his God was “a God of gods, and a revealer of secrets” (Dan. 2:48) was promoted to be “Master of the magicians” (Dan. 4:9), thereby having influence to teach the ways of God to the heathen.
“Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream. Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof.” (Daniel 4:6-7)
It was evident that despite what they had learned, they were not ready to speak to Nebuchadnezzar regarding the interpretation of his dream. Daniel, as Master over the magicians, was given the responsibility of declaring the matter to him. The wise men of Babylon, apparently troubled by the dream of Nebuchadnezzar and not willing to give the interpretation, called upon him because “no secret troubleth” him.
“But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and before him I told the dream, saying, O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof.” (Daniel 4:8-9)
“Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great. The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth: The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it.” (Daniel 4:10-12)
Daniel likened this tree to Nebuchadnezzar, as the dream was for him personally; yet the tree and the surrounding implications meant more than this. “It is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong: for thy greatness is grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth.” (Daniel 4:22)
The tree was symbolic of a righteous dominion under the reign of Nebuchadnezzar. To Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel explained that “the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all.” (Dan. 2:37-38) Yet why was the dominion symbolized by a tree? It is because “The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.”
(Psalms 92:12) Remember, when Nebuchadnezzar had this dream, he said “I was…flourishing in my palace.” (Daniel 4:4) Therefore the tree was symbolic of that dominion which the God of heaven gave into his hands while he reigned righteously, according to the light that He permitted to shine upon him. Yet it is not only symbolic of Nebuchadnezzar’s dominion; the personal interpretation for Nebuchadnezzar was more for God’s people at “the time of the end”. After explaining the rest of the dream, we will look at briefly at five other ways this dream is interpreted according to the Scriptures.
“I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven; He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches:…” (Daniel 4:13-14) We see that the dominion of Nebuchadnezzar is cut down, that he will not be flourishing; for this to occur, Nebuchadnezzar must rebel against the light the Most High has crowned him with. The “Watcher and Holy One” shall make a judgment for the king’s sake. “Nevertheless leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth:…” (Daniel 4:15)
The stump was not to be uprooted from the earth. Daniel explained: “whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule.” The kingdom of Babylon here was not to be entirely destroyed. It is Christ’s desire to save, and not destroy (Luke 9:56), pleading with the Father “Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants’ sakes, that I may not destroy them all.” (Isaiah 65:8) Nebuchadnezzar was to learn that the heavens do rule, and the Most High cannot bless unrighteousness; his portion was to “be with the beasts in the grass of the earth” until he learned this lesson. The judgment decree continued: “Let his heart be changed from man’s, and let a beast’s heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him.” The word for “time” means “a year”; and for seven years, Nebuchadnezzar was to lose his consciousness as a man, and become as a beast of the field for seven years.
Why was this judgment pronounced upon Nebuchadnezzar? The Most High God saw within Nebuchadnezzar the willingness to follow Him, but his pride and unbelief hindered him continually from obeying the light. We are told that “This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.” (Daniel 4:17) The Sovereign of the Universe abases the proud, and exalts the humble, giving the kingdom into their hands; for so Christ declared: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5) Infinite wisdom, goodness, and mercy made a determination to purge Nebuchadnezzar’s character that it might be polished in a manner that would make him fit to reign in heavenly places.
It came to pass that Nebuchadnezzar did indeed fall into this judgment. “All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.” (Daniel 4:28-32)
It was the king’s pride that revealed his condition. He had failed to fear God and give glory to Him; when this occurred, the judgment fell upon him. Seven years this went over Nebuchadnezzar, and then after being driven out, and having the kingdom depart from him, it was restored in his humility. “And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:…Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.”
(Daniel 4:34-37) Many truly think that’s all there is to this vision. There is no prophecy to be had in it past Nebuchadnezzar. That there is a good life lesson, but little more to had from it. Understand however, that Daniel declared the personal interpretation to him, but did not give the prophetic interpretation.
I want you to take notice of several things in this vision. As we will go over them again and again in the prophetic interpretation.
1) The flourishing of a righteous dominion that fulfills God’s purposes on earth is likened to a tree.
2) The tree was cut down because of pride and rebellion against the light of heaven.
