DANIEL 11

INTRODUCTION:

1. Daniel 11 has been attacked by liberals. This attack goes back to the 3^rd century. A Greek philosopher named Porphyry claimed the book of Daniel was a forgery.
2. Porphyry was a fierce critic of Christianity. He wrote a book called Against the Christians. Many liberals today do not realize that they are following a 3^rd century heathen. Not that it matters – all liberal attacks on the Bible come from the devil anyway.
3. Jerome, the 4^th century Bible translator and scholar, defended Daniel, and his commentary on the book of Daniel is still in print.
4. In our 20^th century, conservative scholars such as Sir Robert Anderson and Robert Dick Wilson have written excellent books defending Daniel and answering the liberals’ arguments. Wilson (the brother of President Woodrow Wilson) was conversant in 45 languages, including Hebrew, Greek, Latin, biblical Aramaic, Syriac, Arabic, Babylonian, Egyptian, Persian, German, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese.
5. Sir Isaac Newton said that to reject Daniel is to reject the Christian religion (cf. Matt.24:15).
6. Daniel 11 is all prophetic and can be divided in two:

1. Prophecy concerning ancient Israel which has already been fulfilled (11:1-35).
2. Prophecy concerning future Israel which has not yet been fulfilled (11:36-45).

7. This second section (vss. 36-45) lead ultimately to the end of world history as we know it – right up to the second coming of Christ.
8. "A comparison of this chapter with secular history provides a striking confirmation of the divine inspiration of Scripture" (G. Coleman Luck).

11:1 We are picking up where we left off at 10:21. The chapter divisions were not in the original Bible but were added much later. The angel from 10:18 is still speaking. "Him" (11:1) probably refers to "Michael your prince" (10:21). If "him" refers to Darius the Mede (the antecedent), then perhaps it refers to the restoration of the Jews to their homeland and the rebuilding of their temple. "The first year of Darius the Mede" was the year that Babylon fell to the Medes and Persians (cf. 5:30,31).

11:2 The angel informed Daniel that the present leadership in Persia would be succeeded by four kings. They are:

1. Cambyses, the son of Cyrus the Persian king, who had his younger brother, Smerdis assassinated. Cyrus died in 529 BC., Cambyses came to the throne in 530 BC. Cyrus was the "higher horn" (8:3). He was prophetically named 200 years before his birth (Isa.44:28; 45:1-4; cf. II Chron.36:22,23; Ezra 1:1-4). Cambyses is called Ahasuerus in Ezra 4:6. As Scofield points out, Ahasuerus was "more a title than a name" and "is Persian rather than Median" (Scofield Bible, p. 907).
2. Bardiya, also known as Psuedo-Smerdis, an impostor who reigned in 522 BC for only seven months before he died. He is called Artaxerxes in Ezra 4:7-23; Ezra 7-10, Nehemiah 13:6,
3. Darius Hystaspis, the son-in-law of Cyrus, who ruled from 521 to 486 BC (cf. Ezra 4:24).
4. Xerxes, the son of Darius – "far richer than they all," called Ahasuerus in the book of Esther. With an army of 2 ½ million soldiers he crossed the Hellespont (called today the Dardanelles, a narrow strait in NW Turkey, 38 miles long, linking the Aegean Sea with the Sea of Marmara. It is ¾ to 4 miles wide) and invaded Greece. It is predicted here in 11:2 that "he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia." He was eventually defeated by the Greeks at the battle of Salamis (480 BC). The Greeks did not forgive nor forget, and they eventually got their revenge. Xerxes ruled from 485 to 465 BC.

* There were several other kings that ruled Persia besides the four referred to in 11:2. The thought here is that three ruled before the fourth rose up against Greece. Xerxes’ invasion of Greece was the reason Alexander attacked Persia (11:3,4; cf. 8:4-8, 20,21). By attacking Greece, Xerxes incurred the undying hatred of Greece. In a letter to the Persians, Alexander the Great wrote: "Your ancestors entered into Macedonia and the other parts of Greece, and did us damage when they had received no affront to cause it. Now, I, as general of the Greeks, and provoked by you and desirous of avenging the injury done us by the Persians, have passed into Asia" (cited by Charles Feinberg, A Commentary on Daniel, The Kingdom of the Lord, 1981, BMH BOOKS, p. 152).

