Daniel: Far From HomeНамуна

So far in chapter 11 Daniel has seen events that would take place over the next three centuries, right up to the rule of Antiochus Epiphanes. However, at verse 36 the focus changes. A king is now in view. But it is unlikely that we are now reading about Antiochus. He didn’t do as he pleased. And the battles described don’t fit with any known ancient history. So we are now looking beyond his time. A king will come who thinks himself a god, and will speak against the true God. His god appears to be military, as he attacks others. He gives his honour to idolatry and to those who will acknowledge him (v. 39).

Verse 40 gives us a clue that we are looking towards the end of time. There will be war. In verse 41 we see that this king will invade the Beautiful Land. He will oppose God’s people. His influence will be international (v. 42). He will control financial institutions (v. 43). Again in verse 45 we see that he is set against God and His people, as he sets his tents at the beautiful holy mountain. This is language that reminds us of the place where God made a covenant with His people. But the key is verse 45b: ‘…he will come to his end, and no one will help him.’

Every reader has wondered who this king is. Daniel’s description of him uses the familiar language of the vision. He uses the names of the nations of the time and speaks of God’s people in Old Testament terms. We are, however, probably meant to see this character as a future personification of evil. It is very likely that the person outlined in Daniel 11 is the same as that described by Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2. In verse 4 of that chapter, Paul writes, ‘He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshipped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.’

The language is very similar to that in Daniel’s vision. Paul calls him ‘the man of lawlessness’. He hadn’t come when Paul was writing. Paul sees this man coming soon before the day of the Lord Jesus’ return. Paul assures his readers that while his power is at work in the world now, when he arrives in this world, Jesus will sweep him away with the mere breath of His mouth.

Many generations have wondered whether some evil ruler in their day was this man of lawlessness. What we can be sure of, though, is that he won’t finally win. He is no match for the true and eternal King.

Reflection

Paul’s application of the teaching about the man of lawlessness is to ‘stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you’ (2 Thess. 2:15).What does it mean to stand firm? And how, in practice, do we hold to apostolic teaching?