I WROTE THIS ARTICLE 40 YEARS AGO; BUT IT IS STILL THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER FOR THE KEY TO END TIME PROPHECY. NONE OF THE PROTESTANT FUNDAMENTAL PROPHETS UNDERSTAND IT OR BELIEVE IT. THEY ARE STUCK IN THE MIRE OF MUCK FROM THE SCOFIELD BIBLE ON DANIEL 9. NOTHING ANY OF THEM HAVE SAID AND PREDICTED FOR DECADES HAS COME TO PASS; AND IT WILL NOT! THEY ARE BLIND LEADERS OF THE BLIND. JESUS WILL NOT RETURN UNTIL THIS KEY PROPHECY IS FULFILLED. YOU MARK MY WORDS, WHAT I HAVE EXPOUNDED HERE WILL COME TO PASS---- WHEN, THAT IS UP TO GOD TO DECIDE. WE ARE ON OUR WAY TO FULLY SEEING A 7TH AND LAST RESURRECTION OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE IN EUROPE, WITH GERMANY AS SPEAR-HEAD. EGYPT IS ALREADY LOOKED UPON BY ARAB NATIONS AS LEADER OF THE ARAB NATIONS. SHE WILL FORM A UNION WITH SOME ARAB NATIONS TO FORM A "KING OF THE SOUTH"---- WHO WILL AT SOME POINT "PUSH AT" THE KING OF THE NORTH; WHAT THAT PUSH WILL BE IS NOT REVEALED TO US; BUT THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE OF EUROPE WILL COME DOWN AND DEFEAT THIS KING OF THE SOUTH; AND WILL THEN MARCH INTO PALESTINE---- DESTROY JERUSALEM AND SO WILL BEGIN THE GREAT TRIBULATION AND THE LAST 42 MONTHS OF THIS AGE, ALL ENDING IN THE GREAT BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON AND THE RETURN OF OUR LORD CHRIST JESUS.
Key to the Future
All told us in Daniel 11
by
Keith Hunt
Daniel chapter 11 and up to about verse 30, the old well known Bible commentaries like Adam Clarke, Albert Barnes, and others, have the historical events pretty well right on the bull's eye.
The reader is referred to those such Commentaries for the understanding of verse one to thirty.
Verses 29-30 hold the KEY to who the king of the north is in verse 40. Syria has been the king of the north up to v.29. But what happens in v.30 is missed by nearly all students of Bible prophecy.
For there is a CHANGE in who is the NORTHERN KING from v.30 to the end of the chapter.
In modern language, Rome told him to stop his invasion against Egypt - OR ELSE! Antiochus put his tail between his legs like a whipped dog and bowed down to the dictates of Rome.
The ROMAN EMPIRE from this point in history became the "king of the north".
There's never any change in the "king of the south". It is EGYPT for the entire chapter.
Without understanding what the significance is in v.30, the rest of the chapter cannot be understood.
V.33-35 Covers the Christian era from the time of the New Testament Church to 313 A. D. (in its first fulfilling) and to the second return of Christ in its second larger fulfilling.
These verses cover the martyrdom of true followers of Christ.
".......BUT MANY SHALL CLEAVE TO THEM WITH FLATTERIES." Compare this with 2 Pet. 2. Notice v.l-3, 13-14, 18,19. The New Testament church was in Peter's time being corrupted from within by persons
who eventually went out and formed the great apostate church, Babylon Mystery, the Mother of Harlots (Rev. 17).
V.36-39. Here is depicted a GREAT king - as the king of the north is now the ROMAN EMPIRE, this king here mentioned must be a king of that Empire. Let's note what is said of him:
1. He exalts himself above every god.
2. He speaks AGAINST the true God.
3. He prospers.
4. He rejects his ancestors' god - (He then chooses another).
5. Rejects the desire of women.
6. He honors with gold, silver and riches a god that his former ancestors did not.
7. This god he honors is called a 'strange' god - not the true God then. And this strange god rules over many.
The event and KING here depicted must be a FIRST of a kind - a king who is different than all other kings of the Roman Empire.
He has to be a LANDMARK-type person, someone who does so many changes in the Empire and himself that he will stand out as a unique king of Rome.
