The Antichrist
Dani’el 11: 36-45
The antichrist DIG: What are three purposes of the Great Tribulation? What does the antichrist do when he assumes control over the whole world? What is the Abomination of Desolation? What religion will he follow? What two policies will he follow? What fierce conflicts does the antichrist wage? Where does he set up his military command post? To what extent does he succeed? Where does he go next?
REFLECT: When have you stepped out in the flesh and tried to accomplish something, only to have it fall apart? What did you do about it? Why? What assumptions do the arrogant have about ADONDI? Where in your life are these assumptions at work? How do believers, the congregations of God, and nations “honor the god of fortresses?” How do you rid yourself of such fortress-mentality? Who can you pray for?
The one greater than Antiochus Epiphanes.
As previously mentioned, Dani’el Chapters 10 through 12 constitute one unit. These three chapters comprise a single revelation that spans the entirety of human history from shortly after Dani’el’s time until and beyond the Second Coming of Yeshua Messiah. Each part of the prophecy that is detailed in 11:2-35 was literally fulfilled in history, with Alexander the Great and his generals fulfilling verses 2-20, while Antiochus Epiphanes fulfilled verses 21-35. In contrast, verses 36-45 have not been fulfilled yet.
His rise to power (11:36-39): The unnamed angel who had started speaking to Dani’el in 10:19 described the nature and ascent of the antichrist. Previously, he had been identified as the little horn (7:8 and 20) and the coming prince (9:26). Now, the angel described him as a prideful king by stating: The king will do as he pleases. The antichrist will be characterized by so much pride that he will exalt and magnify himself above every god (11:36a). In fact, he will claim to be God Himself, a statement that was already made in 8:24. The B’rit Chadashah reaffirms this characterization in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, where Paul reveals: Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed – the one who brings destruction. He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God. John reaffirmed these truths when he stated that the antichrist would claim divinity and demand that the entire world worship him as God (see Revelation, to see link click Dn – All the Inhabitants of the Earth Worship the Beast).
The angel further declared: And [the prideful king] will say unspeakable-of things even blaspheming the God of gods. This is exactly what Dani’el said about the little horn in 7:25. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed. The purpose of the Great Tribulation is to make an end to wickedness and wicked ones (for example Isaiah 13:9), bring about a worldwide revival (Revelation 7:1-7), and break the power of the holy people (12:7). During the last three-and-a-half years of the Great Tribulation (Revelation 12:6) the antichrist will be the sole ruler of the world. During this period of time, he will direct his wrath against the Jews, starting a global Holocaust against them. The angel further revealed that the antichrist would be allowed to prosper until the time of wrath is completed (11:36b), namely, three-and-a-half years. The persecution of the Jewish people will be so severe that, according to Zechariah 13:8-9, two-thirds of them will be murdered. The angel concluded his description of the prideful king by declaring that what has been decreed has taken place (11:36c). The decision was set in stone. Because it had been decreed from heaven, it was irrevocable. Thus, it would be fulfilled even though the antichrist would experience initial success.398
Verse 37 elaborates on the nature of the prideful king by highlighting three of his characteristics. First, He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers (Hebrew: elohei) (11:37a). The Hebrew term for gods, elohei, is the masculine plural of Elohim. Depending on the context, Elohim can either refer to YHVH, the God of Isra’el, or to pagan gods. The translation of elohei as God has become the basis of the teaching that the angel was speaking of the God of Isra’el. That logic resulted in the idea that the antichrist will be a Jew, for he will disregard YHVH, the God of his fathers, i.e. the Jewish people. However, the context of verse 37 encompasses verses 36-39, where the term god is used six times. Therefore, the proper translation of the Hebrew term elohei in this verse is gods. If 11:37a proves anything, it is that the antichrist will be a Gentile and not a Jew. In the previous discussions of the antichrist, it has been established that he will be the final ruler of the times of the Gentiles (see Ao – The Times of the Gentiles).
