What is the tremendous attraction in the Middle East world powers continue to grapple for possession of a relatively small strip of land called Palestine? For one thing, it's a land-bridge between the continents of Africa, Asia and Europe.
Whoever holds this territory controls the destiny of billions of people. Europe gets two-thirds of its oil from the Middle East. The United States would be crippled without access to these oil reserves which are yielding millions of barrels each day. The Dead Sea is worth more than the total weath of the United States.
These natural resources make the Middle East a coveted prize for world leaders. If Russia could get uncontested control of this geographical treasure chest, she would have no serious contender for world power.
Part 1 (Daniel 11: 36-39)
Of all the wicked end-time personalities, which one should be called "the antichrist"? Nothing is more confusing than trying to harmonize all that has been written on this subject. Almost no two books on prophetic themes agree about who the antichrist is specifically.
Many are satisfied to pass lightly over the various characters who figure in the tribulation and call all of them "antichrist". Others writers are more careful in delineating precisely which of the leaders is really the antichrist.
John the Apostle is the only Biblical writer who employs the term "antichrist". In John's day many antichrists had already appeared (1 John 2:18). John treats the subject of antichrist as if it pertained to a spirit, a system, or a philosophy. But he also speaks of it as a person. The antichrist is foremost a liar and a deceiver (vs. 22; II John 7). His special mark of identification is his deceit and fraudulent claims to Messiahship.
The fact he is known especially for deceit point us immediately to II Thessalonians 2 where Paul is describing a deceiver and liar (vs. 9, 11). In the Thessalonian passage Paul calls the antichrist "the man of sin" because he is the epitome of all wickedness and lawlessness; he calls him "the son of perdition" because he is destined for eternal ruin (vs. 3).
Part of the antichrist's deceit involves pawning himself off on the Jews as the Son of God--The Messiah. Paul shows the antichrist will occupy the holy of holies in the restored Jewish temple in Jerusalem and demand divine honors and titles (vs. 4). His deceit also includes his ability to convince the Jews he is their Messiah by performing all kinds of wonders and miracles (vs. 9).
Who can read Paul's description in II Thessalonians without turning to Revelation 13:11-18 where we have practically the same description of the antichrist in the second beast? Vs. 13 speaks of the "great wonders" which he will perform.
Verses 14, 15 tell of the miracles which he will accomplish to authenticate his claims to be Israel's prophet and king. Antichrist is clearly an imitation christ, a false christ, the false prophet. In every respect he is a substitute christ--even to the extent of posing as a lamb (vs. 11).
The fact the antichrist originates out of the earth (vs. 11) suggests he derives from Israel--the earthly people. He's a Jewish king whom the nation will receive and own as their protector and friend in the tribulation period.
John 5:43 speaks of the antichrist who will come psoing as Christ. The Jews would not receive the real Messiah when He came, but they will embrace the false christ. It's unthinkable the Jews would own anyone but a Jew as their Messiah. And they would require credentials of the miraculous. They are expecting Elijah to come and perform miracles and when one greater than Elijah comes, they will receive him.
As a prophet, the antichrist assumes control of religion. Like the prophet Elijah who authenticated his credentials by calling down fire from Heaven, he will give dramatic evidence of his right to shape all religious policies.
As an economist, he will control world commerce so no one can buy or sell without his approval (vs. 16, 17). The antichrist will place a mark upon his followers (vs. 16). It's the visible proof they are worshipers of the antichrist's ally in Europe (vs. 17).
The antichrist is not the sole ruler of the future. He shares equally with the European dictator--the beast out of the sea (Revelation 13:1). The antichrist is not subordinate to the Gentile dictator in the West; "he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth..to worship the first beast" (vs. 12).
The antichrist will sit in the temple and work miracles to demonstrate he is God. At the same time, he will acknowledge the deity of the first beast and require the Jews to worship the first beast. He will be so ardent in promoting the worship of the European political and military dictator he will put a statue of the dictator in the temple (Matthew 24:15).
The relationship between the antichrist and the first beast, as defined in Revelation 13, is exactly the same as the relationship described in Daniel 11:36-39. In Daniel's account we learn once more of the antichrist's sovereign power in the expression "the king shall do according to his will" (vs. 36). Daniel and Paul are on the same page with regard to how the antichrist will exalt himself above every god (compare II Thes. 2:4 with Daniel 11: 36, 37).
Daniel sees the very same connection between the antichrist and the European dictator John analyzes in Revelation 13; the antichrist, for all his self-exaltation and claims to deity, nevertheless acknowledges another god (Daniel 11: 38, 39).
