 Good morning, everyone. Welcome to BC 308. Thank you for connecting to the class today. Let's pray and get started. Maybe somebody could lead us in prayer, please, and we'll get started. Let's pray. Dear Heavenly Father, I come to you under the name of Jesus. I thank you for this day. Thank you for the class that you have given us. And, Lord, I thank you for revealing the things to us, Jesus. You considered us worthy enough. So we couldn't know this. We could understand your will, your plans and the future, what it holds. So we can be people of hope, Jesus. And what I pray that as we see the prophecies and try to understand them, what I pray that Jesus, you will, whole Spirit, you will guide us, reveal us the deepest truth and fill us with your hope, Jesus. Fill us with your word so that we can go out, reach the gospel truly so that the people who are hopeless will be filled with hope. We thank you for your words. We thank you for past rashes. And I thank you for all my classmates and Jesus name I pray. Thank you. So before we move forward, we are in now in the book of Daniel. We're coming close to the end of the book. We have chapters 11 and 12 that we plan to complete today. Before we move forward, I just wanted to see if there's any questions from anybody in the class on what we have covered so far up to Daniel 9. Any questions? I know last week we went through Daniel 9 and if you went back and thought about it, did you have any questions? Did you want any clarifications? Anybody? Anything you wanted explained? If you don't, we'll move forward. Okay. So let's move forward. And of course you're always welcome to pick up any questions at any time. So we covered till chapter 9 in chapter 10. We're not going to go into chapter 10, but in chapter 10, Angel Gabriel is explaining to Daniel what is happening in the spiritual realm. He has brought a message to Daniel, but he says, Daniel, you know, when I was about to come and give you this message, there was a spiritual battle. There were things happening and Daniel is, you know, he was in prayer for 21 days. And so Angel Gabriel explains about what's happened and what is going to happen in the spiritual realm. Basically, we understand through what we see in chapter 10 that there are rulers or spiritual powers over geographical regions. Chapter 10 refers to as the prince of Greece, Persia, the prince of Israel, which is Michael, the archangel assigned to Israel, the demonic powers of Persia, that's Iran, over Greece, and how they were trying to intercept and interrupt Gabriel from coming through and how Michael the archangel assisted Gabriel and he was expecting the same to happen on his way back. And I just want to point to verse 14 of Daniel 10. Daniel 10 verse 14, where Gabriel says, Daniel 10, 14, I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision refers to many days yet to come. So Gabriel says, I'm here to help you understand what happened to your people in the latter days. So that was one of the key things we saw in chapter 9. When Daniel 70 weeks that Gabriel spoke about to Daniel in chapter 9 had to do with your people and your city. That means Jewish people, the city of Jerusalem. That's repeated here in Daniel 10, 14 to your people. I mean, this is very specifically to your people in the latter days. That is, he's come to speak to Daniel about things about the end today, things in the end. So the vision refers to many days. So with that background, so we're not going to chapter 10 because it's more of an insight into the spiritual realm and what was happening at that moment. We are now going to go into chapter 11. Now chapter 11 is a very interesting chapter because there are two portions to it. There is the portion which we would refer to as the near term prophecy. That means something that would happen within the next couple of hundred years. Next couple of hundred years. That's the near term. And then there is the prophecy that would be about the latter days, the latter days. So chapter 11 can be broken into these two parts. So I'll just go ahead and share the notes and I've put this in the notes. So chapter 11 in your notes. Chapter 11 versus till verse 39, 36, till verse 36 or let's say verse 35. Till verse 35 is what we would refer to as the near term. And then we see what we would put as the long term, meaning something that's going to happen in the latter times. So and we will see. And we will see. Now we're not going to read chapter 11 verse by verse, but I'll just give you a summary. Basically, in chapter 11 till verse 35 verse 1 to 35. Daniel is going through the events that are going from the Medo Persian, the Greeks, and then all the way to what will happen as enemies from the North and from the South fight. So the North referring to Syria and the South referring to Egypt. Israel as a land is sandwiched between Syria and the North and Egypt and the South. So he focuses on what happens between Egypt and the South and Syria and the North. He focuses on what happens between these rulers over the next several hundred years in the coming time. So near term. And historically, when historians look back at what Daniel has written here, verses 1 to 35, and compared to the actual events of history, they're able to map it so beautifully. And what's amazing is that in this little passage, and I just put it down here at the beginning, 135 events are foretold about 200 years before they actually happen. So in this piece of text, Daniel 11, 1 to 35, numerous details, and somebody has counted it, I didn't count it. And somebody has counted it and arrived at this 135 events. Foretold, prophesied 200 years before they. So it's near term, meaning it was a few hundred years from then, but it was in detail. So what do we see versus, and I'll just go through as an overview, because it's a lot of history and, you know, kings and so on, which we are not familiar with, but people who study