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Our next task is to work ourselves through 11:17-39 and find
fulfilments of what is described in these verses in the history of the
Roman power. We will consult those who have made a special study of it
and use their findings. Our main source will be again McCready Price but
others will be quoted as well. Price is the only one who deals with it
verse by verse which is easier to follow.
Daniel 11:17-22
The "he” and the "his” in the beginning of this verse refers to 11:16,
the Romans. In what follows we have a description of the development and
further establishment of the Roman Empire which took possession of all
the territories of the former fourfold divided Grecian Empire. Various
commentators do agree that in 11:17-19 we have a description of the
victories of Caesar and his successful career in the many lands around
the Mediterranean like N.Africa and the other side even into Spain. The
British Isles also came under Roman rule. It is stated that Caesar
fought and won fifty battles, took one thousand cities, and slain one
million one hundred ninety two thousand men. (Price page 289 and quoting
from Uriah Smith)
He is the one who issued that famous statement "Veni, vidi ,vice” I
came, I saw , I conquered. We read in 11:19 that he returns to his own
fortress, Rome and there he found his own opponents and was assassinated
by a dagger through the hands of Cassius Brutus, which happened in the
year 44BC not far from the birth date of Jesus Christ. Those who are
interested in reading all this in detail should get Dr.Shea’s book on
Daniel or the book "God Cares” vol.I by Dr.Mervyn Maxwell, still
available from Adventist Book Centres.
Caesar had no successors from his own family. A period of civil
strife followed from which Augustus (Octavius) stood up as the sole
ruler in the empire. He is the one who
established the Roman tax system throughout the empire as is described in 11:20
"an exactor to pass through” . Some translations say it clearly "a
raiser of taxes” or a "tax collector”. In the New Testament we are
reminded of this event in Luke 2:1 where Joseph with Mary had to go to
Bethlehem to be registered for tax reasons, and at the same time
fulfilling Micah 5:2 that Christ the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.
Daniel 11:20 ends saying that the one who would stand up would come
to his end neither in anger nor in battle. Augustus died in AD14
peacefully in his bed, age seventy six. (Price p.291). Against the will
of Augustus, Tiberius got on the throne in Rome. Daniel 11:21 describes
Tiberius as a vile person. The honour of the Kingdom was not given to
him, but he got it after the death of Augustus. The one nominated by
Augustus was Agrippa, a highly respected man, but he died before the
death of Augustus, and so Tiberius got to wear the purple of Rome.
(Price p.291)
Tiberius was successful in his warfare. The text reads that the
opposing forces "shall be broken” or NASB version: "forces will be
flooded away before him and scattered”. In the KJV it reads further "Yea
also the Prince of the covenant”. No doubt this refers to the death of
Christ. We have discussed this by Daniel 9:25-27 and it did occur under
the reign of Tiberius in AD31. Christ’s death took place in Palestine
under Pilate and confirmed by historian Flavius Josephus, page 480 and
by the Roman historian Tacitus.
Daniel 11:23-39
This section of Daniel can be divided in two parts. The last part of
Daniel 11:22 took us to the death of Christ in AD31 The Prince of the
covenant be broken”. From that point we go to 11:31 where we are
informed about Papal Rome activities similar to what we have learned
from Daniel 8:11, 12 which historically can be reckoned as have taken
place in the time betweenAD476-AD538. AD 476 the terminal year of the
secular phase of the Roman Empire and AD538 the commencement of the
ecclesiastical phase of the Roman Empire. The next or second part of
11:23-39 according to the text 11:32-39 runs from 538-1798 which takes
us into the time of the end where in 1798 Papal Rome received its deadly
wound through the activities of the French Revolution. We will not give
a verse by verse commentary but will provide a summary from
commentators we have consulted to get us through these verses of Daniel
11. The newly (2010) Andrews University Study Bible has the following
footnote by this passage of scripture:” This lengthy passage about the
vile and blasphemous ruler matches the description of the character and
activities of the little horn found in chapters 7 and 8 of Daniel. The
vile person is not explicitly called the king of the North in this part
of chapter 11”.
