Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everla sting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Daniel 9:24 Israel of old did not make an end of sins and reconciliation for iniquity in killing God’s son and refused the gospel message and also refused to anoint the most Holy therefore their time came to a finish at the end of the seventy weeks or seventy year prophecy. The gospel first given to the Jews would now be given to others who would accept the messiah- this is known as the time of the gentiles. The restoration of this gospel is to make a people ready for the second coming of Christ or for when Michael shall stand up, that is at the end of the 2300 days in the time of the day of judgement and atonement. Michael also is known to us as Jesus, shall stand up in the latter day and shall raise the dead, see Jude 1:9
The rejection of the gospel by the Jewish nation and its leaders gave birth to the new Christian era and so successful were their efforts that they had delivered the gospel to all the known world back in Paul’s time. Colossians 1:23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and [be] not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, [and] which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
Therefore paganism that had continued since before the flood or the daily or the continuance came to an end and gave birth to a new imitation and persecuting power of truth known as the little horn. A new power of darkness emerged from the old to meet a new threat and combat the rising church.
It is interesting to note that by legislative authority the Roman emperor gave the little horn or Papacy it authority to prosecute heretics.
By legislative authority the power of the Papacy started and came to an end. Three Arian kings who destroyed the Roman western empire were pluck up as the prophecy foretold and a Pope favorable to the Arian doctrine was removed and authority was given against such doctrine in favor of the trinity and all trace of Arian teachings were obliterated. (Daniel 7:8 I considered th e horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn [were] eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.) Napoleon by his legislative authority removed the power and authority of the Papacy until it was reinstated in 1929 fulfilling the Prophecy in Revelation 13 ‘the deadly wound was healed and all the world wondered after the beast’. Again with the re-installment of the Papacy’s state and territory a legal agreement was signed between King of Italy and Mussolini and the Papacy’s representatives by which authority was restored to the Papacy.
The coming of the Messiah is by divine authority no human authority is involved (no human legislation) – a voice from heaven and the words of Christ are the two witnesses. The restoration of the temple after its destruction in 457 BC by contrast was by divine and human authority. The restoration of the gospel is of physical and spiritual dimension and it comes in the judgement time.
John 15:3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Restoration of truth on a worldwide scale came after the deadly wound of the Papacy in 1798. The truths are as follows- the sanctuary in heaven and significance to us on earth, the state of the dead, the second coming of Christ, the Sabbath, the relationship of the mind to the body and healing all fit together with the message that the hour of His judgement is come and a translation message as we wait for His appearing. He who has not sufficient faith in Christ to believe that He can keep him from sinning, has not the faith that will give him an entrance into the kingdom of God.–Manuscript 161, 1897 see also Daniel 9:24. Also the book of Daniel is open for our study after 1798 and the Spirit of prophecy is made alive. God is manifest to a commandment keeping people. The judgement commenced with the restoration of teachings that had been obscured through the teachings and persecutions of the Papacy. In 1844 an understanding of the heavenly sanctuary (see Hebrews 8) was for the first time plainly understood and with other teachings, incorporated into SDA organisation. Visions and dreams also were manifest that confirmed these positions which were to the law and testimony of God Isaiah 8:20. The laws of health and the seventh-day were incorporated into the faith.
Prelude to Daniel 11 and 12
- It is important to use the time periods of chapter 12 to help establish the words of the angel or the explanation given in Chapter 11
- Our guide post is also the image given at the very first in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream
- Understand the establishment of the little horn from the taking away of the ‘daily’ to the setting up of the abomination of desolation.
- In the midst of time the prince of the covenant also affirms the time of the vision and the length of time which is not literal days but a day representing a year.
- The destruction and cleansing of the temple is important to our understanding
- Who would constitute God’s people? Well you say that’s easy- we’ll consider this they keep all the commandments of God, the 4th being a distinguishing mark and have love for the brethren. They will make an end of sin and reconciliation for iniquity. Therefore to really have the Holy Spirit guiding us we must obey the commandments and be committed to a balanced gospel that recognizes grace, faith and that faith being a faith that works by love and purifies the soul.
- Day of judgement- blessed is he who comes to that day and the opening of the book of Daniel for the wise shall understand
- Do not study chapters 11 & 12 separately, and consider the interpretation in light of the figures and timeline already given in preceding chapters of Daniel.
- Daniel is not a full running commentary on history but has pinpointed certain major events that establish truth and error
- Beware of double application of prophecies that leave the reader in confusion having not thoroughly established the ‘first application.’
