As we have seen, Antiochus Epiphanes IV tried to end the religion
of the Jews--pure biblical Judaism--before it was corrupted by the Jewish
leaders under the yoke of the Roman government of Yeshua’s time.
THE APOSTLES SWEEP THE
WORLD!
Verses
33-35, “And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet
they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil many
days. Now when they shall fall, they
shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries.
And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge,
and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for
a time appointed.” This is a description
of God’s people, true Christians, both Jewish and Gentile, from the days of
Yeshua, Jesus Christ, to the present. There
was no real understanding until Jesus arrived on the scene, when he restored
spiritual understanding and magnified the Law (cf. Matthew 5:20-48).
Yeshua, Jesus Christ, and all the apostles except John were martyred.
And up into the middle ages between 50 to 100 million were martyred
for their faith. The next verse takes
us into the future, as verse 35 shows us, when it states: “…to make them white, even to the time of the end…”
The Roman government is described
here, the new king of the north—from just before the time of Christ onward
Verses
36-39, “And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself,
and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against
the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation is determined shall
be done. Neither shall he regard the
God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall
magnify himself above all. But in
his estate shall he honour the God of forces [Heb. Munitions ]: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour
with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom
he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule
over many, and shall divide the land for gain.”
The king
of the north, who is he now, in the early and middle New Testament times (to
which this prophecy has come)? In 65
B.C. Syria was swallowed up by the Roman Empire, and became a Roman province
[In “New Testament History” by F.F. Bruce, on page 9 Bruce states, “In 64
B.C. Syria also was made a [Roman] province, the last remnant of Seleucid
power having collapsed, and the neighboring principalities, including Judaea,
had to acknowledge Roman overlordship.”].
The Roman Emperor now controlled Syria and Judea, and therefore the
king of the north, here referred to in verses 36-39, at this time is the Emperor
of Rome. Verse 37 describes how the
Roman Emperors set themselves up as gods.
Verse 38 describes their real god, the god of forces, munitions, military
might. That, basically, describes the
Roman Empire, they worshipped the god of war and munitions, and Rome became
the greatest war machine in history up until its fall in 476AD.
In a letter written to Arsaces XII, king of Persia (c. 69 B.C.), Mithridates,
a king in the Asia Minor area wrote: “The Romans have from of old known but
one ground for waging war with all nations and kings—inveterate lust of empire
and wealth…Do you not realize that they leave nothing that they do not lay
their hands on—homes, wives, land, power?
That they are a gang of men with no fatherland or ancestry of their
own, swept together of old to be a plague to the whole world?
No law, human or divine, can stand in their way; they uproot and drag
off their ‘friends’ and ‘allies’, whether they live near at hand or far away,
whether they are weak or strong; they treat as their enemies all men, and
especially all kingdoms that refuse to serve them as slaves.” (New Testament
History, F.F. Bruce, p. 10). Bruce
goes on to describe the Romans further, quoting from a Qumran commentary on
Habakkuk, composed shortly before the Roman occupation of Judaea in 63 B.C. The interpretation of ‘Ktti’im’ or ‘Kittim’,
he says, “it is not difficult (as in Daniel 11:30) to recognize the Romans:
‘Their fear and terror are on all the nations, and in the council all
their device is to do evil, and with trickery and deceit they proceed with
all peoples…They trample the earth with their horses and their beasts: from
afar they come, from the coastlands of the sea, to devour all peoples like
an eagle, and there is no sating them. With wrath and anger and fury of face and impetuousness
of countenance they speak with all peoples…They scorn great ones, they despise
mighty men, of kings and princes they make sport, and they mock at a great
people…[here this description gets real interesting in light of Daniel’s prophecy]
They sacrifice to
their ensigns, and their weapons of war are their objects of worship…They apportion their yoke as their tribute,
the source of their sustenance, on all peoples, to lay waste many lands year
by year…They destroy many with the sword—youths, men in their prime, and old
men; women and little children, and on the fruit of the womb they have no
compassion.” Bruce goes on to say “Yet
in the eyes of the Qumran commentator the Kittim were to be the executors
of divine judgement against the Hasmoaeans, who usurped the high-priesthood
that belonged properly to the sons of Zadok—although he was tempted to think
that the cure might prove worse than the disease.’” (New Testament History,
F.F. Bruce, p. 11.) So the Jews recognized
that the “Kittim” in Daniel 11:30 were none other than the Romans, who were
sweeping across the Mediterranean toward the Middle East and Judea.