The last time we met king of the North in Daniel eleven was in 11:15
and the next time will be in 11:40. We treat all in between as a graphic
description of the Roman Empire in its two phases Pagan Rome followed
by Papal Rome. This matches Daniel 8 where the two phases of Rome are
symbolised by the little horn and described in four verses 8:9-12, but
very little detail is given. In Daniel 11:15-45 we have thirty verses
dealing with the same time span in history. Daniel 11:15-19 the
establishment of Pagan Rome which started with the decisive battle of
Pydna in 168BC. Then we have 11:20-30 the running of Pagan Roman Empire
with Augustus the raiser of taxes consolidating the empire. See notes by
11:20. But by verse 30 pagan Rome ends and Papal Rome activities is
taking over in 11:31. The Papal Roman phase runs till 11:40 when an
attack takes place from the king of the South against the king of the
North. By that time it should be clear who the king of the North is and
if that is clear it will not be difficult to identify the king of the
South who launched the attack.
Daniel 11:40-45 deals with last day or time of the end activities of
the king of the North which is the revived Papal Roman power or the
healing of the deadly wound as stated in Rev.13:3.. We like to refer the
reader to the special detailed study of 11:40-45 in this same section
of Daniel studies.
However we like in advance of this point say something about the King
of the North as mentioned in 11:40. In the past and may be still some
today, held that the King of the North in 11:40 was Turkey the seat of
the Ottoman Empire. In my reading I have found very little substantial
ground for that view, except for the fact that geographically it can be
held that Turkey is north of Jerusalem in Palestine It is purely based
on a literal interpretation of this part of Daniel’s prophecy. We have
pointed out here before that from AD31 the death of Christ the literal
must be dealt with spiritual and the local geographical as global
universal. That solves all problems and brings it in harmony with the
New Testament view of Biblical Israel.
Those who hold that Daniel 11:36-39 deals with France and its French
revolution also have a problem to solve. France was an eminent son of
the Papacy and if the king of the South is France then we must conclude
that France attacked itself. We will see later and the special study of
11:40-45 makes it clear that the French Revolution represents a new
system attacking the Church of Rome and inflicting a deadly wound which
would last at least till the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
France as a nation was not responsible but the atheistic, God ignoring
system is responsible which was carried forward by the communistic
manifesto of Marx/Lenin and clearly described in Revelation 11:7, 8 as
spiritual Egypt launching attacks against God and His Word. What was
before AD 31 literal Israel with a literal geographical territory and a
literal city Jerusalem and a literal temple or sanctuary; all has become
spiritual or transferred to heaven. We still have a literal Israel
people but universal on earth and with a heavenly city New Jerusalem
capital of its heavenly land Canaan and a heavenly sanctuary with its
High Priest Jesus Christ Himself, and not a human is God’s high Priest
on earth
Read Hebr; 8:1-3 and 12:22.Not heirs of a part of the world but heirs of
the whole world, Rom.4:12-16 and now those who are of Christ are
Abraham’s seed and heirs of the promise, Gal.3:13, 14, 29 The reader of
this is also directed to Revelation studies part III and part V. in the
Revelation section of this website. And read in the doctrinal section
"Israel in the Scriptures”.
After this lengthy interlude we turn back where we left of, Daniel
11:23. From 11:22 we learned that the "Prince of the Covenant be
broken”, which took place in AD31. Then in 11:23 we learned more about
Rome’s development and also decline of the empire. Briefly we follow
McCready Price who took much from Dr.Ed.Thiele who has given quite some
detail information about Pagan Rome and its development in history. We
also have taken information from others like Dr.Shea. History tells how
many leagues and treatises Pagan Rome made to establish its power and
often in a deceitful manner. In history and in the present time
treatises are often not worth more than the paper upon which it is
written, and those who sign them, it seems they do not take their
signature serious.
