The Vision of History

Sometimes life doesn’t make sense. If you’ve ever found yourself trying to make sense of what’s happening, or wondered why bad things happen, or why the world seems so out of control; then Daniel 11, may be just for you. For it’s in Daniel 11 where God reveals a unique and complex view of history that shows us how even when life doesn’t make sense, God is working to accomplishing His purposes. God gave this vision to Daniel, so that he and future generations might see the great value of knowing the Sovereign God who controls history, so that we can have meaning and hope when the struggles of life seem to make no sense. So, let’s dive into Daniel’s vison, where the Angel explains to Daniel what’s going to happen with…

The Kingdoms of Persia and Greece: “Now then, I tell you the truth: Three more kings will arise in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. When he has gained power by his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece. Then a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great power and do as he pleases.  After Cyrus, the present Persian ruler, three more kings will arise in Persia and then a fourth, who will arise who is richer and more powerful than the others. This fourth king is recognized as Xerxes (486-465 BC), the husband of Esther. He was a great and mighty king, under whom Persian power reached its zenith. But he is also remembered for invading Greece, only to be defeated at the battle of Salamis. This battle ultimately led to the downfall of the Persian empire. After Xerxes came several other lesser Persian kings, but they are passed over without mention as the prophecy now introduces the mighty king who rises to do as he pleases. This is Alexander the Great who died in 323 BC, who’s empire was divided among four generals, exactly as anticipated in Daniel 11:5, After he has arisen, his empire will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the power he exercised, because his empire will be uprooted and given to others.

Daniel received this same prophecy in Daniel 8 in the vision of the Ram and the Goat: “The goat became very great, but at the height of its power the large horn was broken off, and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven.” Daniel 8:8 Alexander was the goat. Even though he ruled with great power and did what he pleased, his reign in history was but a drop in the bucket to God.  So, the next time you find yourself having to endure an evil person or a wicked ruler, remember their time is in the hands of our Sovereign God. That’s our first lesson from this vision.

Wars and Rumors of War: “The king of the South will become strong, but one of his commanders will become even stronger than he and will rule his own kingdom with great power. After some years, they will become allies. The daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North to make an alliance, but she will not retain her power, and he and his power will not last. In those days she will be betrayed, together with her royal escort and her father and the one who supported her. “One from her family line will arise to take her place. He will attack the forces of the king of the North and enter his fortress; he will fight against them and be victorious. He will also seize their gods, their metal images and their valuable articles of silver and gold and carry them off to Egypt. For some years he will leave the king of the North alone. Daniel 11:5-8 The specific details of this conflict actually came to pass just as God predicted: Around 250 BC, Ptolemy II (the king of the South) attempted to make peace with Antiochus II (the king of the North) by sending his daughter Bernice to marry him. The plan was that Antiochus would divorce his wife, Laodice, and disinherit her sons. Laodice discovered the plot, however, and she had Antiochus and Bernice poisoned, along with their young son. Then that very same year, Bernice’s father died in Egypt. He was succeeded by Bernice’s brother, who then invaded the Seleucid kingdom and conquered its capital, just as Daniel 11 predicted.

What does God want us to learn from these wars and rumors of war?  First, we can know that whatever God has predicted will come true.  For example, the powerful enemies that were keeping the Jews from rebuilding the temple were only temporary.  Even though it seemed like their world was out of control, and they were never going to rebuild. They just needed to be patient. God’s promise to them would prevail.

Second, in times of uncertainty, we can know that all world events, are not only known by God, but are under His sovereign power to control. That means when evil people are imposing their ways, we don’t have to worry. God is not surprised by their actions. In fact, their actions in pursuit of their own wicked purposes will ultimately achieve the Lord’s holy purposes. In most cases, we may not be able to understand how God is working to achieve His purposes, but we can trust that He is.

The Rise of Antiochus IV: “He will be succeeded by a contemptable person who has not been given the honor of royalty. He will invade the kingdom when its people feel secure, and he will seize it through intrigue. Then an overwhelming army will be swept away before him; both it and a prince of the covenant will be destroyed. After coming to an agreement with him, he will act deceitfully, and with only a few people he will rise to power. Daniel 11:21-23 Antiochus started with limited support but gradually grew in power, making strategic alliances, but keeping them only as long as they suited him. Power hungry, he sought to expand his dominion to include Palestine. This brought him into conflict with Ptolemy IV, the King of the South. He then invaded Egypt, and while there a rumor of his death circulated among the Jews. But his greatest evil was focused on God’s people themselves: “His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation.  With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him. “Those who are wise will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered. When they fall, they will receive a little help, and many who are not sincere will join them. Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time. (11:31-35)

Why does God show Daniel this evil ruler and his wicked ways in such detail in this vision?  First, God wants us to see that evil seeks to corrupt God’s people. Antiochus took advantage of the Jews doctrinal, moral and spiritual weaknesses to exploit God’s people and use them for his advantage.  We live in a similar world today, where evil targets our doctrinal and moral weaknesses so it can corrupt our faith.

