Daniel 10 - 12 Part 4
As we finish reading the end of Daniel. Pay attention to verses 40. Daniel 12 and the end of Daniel 11 probably cause the most confusion to Bible scholars. The reason for this is if we are following history, starting with verse 36 we appear to go off script.
Although Daniel 11 appears to follow history, verses 36 and on are hard to trace. Because of this people usually either:
1) Discard the first 35 verses, and state that since verses 36 and on do not appear to line up with history then none of Daniel 11 has actually occurred. They then conclude that Daniel 11 must be all future prophecy.
2) Believe the first 35 verses of Daniel 11 have been fulfilled but verses 36 and after are future prophecy.
The key to unraveling this mystery is to note that there is a change in kings even though the scriptures don't plainly tell us that.
Sometimes when I got stuck on a quiz in school, instead of working forward, I would work backwards. This is probably the easiest way to see this. If Yahusha, is the one mentioned in Daniel 12:1 then we can work backwards and see who the king in power was at the time of his arrival. That was King Herod the Great.
Remember, what was Daniel's questions? What would happen to the people of Israel. The angel's main job was to reveal to Daniel the most important events that would befall the people of Israel, namely the temple's destruction, a future prince that would stand up for them, and ultimately revealing that at the appointed time, those sleeping would be brought back to life.
Just keep that in mind as we read the last part of Daniel now.
Daniel 11
36And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. 37Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. 38But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. 39Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.
40And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. 41He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. 42He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. 44But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. 45And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
Daniel 12
1And at that time shall [A] Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. 2And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. 4But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
5Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river. 6And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? 7And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. 8And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? 9And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. 10Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand. 11And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. 12Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. 13But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.
From the Hebrew name מִיכָאֵל (Mikha'el) meaning "who is like God?".
Does a question mark belong there though? Could it be written as a statement.
Who is like God. As in, who is godlike.
This the Tribulation?
So if you noticed in chapter 12 Verse 1 states "At that time shall Michael stand up...and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time".
Now if we put the first few words of Verse 1 "at that time" with the begging of verse 2, we would read:
2 At that time (And) many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
So people see the words at that time, and shortly after people being resurrected from the dead, so they conclude that Daniel 12, and then Daniel 11 by default are to occur at the time of the end and are therefore future prophecies.
In other words, if I were to ask you, "when are the dead raised?", you would probably state and Yahusha's return. You then might think, okay, so Daniel 12 is only about Yahusha's return, and the immediate period before that time, so therefore Daniel 11 must occur right before Yahusha's return and therefore has not already occurred, is not history, but tells of a future prophetic event.
But is this what scriptures state? Or has the lying pen of the scribes deceived people once again.
Who is Michael?
Plainly put, Yahusha is the one called Michael in Daniel 12. Many people have a problem with this, but why?
Michael means, who is like God, or in other words, who is god like.
God's mystery, his son, was not revealed fully to Israel. But God mentioned his son many times in prophecy by referring him as a rock, stone, branch, sheep, shepphard, vine, servant, and my proposal to you is Michael.
If people are not offended at calling Yahusha a lifeless rock, a stick (branch), or a beast (lamb), why are so many people against calling him, the "one who is like God"?
There should be no problem of Yahusha being disguised by the name Michael, meaning one who is like god. And Yahusha's birth and entering the physical world is represented as Michael standing up.
But that can't be!! Verse 2 tells us that at that time many people sleeping will be brought to life. Are you telling me that people were brought to life when Yahusha was born? You're crazy!
But does Verse 2 say that? The word that is translated "time" can also be translated as appointed time. If it is translated this way, then that completely changes how Daniel 12 is read.
1And at that time shall Yahusha, the one who is like god stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and then there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time:
Think about the time of the Temple's destruction, where almost all of Israel was killed, and parent's resorted to eating their own children to try and stay alive. The subsequent persecution of believers, being lit on fire and used as torches, being fed to lions as entertainment, and the absolute slaughter and torture of anyone not confessing the trinity during the dark ages.That is the time of trouble such as never was. For almost 1,500 years people were tortured and killed for believing what we believe today.
So the "Prince" would come, then a time of trouble would come, and finally at the appointed time, those written in the book of life would be delivered.
and at (that)the appointed time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. 2And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
So Daniel is being told, Yahusha would stand up for his people, a time of immense trouble, such as never had occured before would follow, AND THEN, at the appointed time, everyone found in the book of life would be delivered.
So if Yahusha is the one mentioned in Daniel 12, who is the king mentioned at the end of Daniel 11 that would be present at the Messiah's birth? It can not be either the king of the North or the King of the South? What other king would be important to the Jewish people?
How about their king, Herod the great. The one who tried to kill the Messiah upon hearing of his birth. Let's read the end of Daniel 11 again and compare that to Herod's life.
Herod
Herod did not regard the god of his fathers. Since Herod, was an Edomite, or son of Esau, then his father Esau's god would technically be Yahuah. This does not mean Esau fully followed Yahuah or had a correct understanding of him, but rather Yahuah is who Esau would understand to be god. Herod worshiped other god's though.