history, they're able to map it, that what Daniel has written and what actually happened. But just giving us an overview. So Daniel 11 verses 1 to 4, he speaks about the Medo-Persians, the means and the Persians. So he talks about three more kings arising and whose king was going to, from the Beads and the Persians. And then he talks about Alexander the Great, verse 3, a mighty king will arise and rule the great dominion. You know, he's, of course, some of us, he's already given to us in chapter 8, but it's like a summary of all that he's given. Verses 3 and 4 talks about the Greeks, and he talks about the four generals who would arise and rule. Then from verses 5 to 32 is about Egypt in the south and Syria in the north, and all the kings would come one after the other. So it's literally, you know, talking about if the kings would come from the south and the kings would come from the north, the Syrians. And so here, just given between verses 5, 6 and so on, you know, these people, people whom Daniel is referring to, can be mapped to actual history and these things have been put down. So again, it's people who know, who studied ancient history, were able to map it beautifully for us. So I've been going into these particular details because these are historic and they've already happened. And, you know, we can read about these people and actually the wonderful thing is not necessarily wonderful, but the fact is that these people actually did what everything that Daniel said they would do. And some of it was very harsh against Israel, especially Antiochus Ford Epiphanus. He was a very harsh king who really ill-treated the Jewish people there, Israel. But Daniel foretold that in Daniel 11, 21 to 32, and he did exactly the things that Daniel foretold. So he was a very, very despicable enemy, a very harsh enemy, and he did exactly that. But what is of interest to us is what we pick up from verses 36 onwards, which we can map or we can draw up parallel to some of the things that have been spoken in the past in chapter 7, 8 and 9, and which we can also, when we look into Revelation, we can understand some of these things. So we will just pick up that portion from verse 36 on Daniel 11 verses 36 to 45, and let us look into that, please. Daniel 11, 36 to 45, we'll do the usual thing, maybe three verses each. Just quickly read that and we'll come back and analyze it closely. Daniel 11, 36 to 45. Verse 36, Then the king shall do according to his own will. He shall exalt and magnify himself above every God, shall speak blasphemies against the God of God, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished, for what has been determined shall be done. He shall regard neither the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any God, for he shall exalt himself above them all. But in their place he shall honor a God of fortresses and a God which his fathers did not know. He shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant things. Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign God which he shall acknowledge and advance its glory, and shall cause them to rule over many and divide the land for gain. Verse 43, At the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack him, and the king of the north shall come against him like whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen and with many ships, and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them and pass through. He shall also enter the glorious land and many countries shall be overthrown, but these shall escape from his hand. Adam, Moab and the prominent people of Amman. He shall stretch out his hand against the countries and the land of Egypt shall not escape. He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver and over all the precious things of Egypt. Also the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall follow at his heels, but news from the east and the north shall trouble him. Therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many, and he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glories and glorious holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end and no one will help him. Now verse 35, if you look at verse 35, he's talking about whatever is happening will happen until the time of the end because it is still for the appointed time. That means there's a transition. We said from verse 11 verses 1 to 35 is about near the kings would happen and it's been a few hundred years all these things. And verse 35 ends by saying, okay, now we're going to the time of the end. That means we are now going to talk about the time of, you know, that's in the latter days. Remember we read in Daniel chapter 10 verse 14, Gabriel said, I've come to talk to you about your people and the things that will happen in the latter times, things that are out in the future. So chapter 11, 1 to 35 is near term, which happened in a few hundred years. But then verse 35 says, okay, until the time of the end because it is still for the appointed time. Now the shift is, okay, I'm now taking you to the time of the end for that future time. And then he says, he's talking about a particular king and basically verse 36 to 45 is about this particular king. And as he introduces this particular king, he is, you know, we can immediately recognize because he is speaking, he's magnifying himself above every God, he's speaking blasphemies against the God of God and he's prospering. I mean, God is letting him prosper. Okay, so immediately we connect back to, hey, this is familiar to us because he has described someone like this in chapter 7 and chapter 8 and chapter 9, whom we refer to or we recognize connecting it back to the book, connecting it to the book or revelation in the New Testament scripture as the Antichrist. So this man, this king or a ruler or a leader is speaking blasphemies against God. And another interesting thing as we read is, you know, he says