Bible Lessons

From: Messages of God's Love: 1936

Daniel 11:40-12:4⁴⁰And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. ⁴¹He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. ⁴²He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. ⁴³But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. ⁴⁴But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. ⁴⁵And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. ¹And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. ²And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. ³And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. ⁴But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. (Daniel 11:40‑12:4)

“At the time of the end” (vase 40) carries the reader on to a time immediately before the Lord’s appearing. The seven-year period forming the last of the seventy weeks foretold in Daniel 9:24²⁴Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. (Daniel 9:24) will be nearing its end, when the king of the south (Egypt) will attack the false king of the Jews. The king of the north (Turkey, with certain allies, as it would appear) will then invade the south with a great force moving very fast before which resistance will be difficult. He will enter into other countries, and pass over to “the glorious land” (the land of Israel), but Edom; and Moab and the chief of the children of Ammon will escape. Egypt, Libya and Ethiopia fall into his hands. Isaiah 28, and the judgment of “Ariel” (Jerusalem) in the 29th chapter; also Zechariah 12 and 14, should be read in connection with what is given in the book of Daniel, but many other passages may be profitably examined, as the king of the north of the last days is repeatedly referred to in Old Testament prophecies as the Assyrian”.

While the victor is far south of Israel’s land, news that troubles him will come out of the east and the north. Whatever it may be (for Scripture does not tell), it causes the king of the north to return northward with great fury (verse 44). He will proceed to Jerusalem, and there, or near there, he and his armies will come to their end. (See Isaiah 30:3³Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion. (Isaiah 30:3)). For the Lord will then have descended and delivered His earthly saints out of the hands of their enemies, and the false king will have been judged.

Chapter 12 Continues the subject of the last six verses of chapter 11, viz., “the time of the end.” God’s word gives the names of but two angels, Gabriel, named in chapters S and 9 and in Luke 1; and Michael (chief prince or archangel) in chapters 10 and 12, in the Epistle of Jude, and Rev. 12.

The believer is warned in Col. 2:18¹⁸Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, (Colossians 2:18) against the worshiping of angels, and Hebrews 1:14¹⁴Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? (Hebrews 1:14) tells their office as ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation. In the day now near at hand, Michael will be engaged in a new work for Israel, looking to their restoration and blessing. Satan will oppose, as he always does, but he cannot thwart the work of God.

Verses 2 and 3 speak not of resurrection, but of a work of God in the souls of the spiritually dead children of Israel in which some of them will be used for the blessing of others. (See Ezekiel 36-37).

Daniel (verse 4) is to seal the book; John (Rev. 22:10¹⁰And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. (Revelation 22:10)) was not to seal the book committed to him, and the reason is given. As to Daniel, the words were for Israel at the time of the end; when they again become the earthly people of God, and are passing through the great tribulation, the prophecies will be understood by them.

ML 09/06/1936

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