Daniel

Lesson 12 w/AnswersDaniel 11:36 – 12:13

With this lesson, we conclude our look at Daniel’s visions and God’s prophecies regarding the end of the "time of the Gentiles", the return of Christ, and the establishment of His Millennial reign. We will also be examining some of the prophesies concerning the Anti-Christ — "The King who exalts himself" — as recorded in Daniel Chapters 11 and 12.

Daniel

Daniel’s last prophesy is about the rule of the Anti-Christ, his defeat, the return of Christ as the King of Kings, and the restoration of the nation of Israel following the "time of the Gentiles". In conjunction with this prophecy, Daniel is shown the answer to his question regarding Israel and what will happen to the Jews once the Babylonian exile is completed.

Throughout this study, we have discussed Daniel, the man himself, and how he comported himself during the uncommon times he found himself in. In all of the book of Daniel, he displays his great faith in God and his unwavering desire to seek God in prayer on all matters big and small. He is highly esteemed by God. Fittingly, the last verse of the book contains a blessing, a personal promise to Daniel from God. It is a promise that each of us share as well, thanks to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. May you know him as I do, and may the study of this book serve to further strengthen your faith in Him.

Read Daniel 11:36 – 12:13 and consider the following:

  1. The king described in Daniel 11:36-39 is different than any king before him. What are some the things that he will do which will set him apart from all previous kings?
    1. ANSWER 1: This king "will do as he pleases".
    2. ANSWER 2: He will "exalt and magnify himself above every god".
    3. ANSWER 3: He will "say unheard-of things" against God, i.e., things that man has never heard before will be spoken by him against the God of all gods.
    4. ANSWER 4: This king will show "no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the one desired by women; nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all".
    5. ANSWER 5: This king’s god will be a "god of fortresses", a god never known before, and the king will honor it with "gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts".
    6. ANSWER 6: Using this god of fortresses, he will attack the mightiest fortresses.
    7. ANSWER 7: Finally, he will "greatly honor those who acknowledge him" by making them "rulers over many people and [he] will distribute the land at a price".
  2. When will the Anti-Christ speak unheard of things against God, and for how long? (see Revelation 12:5-7)
    1. ANSWER: This will occur during the second half of the Tribulation Period and will last for 42 months, or three and one-half years.
  3. Could the Anti-Christ be a Muslim, i.e., a follower of Islam? (see Daniel 11:36-37)
    1. ANSWER: No; because Daniel 11:36-37 states that he will exalt himself "above every god", which would include the God of Abraham. In point of fact, the Anti-Christ will be a Gentile and an Atheist.
  4. Who is the "one desired by all women"? (see Daniel 11:37)
    1. ANSWER: According to John Walvoord in his book, Every Prophecy of the Bible, "From the Jewish perspective, the desire of women was to receive the promise given to Eve of a coming Redeemer to be born of a woman. Undoubtedly, many Jewish women will hope that one of their sons will fulfill this prophecy. Accordingly, ’the one desired by women’ is the Messiah of Israel."
  5. The Anti-Christ establishes himself "in the beautiful land", meaning Israel; and for a short time, he is king over all the people. (see Revelation 13:7-8) But what does Daniel tell us will happen next? (see Daniel 11:44-45, Revelation 16:12 and Daniel 9:13-16)
    1. ANSWER: The ongoing devastation occurring throughout the world during the Tribulation Period, i.e., the time of "wrath", will cause a rift in the Anti-Christ’s reign and create dissension in the ranks. Furthermore, an army from the East — perhaps a 200-million man-army from China — and an army from the North will begin forming and heading towards him. He will go into battle, but in the end, he will be defeated — by Christ.
  6. In Daniel 12:1, Daniel is told about a time of distress that is coming for "your people". Which people is the prophecy referring to?
    1. ANSWER: It refers to the Jews (Daniel’s people).
  7. What event is described in Daniel 12:2-3, and when will it happen?
    1. ANSWER: Many are resurrected, and this will occur at the time of Christ’s second coming.
  8. Daniel 12:4-13 concludes with the angel explaining to Daniel what is to come, and how long it will take, once the "daily sacrifice is abolished" and "the abomination that causes desolation" is set up. What is this referring to, and how long will this last?
    1. ANSWER 1: Midway through the Tribulation Period, the Anti-Christ will break his peace treaty with Israel and will bring an end to the daily sacrifice. At that point, there will be 1,290 days until the end of the period and Christ’s return. One theory regarding why the period is 30 days longer than three and one-half prophetic years (1,260 days) is that it will take 30 days from the day that the Anti-Christ abolishes the daily sacrifice in order to get the "abomination that causes desolation" set up in the Temple.
    2. ANSWER 2: It is also believed the time period between the 1,290 days and the 1,335 days will be set aside for Christ’s judgments to occur, prior to the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom. These judgments are discussed in Ezekiel 20:33-38 for the Jews, and in Matthew 24:36-41 and 25:31-46 for the Gentiles.

The visions and prophecies that God reveals to us through Daniel provide us with a roadmap of God’s plan for redeeming his people and for setting up Christ’s Millennial Kingdom. Through them, we can have a better understanding of much of end time prophecy; and we can have faith that God is in control, and His Son Jesus truly is the only way of salvation.

Have a great week everyone, and thanks again for studying with us.

In Christ,

Wes

[2019]

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