in verse 36, he's speaking blasphemies against God, he will prosper till the broth has been accomplished, meaning the judgment of God has been accomplished. He's going to let him go, let him do what he wants. Verse 37, he's not going to regard, he's not going to regard the God of his fathers. I mean, he's paying no respect to any known God on God, known God. He's not going to regard any God, he's going to exalt himself above all of that and he's going to put his trust in and some unknown God. So when we read very clearly in Revelation 12 and 13, we read about this dragon who actually empowers the Antichrist and the false prophet. This is God, the small G, the God of this world who is empowering. So the Antichrist and the false prophet are actually directly empowered by Satan, this dragon in Revelation 12 is the Satan. So we see here, back in Daniel 1137, he is going to honor a God which his fathers did not know and he's going to be empowered by this God, this unknown God. And he's going to rule and reign over many and notice he's going to divide the land for gain. So divide the land for gain. What land is he talking about? There's only one land which is being the focus of all of us prophetic scripture. It's the land of Israel, the glorious land. And he's going to divide the land for gain. That means if we put it down in what we are seeing today in Israel, the common idea is that in order to have peace, we have to divide the land. Give the portions off to the Palestinians and Israel who stay in this portion, give the other portions of divide the land. And this man, the Antichrist, it says here he's going to divide the land for gain. End of verse 39. So I'm going to put all the pieces together, which is he's going to be able to have a temple built, which we know is the third temple. It has to be in place. But most likely his strategy will be, I will divide the land, but you give this. So he's pleasing both sides. He's able to please the Jews. Initially, while they get a temple, he's able to please the Palestinians, you get your land. And he is able to rule over many. He's able to have influence over many people. So I'm just putting the pieces together, right? Because we know that there has to be a temple and having a temple is going to make the Jewish people very happy. But we also know that this man, this king is going to divide the land, which is going to make the Palestinians and the Arabs very happy. So he comes as a man of peace. And this is most likely going to be his strategy for his peace treaty. I can make both sides happy if you give both sides what they want. Give the Jewish people the temple, give the Arabs their land, the land they want. Okay, so he can divide the land for gain. But what will he get? He will be able to rule over many. That's what he wants. And he's being empowered by this unknown God, this God whom none of his fathers knew, none of them worshipped. But he's speaking blasphemies against God and so on. Then what is happening versus 40 to 45 is this. So remember, South is Egypt, North is Syria. He has done all this, but it says suddenly there's going to be a disturbance from the South and from the North. They're going to attack. Meaning somehow this most likely will happen when he sets himself up as God. You came as a man of peace. He made us all happy. But in the middle of the seven years, you're breaking the covenant. And you're setting yourself up as God. And you're telling everybody to worship you. Something is wrong. The whole peace treaty is broken. It doesn't last seven years. Three and a half years. It's broken. And so he's going to be attacked from the North and the South. From the South and the North. It is from Egypt and Syria. And it says here, verse 41, he shall enter the glorious land. That is the land of God's people. Many countries will be overthrown. I mean, this is like the picture of the battle of Armageddon, right? Nations arising, coming together. Some will escape. Some, the Eden, the Moabikes, the Ammon, they will escape. He will stretch his hand against many countries doing all of this. But verse 44, but news from the East and the North shall trouble him. So this ties in so clearly to what we see in Revelation 19. Actually in Revelation 16, the river Euphrates dries up. And the kings of the East are marching towards Jerusalem. So just to give you that reference, you turn with me to Revelation 16. I'll give you the exact address. Verse 12, Revelation 16-12. Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the Great River Euphrates. And it's water was dried up so that the way of the kings from the East might be prepared. So kings from the East, the rulers, the elites from the East are moving in. Revelation 16-12. The end of the judgments. What's happening? This is the builder for the battle of Armageddon. What's happening? Kings from the East, armies from the East are moving in towards Jerusalem, the glorious land. What did Daniel say? If you go back to Daniel, chapter 11, verse 44. But news from the East and the North shall trouble him. North, Russia is coming in. Syria is there, the immediate North, further up North, Russia. They're just moving in. From the East, armies are moving in. They'll come with great fury and annihilate men. So this destruction that we see here, the gathering together at the battle of Armageddon, is going to be devastating. But this is like the final, the final builder. The armies are moving in. And he's going to try and establish his own palace, verse 45 of Daniel 11. He's going to establish himself between the sea and the glorious Folly Mountain, that's Jerusalem. He's going to put himself up there, but he's going to come to his end. Nobody will help him. So there are additional details given here, verses 36-45 of Daniel 11 about the Antichrist. What he's going to do, and how he's going to position himself, how he's going to be able to exert influence over many nations. And