Daniel 11:25
In this verse we have a description of a large army explained by the
historians as a naval forces going to battle. Price writes it was the
battle of Actium, September 2, 31BC between Rome and Egypt and Egypt
being the looser. (Price 296)
Daniel 11:26
History reveals that part of the Roman army left in Egypt revolted
against Rome which had to be dealt with at the loss of many lives.
Daniel 11:27
We conclude from historical sources and using different translations
that different government officials were involved in Roman
administration, even brothers in law and deceiving each others by lies.
Even Egyptian officials were involved. But eventually the Roman
administrators gained the upper hand and returned home.
Daniel 11:28
After the problem mentioned in 11:27 and which was resolved in favour of
Rome they turned to the people of the covenant, the Jews. It can mean
there was an outright revolt by the Jews against the Romans. Rome was
not very happy with the Jews which may have caused Christians to turn
away from the Sabbath and accept the Roman first day Sunday worship.
They did not like to be associated with the Jews because of Seventh-day
Sabbath keeping. History reveals that there have been several Roman
activities of persecution against the Christians especially under
Diocletianus
in the fourth century This may be included in the statement "his heart
shall be against the holy covenant”. As mentioned before the Christian
church of the New Testament is now Israel and as such qualifies to be
called the people of the holy covenant, in this verse as well.
Daniel 11:29, 30
In this verse we seem to have a double play. First the ships of Kittim
which is commonly understood as naval forces from Cyprus. It is known in
history that the Roman Empire was attacked by Vandals making inroads in
its territory and eventually with other Eastern tribes causing its
decline and downfall in the end, AD476.The text also mention another
action against the people of the covenant, Christians. At the same time
we find in history a gradual departure from the Holy Covenant by
unfaithful Christians under leadership of the bishop of Rome who showed
interest in secular power. The emperor of Rome makes a deal with the
bishop and transfers the seat of the Roman Empire to Constantinople in
Turkey, and leaving the city of Rome in the hands of the bishop and
there the second phase of the Roman Empire commenced as the Papal Roman
phase.
Daniel 11:31
Papal Rome fortifies itself with military forces and starts its
activities which are known as the dark ages of history. We have reached
AD538 or the beginning of the 1260 prophetic period of Papal Rome
Supremacy. The Church of Rome now enforces upon the people its apostate
style of worship, called in Daniel 8:12 a worship in transgression of
true Biblical worship. Pagan Rome is now fully replaced by Papal Rome.
In Daniel 11:32-39 we are dealing with this period and getting more
information regarding what took place in that time of history which was
terminated by the French revolution in 1798 and the imprisonment by
French armies of the ruling pope in that year.
Daniel 11:32
From this verse onward we have further prophetic information about the
activities of Papal Rome in addition to what we have been told in 11:31.
In that verse we are told that it would act against the sanctuary and
trample upon the truths of God’s Word as in 8:11-13. All these
activities would take place by flatteries, smooth deceiving words and
misleading. The Christian world would be openly led astray into a deeper
experience of apostasy known in history as the dark ages. The same as
later was written about by the apostle Paul in 2Thess.2:3, 4 with great
display of pomp and pride almost acting as God on earth. Some Popes of
the dark ages did call themselves God on earth. But as there were still
faithful ones in the days of Elijah, the 7000 who had not bowed their
knee before Baal, so the text says there would still be people "who
know their God be strong and do exploits.”
Daniel 11:33
The true and faithful ones would be persecuted for many days. No doubt
this refers to the lengthy time of the prophetic 1260 year period of
Papal supremacy. Many great truthful Bible teachers and Bible believing
people have perished as martyrs by the sword and by the flame on the
stake. We think about the early Albigenses and later the Waldenses
followed by the early and later reformers.