- This is like a train a nd the indicator says it only makes certain stops. Here are the main stops given by the indicator in Daniel 12 by the timeline for the events of Daniel 11
- 1. how the daily desolation was formed that is Rome. 2. How the abomination of desolation was set up and 3. the events surrounding the day of judgement and probation’s close in the latter day. Which stops? This is indicated by the time line.
The conclusion of Daniel should be seen in expansion of that which has preceded and in this wise the king of the North being Turkey or Islam as has been suggested by many, does not fit that which shall continue to dominate till Christ comes but the little horn a power that was nothing like that preceded before (as described as such here in Daniel 11 and the preceding chapters) and works with flatteries, that desires not women fits well the work of the Papacy. Did we not say they he shall change times and laws, magnifying himself above God. Yes the power of atheism from the bottomless pit also magnified himself but I would suggest this is not introduced in Daniel but in Revelation 11 and is identified with its own time period.
When it comes as we are to Daniel 11 there are many ideas and thoughts but are they consistent with time lines and the flow of thought in the book of Daniel? King of the north being Turkey or Islam has been a popular idea, however Rome is the great subject in the last half of the book of Daniel, as Babylon is the great subject in the first half of the book. {May 29, 1900 ATJ, ARSH 338.9}
Daniel 11
The head of the nations is the head of the statue in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream- Babylon and as we build the body the body parts becomes larger taking in more territory than the kingdom before it. The image of a man is built which is against Christ; that is the antichrist and a stone made without hands smashes the image to pieces see Daniel 2. This image is Babylon named according to its head and that which the reformers also names as the papacy, antichrist which makes way for the false Christ.
Why would the Bible be worried about Babylon and Egypt here in Daniel 11? Babylon was prophesied to no longer be inhabited but by doleful creatures and Egypt to be a weak nation.
Says the angel to Daniel the Prophet in Chapter 11 ‘I will show you the truth..to establish the vision.’ This emphasizes, the truth that appears in the two preceding chapters concerning the little horn and God’s people.
Daniel 11:2 There shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than them all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia. The angel gives us the name of the kingdom to rise Grecia.
Xerxes was the last king (a very wealthy king) of Medo-Persia to be defeated by Greece and 9 minor rulers would follow before Alexander the Great would make it a world empire.
Daniel 11:3,4 (included word here for meaning of the text) And a mighty king Alexander Great shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven amongst Alexander’s generals; and not to his children, nor according to his dominion which he ruled but shall become the Roman empire: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others to rule. Now the angel details how this happened.
To the right is pictured the division of the Greek empire to Alexander’s 4 generals and not to his posterity or given to his children as predicted ->
‘The history of Rome is that of a city that originally had only a few miles of territory, and gradually extended its dominions first over Italy and then over the civilised world.’ To the North is Babylon and what overtakes that Kingdom physically and spiritually is Rome. To the south what overtakes that kingdom of Egypt is Pagan Rome but then apostate Christianity and then Mohammedanism.
The following is the making of the kingdom of Rome. Conflict between Syria and Egypt and their powers and territory lead to Rome empire over taking all. ‘The Roman general Pompey defeats the Seleucid Antiochus XIII and incorporates Syria as a province of the Roman empire.’ The division of the north consolidates into Roman empire. Pompey also invades Jerusalem.
Directly between King of the North and the King of the South is Palestine -God’s children. The North would be overtaken by Rome after the battles between seleucus and Ptolemy. Cleopatra would make her alliance with Rome and the powers of the Greek kingdom of the North would become that of Rome and also the power of Egypt would become that of Rome.
A general history from Greek division to Roman empire is contained in the following verses:
Daniel 11:5 And the king of the south shall be strong, and [one] of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion [shall be] a great dominion. 11:6 And in the end of years they shall join themselves together; for the king’s daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm: but she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in [these] times. 11:7 But out of a branch of her root shall [one] stand up in his estate, which shall come with an army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them, and shall prevail: 11:8 And shall also carry captives into Egypt their gods, with their princes, [and] with their precious vessels of silver and of gold; and he shall continue [more] years than the king of the north. 11:9 So the king of the south shall come into [his] kingdom, and shall return into his own land.
Egypt at this point in history (that is after the division of Grecian empire) was strong and annexed many places including Cyrus, Phoenicia, Caria, Cyrene and many islands and cities to itself and Macedonia and Thrace were annexed to Syria and war ensued. An agreement was made between Egypt and Syria by the marriage of Ptolemy Philadelphus’ daughter the second king of Egypt to Theos the third king of Syria.