Verse
40, “And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him [the
king of the north]: and the king of the north shall come against him like
a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he
shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.” The king of the
south used to be the king of Egypt, but as of 31 B.C. Egypt became a province
of the Roman Empire, swallowed up by the king of the north. In the reign of Ptolemy III (Euergetes) in B.C.
247-222, Egypt annexed part of Ethiopia, immediately south of Egypt. Since that time Egypt and Ethiopia were two
or three times under the same government.
Thus, the two were as one land. And
the only portion of that land of the “king of the south” that remained independent
until today is Ethiopia (since B.C. 168 to Heile Selassie’s death).
At the time of the end--our time--this “king of the south” was to push
at the “king of the north”, now at Rome! In
1896 King Menelik, of Ethiopia, sent an army of 9,000 to 10,000 men against
General Baratieri’s Italian army. In
1896 Barateiri tried to defend Eritrea (just north of Ethiopia) against the
Ethiopians with 13,000 men. He lost 4,600 whites and 3,000 natives. 3,500 were taken prisoner. Italians since then thirsted for revenge.
In 1927 Mussilini set the time. In
1935 Mussilini attacked. [Also, very interestingly, Bonito Mussilini was crowned
Holy Roman Emperor in a secret Vatican Concordat in 1935, the very same year
his forces attacked Ethiopia! So Mussilini, in a very real sense, was “the
king of the north”--and he was allied with Germany and Adolf Hitler. Adolf Hitler loved Roman regalia as evidenced
by all the Nazi banners and regalia which were direct copies taken from the
Roman Empire. The Hitler Salute was
a direct copy of the salute given to Roman Caesars. “Heil Hitler” meant Hail Hitler in German.
Hail Caesar was the verbal statement made while extending the arm strait
out and a little upward, and was the hand salute given Caesar.
So the Holy Roman Empires that followed the collapse of the Roman Empire
in 476 AD all became the “king of the north”, one after the other.] Read Verse 40. A whirlwind comes in the air sweeping all before
it. Mussilini did send a great air
force into Africa. Also many modern
“chariots”, trucks and tanks, along with many ships loaded with soldiers,
into Africa. And, notice it, Mussolini’s
forces were to pass over--in the air. It
is at this precise point in time in this prophecy that Mussolini’s struggle
in Ethiopia and World War II ended. Mussilini
never finished the prophecy. Therefore,
there is yet another leader to arise in Europe. It says “at the time of the end”. Let’s clarify that a little, in context with
modern history. The beginning of a
time of “kingdom waging war against kingdom” began with Napoleon and got into
full swing with World War I, and by the end of World War II nuclear weapons
existed. From that point onward mankind
could erase all life from the planet via nuclear war (since the 1950’s). This would define “time of the end” as nothing
else could. Also “kingdom waging war with kingdom”, a condition prophecied
in Matthew 24 as being at the time of the end, places the time of the end
at a period in our history when World Wars would be fought. Ethiopia attacking the Italians was what you
might consider at the doorstep of the time of the end, and Mussilini coming
against Ethiopia would be further into this period of time we live in called
“the time of the end”. Time is relative. While you may look at the time stretching from
World War I to the present as a long time, in God’s eyes, it’s quite short.
One theologian marked the beginning of the time of the end as starting
when we dropped two nuclear bombs on Japan.
He wasn’t far off. The next verses take us into the future, much
closer to the end of man’s evil rule over earth. Now we’re going beyond WWII and Bonito Mussilini,
onward sometime into the future, a future which hasn’t occurred yet, but will.