Secondly, the antichrist will show no regard for the gods of his fathers, nor for the desire of any woman (Hebrew: ishshah) (11:37b); in other words, the antichrist will be homosexual. This interpretation seems to make the most sense because he will have the mind and attitude of Satan, who hates the biblical model for male/female relationships (see the commentary on Leviticus Ae – The Bible and Homosexual Practice). Thirdly, the angel spells out his third point. The prideful king will show no regard for the gods of his ancestors and set aside all organized religion, but will exalt himself above them all (11:37c).
Verse 38 shows which religion he will follow. Instead of the gods of his ancestors, he will honor a god of fortresses. The Hebrew term for fortresses, ma’uzzim, refers to places or means of safety and protection. Elsewhere in Dani’el 11:7, 10, 19, 31 and 39, the term is used for a fortified military defense. The antichrist will worship a god of strongholds who promises strength and military might. He will be the personification of war; therefore, his religion will be war. He will follow the philosophy of “might makes right.” What will be completely different about the world religion at the time of the end (or the Great Tribulation) will be the destruction of all previous religions (see Revelation Ek – The Beast Will Hate the Prostitute and Bring Her to Ruin), and the worship of one world leader without reference to any other divine power except that of Satan. In other words, the antichrist will worship the god of war, a god unknown to his ancestors. He will claim to be god, yet all the while accepting Satan as the supreme divine power. Even his pagan ancestors worshiped Satan only indirectly through idolatry, but the antichrist will worship him directly and will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts (11:38). He will be Satan’s masterpiece, a human being who is the devil’s substitute for Yeshua Messiah; hence, properly identified as the anti-Christ.399
Next, the policies of the antichrist are revealed. First, he will attack the mightiest strongholds with the help of a foreign god (11:39a). His ability to conquer will come from Satan, and he will receive supernatural power to conquer the mightiest strongholds. In Second Thessalonians 2:9, Paul made the same point: The coming lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie. Because the prideful king will worship Satan, he will receive the power of conquest from him. John reiterated this truth in Revelation 13:1-8, pointing out that the antichrist will accept the very offer that Yeshua rejected: to bow down and worship Satan (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Bj – Jesus is Tempted in the Wilderness). Therefore, Satan will give his authority over the kingdoms of the world to the antichrist. He will provide him with a Satanic ability to take over the world because of the worship that Satan received from the antichrist.
As a second policy, the antichrist will greatly honor those who acknowledge him. The Hebrew term for acknowledge, yakkir, comes from the root nachar, meaning to regard or to recognize. It refers to confession. Those who confess or recognize the antichrist as God will be rewarded. On the one hand, the prideful king will worship Satan as his god; but on the other hand, he will claim to be God and reward those who accept him as such. He will greatly honor those who acknowledge him and increase their position within his government. He will make them rulers over many people by granting them political authority, and will distribute the land at the price . . . their loyalty (11:39b). The followers of the antichrist will have to prove their loyalty by taking the mark of the beast (see Revelation Dp – The Mark is the Name of the Beast). Therefore, verse 39 prophesies that the antichrist’s rise to power will come supernaturally through the power of the devil. Satan will use the prideful king in his attempt to annihilate the Jews once and for all.400
His conquests (11:40-45): At that time the world will be divided into ten Gentile nations plus Isra’el. This political structure will exist during the first three-and-a-half years of the Great Tribulation. Whatever kind of peace may have existed between the antichrist and those ten kings (7:24) ruling the ten kingdoms will come to an end as the beast begins to take political control of the world. As a result, the conflict begins when the antichrist declares war on the ten kings. During his war against the ten kings, he will kill three and subdue the remaining seven. These verses describe that war. As a reminder, the angel who started speaking in 10:19 is still speaking. Back in 11:35, he had introduced the antichrist’s general policy and practice with the phrase the time of the end. Now he uses the same phrase to preface the antichrist’s military activities.
