-7-
The Antichrist comes to Power
The disciples asked … When will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming … and of the end of the age?
Was it Curiosity? Christians have wanted to know these things from that time to this.
Jesus answers … to satisfy their curiosity? Perhaps His answer did that for them. But His answer actually is to give a 'heads-up' to people who really need to know.
Who do you suppose that Jesus might be addressing in the following statements?
Mr 13:33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.
Mr 13:37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’"
Lu 21:36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."
1Th 5:3 While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labour pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
Clearly He is speaking to people, Christians of the last days. And that very likely could mean … us.
So let's continue from where we left off in the previous chapter.
Da 11:21 ¶ "He (some previous leader) will be succeeded by a contemptible person who has not been given the honour of royalty. He will invade the kingdom when its people feel secure, and he will seize it through intrigue.
This 'contemptible' person, also known as The man of of sin, The son of perdition, The beast, and The Antichrist, is 'seizing' the kingdom … that is, taking power over the nation of Israel. He does so as a 'slippery' person using flattery etc.
The next verse seems to indicate the use of force but before we assume anything let's take it all together and get the whole picture.
22 Then an overwhelming army will be swept away before him; both it and a prince of the covenant will be destroyed.
A 'victory' of some sort happens. He conquers a very powerful army … and the prince of the covenant … This refers to some very high official in Israel. I am not certain if this would refer to the top religious leader or to the prime minister … but the term 'destroyed' is interesting. Notice it does not say that he will be killed.
The next verse sheds more light.
23 After coming to an agreement with him, he will act deceitfully, and with only a few people he will rise to power. (NIV)
We have already noted that he is a slippery person, he uses flattery, and that he comes in peacefully and deceitfully. This means that his destruction is not the normal kind. He does not use force to defeat the army. He is using words and promises. And by doing this he comes into power. Without even knowing it, the Jews will have accepted the cruelest, most wicked person this world has ever known to be their 'protector' and the answer to all their needs.
He makes an agreement with Israel that will be to Israel's benefit. He gains their trust. And then immediately he goes to work behind he scenes, working deceitfully. He will be working on something that will NOT be to Israel's benefit.
Who is this person? Where does he come from?
What will become quite clear is that he is already a world leader having his own army. His relationship with Israel at first looks like he is a supporter and a protector.
At present Israel has one of the strongest outside supporting individuals since their becoming a nation in 1948. Donald Trump has stood with them and behind them on a number of very important issues. He has moved the US embassy to Jerusalem, has opened the way for Israel to annex the Gaza strip, has put forward a peace plan that will return Samaria, Judea and the Jordon valley to Jewish control.
As you know, Trump has strong supporters and strong enemies. In USA Today is the headline,
Donald Trump has been called the King of Israel
Israel settlements: Donald Trump proves he's the 'King of Israel'
( Kim Hjelmgaard USA TODAY Nov 19, 2019)
The opposing party has nothing good to say about Trump and even refers to his accomplishments as being illegal, as far as the UN is concerned.
So, just for discussion sake, could we say that Donald Trump has become strong with a small people, Israel? Has he acquired a relationship with Israel by using flattery and slipperiness?
Very quickly we would answer, No.
While there are many who consider him a 'Contemptible person', he is not the Antichrist for number of reasons.
First of all, he comes from the wrong part of the world, according to Daniel. And secondly, even though he has drafted a peace plan for Israel, He is not known for his flattery.
But the support that Trump offers to Israel may be very dependent upon how the elections turn out in November of 2020. If the Republicans do not have their man in office, if the opposing party takes power, the support that Israel has been receiving may very well disappear.
In that case, Israel finding themselves without the protective support of the USA, may find themselves accepting help from some other place entirely.
Let's carry on with the prophecy in Daniel.
23. And from the time that an alliance is made with him he shall act deceitfully, and he shall become strong with a small people.
The 'contemptible person' by using flattery and lies becomes strong with Israel. But all the while that he is strengthening his ties with Israel, he secretly is achieving his own private agenda. He is acting deceitfully.
24 Without warning he shall come into the richest parts of the province, and he shall do what neither his fathers nor his fathers’ fathers have done, scattering among them plunder, spoil, and goods. He shall devise plans against strongholds, but only for a time.