what will finally happen? He'll be attacked from the South and the North. But what would be most devastating is when the kings of the East start moving in. That means that's the battle of Armageddon, which we see in Revelation 16. Kings of the East are moving in. That's the final battle. So let me just say, I see it, John's asking question. So would this dividing of the land becoming the rule of many happen before the rapture? So this will happen right after the rapture. The reason is, remember we saw in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2, verses 1 through 12, that he who restrains must be taken out of the way. And then the son of the man of sin, the son of perdition will be revealed. So that means the church is taken out of the way, only then this son of perdition is revealed. That means the Antichrist comes in to do his thing. So the church is taken out of the way, then he's revealed, and then begins the final seven years. And what we have just read in Daniel 11, 44, 45 is the end of the seven years, which maps to Revelation 16, 12 on, which is the build up for the battle of Armageddon. Is that clear? Is that okay? Now we didn't read verses 11, verse 1 to 35, because it's all about those kings that came in the few hundred years right after Daniel. It's too many details and the names are given, people have identified them. But this is the interesting part, verses 36 to 45. So Pastor, one more hour. Yes. So we see verse 44, the news from the east and the north shall trouble him. So which means the king of the east and king of the north as we mentioned, Russia and the king of the east would cause trouble to the Antichrist, correct? Yeah, they're all moving towards the land of Israel, the battle of Armageddon. So they are in a sense, and we will see this in Revelation 17, what happens is that in Revelation 17, we see that this whole religious system that was introduced by the false prophet, who was supporting the Antichrist, he was beginning everybody to worship the beast, the false prophet. That loses, suddenly loses support. People are just illusions, and that begins the fall of the Antichrist, meaning like, okay, people are no longer trusting this man, and everything is gone, and there's a big battle coming in. So these armies are moving towards the glorious lands. Now verse 44 of Daniel 11, 44 and 45, they're coming, and how this battle is going to play out. We don't know exactly, so we just know that all the armies are coming towards Israel, to attack Israel, and at that time the Lord Jesus returns. So that's kind of the details we know, and we can look at, when we talk about the battle of Armageddon, we will look in detail on Ezekiel 30, 36, where we read about the king of the north. If you want to look at it very quickly, you can, I'll just point it out to you. That's on Ezekiel 38. Ezekiel 38 describes this. Ezekiel 38, he says, verse 1, the word of the Lord came to me, I'm reading from verse 1 on Ezekiel 38. Son of man, set your face against Gog, the land of MacGog, the prince of Rosh, Meshach and Tewbel, and prophesy against them. That says the Lord God, we are against you, Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshach and Tewbel. I'll turn you around, put my lips in your jaws and lead you out by all your army, horses and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with butlers and shields, all of them handling swords. Persia, Ethiopia and Libya are all with them, all of them with shield and helmet, Gomer and all its troops, the house of Togarma from the far north, all its troops, many people are with you. Prepare yourself and be ready. You and all your companies that are gathered about you and be a guard. And then he says, after many days you'll be visited. In the latter years, you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel. It's a long been desolate. They were brought out of the nations. Now all of them will dwell safely. You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the land like a cloud. You and all your troops and many peoples with you. So Ezekiel 38 was one to nine is describing the buildup with the battle of Armageddon. And the tribes that are mentioned here, Rosh, Meshach, Tuba are tribes that are currently in Russia. He mentions in verse five, Persia, which is Iran, Ethiopia, Libya. And then he also mentions Togarma, which is Turkey, modern day Turkey. That means all these nations are joining together, coming in from the north, moving in to attack the land, the mountains of Israel, the land of Israel. So Ezekiel 38 is basically detailing how it's going to happen. And he mentions here that it will happen in the latter years, verse eight. In the latter years, you will come into the land. So this is happening in the latter years. So it kind of ties in with what we saw here in Daniel 11, 45, 46. One more question. So the Antichrist, which comes in, so just out of curiosity, is it a form of Satan or like a human being itself, like a normal man, or is he like influenced by Satan? He will be a normal man, just like any one of us, a normal man, but empowered by Satan. Similarly, the false prophet, we will read about him in Revelation 13. So there's going to be like another person who will be side by side with the Antichrist. So I will refer to him in Revelation as the false prophet. He will also be another man, but he's empowered by Satan doing science. So basically these are two human beings empowered by Satan, by the devil. Thank you. So now go ahead. I just want to make an explanation for the last few terms over here. I think in verse 36 it says God of gods. Is it Jesus, the Father God? And also in verse 38 it says the God of fortresses. And in verse 39 it says the strongest fortress and what are all these? You're muted first. Sorry. In verse 36 he will speak blasphemies against the God of gods. So God of gods is the most high God. So in our minds when we say God we should