The antichrist’s military campaign will eventually focus on the land of Isra’el, but first he will have to overcome an attack by the king of the south and the king of the north (11:40a). These two kings will form an alliance against him. The term “south” refers to Egypt, while “north” refers to Syria. Many sensational prophecy teachers choose to ignore the context and identify the king of the north as Russia. It is true that Russia will lead a northern alliance of nations around the Black and Caspian seas, along with Persia and North Africa, who will invade Isra’el (Ezeki’el 38:1 to 39:16). But that invasion will take place before the Great Tribulation starts (see Revelation Bq – For Seven Months the house of Isra’el Will Bury Them in Order to Cleanse the Land). In his description of this invasion, Ezeki’el didn’t simply speak of the north, but the most remote parts of the north. From the perspective of Isra’el, Russia is the northernmost country. Here in 11:40, the angel didn’t mention the most remote parts of the north, but the king of the north. In the context of Dani’el 11, this expression always refers to Syria.
The king of the north will storm out against him, meaning the Syrian king will attack the antichrist suddenly, with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood (11:40b). When the word flood is used symbolically in the Bible it is always used for a military invasion. Initially, he will be very successful militarily. He will also invade Isra’el, the Beautiful Land. During that war, Isra’el will fall. Although the antichrist will eventually gain political control of the whole world, he will extend his power over many countries and many will fall, three countries will escape his domination, Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand (11:41). Today all three of these ancient countries lay in modern day Jordan.
In the middle of the Great Tribulation, the Jewish State will be conquered as the Israeli government collapses. The same Gentile takeover is described in Revelation 11:1-2: Then I was given a measuring stick, and I was told, “Go and measure the Temple of God and the altar, and count the number of worshipers. But do not measure the outer courtyard, for it has been turned over to the nations. They will trample the holy city for 42 months.” According to this passage, the antichrist will attack and conquer the Temple compound. The first event tied to the breaking of the seven-year covenant (see Revelation Bz – The Signing of the Seven-Year Covenant with the Antichrist), is the abomination that causes desolation (see Revelation Dr – The Abomination That Causes Desolation) that will mark the beginning of the second half of the Tribulation.
Matthew 24:15 and Mark 13:14, finds Jesus referring to Daniel’s prophecy, saying: So when you see the abomination that causes desolation standing in the most holy place spoken of through the prophet Dani’el, let the reader understand. This abomination will involve two stages. The first stage is when the antichrist claims the Tribulation Temple as his own (see Revelation Bx – The Tribulation Temple), sits down in the most holy place and declares himself to be God. The second stage is when the false prophet makes an image of the antichrist and places it inside the most holy place to be worshiped (see Revelation Do – The Beast Out of the Earth: The False Prophet). At that point the spiritual scales will fall from the eyes of the Jews and they will finally recognize the true identity of the antichrist. He is the one spoken of through the prophet Dani’el (Matthew 24:15b). As Micah 2:12-13 shows, only those who will decide to obey Yeshua’s command will survive the Time of Jacob’s Trouble.
Up to the mid-point in the Tribulation, Isra’el will consider the antichrist an ally. But the abomination will cause 42 months of desolation, as two thirds of the Jews will be killed (Zechariah 13:8). The abomination that causes desolation will be the signal for the Jews to escape to Bozrah (see Revelation Ds – The Woman and the Dragon). Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains (Matthew 24:16). That will start the second half of the Great Tribulation where Satan and the rest of the Gentile world will attempt to hunt down and destroy Isra’el for the last time (see Revelation Fc – The Sheep and the Goats). Satan will try to accomplish what Hitler only dreamed about – final solution to “the Jewish problem.”
The takeover of Isra’el will cause the Jews to flee, and they will know when to flee because of this passage. The freedom of the Trans-Jordanian territory will provide the means of escape. Yeshua called that area the mountains, in Revelation 12:6 and 14, it is called the wilderness. Finally, Micah 2:12 identifies the city of refuge as Bozrah, located in the ancient territory of Edom. It will be the principal city of refuge until the end of the Great Tribulation and the Lord’s return (see Isaiah Kg – The Second Coming of Jesus Christ to Bozrah).
Next, the angel deals with the fall of Egypt. In 7:8, 20 and 24, it was prophesied that the antichrist would kill three kings. Here, the angel revealed who the first of these three kings would be: The king of the south, the king of Egypt will not escape. He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt. As a result of conquering Egypt, the antichrist will have unhindered access to Africa. The fall of the continent is described in terms of the submission of Libya and Ethiopia (11:42-43).
