Unlocking
Daniel...
To further unlock the book of
Daniel involves a look again at our good friend Josephus.
But before we look at
Josephus we need to look at a couple of other old friends, namely
Aristotle and Isaac Newton.
Aristotle's influence over
the field of Science, by virtue of the weight of his authority and
reputation, was so powerful that it actually retarded
the growth of science for almost two thousand years. His views on the
laws of motion (any object in motion will not continue in motion
unless acted upon perpetually by an outside force) were accepted as
gospel until Isaac Newton gave it a fresh re-think (with the seemingly
counter-intuitive conclusion: any object in motion will continue in
motion perpetually unless acted upon by an outside force). The point
here is not about the laws of motion, but the power of unquestioned
authority and it's retarding effect on the development of correct
knowledge. The power of Aristotle's reputation and authority was such
that his views were accepted and unquestioned for almost
two thousand years.
Which
brings us back to
Josephus. The views Josephus expressed about the book of Daniel (in the
Antiquities of the Jews) were his views as an historian working under a
patronage to Emperor Vespasian, an eyewitness to the recent destruction
of Jerusalem and the Jewish system of things, and a former General in
the Jewish army. He was highly credentialed by Jew and Roman alike. His
views became accepted as absolute. The early Roman Catholic church
accepted his
views, and subsequently all Christian religions. (See the Appendix in
William Whiston's translation of Josephus, Dissertation I. This will
confirm his authority throughout time).
Josephus, with good reason,
felt that he had been an eyewitness to the 'final part of the days' of
his people, the Jews. Their nation was destroyed, the people were
annihilated, the temple utterly
destroyed. And so, the account in Daniel chapters 10 and 11 , wherein
the "Man in Linen" tells Daniel that he would tell
Daniel what would befall Daniel's people in the 'final days' or 'the
time of the end' (Dan 10:14) seemed to Josephus to be prophecy
fulfilled. And an honest person cannot
fault Josephus for coming to that conclusion, it certainly seemed to be
the final days of the Jews and the fulfillment of Daniel's prophecy.
But it wasn't.
The elaborate history of the
Seleucids, Maccabees, Ptolemys, Antiochus et al, has, with variations,
been accepted by Christian and Jew alike for almost two thousand
years.(see footnote***) But the "Man in Linen" told Daniel that he, the "Man in Linen",
was going to tell Daniel what would befall Daniel's people in the
'final days' or ' the time of the end'. (Please note: The "Man in Linen" does
not say the final days of Daniel's people, but what would happen to
Daniel's people in the final days, there is a difference.) And
although from Josephus's point of view that's where he thought he was,
the simple march of time has shown otherwise.*
In Daniel chapter 11 starting
with
verse 1 the "Man in Linen" gives Daniel a 101 course in identifying the Kings of
the north and south. Going from the current King that Daniel was living
under,
Persia, the "Man in Linen" traces the dominant world power through several more
Persian
rulers, then to an apparent identification of Alexander the great, his
subsequent death and fragmenting of his empire, the identity of a
southern fragment becoming the next world power, which by simple
observation became Egypt, then Rome. Thus Rome
was the King of the South in it's day, (Rome replaced/subsumed Egypt
in 30
B.C.)
and historically the inheritor of Rome's legacy was Britain,
thence from Britain to America, the current King of the South . The Bible only shows the
lineage of the King of the South in this chapter, whoever politically and
militarily was/is at the antipodes of 'The King of the South' in the
'time of the end' would be the King of the North. The
twentieth century has shown that to be Russia/Soviet Union. Which it
will soon be again.
So the Lineage of the King
of the South
(Southern fragment of Alexander the Great's Empire) would appear to be;
Egypt,
Rome, Britain, America.
But at verse 6 the "Man in Linen's"
narrative fast-forwards to
'the end of years'. (Which the "Man in Linen" said was
the point of the prophecy in the first place, (
hello! )
{Dan 10:14} ).
Daniel 11:6, (“After
[some bibles say "At the end of
years"] some years they shall make an alliance, and the daughter of the
king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an
agreement. But she shall not retain the strength of her arm, and he and
his
arm shall not endure, but she shall be given up, and her attendants, he
who fathered her, and he who supported her in those times." Daniel 11:6 ESV) looks spot-on to be the Romanovs (Tsars of
Russia), at the
time of the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917**, (also called
the 'Russian Revolution', the 'October Revolution', or 'Red October').
Alexandra Fyodorovna (Tsar Nicholas II's
wife) was the granddaughter of Queen Victoria of England, which would make her 'the daughter of the King of the South' !! (interesting link)The phrase translated in
some Bibles 'the one who sired (begot, fathered) her' can also be (more
properly) translated 'his (their) children', and in fact, Alexandra, Nicholas II, and
their children were all killed together. The scripture also
refers to 'and her attendants' and it is worth noting that some of her
servants and the family doctor (Dr.Botkin) were also killed with her
and her family in July of 1918 in the
basement of the Ipatiev House in Ekaterinburg. Rasputin would fit 'He
who supported her
in those times'. Rasputin's assassination, and his strengthening of
Alexandra, (by continually healing her son,) are both well
known facts that directly connect him to this event ( Dan 11:6 ).