There is only ONE king who fits all seven of the aforementioned points - King CONSTANTINE of Rome. See the following pages:
FROM "A HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY" by Laterette.
QUOTE:
One of the factors to which is attributed the triumph of
Christianity is the endorsement of Constantine. But,as we have suggested, the faith was already so strong by the time when Constantine espoused it, that it would probably have won without him. Indeed, one of the motives sometimes ascribed to his supposed desire to enlist the cooperation of what had become the strongest element in the Empire, the Christian community....
CONSTANTINE ESPOUSES CHRISTIANITY
What must have seemed an unequal contest between naked ruthless force and unarmed, passive resistance, it was not the imperial government which emerged victor. Presumably this would have been the eventual outcome, for christianity was clearly proving itself the stronger. As it was the individual who was preeminent in the
surrender of the state was Constantine. Constantius Chlorus, the father of Constantine, was governing Britain; Gaul,and Spain as Caesar when the persecution broke out. He seems never to had any stomach for it and to have been at best half-hearted in his
enforcement of the anti-Christian edicts. When, after the abdication of his two superiors, Diocletian and Maximian, he became one of their successors under the title of Augustus, he appears to have allowed the anti-Christian measures to lapse. On the death of Constintius Chlorus, in 306, Constantine, then in York in distant Britain, already his father's known choice for the succession, was proclaimed Emperor by his troops. He was confronted with rivals and a prolonged struggle followed. He did not become sole Emperor until 323, when he defeated his last competitor, Licinius.
Constantine took the decisive steps in his relation with
Christianity in the year 312. He had invaded Italy on his march towards Rome and was faced with the army of his first formidable opponent, Maxentius. Apparently he knew that Maxentius was relying on pagan magic and felt the need of a more powerful supernatural force to offset it. Years later he told his friend, bishop Eusebius, the most eminent of the early Church historians, that, after noon, as he was praying, he had a vision of a great
cross of light in the heavens bearing the inscription, "conquer by this," and the confirmation came in a dream in which God appeared to him with the same sign and commanded him to make a likeness of it and use it as a safeguard in all encounters with his enemies. How accurately Constantine remembered the experience we do not know, but Eusebius is usually discriminating in his evaluation of data, and he declares that he himself saw the standard which was made in response to the vision- a spear overlaid with gold, with a cross which was formed by a transverse bar and a wreath of gold and precious stones enclosing a monogram of the letters Chi and Rho for the name of Christ. The staff also had an embroidered cloth with the picture of Constantine and his children. Constantine was victor, the winning battle being at the Milvian Bridge, near Rome, and he therefore took possession of
the capital. Presumably his faith in the efficacy of the
Christian symbol was thus confirmed.
In the following year Constantine and Licinius, between whom the realm was temporarily divide, met at Milan and action was taken which was later looked back upon as having ensured toleration for the Christians through precisely what was done at Milan remains controversial. Some, declare that an edict of toleration was issued. On the other hand it is contended that Constantine had already granted religious freedom and that whatever was done at Milan was by Licinius and was intended only for the eastern portions of the Empire where Licinius was in control. Whatever
the details, it seems clear that important measures on behalf of the Christians was taken at Milan and that Constantine was consistently friendly.
The policy of Constantine was one of toleration. He did not make Christianity the sole religion of the state. That was to follow under later Emperors. He continued to support BOTH paganism and Christianity. In 314, when the cross first appeared on his coins, it was accompanied by the figures of SOL INVICTUS and MARS CONSERVATOR. To the end of his days he bore the title of PONTIFEX MAXIMUS as chief of the pagan state cult.
The subservient Roman Senate followed the long-established custom and classed him among the gods. He did not persecute the old faiths.
As time passed, Constantine came out more pronouncedly in favour of Christianity. Whether he was a Christian from political motives only or from sincere religious conviction has been hotly debate. Perhaps he himself did not know. However, it is clear that he granted to members of the Christian clergy the freedom
from all contributions to the state which had been the privilege of the priests of other religions which were accorded official recognition....
Wills in favor to the Church were permitted. Christian Sunday was ordered, placed in the same legal position as the pagan feasts, and provincial governors were instructed to respect the days in memory of the martyrs and to honor the festivals of the churches.
