How does Daniel 11:14 connect with Jesus' teachings on false prophets? Daniel’s Prophetic Snapshot (11:14) • “In those times many will rise up against the king of the South. The violent among your own people will exalt themselves in fulfillment of the vision, but they will fail.” (Daniel 11:14) • Key observations: – “The violent among your own people” – insiders, not foreigners. – “Exalt themselves” – self-promoting leaders claiming divine sanction. – “But they will fail” – their cause collapses despite apparent zeal. What Jesus Said About Deceivers • Matthew 24:11 – “Many false prophets will arise and will deceive many.” • Matthew 24:24 – “For false christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” • Mark 13:22 – reiterates the same warning. • Luke 21:8 – “See to it that you are not deceived. For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them.” Shared Thread Between Daniel and Jesus • Insider origin – both passages envision deception arising from within the covenant community. • Self-exaltation – the violent men “exalt themselves” (Daniel); false prophets claim Christ’s authority (Jesus). • End-times setting – Daniel’s vision telescopes toward “the time of the end” (v. 40), while Jesus speaks in His Olivet Discourse about the end of the age. • Ultimate futility – Daniel: “they will fail”; Jesus: false prophets may mislead, yet cannot overthrow God’s plan (cf. Matthew 24:35). Historical Echoes • 2nd-century BC zealots fulfilled Daniel’s note of violent rebellion—precursors to the false messiahs Josephus lists in the 1st century. • Acts 5:36-37 records Theudas and Judas the Galilean—examples of the pattern Jesus predicted. • These successive uprisings validate the prophetic thread running from Daniel to Jesus. Practical Takeaways • Measure every leader and movement by Scripture, not charisma. • Stay alert to home-grown deception; proximity does not guarantee orthodoxy. • Remember that self-exalting agendas, however pious they sound, ultimately collapse under God’s sovereignty. |
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