The Mighty Angels of Daniel 11: Broker a Lie
The Mighty Angels of Daniel 11: Broker a Lie
By Nathan Jones
Broker a Lie
Nathan Jones: We’re resuming our study of the stunning prophecies relayed by God through His might angel to the aged prophet Daniel. We’ll pick up with Daniel 11:25-28.
“With a large army he will stir up his strength and courage against the king of the South [Egypt]. The king of the South will wage war with a large and very powerful army, but he will not be able to stand because of the plots devised against him. Those who eat from the king’s provisions will try to destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall in battle. The two kings, with their hearts bent on evil, will sit at the same table and lie to each other, but to no avail, because an end will still come at the appointed time. The king of the North [Antiochus Epiphanes] will return to his own country with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant. He will take action against it and then return to his own country.”
Vic Batista: Wow! That’s like reading from today’s news sites. The tough political situations Israel found themselves in the distant past continue on to this day.
Nathan Jones: Yes, enemies sitting at the same table lying to each other is reminiscent of when America and Iran sat at the negotiating table making a nuclear treaty that neither side believed in. Other than maybe President Obama, nobody thought the Iran Deal was really going to stop Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Since the Iranian deal was brokered, they have broken the treaty many times over.
Likewise, Antiochus Epiphanes sits down with his counterpart in Egypt and they try to hammer out a treaty, but both of them are lying to each other. God’s mighty angel gave the prophecy to Daniel, and hundreds of years later, that’s exactly what happened. Antiochus did indeed meet with the Egyptians. History reveals Antiochus’ own councilors turned on him, because he didn’t take the advice of anybody, even when his own advice was pretty bad. Just like the many detractors to the doomed Iranian Deal, Antiochus’ councilors turned on him at that time. But, Antiochus prevailed. He laughed all the way back north clutching a treaty with Egypt that was nothing more than a lie; not even worth the parchment it was written on. The Madman had no intention of honoring his word.
Vic Batista: How often the reality of what is happening in our time parallels historical events. Truly, history repeats itself.
Nathan Jones: Citizens can allay potential political disasters by making sure that our leaders are honorable men and women. The problem with so many political leaders of this and the past times that we are reading about is all the lying to each other and using subterfuge to gain more power. Evil men promise peace only as a pretext for war. How very important it is then that societies pick godly, moral leaders.
Though this deceptive peace deal was made around 175 BC, remember that the Jewish people have been living under the times of the Gentiles since the Babylonians. The Jewish people aren’t ruling themselves, but at this point in the narrative are subjects of the Greek Empire, sometimes controlled by the Egyptian division and sometimes controlled by Syrian division.
We’ve entered the Maccabean time period in Israel’s history. The Maccabees were a priestly family who rose up in opposition against Antiochus after he desecrated the Temple. Under the Maccabees, Israel appeared to have gained their freedom out from under Greek control, but the Jews had needed Roman help to break away.
When the Romans help, they move in, but they never move out. The Romans helped Israel, but they also stayed and took control of Israel going forward. The Jewish people haven’t totally controlled their own nation since Zedekiah was conquered and Jews like Daniel were cast into exile. God waited until our very day and time to give Israel control over their own country, but even so, barely a year goes by when Israel isn’t attacked, influenced, and overrun by Gentile nations.
Vic Batista: The day of Israel possessing full sovereignty over their own lands will not come until the Prince of Peace arrives. So many prophetic signs of the end times are happening right now, and we see the fulfillment of Bible prophecies coming true right before our eyes, that the longed for day of sovereignty must be coming in the near future.
Nathan Jones: Exactly, Israel’s sovereignty must be coming soon. Israel has been a nation again since in was reborn in May 1948. Some would argue that Israel must be a sovereign nation now, but no, it certainly remains overrun by the Gentiles.
Take the Temple Mount, for instance. The Muslims under Jordanian control manage the Temple Mount. The Jewish people, even though they now possess that sacred land, still concede their right to build the Third Temple on it in order to keep the tenable peace with their hostile Arab neighbors. The Bible reveals that one day the Antichrist will desecrate the Jewish Temple, located on the Temple Mount, so something major geopolitically is going to change. Islamic control of the Temple Mount will cease by the time of the Tribulation, but for now, Gentile Muslims continue to overrun Jerusalem.
Prophecy Turned History
Vic Batista: I love that we can read about the incredible prophetic events in the book of Daniel and then look to history to see just the wonderful way these events unfolded. Historians confirm what the Bible in Daniel 11 prophesied about the future of the Middle East concerning the Interstamental Era actually came true and is recorded in our history books.
Nathan Jones: Absolutely! The accuracy of fulfilled Bible prophecy has made some of the liberal theologians really have a problem with the book of Daniel. Daniel must have been written much later than the 500s BC, rather around 100-200 BC, they claim. That is most certainly not the case. The book of Daniel has been well attested to have existed long before 200 BC, proven through archaeological discoveries such as book fragments. The Book of Daniel stands out as prophecy turned history, and not the other way around.
The fact that Daniel prophesied so accurately what would become fulfilled history just goes to prove that Bible prophecy is one of the greatest proofs that God’s Word is His only true word. Therefore, we can trust what the Bible teaches. We can base our faith on its promises.
Vic Batista: I just love the Bible for possessing so many proofs that God exists. And, not only does the Bible prophesy about events, but also teaches about the love of God towards men. We’re given vital promises that for those who turn to God’s Son, we can have a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father. We can bank on the Bible, because the prophecies God made in it come true. Some were fulfilled in the past, but other prophecies contain promises about our future.
God wants us to know what He has in store for us His children. The perfect tract record of Bible prophecy proves that prophecies about the future will indeed one day come true.
Nathan Jones: God works off of His plan. I think of God’s sovereignty versus mankind’s free will this way. You are a passenger riding in a car. You can move about inside that car. You can even crawl into the trunk if you’d like to. But, the driver still controls the direction that the car is going. Likewise, God works by His plan for the ages. He offers a plan of redemption for mankind. God sits in the driver’s seat. Sure, we can move around in the seats, but we can’t control the direction the car is going. We each sit in that car, thinking we have some form of control because we can move about inside it some, but all the while God is the only one driving, and He’s taking us to His chosen destination.
Vic Batista: Fantastic analogy! Those of us who have children know what it’s like to have them sitting in the backseat.
Nathan Jones: Little children can sure act unruly in their parent’s cars. As parents we sometimes threaten to pull the car over if they don’t behave. Likewise, sometimes God has to chastise us in order for us to shape up and behave. Still the car travels on.
The first segment of this series on the mighty angels of Daniel began with a tragic backstory. In the sixty-second segment, we’ll learn about one of the most exciting times in Israel’s history — the Maccabean Revolt.