Daniel Chapter 10

I shall take a few verses of this chapter to mark the position of Daniel, when he received this answer, and the circumstances by which this reply was introduced.

We shall find, dear friends, some instructive circum stances at the commencement, in the position of Daniel, and in the state of his soul. God also notices this, for the man clothed in linen says to him, ver. 12, “Fear not, Daniel,” &c. The position of Daniel was that of affliction in the presence of his God.

The date of the third year of Cyrus, ver. 1 — 3, is important, because the Jews (the remnant at least) had returned to their land, from the first year of the reign of this prince; so that it could not be the captivity of Babylon, which occupied Daniel’s heart at the moment. He had remained at Babylon after the departure of a great number of these Jews for the land of Canaan; but the people were not at all in the state which the prophetical spirit of Daniel could recognize as the fulfilment of blessings; and the consequence of this is, that the prophetical Spirit of Christ in Daniel is still occupied with the state of this people, and can in no wise content itself, even although there was a certain degree of blessing with them. Cyrus had done much, as we may learn from 2 Chron. xxxvi, 22, and Ezra i. The decree to rebuild had already been given in the first year of his rein. Bvkt *Sba Spirit of God had caused Daniel to range over the whole period of tie Gentiles, and he well understood, though there had been a kind of deliverance, — some relief through the goodness of God, — a little refreshment from above, — that nothing was really accomplished of the divine promises. It was impossible that the prophetic Spirit of Christ in Daniel’s person, should remain tranquil, while awaiting the accomplishment of the intentions of God’s love to His people so that Daniel was then, as if the captivity were not over, bowing down His soul before Him.

There had been, on the occasion of rebuilding the temple, features of sorrow in another quarter, Ezra iii. The elders of the people, who had seen the old temple, wept, and at the same time, the younger, who had not known it, uttered cries of joy. And this sorrow is often felt in like circumstance by those who have apprehended the divine counsels, either as to what God had set up at the beginning, or what He will yet set up. Like Daniel, they weep in the midst of the blessings in which consists the joy of those who only think of the present moment. The cries of joy prevailed without, for it is said, these cries were heard afar off; but amongst the people present, they knew not which to distinguish. But at Jerusalem, as well as at Babylon, he who had a sense, however imperfect, of what the state of the people of God ought to be, would not fail to recognize their wretched condition in the midst of these joyful exclamations. Neh. ix, 36, “Behold, we are servants this day and for the land... behold we are servants in it.” Ver. 37, “And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us,” &c. And yet these Persian kings to whom Nehemiah alludes were altogether favourable. It is true there was cause of anguish; at one time the counsels of God prevailed, and at another, those of Satan, in hindering the rebuilding; but generally speaking, the kings of Persia were favourable to the Jews. But so long as the Gentiles were holding dominion over the people of God, it was impossible that the Spirit of God in the prophet could allow that the designs of God, regarding His people, had been accomplished. He could bless Him for all the good that existed, but even when the decree had gone forth, the elders wept; Nehemiah said, “we are servants,” &c.; and Daniel continued to afflict his soul before God.

We often find in Scripture some apparently little circumstance, which is an index to us of the thoughts of the Spirit of God. Thus the date of the third of Cyrus opens a field of interesting thought; for the position in which Daniel was found enabled God, so to speak, to continue to reveal to him His intentions about the people. Evidently God had separated Daniel from the things which were doing for the momentary resettling of the people, that He might lead His heart still onward to the “end of the indignation,” which really still subsisted.

There is also another subject of instruction here, which I would not omit. I allude to the actings of God by means of angels, and how there were demons who sought to hinder the ministry of the providence of God, as to His people. Ver. 12. “Fear not,” says the angel to Daniel, “for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.” Nevertheless, the answer of God, by the angel, did not arrive until three weeks after. Then the angel relates to Daniel how this happened, and the difficulties he had to encounter at the court of Persia, by the opposition of the prince of the kingdom against the Jews, and that Michael, one of the chief princes, had come to help him. Daniel had known nothing of all this. God, in this way, exercises the obedience of His angels, andp at tila «&seba *ca&& % puts the faith of His servants to the test. Thus, t is Daniel preoccupied with his people, and with glory of God in their midst; he cannot content hir with anything short of the accomplishment of the mises, and therefore he humbles and identifies hir with the misery and affliction of the people, accor to the Spirit of Him who said, “In all their affli< He was afflicted.” Then God, who has given servant grace thus to behave, acts from on hig reveal ail His purpose to him, putting, at the i time, his patience to the proof, whilst the angel is bating at the court of Persia. I have no doubt the same for us; God also puts our faith to the It is not that He does not hear and answer (He ki perfectly beforehand what the end will be), but will see if faith goes to the end of the difficulty, then He answers. Faith, which is much more pre< than gold which perisheth, is thus put througl trial, and “found unto praise ... at the appearii Jesus Christ.” In another view we see the exerci the angels in the government of God.