Whoever this “king of the north” is, he will come out of Europe, and
be the leader over a united Europe, mimicking the previous Holy Roman Empires
(Hitler/Mussilini, Napoleon Bonaparte, Charles the Great, Otto the Great,
Charlemagne, and Justinian). It’s just history repeating itself, as it always
does.
Verses
41-45, “He [the king of the north] shall enter also into the glorious land,
and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his
hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon [modern
day Jordan and the Jordanians escape or are left alone in this Blitzkrieg
war which will sweep across the Middle East].
He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land
of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall
have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious
things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. But tidings out of the east and out of the north
shall trouble him [east and north of Jerusalem--and even Europe where this
dictator comes from, is Russia and the C.I.S. countries allied with Russia]:
therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make
away many [this battle corresponds to the first “woe” in Revelation 9:1-12,
where the forces of the Beast empire attack the forces of the east.
This attack ultimately brings on a counter-attack, described in the
2nd woe of Revelation 9:13-21].
And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in
the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help
him.” Verse 42 says
that Egypt shall not escape, proving Egypt is not now the “king of the south.”
Verse 43 says the Libyans and Ethiopians (observe that after its conquest
by Mussilini, Ethiopia is not again referred to as “the king of the south”)
shall be at his steps--and he will then control them.
Italy lost control of Libya and Ethiopia after the war (World War II). Verse 44—“but news out of the east and out of
the north”--Russia and the C.I.S. countries--shall trouble the revived Roman
empire. Russia will enter the war that
this revived Roman empire just initiated by conquering the Middle East [and
probably the United States and Britain as well] in a blitzkrieg war. Russia, as part of the Soviet Union always desired
to have the Middle East, much of Soviet intrigue was about gaining control
and influence in the Middle East. But
what would inspire a united Europe to want to conquer Jerusalem and all the
surrounding Arab countries? The Book
of Daniel also shows that the evening and morning sacrifices in the temple
will be set up again in the end times, and that this Roman empire will come
in and stop them from being carried out (from this point onward, the tribulation
is 3.5 years long). Setting up of such
a temple with sacrifices would inflame the Arab world against the Israeli
nation beyond anything we’ve witnessed to date.
Israel with nuclear capabilities and an inflamed and united Arab threat
on Israel would force the hand of a united European military force. It is thought this dictator of Europe will come
into Jerusalem with flatteries, just as Antiochus Epiphanes IV did, and then
the blitzkrieg engulfs the Middle East. Verse
45 shows this coming Roman empire shall establish its palace, as a capital
of the revived Roman empire, and eventually its religious headquarters at
Jerusalem (to foil Russian designs on the Middle East and its oil). The whole big picture of these battles is outlined
in Revelation chapters 9, 15-16, and 19, as well as Zechariah 14. [For more of this big picture log onto: http://www.UNITYINCHRIST.COM/prophecies/2ndcoming_2.htm
.] In verse 45 of Daniel 11 it says
“yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.” This language signifies the end of the Beast
personage and the “false prophet” at the hand of God. You will find that described in Revelation 19:19-20
and Zechariah 14:12. And now what other
glorious event is prophecied at this time of the end, at the close of this
marvelous prophecy? The next verse
is Daniel 12:1, and says it’s the time of the resurrection of the just--which
is the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ! This resurrection is described in 1 Corinthians
15:49-54, as well as Daniel 12:1-3. This
is the end of Daniel 11, the Middle East in Prophecy. The literalness of the fulfillment of 9/10ths
of this prophecy show that Bible prophecy is to be literally interpreted and
not have their meanings allegorized away in any kind of amillennial interpretations
which originally came from a Greek mystic who became a Christian in the 200’s
AD, this mystic being Origen.
Daniel
8:23-25 describes this next king to arise at the time of the end, and is a
cross reference to Daniel 11:36-41. Daniel
8:23-25, “And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors
are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark
sentences, shall stand up [verse 25 puts this in time context].