Daniel 11:34
In their fall, persecution, they would receive some help. This makes
connection with what we later read in Revelation 12:16 that the earth
would come to the rescue of the woman. (Study Revelation Part IV in the
Revelation section). In the seventeenth century, in 1620 the Pilgrim
Fathers sought refuge in the newly discovered lands of the Americas.
However not all who migrated to the Americas were honest people some did
by flatteries or as the NASB reads they were hypocrites, joining them
in hypocrisy.
Also not all people who joined the reformation were honest true Bible
believing people. Many joined for alternative reasons and caused lots of
trouble and unnecessary bloodshed. The same as a mixed group of people
from Egypt joined with Israel in the Exodus from Egypt, Ex.12:38
Daniel 11:35
This verse seems to indicate that those who did fall by way of
persecution as described in 11:33, 34 and 12:10, it would be for them a
spiritual process of refining and purification. Paul wrote later in
Rom.5:3-5 that tribulations have a refining character or act in
spiritual development. It would make their clothes white as we read
about in Rev.7:14 about the ones coming out of great tribulation. They
have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb. They conquered him by
the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, Rev.12:11. All of
them have been given white robes, Rev.6:11. Papal suppression could not
stop their faithfulness rather it made them stronger and many more
joined the reformation.
Daniel 11:36-39
Here we have a further graphic description about the king, Papal Rome:
a. Shall do according to his will, operating independently away from God and
His Word.
b. Shall exalt himself as later described by Paul in 2 Thess.2:3, 4
c. Magnify himself similar to what we have read in Daniel 8:11 about the little
horn taking the title vicar of Christ on earth and thus qualifying of being
the Anti-Christ, falsely acting in place of Christ while hypocritically giving
the impression of being in favour of Christ
d. Speaking against the God of gods, against the Creator of heaven and earth.
Medieval Popes called themselves God on earth, God’s High Priest on earth,
and priests were given the power to call Christ down from heaven to be
sacrificed again on the altar in the church See Joshua 22:22 about God of gods.
e. He shall prosper. For 1260 years it looked like this would continue for ever
unopposed. But a time was set in prophecy where it would come to an end
as determined. That time was the end of the 1260 year period in 1798 and
as we will notice when we reach 11:40
f. 11:37. The king would have no regard for the God of their fathers. Bible
religion was completely set aside, the Bible was indexed as a forbidden book ,
and in its place Papal decrees and traditions. Roman customs were transferred
and given Christian meanings. Seventh-day Sabbath keeping replaced by first-
day Sunday keeping. Roman feast days like Christmas and others were
introduced and given a Christian flavour.
g. It is the desire of women to bear children but this was set aside for the Papal
clergy and celibacy was introduced and for those making a vow to serve the
church in one or another capacity which is even practiced today in the 21st
century.
h. 11:38 Again about self-exaltation. Because it is repeated it seems to be the
most serious offence against God. Even today itinerating Popes are honoured
and revered almost as being divine.
i. Then it speaks about a god being introduced and honoured with gold and
silver and precious things. It is not difficult to refer this to the medieval
veneration of saints and even not in the least Mary veneration. She is elevated
to be co-mediatrix having a part in the salvation of people and declared
having been bodily ascended into the heavens like Jesus Christ.
j. Then a god whom his father knew not. We have mentioned Mary under "i”.
She is even called the queen of heaven and worshiped and prayed to in the
Church of Rome. Countries, Continents and the whole world have been
dedicated to Mary by Papal decree. Regarding the god of forces, the KJV
margin uses the word "Mauzzim” which means "protectors”.Saints all through
the Papal system have been appointed as protectors of places in divers
manners. The EU flag, blue field with 12 stars is the Mary flag and under
that flag the European nations are at present marching and operating.
k.11:39.The strange god mentioned is most likely the same as we have discussed
under 11:38. The late Pope John Paul II was totally and completely dedicated
to Mary and openly told the world, making the world moving under Mary. The
last part talks about "dividing the land for gain” .The seat of the Church of
Rome the Vatican is also a mini-state and as such the Vatican is involved in the
political and financial affairs of the world even in this day of the 21st century.
