Hope Is Found In Our Future Victory

So this last section of chapter 11, we have divided into two parts. Part one (last time) talked about the character of the Antichrist. Part two (today) talks about the wars of the end. So let's read part two.

At the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack him, but the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. And he shall come into countries and shall overflow and pass through. He shall come into the glorious land. And tens of thousands shall fall, but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom and Moab and the main part of the Ammonites. He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. He shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver, and all the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans and the Cushites shall follow in his train. But news from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many to destruction. And he shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the glorious holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, with none to help him. — Daniel 11:40-45

So there is a lot about this text we don't know. Some of it's guesswork. But we can know a few things. First, there is going to be a final conflict. Second, it's going to be ugly, devastating, and bloody. And third, and most importantly, we know exactly where it will happen. It will take place in Isreal because everything in chapter 11 is relative to this location. In fact, everything in the book of Daniel is relative to the land and nation of Israel. Also, all other prophecies in the Bible point to this location. So when someone out there predicts an Antichrist who is not based in Israel, I would question their prediction. Just a little advice.

So what's the takeaway from a text like this?

It's pretty simple. Regardless of how the future plays out, we can know this. The Antichrist will have his time, but in the end, he will be defeated and die alone. I think this is what Gabriel wanted Daniel to know. And he wanted him to pass this on to us. So remember, you don't need to know all the details of the Antichrist and his battles. All you need to know is that King Jesus will come again and reign supreme. So win or lose, continue to fight your present battles while putting all your hope in his future victory.

ASK THIS: Are you fighting and putting all your hope in his future victory?

DO THIS: Place all your hope in him and his victory.

PRAY THIS: God, strengthen me for the fight and set my mind to your victory.

PLAY THIS: The Battle Of Armageddon by Hank Williams.