Holy Scriptures and Israel

Guest (Male): Shalom. Holy Scriptures and Israel is a ministry designed to share with the Jewish people the good news of the Lord Jesus Yeshua the Messiah and to instruct Christians on the Jewish roots of their faith. And now teaching God's word from a Hebrew Messianic perspective here is Gideon Levitan.

Gideon Levytam: We would like today to read in the 11th chapter of the book of Daniel. Daniel chapter 11 and we're going to read today the last portion of Daniel 11. So I would like you to take your Bible, turn to Daniel 11 and let's read this portion. Daniel 11 and I'm reading from verse at 36. Daniel 11 36 beginning there and to the end of the chapter. And the king shall do according to his will. And he shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god and shall speak marvelous things against the god of gods. And shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished.

For that that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the gods of his fathers nor the desire of women nor regard any god for he shall magnify himself above all. But in his state shall he honor the god of forces. And a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honored with gold and silver and with precious stones and pleasant things. Thus shall he do in the most a strongest with a strange god whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory. And he shall cause them to rule over many and shall divide the land for gain.

And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him. And the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind with chariots and with horsemen and with many ships. And he shall enter into the countries and shall overflow and pass over. He shall enter also into the glorious land 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. He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries and the land of Egypt shall he not shall not escape.

But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver and over all the precious things of Egypt. And the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him. Therefore he shall go forth with great fury and destroy to destroy and utterly to make uh to make away many. And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end and none shall help him. Today we are going to deal with the last portion of chapter 11.

Daniel chapter 11 verses 36 to 45. To remind you that from Daniel chapter 11 verses really verses two to 35 we have been speaking in our last sessions together. We have been speaking about the fact that here we have um in the history of the nation of Israel the king of the north and the king of the south are constantly having warfare once against the other and that really took us in in accordance with the with the with the verses that we have read that took us throughout the history of the nation of Israel. Really it is it was speaking about the 69 weeks of Daniel chapter nine that Daniel received information that during this time this period of time there would be constant warfare between the kings of the north and the kings of the south.

And you remember as we have covered that that the kings of the north and the kings of the south or the king of the north and the king of the south has to do with the with the descendants as we have seen it here of the of the Grecian. You remember the Greeks uh after after the kingdom of of Greece have been after Alexander have died then his four a commanders took their their took the the control over the Grecian empire. And then after that there was division of the kingdom, the north and the south and the north and the south.

And there was constantly warfare between the north and the south. And what happened in between the north Syria, the south Egypt, Israel is situated in the middle. And Israel constantly find itself in between suffering consequences. And we have spoken also specifically from chapter 11 verses 21 to 35 that there was one person specifically that an evil person it was a vile person it says in verse 21. This is none else but Antiochus Epiphanes. And this man was a wicked man that caused a lot of persecution to the Jewish people. And it was at his time when the there were the Jewish revolt the the the Maccabees revolted against him.

And it was at his time we finally he have he have died of course and Israel and the Jewish people have rededicated the temple that the time when Israel have began to celebrate the feast of dedication which we know called in Hebrew the feast of Hanukkah. But today we are going to begin from verse 36 to the end of the chapter. And you notice that the last remarks that we have read in verse 35 at the end it says this listen. At the end of verse 35 it says even to the time of the end because it is yet for a time appointed.

It seemed to be that as we are reading this passage it seemed to be that we continue with the same wicked king Antiochus. But now Antiochus was merely a type of the counterfeit Messiah or we call it in in Hebrew He was really a type of the of the I should say of the of the Antichrist. And now from verse 36 on and really we are going beyond Antiochus beyond this man at the time where he have ruled in Israel when he have done the damage that he have done we are going beyond that into the as it says here in verse 35 even to the time of the end.

So what happening right now in verses 36 to 45 it is the subject there is God's rule over Israel during the 17th week. In other words it is the rule of God over the nation of Israel during the the tribulation period. And so verse 35 I should say 36 to 45 deals with the coming of the Antichrist, the coming of the counterfeit Messiah the false Messiah. And so right now we not dealing anymore with Antiochus. Right now we are dealing with the future rise of the Antichrist. By the way all Bible teachers at least many Bible teachers do believe that there is a great gap between verse 35 and 36 gap of time.

And of course we do not know when the 70th week of Daniel will begin, when the tribulation will begin we do not know. So as far as Daniel sees he he seem to see continuation. But there's that gap here that now we start to deal with the future tribulation period. The church is going to be taken out out from this scene. The believers of these present days those who have trusted the Lord Jesus the Messiah will be taken out of here prior to the beginning of the tribulation.

Guest (Male): Amen.

