“And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done.”

Daniel 11:36

What if I told you that the Bible provides intricate details about the characteristics and career of the coming Antichrist?

What if we could accurately identify the son of perdition — the man of lawlessness — simply by studying the details in an ancient prophecy?

The 11th chapter of Daniel provides one of the most detailed descriptions in all of Scripture of the character and exploits of the “little horn” — aka the Beast or the Antichrist. In this vision, the fierce end-times enemy of God’s people is called “the King of the North.”

This particular title is significant in many ways, especially when comparing the career of Syrian tyrant Antiochus Epiphanes as one of clearest historical typological examples of the final Antichrist at the end of the age. In other words, Antiochus provides a basic template, a foreshadow, but the Antichrist will be the ultimate “King of the North.” He will descend upon the land of Israel from the north in the last days and lay siege to Jerusalem.

Like most of Daniel’s prophecies, there is disagreement about how to interpret the 11th chapter. Most scholars and Bible teachers agree that Daniel 11 has been partially fulfilled in history, but at the same time still looks to the future for its ultimate fulfillment. Such dual fulfillments are not uncommon in the prophet word, but it can be a daunting task in determining what is a foreshadow of the future and what is history.

I have written extensively about Antiochus Epiphanes being one of the primary types of the Antichrist [READ HERE], but I will not go into those details here. Instead, I aim to provide an interpretive perspective to Daniel 11 that helps divide the chapter up into history, typology, and future prophecy.

My basic outline of Daniel 11 is as follows …

• Daniel 11:1-20 — History fulfilled in the past primarily through the years of conflict between the Seleucid (king of the north) and Ptolemy (king of the south) dynasties.
• Daniel 11:21-34 — Typology partially fulfilled by Antiochus Epiphanes that also bleeds into the future career of the Antichrist.
• Daniel 11:21-45 — Future prophecy that applies to the end-times Antichrist.

For more details about the historical fulfillment of Daniel 11, you can read this helpful article here. For the purpose of this post, however, I will focus on the typology and future fulfillment of this prophecy, which is contained in the details of Daniel 11:21-45.

Diving into the Details

Working through Daniel 11 requires attention to detail but is well worth the time. The following is a verse by verse examination of Daniel 11:21-31. I will conclude the chapter next time in part two of this post.

“In his place shall arise a contemptible person to whom royal majesty has not been given. He shall come in without warning and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.”

Daniel 11:21

Antiochus was a vile, contemptible person who assumed control of the Seleucid dynasty to carry out despicable things against the Jewish people. His territory was to the north of the Beautiful Land — hence the King of the North.

We can expect the coming Antichrist to be significantly more vile and contemptible a person than Antiochus. The end-times King of the North will be demonically charged with Satan himself — the very incarnation of the devil.

Interestingly, Daniel tells us that the King of the North will not emerge from a royal blood line or from a ruling family of great fame and notoriety. Rather, he will most likely be a man of no reputation who works his way up through the ranks of political and military hierarchy. He will remain on the periphery of the primary power brokers, awaiting his opportunity to seize control when the power vacuum is created in the unstable Middle East. He will do this “without warning,” and obtain his kingdom with flatteries, lies, intrigue, and deception. We would expect nothing less from the father of lies.

“Armies shall be utterly swept away before him and broken, even the prince of the covenant. And from the time that an alliance is made with him he shall act deceitfully, and he shall become strong with a small people.”

Daniel 11:22-23

As the King of the North rises to power, he will form military alliances with other Middle Eastern nations, and yet all who resist him will be “utterly swept away before him and broken.” He will grow in strength with only a small but fierce army, and continue to deal deceitfully with the bigger players on the world stage. Much like Adolf Hitler was able to quickly strike Europe early in his campaign, the Antichrist will have military success on a regional level before becoming emboldened to expand his dominance.

There is debate about the identity of the “prince of the covenant.” My best guess is that there will be another national leader that is involved in arranging the initial “covenant with many” [Daniel 9:26], perhaps from Israel or another prominent Middle Eastern nation. The Antichrist will strengthen and confirm this covenant at first, but eventually will break faith and turn against those who make the covenant.