The manumission of slaves in churches in the presence of the bishop and clergy, was legalized. Litigants might bring suit in a bishop's court and the decision tendered was to be respected by the civil authorities. Constantine forbade Jews to stone such of their co-religionists as chose to become Christians. He had his children instructed in the Christian faith and kept Christian
bishops and clergy in his entourage. He built and enlarged churches and encourage bishops to do likewise and to call on the help of civil officials. When he removed head-guarters to Bayzantium,on the Bosporus, and enlarged that city and renamed it Constantinople, he built in it many churches. He prohibited the
repair of ruined temples and the erection of new images of the gods. He forbade any attempt to force Christians to participate in non-Christian religious ceremonies.
He took an active part in the affairs of the church, thus
establishing a PRECEDENT,which was to be followed by his successors. The fashion in which he sought to promote Christian unity by calling the first general council of the Church and presiding at it will be noted to the next chapter. While Constantine did not receive baptism until the latter part of his life, the deferment of that rite seems not to have been from indifference to it, but from the conviction, then general, that it washed away all previous sins and being Unrepeatable, had best
be postponed until as near death as possible.
The CONTINUED GROWTH OF THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY UNDER THE SONS OF CONSTANTINE
The three sons of Constantine who followed him successively in the imperial purple were much more positive furthering the Christian faith than heir father had been. In 341 the second of them ordered that pagan sacrifices be abolished in Italy. The third, Constantius, commanded that the "superstition cease and the folly of sacrifices be abolished" and removed from the Senate
the statue of Victory which had been placed there by Augustus after the battle of Actium. He ordered temples closed. Yet of the pagan rites only sacrifices were forbidden, and processions, sacred feasts, and initiation to the mysteries still permitted, presumably continued.
Under this prolonged patronage by the Emperors the Christian communities grew rapidly. The momentum acquired before Constantine was accelerated. Many now sought admission to the Church from other motives than purely religious conviction.
Official favour and even wealth could be hoped for where formerly persecution, always in the background, tended to give pause...."
END QUOTES
We can note:
1. To the end of his days he bore the title of Pontifix Maximus as CHIEF priest of the pagan cult - he thus exalting himself above every god. Rome classed him among the gods.
2. He followed both paganism and a so-called 'Christianity' which was not the Christianity of the New Testament. He was never truly converted. He thus spoke AGAINST the true God.
3. He became very rich and wealthy as king of Rome.
4. As time went on, he rejected more and more the pagan cult to follow his new-found life with the church of Rome. He thus rejected the god of his fathers.
5. By accepting the Roman Catholic religion, he accepted and approved of the doctrine of "celibacy" for the clergy - an unmarried priesthood; thus rejecting the desire for women.
6. He puts himself above all gods EXCEPT ONE - the god of the Catholic faith, which god he honored with gold, silver and riches. Constantine built and had built many churches. He supported with riches the church and faith of Rome.
7. He honors the god of 'forces' - a supernatural power; yes, this power is of Satan. And this is indeed a 'strange' god - the true God calls it in Rev.17 "MYSTERY Babylon the Great". It is a church full of strange or mysterious doctrines and practices, which can be traced back to the original pagan empire of Babylon.
CONSTANTINE, like no other, fits this king of Dan. 11:36-39.
But Constantine was only a TYPE of a YET-TO-COME king of the resurrected Roman Empire, now forming in Europe. (See the study on 'The Beasts of Daniel and Revelation') This king is to be given the power and strength of a 10-nation European end-time Roman empire, as Jesus returns. TEN nations will unite with the "beast" man and the 'FALSE PROPHET." He, together with a great false miracle-working religious leader, will try to fight Christ on His return. (Rev.17:12-14; Rev.19:11-20).
You see, Dan.11:35 brings us to the "Time of the End".
Dan.11:36-45 is then yet AHEAD OF US!!
V.40 KING OF THE SOUTH - never changes. It is EGYPT, yesterday, today, and yet future. But other scriptures say it will be an Egypt with ALLIES. (See Ezekiel 30:4-5,7) Both Daniel and Ezekiel name at least Egypt and Ethiopia and Libya as falling together.