Second, God wants us to see that evil ultimately seeks to destroy God’s people.  We learned from Daniel 8, that Antiochus not only took advantage of the Jews weakened faith, but he quickly eliminated the sources of their faith, by eliminating daily sacrifices, destroying temple worship, and keeping them from learning or practicing God’s Word.  If he could eliminate the sources of their faith, he could destroy their faith, or just outright kill them.

Now, there’s much hope to be had from this part of the vision. But before we unpack this, I want us to examine one final piece of God’s prophecy for the end times concerning The Antichrist: “The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place. He will show no regard for the gods of his ancestors or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all. Instead of them, he will honor a god of fortresses; a god unknown to his ancestors he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts.  He will attack the mightiest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him. He will make them rulers over many people and will distribute the land at a price.  Daniel 11:36-39

This king who does as he pleases is called by many names: He is called the “little horn” in Daniel 7:9; “the coming ruler” in Daniel 9:26; “the man of lawlessness” in 2 Thess. 2:3; “the man doomed to destruction” in 2 Thessalonians 2:3; and “the beast” in Revelation 13:1-10. He is the spirit of this present evil age and is the apocalyptic figure who will “exalt and magnify himself above every god.” He is a self-centered, arrogant, prideful, blasphemous individual who epitomizes the depravity of man and our longing to be like God. We know him most popularly as the “antichrist.”

The philosophy of the Antichrist will be obvious.  He will oppose anything of God.  He will live by the rule that “might is right.” As such, he will emphasize military conquest. As Sinclair Ferguson so aptly describes him: “What we have here is simply a thumbnail sketch of sin grown to maturity.”

Daniel now describes his actions: “At the time of the end the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood. He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand. He will extend his power over many countries; Egypt will not escape. He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Cushites in submission.  But reports from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will set out in a great rage to destroy and annihilate many. He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him. Daniel 11:40-45 Here we’re given a picture of the final battle between the king of the North (the antichrist) and the king of the South. In the process of this battle, he will invade the Beautiful Land (Israel).  But then we see something quite curious: The narrative is cut short. The antichrist will hear of trouble and plan to destroy it. He’ll set up his camp between the seas and the beautiful mountain. But then he will come to his end. God’s Word describes his demise in this way: “The Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of His mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming.” 2 Thessalonians 2:8.

There is more to the story that follows with the final chapter of Daniel. But for now, we must ask:  What does this prophecy of the coming dark days of evil have to say to Daniel and to us?

Implications for us from this prophecy:

Believe:  God calls us to hold onto our faith in Him during times of evil.  Daniel writes: “the people who know their God will firmly resist him.”  The people who know their God are those who live by faith in Him.  The people who know their God find their strength in Him.  The people who know their God trust in God’s sovereign power.  Their hope is in Him, even when evil rules the day.  This has been the theme of this book of Daniel.

Resist: With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him. Those who are wise will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered. (Daniel 11:32-33) Sometimes obedience to God will mean a lifetime of faithfulness in a hostile environment, as it did for Daniel himself. Sometimes it will mean literal martyrdom for the faith, by the sword of the flame, with no dramatic rescue at the last minute. Such an act of laying down your life for what you believe looks like the ultimate foolishness to the world. The Lord, however, calls it wisdom. Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time. Daniel 11:35

Teach: ”Those who are wise will instruct many…” Daniel 11:33 We are constantly surrounded by people whose thoughts are shaped entirely by present realities rather than ultimate realities.  Many of our friends go through life with no thought of a final resurrection or a judgment day. Who’s going to instruct them of the power and sovereignty of a holy God, the seriousness of the last judgment, and their need to live their lives in light of eternity?

Pray:  After all is said on this difficult chapter, we should not lose sight that its whole purpose was to encourage Daniel’s faithfulness in prayer. By showing him the real conflict behind world events is spiritual, God was teaching Daniel that the real weapon of the church is prayer. As Sinclair Ferguson says, “Fail in the work of prayer, and we fail to understand this great vision.”

Sometimes life will not make sense. But don’t lose heart.  When we hold onto faith in the God who reigns, when we resist the intrigues of evil, when we teach others of our Sovereign and Holy God and stay faithful in prayer… God will give us His peace and His strength even when what we are going through doesn’t make sense.  This is our hope.