11:3 Alexander defeated the Persians in 332 BC (cf. 2:32,39; 7:6; 8:5-8, 21,22).

11:4 Alexander died in 323 BC at the age of 32 from malaria and alcohol. His kingdom was broken and "divided toward the four winds of heaven" (cf. 8:8,22), i.e. his kingdom was divided among his four generals: Seleucus (Syria and Mesopotamia), Ptolemy (Egypt), Lysimacus (Thrace and portions of Asia Minor), and Cassander (Macedonia and Greece). Alexander had two sons, Hercules and Alexander Jr. (born after his death), but they both were murdered – "and not to his posterity." The empire of Alexander the Great, after it fell into the hands of his four generals, did not preserve the glory it had in Alexander’s day.

11:5 "The king of the south" refers to Ptolemy I Soter, who ruled Egypt. He was given authority over Egypt in 323 BC (right after Alexander’s death) and proclaimed King of Egypt in 304 BC. "One of his (i.e. Alexander’s – cf. Scofield margin) princes," the one that "shall be strong above him (referring to Ptolemy)" is the king of Syria. Beginning here in verse 5, the struggle between the various kings of the south (Egypt), and the kings of the north (Syria), are traced by Daniel to the rise of Antiochus Epiphanes, a period of about 150 years.

The king of Syria here in 11:5 is Seleucus I Nicator (312-281 BC). Seleucus had fled from Antigonus, the king of Babylon, and went to Ptolemy for help. They combined their strength and defeated Antigonus. This paved the way for Seleucus to gain control of all the territory from Asia Minor to India, and in time he became stronger than Ptolemy – "and he shall be strong above him…" They soon went from being partners to being rivals.

11:6 "And in the end of years" means "after a lapse of several years" (cf. 11:8,13). Ptolemy I Soter died in 285 BC and was succeeded by his son, Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285-246 BC). There was a political marriage arranged between Ptolemy II Philadelphus’ daughter Berenice and Antiochus II Theos, the grandson of Seleucus, the king of Syria (262-246 BC). However, this marriage did not last very long. Laodice, whom Antiochus had divorced in order to marry Berenice, had Berenice killed – "but she shall be given up." Laodice then poisoned Antiochus and the infant son of Antiochus and Berenice. Then she made her son, Seleucus II Callinicus the king of Syria (246-227 BC). "He that strengthened her," means "he that obtained her in marriage." "He that begat her" refers to Laodice’s father, Ptolemy II. Apparently, his death precipitated these murders.

11:7,8 Berenice’s brother, Ptolemy III Euergetes (246-221) – "a branch of her roots," succeeded his father and set out to avenge the death of his sister Berenice. He led his army north to Syria, seized the port of Antioch, sacked the temples, and carried back to Egypt large quantities of gold and silver idols ("their gods" – 11:8). He had Laodice put to death.

11:9 After all his exploits and endeavors, the king of the south would return to Egypt.

11:10 After the death of Seleucus II Callinicus, who died when he fell from his horse, he was succeeded by his son, Seleucus III Soter (227-223 BC), who was killed by conspirators while on a military campaign in Asia Minor. Seleucus’ other son, Antiochus III the Great, became ruler in 223 at the age of 18 and reigned for 36 years till 187 BC. He carried on the war with Egypt as this verse predicted. The purpose of the war against Egypt was to recover their land (Syria) from Egyptian dominion. After a series of campaigns, Antiochus III did succeed in bringing the land back under his control. Prior to Antiochus III’s victory, Egypt controlled all the territory north of Syria. When Antiochus III eventually regained Syria, he also took control of Palestine and Gaza. "Pass through" probably means that he passed through Palestine. This is what Daniel’s prophecy is leading up to – how these world events affected the land of Israel. Antiochus III succeeded in driving the Egyptians back to the southern borders of Israel in his campaign in 219-217 BC.

11:11 "And the king of the south shall be moved with choler (rage and anger), and shall come forth and fight with him, even with the king of the north…" The king of Egypt (Ptolemy IV Philopator, who reigned from 221-204 BC) routed the Syrians. He was the one driven back by Antiochus III.

11:12 Ptolemy IV slaughtered many and "the multitude" was given into his hand (11:11). But his heart was "lifted up" with pride and history records that he grew weak through a life of dissolution.

