What does Daniel do for three weeks? Daniel 10:1-3 Who appeared to Daniel at the end of the
three weeks? Daniel 10:4-10
A man dressed in
NOTE: A comparison of the man in this vision
and the one in Revelation 1 shows that this person who appeared to
Daniel was none other than Jesus Himself. (See Lesson 2).
Why didn't help come to Daniel immediately
when he started to pray? Daniel 10:11-13
But the prince of the Persian kingdom
NOTE: God draws aside the curtain and reveals
to Daniel the cosmic struggle behind the scenes. Cyrus was the reigning
king of Persia, but Daniel is shown that there is a cosmic force
working on Cyrus behind the scenes. This cosmic power is Satan and his
angels, who were doing their best to influence the king of Persia in
order to prevent him from fulfilling the prophecy to rebuild the
temple. For three weeks the struggle continued. Jesus was victorious.
He assures Daniel that the future is in God's control.
Who would be the subject of the rest of the
vision? Daniel 10:14
Now I have come to explain to you what will
NOTE: The only nations that are mentioned in
prophecy are nations that directly affect the covenant people of God.
This is why many nations such as China and India are not mentioned in
Scripture.
Daniel fainted at the revelation of what was
to happen to God's people, but what did God do to Daniel? Daniel 10:15-19
The one who looked like a man
NOTE: What a revelation of God! He comes close
to the prophet; He even touches him and gives him strength.
Who are the next two powers that will affect
the covenant people that God will have to contend with? Daniel 10:20, 21
The prince of
NOTE: Before Daniel is given the delineation of
empires and kings that will affect the covenant people, God reveals to
Daniel the cosmic struggle unraveling. Daniel is allowed to see that
God works against Satan's attempts to subvert the Divine purpose by
contending with the forces of darkness to accomplish God's plans. Again
we are given the divine assurance that God is in control of world
history. Things don't just happen. God controls world events to
accomplish the divine purpose.
THE EVENTS
OF DANIEL 11 The king of the north is a symbol
of the powers that oppose God's people down through the ages. It is the
term used to refer to those whom Satan has used in his attempt to
destroy God's people.
Daniel centers our attention on the great
controversy as he approaches the conclusion of his book in Chapters 11
and 12. He wants us to see clearly that this is not just the rise and
fall of empires described here. Rather, the cosmic drama of the ages is
being played out before our eyes as these various powers seek to
destroy God's people.
Daniel 11 parallels Daniel 2, 7, and 8, but
adds many more details. The same panorama of empires as Daniel 2, 7 and
8 is portrayed: Persia, Greece, pagan and papal Rome and the United
States.
With what empire does Daniel 11 begin? Daniel 11:2
Three more kings will appear in
NOTE: The four kings following Cyrus mentioned
in this verse are Cambyses, False Smerdis, Darius, and Xerxes.
Who is the mighty kings that shall stand up? Daniel 11:3
A
NOTE: This mighty king is Alexander the Great.
What happened to the kingdom after the death
of Alexander? Daniel 11:4
And
NOTE: Alexander's kingdom was divided among
four of his generals. Notice the parallel between Daniel 2, 7, 8, and
11 thus far.
What symbol is now used to describe the two
powers in the Grecian realm that fight against each other? Daniel 11:5-15
The king of the
NOTE: This part of the vision documents various
struggles to take place between the different kings who carved up
Alexander's empire. The symbols Daniel uses for these various kings
become the dominant symbols of Daniel 11: the "king of the north" and
the "king of the south."
Daniel 11:16-30 gives
details of the pagan Roman Empire. What are a few of the descriptions
that Daniel gives of this power?
His successor will sent out a verse 20 ).
NOTE: This is a reference to Caesar
Augustus, who became the great taxer of the people.
And a verse 22 ).
NOTE: It was the Pagan Roman Empire that
"destroyed" or crucified Jesus Christ on the cross.
But his heart will be set against the holy verse 28 ).
NOTE: Pagan Rome sought to destroy the
covenant of God and the covenant people of God through persecution and
distortion of its doctrine.
The next several descriptions in verses 31-39 portray the
activities of the papacy. You will notice that many of the same
descriptions found in Daniel 7 and 8 reappear in Daniel 11 and help us
to clearly identify the power now being depicted.