Ver. 14. “Now I am come to make thee under* what shall befall thy people in the latter days.” is the answer to the affliction of Daniel, but an an not yet to be accomplished. There are two wa judging of the thoughts of God as to His people, first is, to consider the condition in which God placed them in the beginning, — how He had fo and fashioned them of old: the second, is to con (in what state the Church will be found, or to ex it in reference to the case of Daniel) in what cone the people of God will be found at the end, when shall have accomplished His counsels concerning t when the Lord comes.

Thus, when Daniel considered the actual cone of his people, they might be found to possess i blessings from God, and chastisements also; bu thoughts of the prophet, or spiritual man, would be either towards the state in which God had placed them, in the beginning, or towards that in which they will be found at the end. The same may be said of man in the abstract. If I think of my actual condition, I may advert back either to Adam without sin, or I may look forward to the resurrection state, in which 1 shall be hereafter, and realise in spirit either the one or the other 5 and compare my present state with the state of Adam in innocence, or of Christ in glory. So with the Church and the Jew. If I consider the latter, when first established in his privileges, or at the end, in the glory of the Messiah, both the one and the other evidences the state of imperfection which existed at the time of their return from the Babylonish captivity. Again, if I consider the Church at the beginning, I see the effect of the power of the Spirit of God, but I can also, by examining the promises of God, view the Church when she will be in glory with Christ; and in either case her present weakness is apparent. Daniel did these two things. In his confession, in chap, ix, he had considered much more the past condition of the people, whilst here it is much more their future: such as will ensue at the conclusion of the trials of chap. xii.

The introduction of Michael, the great prince, who standeth for the. people of God, necessarily leads us on to the occurrences at the end, according to the counsels of which he assures the accomplishment. The actual circumstances they were in, give the leading idea; he begins from that time, and goes on until the time when the counsels of God should be brought to pass.

We only need touch upon the historical part. The Persian and Grecian empires form the framework of the historical narrative, but the object of the prophecy, as may be seen, ver. 14, is, what was to take place in the latter days. Verse 20.” Then said he, Knowest thou ^kaxsfcss

I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come.” These two empires are viewed in relation to the people of God. They were, as we know, the second and third monarchies. The first part of the history of the third or Grecian is given us in chap, xi, I — 4; these verses giving the connecting link of this monarchy with that of Persia.

After its (the Grecian) establishment under the first powerful king, it was divided into four parts. We have already had some notices of it. The two principal kings were those of the north and south; principal, not alone in regard to their power, but because either the one or the other had always possession of the land of Canaan. This is why they are introduced here; the history of the Holy Land, and of the people of God, after the establishment of the Greek or third monarchy, occupies the mind of the Spirit. Every one is agreed that as to these kings, it is a history of the Ptolemies and Seleucidse, and the history is so exact, that unbelievers have sometimes said that Daniel was written after the events.

At verse 20, we come to the history of the last of these kings. I do not say that what is here related of him will be accomplished at the end; but at all events he is the type of that which will take place at the end. It is not my object to enter into all the details of the historical part; he makes an expedition against the king of the south, then a second, (xi, 29). I pass by the details also of these two kings. “At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former (expedition) nor as the latter.” “For (ver. 30) the ships of Chittim shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved and shall return.”

Here the power of the west (Chittim) is introduced into this history of the two monarchies. The people of God were situated between the kings of the north and south, exactly as lately the Holy Land became an object of contest between Mahomet Ali and the Sultan.

Now, on the occasion of the last expedition here noticed, (chap, xi,) these ships of Chittim arrive on the scene. A power from the west mixes itself up with these two eastern powers, viz., the king of the north and the king of the south, — some power from the other coast of the Mediterranean, whether Italy or Greece. But further, we also find apostates from the holy covenant. Thus there are, first, Jews allowed to be the objects of the covenant of God, and those who are apostates to it; secondly, those from the west, north of the Mediterranean, who enter into the previous quarrel; and by these new elements, the scene is completely changed: then in ver. 31, we have the last of these kings, viz., of the kings of the north, brought before us. “And arms shall stand on his. part,” or more literally “forces (arms) shall rise from (out of ) him.” The expression “shall rise from him,” or “shall come from him,” may be used in two senses. A king’s lieutenant, — one who takes his place as commandant, or one who succeeds him in the government “Arms shall rise from him, and they (the arms) shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, (or, which is the fortress,) and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and shall place the abomination which maketh desolate.”

