Daniel in Exile Part 12

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Sunday school from March 5th, 2023

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Daniel in Exile Part 13

Daniel in Exile Part 13

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Let's pray and we will get started Lord Jesus again as we open up your word And we study one of the most difficult parts of scripture
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We ask you your Holy Spirit to help us understand what you were revealed there but also to just take take note of just how specific true prophecy is compared to the false prophecy that so Proliferates the visible church today.
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We ask all this in Jesus name. Amen All right, quick note John Paletto. Happy birthday, sir
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Yeah All right, yeah, yeah good good and and let me I'm gonna switch something up here.
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Hold on a second here I'm gonna make one more change and that is is that here locally?
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I've got to make it so that you guys can see my Laptop screen and not the other screen.
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There we go Voila. All right so by way of reminder last week we embarked in a little mini study on this portion of the book of Daniel and There ain't nothing easy about it.
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You'll note that it's super complicated and we need a map We legitimately need some kind of something to interpret what's going on here
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And we've been using which is not normally my habit but we've been using the
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Concordia commentary on the book of Daniel because it's just so good and we've been walking through the different Bits and pieces of Daniel chapter 11 and you'll note we're getting close now to the end of the chapter
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That being said we will be talking about Hang on a second.
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I feel like I need dramatic music done done done The Antichrist will be talking about the
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Antichrist the man of lawlessness. It's imperative that we do so that's part of this text and the trick is difficult here because there's an abrupt change and Hang on a second.
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Somebody asked me to restart the recording. We are recording by the way We're recording this and so you'll note that you can see my screen
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You can see me that that camera view is actually being recorded now So just want to let you know, all right, all that being said in verse 36 there is an abrupt change and it goes from talking about this
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Antiochus Epiphanes fellow to Legitimately talking about the Antichrist Antiochus Epiphanes is not the
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Antichrist So if you if you run into somebody who theologically says well the Antichrist has already come and you know, he's
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Antiochus Epiphanes No, Antiochus Epiphanes was a type and shadow of the man of lawlessness who is still to come
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How do I know because Jesus said he's still coming. All right, and I I Have to say this by way of disclosure as a
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Lutheran pastor I get I get this question often. Do you think that the
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Antichrist is a legitimate person? Yes, I do think the
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Antichrist is a legitimate person, but that doesn't mean that there are not Antichrists Plural I do believe that the man of lawlessness at the end of history is a legitimate human being and that this is not just talking symbolically of you know
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Kind of the devil's activities in the church. And so if when you read the Lutheran Let's say when you read the
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Lutheran dogmaticians There's a weird thing that happens and the weird thing kind of goes like this one generation says he's a legitimate person
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The other generation comes along and says no, he's really not he's this is all just symbolic language talking about Satan's attacks against the church and And so I legitimately think he's a legitimate person and I also think that yes
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This is also indicative of Satan's attacks against the church. It's both. It's not one or the other and so Watching this in you know, the history of Lutheran dogmatics is like watching a football, you know
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You know one team goes down the thing and they don't get score a goal So they punt and the other team takes it they run down and they punt back and forth
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So there's so the answer is I think it's both. It's not one or the other it's both we're dealing with a legitimate person we're also dealing with Satan's activity to squelch the gospel and there's very
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Key ways in which he does that and so we've got to recognize and that scripture is clear that there are anti Christ's Plural the anti Christi that is absolutely true
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But anti Christ is coming in anti there are anti Christ So let me give you a text just to kind of back that up from the from one of the epistles
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So if we just were to look for anti Christ's, all right, so it's in it's in the first John and in first John it says
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Children, it is the last hour and as you have heard that anti Christ the anti Christus is
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Coming so now many anti Christi Have already come the answer to the question is it's both.
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It's not one or the other it's both Okay, so we're gonna we're gonna note then as we get into the section where we're gonna do a little excursus on the anti Christ on on this fellow you miss the point if you totally make it about the the guy that's coming and you miss the point if You don't focus on there's a guy coming
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That's the way I can put it Okay It's it's it's very very Jewish in the way that we're going to approach this but in noting then how the anti Christ's the anti Christi work will note that When you start to do a study on this topic
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You begin to realize holy smokes. We're surrounded. Okay, and we have been for a long long time
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That's kind of the point. So coming back then what I went to the wrong place. Let me do this.
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Voila alright, so in fact, let me do this, let me read out a portion of Daniel chapter 11 just to kind of help us get our bearings as to where we're at.
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So We've already done this portion, but let me read and then I'll go forward into the part
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We haven't covered yet. It's so in Daniel chapter 11 then shall arise in his place one who shall be an exactor of tribute
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For the glory of the kingdom, but within a few days He shall be broken neither in anger nor in battle in his place shall arise a contemptible person to whom royal majesty is not
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Been given this is where we're getting to Antiochus Epiphanes He shall come in without warning obtain the kingdom by flatteries armies shall be utterly swept away before him and broken
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Eve and broken even the Prince of the Covenant and From the time that an alliance is made with him.