Gideon Levytam: The tribulation will begin by the signing of the covenant between the what we have here that the Antichrist and the many from among the people of Israel. The signing of this covenant will begin the future tribulation period. Now look look at this. First of all in verse 36 37 38 and 39 we have the what will this counterfeit Messiah, what will this Antichrist will do at his coming? Notice that first of all in verse 36 it says in the first part of verse 36 it says that he will do as he pleases. It says and the king shall do according to his will.

This is the willful king. He will be a king that will not regard anyone. He will do according to his will. That that that's kind of a man he's going to be. He will do according to his will. He's called he's called the willful king. You know how awful it is when we when one does gets his own will it doesn't matter what it cost somebody else. It doesn't matter what anybody think about what God think about. He is going to do his own thing. He's a willful king. And so we can see the character of this man and he is the the the the the Antichrist or the the willful king who will do according to his will.

Then secondly in verse 36 it says that he will exalt himself and magnify himself. He says it says here and he shall exalt himself and he shall magnify himself listen above God. In other words of course it is a small G above above every god but he will exalt himself and magnify himself. By the way if you remember in the earlier passages if you just go go back to chapter seven for a moment a Daniel chapter seven and verse eight Daniel seven verse eight says this. I considered the horns and behold there came up among them another little horn.

That's the little horn. The willful king is a little horn before whom there were three of the first horn plucked up by the roots. And behold in this horn were eye like the eyes of man and a mouth speaking great things. If you go to verse 25 of chapter seven you will notice what we read there as well. It says here and he shall speak great words against the most high. And he shall swear out the swear out the saints of the most high god. And so you can see that we are speaking here about a man, about an individual, the willful king that will magnify, will speak great things about himself.

He will speaks as it says here in verse 36 B. He will magnify himself above every god every god. And if we will just continue here in verse 36 it says here not only that he might will magnify himself above every god but he shall speak marvelous things against the god of gods. He will speak against the god of gods as we have read in a in Daniel chapter seven verse eight and 25 but I also want you please to turn to second Thessalonians chapter two here for one moment. Second Thessalonians chapter two. Second Thessalonians two we read about this man in verses one to four.

Now I beseech you brethren by the coming of our Lord Jesus the Messiah and by our gathering together unto him. This is second Thessalonians chapter two verse one. That you be not soon shaken in mind nor trouble neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us. As the day of Messiah is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means for that day shall not come except there shall come a falling away first and that men of sin be revealed the son of perdition. And then verse four tells us who opposes and exalted himself above all that is called god or that is worshiped so that he as god sitting in the temple of God showing himself that he is god.

What I want you to see here beloved that there is a connection between Daniel seven verses eight verse 25 the little horn. Daniel 11 and this verse 36 the willful king. And second Thessalonians chapter two and verse four or three and four the men of sin. It is the same person. The little horn the willful king the man of sin the man of sin. And we can in the in the book of John the epistles of John is the Antichrist counterfeit Messiah. Since you are in second Thessalonians just go to Revelation chapter 13. I want to read just a couple of verses there.

Revelation chapter 13 and specially verse six. Revelation chapter 13 verse six the apostle John gives us again a description of that beast. Little horn Daniel seven willful king Daniel 11 men of sin second Thessalonian a little horn or in in in in Revelation chapter 13 the beast. Here it says in verse six and he opened his mouth in blasphemy against god to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle and them that dwell in them and so on. And so the same person is spoken about Daniel receiving information now it goes beyond Antiochus Epiphanes into the future future tribulation day the rise of the Messiah Shaker as we say it in Hebrew the false Messiah, the counterfeit Messiah.

And so back in our chapter chapter 11 and verse 36 it says this that he and it says in at the end of verse 36 it says and he shall prosper. Notice it says that he shall prosper. He shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished for that that is determined or what is determined shall be done. Well he's going to prosper. Apparently if you read the prophet Zechariah chapter 13 verses eight and nine he's going to prosper the two third of the Jewish people will suffer eventually and die. Two third of the of the Jewish community, the people of Israel will suffer at his hand and die.

And so he will prosper but it's only going to be as long as god allows him. And so chapter 11 and verse 26 the indignation has to do with god's judgment and discipline, what god will allow. Remember the tribulation they're going to be twofold. On the one hand god will pour out judgment. On the other hand the man Satan will will will behave, will act in the worst way using of course the beast and the false prophet to cause havoc among the people and the nations of this world. Also this indignation has to do with the tribulation period.

So in verse 36 it is the what he's going to do. And definitely he will do those things he will do as he pleases. He will exalt himself and he will magnify himself and he will prosper until the end of the indignation and no more. Now verse 37 tells us something that is very interesting. Most of the time when people read verse verse 37 many come to a took to the conclusion and I think it is a mistake that the Antichrist will be a Jewish man. Using these two expressions that is found in verse 37 and it is interesting.