(Think about how appropriate
this is;
this scripture both identifies the "King of the North" and,
the event it marks, the Bolshevik revolution, is the beginning of
the modern existence of the "King of the North", hmmmm..... starting to
make sense, yes? Do you notice how very closely this fits, without any
forcing, or PhD's in history? It is so simple that it can
bring no attention to anyone explaining it, yet it gives remarkable
honour to God's prophetic abilities. The Bible is written for the
reasonable average person with general knowledge, and most of these
events listed here for Daniel 11:6-12 are things that anyone who has
lived in the 20th century would be familiar with. As someone once said,
'the Bible was not written just for Historians.').....
(once you see this, it's just so clear and obvious that you can't not
see it....yes,
yes, I know, that's a double negative, but, still... you know
what I mean.)Daniel 11:7, Noteworthy is the fact that after the Revolution of 1917 the Russians lost their dominance of the Middle-East and their "Place" was taken over by Britain "one from the sprout of her roots" (Alexandra's roots were British). When the Ottoman Empire fell at this time, had the previous circumstances still existed (i.e. Tsarist Russia), control of the Middle-East historically would have been taken over by Russia. However, Britain stepped into Russia's "Place" (some Bibles say "position") showing great military success and gained dominance of the Middle-East (link). Field Marshal Edmund Allenby's historic and respectful entry into Jerusalem at this time is a dramatic and beautiful fulfillment of this prophecy. Britain ('one from the sprout of her roots'), also specifically did dominate Egypt after that time...actually until the 1956 Suez events. This 'shift' of "position" or "place" was particularly evident in Jerusalem itself,(some interesting news) (appropriately, as the "Man in Linen" had said that the prophecy had primary application to Daniel's "People", Dan 10:14). (If you're interested, the Russian Orthodox Church's Mission in Jerusalem website actually confirms this loss of "place" in Jerusalem in 1917 (WWI). It's interesting to note the reference there to the fact that in 1919, only under the British Mandate could they do anything in Jerusalem, A change of "position" to be sure. Even when they came back they were considered "The Church in Exile" and were not directly connected to the Moscow Patriarchate until as recently as 2007. Note too, that they came back out of exile in "Egypt", interesting, yes? )
And as for the comment in Daniel 11:8, 'for some years he shall refrain from attacking the King of the North' (RSV, ASV, NLT, ESV, and others), remember how Gen. Patton wanted to attack Russia after WWII but was not allowed to?
Daniel 11:9 ( 'He will come
into the kingdom of the King of the South, and go back to his own
land.') looks like the Cuban missile crisis, (an event that by all
measures was huge, and truly a marked event, and in fact, this verse
only makes sense
when applied to the Cuban missile crisis. The Cuban missile crisis was
one of the defining events of the 20th century, as well as for
the relationship between the King of the North and the King of the
South).
(See NKJV, NLT, ESV, ASV, NIV, Tanakh, Darby, NASB, and others.)
Daniel 11:10 could be the 'Hungarian
Revolution' or the 'Prague
Spring'. As Daniel chapter 11 appears to be
sequential, it's most likely the 'Prague Spring'.
Daniel 11:11 and Daniel 11:12 look very much like the first Persian Gulf war (Desert Storm 1991); George Bush number one, did gather a multitude into his hand by means of his U.N. coalition forces, he did win the war, he did cause "tens of thousands to fall" (remember the cluster bombing of the Iraqis on the road back from Kuwait?), but didn't use his "strong , position" (KJV, Webster "be strengthened by it"), i.e. He did virtually nothing with his "strong position" over Saddam Hussein. Which really was puzzling, until it's applied to this prophecy.
Daniel 11:11 and Daniel 11:12 look very much like the first Persian Gulf war (Desert Storm 1991); George Bush number one, did gather a multitude into his hand by means of his U.N. coalition forces, he did win the war, he did cause "tens of thousands to fall" (remember the cluster bombing of the Iraqis on the road back from Kuwait?), but didn't use his "strong , position" (KJV, Webster "be strengthened by it"), i.e. He did virtually nothing with his "strong position" over Saddam Hussein. Which really was puzzling, until it's applied to this prophecy.
If that is the case , we
should now be approaching Dan 11:13.
Yes, Daniel 11:13.
(please see Timeline
)
(Note that this verse includes the phrase "in the time of the end", hmmmm....)
(Note that this verse includes the phrase "in the time of the end", hmmmm....)
*It should be noted that the fact that Josephus' interpretation of Daniel's prophecy was made in the first century ( about two thousand years ago ) would by necessity invalidate it, because of the simple fact that the "Man in Linen" when talking to Daniel at the end of this particular prophecy said "Go, Daniel, because the words are made secret and sealed up until the time of the end", (Daniel 12:4,9). Thus any premature interpretation would be automatically self-invalidating.