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He shall act deceitfully He shall become strong with a small people without warning
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He shall come into the richest part of the province and he shall do neither What neither his father's nor his father's fathers have done scattering among them plunder spoil and Goods, he shall devise plans against strongholds, but only for a time he shall stir up his power and his heart against the king of the south with a great army and the
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King of the south shall wage war with an exceedingly great and mighty army But he shall not stand for the plot for plots shall be devised against him
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Even those who eat his food shall break him His army shall be swept away and many shall fall down slain
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And as for the two kings their hearts shall be bent on doing evil They shall speak lies at the same table
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But at but to no avail for the end is not yet to be at the appointed time
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And he shall return to his land with great wealth But his heart shall be set against the
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Holy Covenant and he shall work his will and return to his own land so we can see here with Antiochus Epiphanes and We'll explain this more from the
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Lutheran commentary again, because it's super helpful That his heart will be set against the
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Holy Covenant In if you were to think about the the spirit of Antichrist and the future one the man of lawlessness
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To say that they're obsessed with and set against the Holy Covenant is an understatement
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Okay, you'll note the church is always in danger and and there are forces who?
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legitimately seek the destruction of the church and the changing of doctrine the changing of worship the changing of Practices so that what is papered over and lost in the mixed is the gospel of Jesus Christ The gospel of the
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New Covenant. Okay, so at the time appointed he shall return and come into the south
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But it shall not be this time as it was before for ships of Katim shall come against him and he shall be afraid and withdraw and shall turn back and be enraged and take action against the
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Holy Covenant and Rage and take action against the Holy Covenant. That sounds a lot like Satan in the dragon in In Revelation 13, right that there's a reason for this
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So he shall turn back and pay attention to those who forsake the Holy Covenant Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple the fortress shall take away the regular burnt
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Offering and they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate so note in waging war against the
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Holy Covenant Antiochus Epiphanes took away the regular burnt offering a good way to think about it is if the future of man of lawlessness will legitimately make it illegal to publicly have the the divine service and for us to have the sacrifice of Christ's body and blood given and shed for us with the forgiveness of our sins and You'll note that there are those who you'll see how this works that those who violate the covenant
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Okay that they will be rewarded richly think about people who betray
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The old so in the in just as his time there were people who betrayed the Mosaic Covenant in the time coming
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There will be those who were Christians who will betray the Covenant and they will be rewarded
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Richly by Antichrist you kind of get the idea. So you kind of have to see there's a there's a there's an overlap in methodology and there's an overlap in goal, but there's a big difference between Antiochus Epiphanes and the man of lawlessness.
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Does that make sense? Okay so he shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant but the people who know their
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God shall stand firm and they will take Action and the wise among the people shall make many understand though for some days
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They shall stumble by sword and flame by captivity and plunder Lovely. Okay.
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So this is what we get to look forward to. Yay When they and you'll note this is a historical reality and a future reality
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It's both when they stumble they shall receive a little help and many shall join themselves to them with flattery and some of the wise shall stumble so they may be refined purified made white until the time of the end for it still awaits the appointed time and then in verse 36
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Total change of subject now. We're no longer in verse 36 talking about Antiochus Epiphanes The focus switches from the type the foreshadow to the actual man of lawlessness himself so at verse 36 this is where the transition is and it and it has to do with the fact that we have a change in vocabulary in Hebrew and Now there is a focus on Ham Allah the king.
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Okay, so this is not now so, you know type and shout now what the fog is lifted now we're looking purely at future and He and the king shall do as he wills
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He shall exalt himself magnify himself above every God He shall speak astonishing things against the
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God of gods He shall prosper till the indignation is complete is accomplished again
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If you want to know how heaven refers to this per period of time and in the creation This is the indignation right for what is decreed shall be done
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He shall pay no attention to the gods of his father's or to the one beloved by women
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He shall not pay attention to any other God for he shall magnify himself above all He shall honor the
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God of fortresses instead of these a God whom his father's did not know He shall honor with gold and silver with precious stones and costly gifts
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He shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign God those who acknowledge him.
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He shall load with honor Sounds like the devil, right? He shall make them rulers over many he shall divide the land for a price at the time of the end the king of the south shall attack him but the king of the north shall rush upon him like a
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Whirlwind with chariots and horsemen with many ships and he shall come into countries and shall overflow and pass through he shall come into the glorious land and Tens of thousands shall fall but these shall be delivered out of his hand
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Edom Moab and the main part of the Ammonites He shall stretch out his hand against the countries and the land of Egypt shall not be rescued he shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver and of all the precious things of Egypt and the
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Libyans and the Kushites shall follow in his train But news from the east and from the north shall alarm him and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many
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To destruction he shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the glorious holy mountain yet He shall come to his end with none to help him
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All right, so that so verses 36 to 45 Future not yet fulfilled.
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So let's walk through the The commentary and see if we can figure out what on earth it is.