“Without warning he shall come into the richest parts of the province, and he shall do what neither his fathers nor his fathers’ fathers have done, scattering among them plunder, spoil, and goods. He shall devise plans against strongholds, but only for a time. 25And he shall stir up his power and his heart against the king of the south with a great army. And the king of the south shall wage war with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he shall not stand, for plots shall be devised against him. 26Even those who eat his food shall break him. His army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. 27And as for the two kings, their hearts shall be bent on doing evil. They shall speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for the end is yet to be at the time appointed. 28And he shall return to his land with great wealth, but his heart shall be set against the holy covenant. And he shall work his will and return to his own land.“

Daniel 11:24-28

Every military campaign needs money, so the next step taken by the King of the North will be to invade the “richest parts” of the region and take plunder, spoil, and goods to finance his campaign. Perhaps this is oil or gold or other natural resources. After securing some funds, the Antichrist will start to plan strategically to determine which military strongholds to pursue next.

But before he can act on his strategy, his heart is stirred up against the King of the South, which represents Egypt. Just as the Seleucid and Ptolemaic dynasties clashed for years, there will be a replay of military conflict between the King of the North (Turkey/Syria) and the King of the South (Egypt).

The prophecy reveals that the Antichrist initially will deliver a considerable blow to Egypt, as the Egyptian army will be “swept away, and many shall fall down slain” [Daniel 11:26]. Apparently the two kings will meet at the negotiating table following the conflict but to no avail, as both men will be bent only on doing evil and speaking lies to one another.

Once the Antichrist acquires more wealth from Egypt, he will turn his heart toward the “holy covenant” and return to this own land for a season. The holy covenant primarily refers to the Abrahamic covenant, including God’s everlasting promise to bless and secure the nation of Israel in their own land. The covenant with many could also be in view, which likely will be some type of security agreement between the leaders of Israel and the Antichrist.

“At the time appointed he shall return and come into the south, but it shall not be this time as it was before. 30For ships of Kittim shall come against him, and he shall be afraid and withdraw, and shall turn back and be enraged and take action against the holy covenant. He shall turn back and pay attention to those who forsake the holy covenant. 31Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate.”

Daniel 11:29-31

The King of the North eventually will return to attack Egypt, but apparently the King of the South will be prepared by securing backup from the ships of Kittim. Traditionally Kittim refers to the island of Cyprus but can also include all the coastlands of the Mediterranean Sea. So we aren’t sure who the ships of Kittim represent — possibly Greece or other European nations — but we know that these naval reinforcements are strong enough to frustrate the plans of the Antichrist and force him to retreat in a fit of rage.

This is interesting in that the early military campaign of the Antichrist will be met with some resistance, which demonstrates that there will be opposition to the Beast kingdom — at least initially.

Enraged and possibly embarrassed by his retreat, the Antichrist channels his anger toward the people of the covenant and “takes action against the holy covenant.” The Antichrist will “pay attention” to those who forsake the holy covenant, which I interpret as those who share the same desire to wipe Israel off the map and eliminate the Jewish nation once and for all. Also, if there is to be some peace agreement — a covenant with “many” — in the last days, it will likely include Israel and many surrounding Muslim nations. At the appointed time, all of these nations will forsake and violate their end of the covenant, leaving Israel all alone with no one to help.

Then those who forsake the covenant will form an alliance of armies led by the King of the North — aka Antichrist — and they will invade Israel, surround Jerusalem, lay siege to the city, put a stop to the regular sacrifices, and profane the Temple by setting up the abomination of desolation. This is precisely what Jesus predicted.

“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near.”

Luke 21:20

The abomination that causes desolation is the key turning point in the career and military campaign of the Antichrist. Jesus and Paul both pointed to this event as the primary sign of the end of the age and the trigger that starts the clock for the Great Tribulation [Matthew 24:15-28, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8].

From this point, both Daniel and the book of Revelation tell us that there will be 3.5 years, or 1260 days, until the appointed time of the end and the Day of the LORD.

As we will see next time, this is a call for the endurance of the saints.

“And after the sixty-two weeks, Messiah shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.”

