he will meet his end

Posted on August 4, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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he will meet his end

Daniel 11:40-45 (JDV)

Daniel 11:40 “At the time of the end, the king of the South will engage him in battle, but the king of the North will storm against him with chariots, horsemen, and many ships. He will invade countries and sweep through them like a flood.
Daniel 11:41 He will also invade the beautiful land, and many will fall. But these will escape from his power: Edom, Moab, and the first of the Ammonites.
Daniel 11:42 He will extend his power against the countries, and not even the land of Egypt will escape.
Daniel 11:43 He will get control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver and over all the riches of Egypt. The Libyans and Cushites will also be in submission.
Daniel 11:44 But reports from the east and the north will terrify him out of his senses, and he will go out with great fury to annihilate and completely destroy many.
Daniel 11:45 He will pitch his royal tents between the sea and the beautiful holy mountain, but he will meet his end with no one to help him.

he will meet his end

It was a terrible knowledge that this evil king (Antiochus IV) would seek to annihilate so many, including the inhabitants of the beautiful land itself (Israel). But it was a comfort that even his reign of deadly terror would come to an end.

We are not guaranteed much in this life. There may be suffering ahead for us. But if we trust in God, even times of unimaginable suffering can be endured — because they will always be temporary.

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successful until

Posted on August 3, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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successful until

Daniel 11:36-39 (JDV)

Daniel 11:36 “Then the king will do whatever he wants. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god, and he will say outrageous things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed because what has been decreed will be accomplished.
Daniel 11:37 He will not show regard for the gods of his fathers, the god desired by women, or for any other god because he will magnify himself above all.
Daniel 11:38 Instead, he will honor a god of fortresses – a god his fathers did not know – with gold, silver, precious stones, and riches.
Daniel 11:39 He will deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. He will greatly honor those who acknowledge him, making them rulers over many and distributing land as a favor.

successful until

The story of Antiochus IV reminds us that success is no measure of character or blessing. His success was due to God’s plan to pour out his wrath on unbelieving Jews. He was “successful until the time of wrath (was) completed.”

Do you consider yourself a success? Don’t rely on your temporary situation. Seek the blessing of the eternal God. Success in a relationship with Him is the only success that stays.

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the power of knowing God

Posted on August 2, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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the power of knowing God

Daniel 11:29-35 (JDV)

Daniel 11:29 “At the appointed time he will turn and come again to the South, but this time will not be like the first.
Daniel 11:30 Ships of Kittim will come against him, and being startled, he will withdraw. Then he will rage against the holy covenant and take action. On his return, he will favor those who abandon the holy covenant.
Daniel 11:31 His strong forces will rise up and desecrate the temple fortress. They will abolish the regular sacrifice and set up the abomination, making it desolate.
Daniel 11:32 With flattery he will corrupt those who act wickedly regarding the covenant, but the people who know their God will be strong and take action.
Daniel 11:33 Those who have insight among the people will give understanding to many, yet they will still fall by the sword and flame, and be captured and plundered for a time.
Daniel 11:34 When they fall, they will be partnered by some, but many others will join them hypocritically.
Daniel 11:35 Some of those who have insight will fall so that they may be refined, purified, and cleansed until the time of the end because it will still come at the appointed time.

The evil king Antiochus IV caused many Jews to renounce their faith. But the true believers stayed strong despite their deaths by sword and flame, bondage, and loss of property. Knowing God gave them the power to face all loss.

Staying strong does not guarantee immediate victory over the forces of evil. But the permanent success to come will be worth the struggle.

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heart set against

Posted on August 1, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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heart set against

Daniel 11:20-28 (JDV)

Daniel 11:20 “In his place, one will take a stand who will send out a tax collector for the glory of the kingdom; but within a few days he will be broken, though not in anger or in battle.
Daniel 11:21 “In his place, a despised person will take a stand; royal honors will not be given to him, but he will come during a time of peace and seize the kingdom by intrigue.
Daniel 11:22 A flood of military forces will be swept away before him; they will be broken, as well as the covenant prince.
Daniel 11:23 After an alliance is made with him, he will act as a traitor. He will rise to power with a small nation.
Daniel 11:24 During a time of peace, he will come into the richest parts of the province and do what his fathers and predecessors never did. He will lavish plunder, loot, and wealth on his followers, and he will make plans against fortified cities, but only for a while.
Daniel 11:25 “With a large army he will stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South. The king of the South will prepare for battle with an extremely large and powerful army, but he will not succeed, because plots will be made against him.
Daniel 11:26 Those who eat his provisions will destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall slain.
Daniel 11:27 The two kings, whose hearts are bent on evil, will speak lies at the same table but to no avail, for still the end will come at the appointed time.
Daniel 11:28 The king of the North will return to his land with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant; he will take action, then return to his own land.

heart set against

It was Antiochus IV whose heart was set against the holy covenant. On his way back home from plundering Egypt, he stopped to deal with a small insurrection in Palestine. His “action” was overkill. He murdered 80,000 men, women, and children, and that small insurrection grew into the mighty Maccabean revolt.

Sometimes our solutions to our problems are so unwise that they end up causing bigger problems. We need to seek God’s solutions.