**It
seems that it would be more than just a coincidence that this was the
year of entry into WWI.
for the U.S. (King of the South) , the year of the Bolshevik Revolution
and forming of the Soviet Union, (modern King
of the North), the year of the Balfour Declaration, and the year of
liberation of Jerusalem by British troops.
Recall
too, that the "Man in Linen" said that he was telling Daniel what would
befall Daniel's people, the Jews, in the time of the end (Dan 10:14).
Noteworthy is that fact that at this time the largest population of
Jews in the world was in Russia (about 6 million), so the Bolshevik
Revolution really did affect the Jews.
Cautionary
afternote: The two passages in Daniel chapter 11; vss 13-19 and vss
40-45 bear a remarkable similarity. As these events begin to unfold
most if not all will feel that we are at Daniel 11:40. It is only by
careful observation of the daily News in detail that a person will be
able to see that we are at Daniel 11:13. The very natural desire to
just have this whole thing over with (can you blame them?) will make
most people choose to believe that we are at vs 40, however, over time
it will become apparent.
Please note: the time differential between Dan
11:13 and Dan 11:40 may be about 10
years. After Daniel 11:22 is reached; the "breaking of the
Leader of the Covenant" it will be appx 7½ from then (see Timeline)
until what's commonly considered 'The End', i.e. Christ's coming.
Accurate understanding of this could be a great
source of strength and "ca..ca,ca..ca..courage".
*** .....On
the nature of riddles.....
Riddles,
by tacit definition, are confounding and complex when first heard, and
almost embarrassingly simple once explained. The almost Universal
reaction once a riddle is explained is, "Oh, that's so simple/obvious
!!"
And
yet this Riddle: Daniel
the Eleventh Chapter, when you hear the conventional explanation
(Maccabees, Selucids, Ptolemys, et al) Becomes
far more difficult.
The
conventional interpretation of Daniel 11 makes the explainer
look brilliant, but the point of Bible prophecy is to draw attention to
God's
amazing prophetic abilities (Isaiah 46:10). Hopefully, the explanation
offered in this little monograph
leaves you with the "That's so simple/obvious!" reaction, and a deep
respect for God.
Doesn't that seem like the way it should be
?
Just
a Quick Review of the "Simple/Obvious!" solution of Dan 11, starting at
vs 6:
vs 6:
Bolshevik Revolution.
vs 7:
Britain replacing Tsarist Russia in Middle-East.
vs 8: (first part of vs) Exile of Russian Orthodox Church in Jerusalem into Egypt
(not easy to support, but their website in Jerusalem substantiates
this)
(second part of vs) King of South's reluctance to attack King of North after WWII. (Patton)
(second part of vs) King of South's reluctance to attack King of North after WWII. (Patton)
vs 9:
Cuban Missile Crisis.
vs 10:
Prague Spring.
vss 11&12:
First Persian Gulf War.
vs 13:
What's coming next......
Virtually
everyone alive, with any general knowledge of recent History, knows
most of these facts. Not just a few Middle-Eastern History
Scholars...... think about that, really really think about that.
Consider
this too; if you were asked to summarize the high points of the 20th
century and recent history relating to the interaction of "King of the
South" and the "King of the North" aren't these the events that would
come to mind ? Isn't the relationship betwixt the King of the North and
the South almost the major point of Daniel 11 ? Kinda "Simple/Obvious"
Once you really think about it, huh ?
If
Prophecy were to predict history that is so arcane and ancient that few
know of it,
what's the point ? How does that help the General Bible reader ?
The Historical events cited here
are common
knowledge. What is absolutely amazing is that God could
predict what would become common historical knowledge Thousands of years in
advance.
Shouldn't that be the point of Prophecy ?
An Afterword, (if you don't mind ?) or THE PROOF (is in the pudding) :
Anyone can make strong assertions about prophetic interpretations, and this site is no exception,.. sigh......
But prophecy really is not there to prove the past, it's there so we can have confidence going into the future.
So, if you would be so kind, let me make an offer/suggestion. If this view of Daniel is true; that we are at Dan 11:13, here is what is proposed:
As this first foray into the middle-east by Russia/Soviet ReUnion (the Soviet Union may or may not be fully reformed at this point, dunno. And the thinking here is that the President of Russia after Putin's current term (2012-18) will lead this foray.), simply watch the news very carefully, and compare the steps/details from Dan 11:13 to Dan 11:19. There are at least 10 or more, (depending on how you choose to count them) specific & sequential steps/events for this first Major Phase listed there. If news events match the scriptures, well, then you will know where we are.....
An effort will be made to post these News Events on this site as they happen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(to unlock Daniel chapters 2 and 7 click here)
(to resolve Dan 11:22 with this timeline click here)
All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.
-Galileo Galilei (1564 - 1642)
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