Daniel 9:26

The prophecy of 70 weeks revealed to Daniel is one of the most amazingly accurate and critically important passages in all of Scripture. There is a reason the Lord Jesus specifically referred to Daniel’s prophecy when teaching about the last days and the great tribulation [Matthew 24:15]. Jesus wants us to read and understand Daniel’s prophecy as the foundational text for the end times.

As I’ve demonstrated in my last several posts, Daniel’s 70 weeks = or 490 years = provides a precise timeline not only for when the Messiah would first be revealed and then “cut off,” but also for the determined end of this present age that will transpire over the final week — or 7 years.

With that being said, this prophecy also warns us about another “prince” to come, who is God’s central adversary during this final 7-year period. As noted, there is tremendous debate within the believing community and the arena of scholarly critics about the identity of this “prince.” I will share my interpretation in a moment, but before then, let us simply state how Daniel identifies this prince.

1. The prince to come will either make, confirm, or strengthen a covenant with “many” for one week — 7 years
2. The prince to come will lead an invasion and trample the city Jerusalem
3. The prince to come will cause the offerings and sacrifices in the Temple to cease at the MID POINT of the week (3 1/2 year mark)
4. The prince to come will destroy/desecrate the sanctuary — the holy Temple
5. The prince to come shall set up the abomination that causes desolation in the Temple
6. The prince (desolator) to come will himself be judged and will become desolate in the end

What about 70 A.D.?

One of the biggest areas of controversy surrounding the 70 weeks of Daniel’s prophecy is concerning the Roman invasion and destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. The preterists — those who believe most if not all of Old Testament prophecy already has been fulfilled in history past — would point to the destruction of Jerusalem as the culmination and fulfillment of the 70 weeks.

This unfortunate interpretation rips the redemptive element of the Day of the LORD away from the Scriptures and ignores God’s promises to restore the fortunes of Jacob and reestablish the Kingdom of Israel in the end. Preterism reinforces the dangerous teaching of replacement theology, which suggests that the LORD divorced and fully rejected Israel in 70 A.D. and replaced her with the “church.” I have many other reasons for rejecting the preterist perspective but will save that for another day.

Furthermore, many dispensational prophecy teachers consider the “people of the prince who is to come” to be the Romans, since it was a Roman legion under Titus that laid siege to Jerusalem and burned the city to the ground. The Roman connection in 70 A.D. is the reason why many believe the final Antichrist — the prince to come — will emerge from Rome or a revived Roman Empire.

I also reject this interpretation for many reasons, which you can read in this earlier post.

Like most prophetic passages, Daniel 9:26 most certainly could have the Roman invasion of 70 A.D. in view as a partial fulfillment and prophetic prefigurement of the final invasion of Israel at the hand of the Antichrist. In other words, 70 A.D. merely was shadow of what is to come.

If you need more than my words, however, let’s hear what Jesus has to say about this future invasion of the “prince to come.” Jesus clearly places the final invasion of Jerusalem as one of most obvious signs that will precede His return in power in glory!

“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Luke 21:20-28

Jesus makes the direct connection here to Daniel’s prophecy. Wars and desolations are decreed to the end, until the determined end is poured out on the Antichrist [see Daniel 9:26-27]. Jesus is describing the final, future desolation of Jerusalem — the days of vengeance to fulfill ALL THAT IS WRITTEN!

Antichrist was not revealed in 70 A.D., nor did the Lord Jesus return in power and glory from heaven. The events of 70 A.D., therefore, cannot be the ultimate fulfillment of Daniel 9 or Luke 21.

Who were the People of the Prince To COME?

Finally, I would like to revisit fascinating historical testimony of what happened in 70 A.D. that actually identifies the “people” of the prince who is to come.

It is easy to assume that because Rome was the conquering empire in power during the siege of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, it must have been an army of Italians, or Europeans, who leveled the city and burned the temple to the ground. But history reveals a different story altogether. Rome conquered many different provinces and people groups during its expansion and was forced to recruit these “provincials” to man their armies. 

By the time of A.D. 70, Italian soldiers were reserved for the elite Pretorian Guard, but the rest of Rome’s armies consisted of people from various other ethnic groups on the fringes of the empire. The “provincialization” of the army was true for all of the Roman legions of this time period, and this specifically was the case with regard to the Eastern legions that were used to attack Jerusalem.