think of the Godhead. That means God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, the Godhead, the Triune God. So when we hear in the phrase the God of gods, you're thinking about the Triune God, the God of the Bible. God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit together. Then verse 38 it talks about he will honor a God of fortresses. And he will honor a God of fortresses and a God which his fathers did not know. So I'm not sure why that phrase a God of fortresses is used, maybe I'll have to search on that. But a God which his fathers did not know is like this unknown God. What we can say based on Revelation 13 very clearly is that this man is like Satan's main representative on the earth. The dragon will be in Revelation 13. So the dragon is empowering this man. And he is getting people to worship him the Antichrist and actually through him they're worshiping Satan. So that's why I was saying that a God which his fathers did not know. I take it from me, in my understanding I take it as representing the dragon Satan himself. That this is whom he is empowered by and whom he worships and he's fully committed to and is empowered. So I say that based on what we read in the New Testament. And he will act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign God which he will acknowledge. So against meaning against whatever defects. I mean, if you want to imagine fortresses as in defense, a strong. That means no matter which country has what defense this man will act against it. Empowered by this foreign God, this unknown God, empowered by Satan. Satan is empowering him to have great influence, great strength or great power. And God is allowing that fortresses for that seven years is okay. I'm allowing that to happen during that seven year period. And therefore this man is going to have rule and influence over many people. I just have a follow-up question. Go ahead, go ahead. So I think this God of God. I don't know where it is as well, I don't know where. But usually, I mean, they can just build a God like this. It's only from God. Like, even though it's a very important God, there's only one God. And sometimes it creates a, like, I don't know if I ask them and I don't know if they do or someone call them as. There are some places where they're like, he's a God of God. Yes, it means they are some of their God as well. And the true God is just a human world of God. And is there an explanation there? So God of God. So remember that the second is small g, t, o, d, s. God, captain, g of God is in small g of God. So this small g just represents everyone else who's got some sort of power and influence, but God is above all these small g's. So small, so even kings, for example, kings and rulers sometimes are referred to as gods with a small g. Principalities and powers. Satan himself is referred to as a God of this world with a small g. So our God is above God of God's meaning. He's God above all these small g's. So whether it's human or demonic, that's how we understand it. So God is God above God's. So God of God's. It doesn't mean that these are also gods with him. They're no comparison. It's just that he's God above all these small g's. Okay, so let's read chapter 12. We're coming now, moving into chapter 12. It's a small chapter. We'll just read it, then go for a break, come back and then study chapter 12. So let's just read it. You know, maybe three verses each revelation at Daniel, Daniel 12. Small chapter. Let's read three verses each, please. 15. At that time, Michael shall stand up the great Prince who stands watch over the sons of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble such as never was with, never was since there was a nation. Even to that time, and at that time your people shall be delivered. Everyone who is found written in the book and many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake. Some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting content. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever. But you, Daniel, shut up the walls and seal the book until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro and no one shall increase. Then I, Daniel, looked and there stood two others, one on this river bank and the other on that river bank. And one said to the men floated in the name who was above the waters of the river. How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be? Then I heard the man clothed in linen who was about. Okay, I'm not sure if we are able to hear. So, can somebody read from us or onwards please? Then I heard a man clothed in linen who was above the waters of the river. When he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven and saw by him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, a time, a times and a half a times. And when the power of the Holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished. Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? Amen. And he said, go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, made white and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be 1,290 days. Here's 12 onwards. Blessed is he who with an alight at the 1,000 and 300 days, what rules the way to defend and shall rest and shall stand in your alluded place at the end of the day. Amen. Okay. Thank you, everyone. So let's go for a break and we're going to come back and look through chapter 12. Just to, you know, it's like the final message, wrapping everything up. But it's also interesting because he's giving us additional time periods. He's using some time period that we are familiar with, a time, times and half a time, but he's also bringing in some other days, which we haven't seen before. That's especially in verse 11 and 12. He's talking about days, and so we will look into those days and see what that means. So let's come back in 11 o'clock, right after this break, and we will go through chapter 12. Thank you.