How to Live in “Sync” with God – Daniel 11:2-35
11 (2) Now I will tell you what shall surely happen. Three more kings will reign in Persia, and then a fourth who will be far richer than all the others. When he has gained power by his wealth, he will stir up all his resources against the realm of Greece. (3) Then a mighty king shall appear, who will rule with power and do as he pleases. (4) After he has appeared, his kingdom will be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven. But it will not be given to his descendants, nor will it have the power he exercised, because his kingdom will be uprooted and given to others.
(5) The king of the South will become strong, but one of his commanders will become even stronger than him and gain dominion—his dominion shall be a great dominion.
(6) After some years the king of the South and the king of the North will become allies. The daughter of the king of the South will be married to the king of the North to make an alliance. But she will not retain her power; neither will he stand, nor his power. In those days she will be given up, together with her royal escort and her father and the one who married her. (7) But one from her family line shall arise to take her place. He will come against the army and enter the fortress of the king of the North. He will fight against them and be victorious. (8) He will also seize their gods—their metal images, as well as their valuable articles of silver and gold, and carry them off to Egypt. Then for some years he will refrain from attacking the king of the North. (9) Then the king of the North will invade the realm of the king of the South, but he will retreat back to his own land. (10) His sons will prepare for war and assemble a great army that will sweep on like an irresistible flood; and they shall again wage war, even to his fortress. (11) Then the king of the South will be enraged and will come out and fight against him—that is, against the king of the North. The king of the North will raise up a great army, but that army will be defeated by the king of the South. (12) When the great army has been disposed of, the heart of the king of the South will be exalted; he will cause tens of thousands to fall, but he will not triumph. (13) Then the king of the North will return, having assembled an army even larger than his former one. After several years he will attack with a huge army fully equipped. (14) In those times many will stand against the king of the South. Also, the violent men among your people will rebel in an effort to fulfill the vision, but they will fall. (15) So the king of the North will come and build up siege ramps and will capture a fortified city. The forces of the South will not be able to stand their ground; even their best troops will not have the strength to stand. (16) He who comes against the king of the South will do as he pleases, and no one will be able to stand against him. And he will stand in the Glorious Land, and it shall be entirely in his hand. (17) He will determine to come with the might of his entire kingdom, offering the king of the South equitable terms that he intends to carry out. He will also give him a daughter in marriage in order to overthrow the kingdom; but she will not take a stand for him or work on his behalf. (18) After this he will turn his attention to the coastlands and will take many of them. But a commander will make him desist from his boasting without repaying him by boasting against him. (19) Then he will turn back toward the fortresses of his own land; but he will stumble and fall, and be heard of no longer. (20) In his place one shall arise who will send out a tax collector who will pass through the Glorious Kingdom. But within a few days he will be destroyed, though not in anger or in battle.
(21) In his place there will arise a contemptible person, one on whom the honor of the kingdom has not been bestowed. He will come by stealth and obtain the kingdom by means of intrigue. (22) Overflowing armies will be swept away before him and will be broken; and also the prince of the covenant. (23) After an alliance has been made with him, he will practice deceit; he will advance and gain power with only a small number of supporters by means of stealth. (24) He will enter the fertile areas of the provinces and will do something neither his fathers nor forefathers had done: he will distribute plunder, booty and spoils among his allies. He will successfully devise his schemes against strongholds, but only for a time.
(25) He will stir up his strength and courage against the king of the South with a vast army. So the king of the South will mobilize an extremely large and mighty army for war. But he will not stand, for they will devise schemes against him. (26) Indeed, those who eat of the king’s choice food will break him, and his army will be swept away, and many shall be slain. (27) The hearts of both these kings will be set on doing mischief; they will speak lies to each other at the same table. But their devices will not succeed, for their end shall yet come at the appointed time.
(28) Then the king of the North will return to his own land, with great wealth. But his heart will be set against the holy covenant; so he will take action and then return to his own land. (29) At the appointed time he will return and once again enter the kingdom of the South. But this time the outcome will not be the same as his previous expedition. (30) Ships from the western coastlands will oppose him; he will be intimidated and retreat. Then he will vent his fury against the holy covenant and take action against it. He will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant. (31) He will send armed forces to desecrate the sanctuary, the place of refuge. They will take away the daily sacrifice and set up in its place the abomination that causes desolation. (32) By means of persuasive words he will cause those who have transgressed against the covenant to become apostates. But the people who know their God will be strong and take action against him. (33) Those who are wise among the people will instruct many; though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or be captured or be plundered. (34) Now as they fall, they will receive a little help; and many shall join themselves with them, but not sincerely. (35) Some of those who are wise shall fall in order to refine them, purge them, and make them pure for the end time; because the end is still to come at the appointed time.
Now proceed to the next section of this study, entitled, Exploring the Passage.