This verse is of the highest importance, as giving us an anticipative figure of the last indignation. The Lord Jesus has drawn our particular attention to this in Matt, xxiv, and at ver. 21 of chap, xii, of this prophecy, the calculation, which serves to mark the time of blessing, sets out from the event here prefigured. “And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abommatioivXi.m^^^R»^ s&fc set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days,” &c., &c.

But to return to verse 31 of chapter xi, as to the “forces which shall rise;” it will be some one who will come on the part of the king of the north, (I do not say who will be the king of the north) — some one will come on the part of him who will be the king of the north in these times, — who will introduce his forces — his arms into the holy place, who will defile the sanctuary, and who will place “the abomination which causeth desolation.”

As to history, this is evidently what did take place. It was the generals of Antiochus Epiphanes who defiled the sanctuary. That was by no means the accomplishment, otherwise the Lord would not have spoken of the event as future. A long time after the reign of this king, the Lord Jesus came into the world and spoke of this prophecy as yet to be. But we have another proof of the time when these things will take place; a proof which is connected with the Lord’s word in Matt. xxiv. In Dan. xii, 1, we read, “And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation,” <fcc.; and the Lord Himself speaks exactly thus concerning the same time; and then the people of God are to be delivered, an event which had not taken place in the time of Jesus, nor has it yet.

It is clear that we must put aside any Christian circumstances, because it is plainly stated that the trouble shall happen to the people of Daniel in the last days. Now we are not the people of Daniel, and these last days have not yet occurred to them. The verse speaks of arms — forces which come from this king, and which defile the sanctuary, take away the daily sacrifice, and place the abomination which causeth desolation.

All this, while a most important pre-figuring of the results of the last days, in more than one particular, was literally accomplished in Antiochus Epiphaues, the king of the north. Here for the moment we drop these kings, and the prophet proceeds with the general history. Verses 82, 33, “And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries.”

The king of the north “will corrupt those who do wickedly against (or as to) the covenant,*’ viz., those Jews who are not true to Jewish hopes; he will incite them to apostacy; for this is the force of the word rendered by “he will corrupt,” “but the people that do know their God, shall be strong and do exploits.” Here we have a division of Jews into true and false, and the developement of good and evil. But we must note, that ver. 33, “they that understand among the people shall instruct many,” are the same class as those spoken of, chap, xii, 3, 10, and also xi, 85; they are the maskilims, or persons instructed in the mind of God, and are a class of persons apart. Thus, at the end, also, there will be a remnant of Jews, not only those who are spared in general, but persons instructed in the mind of God; and we find the same specially distinguished in Isaiah lxv, lxvi, besides those who will escape the judgment executed against the wicked ones. These understanding ones among the people (ver. 33) shall teach the multitude, (the many, the mass,) or will give instruction to them. I translate the Hebrew word into “the multitude” (the mass) because the word many of the text, has the article in Hebrew, as if one said the many; and the article, in my judgment, throughout these chapters, is special, (x)

“Yet they shall fall by the sword and by flame, by captivity and by spoil, many days.” Such is the condition of the people. The maskilim are noticed in ver. 35,” Now when they shall fall, they shall be

(x) The passages [found with the article are ix, 27; xi, 33, 39; xii, 3. In chap, xi, 34, 44; and xii, 4, 10, it is not so.

holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries. And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.” The trial of faith will be through them, for as faithful Jews, one should have supposed, that such as these might surely count on the help of God; for they have been encouraging others to “trust in the Lord.” Nevertheless, some of these are to fall, and then, unless faith is very strongV the others will say, “Where is their God?” as in Psalms xlii, xliii, which express, in the language of the Spirit of Christ, the anguish of the remnant, of whom their enemies say,” Where is their God?’(y) And when these understanding ones fall, who had hope in Him, the unbelievers will say, there is no intervention of God in their behalf; but these judgments being appointed, the people are left, speaking generally, throughout the period, to go through them, and to undergo the consequence of their position.

Now Christ, in Matt, xxiv, speaks of these times as accomplished, according to Dan. xii, in the last days. First in general of the things (taking, as an occasion, His announcement of the destruction of the Temple) which were to take place after His death; He speaks first of these times in general, and then gives, as the starting point of the last sorrows, the similar event, viz., the moment when the times and the law are delivered into the hand of the little horn, — of the king who, during 1260 days, does “his own will;” — the moment, namely, when the abomination of desolation is set up in the holy place: an event under and after Antiochus with the Roman dominion which marks the introduction of the final desolation of Jerusalem.