3) The tree had a band of iron and brass around the stump, not being destroyed, but spared in part.
4) Seven times was the duration of the judgment.
5) When it began, it was classified as the king being “driven out”.
6) When the first dominion was restored, the king was lowly in heart.
Why was this judgment given “by decree of the watchers and the demand of the holy ones”? It is because the angels had marked the course of Nebuchadnezzar, eve as Christ, the heavenly Watcher beholds the children of men. The holy ones saw that judgment was necessary, and those who beheld Nebuchadnezzar’s course declare the measure of judgment. But how did they judge? They judged according to the law of God.
“If ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass:…” (Leviticus 26:18-19) The pride of power in Nebuchadnezzar was broken, and seven times passed over him, with the band of iron and brass around his dominion; symbols of judgment.
Yet this “seven times” was given to His people expressly “if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant…” (Leviticus 26:15) This reveals that, heaven judges according to the law of God (often called the law of Moses with it’s statutes and judgments).
It would be careless of us to think there is nothing more in Daniel 4 but a good moral lesson. It can easily be proven that the interpretation given was the personal application of the prophecy and not the main prophetic application. In prophecy, a symbolic vision or dream of “time” always speaks of prophetic periods of time, and not literal time. Literal time poses many problems to many of the symbolic prophecies that the Scripture gives. A day in Bible prophecy equals a year according to Leviticus 25, Ezekiel 4:6, and Numbers 14:34. More than this, a time is a year’s worth of days; on the calendar God gave in the beginning, a Scriptural year was 360 days. Therefore seven times is seven years, and seven years is seven multiplied by 360. This equates to a totality of 2520 prophetic days/years.
Does that seem like a long space of time? It would be a great judgment against a most offensive crime to punish for 2520 years. Yet that being said, not all “seven times” in Leviticus 26 referred to actual periods of time either, but rather a sevenfold punishment. Time is merely one application of the judgment which can take many diverse forms. We will examine four of the most complete prophetic interpretations of this prophecy. To do this, we will examine the six points of criteria above for each. Bearing in mind the tree symbolizing a righteous dominion, and the cutting down of it for seven times as the judgment thereof.
To see the prophetic applications of these, click on the links below:
The Judgment of Seven Times I: The Prophecy of Nebuchadnezzar
The Judgement of Seven Times II: The Fall of Man
The Judgment of Seven Times III: The Northern Kingdom
The Judgment of Seven Times IV: The Southern Kingdom
The Judgment of Seven Times V: The Beasts of Prophecy
Daniel 10: Michael the Great Prince
Daniel had a laid out a course of humbling himself to understand deep and hidden things which came as a revelation from God. We are told that the secret things belong unto the God of heaven, but those things which are revealed belong unto us, and to our children. It is our privilege to be as the children of Daniel, to whom many secret things were revealed. From Daniel’s time, we’ve inherited prophecies from the fourth chapter of Daniel, the seventh chapter, with the eighth and ninth. Each one builds upon the other; Daniel relating the eighth to the seventh in the introduction to this vision: “In the third year of the reign of Belshazzar, a vision appeared unto me…after that which appeared unto me at the first.” (Daniel 8:1) In this article, we will be laying a foundation for understanding the prophecy of Daniel 11, whilst answering the question: Who is Michael the archangel?
Two years prior, Daniel had received a vision of the rise and fall of kingdoms, with details regarding the establishment of the kingdom of God. This vision repeated some details of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, but expanded on it. It further brought to view some details of a mysterious prophecy of judgment related in Daniel chapter four. Yet the “repeat and enlarge” principle of the visions and dreams of Daniel’s book continued in the eighth chapter, which built upon certain details of the seventh chapter of Daniel. The ninth chapter of Daniel was giving a critical understanding of the eighth chapter of Daniel after he was overcome by the force of the vision, because he “was astonished at the vision, but none understood it” (Daniel 8:27). Yet Daniel sought for still more understanding of the great unfolding of revelation revealed to him already in chapter nine (why is explained later in this article). This is where chapter ten begins to expand upon the proper understanding of the previous prophecies. And it will be this understanding which lays a foundation for understanding the final three chapters of Daniel. Since we are building upon the foundation of the former prophecies, now might be a good time to review those prophecies if you haven’t already:
Daniel 2: Unlocking the Forgotten Dream of Prophecy
Daniel 4: The Judgment of Seven times
Daniel 7: The Rise and Fall of Empires
Daniel 7: The Identity of the Antichrist
Daniel 8: Entering into the Holiest of all
Daniel 9: The Coming of Messiah the Prince
“In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision.”(Daniel 10:1) Daniel had been taken as a captive in Babylon; he desperately anticipated the emancipation of his people who had gone into captivity for their sins. Formerly, the king of Assyria had scattered the northern kingdom of Israel in 722BC who “went a whoring after the gods of the people of the land” (1 Chronicles 5:25) [As explained in Daniel 4].