The alliance made with him (verse 23) benefits him greatly. Obviously it benefits Israel as well. It may look like, in turn for protection that is offered, natural resources will flow to his own homeland.
But we notice, that even though this is the Antichrist, as we will see, he is not ALL-powerful. Other military powers are still operating. Daniel's prophecy refers to them as 'strongholds'. The King of the North is devising plans against these strongholds. If he can conquer them, that will leave him as the stronger of all the powers.
He devised plans … for how long? The prophecy says, 'only for a time'. Remember what we noted earlier in Daniel, the word time, as it is used here, refers to a year.
So for one year Israel benefits from a seven year agreement. The 'contemptible person' also benefits in terms of reaping the natural resources and shares them with his own people. But all the while he is concerned about strongholds and plots out a way to eliminate them. So, one year after his making a deal with Israel,
25 ... he shall stir up his power and his heart against the king of the south with a great army. And the king of the south shall wage war with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he shall not stand, for plots shall be devised against him.
So now we know where the stronghold is … somewhere to the south.
The USA is not the supporting protector of Israel at the time when this prophecy in Daniel gets fulfilled … the USA has been replaced by the King of the North. But they may very well still prove to be the stronghold that bothers this Norther king. Whatever benefits that the USA had in their connection to Israel up to now, they have lost it.
This loss may have come as a bit of surprise. They may want it back. At least this is what the contemptible person may be fearing. He wants the stronghold gone.
So he takes a huge army and engages in an incredibly severe battle. This is battle number one of the tribulation period.
The leader of the stronghold, the 'King of the South', fights back with an even larger army. Notice the adjectives that describe his army, 'exceedingly great and mighty'. By all accounts, the King of the South should have won this battle.
But he does not win. He is beaten. Why was he beaten by a smaller and 'weaker' army? The answer is in the last part of the verse …
but he shall not stand, for plots shall be devised against him.
The entire previous year the contemptible person plotted. The result was the king of the south was defeated.
The plot must have been a good one. Read on,
26 Even those who eat his food shall break him. His army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain.
It appears that the King of the South's own allies will double-cross him. However, as we will see, the King of the South is not eliminated.
27 And as for the two kings, their hearts shall be bent on doing evil. They shall speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for the end is yet to be at the time appointed.
The two leaders are sitting at a table. This is a peace talk. A bloody battle is over. Many were killed. Clearly it would be good if something like this were to never happen again.
But the mistrust level is high … both of them made peace-talk concessions, but they both lied. To outward appearances it looks like peace is achieved, but the verse says, their hearts shall be bent on doing evil
And then we read that the 'end of the age' is not quite here, it will be at the time appointed... at the 'year' appointed.
28 And he shall return to his land with great wealth, but his heart shall be set against the holy covenant. And he shall work his will and return to his own land.
We don't know where his 'own land' is, but after the war he delivers even more wealth out of Israel to his own homeland. But as he does so the prophecy is revealing to us something about his heart. Something is really bothering him. He has been working with and supporting the Jews, but they call themselves God's people. They are unique in the sense that they are the only nation in all of history to have by created by God and they have experienced a relationship with Jehovah from day one. They disobeyed at times and God took them to task for it. He punished them … he even scattered them all over the world.
So here is this contemptible person, working with a people who historically have claimed to be God's own special people. It bothers him. As we discover, he is an atheist. So, to even pretend that he is a 'god lover' bothers him.
His heart is against the holy covenant … the covenant relationship between Israel and God. And he is plotting something.
29 “At the time appointed he shall return and come into the south, but it shall not be this time as it was before.
At the time appointed or in other words, at the particular year that God in His divine outline of the last days has written into His script,
29 …. he shall return and come into the south, but it shall not be this time as it was before
Here comes tribulation war number two.
At a certain time … (year) … the contemptible person, breaks the agreement that they had made and invades the south. The Southern Stronghold was beaten last time, but not eliminated. He thinks it is time to finish the job. But … they had both lied at the peace talk table. This means the king of the South expected this and was prepared.
So the outcome of this battle is not like tribulation war number one.
The reason is given …
30 For ships of Kittim shall come against him (against the contemptible person,), and he shall be afraid and withdraw, and shall turn back and be enraged …
This did not turn out at all as he had hoped. The stronghold is still there, apparently stronger than ever. He will plan to do something about that, but for now, afraid and angry, he withdraws.