"KING OF THE NORTH" - the end-time 10-nation Roman Empire of Europe - will yet in the future attack and destroy Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya and other Arab nations (v.40,42,43; Ezek. 30:4-7). This "King of the North" of Daniel is the "King of Babylon" of Ezekiel. (See text on 'The Beasts of Daniel and Revelation") The whole chapters of Ezekiel 30, 31 and 32 concern
the destruction of Egypt and her allies, the "King of the South".
V. 41 and 45
These go together. They are talking about the SAME event. GLORIOUS LAND - same Hebrew word as is in Ch. 8:9 - "Pleasant Land". History shows that it was the land of Palestine that fulfilled Ch. 8:9. It is also Palestine spoken of here in Ch. 11:41,45.
TABERNACLE BETWEEN THE SEAS - between the Dead Sea and Mediterranean Sea - in Jerusalem - the glorious HOLY MOUNTAIN.
The Bible gives us its interpretation as to WHAT is the "Holy Mountain". In Ch. 9:16 we read: "..Thy city Jerusalem, thy Holy Mountain ..."
The last Roman Empire of Europe will come down and destroy the King of the South, and then enter Palestine and set its seat in Jerusalem, thus causing the "abomination that makes desolate" spoken of in Dan.12:11, and by Christ in Mat.24:15.
Three nations will escape - Edom (Turkey), Moab (Jordan), and Ammon (Iraq).
V-44 - an INSET verse. The event here spoken of takes place AFTER verses 40-43,45. This verse is a prophecy of the power to the north east of Jerusalem - Russia. Sometime after V.45, Europe will attack Russia.
These prophecies had a TYPE fulfillment back in the 1930's and 40's. (More on that later.)
NOTICE! Daniel 12:1 goes on to say that AT THAT TIME - when this Northern power has set its seat in Jerusalem - there will come "a TIME OF TROUBLE, SUCH AS NEVER WAS SINCE THERE WAS A NATION, EVEN TO THAT SAME TIME ..."
Jeremiah was inspired to write of this also: "ALAS! FOR THAT DAY IS GREAT, SO THAT NONE IS LIKE IT: IT IS EVEN THE TIME OF JACOB'S
TROUBLE ..." (Jer.30:7).
MATTHEW 24
Christ spoke about this SAME time of trouble in Mat. 24:21 - "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time; no, nor ever shall be."
What is the S I G N of this coming time of tribulation?
Christ gives us the answer in Mt.24:15, Lk.21:20 and Mrk. 13:14:
"When you therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place..." Mark says, "...stand where it ought not ..." Luke says and interprets for us, "And when you see JERUSALEM compassed with armies, then
know that the DESOLATION thereof is nigh."
The 'holy place' - 'stand where it ought not' and that spoken of by Daniel is the DESOLATION OF JERUSALEM, the holy city of God, the holy mountain - where this European Roman Empire will
desolate and plant its seat, as Daniel 11 foretells.
When we see this happen, THEN will be a time of trouble on this earth as there never was or shall be again.
WHO WILL THIS TRIBULATION BE UPON?
Christ gives us the answer:
"...Then let them that be in JUDEA flee to the mountains." Mark 13:14
"Then let them which are in JUDEA flee to the mountains ... for these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled ...for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon THIS PEOPLE [those in Judah] and they shall fall by the edge of the sword: and Jerusalem shall be trodden
down of the gentiles ...." (Luke 21:21-24).
The people of Judah - the Jews of Palestine - will be part of this great tribulation. They shall fall by the sword - by war.
Jeremiah wrote that this GREATEST TIME OF TROUBLE to come on this earth would be JACOB'S trouble (Jer. 30:7). Jacob was renamed Israel (Gen. 35:9-10). Israel was to become "...a nation and a
company of nations ..." (Gen. 35:11).
This promise and blessing was passed on to Joseph and his two sons Ephraim and Manasseh, by the hands of Israel, ".....Bless the lads and let MY NAME be named on THEM ..... Let them GROW into a MULTITUDE in the midst of the earth." (Gen.48:16).
Israel then put his right hand on the head of Ephraim and his left hand upon Manasseh and said, "..... He [Manasseh] shall become A PEOPLE [singular] and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he and his seed shall become a MULTITUDE OF NATIONS [many nations - plural]". (Gen. 48:19.)
The tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh have more right to the NAME of Israel than do any of the other eleven tribes of Jacob. THEY were to grow TOGETHER in the earth until one became A NATION - A PEOPLE [singular - one great nation] and the other a COMPANY or MULTITUDE OF NATIONS [many nations - plural].
Who in all of history - what people - grew together, were of the same stock, looked alike, had the same culture and language, and have become A NATION and a COMPANY OF NATIONS? History testifies there has only been ONE such people who find themselves
as brothers, and who constitute A GREAT SINGLE NATION and a GREAT COMPANY, or COMMONWEALTH, OF NATIONS.
Who they are should be obvious!
This great tribulation - time of trouble - Jacob's trouble - will come upon them also, just as it will upon Judah - the Jews.
There is still yet another group that this greatest-ever
tribulation will fall upon:
"But before all these [great signs in heaven - v.11] they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, ..... and you shall be betrayed both by parents and brethren, and kinfolks, and friends; and some of you [Christians] shall they cause to be put to death" (Luke 21:3.2-16).
True followers of Christ will go through this tribulation - they will come out of it victorious and stand before Christ in righteousness (Rev. 7:9-15).
Some Christians will have to go through this tribulation, while others will not:
"For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. WATCH you, therefore, and pray always, that you may be accounted worthy to ESCAPE all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the son of man" (Lk. 21:35-36).
John, in Revelations 12, was also given this truth that a part of God's church will go through this time of world trouble, while others of His church will be spared and protected.
A woman in prophecy represents a church (Rev.19:6-9;
Eph.5:31-32). Rev.12 is the history of God's true church from its beginning to the second advent of Christ. Verse 12 - Satan is cast down from heaven once more, and comes down to take his wrath out on the true church - knowing his time is short before he will be chained up (Rev.20:1-3). He persecutes the woman [church] which brought forth the man who was to rule all nations (Rev.12:13,4). The woman is protected (Rev.12:14).
Where? In heaven? In a secret rapture? No! In the wilderness. The earth helps the woman (Rev.12:16). Satan cannot touch this part of God's church, but he
is allowed to make war with the remnant of her seed - with those who will not escape the great tribulation (v.17). These are the ones who must go through the tribulation and these are the ones whom Christ spoke about.
The great tribulation is also a persecution of true saints of God.
The tribulation will be FIRST and FOREMOST on:
1. The WESTERN world - where the bulk of true Christians live.
2. It will be upon Judah, the Jews of Palestine.
3. And Israel - the nation and company of nations of Ephraim and Manasseh, and on other Israel nations of the West.
I said earlier that the last world war of 1939-45 was a TYPE of the yet-future third world war. It is indeed; but with SOME differences:
The last world war and the first (1914-18) was perpetrated by Europe - Germany. So will be the third one - but this time Germany will be at the head of a united Europe.
There were TWO leaders of Europe against the Western
allies in the 1940's war - Mussolini and Hitler. They were civil-military leaders. There will be TWO leaders of Europe in the next war - but ONE will be a great miracle working RELIGIOUS LEADER and the OTHER a CIVIL-MILITARY LEADER. (Rev 17:12-14; 19:11-20).
As Mussolini and his Italian Empire [as he called it], with the sanction of the religion of Rome, attacked and conquered Ethiopia in 1935-36, so the coming Holy Roma empire of Europe [the King of the North] will attack Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya [the King of the
South] in the future end time.
As Europe [through Germany] attacked the western nations AFTER Ethiopia had fallen, so this Roman Empire will attack the Western nations again, but this time AFTER also entering and making Jerusalem a desolation and destroying many of the Jews of
Palestine.
The last two leaders failed in their attempt to dominate the Western world. The coming two leaders will not - they shall prevail.
As Hitler, AFTER attacking the Western nations, turned and attacked Russia, so the coming 'Hitler' of Europe will do in the Third World War. And as Hitler failed to conquer Russia in the 40's, so the Beast power of Europe will fail again. The Eastern power strike back and the Western and Eastern powers will face it
off.
But unless this battle is stopped, the entire earth would
be destroyed (Mt.24:21,22). Christ says it will be stopped for the elect's sake.
Christ will return as King of Kings to destroy them that destroy the earth. He will set up His Kingdom that will rule all nations. He shall be King of the whole earth in that day. There will be peace and salvation for a thousand years.
...................
Written 1980
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