And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall
destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the
mighty people and the holy people [Heb. People of the holy ones. Could mean the Jews, or if British Israelism
is correct, could mean the United States and British, have to wait and see].
And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his
hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace [prosperity]
shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes [direct
reference to Jesus Christ, so this time setting is book of Revelation tribulation,
2nd coming of Jesus Christ]; but he shall be broken without hand
[cf. Revelation 19:20].”
Daniel 8, The 2300 “Evenings and Mornings” Prophecy
This
prophecy in the book of Daniel is not understood by many Christians, and many
Jews also, as well as many Bible scholars admit they don’t understand it.
That may sound strange, the Jews not understanding one of their favorite prophets,
but it’s true. Why? Well most of the Jewish commentaries and the
Midrash were written over hundreds of years ago, and Daniel 12:9-10 states, “For the words are closed
up and sealed until the time of the end. Many
shall be purified, and made white, and tried, but the wicked shall do wickedly:
and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.”
That means the wise living today, not in the 1800’s, not in the 1600’s,
not at the time of Jesus and the apostles.
These prophecies written in Daniel (the whole book) are for our age,
not for Daniel’s day. This prophecy was not meant to be understood
until the time of the end. We’ve been
living in the time of the end since the 1950’s, when either one of two major
superpowers could annihilate all life from off this planet many times over
in the space of half an hour. While
the Jews have understood some of the prophecies in Daniel that pertain to
some of the empires that have arisen in their time (Alexander the Great, The
Persian Empire, etc.), they don’t understand the meanings of these prophecies
when they get into the time of the end that we live in right now, just as
others don’t. Why? Because they try to use the interpretations
given to them by earlier Torah and Tenach scholars, and this fowls up their
understanding.
It is the third year of the reign of Belshazzar the king of
Babylon (sometime just before 539 BCE). Daniel
receives a vision while at Shushan in the Palace, in the province of Elam
(Daniel 8:1-2). This is the vision
he saw, verses 3-4, “Then I lifted
up my eyes, and saw, and behold, there stood before the river a ram which
had two horns; and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other,
and the higher came up last. I saw
the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward, so that no beasts
might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his
hand, but he did according to his will, and became great.” The explanation for all these symbols are
given later on in the prophecy. The
explanation for these two horns is found in verse 20, “The ram that thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and
Persia.” So this ram symbolized
the Medo-Persian Empire which destroyed Babylon in 539 B.C. and ruled until
331 B.C.
Notice what
comes next, verse 5, “And as I was
considering, behold, a he goat came from the west on the face of the whole
earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between
his eyes.” Again the explanation
for this symbolic goat is found later on, in verse 21, “And the rough goat is the king [kingdom] of Grecia: and the great horn
that is between his eyes is the first king.”
That would be Alexander the Great.
These symbols were revealed to Daniel so that we might understand the
time setting of this end-time prophecy. The
ram--the Medo-Persian Empire--existed on the world scene until 331 B.C. until
Alexander the Great (verses 6-7) came along and conquered the Persian Empire
in two major battles. By 331 B.C. Persia
had fallen and Alexander’s empire was ruling over the entire Mediterranean,
all the way to the eastern border of India. (Remember, Daniel did not live into the time
of Alexander, just in case any of you may desire to see proof of the veracity
of God’s Word. Daniel didn’t even live
into the later time of the Persian Empire, just the beginning of it.)
Daniel 8:8, “The he goat
waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for
it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.” Remember that the great horn in the goat’s head symbolized
Alexander the Great, the first king of the Greco-Macedonian Empire. This horn was suddenly broken, verse 8, and
that happened just as prophecied to Daniel in this vision. Alexander died suddenly of a fever in Babylon
while trying to clear out a swampy area. He was thirty-three years of age when he died.