He goes to Israel. His heart has been against God and his people, but he has been hiding it. But now he will come out into the open ...
30b and take action against the holy covenant.
This is huge. His whole protection package is about to come apart. Here is how he does it ...
He shall turn back and pay attention to those who forsake the holy covenant.
He needs some help on the 'inside'. He finds some Jews who think like he does. They are not really believers in Jehovah. They are 'forsakers of the covenant'. He connects with them and makes his next move …
31 Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate
Sound familiar? This is what Jesus was talking about in the Olivet Discourse. The abomination of desolation has just been set up. This is now 3 and half years into the last seven. This is the time for Jews who believed in Jehovah to run for their lives. This is the time for Christians to expect Satan to turn from pursuing the Jews to pursuing them.
The next verse says
32 With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him.
Those who know their God will firmly resist him. What a statement. The God-fearing Jews have gone into hiding. The Christians know what comes next … and they firmly resist the Anti-Christ. Does that sound like you or me? God loves His chosen people and He is protecting them. God loves His church, and in this evil time, He will not leave them or forsake them.
Before I close off this chapter I want to draw your attention to something back in verse 28. Let's look at it again,
28 And he shall return to his land with great wealth, but his heart shall be set against the holy covenant. And he shall work his will and return to his own land.
Notice particularly the pronoun, he. He shall return to his land. Who? The contemptible person .. the Antichrist. Other translations introduce a new title here .. instead of the word 'he' the new title is 'King of the North'.
We will talk about this in a future chapter. I will just throw out a couple of questions.
North … Israel is the 'center' point. So who is this king of the North? Would it be a Russian leader? Would it be a person from Turkey, which is immediately to the north? For answers to some of our questions we will just have to wait and see. For others, there are biblical statements that we need to look at.
Our world is changing. Our freedoms in general seem to have been affected. Anarchy and lawlessness is being hailed as being necessary to do a 'reset' on our present society which is seen by many to be too corrupt to salvage.
This is the time for believers to 'not forsake the assembling of ourselves together … to encourage one another … and 'so much the more as we see the day approaching.
Was it Curiosity? Christians have wanted to know these things from that time to this.
Jesus answers … to satisfy their curiosity? Perhaps His answer did that for them. But His answer actually is to give a 'heads-up' to people who really need to know.
Who do you suppose that Jesus might be addressing in the following statements?
Mr 13:33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.
Mr 13:37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’"
Lu 21:36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."
1Th 5:3 While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labour pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
Clearly He is speaking to people, Christians of the last days. And that very likely could mean … us.
So let's continue from where we left off in the previous chapter.
Da 11:21 ¶ "He (some previous leader) will be succeeded by a contemptible person who has not been given the honour of royalty. He will invade the kingdom when its people feel secure, and he will seize it through intrigue.
This 'contemptible' person, also known as The man of of sin, The son of perdition, The beast, and The Antichrist, is 'seizing' the kingdom … that is, taking power over the nation of Israel. He does so as a 'slippery' person using flattery etc.
The next verse seems to indicate the use of force but before we assume anything let's take it all together and get the whole picture.
22 Then an overwhelming army will be swept away before him; both it and a prince of the covenant will be destroyed.
A 'victory' of some sort happens. He conquers a very powerful army … and the prince of the covenant … This refers to some very high official in Israel. I am not certain if this would refer to the top religious leader or to the prime minister … but the term 'destroyed' is interesting. Notice it does not say that he will be killed.
The next verse sheds more light.
23 After coming to an agreement with him, he will act deceitfully, and with only a few people he will rise to power. (NIV)
We have already noted that he is a slippery person, he uses flattery, and that he comes in peacefully and deceitfully. This means that his destruction is not the normal kind. He does not use force to defeat the army. He is using words and promises. And by doing this he comes into power. Without even knowing it, the Jews will have accepted the cruelest, most wicked person this world has ever known to be their 'protector' and the answer to all their needs.
He makes an agreement with Israel that will be to Israel's benefit. He gains their trust. And then immediately he goes to work behind he scenes, working deceitfully. He will be working on something that will NOT be to Israel's benefit.
Who is this person? Where does he come from?