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We were just looking at there Okay, so when we last left off we had made it all the way through 11 verse 24 so verses 25 through 28
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Again, he shall stir up his power his heart against the king of the south with the great army The king of the south shall wage war and exceedingly great and mighty armory
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But he shall not stand for plot shall be devised against him Even those who eat his food shall break his break him
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His army shall be swept away and many shall fall down slain as for the two kings Their hearts shall be bent on doing evil
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They shall speak lies at the same table But to no avail for the end is not yet to be at the time appointed and he shall return to his land with great
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Wealth, but his heart shall be set against the Holy Covenant and he shall work his will and return to his own land
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Let's kind of figure out what that's all talking about So Antiochus the guy who's going to become Epiphanes in his first campaign against Egypt in 169
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BC Probably provoked by aggression on the part of Ptolemy the fifth I'm sorry sixth while Ptolemy was a youth his mother
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Cleopatra who was also Antiochus's sister acted as regent when she died
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Ptolemy came under the influence of two advisers Ulysses and Linnaeus and they gave him bad advice and encouraged him to attempt to wrest
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Palestine back from Seleucid power Antiochus learned of the plan and prepared for battle at Puleisium on the
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Egyptian border Ptolemy was captured as he attempted to flee Following the vice of his courtiers thus
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Ptolemy was not able to succeed since word of his plans was leaked to his opponent Counterplots were plotted against him and in Antiochus victory over him many slain people fell
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Antiochus now controlled most of Egypt except Alexandria where the leaders declared
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Ptolemy's younger brother Ptolemy the seventh to be king under the guise of support for Ptolemy the sixth rightful claim to the throne
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Antiochus made an alliance with him setting Ptolemy the sixth up as king in Memphis yet Neither of these two kings
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Ptolemy and Antiochus intended to observe the terms of the treaty They made at one table
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Each was using the other in an attempt to enhance his own control over Egypt the alliance between Ptolemy the sixth and Antiochus Unraveled when
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Ptolemy the sixth and Ptolemy the seventh were reconciled through the efforts of their sister Cleopatra the second and they became joint rulers of Egypt thus the lie between Ptolemy and Antiochus did not succeed exactly as Christ predicted remember
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Jesus is the one who gave this prophecy to Daniel So the divine man speaking to Daniel includes a reminder that God is ultimately in control of these events when he states
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But it will not succeed because an end is not for an appointed time So the plots of humans cannot undo the plans of God who's in control
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God is right so Antiochus and was unable to capture Alexandria So he stationed a garrison at Polisium and returned to Syria on his way he stopped at Jerusalem sacked the temple and Seized its valuables read this you can read this in the
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Apocrypha and first Maccabees chapters chapter 1 verses 20 through 24 It describes the sacrilege.
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In fact, here's the quote from the from Maccabees 1 after subduing Egypt Antiochus returned in the 143rd year of the
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Seleucid era, which was spring 169 to spring 168
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BC. He went up against Israel and came to Jerusalem with a strong force
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He arrogantly entered the sanctuary and took the golden altar the lampstand for the light and all of its utensils
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He took also the table for the bread of the presence The cups for drink offerings the bowls the golden censers the curtain the crowns the gold
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Decoration on the front of the temple. He stripped it all off He took the silver and the gold and the costly vessels
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He took also the hidden treasures that he found taking them all He went into his own land and he shed much blood and spoke with great arrogance
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Now you're gonna note here We do not believe that the Apocrypha is scripture, but that does not mean that we believe that you shouldn't read it
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Okay, it's it knowing this history is important to helping shed light on things like Daniel's prophecy that we can see here and so you'll note that the
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Apocrypha serves a function in kind of filling in some of the gaps and Also, then seeing how these prop this prophecy in Daniel 11 is fulfilled
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It's vital that we know this history, but a lot of people say that well, they Apocrypha. That's a Roman Catholic document
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No, it was it was written long before Rome ever was a thing. Okay long before the Roman Catholic Church was a thing
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It's it's an important history for us to read so moving on then Antiochus the fourth campaign against Ptolemy the fifth again, but is blocked by the
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Roman fleet So now the Romans are now going to enter history here. And so here's again
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Here's the verses we're going to be looking at at the time appointed He shall return and come to the south but it shall not be this time as it was before for ships of Katim shall come against him and he shall be afraid and Withdraw and shall turn back and be enraged and take action against the
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Holy Covenant so God's appointed time for the end of Antiochus his campaigns against Egypt came in 168
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BC with Antiochus the second invasion of Egypt this invasion was not successful because of the intervention of a
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Roman fleet the ships of Katim a hint of the fourth kingdom that will dominate the world as Antiochus moved to attack
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Alexandria a Roman delegation arrived in response to Egypt's request for help
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Polybius relates the events that followed so this is the historian the Roman historian Polybius and here's what he says
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When Antiochus had advanced to attack Ptolemy In order to possess himself of Polyceum.
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He was met by the Roman commander Gaius papilius Linus upon the king greeting him from some distance and holding out his right hand to him
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Papa Papa Lee us answered by holding out tablets which contained the decree of the
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Senate and Bade Antiochus read that first not thinking it, right
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I suppose to give the usual sign of friendship until he knew the mind of the Recipient whether he were to be regarded as a friend or a foe on On the king after reading the dispatch saying that he desired to consult with his friends on the situation papilius did a thing which looked upon as exceedingly overbearing and insolent
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Happening to have a vine stick in his hand. He drew a circle around Antiochus with it and ordered him to give his answer to the letter before he stepped out of the circumference
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The king was taken aback by his haughty Proceeding after a brief interval of embarrassed silence.
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He replied that he would do whatever the Romans demanded Then papalius and his colleagues shook him by the hand and One and all greeted him with warmth the contents of the dispatch was in order to put an end to the war with Ptolemy at once accordingly a stated number of days was allowed him within which he withdrew his army into Syria in high dudgeon
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In high dudgeon indeed and groaning in spirit, but yielding to the necessities of the time
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The phrase ships of Katim is a deliberate reference to Balaam's prophecy in numbers 24 now remember it wasn't it was maybe three four weeks ago.