The king had further made a slave of the king Manasseh, who sat on the throne of David of the tribe of Judah, whose kingdom was in the south. He was carried away into Babylon, the capital of Assyria in 677-676BC. When he was permitted to return, the southern kingdom of Judah was to pay heavy taxes under the Assyrian yoke. But they persisted in their rebellion still, and when Nebuchadnezzar II overthrew Assyria, he required Judah’s submission under him. The prophet Jeremiah foretold their destruction if they revolted against Nebuchadnezzar, but they despised his words. As a result, the king of Babylon carried Daniel and many other Hebrews away captive, and later destroyed Jerusalem. From the north, the king of Babylon razed the northern kingdom of Judah to the ground (Jeremiah 4:5-6).
After Babylon fell to the Medes and Persians from the north (Jeremiah 50:1-3), Cyrus and Darius reigned jointly together. Now Cyrus had issued a decree that the temple in Jerusalem should be built, and it’s foundation laid. Yet Daniel was not satisfied. His people were still under bondage to the heathen nation; the once sovereign and independent nation no longer had a king to sit upon the throne of David, according to the prophecy of the prophet Ezekiel during the captivity of Babylon (Ezekiel 21:25-27). The land still was lying desolate. The Messiah was to be seated upon the throne of David someday, but every evidence to Daniel was that this great reign of the everlasting kingdom was an event very far off.
It was under these circumstances that Daniel said “a thing was revealed to Daniel…the thing was true, but the time appointed was long.” That “time appointed” in Hebrew is better translated as “warfare”; Daniel saw, from the matter revealed to him, that there was a great warfare before the everlasting kingdom would be established and “stand forever” (Daniel 2:44); before Messiah the Prince would be seated upon the throne of David, and reign in everlasting righteousness; before the “the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.” (Daniel 7:22) This warfare is explained in great detail in the eleventh chapter of Daniel, which continues from chapter ten.
Originally, to God’s commandment keeping people, God promised if they walked in righteousness before Him that He would set them “above all nations of the earth” (Deut. 28:1). But now, it seems the pagan nations were to reign above them. It was in anticipation of this great deliverance and promise that made the disciples ask the Messiah, “Will you now, at this time, restore the kingdom unto Israel?” (Acts 1:6) What was the Lord’s response? “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has put in His own power…” (Acts 1:7) Shall that promise ever be fulfilled to the people of God? Daniel wonderfully exclaimed as he saw king Nebuchadnezzar’s vision the one who “changeth times and seasons, who removeth kings, and setteth up kings.” (Dan. 2:21)
Daniel’s petition was to better understand the vision of the 2300 day prophecy, and the relating matters which were revealed in earlier revelations. We know from the Hebrew that it was the vision of Daniel 8, and not the dreams previous to this time that Daniel was most eager to know about. In the Hebrew, this vision is called the “chazon” vision; this vision is only mentioned as accompanied with a vision in Daniel 8, explained in chapter 9, and made reference to in the answers from a mighty angel, whose name is Gabriel, in chapters 10 & 11. We can be most certain that “the thing” and understanding Daniel was given therefore was regarding Daniel chapter 8 & 9.
