The Greek Story
The Daniel 11 Prophecy
World War Three
The most important prophecy in Scripture relating to the approaching end times war is found in Daniel’s last vision of chapters 10-12.
Daniel’s vision is introduced in Daniel 10v1, “Its message was true and it concerned a great war.”
Daniel 11v36-44 describes the war that will begin the events of the last days. To understand the prophecy correctly we need to recognise how the pattern of events relates to the life of Jesus.
Biblical patterns that reveal Jesus have three parts:
— a birth with an escape from a calamity such as war,
— a blessed life during testing times such as world government,
— until death and resurrection.
As prophecy reveals Jesus, it also reveals the journey of the final generation, because “the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy.” — Rev 19v10b.
The Structure of Daniel 11 and 12:
Daniel’s usual method is to present his visions twice, firstly in relation to ancient events, and secondly to foreshadow end times events.
Chapters 11-12 is likewise a prophecy presented twice:
— The first pattern (11v1-35) relates to ancient Greek times.
— The second pattern (11v36-12v13) is for the last days.
The first pattern for the Greek period:
The ancient world conquered by Alexander the great (v2-4)
Greece ruled the world (v5-30) until
The abomination that causes desolation (v31-35)
The abomination was a very severe persecution as recorded in the books of Maccabees. In 165 BC it was the last historical event of Old Testament history.
The second pattern is the same, but specifically for the last days:
A war at the time of end (v36-44)
A world government (v45)
A great distress and the resurrection of the dead (12v1-3)
The pattern is consistent with the life of Jesus, but this one is specifically describing the journey of the final generation.
The war at birth reaches a climax in verse 44, and describes a great destruction in terms that resembles the slaughter of the infants by King Herod, while also sitting parallel to Alexander the Great’s conquest of the ancient world.
In today’s context the climax of war in Daniel 11v44 will be a full scale nuclear exchange between the world’s superpowers. This is why the escape from the calamity at the time of birth is revealed as a miraculous act of God’s grace.
This brief outline of Daniel’s last prophecy was an introduction. Now lets look at the prophecy again in more detail.
The Greek Story
Daniel 11 — The First Section (v2-35)
The first section of Daniel’s vision, Daniel 11v2-35 relates to ancient Greek times, and according the prophetic pattern some details relate closely to the circumstances of Jesus’ life. The three main events are as follows:
Alexander the Great conquers the whole known world (v2-3). But he died and the Greek empire broke into four parts (v4).
Subsequent wars continued between kings of the north and kings of the south; the Seleucid’s in Syria and the Ptolemies in Egypt (v5-30). Israel was in the middle during times of Greek world government.
The abomination that causes desolation (v31-35) was a severe persecution of the Jews by Antiochus IV Epiphanies in 167 - 165 B.C. He sacrificed pigs on the alter, tried to destroy the Jewish religion, burnt the Scriptures, and killed those who resisted.
Alexander the Great / King Herod the Great
Consider how this pattern of events relates to the life of Jesus. Alexander the Great parallels with King Herod the Great:
King Herod acted on a smaller scale, but his slaughter of the infants represents a similar overwhelming force against a people unable to defend themselves. Then like Alexander, Herod died a short time later.
In both cases, their kingdoms were subsequently divided into four parts:
Speaking of Alexander, Daniel said;
“… his empire will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven…” Daniel 11v4b
When Herod died his Kingdom was also divided into four, being given to three of his sons and a sister to become a tetrarchy. The rulers were called ‘tetrarchs’ as mentioned in Luke 3v1.
In prophetic and apocalyptic Scriptures, four parts symbolise the four corners of the earth, representing whole world; north, south, east and west.
Alexander the great was the greatest conqueror of ancient times, taking control of the Persian kingdom, and most of the known world, almost to the four corners of the earth.
The Greek period mirrors Abraham’s time in the Chiasm of World History, and it is interesting to note that Abraham saw war and destruction while living the town of a giant named “Four”.
Abram was living near the great trees of Mamre in Hebron, which was called “Kiriath-arba” or “Town of Four” (Gen 23v2) named after a giant, the father of Anak, the greatest of the Anakim (Josh 14v15, 15v13) who came from the Nephilim (Num 13v33).
Abram was living there, near the great trees of Mamre when war broke out (in Gen 14), and again when Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed (in Gen 18). Both times Lot was rescued as part of a Chiasm of birth pains.
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their wives were buried there, in Hebron.
Greek World Government
Israel escaped the wrath of Alexander the Great, but became part of the Greek Empire, ruled mostly by the Ptolemaic Kingdom in the south, but sometimes by the Seleucids of Syria in the North.
Having survived King Herod, Jesus lived during the Roman world government. The parallel will also extend into the journey of the final generation.
The end times beast of Revelation 13 will rule all the peoples of the earth, having great world wide power. Like the other kingdoms, it will rise through warfare by military conquest (Dan 7 vs 7, 19 & 23, Rev 6v2).
During the Greek period, subsequent conflicts are described in terms of the kings of the north against the kings of the south as conflict continued between the Seleucid’s of Syria and the Ptolemies of Egypt. Both regimes were of Greek origin.
The conflict of the last days (v40-44) is described in the same terms, kings of the north and kings of the south. We know that Daniel accurately foresaw the events of the Greek period in fine detail, so we can expect a similar fulfilment in the last days.
The Abomination that Causes Desolation
In Daniel 11v21 Antiochus IV Epiphanies is introduced as a ‘contemptible person’. He is a type of antichrist and persecuted God’s people severely.
Jesus described the abomination that causes desolation in Matthew 24 while explaining how the end will come. There, in v15 Jesus refers us back to Daniel for understanding.
Daniel explains the purpose of this final suffering in Dan 11v35:
“Some of the wise will stumble so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.” — Dan 11v35. (Repeated in the parallel section — Dan 12v10)
In Jesus’ life, this suffering relates to the cross. Jesus died to refine, purify and make us spotless in God’s sight.
The abomination will be the greatest suffering ever since there was a nation, and never to be equaled again (Dan 12v2 and Mat 24v21). The Son of God crucified for the sin of the world is certainly the greatest suffering and abomination in God’s sight.
Now we are called to take up our cross and follow Him. If we share in the sufferings of Christ we will also share in his glory when he comes (Romans 8v17).
Prophecy follows the pattern of the life of Jesus. The events of the Greek period relate to the life of Jesus, but also foreshadows the end of the age.