But the antichrist will be furious with the reports that he hears from the east, and the north. He will also invade the king of the east. In the Scriptures, the east is not China, but Mesopotamia. Today, the area is known as Iraq. Whatever it will be called during the Great Tribulation, its ruler will join Syria in its resistance against the antichrist. When he hears of their resistance he will respond in rage to the attack by the combined forces of Syria and Mesopotamia, and destroy and obliterate them (11:44). In the process, the king of Mesopotamia will become the second victim of the antichrist, and the king of Syria will become his third victim. The three kings that he will end up killing (7:8, 20, and 24) will be the king of the south (or Egypt), the king of the king of the east (or Mesopotamia), and the king of the king of the north (or Syria).
Finally, the angel reveals where the antichrist will set up his headquarters. He will pitch his royal tents between the seas, meaning the Mediterranean and Dead Sea, at the holy mountain (11:45a). He will set up his military command post in Jerusalem. The Hebrew word for tent, ohel, refers to a military tent of a general. His command post will be at the beautiful holy mountain of Jerusalem, or Mount Zion. According to Zechariah 14:2, the antichrist will bring complete destruction on Zion, and this would make his setting up his headquarters on the Temple Mount possible. Before this, he will have brought Isra’el to a state of complete humiliation, with both their army and their government being fully crushed. At that time, he will have already have committed the abomination that causes desolation, and the Jewish people will have fled to Bozrah.401
This verse ends with a passing remark about the death of the antichrist. Having reached his zenith of power and with Isra’el prostrate at his feet, the antichrist then turns his attention toward the invading kings from the east and north. In the course of this conflict he appears to be killed. The beast will seemingly come to his end, and no one will help him. His body appears to be destroyed and thrown into a blazing fire (11:45b and 7:11). But this is all an allusion of Satan, the father of lies. The counterfeit father will stage the counterfeit death of his counterfeit son to set up a counterfeit resurrection.
As far as Satan is concerned, at this point, all is going as planned.
One of the heads of the beast, the antichrist, seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound will seemingly be healed (13:3a). Only ADONAI can breathe life into a dead body. Only God can create, only the LORD can call into existence that which did not exist (Genesis 1:1). Thus, the antichrist’s alleged death and resurrection will be a counterfeit of Messiah’s death and resurrection. The people of the world will believe that the beast is their savior. Since the Great Tribulation will be a time where the world will experience death on a scale never seen before in human history, his seeming invincibility to death will win him even greater fame than before. As a result, the whole world will be astonished and follow the beast (13:3b).
He will seem bulletproof.
The antichrist will be the counterfeit son in every respect. There had been a counterfeit virgin birth, a counterfeit god-man, and now a counterfeit death and resurrection. Not very original. A counterfeit Second Coming to rule will be seen as he moves to possess the nations and kingdoms of the world. Satan is playing the part of the counterfeit Father in this scenario. For just as the true Father gave His authority to His true Son; consequently, the counterfeit father will give his authority to his counterfeit son.402 It is no wonder that the entire world will be swept off its feet by this articulate, persuasive figure. The world will cry out: Who is like the beast, and who is able to make war against him (Revelation 13:4)? The answer to that question will be Messiah Yeshua. Come, Lord Yeshua.
Dear Heavenly Father, Praise you for your Great Love that so graciously and willingly paid the huge price of shame and pain, to redeem for your family. You call those who love (John 14:23) and trust/believe you to be your children. But whoever did receive Him, those trusting in His name, to these He gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:12). How wonderful heaven will be without any crying, dying, pain nor shame. And just as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this judgment. He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more. Nor shall there be mourning or crying or pain any longer, for the former things have passed away.” And the One seated upon the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new!” (Revelation 21:4-5a). How important it is to live now with eternal values in view. Riches on earth mean nothing towards getting someone into heaven, as Messiah tells in the story of the Rich man and Lazarus. (Luke 16:19-31). Loving God with all one’s heart is what counts. Love Adonai your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength (Deuteronomy 6:5).
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