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We take a look at Balaam and his prophecy So let's review that at least the portion of it regarding the ships of Katim.
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Let's see what chapter what verse sets in Well, it just gives us numbers 24. Let's go do it.
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Why not? You guys aren't going anywhere, right? I Fascinates me when when
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Pastors have too much to do during Sunday school than read a biblical text You know or too much to do during a sermon than to actually read the
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Bible, you know Well, what are you there for? You know, so in numbers 24
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Okay, this is Balaam's third Oracle when Balaam saw that it pleased Yahweh to bless
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Israel He did not go as at the other times to look for omens But set his face toward the wilderness Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw
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Israel camping tribe by tribe And the Spirit of God came upon him He took up his discourse and he said the
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Oracle of Balaam or Balaam the son of Baor the Oracle of the man whose eyes opened
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The Oracle of him who hears the words of God who sees the vision of the Almighty falling down with his eyes uncovered
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How lovely are your tents? Oh Jacob your encampments Israel like palm groves that stretch afar like Gardens beside a river like aloes that Yahweh has planted like cedar trees beside the waters
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Water shall flow from his buckets and his seed shall be in many waters His King shall be higher than a gag and his kingdom shall be exalted
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Guess who we're talking about here. We're talking about Christ. God brings him out of Egypt Yes, he did and it is for him like the horns of the wild ox
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He shall eat up the nation's his adversaries. He shall break their bones in pieces and pierce them through with his arrows
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He crouched He lay down like a lion and like a lioness who will rouse him Blessed are those who bless you and cursed are those who curse you now will ignore
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Balak's response, but let's go on to the final Oracle and he took up this discourse the
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Oracle of Balaam Balaam the son of Baor Oracle of the man whose eyes opened the Oracle of him who hears the words of God and knows the knowledge of the
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Most High Who sees the visions of the Almighty falling down with his eyes uncovered? I see him but not now
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I behold him but not near a Star shall come out of Jacob a scepter shall rise out of Israel It shall cross the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth Edom shall be dispossessed
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Seirah and his enemies shall be dispossessed Israel is doing Valiantly and one from Jacob shall exercise dominion and destroy the survivors of the cities
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It goes on then he looked on Amalek and took up this discourse Amalek was the first among the nations
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But its end is utter destruction He looked at the Kenai and looked and took up his Discourse and said enduring is your dwelling place and your nest is set on the rock nevertheless
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Cain shall be burned when Asher takes away your captive and he took up this discourse and said alas who shall live when
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God does this but ships shall come from Kittim and Shall afflict
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Asher and Eber and he too shall come to utter destruction Isn't that interesting that is such an exotic phrase ships from Kittim It's and it shows up here in Daniel's prophecy
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And you'll note that the commentator picks up the correlation then between the two
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So the phrasing is similar and these are two of only four Old Testament passages with this particular rare Hebrew noun which is
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C and it's kind of it's it would be spelled TZ I T Okay for ship the first textual note.
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These are the only two passages in the scripture that connects ships with Kittim okay, so Balaam's prophecy concerns a star rising out of Jacob a scepter rising out of Israel and numbers 2417 a vision of the
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Messiah in his prophecy uttered in 1407 BC before mentioning the ships that will come from Kittim Balaam asked the question who will be alive when
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God does this Implying that from this stand from this standpoint. It is in the distant future itself predicts that the ships from team will afflict to Syria a chief enemy of Israel during the first half of the first millennium
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BC and The Kittim will also afflict the Hebrew people themselves but the
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Kittim people will eventually be destroyed by including the arrival of the ships from Kittim the divine man speaking to Daniel is
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Hinting that the demise of the Greek Domination of the Near East will be near its end when Antiochus the fourth reigns
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He's also implying that the Messiah foreseen by Balaam will come shortly Thereafter in the era in the era of the
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Kittim the Roman era This is the only hint of the Messiah in Daniel 11
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So fascinating how when we if you pay attention, okay, so you'll note this about Scripture Scripture will constantly and I mean this
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Scripture will constantly hyperlink itself and So by connecting them
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Balaam's prophecy again, we we just read it But we also read it everything in its entirety like, you know, three four or five weeks ago
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When you connect that now to what Daniel is Has written down the prophecy he received from Christ the the the point is is that these ships of Kittim?
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signal the end of that particular the Ptolemaic the Seleucids the whole the whole fallout of the split of Alexander the
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Great's Empire that's coming to an end and the Kittim era is now coming and Kittim are gonna be the
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Romans Okay, you guys are your heads still are you still on are they spinning at this point, okay
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Hang it in there. Okay. I'm trying to do this at a pace that we can all enjoy Let me take a sip of my tea.
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It might help slow me down Okay So Antioch is the fourth then will attempt to Hellenize the
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Jews in Judea And this is a big part of the of the whole major plot of the book of first and second
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Maccabees Is this in this? inflicted Hellenization this required
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Hellenization of Judea. So in verses 30 B to 32
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So let's see here All right So he shall be afraid withdraw shall turn back and be enraged and then take action against the
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Holy Covenant So the ships of Kittim have arrived the Romans have arrived He was turned back from attacking
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Egypt the second time and so in a rage now He's decided he's gonna focus and vent his anger on who the
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Holy Covenant the Jews he shall turn back and pay attention to those who forsake the Holy Covenant and forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and Fortress and shall take away the regular burnt offing.