11:13 Antiochus III returned with another army, "a multitude greater than the former" and turned back Ptolemy IV, the king of the south.

11:14 It was not only Antiochus III who opposed Egypt. Daniel prophesied that "in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south" including Philip V of Macedonia, who aligned himself with Antiochus III. They agreed to invade Egypt and divide the land between them. The expression "robbers of thy people" refers to Jewish rascals who assisted Philip and Antiochus III. "To establish the vision" does not mean that these Jews would establish Bible prophecy by their own design but that the prophecies would be fulfilled as a natural result of their actions. "They shall fall" (i.e. in achieving independence from Egypt) but these prophecies would not.

11:15 Antiochus III took "the most fenced cities," i.e. Zidon, which he captured in about 199 BC. This victory resulted in Syrian occupation of all Palestine as far south as Gaza. The reference to "the arms of the south" which would not be able to stand is a prophecy concerning the unsuccessful attempt by three Egyptian generals, Eropas, Menacles, and Damoyenus to rescue the Egyptian general Scopas, who was captured in Zidon.

11:16 Antiochus continued in his attack "against him," i.e. Ptolemy and entered into "the glorious land" (Palestine, cf. 8:9; 11:41).

11:17 This vividly describes Antiochus the Great’s ambition. Historians say that he planned on going into Egypt but was detained in Asia Minor. "And he shall give him (Ptolemy) the daughter of women" (i.e. his daughter, Cleopatra). This marriage was calculated to make peace with Egypt. He probably resorted to this old political custom because he was at war with Rome and needed his armies to fight against them. Also, Antiochus needed assurance that Egypt would not join forces with Rome against him. This arranged political marriage would ensure Egypt’s neutrality and give him that assurance. Antiochus corrupted his daughter but his plan did not work. Rather than "stand on his side" she supported her husband. This is not the famous Cleopatra who was married to Marc Anthony. That Cleopatra lived from 69-30 BC. This Cleopatra died in 176 BC.

11:18 Antiochus next turned to "the isles" of Greece that were controlled by Rome. A Roman "prince" named Lucius Scipio Asiaticus defeated him in 190 BC. The "reproach" offered by Antiochus refers to his insulting behaviour toward some Roman ambassadors.

11:19 Antiochus returned home, stumbled and fell (went into obscurity), and was killed plundering the temple of Jupiter at Elam, near Shushan. Thus, came Antiochus the Great to an ignoble end.

11:20 Antiochus the Great’s son, Seleucus IV Philopator (187-175 BC), was "a raiser of taxes." He sent his treasurer Heliodorus to Jerusalem to plunder the temple there, but Heliodorus allegedly poisoned him – "neither in anger, nor in battle." The Apocrypha states that he went to Jerusalem to loot the treasury and take money that was laid up for the relief of widows and orphans. "Now as he was there present himself with his guard about the treasury, the Lord of spirits, and the Prince of all power, caused a great apparition, so that all presumed to come in with him were astonished at the power of God, and fainted, and were sore afraid. For there appeared unto them an horse with a terrible rider upon him, and adorned with a very fair covering, and he ran fiercely, and smote at Heliodorus with his forefeet" (II Mac.3:24,25).

11:21 This sets the stage for the terrible persecutions of Antiochus Epiphanes, "a vile person," who succeeded Seleucus Philopator. Antiochus Epiphanes ruled from 175 to 164 BC. He is the "little horn" of Dan.8:9-12,23-25. This next section, from here to verse 35, is devoted to him. He is a picture and type of the coming antichrist. Epiphanes means "the Illustrious One" but others called him Epimanes, which means "the Madman."

Historically, Antiochus Epiphanes was a relatively obscure Syrian ruler, yet he is mentioned several times in the book of Daniel because he is a type and picture of the coming antichrist. He reigned in the days of the decline of the Syrian power and the rise of the Roman Empire.

The phrase, "to whom they shall not give the honor of the kingdom" has reference to the fact that he did not come to the throne by rightful succession but seized it dishonestly "by flatteries" (8:21). And just like the antichrist whom he foreshadows, Antiochus posed as a peacemaker but was actually quite violent (11:21,22).