What will become quite clear is that he is already a world leader having his own army. His relationship with Israel at first looks like he is a supporter and a protector.
At present Israel has one of the strongest outside supporting individuals since their becoming a nation in 1948. Donald Trump has stood with them and behind them on a number of very important issues. He has moved the US embassy to Jerusalem, has opened the way for Israel to annex the Gaza strip, has put forward a peace plan that will return Samaria, Judea and the Jordon valley to Jewish control.
As you know, Trump has strong supporters and strong enemies. In USA Today is the headline,
Donald Trump has been called the King of Israel
Israel settlements: Donald Trump proves he's the 'King of Israel'
( Kim Hjelmgaard USA TODAY Nov 19, 2019)
The opposing party has nothing good to say about Trump and even refers to his accomplishments as being illegal, as far as the UN is concerned.
So, just for discussion sake, could we say that Donald Trump has become strong with a small people, Israel? Has he acquired a relationship with Israel by using flattery and slipperiness?
Very quickly we would answer, No.
While there are many who consider him a 'Contemptible person', he is not the Antichrist for number of reasons.
First of all, he comes from the wrong part of the world, according to Daniel. And secondly, even though he has drafted a peace plan for Israel, He is not known for his flattery.
But the support that Trump offers to Israel may be very dependent upon how the elections turn out in November of 2020. If the Republicans do not have their man in office, if the opposing party takes power, the support that Israel has been receiving may very well disappear.
In that case, Israel finding themselves without the protective support of the USA, may find themselves accepting help from some other place entirely.
Let's carry on with the prophecy in Daniel.
23. And from the time that an alliance is made with him he shall act deceitfully, and he shall become strong with a small people.
The 'contemptible person' by using flattery and lies becomes strong with Israel. But all the while that he is strengthening his ties with Israel, he secretly is achieving his own private agenda. He is acting deceitfully.
24 Without warning he shall come into the richest parts of the province, and he shall do what neither his fathers nor his fathers’ fathers have done, scattering among them plunder, spoil, and goods. He shall devise plans against strongholds, but only for a time.
The alliance made with him (verse 23) benefits him greatly. Obviously it benefits Israel as well. It may look like, in turn for protection that is offered, natural resources will flow to his own homeland.
But we notice, that even though this is the Antichrist, as we will see, he is not ALL-powerful. Other military powers are still operating. Daniel's prophecy refers to them as 'strongholds'. The King of the North is devising plans against these strongholds. If he can conquer them, that will leave him as the stronger of all the powers.
He devised plans … for how long? The prophecy says, 'only for a time'. Remember what we noted earlier in Daniel, the word time, as it is used here, refers to a year.
So for one year Israel benefits from a seven year agreement. The 'contemptible person' also benefits in terms of reaping the natural resources and shares them with his own people. But all the while he is concerned about strongholds and plots out a way to eliminate them. So, one year after his making a deal with Israel,
25 ... he shall stir up his power and his heart against the king of the south with a great army. And the king of the south shall wage war with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he shall not stand, for plots shall be devised against him.
So now we know where the stronghold is … somewhere to the south.
The USA is not the supporting protector of Israel at the time when this prophecy in Daniel gets fulfilled … the USA has been replaced by the King of the North. But they may very well still prove to be the stronghold that bothers this Norther king. Whatever benefits that the USA had in their connection to Israel up to now, they have lost it.
This loss may have come as a bit of surprise. They may want it back. At least this is what the contemptible person may be fearing. He wants the stronghold gone.
So he takes a huge army and engages in an incredibly severe battle. This is battle number one of the tribulation period.
The leader of the stronghold, the 'King of the South', fights back with an even larger army. Notice the adjectives that describe his army, 'exceedingly great and mighty'. By all accounts, the King of the South should have won this battle.
But he does not win. He is beaten. Why was he beaten by a smaller and 'weaker' army? The answer is in the last part of the verse …
but he shall not stand, for plots shall be devised against him.
The entire previous year the contemptible person plotted. The result was the king of the south was defeated.
The plot must have been a good one. Read on,
26 Even those who eat his food shall break him. His army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain.
It appears that the King of the South's own allies will double-cross him. However, as we will see, the King of the South is not eliminated.