Let’s continue with the explanation, found in verse 22, “whereas
four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the kingdom, but
not in his power.” [We just read
about these four kingdoms in Daniel 11, the article this study is linked to.] But let’s now consider the time setting of this
prophecy. It started with the Medo-Persian
Empire and this empire lasted until 331 B.C. Then the Greco-Macedonian Empire conquered this
Persian Empire in 331 B.C., with it’s first king being Alexander the Great.
In 323 B.C. Alexander died at the age of 33.
Alexander's empire was divided amongst his four major generals, into
four parts (verse 22), and none of these parts was as strong or powerful militarily
as the whole kingdom had been under Alexander the Great.
This brings us to 323 B.C. The
rest of this prophecy cannot possibly begin before this date.
Embedded in the beginning of this prophecy is a description
of an end-time empire and its leader who will attempt to conquer the world.
Let’s look at this leader with his empire.
Verse 9, “And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed
exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant
land.” Now let’s try to understand
this. Here’s a “little horn” coming
out of one of the four divisions of Alexander’s empire. This little horn cannot have arisen before the
division of Alexander’s Empire. “Out
of one of them [one of the divisions of Alexander’s empire] came forth a little
horn.” Verse 23 tells us the time setting
of this little horn, “and in the latter
time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full.” But who does this little horn symbolize? Let’s look for a Bible explanation. The little horn symbolizes a king who shall
arise “in the latter time of their kingdom (verse 23). Let’s read verses 23-25. Verses
23-25, “And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are
come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,
shall stand up. And his power shall
be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and
shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people
[margin: “people of the holy ones”]. And
through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he
shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace [margin: “prosperity”] shall
destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but
he shall be broken without hand.” So
who does this “little horn” symbolize? “A king of fierce countenance, and understanding
dark sentences shall stand up. And
his power shall be mighty…and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by
peace [the margin says “prosperity”] shall destroy many; HE SHALL ALSO STAND
UP AGAINST THE PRINCE OF PRINCES; but he shall be broken without hand” (verses
23-25). There is the answer!
Look at this prophecy again. The
little horn symbolizes a king who shall arise “in the latter time of their
kingdom” (verse 23). This man stands up against the Prince of princes--that
is Jesus Christ at his 2nd coming (or for Jews, the Messiah at
his coming to save and restore Israel)! Here is a great Gentile world ruler who stands
up against Jesus Christ and is supernaturally destroyed--“without hand”--not
by human hand but by divine intervention (cf. Zechariah 14:1-15).
The Bible interprets this “little horn” as a ruler who shall exist
at the 2nd coming of Christ. He
comes on the scene when world transgression--world sin--has reached its climax
(verse 23). This “little horn” is described again in Revelation
17:14. There we read that he makes
war with the Lamb and the Lamb shall overcome him and his allies. This “little horn” is the same as the final
“beast” personage of Revelation.
Now we have seen the time setting for the “little horn”, it’s
leading up to and includes the time period when the 2nd coming
of Jesus Christ takes place. That time
is sometime in the future. But since
we’re living in a time when mankind could annihilate all life from off the
planet, it has to be getting close to that time. So let’s see what has to occur before this “little
horn” steps onto the scene in what will be a blitzkrieg war that will sweep
the Middle East and the world. We should
pay really close attention to this prophecy, because it will disclose an event
that must occur within the Israeli nation before this “little horn” will step
onto the world scene. As we
have seen, this part of the prophecy in Daniel from verse 23 is for the end
time. We find this “little horn” and what he does is described in verses 9-14,
and the explanation for the vision given in verses 9-14 is given in verses
23-25. We know that it is for the end
time just before and leading up to Jesus Christ’s 2nd coming. So let’s read verses 9-14 now in light of that
understanding. Verses 9-14, “And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed
exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant
land. And it waxed great, even to the
host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the
ground, and stamped upon them. Yea,
he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily
sacrifice was taken away, and the place of the sanctuary was cast down. And an host was given him against the daily
sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground;
and it practised, and prospered. And
then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain
saint which spake, 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 [Hebrew: “evening-morning” or evenings and mornings.]; and then shall the sanctuary
be cleansed [margin: “justified”].”
