Kingdom Down: A Study in Danielनमूना

A Prophetic Sermon about the Future

There are a few things that commentators have said about this great chapter of the Bible. Charles Swindoll, a great Bible teacher, says Daniel 11 is one of the most remarkable chapters in the entire Bible. Another commentator says that in the first 35 verses of Daniel 11, there are at least 135 prophecies that have been literally fulfilled and can be corroborated by a study of this period in history.

I’d like to highlight a few for you today.

1. Verses 2-5 talk about a succession of four kings. The last one would be the most prominent and the most prosperous. We know historically that his name is Ahasuerus, also called Xerxes. If you're familiar with the Bible, there is a whole book of the Bible in which he plays a primary part, Esther.
2. Verses 5-9 continue, saying that there's a king in the north and a king in the south who go to war, and it's prophesying that there would be some intrigue that would happen within the family. One of the kings died, so his son then inherited the throne. In an effort to seek peace during the war, they created a marriage alliance. The one king, who had a wife and a son, divorced his wife Laodice, disowned their child, and married the daughter of the other king, Berenice, who gets pregnant, creating a new heir. The bitter ex-wife gets very frustrated so she has her ex-husband, his new wife, and their son murdered, so that her son could assume the throne and expand his empire. The son then becomes very, very powerful as the king. This is an incredible amount of detail being prophesied here.
3. In verses 10-11, his three sons then took the throne after he was murdered. Then the king is pushed back to the southern border of Israel. A great multitude enters into battle, and tens of thousands are lost. And then this man, who was defeated, ultimately withdraws and retreats for a season to rebuild his army. He enlists the Jewish soldiers who help him conquer the city. This is important because the centerpiece of history is Jesus Christ and ultimately the Bible prophesied that Jesus would come to the temple in Jerusalem.
4. Continuing in verse 17, another marriage alliance is predicted, this time with a girl you may have heard of, Cleopatra. Ultimately, she loved her husband and was loyal to him, she refused to betray her father, and, as a result, she sided with her husband.
5. Verse 18 speaks of Antiochus III, who marched west towards the coastlands and defeated multiple armies. He was on his way home and he died en route. His son inherited a massive debt to the Roman Empire, so he sent tax collectors through Israel, the jewel of the kingdom. He even tried to plunder the temple, but God had him killed, dying mysteriously, possibly by poisoning, fulfilling the prophecy that he would die early, but not by anger or battle.
6. Verses 21-39 speak of Antiochus Epiphanes, which means “god-man” and “mad man”, respectively. This is a man who was a demonic counterfeit, because everything that God creates, Satan counterfeits. He overthrew his nephew and stole the throne. He had the godly prince of the covenant discarded, removed as the high priest, and then a godless, demonic pagan high priest put in his place. He gains the favor of his people by plundering other nations and distributing some of his spoil.

What we can learn from all of this is that political leaders and spiritual leaders get divine support. This divine being, Gabriel, shows up to Daniel, who is the spiritual leader, and speaks of also supporting Darius, the political leader. This is why we are to pray for those who are in government, those who are in authority, those who are making decisions. Even if they don't know the Lord, the Lord knows them, and the Lord can lead and guide them to make good decisions for us all.

The Bible is not old, it's timeless. As a result, it is always timely. Daniel 11 speaks of five different rulers and 150 years of human history predicted in advance by God, who knows in detail, specifically, everything that will happen in the future, including in our present day.

How have you seen God guide your life? What does this chapter teach you about His character?