An agreement was made by marriage that did not last. War broke out to avenge the death of his sister Bernice by her brother Ptolemy Euergetes. This is what happened; the wife of Antiochus of Syria and his children were taken from the king’s court because of the arranged marriage but later his former wife and children were brought back to the king’s court and Antiochus was poisoned by his former wife Laodice and she also arranged for the murder of Bernice and her children.
11:10 But his sons shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces: and [one] shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall he return, and be stirred up, [even] to his fortress. 11:11 And the king of the south shall be moved with choler, and shall come forth and fight with him, [even] with the king of the north: and he shall set forth a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into his hand.11:12 [And] when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted up; and he shall cast down [many] ten thousands: but he shall not be strengthened [by it]. 11:13 For the king of the north shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come after certain years with a great army and with much riches. 11:14 And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south: also the robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fall.
The setting up of the daily desolation and his temple. The robbers of thy people clearly refers to Rome to establish the vision but they shall fall. Paganism was established in each universal kingdom and God intervened in the first two. He called Nebuchadnezzar his servant- the beast was given the heart of man (see Daniel 7:4) and Cyrus was called in the book of Isaiah (44:28,45:1) before his birth. Clearly the threat to the people of God was Paganism and many instances could be cited, that is why these beasts are thus presented. These are kingdoms that threatened God’s work and people. Daniel 10:13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. The most fearful of the beasts, dreadful and terrible is the fourth with the 10 horns and is about to be established by its kings or emperors who proclaim themselves as gods, after taking over the Roman senate.
11:15 So the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mount, and take the most fenced cities: and the arms of the south shall not withstand, neither his chosen people, neither [shall there be any] strength to withstand.
11:16 But he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him: and he shall stand in the glorious land, which by his hand shall be consumed.
The invasion is from the North and as stated prior in Daniel 8:9 – “toward the pleasant or glorious land” and Rome is the power which none shall stand before him.
‘Pompey enters the Jerusalem Temple. Painting by Jean Fouquet, after an event recorded by Flavius Josephus in The Antiquities of the Jews.’
11:17 He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall he do: and he shall give him the daughter of women, corrupting her: but she shall not stand [on his side], neither be for him.
To enter the strength of his whole kingdom he must deal with Egypt and God’s children will also be involved with this invasion
The story of Cleopatra culminates in the Roman empire. From senate to dictator empire and from Egyptian independence to incorporation. Time map of Roman empire 30 BC with the note ‘Egyptian independence has come to an end with the death of its famous queen, Cleopatra.’
Note this quote: ‘By this time, internal tensions led to a series of civil wars, climaxing with the assassination of Julius Caesar, which ended with the establishment of the Roman Empire. The exact date of the transition to the Roman Empire can be a matter of interpretation. Historians have variously proposed Julius Caesar’s crossing of the Rubicon River in 49 BC, Caesar’s appointment as dictator for life in 44 BC, and the defeat of Mark Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC.’
“Cleopatra originally ruled jointly with her father, Ptolemy XII Auletes, and later with her brothers, Ptolemy XIII and Ptolemy XIV, whom she married as per Egyptian custom, but eventually she became sole ruler. As pharaoh, she consummated a liaison with Julius Caesar that solidified her grip on the throne. She later elevated her son with Caesar, Caesarion, to co-ruler in name….Eager to take advantage of Julius Caesar’s anger toward Ptolemy, Cleopatra had herself smuggled secretly into the palace to meet with Caesar. Plutarch in his “Life of Julius Caesar”[13] gives a vivid description of how she entered past Ptolemy’s guards rolled up in a carpet that Apollodorus the Sicilian was carrying.[14] She became Caesar’s mistress, and nine months after their first meeting, in 47 BC, Cleopatra gave birth to their son, Ptolemy Caesar,nicknamed Caesarion,which means “little Caesar’.”
11:18 After this shall he turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many: but a prince for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he shall cause [it] to turn upon him. 11:19 Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.
“After this conquest, Caesar defeated the last remaining fragments of Pompey’s party, Cato and Scipio in Africa and Labienus and Varus in Spain. Returning to Rome, the “fort of his own land,” he was made perpetual dictator;”
The daily desolation set up
1st emperor of the Roman empire Julius Caesar was a great warrior and it was through the general’s victories that one came to political power in Rome. The story of the empire of Rome hinges on Julius Caesar who was made dictator for life, emperor and it was this move that cost him his life by those in favour of the republic. (‘and not be found’) The reproach on Israel by Pompey and his party would cease by Julius Caesar victories over him. Rome became an empire by this first king as predicted.