11:22 Antiochus deposed Onias III, the high priest, referred to here as "the prince of the covenant." Antiochus had him murdered in 172 BC. The "covenant" refers to God’s covenant with Israel (cf. 11:28,30,32).

11:23 "And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully…" With a "small" number of followers, Antiochus became strong and rose to power.

11:24 Antiochus succeeded by distributing wealth that he plundered from others. He sounds like one of today’s politicians!

11:25 After consolidating his kingdom ("he shall stir up his power"), Antiochus attacked Egypt, "the king of the south" in 170 BC. Even though Egypt had a "very great and mighty army" they were defeated by Antiochus. "They shall forecast devices against him" means Antiochus was deceptive.

11:26 Those who ate at the king of Egypt’s table conspired against him, causing many Egyptians to "fall down slain."

11:27 This ongoing struggle between Egypt and Syria led to several peace treaties "but it shall not prosper" because their hearts were full of mischief and they lied to each other. The latter part of this verse indicates that despite all the intrigue, Antiochus was fulfilling Bible prophecy "at the time appointed."

11:28 Antiochus returned to Syria "with great riches." Next he turned his wrath towards Israel, God’s "covenant" nation. He murdered thousands of Jews and desecrated the temple in Jerusalem. Being "against the holy covenant" might refer not only to his hatred of the Jews but also to his hostile opposition to the entire Mosaic system and all of God’s laws. This rampage is recorded in I Maccabees 1:20-28 and II Maccabees 5:11-17.

11:29 Two years later, in 168 BC, Antiochus again moved against Egypt ("the south"). This was a divine appointment. He managed to capture Ptolemy Philometor but was forced out of Egypt after failing to take the city of Alexandria. His success was not "as the former, or as the latter."

11:30 He attacked again in 168 BC but the Romans had entered Egypt in "the ships of Chittim," (pronounced Kittim) i.e. Cyprus. They stopped him and he was forced to leave, conceding Egypt to the power of Rome. The story goes that when ordered by the Roman ambassador, Gaius Popillius Laenas, to leave Egypt immediately, Antiochus asked for time to think it over. Then Popillius took his walking stick and drew a circle in the sand around Antiochus and told him that his decision to leave had to be reached before he stepped out of the circle. Rather than risk war with Rome, Antiochus reluctantly gave up and left. "Grieved" and humiliated by his defeat in Egypt at the hands of Rome, Antiochus seems to have taken his frustrations out on the Jews – "and have indignation against the holy covenant." Some apostate Jews sided with Antiochus; they had forsaken the holy covenant. This treachery is also recorded in I Maccabees 2:18 and II Maccabees 6:1.

11:31 In the process of his opposition to the Jews, Antiochus polluted "the sanctuary of strength," i.e. he offered up a pig to Zeus on the altar in the temple in Jerusalem in 167 BC. He also took "away the daily sacrifice" (cf. I Mac.1:44-54). In seeking to exterminate Judaism and to Hellenize the Jews, he forbade the Jews to follow their religious practices and commanded that copies of the law be burned. Then he set up his "abomination that maketh desolate." This "abomination" prefigures what the antichrist will do during the coming tribulation (cf. Matt.24:15).

This desecration of the temple precipitated the Maccabean revolt which was cruelly suppressed by Antiochus with tens of thousands of Israelites dying. This entire series of incidents, including the persecution of the Jews, the desecration of the temple, and the stopping of the daily sacrifice, were all literally fulfilled in the days of Antiochus, but await a greater fulfillment in the great tribulation.

11:32 Antiochus promised those that "do wickedly against the covenant," i.e. apostate Jews, great reward if they would abandon the true God and worship Zeus, the god of Greece. Many Israelites were corrupted by his "flatteries" and turned from God and worshipped Zeus. However, a faithful remnant, notably the Maccabees, refused to do so. They remained "strong" in their faith and eventually defeated Antiochus. A few years later, in 163 BC, Antiochus died insane in Persia. It is a sad commentary on the spiritual blindness of man that the Encyclopedia Britannica says this concerning his death: "Many believers saw his death as a punishment for his attempt to loot the shrine of Nanaia in Elam (in modern Iraq)" (15^th edition, 1990).