Author Joel Richardson points out that the Roman legions had been stationed in Judea, Syria and Egypt and that there was also “a strong contingent of Arabs, who hated the Jews” who accompanied the soldiers. Jewish historian Flavius Josephus confirms this.

“Malchus also, the king of Arabia, sent a thousand horsemen, besides five thousand footmen, the greatest part of which were archers; so that the whole army, including the auxiliaries sent by the kings, as well horsemen and footmen, when all were united together, amounted to sixty thousand” 

(Flavius Josephus, The Complete Works of Josephus, The Wars of the Jews or The History of the Destruction of Jerusalem, Book III, Chapter 4, Paragraph 20).

History reveals that over 55,000 soldiers during the siege of Jerusalem were of Middle Eastern descent. As Richardson has said, “that would mean that there was a maximum of one Western European soldier to every eleven Middle Eastern soldiers. Eleven to one! Yet in all likelihood, the ratio was much higher; perhaps closer to twenty to one.”

Furthermore, according to Josephus, it was not the Roman General Titus who ordered the destruction of the Temple, but rather the Middle Eastern provincials under his command who determined to exact their hatred on the Jews. As a matter of fact, these provincial soldiers directly disobeyed the orders of Rome in burning down the temple. 

“Titus supposing what the fact was, that the house itself might yet he saved, he came in haste and endeavored to persuade the soldiers to quench the fire…yet were their passions too hard for the regards they had for Caesar, and the dread they had of him who forbade them, as was their hatred of the Jews, and a certain vehement inclination to fight them, too hard for them also…And thus was the holy house burnt down, without Caesar’s approbation” 

(Josephus, Wars of the Jews, Book 6, Chapter 4).

Based on the historical record, we must determine that the “people of the prince to come” spoken of by the prophet Daniel were not Italians from Europe, but rather they were Syrians, Egyptians, and Arabians — provincial soldiers under Roman command — who hated the Jews and delighted in destroying their most holy city. Once we have an accurate view of history, Daniel 9:26 makes complete sense and fits perfectly into the greater Biblical narrative. 

The ethnic people groups who destroyed Jerusalem and the temple in A.D. 70 are the same people groups who are surrounding Israel today in Muslim majority nations. It only stands to reason that the Antichrist will establish his 10 king coalition from these Muslim nations and revive the ancient Islamic Caliphate of the Ottoman Empire. The stage is set and the pieces are in place for the right leader to unite these nations under the same evil spirit of antichrist that already is at work in the world.

“So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing …”

Daniel 9:25-26

In my last post, I demonstrated how the LORD has decreed 70 weeks of years — or 490 years — to accomplish His prophetic purposes through His people Israel. When revealing the vision to Daniel, the angel Gabriel makes notable divisions in the weeks, which is why most scholars and Bible students interpret the 70 weeks as broken into defined periods of time, not as one continuous interval.

Now within the Christian community, there are many different interpretations of how these divisions are to be understood. Most preterists believe that all 70 weeks have been fulfilled in the past, culminating with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Many futurists also disagree about the interpretation of these divisions, especially in how they are connected to the first advent of Christ. One easily can get lost in the weeds when trying to determine how to calculate years using solar, lunar, or sabbatical measurements and so on.

Granted, this prophecy creates some challenges, and my aim in this post is not to be too technical but simply to explain how I interpret the divisions of the 70 weeks. More than anything, my goal is bring God glory for the precision of His prophetic word!

StartING the Clock

The Issuing of the Decree to Rebuild Jerusalem

Daniel received this vision roughly 100 years prior to the decree to rebuild Jerusalem. Biblical historians have identified several candidates for which decree was in view for this prophecy, but only one decree fits the description. The decree of Persian King Artaxerxes (circa 445-444 B.C.) is the only one that specifically called for the rebuilding of the city Jerusalem and its walls. This decree is connected to the ministry of Nehemiah.

So the prophetic clock started when King Artaxerxes gave the command to rebuild Jerusalem in 444 B.C. Gabriel did reveal to Daniel that there would be a division of seven weeks = 49 years = and then another division of 62 weeks = or 434 years.