I believe and I don't I I I understand from the word of god that the future counterfeit Messiah will not be a Jew but he will be of an origin of the Roman empire. But notice what what makes people think. It says here in verse 37 that he will show no regard to the god of his fathers. Notice this expression. It says in verse 37 neither shall he regard the god of his fathers. Just pause here for a moment. You know this is an an expression that we often use as Hebrews the god of our fathers.

You know many times you'll find Jewish people saying the god of our fathers. The fathers are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. You notice by the way that here it is the only other I I I'm not going to I don't want you to answer me right now but here it is the only place in many other Bibles the word god here is not used with capital G. Mostly it is used in a king in a King James. But it is basically here it does not mean that he's speaking about the god of his fathers meaning the god of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob at all.

It simply means the gods in the word here it's a plural. He this does not regard the gods plural of his forefathers. In other words the idols that his forefathers had worshiped. And so and it is interesting from verses 36 to verse 39 they quite a few time the word god is mentioned and every time it is mentioned it's mentioned in singular not in plural. In the Hebrew word is Eloha. For example in verse 37 after it says nor shall we regard the gods of of his fathers nor the desire of women nor regard any god.

Notice it's small G. Then in verse 38 but in his estate shall he honor the god of forces. Again the capital G should not be there. And a god whom his fathers knew not the word is singular a god Eloha. And if you're going to go down also to verse 39 again the word is Eloha. Every time it's mentioned it's is singular and this particular man the only time it is plural it is in verse 37 and it has to do with the multitude of of idols that his forefathers had worshiped. Now I know that some teach that it's speaking about the god of his father.

They take from this verse that that means that that has to do with a Jewish person who will be the Antichrist. I do not see that from this scripture. In fact if you just go back to Daniel Daniel nine for a moment, just go back to Daniel nine in verse 26. Daniel nine verse 26 it says in verse 26 this and after three score and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off but not for himself. And the people of the prince this is the counterfeit Messiah, the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.

The people out of whom the prince, the Antichrist that will come will be the one that will destroy the sanctuary namely the Romans. Later on the Romans in 70 AD did destroy the temple in Jerusalem. And so I take it it is in verse 37 where it says neither shall he regard the gods of his fathers simply has to do that this particular person will not acknowledge the gods of his fathers who worship all kind of gods. Then you notice what it says next to it in verse 37 nor the desire of women. This is another place where where they will say some have been inclined to say that they would would see would because he's we assume that he's Jewish because of the desire of women because Jewish women did had the hope of the birth of the coming of the Messiah coming through them.

Well after all the Messiah was born to a Jewish woman by the name of Miriam. And so he will not regard the the desire of women. So in other words it is interesting here because it says really he will not regard the desire of women and the desire of women is the Messiah the birth and the entry of the true Messiah into this world. He will not regard the true Messiah. And he continue here nor regard any gods any god for he shall magnify himself above all. And so verse 37 he will show no regard to the god of his fathers, the gods of his father, no regard to the Messiah himself.

And he will not regard no one. He will be the willful king who will seek to do according to his will. And so verse 30 38 now he will honor the god of forces or the god of warfare. That's what he will honor. In verse 38 we read but in his estate he shall honor the god of forces again. There again it should be singular and small. It's not speaking about the the the true and living god but he's speaking about the the gods of the the Eloha of forces. So he doesn't regard any god.

And a god of whom his fathers knew not shall he not shall he honor with gold and silver and with precious stones and pleasant things. In other words you notice he will honor everyone else except the true and the living god. And verse 39 says that he will enjoy military success and he will have a lot of influence. In verse 39 and I'm reading thus shall he do in the most strongholds with a strange god whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory. And he shall cause them to rule over many and shall divide the lane the land for for gain.

And so by the way this this strange god can very well have an an an implication that that's the one that he will he will this strange god whom he shall acknowledge really he will be influenced by none else but by Satan himself. Satan Satan will empower him and he will be really empowered by this wicked one, the one that hates god and hates god's people namely Satan himself. I want you to turn please once again to second Thessalonians once again chapter two again. And then read with me the verses eight, nine and 10 of second Thessalonians chapter two.

Guest (Male): You have been listening to the Holy Scriptures and Israel with Gideon Levitan. Gideon teaches god's word from a Hebrew Messianic perspective. For more information about this ministry write to Holy Scriptures and Israel box 1411 Niagara on the Lake Ontario L0S 1J0 or visit our website at holyscripturesandisrael.com. You are also invited to Gideon's weekly Bible teaching on Fridays at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. and Saturdays at 1 p.m. at Willowdale Christian Assembly Hall 28 Martin Ross Avenue in Toronto. Holy Scriptures and Israel is made possible by your prayers and financial support. If you would like to support the program visit holyscripturesandisrael.com.

God bless you. Shalom Shalom.