11:33-35 The Jews who refused to submit to Antiochus’ false religion were persecuted and martyred for their faith. The repetition of the word "fall" (11:33,34,35) emphasizes their severe suffering and death. This has reference to the Maccabean revolt. Mattathias, a priest, had five sons. One of them, Judas, became known as Maccabeus, i.e. "the Hammer." He refurbished and restored the temple after defeating Antiochus. In 166 BC, Matthias refused to submit to Antiochus’ pagan religion. He and his sons fled from Jerusalem to the mountains and began the Maccabean revolt. At first only a few Jews joined them, but soon they were instructing "many" (11:33). This purging process (11:35) will continue to "the time of the end" (11:35), referring to the end of the tribulation when our Lord returns to defeat the antichrist. The antichrist is introduced in the following verse as "the king." Daniel 11:36-45 remain unfulfilled.

11:36 Beginning with this verse, a sharp break may be observed:

1. "The time of the end" (11:35) refers to the end of the tribulation when Christ returns to establish His kingdom.
2. Verses 1-35 have all been fulfilled exactly as recorded by Daniel. Nothing in history corresponds with 11:36 to the end of the book of Daniel.
3. Even as far back as Jerome (4^th century AD), Bible teachers were identifying "the king" of 11:36 as the antichrist, distinct from Antiochus Epiphanes.

• Throughout Daniel 11, the king of Syria has been referred to as "the king of the north" (cf. 11:6,7,8,11,13,15). Antiochus Epiphanes is introduced in 11:21 as "a vile person," but he is obviously the king of the north ("and in his {i.e. Seleucus IV Philopator} estate shall stand up a vile person"). But in 11:40 it says that "the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind," indicating that whoever this "king" is, he is not Antiochus Epiphanes or any other king of Syria.
• Some have claimed that this "king" (11:36) is Antiochus Epiphanes and that these verses describe some additional incursions of his into Israel. The problem with this interpretation is that the details given here were not fulfilled by Antiochus, and therefore remain future.

4. Even the Jews in Jerome’s day looked upon this prophecy as futuristic and unfulfilled.
5. The "time of trouble" (12:1) refers to the great tribulation (cf. Matt.24:21; Rev.7:9-14).

From this prophecy and others, we know much about the coming antichrist:

1. This "king" will exalt himself above God, indicating that he will present himself as both a religious leader as well as a military and political leader. This is one of the marks of the antichrist (cf. Dan.7:25; II Thess.2:4; Rev.13:4-6).
2. The book of Revelation tells us that he gets his power from Satan (Rev.13:4).
3. He will gain great political power and world-wide authority by the consent of a ten-nation confederacy, some type of "new world order" that will emerge during the tribulation period (Rev.17:12,13).
4. The duration of his rule has been determined by God – he "shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done" (11:36).
5. He will prosper for awhile but will ultimately be defeated by our Lord at His second coming (Dan.7:11,26; II Thess.2;8-12; Rev.19:19,20).

11:37 Because of the reference to "the God of his fathers," many Bible teachers have concluded that the antichrist will be a Jew.

1. "This man has to be a Jew. He cannot be anything else. You say, why not? Because the Jewish Bible teaches that the Messiah is to be a Jew, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Judah, of the stock of David. How could he be anything else but a Jew to claim the Messiahship?" – Hyman J. Appelman, Anti-Christ and the Jew (Zondervan, 1950).
2. While this is a popular view, nowhere in Scripture is it stated that the antichrist claims to be the Jewish Messiah. Actually, it seems more likely that he will be a Gentile. He is said to arise from the sea (Rev.13:1), and the sea represents the Gentile nations (Rev. 17:15).
3. Also, he will emerge as the head of the revived Roman Empire (cf. Dan.7:7,8,19-21; 9:26). This does not necessarily prove that he will be a Gentile, but it indicates that he probably will be. In any event, it is wrong to insist that he has to be a Jew.
4. The assumption that the antichrist will be a Jew is based primarily on two Scriptures, John 5:43, and II Thess.2:4. John 5:43 does not say he must be a Jew. II Thess.2:4 does not prove that he is a Jew but only that apostate Jews will worship him as God. It is hard to imagine orthodox Jews allowing a Gentile dictator to sit in the temple "as God," but during the tribulation the unsaved will be under a "strong delusion." This delusion or brainwashing has already started.
5. The traditional belief that the antichrist will be a view goes all the way back to a second century pastor named Irenaeus (c. 120-200 AD). He taught that the antichrist will be a Jew out of the tribe of Dan. He based his position on a reference to the tribe of Dan in Jeremiah 8:16. However, "the snorting of horses" refers to the Babylonian invasion, and Dan is mentioned because it was located on Israel’s northern border, which was the path the Babylonian army would take. In addition, Irenaeus pointed out that Dan is omitted in the listing of the twelve tribes of Israel in Rev.7:5-8, suggesting that Dan was left out because that tribe will produce the antichrist. However, it should be noted that the tribe of Ephraim is left out also. Also, Dan is mentioned in Ezek.48:30-35 with the other tribes on the twelve gates to the new Jerusalem, one gate for each tribe.

