The Final World War Erupts
DA 11:40 “At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through.
DA 11:41 “He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon.
DA 11:42 “He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape.
DA 11:43 “He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels.
At the time End: The angel now explains to Daniel a series of end time events leading to the return of the Messiah. In verse 40, two kings are mentioned, King of the north, king of the south. Formerly, these kings were mentioned in the context of the Seleucid and Ptolemy kingdoms.
They are now mentioned in relation to an end time conflict against the king of verse 36. The time of conflict is prior to mid-point of the tribulation period. We know from Daniel 12:1, Michael intervenes in Israel’s behalf at the mid-point of the tribulation period, and Satan at that time cast from Heaven, incarnates the Antichrist, and commits the “abomination of Desolation”. This battle is prior to this event.
Some feel the battle referenced here is corresponds to Ezekiel 38-39, the conflict with Gog and Magog. In Ezekiel 38-39, an end time battle, after Israel is gathered out of the nations after a long period of absence.
“After many days you will be visited. In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them dwell safely.
Ezekiel 38:8
The nations to the north of Israel, Russia and nations to the south of Israel, Libya, Ethiopia, assault Israel, after the nations is established out of the nations, in the latter years. The nations all include the mix of nations including Iran, known as Persia in the days of Daniel who are currently opposed to Israel.
5 “Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet;
6 “Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops-many people are with you.
Ezekiel 38:5-6
In the day of this battle, people will examine what the prophets wrote about it and will see it being fulfillment of the prophets who foretold the day of its coming. The purpose of this conflict is to bring glory to the God of Israel, by having outmanned and out gunned Israel, the victor.
‘Thus says the Lord God: “Are you he of whom I have spoken in former days by My servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied for years in those days that I would bring you against them?
Ezekiel 38:17
This end time battle also precedes a seven-year period, in which Israel uses the remnants of this army for their own consumption.
“Then those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go out and set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and bucklers, the bows and arrows, the javelins and spears; and they will make fires with them forseven years.
Ezekiel 39:9
The seven-year period corresponds with Daniel’s 70th week. Israel will use the scrap steel and fuels left behind by this destroyed army for seven years. Placing this invasion prior to the covenant between the Antichrist and Israel, which allows the Temple services to start. (Daniel 9:27)
This with the King of the North and South can also refer to a reconstituted army from those destroyed here in Ezekiel.
He shall: The Antichrist’s power will be military, enforcing his will through military might and intimidation. We see this in Revelation,
So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”
Revelation 13:8
He will overwhelm the nations with his power, rather then be destroyed nations will submit to his power. He will be an ally of Israel at the beginning. He allows the Temple to be rebuilt and sacrifice to resume. This changes however 3 ½ years later, at that point he proclaims his deity to the world and demands worship. Israel refuses, and he then attacks his former ally.
Glorious Land: At the middle point of the tribulation, the Antichrist attacks Jerusalem and the Israel, putting an end to sacrifice and setting up an image in theTemple. This period of time is one of the most referenced in all the Bible. This period is covered in Revelation 11-13, Zechariah 14:1-4, Matthew 24:14-30.
In Zechariah and Matthew we read about the conquest of Jerusalem by the armies of the Antichrist.
Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, And your spoil will be divided in your midst.
2 For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; The city shall be taken, The houses rifled, And the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
Zechariah 14:1-2
15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand),
16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
17 “Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.
22″And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
Matthew 24;15-17,22
These shall escape: Three nations to the east of Israel, are noted for escaping the hand of the Antichrist. In Zechariah, Matthew and Revelation scripture informs about how God intervenes on Israel’s behalf at a point where all seems lost. We read, theMount of Olives literally split open providing a route of escape for a portion of Israel. The nations of Moab, Edom and Ammon, namely Jordan, are saved from the hand of the Antichrist at the midpoint.
And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west, Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north And half of it toward the south.
5 Then you shall flee through My mountain valley, For the mountain valley shall reach to Azal. Yes, you shall flee As you fled from the earthquake In the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Thus the Lord my God will come, And all the saints with You.
Zechariah 14:4-5
15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand),
:16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
17 “Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 “And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.
Matthew 24:15-18
According to Zechariah, 2/3 of the Jewish nation will die in the tribulation period. Only 1/3 will survive and enter the Millennium blessings of Messiah’s kingdom.
ZEC 13:9 I will bring the one-third through the fire, Will refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people’; And each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’ “
Zechariah 13:9
Not escape: In contrast to Moab, Ammon and Edom, Egypt, Libya and Ethiopia, will be defeated by the Antichrist and forced to submit to his new ideology.
The Final Battles
DA 11:44 “But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many.
DA 11:45 “And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him.
News from the east: The Euphrates river is dried, for the armies of East to assemble. China as well as the rest of Asia, will not just sit idle as the Antichrist sets about controlling the world. According to Revelation 9:13-21, 16:12, 1/3 of mankind dies by the approaching armies of the East. Revelation 9:13-21 takes place in the first half of the tribulation, and Revelation 16:12 at the battle of Armageddon.
Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared.
Revelation 16:12
North: Gog and Magog which was destroyed in Ezekiel 38-39, is again beginning to stir. In order for the Beast to gain control, many will be destroyed. Within the first 3 ½ years of the tribulation period, according to Revelation 6:8 and 9:18, 47% of the Earth population dies from the judgments which fall on earth.
Great fury: Approaching the middle of the Tribulation period, the Beast will infuriated and try to force the nations to submit to his power.
Destroy
His tent
The glorious holy mountain: The Antichrist, in the end, will vanquish Israel, and give Israel the option to renounce the God of Israel and accept him as their god. Some will accept him, others will reject him, much in the same way Israel could accept reject Antiochus IV. Those who knew their God fled to the mountains to conduct a guerilla war against the armies of the Greeks.
At the middle of the tribulation, Israel will be faced with a similar dilemma. Those who listen to warning of Jesus Christ in Matthew 24:15, and flee to the mountains will survive the tribulation in God’s provision, by fleeing into the mountains.
His end: The Antichrist will meet his end at the return of Messiah, the one like the son of Man.
“You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces.
Daniel 2:34
“I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame.