27 And as for the two kings, their hearts shall be bent on doing evil. They shall speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for the end is yet to be at the time appointed.
The two leaders are sitting at a table. This is a peace talk. A bloody battle is over. Many were killed. Clearly it would be good if something like this were to never happen again.
But the mistrust level is high … both of them made peace-talk concessions, but they both lied. To outward appearances it looks like peace is achieved, but the verse says, their hearts shall be bent on doing evil
And then we read that the 'end of the age' is not quite here, it will be at the time appointed... at the 'year' appointed.
28 And he shall return to his land with great wealth, but his heart shall be set against the holy covenant. And he shall work his will and return to his own land.
We don't know where his 'own land' is, but after the war he delivers even more wealth out of Israel to his own homeland. But as he does so the prophecy is revealing to us something about his heart. Something is really bothering him. He has been working with and supporting the Jews, but they call themselves God's people. They are unique in the sense that they are the only nation in all of history to have by created by God and they have experienced a relationship with Jehovah from day one. They disobeyed at times and God took them to task for it. He punished them … he even scattered them all over the world.
So here is this contemptible person, working with a people who historically have claimed to be God's own special people. It bothers him. As we discover, he is an atheist. So, to even pretend that he is a 'god lover' bothers him.
His heart is against the holy covenant … the covenant relationship between Israel and God. And he is plotting something.
29 “At the time appointed he shall return and come into the south, but it shall not be this time as it was before.
At the time appointed or in other words, at the particular year that God in His divine outline of the last days has written into His script,
29 …. he shall return and come into the south, but it shall not be this time as it was before
Here comes tribulation war number two.
At a certain time … (year) … the contemptible person, breaks the agreement that they had made and invades the south. The Southern Stronghold was beaten last time, but not eliminated. He thinks it is time to finish the job. But … they had both lied at the peace talk table. This means the king of the South expected this and was prepared.
So the outcome of this battle is not like tribulation war number one.
The reason is given …
30 For ships of Kittim shall come against him (against the contemptible person,), and he shall be afraid and withdraw, and shall turn back and be enraged …
This did not turn out at all as he had hoped. The stronghold is still there, apparently stronger than ever. He will plan to do something about that, but for now, afraid and angry, he withdraws.
He goes to Israel. His heart has been against God and his people, but he has been hiding it. But now he will come out into the open ...
30b and take action against the holy covenant.
This is huge. His whole protection package is about to come apart. Here is how he does it ...
He shall turn back and pay attention to those who forsake the holy covenant.
He needs some help on the 'inside'. He finds some Jews who think like he does. They are not really believers in Jehovah. They are 'forsakers of the covenant'. He connects with them and makes his next move …
31 Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate
Sound familiar? This is what Jesus was talking about in the Olivet Discourse. The abomination of desolation has just been set up. This is now 3 and half years into the last seven. This is the time for Jews who believed in Jehovah to run for their lives. This is the time for Christians to expect Satan to turn from pursuing the Jews to pursuing them.
The next verse says
32 With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him.
Those who know their God will firmly resist him. What a statement. The God-fearing Jews have gone into hiding. The Christians know what comes next … and they firmly resist the Anti-Christ. Does that sound like you or me? God loves His chosen people and He is protecting them. God loves His church, and in this evil time, He will not leave them or forsake them.
Before I close off this chapter I want to draw your attention to something back in verse 28. Let's look at it again,
28 And he shall return to his land with great wealth, but his heart shall be set against the holy covenant. And he shall work his will and return to his own land.
Notice particularly the pronoun, he. He shall return to his land. Who? The contemptible person .. the Antichrist. Other translations introduce a new title here .. instead of the word 'he' the new title is 'King of the North'.
We will talk about this in a future chapter. I will just throw out a couple of questions.
North … Israel is the 'center' point. So who is this king of the North? Would it be a Russian leader? Would it be a person from Turkey, which is immediately to the north? For answers to some of our questions we will just have to wait and see. For others, there are biblical statements that we need to look at.
Our world is changing. Our freedoms in general seem to have been affected. Anarchy and lawlessness is being hailed as being necessary to do a 'reset' on our present society which is seen by many to be too corrupt to salvage.
This is the time for believers to 'not forsake the assembling of ourselves together … to encourage one another … and 'so much the more as we see the day approaching.