So let’s consider and think about what
major event must occur first, before this man commanding such
military might and religious power Blitzkrieg’s across the Middle East and
the world. We know that the temple
was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D., and we know that no sacrifices have
occurred since then, up until now. So
this event isn’t talking about any temple of the past, say in Antiochus Ephiphanes
IV’s time, the time of Herod or any time since 70 A.D. This temple sanctuary being talked about in
Daniel 8:9-14 and the evening-morning sacrifices that go with it is something
that is yet to be set up, some time in the very near future. We all know that certain groups in the nation
of Israel are trying to set up a temple and start the evening and morning
sacrifices--the temple utensils have already been made, they’ve bred the red
heifer, they’ve identified Levites within the Jewish race, and they’ve attempted
several times to lay the cornerstone to the new temple they want to create.
With a knowledge of the Arab people in the Middle East and the Palestinians
living in and around Israel, what do you think their reaction would be to
the Israeli’s setting up a temple and starting sacrifices?
If you say, the Arab nations would be united as one against Israel,
give yourself an A+ and move to the head of the class.
Israel, facing such a united Arab threat on her borders would more
than likely arm her nukes in self-defense.
To avoid a nuclear holocaust in the Middle East (the radioactive clouds
of which could blow into Europe), this “little horn” will step onto the world
scene. This is only pure common sense to anyone who
has been reading and keeping up with current events. The temporary stabilization in the Middle East
bought by the heroic actions of the U.S. military in Iraq will evaporate when
the Israeli’s build that temple and start sacrifices (and it doesn’t have
to be a temple building, it could be a Mosaic tabernacle, fitting the exact
specifications given in Exodus for the tabernacle). Also the Jews have not been legally able to
levy tithes of all the Orthodox Jews around the world in a unified manner,
due to the fact that the Levites under a Levitical priesthood were the only
ones who could legally levy tithes of the Jews.
Since 70A.D. that priesthood has not existed. When a temple structure is set up, with a Levitical
priesthood, tithes will flow from Jews around the world into Jerusalem--amounting
to massive amounts of money steadily flowing into Jerusalem and this temple
treasury. Money buys political influence,
and in this case, the Israeli political scene will shift toward the Ultra-Orthodox
right. Such a shift would inflame the Arab world and
unite the Arab nations as one against Israel.
At the point where nuclear holocaust would be days, even hours away,
this “little horn” will step on the scene (Matthew 24 talks of this as well--when
you see armies surrounding Jerusalem). Now
lets’ look at what this “little horn” does.
“And it [the little horn] waxed great,
even to the host of heaven, and it cast down some of the host of the stars
to the ground, and stamped upon them. Yea,
he magnified himself even to the prince of the host [this could be referring
to the new high priest who will be in this newly set up temple in Jerusalem]
AND BY HIM THE DAILY SACRIFICE WAS TAKEN AWAY, AND THE PLACE OF HIS SANCTUARY
WAS CAST DOWN. And the host was given
him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression”--the margin reads
“the host was given over for the transgression against the daily sacrifice”--“and
it cast down the truth to the ground, and it practiced and prospered” (Daniel
8:10-12). Notice the Bible explanation
in verse 24: “And his power shall be mighty.” That’s the explanation of the first part of
verse 10: “It waxed great.” To continue:
“But not by his own power.” This king
will not accomplish his great deeds by his own strength. Revelation 17:17 reveals why. Ten lesser
kings give their military power and strength “unto the beast.” [Log onto http://www.UNITYINCHRIST.COM/prophecies/2ndcoming_4.htm
for a better look at this “beast” person and this end-time empire and where
these ten kings come from, what part of the world.] This little horn “shall destroy wonderfully”—shall
have marvelous, frightening military powers” and shall destroy the mighty
and the holy people” (verse 24). That could be referring to Israel, but it may
also be referring to the United States of America. We have been a “holy people”. If I have learned anything, it is this. In the war we just recently fought to free the
Iraqi people, over a million born-again Christians in America--many on the
Presidential Prayer Team--were praying for a favorable outcome of the war,
and for a minimal loss of innocent Iraqi people and coalition lives. Many of the U.S. soldiers were praying before
going into battle, before they crossed over into Iraqi territory. We were a holy Christian people bringing peace
into a troubled land, temporary peace. We
have never fought in other countries in order to take over their land and
keep it for ourselves. Yes, we’ve made
mistakes in policy. So this “holy people”
could be us, Americans, and our British cousins. Don’t be surprised to find out that it may be
so. To continue, here is a persecuting
power which destroys God’s people--the children of Israel, and yes, maybe
us as well--[we’d never let a united Europe step in and conquer the nation
of Israel and the whole Middle East, they’d have to dispatch us as well, or
else we’d dispatch them]. And this
persecuting power persecutes the true church as well (Daniel 8:10, 24). Verse 25 continues to explain verse 11, and
so on.
