Daniel 11

“At the appointed time he will come again to the South, but this time will not be like the first. Ships of Kittim will come against him, and being intimidated, he will withdraw. Then he will rage against the holy covenant and take action. On his return, he will favor those who abandon the holy covenant. His forces will rise up and desecrate the temple fortress. They will abolish the daily sacrifice and set up the abomination of desolation.” Daniel 11:29-31 (HCSB)

I was 14 when I got my first job, working for a country club. We used to videotape important tennis matches and re-ran them throughout the day on the big screen TV in the men’s locker room. Once, during the U.S. Open, I watched a club member win hundreds of dollars off another club member, betting on the outcome of a match he had seen the end of earlier in the day. That’s what we call “cheating.”

There are theological skeptics who try to late-date Daniel’s prophecies. That is, they claim the prophecies were written after the events prophesied had unfolded and then attributed them to Daniel. The reason they give for their allegations is purely the fact that Daniel’s prophecies are so accurate. Basically, they accuse the Bible’s compilers of cheating, knowing the outcome, and then writing the prophecy.

Prophecies yet to unfold, can be trusted because of prophecy fulfilled. Of course, that is exactly what irks the skeptics! Not only were Daniel’s prophecies accurate for the events close to his day & age, but they are also predicting apocalyptic events of the end times. Daniel’s prophecy about the coming of the Greek king, Antiochus Epiphanes, was also predicting the coming of the anti-messiah (aka antichrist) and is echoed in Revelation, Matthew’s gospel, and other places in the Bible.  

“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that leads to desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel – let the reader understand…” Matthew 24:15 (NIV)

“And all the world marveled and followed the beast. So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?’ And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.” Revelation 13:3b-6 (NKJV)

“Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering. Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them by intrigue. And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time.” Daniel 11:32-35 (NKJV)