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They shall set up the abomination that makes desolate He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the
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Covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and they will take action Okay, these verses describe the actions of Antiochus the fourth against Jerusalem in 167
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BC when he sent his collector of revenue a Polonius to Jerusalem in first Maccabees it describes what happened.
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Here's what it says Two years later the king sent to the cities of Judah a chief collector of tribute
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He came to Jerusalem with a large force Deceitfully, he spoke peaceable words to them and they believed him
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But he suddenly fell upon the city dealt it a severe blow and destroyed many people of Israel He plundered the city burned it with fire tore down its houses and its surrounding walls
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They took captive the women and children and seized the livestock They then they fortified the city of David with a great strong wall and strong towers and it became their
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Citadel They stationed there a sinful people men who were renegades these strengthened their position
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They stored up arms and food and collecting the spoils of Jerusalem. They stored them there and became a great menace
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Again this is history that not a lot of people know but we Christians should all know this history thus
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Antiochus began his suppression of the Jewish religion circumcision possession of the scriptures
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Sacrifices feast days and other practices were forbidden on penalty of death
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Now a little bit of a note here that isn't it? Interesting that the the
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Dead Sea Scrolls date to around this time Okay, one of the explanations as to why you have all this huge library of Scrolls and biblical texts locked up in a cave in the middle of you know, nowhere near the
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Dead Sea may have to do with the fact that they were hiding these things for the purpose of Taking them out
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After this menace had gone but whoever hid those the scrolls in those caves
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Probably didn't survive and as a result of it Nobody knew that they were there the people who knew that we were that they were there were gone and as a result of it
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We discovered these when in the 1940s and and now it's a big treasure trove of ancient documents for us
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Okay so the ultimate act of desecration is described by the divine man as the detested thing causing
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Desolation that's Daniel 1131 1st Maccabees describes the fulfillment of this prophecy on the 15th of Kislev 167
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BC a detested thing of desolation Was erected on the altar of the temple
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Most likely this was an idol of Olympian Zeus on the 25th of Kislev, which is
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December 16th Sacrifices probably including pigs were offered on the altar
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How he survived I have no idea Wow Okay He will defile wicked men of the
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Covenant Daniel writes refers to the high priest men that men allow us and his followers who readily acquiesced to the abominable policies imposed by Antiochus II Yes, okay, the
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ELCA and I can think of other denominations, right? Okay Where they're where they're priests and their pastors or the vision casting leaders
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Willingly acquiesced to the demands of the culture to change Christianity Okay, same idea
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All right So where was
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I? All right, so they read the act we asked however many Jews resisted this forced Hellenization So the divine man says a people who know their
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God will be strong and they will take action The writer of first Maccabees understood the fulfillment of this prophecy is the resistance offered by many
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Jews But many in Israel stood firm and were resolved in their hearts not to eat unclean food they chose to die rather than to be defiled by food or to profane the
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Holy Covenant and They did die first Maccabees Chapter 1 says foremost among those who resisted
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Antiochus was a priest named Matt Hut Matt Hut.
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Okay, it's a tough one Matt Tathias Modine and his five sons
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John Simon Judas Eliezer and Jonathan they led the Maccabean rebellion named after his son
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Judas Maccabeus that led to the recapture of Jerusalem and the temple and the reestablishment of worship there in accordance with the law of Moses the phrase abolished the continual sacrifice and causing desolation
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Connect the events described here with the events described in chapter 8 verses 9 through 14
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Especially Daniel chapter 8 verse 13 Which says then I heard the Holy One speaking and another
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Holy One said to the one who spoke for how long is the vision concerning the regular burnt offering the transgression that makes desolate and the giving over the
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Sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot So you'll note that that was we read that and when we read chapter 8
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So Daniel has now been given more details about the vision That he had seen in chapter 8 concerning the persecution of faithful Jewish people by Antiochus the fourth
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His termination of sacrifice and desolation were a forerunner of the greater events to come through the activity of the
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Messiah a leader described in 927 He will cause sacrifices and offerings to Steve's and after the completion of his ministry a desolator
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Will come on the wing of death of detested things However, the desolation by Antiochus was limited to 1150 days
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But the later one that came with the Messiah will last until the time of the Gentiles are fulfilled so there's a hint then here at the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem and the ending of all the sacrifices and That will be the case until the time of the
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Gentiles is fulfilled. That's kind of the point here So this is the parousia of Christ. All right
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Next verses 33 to 35 and the wise among the people shall make many understand though for some time they shall stumble by sword and flame by captivity and plunder when they stumble they shall receive a little help and many shall join themselves to them with flattery and Some of the wise shall stumble so that they may be refined purified made white until the time of the end for it still awaits
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The appointed time. So here's the understanding of what this is so there has been much speculation as to the identity of those who have insight and Commentators often seek to equate them with some party among the
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Jews and Antiochus his day however in light of the use of the same verb in Chapter 1 verse 4 the other verses in Daniel see textual note
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Daniel himself and his faithful Judean Companions serve as examples of such people
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Therefore those who have insight are those who have faith in and are faithful to God Who study and understand his word and who rely upon it to respond to the challenges?