Some have tried to explain this prophecy
before God’s time to reveal it, and as a result all kinds of various non-Biblical
interpretations have been dreamed up and promoted. Some have said that the 2300 days represented
2300 years--the day for a year prophetic principle--while others, agreeing
with this “day for a year” principle have said this was 2300 “years” started
being timed in 457 B.C. and ended in 1844, but history coupled to this very
prophecy disprove that one as well, since Jesus never returned in 1844 (how
absurd, but many believed it). (So some denominations have to wipe the egg
off their faces. We all make mistakes,
wipe it off and keep going spiritually.) Some
have said that God’s throne is to be trampled down for 2300 years--which is
doubly absurd. We see in Revelation
12 that each time Satan tries to go up to God’s throne to throw God off, he’s
cast down, immediately. No contest
there. Heavenly warfare there, yes,
but no contest as to who wins.
But notice further, the little horn
takes away the daily sacrifice. The
sanctuary on earth was not trodden underfoot--was not cast down--in the days
of Christ and the apostles either, when Herod’s temple was still standing. So this prophecy is definitely for the future,
our future.
Notice in Daniel 8:26: “And the vision
of the evening and the morning which was told is true…” The vision of “2300 days” is actually called
in the Scripture “THE VISION OF THE EVENING AND THE MORNING.” Why? Turn
in your Bibles to verse 14 of chapter 8. In most Bibles you will find a marginal note
for the word “days.” This note reveals
that the original Hebrew of the word “days” is “evening morning.” This prophecy is not referring to 24-hour
days but to evenings and mornings--the evening and morning sacrifice! Notice in verse 11 that the little horn takes
away the daily sacrifice. The daily
sacrifice was offered in the evening and the morning. See Leviticus 6:9,12. So verse 14 is a mistranslation in the text
of the King James Version, though it is correct in the margin. The Revised Standard Version more correctly
reads, “for two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings.” In other words, some time in “our” near future,
here is a prophecy that two thousand three hundred evening and morning sacrifices
would cease to be offered--in a temple or Mosaic tabernacle that is yet to
be constructed. Since the daily sacrifice
was offered twice a day, this prophecy is actually
speaking of one thousand one hundred fifty (1150) days. In 1150 days there would be exactly two thousand
three hundred sacrifices offered at evening and morning. At the end of this 1150-day period the sanctuary
is to be “cleansed” or “justified.” This
prophecy is yet to be fulfilled. This
amazing prophecy is about to be fulfilled in our day. A great crisis is yet to occur in Palestine.
After 19 centuries a part of the tribe of Judah, the Jews, has come
back to Palestine. In the Israeli war of independence in 1948 they
gained possession of the new part of Jerusalem. In another Arab-Israeli war in 1967 they gained
the whole of Jerusalem, but there is a huge Israeli-Palestinian problem which
persists to this day, trying to divide Israel and Jerusalem. The whole of the land of Palestine is divided
and an armed camp. And although a period
of relative peace may come over the whole of the Middle East as a direct result
of the overthrow of Saddam Hussein’s evil reign of terror in Iraq, making
Iraq a peaceful Arab nation and somewhat balancing out the Middle East, politically
neutralizing hostile opposing forces, this can change overnight with the building
of a temple or tabernacle in Jerusalem and with the starting of the evening
and morning sacrifices.
