The Antichrist Predicted – Daniel 11:36-45

Daniel 11:21-45 takes us from the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes to the Antichrist of the end times. In this sermon we study the predictions made concerning the future Antichrist.

Antichrist Predicted (Vs. 36-45)

The prophecy now fast forwards to the end times and the future Antichrist. These gaps are not an unusual feature in Bible prophecy as previously demonstrated (e.g. gap between 69th and 70th week of 70-week prophecy). We can break what has been revealed about Antichrist in these verses into two divisions:

Antichrist’s Worship (Vs. 36-39)

1. His Prideful Deification (Vs. 36-37)
   1. He will set himself up as god (Vs. 36a & 37b) He bears the mark of his father the devil (Isaiah 14:13)
   2. He will set himself up against God (Vs. 36b-37a)
      1. “he shall speak marvellous things against God” = describes his blasphemies against God
      2. Revelation 13:5-6 “And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.”
      3. Illustration: The anti-God atmosphere of today (Jeremy Rifkin)
2. His Personal Deity (Vs. 38-39)
   1. “the God of forces” = a reference to Satan. “The word ‘God’ is capitalized, indicating that it refers to Satan himself.”
   2. John Phillips: “This king will not be simply an initiate into occult powers; he will be indwelt by Satan himself. As the god of forces, Satan is the instigator of war. Antichrist will rise to power over the world in the wake of war. He will glorify war. And when he arrives at the apex of his power, he will acknowledge his debt to his sinister master by establishing Satan worship as the world’s new religion.”

Antichrist’s Wars (Vs. 40-45)

1. The First Battle Described (Vs. 40-43)
   1. Antichrist will be attacked from the north and the south. The South is present day Egypt and Northern Africa and the north is present day Syria and Iraq. Both areas are now Muslim.
   2. Antichrist will be victorious in his counterattacks. He will overthrow “many countries” but not Edom, Moab and Ammon which is territory of modern Jordan. He will take control of Egypt and her treasures and the Libyans and Ethiopians will also submit to him.
2. The Final Battle Described (Vs. 44-45)
   1. Antichrist is attacked from the north and the east. The kings of the Far East take advantage of his local troubles in the Middle East and march against him.
   2. It appears that this sets the stage for the battle of Armageddon.
   3. John Phillips:
      “With what armies he can gather from the West, he will prepare for the final confrontation with the East. But his time has run out. The divine clock of seven years, which began its countdown with the signing of his treaty with Israel, has been ticking away relentlessly. Now it chimes the final hour. At that moment, the heavens will open. The Lord Jesus will come, backed by the armies of heaven and accompanied by his blood-bought bride. Invincible and omnipotent, sweeping all before Him, He will descend. The sword will flash forth, and the Battle of Armageddon will be over in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. “None shall help him” is Daniel’s final word on the fate of the Antichrist. No one could help him. The Apocalypse adds the final details. The Antichrist and his soul twin, the False Prophet, will be hurled living into the lake of fire. Satan will be incarcerated in the Abyss. And Jesus will take to Himself His mighty power – and reign!”

Conclusion

There are at least four concluding challenges we can take home from the study of this passage

1. The Accuracy of Scripture – There are at least 130 fulfilled prophecies in Vs. 1-35! Isaiah 46:9-10 “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:”
2. The Certainty of Prophecy – M.A. Butler “If the first 35 verses have been fulfilled in every minute detail, the remainder of this prophecy, too, will one day be history.” There will be a rapture, there will be an antichrist, there will be a return of Christ to earth, there will be a 1,000-year reign!
3. The Sovereignty of God – See Vs. 27, 29, 35 & 36. God’s position as ruler and sovereign again magnified through this passage. History is really “His story”! Man proposes but God disposes. Psalm 115:3 “But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.”
4. The Brevity of Life – this passage reminds us that kings and kingdoms come and go. It reminds us that the affairs of this life are temporary and fleeting. Life is a vapour (James 4:14) and men are like the grass of the field. 1 Peter 1:24- 25 “For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”

Sermon 22 of 23 in Daniel Series

Sermon Audio Id: 921191022145902