And will abolish the verse 31 ). Then they will set up the abomination that
causes verse 31 ). The king will do as he pleases. He will verse 36 ).
When do the events describe in verses 40-45
occur? Daniel 11:40
At the
NOTE: We have seen in chapters 7 and 8 that the
time of the end begins after the fall of Papal Rome in 1792. It begins
with the beginning of the judgment, which we discovered started in
1844. The following events are parallel with the kingdom of the feet of
iron and clay in Chapter 2. They are events which the kingdom of the
feet (the United States) has done or will do. These are events that
occur on earth while the cleansing of the Sanctuary is underway in
heaven.
What happens at the time of the end? Daniel 11:40
The king of the
NOTE: In April 1861 (only 17 years after
beginning of the 'time of the end' in 1844) the Confederacy shelled
Fort Sumpter which started the Civil War. The Union armies stormed out
to secure the Union.
What instruments of war will be used? Daniel 11:40
With
NOTE: The word "chariots" can also be
interpreted as "vehicles" drawn by horses. This may be a reference to
the horse-drawn cannon use extensively during the Civil War. The cannon
and cavalry were major elements in the Civil War. Also, the Union
blockaded all the Southern ports with a large fleet, successfully
isolating the South from major suppliers.
What would the King of the North do next? Daniel 11:40
He will
NOTE: The North invaded many States of the
Southern Confederacy. General Sherman swept across the South from
Atlanta to Savanna destroying and burning everything within a 20 mile
swath. Then he swept North into the Carolinas causing much more
destruction. This brought on the end of the Civil War.
Daniel 11 has once again traced for us the rise
and fall of the various empires of antiquity. In startling detail
Daniel has described what was to happen in Medo-Persia, Greece, pagan
and papal Rome, and the United States. Only the divine foreknowledge of
God could have given us such a detailed history written in advance.
But let us not miss the point behind it all.
The real lesson we need to learn from this prophecy is that God is in
control of world events. As these nations rise and fall, God is in
control and ultimately He will accomplish His will.
What land does the king of the north then
invade? Daniel 11:41
the
NOTE: In the Bible the Beautiful land is a
reference to Palestine. The United States has not invaded Israel, or
Jordan so this may very well be in the future. (For the part that
Israel will play in last-day events see the next lesson). This may well
be referring to when the United States seeks to dominate the world
through religious domination. Just as the two legs of the Iron kingdom
represented pagan and papal Rome, the two feet of the iron and clay
kingdom shows two phases of the United States. The first is as the
bastion of freedom and religious liberty, the second as a world
dominating religious power
How widespread will be the domination of the
King of the North? Daniel 11:42, 43 Despite the great power of the King of the
North, what now alarms him? Daniel 11:44 What does he do about the alarming reports? Daniel 11:44
He will set out in a great rage to
NOTE: Here is depicted a final great conflict,
in which this power goes out to completely destroy and annihilate those
who oppose its religious dominion.
What happens to this power when it seeks to
conquer the beautiful holy mountain? Daniel 11:45
Yet he will come to his
NOTE: Thank God, this power will end! This
final great controversy will cease. This power may seek to destroy
God's last-day people, but the promise is that he will come to his end,
and no one shall help him. Many of the details of this final conflict
are not totally clear from Daniel 11. One thing is clear, however,
there will be a final great conflict between the forces of good and the
forces of evil, and ultimately Jesus and His people will win this
conflict. Lesson 22 will explore the various powers that are involved
in the final great conflict. The book of Revelation clearly delineates
the powers that are involved in the final controversy of earth. It is
only reasonable to assume that these same powers are active in the
final conflict described here in Daniel 11.
What happens to God's people in this final
time of trouble? Daniel 12:1
At that time
NOTE: Thank God, deliverance comes to God's
people. In the midst of this final, great time of trouble, this final
conflict of great controversy, Michael comes and delivers God's people,
every person found written in the book. While the last days will be
troublesome times, Daniel ends on a high note of assurance to the
people of God. Deliverance will come, just as deliverance had come to
the Hebrews in Babylon, in the fiery furnace and in the lions' den. We
need not be overly concerned about the details of last-day events,
because we know that ultimately God's people will be delivered.
Will Michael stand up for you?
