How does Daniel 11:36 relate to the prophecy of the Antichrist? Text “Then the king will do as he pleases, exalting and magnifying himself above every god; he will say astonishing things against the God of gods. He will prosper until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been decreed will be accomplished.” (Daniel 11:36) Historical And Literary Context Daniel 10–12 forms a single prophetic discourse delivered to the prophet in the third year of Cyrus (10:1). Chapter 11 rehearses a detailed panorama of Near-Eastern political conflict, accurate through the Persian and Hellenistic eras. Verses 2–35 have been exhaustively matched to Persian kings, Alexander the Great, the Wars of the Diadochi, and especially Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175–164 BC). A sudden shift of vocabulary and scope in verse 36 signals a transition from near-term figures to a yet-future tyrant who eclipses his predecessors in blasphemy and global reach. Near Historical Fulfillment: Antiochus Iv As A Type Antiochus IV desecrated the Second Temple, erected an altar to Zeus, and persecuted the faithful (cf. 1 Maccabees 1:41-64). Verse 31 (“the abomination of desolation”) finds a concrete echo in 167 BC when swine were sacrificed on the altar. Yet Antiochus never fulfilled verse 36 in full: he did not magnify himself above every god—he honored Zeus Olympios; nor did he gain worldwide dominion or “prosper until the time of wrath is completed.” Consequently, Antiochus functions as an historical foreshadowing, while the prophecy looks beyond him to an ultimate antagonist. Transition From Near To Eschatological Fulfillment Verse 35 closes with “until the time of the end” (ὁ καιρὸς συντελείας in the LXX). Hebrew syntax then introduces “the king” (v. 36) without the definite article present in previous Antiochus references, marking a literary hinge. The scope widens: military campaigns extend to “many lands” (v. 40-41), “Egypt, Libya, and Cush” (v. 43), language fitting a final global conflict paralleling Revelation 16–19. Identity Of The King In Daniel 11:36–45 1. Not Antiochus IV: historical data limits his territorial reach and length of reign. 2. Not Herod, Nero, or Titus: each fails to meet the stated criteria of unrivaled self-deification and ultimate defeat in Israel’s land. 3. A yet-future Antichrist: harmonizes with 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 (“the man of lawlessness … exalts himself above every so-called god”) and Revelation 13:5-7 (“given authority to act for forty-two months”). The convergence of time-restricted authority, blasphemous self-exaltation, and Israel-centered finale argues for a single eschatological figure. Comparison With Other Antichrist Passages • Daniel 7:8, 25—little horn speaks “great things” and persecutes saints for “time, times, and half a time.” • Daniel 9:27—future prince breaks covenant in the middle of the seventieth week; corroborates 3½-year span. • 2 Thessalonians 2:4—sits in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God. • Revelation 13:1-8—beast blasphemes God, wages war on saints, receives global worship. Thematic and chronological markers align, confirming Daniel 11:36 as a pivotal Old Testament disclosure of the Antichrist’s character and career. Characteristics Of The Antichrist In Daniel 11:36 1. Autocratic Will—“does as he pleases,” signaling unchecked authority (cf. Revelation 13:7). 2. Blasphemous Pride—“exalting and magnifying himself above every god,” echoing Isaiah 14:13-14’s depiction of satanic ambition. 3. Theological Insolence—“astonishing things against the God of gods,” fulfilled ultimately in a literal temple setting (2 Thessalonians 2:4). 4. Temporary Success—“he will prosper until the time of wrath is completed,” reminding readers of divine sovereignty and predetermined limits. Theology Of Rebellion And Deification The verse encapsulates humanity’s primordial sin—aspiring to be “like God” (Genesis 3:5). The Antichrist becomes the climactic embodiment of collective rebellion. Yet God’s decree places strict temporal bounds, demonstrating that evil’s apparent triumph only advances the redemptive plan culminating in Christ’s visible return (Revelation 19:11-16). Chronological Placement Within The Seventy Weeks Daniel 9:24-27 outlines seventy “weeks” (heptads of years). The first sixty-nine culminate in Messiah’s first coming (“after the sixty-two weeks Messiah will be cut off,” v. 26). A prophetic gap—“the times of the Gentiles” (Luke 21:24)—precedes the final week. Verse 27 divides that week into two halves; Daniel 11:36-39 corresponds to the first half (rising power, covenant enforcement), and verses 40-45 with parallel passages (Revelation 11:2-3; 13:5) describe the final 3½ years of unparalleled tribulation. Relationship To Revelation And 2 Thessalonians John’s Apocalypse, penned six centuries later, amplifies Daniel’s portrait. Revelation 13 borrows Danielic beast imagery; Revelation 17:12-13 quotes the phrase “one hour” of shared authority, matching the strictly “decreed” period in Daniel 11:36. Paul, likewise, cites Danielic language in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 to ground his teaching on the “man of lawlessness.” The New Testament treats Daniel 11:36 not as fulfilled history but as future fact. Patristic And Rabbinic Interpretation Second-century church father Hippolytus identified the king of v. 36 as the eschatological Antichrist, distinguishing him from Antiochus. Tertullian and Irenaeus echo this reading. Among Jewish exegetes, Saadia Gaon (10th century) viewed v. 36 forward as messianic wars of the end. The convergence of early Christian and medieval rabbinic views underscores the passage’s future orientation. Implications For The Church And Individual Believers 1. Vigilance—Jesus links the “abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel” to end-time watchfulness (Matthew 24:15-25). 2. Assurance—God’s sovereignty brackets the Antichrist’s career; “what has been decreed will be accomplished” secures hope. 3. Evangelism—fulfilled prophecy validates Scripture, emboldening proclamation of Christ’s resurrection as history’s central miracle (1 Corinthians 15:14-20). 4. Holiness—anticipation of the Lord’s return motivates moral purity (1 John 3:2-3). Conclusion Daniel 11:36 provides one of the clearest Old Testament windows into the person and program of the Antichrist. Rooted in a meticulously verified historical backdrop, the verse leaps beyond Antiochus IV to unveil a future global dictator whose blasphemous self-deification, temporal triumph, and ultimate destruction fit seamlessly with later revelation. Its accuracy—attested by Qumran manuscripts and vindicated by centuries of fulfilled detail—invites confidence in the God who declares “the end from the beginning” (Isaiah 46:10) and guarantees final victory through the risen Christ. |
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