• I think what Dan.11:37 means is that the antichrist’s showing no regard for the God of his fathers will help him to gain power in the religious realm. Those who subscribe to traditional religious views, whether Jew or Christian, will be considered "dangerous" and "unacceptable" to the ecumenical leaders of the tribulation period.
• He will have no "desire of women." It was the fond hope and longing of devout Jewish women that they might be the mother of the promised Messiah. Therefore, many commentators have interpreted this as the antichrist’s repudiation of the Messianic hope of Israel. However, it very well could mean simply that he is a sodomite (cf. Luke 17:28-30). Many conservative scholars such as Carl Friedrich Keil, Herbert Carl Leupold, and Edward J. Young, held that this Scripture teaches the antichrist will not have a normal desire for women.

11:38 The antichrist will "honor the God of forces." The only "god" he will worship will be military strength. The "god whom his fathers (ancestors) knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things." If it said "goddess," one would think of the RC "Mary" (cf. Rev.17:4; 18:12,16). But it is probably the devil who gives him his power (cf. Rev.13:4).

11:39 This "strange god" could also refer to the "image of the beast" (cf. Rev.13:14-18). Those who cooperate with the antichrist he shall cause "to rule over many."

11:40-43 This conflict will take place "at the time of the end," i.e. the end of the tribulation (cf. Dan.7:23).

1. "The king of the south" (Egypt, cf. vss. 42,43) will attack Israel. Egypt will be joined by Ethiopia and Libya (11:43), two nations frequently in the news today (cf. Ezek.38:5).
2. While the antichrist is being attacked from the south by Egypt and her allies, "the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind" (11:40). Whereas the king of the north is identified as Syria in the prophecies fulfilled in the 2^nd and 3^rd centuries BC, this king is obviously bigger than just the little country of Syria and probably includes all the armies north of Israel, particularly Russia (cf. Ezek.38:15,16).
3. When the antichrist hears of this invasion, he will move his troops from Europe into the Middle East – "he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over" (11:40b).
4. Then "he shall enter also into the glorious land (Israel)" (11:41a; cf. 11:16).
5. "And many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon" (11:41b), referring to the Arab nations surrounding Israel, such as Jordan (cf. Ps.83:1-8).
6. "Egypt shall not escape" (11:42). The antichrist will be able to increase his treasures of gold and silver (11:43), but "the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps" (11:43b). His world empire will no longer remain intact.

11:44 To add to his problems, "tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him." The north is probably Russia and her allies. The east refers to Red China (cf. Rev.9:13-16; 16:12). An army of "two hundred thousand thousand" (200 million, Rev.9:16) seems unbelievable but China has an army of that size today (Time magazine, cited by Walvoord, Daniel, p. 280). Notice that the antichrist will be hedged in from three directions, north, south, and east. The west is not mentioned because he will be the head of the west, some sort of revived Roman Empire.

11:45 After destroying many of his adversaries (11:44b), the antichrist "shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas (Mediterranean and Dead Seas) in the glorious holy mountain (Mt. Zion, i.e. Jerusalem)." As the false Messiah, he will set up his kingdom in Jerusalem but "he shall come to his end, and none shall help him." The details of his final defeat are mentioned elsewhere (cf. Dan.7:11; II Thess.2:8,9; Rev.19:17-21).

The big question: where does the USA fit into this scenario?

• The US is probably the catalyst between the four super-powers.
• The USA could be part of the Revived Roman Empire, since our best allies will be in it (e.g. Great Britain).