‘Julius Caesar was the first historical Roman to be officially deified. He was posthumously granted the title Divus Iulius or Divus Julius (the divine Julius or the deified Julius) by decree of the Roman Senate on 1 January 42 BC.’ Around 60 or more men participated in his assassination, he was stabbed 23 times. He was the pontiff maximus that would establish itself in ‘Christianity.’ The Pope later taking to himself that very title of the emperors of old, which is stamped everywhere on the buildings, even to the roof tops in the vatican.
11:20 Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes [in] the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle.
Emperor 2 Caesar Augustus was called the son of god (he assumed deity for himself before the people of Rome). Luke 2:1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. This event marks the birth of Christ in which Mary and Joseph had to journey to Bethlehem and Christ found lying in a manger.
11:21 And in his estate shall stand up a vile person (Tiberius), to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.
11:22 And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant.
Emperor 3 Tiberius was not Augustus’ son but connected through his second marriage. Tiberius rise to the throne was with suspicion as history portrays yet at the time he came to power peaceably with his acceptance by the senate. He was known as a broodish fellow who was busy dispatching conspirators. Tyranny and debauchery were characteristic of his reign. He was not a loved emperor but had obtained the kingdom by the persistence of his mother Livia and by the death of Agrippa. Augustus had said to Livia ‘your son is too vile to wear the purple of Rome.
Jesus was baptized or anointed by the Father and the Holy Spirit ascended upon Him and Christ also died under the reign of Tiberius fulfilling the covenant made in Eden See Luke 3:1
Jerusalem’s temple was destroyed as with a flood shall they be overthrown from before him. It was the death of Christ and the impact on the disciples with the world wide commission that would see the Roman empire fall.
Jesus foretold plainly the destruction of the temple at Jerusalem. Matthew 24:1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to [him] for to show him the buildings of the temple. 24:2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
He (Jesus) saw Jerusalem encompassed with armies, the besieged inhabitants driven to starvation and death, mothers feeding upon the dead bodies of their own children, and both parents and children snatching the last morsel of food from one another, natural affection being destroyed by the gnawing pangs of hunger. He saw that the stubbornness of the Jews, as evinced in their rejection of His salvation, would also lead them to refuse submission to the invading armies. He beheld Calvary, on which He was to be lifted up, set with crosses as thickly as forest trees. He saw the wretched inhabitants suffering torture on the rack and by crucifixion, the beautiful palaces destroyed, the temple in ruins, and of its massive walls not one stone left upon another, while the city was plowed like a field. Well might the Saviour weep in agony in view of that fearful scene. {DA 577.2}
‘Paganism as paganism was laid low, and the “mystery of iniquity” was enthroned.’
“The daily shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up: We arrived at a period, and an event, when paganism in the empire received its deathblow, by the conversion of those pagan kings. Some vestiges of paganism did, of course, exist in the empire after this, but I know of no account of pagan sacrifices being offered, after that, in the city of Rome, “the place of his (paganism) sanctuary.” Nor did it ever recover much strength or influence anywhere in the bounds of the western Roman empire. Thus, in A.D. 508, paganism, or the daily abomination of paganism ceased in the Roman empire. And it was taken away too, by those pagan kings who conquered Rome. But the time had not yet fully come for the “man of sin” to be revealed. Those kings, although they had embraced Christianity, and gave their support to the pompous ceremonies of the Roman religion, yet they were most of them Arians in sentiment, and bitter opposers to the orthodox faith. Thoughts by Josiah Litch In relation to the “daily” (Daniel 8:12) the word “sacrifice” was supplied by man’s wisdom.
Here you will find in this section relevant issues to this time in history-
- Changing of law
- Trinity debate in the early church
- Egypt in three phases
- 10 toes
- A look at the verses
Daniel 11:23-31 is between the time of the messiah and the taking away of the daily desolation and the setting of the abomination of desolation. The abomination of desolation makes a direct attack on the law of God the standard of righteousness by which man is saved! Understand that is the abomination. ‘The future history must deal with church and state, not with kingdoms such as Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece. History has changed.’
The plucking up of the three horns establishes the little horn. Constantine er-established Rome under the ever growing and increasingly popular religion of Christianity. This was a political/religious and military adultery of pure Christianity. Paganism entered the church by Constantine’s introductions. Also a religious political war came from Alexandria over the godhead, Arian vs the trinity. Egypt was the centre of a corrupt theology of Greek philosophy %