| THE RULER TO COME |
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| “I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me…” John 14:30 Jesus spoke these words in reference to Satan, the Ruler prophesied by Daniel, who would put and end to sacrifice and offering by His crucifixion. This was described in Dan 8:11-14, and Dan 9:26-27. Here again, we find another prophecy of the destruction of the spiritual Jerusalem, and the setting up the abomination of desolation, that would come by the Latin power. The history of the interpretation of this prophecy is interesting. In the 4th Century, Jerome told us that: ① the Jews of his day, ascribed verses 31-35 to the Romans (This is still the opinion of the Jews today, including those Jews who ascribe verses 21 – 30 to Antiochus Epiphanes, beginning with Malbim (1809-1875), as he writes in Yafeh La-Ketz.) ② Porphyry, an atheist, believed that verses 24 – 45 spoke of Antiochus Epiphanes. Porphyry wrote a book called “Against the Christians,” in which he tried to destroy Christianity, by proving these verses were fulfilled by Antiochus Epiphanes, and had nothing to do with Christ, or the Antichrist. His goal was to destroy the prophetic basis of Christianity, and to make Christ a liar, because Jesus said that Daniel Chapter 11 spoke of the coming destruction of Jerusalem. ③ the Church believed that verses 24 to 35 spoke of the Antichrist. See Jerome on Daniel. In the Reformation, Isaac Newton embraced the opinion held by the Jews. As Isaac Newton noted, the rise of the Romans was signified in Dan 11:30, “ships from Kittam shall come against him.” The Greek Empire, the third Beast, came to an end in 168 BC, when Antiochus made his second attack on Egypt, while the Romans conquered Greece, and divided it into four Romans states. Then the Romans ships were sent from Cypress to stop Antiochus in Egypt, and they completely ended the Greek power. Isaac Newton said that Dan 11:33 was quoted by Jesus in Luke 21:24, to describe the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, that was still to come. But he did not understand that Jesus was prophesying the destruction of the spiritual Jerusalem. And he did not understand that the “Ruler to come” in Dan 9:26 was Satan, the Antichrist, who was now “the King of the North.” The sudden shift to the “spiritual world” that occurs in Dan 11:30b is no different than the sudden shift to the “spiritual world” in Dan 8:9, describing the Fourth King of the North, who was Antichrist. |
| 30b So shall he return and show regard for those who forsake the Holy Covenant. 31 Forces shall stand on his part, and they shall profane the sanctuary, even the fortress, and shall take away the continual [offering], and they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate. |
| Dan 11:30b The New King James Version seems to be the most accurate translation of the Old Testament, which we have used below: So shall he return – in the last verse, we demonstrated that “he” does not necessarily refer to the King of the North in the immediately preceding context. The phrase “so shall he return” begins a new paragraph in the New King James Version. This new paragraph does not describe the actions of Antiochus IV Ephiphanus. It is not describing the return of Antiochus IV Ephiphanus to his kingdom in the North. As noted in the first part of verse 30, Antiochus IV Ephiphanus was defeated by the ships from Cyprus. The new King of the North is the ruler of Rome, the Antichrist. The King of the North, who now the Antichrist, returns to Jerusalem, which has become the “New Jerusalem,” the spiritual Jerusalem, attacked by the spiritual world, as this paragraph describes. and show regard for those who forsake the Holy Covenant – the Holy Covenant is now the “New Covenant.” Satan shows his regard for those who do not receive the love of the truth, as described in 2 Thess 2:9-10, “the coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan . . . because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” Dan 11:31 Arms will come from him – the armies of angels given over to him (Dan 8:10-12; Rev 12:4). and shall pollute the sanctuary of strength – he defiles or pollutes the place of Holy Strength. From the expression “pollute the sanctuary of strength,” wə·ḥil·lê·lū ham·miq·dāš ham·mā·‘ō·wz, we know that there is no double meaning here. This does not describe the “destruction” of the Jerusalem temple, but the “pollution” of the truth, as we shall see in verse 32. The corruption of the truth came by the spirit of the antichrist in the Montanists and Tertullian, after 180 AD; these evil spirits were the army of Satan that was cast down to earth and corrupted the truth. The word for sanctuary, ham·miq·dāš, describes a holy place. The word maoz, is “strength,” “stronghold” or “fortress” and is always, and only, used to describe God Himself, eg 2 Sam 22:33, “God is my strong fortress;” Neh 8:10, “the Lord is your strength;” Psa 27:1, “the Lord is the defense of my life,” etc, etc, etc. The expression maoz never describes the Temple at Jerusalem. The meaning of “sanctuary of strength” can only refer to the dwelling place of God Himself in the believers, “the Church of God,” “a Holy Temple in the Lord…a dwelling place of God in spirit” (Eph 2:21-22). and they shall take away the daily sacrifices – more literally “they shall take away the continual offering,” hat·tā·mîḏ, as we discussed in Dan 8:11, this refers to the efficacy of baptism to remit sins, after the spirit of truth was taken from the Church. and they shall put the abomination of desolation – the holy place of God was made desolate when the spirit of truth was taken away. |
| 32 Such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he pervert by flatteries; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and do [exploits]. |
| Dan 11:32 he shall corrupt with flattery – more literally, he shall “pollute” ya·ḥă·nîp̄, with flattery.” This is the pollution of the Church described in verse 31, “he shall pollute the sanctuary of strength.” the people who know their God shall be strong – those who retain the teachings of the Apostles. |
| 33 Those who are wise among the people shall instruct many; yet they shall fall by the sword and by flame, by captivity and by spoil, [many] days. |
| Dan 11:33 for many days – days in Daniel are always years, and the implication here is “many years.” The corruption of the Church by Satan would continue for many years. (This puts Antiochus Epiphanes completely out of the scope of this prophecy, as he attacked Jerusalem only 3 years before he died). they shall fall by the sword – Satan, through the Red Dragon, the military power of Rome, persecuted the saints (Rev 12:13-15). and flame – the many who were burned at the stake for centuries. |
| 34 Now when they shall fall, they shall be helped with a little help; but many shall join themselves to them with flatteries. |
| Dan 11:34 but many shall join them with intrigue – or hypocrisy (NASB). In other words, there will be many false sheep (Matt 10:16; Acts 20:29). |
| 35 Some of those who are wise shall fall, to refine them, and to purify, and to make them white, even to the time of the end; because it is yet for the time appointed. |
| Dan 11:35 some of the wise will stumble – human wisdom is not sufficient for advancement in the kingdom of heaven. purify them and make them white – through the process of salvation, see also Dan 12:10, which repeats this phrase. |
