Daniel Unlocked #67. One Life of Significance.
The book of Daniel has covered the entire life span of Daniel. Daniel 10:1 is dated as the third year of Cyrus, King of Persia, which was 536 B.C. Daniel was taken into captivity in 605 B.C. The dream of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 2 happened in 602 B.C. Therefore, Daniel spent 70 years in Babylon and Medo-Persia. God had revealed to him in that time 4 prophetic and apocalyptic visions. He had seen the transition of kingdoms as foretold in Daniel 2 in the dream to Nebuchadnezzar.
Daniel 2 had set the pattern for each of the visions.
Each vision followed the same historical cycle, with details being added at each cycle. Daniel 10 to 12 follows the same cycle of history but is the longest and most comprehensive prophecy in the entire Bible! It gives the same panorama of history, ending with the second coming of Jesus. If we stick to the pattern, we will not find it so difficult to follow.
Daniel 11:1-3 details the Persian era, vs 4-14 the Greek, vs 15 – 28 the Roman, vs 28 -39 The Middle Ages (Medieval period) and vs 45 – 45 Last day events that are yet future. It is important for us to appreciate that most of Daniel 11 (apart from vs 40 – 45) is history past. Daniel 12 :1 – 4 is the curtain call of the second coming. (Every cycle of the 4 apocalyptic visions has ended with the second coming of Jesus – Revelation does the same.) The remainder of Chapter 12 is an epilogue to the book.
What we will find is that Daniel 11 reveals three major conflicts between the King of the north (the part of the Roman empire that became Europe under the papacy.) and the king of the South – the part of the Roman empire that came under Islamic rule. North and South is always relative to Jerusalem and Israel. We have seen, in history, two of these major conflicts in the centuries of the crusades, and secondly in the conflict of Europe with the Ottoman empire.
There remains therefore one last major conflict between the nations that comprise the King of the South (Islam) and the King of the North (Western Europe). Revelation 13 will add more detail into the mix with the arrival of the American power, which will give us the NATO alliance, controlled by the Papacy, as the King of the North. It is my intention to follow this study on Daniel with a revision my original SMS series from 6 years ago. It will be called Revelation Unlocked.!
But already, in my excitement, I have rushed ahead, and we need to step back and work our way through the important introduction to this prophecy in Daniel Chapter 10.
Thank you Ross for all of your work on these posts. So easy to read and understand. I began reading this morning wondering, ‘What next?’ And my question was answered. I’m excited too, but looking forward to the rest of Daniel Unlocked. May God continue to bless you.
i will enjoy your study of Revelations as i am enjoying Daniel God bless you