What did Daniel come to understand about Daniel 8 & 9? Daniel painfully came to understand that the 2300 day prophecy was in fact 2300 years, and set himself to fast until he received answers. How did Daniel come to learn the prophecy of eighth chapter was 2300 hundred years, and not 2300 literal days? It was because he fainted without getting an answer. He petitioned to know the beginning of the time when the vision of the 2300 days would begin. The following year, the first year of Darius & Cyrus, it was revealed to him as he sought for understanding, and the period of 70 weeks (490 days) was given him to bring in the first coming of the Messiah, and the rebuilding of Jerusalem. In literal days, this would have been little over a year. To Daniel’s disappointment, two years later in the third year of Cyrus, the thing had not even come close to taking place. With sobering realization, he saw the words of Gabriel from the eighth in a clear light: “And the vision [chazon] of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days.” (Daniel 8:26) Daniel knew without a doubt that it was years, and not days, as pertaining to the 490 day and 2300 day prophecy. This is why he said “the third year of Cyrus…a thing was revealed to Daniel…the thing was true, but the time appointed was long.” (Daniel 10:1)
In answer to Daniel’s petitions to better understand the chazon vision, a mighty angel came down from heaven, having great power and lighted with the glory of God; so great that it shook the earth, and many of Daniel’s companions would not endure the sight of it. The angel, Gabriel, would now remind Daniel of the lengthiness of the matter, while also unfolding the impending warfare brought upon God’s people for continual apostasy from truth. “Now I (Gabriel) am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision (chazon) is for many days.” (Daniel 10:14) Daniel’s people were the tribes of Israel; specifically, of the tribe of Judah, concerning which the Lion of Judah, Messian the Prince, came. The understanding that Gabriel was to impart, was chiefly to make known the events which should “befall thy people”, and lead to the everlasting rule of Messiah the Prince, and when He would take the throne of David.
Remember, this is what “thing” was revealed to Daniel in the third year of Cyrus:
(1) The lengthy duration of the time prophecies.
(2) What should befall God’s people.
(3) The developments which take place before Christ takes the throne of David and reigns forever.
Therefore the thing revealed by Gabriel must definitely deal with the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel in their captivity under the dominion of the pagan, secular, and papal rulership; given that this was what Daniel 2, 4, 7, and 8, speaks at length regarding in their prophecies. As with those previous prophecies, the understanding given is to “repeat and expand” in the same manner as each prophecy did before it. Yet since the probation of the Jews closed in 34AD as a nationally significant people, the identification of the “thy people” (Daniel of the tribe of Judah) speaks here of the spiritual Jews of the last days; and the vision itself serves to identify who those people are. Fearful things are spoken of regarding what shall befall the spiritual tribe of Judah “in the latter days” before “the kingdom shall be restored unto Israel” when “the lion of the tribe of Judah” shall take the throne of His father David.
As Daniel pleaded for understanding after fasting for 21 days, and receiving the answer, he was told the reason for the delay. It was the same reason for the delay in all of the purposes of God, and the answers towards His people. Gabriel explained to Daniel, “Fear not Daniel,: for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and to chasten yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but lo, Michael, the first and chief prince, came to help me; so I remained there with the kings of Persia.” (Daniel 10:12-13)
In the rise and fall of kingdoms, the enemy of God seeks to counteract His purposes in world affairs by working through the kings of the earth. Yet angels of God, who excel in strength, seek to influence them for good and the divine purposes of benevolence. The God of heaven restrains wicked purposes and devices of the enemy, until he proves and tries His people by letting the devil have his way in the affairs of men. Thus the warfare that John the apostle saw between Michael and his angels, and the devil and his angels in heaven is the war also taking place upon the earth. It is not uncommon for Satan to be unmasked through the prophetic word. While Isaiah was given a word predicting the fall of Babylon, he identifies the king of Babylon with Lucifer. Ezekiel, concerning the prince of Tyre who espoused himself as god, called him that “anointed cherub that covered” that was “in Eden, the garden of God”.
Michael and his angels fought and were victorious over the devil and his angels, and thus the devil, after the victory of the cross, fell like lightning from heaven to earth. The angels heralded from that time, “Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” (Revelation 12:12) While Gabriel must strengthen and bring influences to the mind of the king of Persia for good, that the chazon vision may commence it’s lengthy unfolding. The fallen angel knows this, and is on the heels ready to overthrow this very purpose. Therefore, he cannot attend to Daniel until the chief prince, Michael, comes to the aid of Gabriel. When this warfare is understood, the unfolding events of Daniel 11 take on a much deeper significance, as the contending powers of Michael and his angels, and the devil and his angels, is more clearly discerned. For in this great controversy between Christ and Satan, the war in heaven has everything to do with God’s people.