The "God of forces" is the first beast of Revelation 13-- is considered to be the Gentile dictator in Europe who promises military assistance to the antichrist in Palestine.
The antichrist secures sources of Palestine and sends them to his ally in Europe (Daniel 11:38). Not satisfied with that, the European dictator will insist upon a statue of himself being placed in the Jewish temple. The antichrist will comply and thus share the holy of holies with the image of the first beast. Moreover, the antichrist will dissect Palestine, donating pieces of ground to those Jews who do him favors (vs. 39).
Isaiah, Daniel, and John all introduce the antichrist abruptly and without a word of explanation. Isaiah and Daniel simply call him "the king". John calls him the beast out of the earth and later speaks of him as the false prophet. But the antichrist is both a king and a prophet. In this regard he is an imitator of Christ the prophet-king.
Part 2 (Daniel 11: 40-45)
Sometime after the Jewish antichrist has established himself in Palestine as Israel's Messiah, the armies of Egypt will make another attmpt to destroy the State of Israel. The humiliation of being defeated again will increase Egyptian hostility against the Jews. Thirst for revenge will drive this Arab nation to further aggression. Without a doubt, Egypt will use equipment supplied to her by Russia...
But Russia cannot afford to let Egypt gain sole control of the Middle East, and so as soon as Egypt marches northward, Russica will march southward. The Jewish antichrist will face an invasion on both fronts (Daniel 8:24; 11:40). The king of the North (Russia accompanied by Syrian troops) is obviously the victor. The northern armies will sweep through Palestine like a flood of waters.
Many other countries are included with the northern aggressor in his drive through the Holy Land (vs. 41). Ezekiel 38 tabulates many of the countries which will contribute their armies to the war effort. Isaiah connects the destruction of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, and Arabia with the northern invasion. In all likelihood Russia will add the armies of the conquered peoples to her gorwing military strength as she enters the Middle East.
We can only conjecture Egypt will eventually have a falling out with Russia, who has been supplying her with arms and technicians. It may be Egypt invades Israel without the sanction of Russia, and so the armies of the North intervene and take advantage of the situation to bring Egypt under Soviet mastery.
The Russian hordes will not stop until they have penetrated to North Africa (Daniel 11:42). Isaiah predicted this long before Daniel wrote. he said Egypt would capitulate to a king of fierce countenance (Isaiah 19:4; compare Daniel 8:23).
In chapter 20 Isaiah also forecast the destruction of Ethiopia by the Assyrian (the king of the North). Ezekiel concurs in his prediction Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya will be involved in the Russian invasion (Ezekiel 38:5). Now Daniel tells us plainly the king of the North will conquer Egypt, Libya and Ethiopia (Daniel 11:43).
After the Russians have subdued North Africa and have set up a military headquarters in Egypt, they will receive some disquieting reports from the Northeast (vs. 44). No one knows for certain what causes the concern, but possibly Russia will hear the European beast-dictator has brought the allied armies to Israel for the purpose of meeting military obligations and in an attempt to cut the Russian armies off from their home base.
Some expositors, however, think a report of an Oriental invasion startles the Russians. At any rate, Russia will make a frantic effot to retreat through Palestine to the North. En route Prince Rosh will decide to annihilate Israel.
He wants to make Israel pay for the necessity of his retreat. In this he resembles his ancient predecessor, Antiochus Epiphanes, who was thwarted in Egypt and took his wrath out on the Jews. (This I think is yet another indication that Antiochus Epiphanes is meant to illustrate the king of the North and not the Jewish antichrist.)
The Russian armies will have God to reckon with. God will not permit the utter annihilation of the Jews even though He brought the northern armies against them to chastise them for placing their hopes in the Jewish antichrist and His western confederate and for the permitting the introduction of idolarty to the land again.
Determinded now to liquidate Israel, the northern armies will set their sights on Jerusalem. They will get no farther than the mountains south of the city. There God will literally bury the armies of Gog and Magog. A terrific earthquake will cuase the ground to swallow up the infantry.
Ezekiel graphically describes the scene. Daniel only comments: "yet he shall come to his end, and non shall hlep him" (vs. 45). This harmonizes with what Daniel says earlier abou thte end of the king of the North: "he shall be broken without hand" (Daniel 8:25).
Joel supplements what Ezekiel and Daniel narrate by explaining what happnes to any who escape the earthquake. They will be driven down into the desert regions south of Israel and perish in the sands (Joel 2:20).
During the period of the millennium tourists will come across the parched bones of the army and remember God wrougth a great deliverance in the land (Ezekiel 39:15).
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