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They face in living committed lives of faith in his promises even when persecuted to the point of death
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So the idea here, you know, you'll scholars are saying well, who are these wise ones here that are mentioned here?
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Why is will shall make many understand? it's not talking about a particular small sect of people, but it's talking about those who know their
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Bible and Continue to encourage people to read the scriptures and will correct them accordingly
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So the people who are wise are the knows those who know the Bible and they have faith Properly.
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Okay. So therefore Daniel is told that such people will respond to the grave conditions and are under Antiochus by instructing others and Encouraging them to remain faithful in the face of persecution
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However, they themselves will not be immune from persecution as the divine man makes clear to Daniel They will stumble by sword flame captivity and plunder
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This does not mean that they will fall from faith rather It means that they will be persecuted some will die
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Some will be martyred by sword or flame while others will survive but be taken captive When these faithful believers are persecuted they will be aided by a little help
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Many commentators have taken this as a reference to the Maccabees however The Maccabees probably were only the best known of many who resisted
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Antiochus's measures to Hellenize the Jews this verse is most likely a reference to all who remain steadfast in obedience to God's Word and Mounted some type of armed or even passive resistance to the
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Seleucids these allied Believers who help those facing martyrdom are called a little help because human encouragement to remain faithful to God Though important pales in comparison to God's faithfulness to his people
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He is their real help their only true refuge in times of trouble
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Moreover Daniel and his readers are warned that many will join them in Sincerely, so believers should be cautious in depending on mere human help when suffering
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Persecution let that be a warning to you So the divine man's words also give an indication as to God's purpose in allowing the persecution it will refine
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It will purify the faithful with an eye to the true end that God has appointed for a future time
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This future is ultimately the resurrection of all flesh These people will be made white like Christ himself and God the
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Father his imagery is taken up again in John's vision of those who survived the Great Tribulation and Wash their robes and make them white in the blood of the
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Lamb This is a big theme in the book of Revelation Thus the persecution of Antioch has ultimately served
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God's purpose as It refined among the Jewish people those who would faithfully cling to his promise for of deliverance in the
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Messiah So that many would be looking for his coming even as we look for his return
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And again, you can see how the themes work. By the way, persecution is not a bad thing
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It I know it just looks terrible on the surface because you have legitimate people who are legitimately suffering and when martyrdom comes along It's absolutely tragic when people are losing their lives and in horrific ways for the faith
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But you're gonna note this those who are false Believers, they are not really true converts in Christianity They never signed up for this and so they always will fall away in this regard so I like to put it this way if if a
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Genuine Marxist government were to take over the United States. The first person to bail on Christianity would be
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Joel Osteen Because he's he didn't sign up for a persecution It's all about having your best life now, right as he puts it as he likes to say, okay
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So now we're getting to the fun bits the divine man explains the
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Antichrist at the time of the end so let me get to the
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This point so most critical scholars as well as a few evangelicals interpret
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Chapter 11 verses 36 through 45 as applying to Antiochus according to this interpretation 36 to 39 depicts general terms of Antiochus religious hubris 40 to 45 is an attempt by the
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Maccabean off era author of Daniel to write genuine predictive prophecy concerning the end of Antiochus reign since 36 to 35 does not mention
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Antiochus is Eastern campaign 165 BC the rededication of the temple in Jerusalem or Antiochus is death in 164 critics often hold that this passage is a
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Passages unsuccessful attempt to accurate predictive prophecy serves to date Daniel 10 to 12 to about 165
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BC. So here's the issue Let me kind of phrase it for you.
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This way is that There are those who say well verses 36 to 45 in chapter 11 are still referring to Antiochus But if they're referring to Antiochus the whole thing falls flat
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Because it doesn't it doesn't actually properly fulfill it So you'll note that everything has been fulfilled up to this point you get to 36 to 45 if you think this is still at referring to Antiochus the fourth
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Then the Liberal skeptic and scoffer will come along and say well
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This just proves that this part of Daniel wasn't really written when Daniel was alive. It was written long after he was dead
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Okay, and so that's what they do with this. But here's the thing. It's not applying to Antiochus With the the language change.
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It's referring to someone else. Okay So note then the author says there are a few verbal connections between the description of the king in 1136 in the description of Antiochus and Daniel 8 the word
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Can't even go there against the God of gods. He will speak wonderful things is also used in 824
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He will destroy wonderful things to describe Antiochus attack against the Jewish religion most probably his sacking of the temple in Jerusalem in 1136 is used to describe the king's verbal attacks against God likewise indignant anger to refer to God's wrath against Antiochus and here to in 1136 refers to God its anger against the king
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The related verb describes how Antiochus became indignant against God's Holy Covenant with Israel Thus there are some indications of parallels between the king described in 1136 and earlier passages that clearly apply to end to Antiochus yet There are several problems with the simple identification of the king in 1136 to 45 with Antiochus the force
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First of all, there is no into indication that Antiochus exalted and magnified himself over every other
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God That never took place Nor did no didn't okay
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So that's he didn't do that did not favor the gods of his father's or honored a god whom his father's did not know that legitimately doesn't apply to Antiochus Antiochus had his coins inscribed
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Basileus Antiochus Thales Epiphany Epiphany is King Antiochus God manifest
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So he did claim to be a god However at the same time some of these coins bore the likeness of Zeus on the reverse while other coins depicted
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Apollo So he venerated some other gods Moreover Antiochus was known for his devotion to the
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Greek gods in general and in Jerusalem He most likely had erected a statue of Olympian Zeus and ordered sacrifices to be offered to it
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He also from promoted the worship of Dionysius in Jerusalem Polybius reports that in 166
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BC Antiochus held a festival at Daphne where he honored all The gods or spirits mentioned or worshipped by people in addition
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Apollo was honored on the festival's coinage So note here. There's a good reason to say this doesn't apply to Antiochus because Historically Antiochus.