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Cleopatra

Posted on July 31, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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Cleopatra

Daniel 11:14-19 (JDV)

Daniel 11:14 “In those times many will take a stand against the king of the South. Ravenous sons of your own people will be ambitious to fulfill a vision themselves, but they will falter.
Daniel 11:15 Then the king of the North will come, pile up a siege mound, and capture a fortified city. The arms of the South will not stand; even their best troops will not have the power to stand.
Daniel 11:16 The one who comes against him will do whatever he wants, and no one can stand before him. He will establish himself in the beautiful land and its annihilation will be within his hand.
Daniel 11:17 He will set his face to come with the force of his whole kingdom and will reach an agreement with it. He will give him a daughter in marriage to destroy it, but she will not stand with him or support him.
Daniel 11:18 Then he will turn his attention to the coasts and islands and capture many. But a commander will end his taunting; instead, he will turn his taunts against him.
Daniel 11:19 He will turn his attention back to the fortresses of his land, but he will stumble, fall, and be no more.

Cleopatra

The daughter Antiochus III gave in marriage to Ptolemy V was named Cleopatra. She was not the famous later Cleopatra associated with Rome. But she did have an impact on history because she chose to support her husband instead of her father. As a result, Antiochus’ plans to destroy Egypt failed.

Our heavenly Father has a purpose for us. He has orchestrated our lives to fit within that purpose. But time will tell if we choose to do what he wants or make other choices.

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defeat at Raphia

Posted on July 30, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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defeat at Raphia

Daniel 11:10-13 (JDV)

Daniel 11:10 “His sons will get ready for war and assemble a large number of armed forces. They will advance, sweeping through like a flood, and will again wage war as far as his fortress.
Daniel 11:11 Embittered, the king of the South will go out to do battle with the king of the North, who will raise a large army, but they will be handed over to his enemy.
Daniel 11:12 When the army is carried off, he will become arrogant and lead tens of thousands to fall, but he will not triumph.
Daniel 11:13 The king of the North will again raise an army larger than the first. After some years he will advance with a strong army and many supplies.

defeat at Raphia

The king of the North here is Antiochus III, who raises a large army only to be defeated in battle at Raphia in Palestine by Ptolemy IV (Philopater). This is another example of a leader’s arrogance bringing mass destruction to his followers. Pride goes before a fall, and often the fall includes many who trust in the proud person.

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Euergetes

Posted on July 29, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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Euergetes

Daniel 11:7-9 (JDV)

Daniel 11:7 In the place of the king of the South, a branch from her root will rise up, come against the army, and enter the fortress of the king of the North. He will take action against them and strengthen himself.
Daniel 11:8 He will take even their gods captive to Egypt, with their metal images and their precious articles of silver and gold. For some years he will stay away from the king of the North,
Daniel 11:9 who will enter the domain of the king of the South but then return to his own land.

Euergetes

Ptolemy III invaded Antioch and took some Syrian idols, along with Egyptian idols that had been taken by Camyses in 524 B.C. He returned those idols to Egypt, thereby earning the title Euergetes (Benefactor). If the Egyptians only knew the bondage they were under by following those false gods, they would have refused the gift. They should have said that he could keep those worthless “gods.”

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he knows the details

Posted on July 28, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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he knows the details

Daniel 11:5-6 (JDV)

Daniel 11:5 “The king of the South will grow powerful, but one of his commanders will grow more powerful and will rule a kingdom greater than his.
Daniel 11:6 After some years they will form an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North to seal the agreement. She will not retain power, and his strength will not endure. She will be given up, together with her entourage, her father, and the one who supported her during those times.

he knows the details

The details of this prophecy so match the future history it predict6s that many have been convinced that it was written after the fact. But with God, all of our history is known before it happens. We can take comfort that the God who promises a future restoration of all things is well aware of everything that has happened, is happening, and will happen. He knows the details. We can trust him to keep his promises.

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greatness and control

Posted on July 27, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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greatness and control

Daniel 11:1-4 (JDV)

Daniel 11:1 In the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to strengthen and protect him.)
Daniel 11:2 Now I will tell you the truth. “Three more kings will arise in Persia, and the fourth will be far richer than the others. Through the power he gains by means of his riches, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece.
Daniel 11:3 Then a warrior king will arise; he will rule a vast realm and do whatever he wants.
Daniel 11:4 But as soon as he is established, his kingdom will be broken up and divided to the four winds of the sky, but not to his descendants; it will not be the same kingdom that he ruled, because his kingdom will be uprooted and will go to others besides them.

greatness and control

None of the four generals who inherited the Macedonian empire were descendants of Alexander the Great. His death led to the uprooting of his kingdom. It does not matter how great you are — or how great you think you are. You cannot control the future.

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strengthened to listen

Posted on July 26, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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strengthened to listen

Daniel 10:18-21 (JDV)

Daniel 10:18 Then the one who looked like Adam touched me again and strengthened me.
Daniel 10:19 He said, “Don’t be afraid, you who are treasured by God. Peace to you; be very strong!” As he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, because you have strengthened me.”
Daniel 10:20 He said, “Do you know why I’ve come to you? I must return immediately to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I leave, the prince of Greece will come.
Daniel 10:21 However, I will tell you what is recorded in the book of truth. (No one has the courage to support me against those princes except Michael, your prince.

strengthened to listen

Those of us who have grown up in Sunday School are not used to thinking of God’s word as requiring strength just to listen to it. But the longer we dig the well, the deeper the water it reaches. There are some truths that take a lot of digging, and they are not easy to hear. Some of the things we learn are the results of battles in the heavenly realms.

LORD, give us strength to learn the hard truths, as well as the easy ones.

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