In the near future we shall literally
see the next great prophesied event in Israel--“the daily sacrifice” and “the
sanctuary” restored before our very eyes. Then sometime shortly afterward will come World
War III and the occupation of Israel and Jerusalem. A great European Church-State union will be
in control of Israel and the whole of the Middle East, and the whole western
world, for that matter. It will prohibit
the printing and preaching of the Truth of God.
It will “cast down the truth to the ground.” It will practice and prosper. It will persecute and martyr God’s Holy people
(cf. Revelation 6:9-11). It will be
allowed to tread Jerusalem underfoot and to prohibit the daily sacrifice at
the then rebuilt sanctuary for 1150 days.
It will substitute its own abominable, idolatrous rites in place of
the evening and morning sacrifice. Jesus
referred to this same event in Matthew 24:15. “When ye therefore shall see
the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand
in the Holy Place, (whoso readeth, let him understand;) then let them
which be in Judea flee into the mountains…for then shall be great tribulation…”
climaxing in the second coming of Jesus Christ (verses 15-21). God will suddenly intervene in human affairs.
He will put an end to this wicked idolatrous system.
“The sanctuary shall
be cleansed.”
In Revelation 11 it says that the Gentiles
will trod down Jerusalem for 1260 days. It will be the time of the two witnesses who
will prophesy in the streets of Jerusalem for 1260 days, then be killed, and--just
immediately before the return of Jesus Christ--be raised from the dead in
the sight of the people! The difference
in timing between the 1150 days and the 1260 could--and this is pure speculation
at this point--be the difference between when Europe and this leader come
into Israel and Jerusalem brokering a “peace treaty” between the Arab nations
and Israel--and then once their forces are in place in Israel and mobilized
near the Middle East, 110 days later, they invade with a blitzkrieg strike
throughout the Middle East. That’s
almost four months time, just about the time it took the United States to
stage the two invasions it mounted against Iraq, in 1991 and 2003.
We are very near the fulfillment of these amazing prophecies.
It is high time we woke up spiritually, drawing nigh to Jesus in heartfelt
Christian growth and repentance. Right
after Jesus spoke the prophecy of Matthew 24, which details some of these
same events, he gave his disciples the answer to that question in Matthew
25:1-46--grow and do the work of God. This
site is chock full of nourishing sermon transcripts and topical studies on
prayer to help one accomplish that. It
is also time to utilize this period of relative world peace, to promote the
gospel of salvation worldwide, by supporting international evangelistic organizations
(see http://www.UNITYINCHRIST.COM/missionstatement.htm
), the one major job Jesus commanded all Christians to do before his ascent
to heaven (cf. Acts 1:6-9). Jesus prophecied
that we’d accomplish that job before this prophecied World War III started
(Matthew 24:14-15). But it’s high time
we all started to contribute toward the accomplishment of that job Jesus commanded
us to do. What good are money and possessions
when stacked against the coming events? What kind of saints are we, what kind of Brides
Maids are we, which Jesus described in Matthew 25:1-46? Most people do not realize that brief alliance
between Hitler and Mussilini was a very short resurrection of the Holy Roman
Empire. Mussilini was crowned Holy
Roman Emperor in 1935 in a secret Vatican Concordat. That empire was a foretaste of the coming United
European superstate that will come on the scene when this temple is built.
We have only to look at WWII history to see how evil that empire was.
It’s time to take heed and wake up and do the works Jesus asked us
to do. When that temple is built, it
will be almost too late to do anything, the time in the hourglass will have
run out. For a more complete study
of the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ, log onto http://www.UNITYINCHRIST.COM/prophecies/2ndcoming.htm
.