Many have debated what the first division of 49 years signifies. Some believe it refers to the amount of time required by Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem. Others suggest it is connected to the close of prophetic ministry of the Old Testament.

Either way, to simplify the first part of this prophecy, the clock began at the decree of Artaxerxes to rebuild Jerusalem, which triggered the start of 483 prophetic years (49+434=483).

What matters most is that Gabriel gave Daniel a precise timeline for the arrival of the Messiah the Prince. In other words, the long-anticipated Messiah of Israel was predicted to come 483 years after the decree to rebuild Jerusalem.

That is an amazingly precise prediction, and that is precisely what happened.

The Coming of Messiah the Prince

“So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress.”

Daniel 9:25

As God would have it, the ministry of Yeshua of Nazareth, the Messiah, culminated precisely 483 years after the giving of the decree by Artaxerxes. Most calculations place the exact date of fulfillment at the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem.

1. The decree from Artaxerxes as recorded in Nehemiah 2:1-8,17-18 given on March 5, 444 B.C.
2. 483 sabbatical years (the first 69 weeks) were fulfilled to the day on March 30, A.D. 33, the date of Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. (This is 476 years according to the Julian Calendar). Jesus was crucified four days later on April 3, A.D. 33.

Critical scholars and many Jewish scholars scoff at this amazing prophecy because of its accuracy. But one obvious observation remains, if Daniel’s prophecy is correct — which it is! — then the Messiah of Israel should have been revealed somewhere around 30 A.D. Is it mere coincidence that Jesus of Nazareth began His public ministry precisely at this time? If not Jesus, then what other possible candidate fulfills this prophecy?

Daniel’s prophecy most likely explains why there was such a universal expectation for the Messiah when Jesus arrived on the scene. Unfortunately, many of the Jews were expecting the conquering King to deliver Israel from the oppression of the pagan Roman Empire.

But had the Jews simply read Daniel’s prophecy a little closer, they would have learned that not only would Messiah come at this time, but also that He would be cut off — dying not for Himself.

THE STOP WATCH HAS BEEN PAUSED

Messiah will be Cut Off

“After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed.“

Daniel 9:26 — NIV

Daniel’s prophecy is clear that the advent of Messiah would result in His death. As the King James Version says, “Messiah shall be cut off, but not for himself.” There is no clearer prophecy in all of Scripture that describes the coming ministry and tragic death of Messiah. Only Jesus Christ fits the profile and fulfills this prophecy. No other figure in the history of the nation of Israel even comes close.

In my next post, I will address the “people of the prince to come,” and I will demonstrate how the “prince” to come is in reference to the Antichrist because of his connection to the abomination of desolation. But for now, I do hold the interpretation that the prophetic clock was put on hold at the death of Christ, which means the final 7 years — Daniel’s 70th Week — is yet future.

Here are my top reasons why I believe this last week has not yet been fulfilled.

1. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ initiated the times of the Gentiles, as the LORD expanded His reach and extended His saving grace to all nations through the redemptive work of Christ. I have written extensively about this unique “summer” season of grace — read here. The Great Commission will continue until the full measure of the Gentiles is complete [see Luke 21:20-24, Romans 11:25-26]. At that time, the LORD will redirect His attention exclusively to the redemption and restoration of His people Israel.
2. Jesus and Paul referred to this prophecy in Daniel and the abomination of desolation as the sign of the end of the age, which is yet future. [see Matthew 24:15-29 and 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8]
3. The 70th week is a 7 year period, and Daniel is told that the Antichrist will cause the sacrifices to cease and set up the abomination of desolation in the “middle of the week.”
4. There are multiple prophetic passages that designate 3.5 years as the period of time that Antichrist (little horn) will have authority and God’s people will be persecuted. This timeframe is also given as 1,260 or 1,290 days [Daniel 12:11, Revelation 12:6], 42 months [Revelation 13:5], or times, time, and half a time [Daniel 7:25, Revelation 12:14]. Obviously 3.5 is half of 7 years, so I believe that the final prophetic week — the last 7 years — is yet future and will mark the definite end of the age.

Next time I will investigate how Daniel’s 70 weeks relates to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and how the people of the prince to come may not be who you think.

Until then — Maranatha!