OVERVIEW: Daniel’s prayer answered by God’s messenger who was detained for 21 days by the Prince of Persia; prophecy of the kingdoms from the time of Daniel to the antichrist; the Great Tribulation.
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:
The first half of Daniel’s book centers around the prophet’s personal historic adventures. The second half focuses on his prophetic visions. God’s people, the Jews, a major political and military force among the Gentiles since the days of Joshua, now find themselves under Gentile domination. But, take note, that even world powers do not rise and fall without the consent of almighty God! In a remarkable collection of prophecies, Daniel sets forth both the near and distant future of God’s chosen people — a future filled with purifying judgment and blessing.
Chapter 10 gives us a graphic view of the other half of reality above our heads that we can’t see with our physical eyes, but is just as real as everything we do see in the other half! In 2 Corinthians 4:18, Paul distinguishes between these two realities, saying that the things we can see with our physical eyes are part of the TEMPORAL realm, and the things we can’t see with our physical eyes are part of the ETERNAL realm. It is in this unseen realm above our heads, as we learn from Daniel 10, where much of our spiritual warfare actually takes place. What the angel declares to Daniel that he had been warring against, for that 21-day period in which Daniel had been seeking the Lord, was one of the key “principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, or spiritual wickedness in high places” that Paul talked about in Ephesians 6:12, that was specifically set above and against the nation of Persia. (10:13, 20) Evidently, these demonic spiritual forces are highly regimented and intricately networked to carry out their warfare against God’s purposes and people around the entire globe. It is also this realm to which Elisha prayed that his servant would have his eyes opened to see in 2 Kings 6:15–17. As we consider the warfare that was above Daniel’s head during this 21-day period, one can only wonder what might have happened had Daniel not prayed — and/or, had he not fasted and prayed! How many answers to prayer have we forfeited because of our lack of faithfulness and importunity? May God open our eyes!
The history of the Greek Empire is detailed further for us in chapter 11. This is truly one of the most remarkable prophecies in the entire Bible! In perfect sequence, Daniel chronicled in advance…
- The coming of Alexander the Great.
- The division of his empire into four parts.
- The conflicts between Syria and Egypt.
- Israel’s miseries as the pawn between these two rival powers. (Called the “king of the north and the king of the south.”)
- The dark days of the tyrant, Antiochus Epiphanes. (A picture of the coming antichrist.)
- The intervention of Rome in the affairs of Palestine.
Daniel then goes on to speak of the last days and of the coming of the actual antichrist of whom Antiochus Epiphanes was merely a type. We are told two interesting things regarding the antichrist in chapter 11. Verse 20 reveals that he will be a “raiser of taxes,” and many believe that verse 37 suggests that he may also possibly be a homosexual; the prophecy stating, “neither shall he regard…the desire of women.” It is difficult to determine with absolute certainty. He may well be! But, if he is a homosexual, this would appear to be the only mention of it in Scripture.
Another thing to at least consider is the fact that the verse specifically says that he will not regard the “desire ‘OF’ women”, not the “desire ‘FOR’ women.” Certainly, the words “of” and “for” are sometimes used interchangeably in normal conversation, but a key cross reference we pick up from the verbiage in Daniel 11:37 is in Luke 1:28, when the angel Gabriel appears to Mary to inform her that she would be the earthly vessel to bring forth the Messiah, the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Gabriel begins his salutation to her by referring to her as “thou that art highly favoured among women”. When Elisabeth learns of the Christ-child in Mary’s womb, she refers to her, with the filling of the Spirit, saying, “Blessed art thou among women.” (Luke 1:42) It would appear that it was the “desire” of every Jewish maiden, that she would be the one chosen to give birth to the Messiah. So, it may be that Daniel 11:37 is simply a prophecy referring to the fact that the antichrist will have no regard for the Lord Jesus Christ, the One who was “the desire of women.” Again, it is difficult to say with absolute certainty.
In chapter 12, Daniel writes prophetically concerning the Great Tribulation — even Daniel himself doesn’t understand the meaning of what he’s writing! (12:8) As he asks God to help him to understand, God tells Daniel in verse 9 that the words he was writing, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, would be “closed up and sealed till the time of the end” (which just happens to be the very time in which we are now living!) In other words, we have the ability to understand the prophecies in the Book of Daniel, even more than the human author of the Book himself! Wow! How crazy is that?
Regarding the “time of the end,” we are told in Daniel 12:4 that “many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” This is an amazing prophecy considering the modes of transportation (automobiles, trains, airplanes, space shuttles, etc.) and the accessibility of information (computers, cell phones, the internet, etc.) available to us today, as opposed to what was available in Daniel’s time — or, even 150 years ago! We are truly living in “the time of the end!” (12:9) May that reality cause us to purify ourselves as we await our Lord’s coming (1 John 3:3), and cause there to be a passionate urgency in our souls to get the gospel to the lost while we still have time! (Rom. 1:16; Mat. 28:19–20)
CHRIST IS REVEALED:
As THE ONE WHO LIVES FOREVER — Daniel 12:7 (John 8:58; Rev. 1:8; 4:8)