According to the historian Josephus, Herod’s new cities irked the Jewish priestly class because their pagan monuments were insultingly close to Jerusalem. Built between 22 and 10 B.C., Herod named Caesarea Maritima for his patron, Caesar Augustus. It was constructed around an artificial harbor, protected with concrete breakwaters. This remarkable feat of engineering was the base of the Herodian fleet, which the king placed entirely at the service of Rome.
Caesarea’s temples were dedicated to the goddess Roma, and to Augustus himself. Every five years, Herod organized gladiatorial fights, dedicated to Augustus and his wife Livia, and where foreign dancers almost outnumbered the guests. Magnificent prizes were awarded to the winners, and rumors of wild, orgiastic parties circulated. The Jewish authorities looked on the excess with deep disapproval. They saw gladiatorial fighting as fundamentally immoral, believing that all human life belonged to the Most High.
The goddsess Roma, was a god of forces, as we see mentioned in enwikipedia:
Greek interpretations of the Roman Goddess Roma as a dignified deity had transformed her from a symbol of military dominance to one of Imperial protection and gravitas.
So we see the Romans, viewed Roma, as a god of forces or military dominance.
We also see that Herod did not regard the god of his father's and also wasn't afraid of God's Messiah either, because he tried to kill him. We see that this king would also not regard "the desire of women". This phrase is sandwiched in between two other phrases mentioning gods, so it is probable that the phrase "the desire of women" has something to do with some sort of god, or idolatrous object of worship. Strong's put's forth one possible explanation of the phrase "the desire of women as"
apparently reference to some object of idolatrous worship, perhaps Adonis = Tammuz Ew Bev (Astarte, Meinh).
Tammuz, was known as the son of God. And I believe this is what was being hidden in prophecy, that Herod would not regard even the son of god, because he would try and kill him.
Also, what would be one of the greatest privledges of a Jewish woman? Certainly giving birth to the Messiah would be it. Thus, without being too long winded, I believe "the desire of Jewish women", would be to give birth to the Messiah.
Lastly, before continuing with Daniel, I have replaced verses 40 through 45 with the American Standard Version (ASV), because I believe it is more accurate and easier to understand what is occurring.
Verse 40 mentions, the king of the south, Marc Antony, contending with Herod.
Later in verse 45 this king, King Herod would plant his palace between the sea and the glorious holy mountain of Israel.
Livius.org tells us:
Then, he, King Herod sailed to the island of Rhodes, where he met Octavian. In a brilliant speech, Herod boasted of his loyalty to Mark Antony, and promised the same to the new master of the Roman Empire. Octavian was impressed by the man's audacity, confirmed Herod's monarchy, and even added the coast of Judaea and Samaria to his realm. Actually, Octavian did not have much choice: his opponents were still alive, and if he were to pursue them to Egypt, Herod could be a useful ally. As it turned out, Mark Antony and Cleopatra preferred death to surrender, and Octavian became the only ruler in the Roman world. Under the name Augustus, he became the first emperor. He rewarded his ally with new possessions: a.o. Jericho and Gaza, which had been independent.
Herod's position was still insecure. He continued his building policy to win the hearts of his subjects. (A severe earthquake in 31 BCE had destroyed many houses, killing thousands of people.) In Jerusalem, the king built a new market, an amphitheater, a theater, a new building where the Sanhedrin could convene, a new royal palace, and last but not least, in 20 BCE he started to rebuild the Temple.
With this said, let's continue.
36And the king, Herod the great, shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37Neither shall he regard the God of his father(s) Esau, nor (the desire of women), the Messiah, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. 38But in his estate shall he honour Roma the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. 39Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.
40And at the time of the end shall the king of the south Marc Antony contend with (him) King Herod; (and) but the king of the north Octavius (Augustus) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass through. 41He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries'shall be overthrown; but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. 42He shall stretch forth his hand, also upon the countries; and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43But (he) Herod shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. 44But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him, when wisemen visit him and say they have seen the Messiah's star; and he shall go forth with great fury to destroy and utterly to sweep away many, attempting to destroy the Messiah. 45And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the sea and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
Statue of Roma
Statue of Liberty
Conclusion
The book of Daniel is very in depth. It may take reading it many more times to not only have a true understanding of the book, but to also but that understanding to memory. Some small details were left out, mainly for the sake of time, but everyone has a duty to study the scriptures themselves.
I myself still have to reconcile a few points in history, but I think there is enough there to accurately determine which kings are spoken of.
But to end the book of Daniel Let's read the end of Daniel 11 and 12 one more time to see how it all fits together.
36And the king, Herod the great, shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37Neither shall he regard the God of his father(s) Esau, nor (the desire of women), the Messiah, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. 38But in his estate shall he honour Roma the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. 39Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.
40And at the time of the end shall the king of the south Marc Antony contend with (him) King Herod; (and) but the king of the north Octavius (Augustus) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass through. 41He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. 42He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 But (he) Herod shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. 44But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him, when wisemen visit him and say they have seen the Messiah's star; and he shall go forth with great fury to destroy and utterly to sweep away many, attempting to destroy the Messiah. 45And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the sea and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
1And at that time shall [A] one called Michael, Yahusha, meaning who is like god stand up, the great prince of life (Acts 3:15)which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble stretching approximately 1,500 years, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at (that) the appointed time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. 2And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. 4But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
5Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river. 6And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? 7And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. 8And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? 9And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. 10Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand. 11And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. 12Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. 13But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.