Gabriel declares the importance of Michael in this battle, declaring that it is only Michael which strengthens Gabriel for this mighty conflict. “Do you know why I come to you? And now I will return to fight with the prince of Persia, and when I have gone forth, lo, the prince of Greece shall come. However, I will show you that which is noted in the Scripture of truth, and there is none that strengthens me in these things but Michael, your Prince.” (Daniel 10:20-21)
Gabriel was an exalted angel, “that stands in the presence of God” (Luke 1:19), but only Michael could give him strength. Only Michael could aid Gabriel to fulfill the purpose he was sent to accomplish. And Michael is given the honor of “the first and chief prince”, and is called Daniel’s prince. Who is Michael?
In the Hebraic culture, names mean something. In fact, since the creation of Adam, names meant something. Therefore, names in heaven, before the fall of man, had significance. For example, Lucifer, before he fell into darkness, had the name meaning “Light bearer”, but now is called Satan, meaning “enemy”. Gabriel means “God is my strength”; why then should Michael, being the archangel, be the one who can strengthen Gabriel? And what does Michael mean? It means “One who is like God”. The Scripture further tells us that Michael “the archangel” (Jude 1:9) had the right over Moses’ body after death, so that the devil could not prevent him from being raised to life. In connection with the resurrection, Gabriel calls him “the Great Prince which stands for the children of thy people”, whose standing up will bring the deliverance and resurrection from the dead (Daniel 12:1-3).
The Scripture declares that Michael is the leader of the battle against the devil, and who prevails in heaven against him (Revelation 12:7-8).
Archangel in Greek means Chief of the angels, which is why Michael is the first and chief princes as the commanding angel, but why Daniel’s prince? The prince of God’s people? The Angel that has power to impart strength like God? That has right over the righteous dead and power to resurrect them with His voice (more on that in a moment)?
This Angel in a special manner was the Angel of Jehovah’s presence (Isaiah 63:9). The Angel appeared in the burning bush to Moses (Exodus 3:2), and in the pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night (Exo. 14:19). In fact, it was the Angel of His Presence which claimed to be worshipped by Abraham (Gen. 22:11-12). Jacob wrestled with him at night, and he took away the name Jacob (meaning deceiver) and gave him the new name Israel (meaning prince of God), for which cause he called him “The Angel which redeemed me from all evil” (Gen. 48:16). Lastly, Paul the apostle clearly identifies this Angel who has power over the righteous dead, to resurrect them with His voice: “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first…” (1 Thessalonians 4:16)
It is Christ who is Michael the Archangel. Christ is “the first and chief prince”, the prince which strengthens Gabriel, and is the Commander of the angels. In Daniel, He is called “the Prince of princes” (Daniel 8:25), “Messiah the Prince” (Daniel 9:25), “the Prince of the covenant” (Daniel 11:22), “Michael your Prince” (Daniel 10:21), “the Great Prince” (Daniel 12:1); etc. He is also called “the Prince of the host” in both Daniel 8:11 and Joshua 5:14-15, where Joshua worships Him, taking his shoes from off of his feet. With all of these evidences furnished in Scripture, it is evident that Michael can only be Christ, “One who is like God”; Lucifer had aspired to be “like the Most High” (Isaiah 12:14) but that privilege belonged to the Great Prince Michael alone, who is the divine Son of God, called the chief over the angels.
THE FOLLOWING CHAPTERS
Daniel 10, 11, and 12 are one continuous chapter, divided up by the translators into three sections which will be divided up into four articles, of which this is the first. Chapter 10 gives us the background of Daniel’s conflict, and the appearing of the angel to impart understanding, and to reveal what powers are at play in the warfare of God’s people, and to demonstrate the overruling prove of God. Chapter 11 deals with the unfolding events to take place prophetically on the world stage, leading up to the crisis that shall befall the people of God. Chapter 12 reveals the crowning of the Messiah, and a more complete explanation of Daniel 11’s prophecy.
To better understand Daniel 11, go here.