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Yes. He claimed to be a god all the kings of that era did but he openly worshipped and acknowledged the the pantheon of false deities of the
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Greco -Roman cultists and So he doesn't fit the description
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He did not not worship those other gods and he did not exalt himself above every other
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Object of worship as this as this prophesied here, so it doesn't fit Okay, so critics generally take it to refer to one of the pagan gods whose cult was especially popular with women
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Did I miss a part here? Yeah, okay. Okay. So second There's no agreement by critics as to what the phrase the desire of women refers to I would just take a look at Gnosticism And you get a better idea of what's going on there
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Gnosticism has been with us for a long Long time in the Gnostic way of thinking you not you would not only have you have male deities
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But you also have female deities and that that's a necessary component okay, and so if you were to look go back to our study in the later chapters of the book of Jeremiah and those women who
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Were offering sacrifices to the the goddess of heaven and things like this. That's what I think that's what that's referring to Okay So the critics generally take it to refer to one of the pagan gods whose cult was especially popular with women
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Since late 19th century critics have tended to view this as a reference to Tammuz and Adonis although some have called
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Dionysius that claimed Dionysius was intended the problem with this is that there's no evidence that Antiochus ever discouraged women from expressing their natural
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Affection for men or suppress the cult of either of these gods. He promoted Dionysus in Jerusalem itself
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That's true So given these problems a recent critical commentator commentator has claimed that the author engaged in deliberate polemical distortion
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To depict the impiety of the king in the most extreme terms possible So he this so this commentator clearly doesn't understand that this is not written
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This portion of Daniel 11 is not written about Antiochus. It's written about the guy who's still coming
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All right. So so he says and it was probably indulging in polemical exaggeration
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However, that solution raises a problem of its own if the text is an inaccurate distortion or exaggeration
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How can we know? That it is what the author intended and that the modern interpreter is correct in assuming that the text was about Antiochus Could it be that instead of the text distorting the facts about Antiochus?
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It is the modern interpretation that is wrong and that distorts the text. I Love how this guy writes because he he puts his finger on these kinds of problems in very few words
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So an evangelical scholar who holds these verses are about Antiochus then admits
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Although the chapter finds its first fulfillment in the character and reign of Antiochus the fourth the matter does not stop there
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However, this too raises another problem if the text is not adequately fulfilled by Antiochus Could it be that this first fulfillment is more in the perception of the interpreter than the intention of the author of Daniel?
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How can we assume that the author has engaged in hyperbolic polemic that only partially applies to Antiochus?
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When it's also possible that there is no extreme distortion or exaggeration in the text that it instead refers to someone else how does one distinguish between some type of double application intended by the author and a mistake by the
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Interpreter and attempting to have a passage apply to more people than the author intended
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Kind of put simply the error is in the interpreter and you got to note. This is that this is why
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When people want to study to be pastors or they want to be biblical scholars they need to check their assumptions at the door and they need to learn and they need to sit at the feet of people who
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Have preceded them and not so quickly dismiss how the church is historically understood these texts
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Because in quickly dismissing how the church is historically understood these texts you'll note that they oftentimes
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Run headlong into errors themselves, which then result in major Confusion on the part of the body of Christ who believes the misinterpretation.
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All right, okay So our our author here says it is most likely
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It is most likely that the author never intended verses 36 to 45 to be about Antiochus Even scholars who apply these verses to Antiochus admit that 40 to 45 do not fit what is known about Antiochus from other historical sources
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Well, if that's if you're going to admit that then you need to recognize you've got the wrong referent So it is very probable that that it is the anti Akian theory and not some distortion of him by the author of Daniel.
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That is the cause of these problems Okay, so let's then talk about how the church has traditionally understood this the traditional church interpretation understands verses 36 to 45 as applying to an
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Eschatological King and I'm going to note this the traditional Christian interpretation
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This is how the church historically has understood this and by historically I'm gonna say going all the way back to the early church fathers
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Okay, and I would note that that's exactly how Christ interprets it as well and so the reason why the church traditionally understood this as applying to a future eschatological
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King and not to Antiochus is because Jesus is the one in the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24 who gives us the reason for believing that All right, so I would note that if this is not merely a matter of debate
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It's a matter of are you going to pay attention to how Jesus is using this passage or not? And you'll note that Paul uses that also as a future reference.
