These chapters in Daniel predict future events so accurately that there are some scholars who claim they must have been written “after the fact”, because no one could see the future in such detail.
By the time Daniel pens this, aoub 40,000 Jews have returned to Israel. I’m not sure why he was so distraught and praying and fasting. Perhaps he had heard how bad conditions were in Jerusalem.
Daniel knew that Greece would be the next kingdom in power, and not only that, but that they would come to power quickly under a single ruler who would conquer land rapidly (portrayed by the leopard with wings). This is Alexander the Great foreseen by Daniel years before he rises to power. Knowing that is one thing, but Daniel goes even further. He accurately predicts that Alexander’s kingdom will be divided into 4 parts after Alexander dies at the height of his power (that happened). He predicts that the northern and southern kingdoms will become the two largest (that happened) and that they would fight back and forth for many years (yup, that happened). Daniel also predicts that a daughter from the south would marry a king of the north, but it wouldn’t help…(it happened) …you get the picture. Every single thing that Daniel predicted right down to Chapter 11 verse 40 has already happened. This prophecy may have a “dual fulfillment” at the end of the age, but there is no denying that it has happened once already. The abomination that causes desolation has already been set up once in the temple…it was put there by Antiochus Epiphanes who could have been the foreshadowing of the antichrist (my opinion). Actually, I became quite bogged down in reading different opinions on how different authors interpret Daniel. There are many who believe that Antiochus was the person mentioned in his prophecies, but they all give wide berth to the idea that he COMPLETELY fulfills the prophecy. There are some discrepancies with the number of days that Antiochus vacated the temple of the daily sacrifice. Depending on how you interpret it, he doesn’t stop the sacrifices long enough to be the antichrist. If thats true, then the sacrifices in the temple will have to be stopped a second time…this time for about twice as long.
Should this passage have a future fulfillment, there will have to be another temple built, won’t there? Unless the first part of the prophecy is complete, and the only part to be fulfilled is 11:40 and all of Chapter 12. I notice that there is no mention of a temple anywhere in that part of the prophecy. (sort of the “second half” of today’s reading)
No matter how you interpret it, it means that a final battle is set up between two kings, one in the north (possibly Greece) and one in the south (Egypt or maybe Saudi Arabia). Interestingly, it isn’t an “east/west” battle between China or North Korea and the United States, is it? I wonder why that is?
Also, I want to keep all these things in mind when I read through Revelation. The book of Revelation is written after all the events in 11:40 and earlier have already happened. So, if they are mentioned in Revelation, they must be in our future as well.
Apart from the historical view, can we read this an be encouraged in any way? Certainly! God has told us in clear terms what the future will hold, and although it’s going to be a difficult battle with significant losses….we win. And once the battle is over, all Christians, even those who died, will be resurrected and will reign with Christ.
Faithfully,
PR