What is the meaning of Daniel 11:37? He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers • The coming ruler Daniel foresees will break decisively with the spiritual heritage he received. Whether his ancestors were pagan (as with Antiochus IV) or nominally Christian or Jewish (as many see in the future Antichrist), he throws off every vestige of inherited worship. • 2 Thessalonians 2:4 pictures the same figure who “opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship,” confirming a literal, future fulfillment. • Revelation 13:4–6 shows the beast receiving worship that once belonged to other deities; old religions fade as he demands exclusive allegiance. • Daniel’s earlier vision (7:25) says he will “speak words against the Most High,” revealing that disdain for past gods inevitably becomes open hostility toward the true God. nor for the one desired by women • Ancient readers would hear an allusion to the long-promised Messiah, the Child every godly Jewish woman hoped to bear (cf. Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14). This tyrant rejects even the hope of Israel’s Deliverer. • Luke 2:38 records faithful women waiting “for the redemption of Jerusalem.” The man of sin wants nothing to do with that Redeemer. • His contempt also hints at a broader refusal of normal human affections (compare 1 Timothy 4:1–3, where end-time deceivers despise God-ordained blessings). His war is not only against traditional deities but against God’s redemptive plan itself. nor for any other god • Having discarded both inherited religion and messianic hope, he sweeps aside every remaining object of worship. • Revelation 17:12–13 shows end-time kings handing over authority to the beast; diverse religions and powers converge in submission to one man. • Exodus 12:12 reminds us the Lord once executed judgment “against all the gods of Egypt.” Here the counterfeit savior executes his own judgment—dethroning every rival so that only he remains. because he will magnify himself above them all • Self-deification lies at the heart of his program. Pride drove Lucifer to say, “I will ascend…I will make myself like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:13–14), and this final ruler walks the same path. • 2 Thessalonians 2:4 again pinpoints the climax: “He sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” The rebellion Daniel predicted finds its fullest expression here. • Revelation 13:15 records an image of the beast animated to demand worship—tangible proof that he has exalted himself “above them all.” • Daniel 11:36, the verse just before ours, already stated, “He will exalt and magnify himself above every god.” Verse 37 explains the scope of that boast: family gods, national gods, messianic hope—nothing is exempt. summary Daniel 11:37 sketches a ruler who abandons ancestral faith, rejects the messianic promise cherished by women, dismisses every other deity, and finally enthrones himself as the sole object of worship. Cross-references in 2 Thessalonians 2 and Revelation 13 confirm that the prophecy extends beyond Antiochus to a literal end-time Antichrist. The verse exposes the ultimate trajectory of human pride: casting off all allegiance until only self remains. For believers, the passage serves as a sober reminder to anchor worship in the true God and His Christ, resisting every counterfeit that exalts itself in His place. |
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