Daniel 11:40-45
As explained before the king of the north has been gradually transformed
from a Secular Pagan Roman Empire into an Ecclesiastical Papal Roman
Empire thus we accept that the mentioning of the King of The north here
in 11:40 refers to the Papal Roman System, as discussed in the previous
verses. The king of the South was literal Egypt before Calvary but also
has made a transformation as the King of The North has, and as we have
learned from Revelation 11:7, 8.
Daniel 11:40 starts with at the time of the end which is, as we have
mentioned here before, the late 18th century or precisely the year 1798
when the King of the North, Papal Rome came under severe attack of
France by way of the French revolution.
It appears that we have a repeat of what happened as described in
11:25., of which McCready Price writes that Antony of Egypt waged war
against Octavius his brother in law.(Octavius became later Augustus)
Octavius was more skilful than Antony and Antony lost the war. Octavius
was left as the undisputed master of the Roman world.
(See Price page 296/7)
In Medieval times before 1798, France was an eminent son of Papal
Rome and a strong supporter of the Papacy. So there was close
relationship between the two, as between Antony and Octavius. However
the French revolution an atheistic uprising in France against the Papal
system inflicted a deadly wound, see Rev.13:3. The world thought that
the papacy was completely dead and terminated for ever. The ruling Pope
was imprisoned and died in prison. But the wound would start to heal. A
year later a new pope was elected and in 1870 declared to be infallible
under certain circumstances of issued Papal decrees. In 1929 Mussolini
returned to the Papacy certain pieces of real estate and thus creating
the mini-state Vatican within the city of Rome. The Pope now is not only
being head of the Church of Rome but also King of a sovereign state. In
that position it can send and accept ambassadors to and from the
nations of the world. Most nations of the world have ambassadorial
relationship with the Vatican even socalled protestant USA. In 2009
Russia also established full unlimited ambassadorial relationship with
the Vatican.
However the attack against the papal system started in 1798 did not
finish with the end of the French revolution. The teachings of the
French revolution were put in the Marx/Lenin manifesto and used in the
Russian revolution of 1917 and was even spread around the world, east
and West. This inflicted also much harm and pain to the Papal system
including Eastern Orthodox Churches 11:40 reads that the King of the
North, Papacy would turn around and make a counter attack like a
whirlwind. To offset the Atheist attack of the French revolution and its
aftermath in the Russian revolution which created the atheistic Soviet
Union what did happen? This whirlwind counter attack by the King of the
North, the papal power took place in the late eighties of the 20th
century and brought down the total system of the atheistic Soviet Union.
The holy alliance between the USA and the Vatican fulfilled this
whirlwind counter attack and placed the Papal System again in the
forefront of the present world among its nations.
This modern re-development of the Papal power in the world is in
process before our very eyes and will in the end complete the healing of
the deadly would and the world wondering after "the beast”, Revelation
13:3. For more detail regarding 11:40-45 the reader is referred to the
special study of these verses and to study Revelation 17 in the
Revelation section.
The final statement is filled with sure hope that the world will not
return into a long period of the medieval system as in the past. It may
look like for some time, but the last sentence of 11:45 reads "he shall
come to en end and none shall help him”. That will be the end of all
things of this sin sick and suffering world. Christ will stand and
declare His rulership on planet earth, Revelation 11:15. The oft prayed
prayer called The Lord’s Prayer” in which we pray "Thy Kingdom come”,
will then be fulfilled.
The Great Controversy between Christ and Satan will have come to an end.
Satan defeated at Calvary will now see his kingdom being crushed and
Christ’s Kingdom of Glory taking its place on earth.
Are you preparing to be a citizen of that Kingdom? Accept Jesus today as
your personal Saviour who died in your place on the cross of Calvary
and make Him the Lord of your life. |
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