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Okay, so this so So the traditional Christian interpretation understands verses 36 to 45 is applying to an eschatological
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King Which in New Testament terms is the Antichrist or the man of lawlessness
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II Thessalonians 2 3 through 12 This was the position of the early church fathers including
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Christostom Hippolytus Theodoret and Jerome Luther in the 16th century
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Lutheran Reformers also adopted this interpretation Okay, and that's an important note here because when we talk about the
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Lutheran Reformation the Lutheran Reformation is different than the Calvinist Reformation or the Reformation of the
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Anabaptists the Lutherans and we always get accused of being like Somehow closeted
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Roman Catholics, right? but here's what we did is that the Lutheran Reformation was ridiculously conservative and by ridiculously conservative what
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I mean is is that they went by scripture alone and then they Fact -checked their understanding of scripture based on the writings of the church fathers
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Whereas the Calvinist the reformed You know version of the
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Reformation they didn't stay within those bounds and they intentionally tried to bring logic and Logical syllogism and things like this and some kind of a glorified human reason to bear and for the purpose of creating other doctrines that were in line with their with their reasonable axioms
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Okay, and so the the Lutheran criticism of the reformed is that they have not truly subscribed to sola scriptura and So we
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Lutherans we took a look at what you know what Rome was teaching at the time went back to the scriptures and said this can stay and this has got to go and Then regarding how to make sure we understood the scriptures correctly
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We are guys and I mean that spent a ton of time Read the
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Apology of the Augsburg Confession read the writings of Martin Chemnitz These guys spent a truckload of time in the writings of the church fathers
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Fact -checking to make sure they properly understood the biblical texts. So our author here our commentator notes
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That Luther and the Lutheran reformers went back then to what the early
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Christian church fathers Believed that this text was about Okay, so they basically said these guys believed it was this we don't want to deviate from what how the church has historically understood this
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So we've legitimately on purpose. This was an actual cognitive decision on their part
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We said this is how the church fathers have understood this. We're going to adopt that same interpretation
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Okay, so That's the idea. So during the last two centuries Lutheran evangelical scholars have often advocated it
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Okay, so there are two plain indications in the text that the king who is the focus in it in verses 36 to 45
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Is not the same as the king of the north in 1121 to 35 First 1135 ends with the notice that the persecution of Antiochus will refine
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God's people Until the time of the end From that it is reasonable to infer that the next part of the prophecy will begin a discussion about The time of the end so there's an actual like verbal Indicator until the time of the end and so now we're going to talk about the time of the end.
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That's the that's the point So from that on from that Is reasonable to infer that the next part of the prophecy will begin a discussion about the time of the end in keeping with the catch
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Concept organizing principle that is evident elsewhere in the fourth vision In fact three more times in the final part of the vision.
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The time frame is called the time of the end Okay next part nowhere else besides these four verses does the fourth vision refer to the time of the end
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Earlier examples of a sudden shift to a later time support this view of the shift between 35 and 36 the earlier the prophecy skips from a
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Persian Emperor who stirred up Greece to a Greek king and from the breakup of the Greek Empire to the fourth kingdom towards the fourth four winds of heaven to To only two of the kingdoms and their kings the king of the north and the king of the south second verse 36 introduces the king in a unique way he is simply referred to as ha
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Malek the king No, Hellenistic King prior to 1136 is referred to simply as ha
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Malek The king even when he has been recently mentioned for example 1125 refers to the northern
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Kings design Against the king of the south and then the next clause in the same verse does not refer to the southern king as the king
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But instead as the king of the south Again, Alexander the Great is called a warrior
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King various Seleucid kings are always called the kings of the north Various Ptolemaic kings are always called the king of the king of the south
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The king of the north and the south together are once called literally the two of them the kings
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And that is the only other verse in Daniel 10 through 12 where Malek has the definite article
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But there but there Malek is plural Whereas it is singular in verse 36
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Okay, so therefore there are good indications that there is a change of both time timeframe and subject between verses 35 and 36 when the king is introduced at 1136 it is after the transition to the end times and He is introduced in a unique and a dramatic way the signals that this king is not a
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Hellenistic King But an eschatological King who will arise at the time of the end but what about the verbal ties between the king in verse 36 in the description of Antiochus in chapter 8 and earlier in chapter 11 as this commentary suggests elsewhere and Antiochus is depicted throughout the visions in Daniel as foreshadowing the
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Antichrist Thus Antiochus is prophesied as attacking
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Wonderful things of God in his temple and the Antichrist is prophesied to attack
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God by Speaking wonderful things that he designs to replace God's words
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The actions of Antiochus perverted the Jerusalem temple of God and turned it into a pagan shrine
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The actions of the Antichrist seek to pervert the church and turn it into a temple for himself
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Instead of letting the church be the spiritual temple of God He attacks the beautiful land and sets his encampment toward the beautiful Holy Mountain that is in the church
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Which is the new Holy Land note here this you got to pay attention. This the church is the new
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Holy Land Okay, not some postage stamp piece of property in the Middle East. The church is the new
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Holy Land The church is the temple of God. Okay So that is in the church which the new
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Holy Land therefore by these actions both Antiochus and the Antichrist will arouse God's indignation and his anger promoting their well -deserved destruction, okay
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All right, the eschatological King as a religious figure. This is where we'll pick up next week.
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So Hopefully this was hopefully your heads aren't like totally swimming But this is very interesting stuff.
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And you know, I would note that anytime I do a Teaching on the Antichrist people pay attention.
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It's like, you know, it's like listening to EF Hutton give, you know financial advice, you know All right.