(j/) Compare the case of our blessed Lord on the cross.

After this general history of the etate of the Jewsy the idolatrous and wicked king is introduced, in ver. 36. “And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every God,” &c. Ver. 37, “Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women,” that is, the Messiah who had been promised, “nor regard any God: for he shall magnify himself above all.” This is the wicked one. Ver. 38, “But in hia estate (z) shall he honour the God of forces;” viz., in the place of the true God he shall honour Mahuzzim for God — some idolatry; for Mahuzzim signifies fortresses, or high places fortified. There is probably some connection between this and the forces of war upon which the king reckons. “And a God whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold,” &c. It is to some invention of a god that he does this. Ver. 38, 39, “Thus shall he do in the most strongholds (Muhuzzim) with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many (the many), and shall divide the land for gain.”

A difficulty here presents itself; “he shall cause them to rule over the many.” Who are they whom he shall cause to rule? It appears that he will establish certain powers in connection with these false gods, and he will be there with these Mahuzzim in these fortresses, and then it will be the instruments of his power, who will join themselves to him; he will make them (the instruments) rule over the mass of Jews, and he will divide their land into lots, as a recompense. This seems to be, so far, the history of this king.

It is remarkable how he is introduced quite sud-

(z) Rendered by the author “in his place,” or “instead.** — Translator. denly. We must ever remember that when the prophet is occupied with the purposes of God towards His people at “the end of the indignation,” it is in connection with the kings of the north and south, and with the land of Palestine, His own land, which lies between them; and that in the latter day, when the people will be under the divine judgments in that very land, there will be a small faithful remnant, who hold fast by the Holy Covenant, when the great mass are ready to apostatize. This is the subject which the Spirit brings forward; and inasmuch as the wicked one, this king, will be found in these countries, he is introduced as mixed up with these kings of the north and south.

In the New Testament, the sources of wickedness are quite different; for the Spirit of God there considers the moral condition of Christendom, when the apostacy arises, and in consequence, the wicked one is pourtrayed as a public apostate; but evidently it is the same person. In chap, vii (a) we saw the western power, viz., head of the last monarchy, — the little horn of the fourth beast, whilst here the king is seen who has to do geographically with the Eastern countries, and is among the Jewish people. I shall quote two other passages where this idea of the king is found. Observe, he is not called the king of the north, though geographically within his territory; he is called the king, because in the eyes of the prophet he holds that position. He it is, who exalts himself and pretends to be the king and the pastor of the people of God: a pretender, and a bad one, to these two offices: but as such he will present himself, and he is so called in Isa. xxx, 33: “Yea, for the king it is prepared.” Consult also Isa. lvii, 9; “Thou wentest to the king with

(a) The question relative to the two beasts of Rev. ziii would recur here.

ointment.” This passage speaks of the condition of the Jews, and of the accusations of God against them. Both these portions touch upon the history of the Antichrist after he has become king.

There is one more observation needed, that we may be able to link this remarkable parenthesis (in which the king is introduced on account of his connection with the kings of the north and south) with the rest of the chapter; it is that from ver. 21 to the end of ver. 35, the prophet is always speaking of the same person, whilst from ver. 36 to the end of ver. 39, we have the history of this extraordinary king himself. These last verses designate the Antichrist properly; and my opinion is, that from ver. 21 to the end of ver. 35, it is the king of the north, but who is also the type of Antichrist. I mention this, because many persons who have studied the chapter find great difficulty in deciding whether the history of the Antichrist begins at ver. 21 or at ver. 36. It is the same person from ver. 21 to ver. 35; and he was a type of Antichrist, even Antiochus Epiphanes.

The Spirit of God makes no mention of those who followed him; it was he who furnished the typical circumstances, and which necessarily, therefore, partially answered to the prophecy. But in verse 36, the Spirit speaks of the Antichrist himself, “the king shall do according to his will;” before this, I judge, they are typical circumstances which apply to Antichrist.

I hope we understand, that, although we are a part of the fourth monarchy (materially not spiritually), these prophecies relate immediately and simply to the Jewish people, — the people of Daniel in the latter days. The Antichrist is the link between this history and ours; for it is the spirit of the apostacy described in 2 Thessalonians, which is the effective source of the conduct of this last king, here presented to usp v^Vsjs* connection with the Jews in the East; but who, morally speaking, is allied with those who have abandoned Christianity, or the light now existing. He is found allied to the Jews at the beginning of his connection with them; afterwards he will deny them, and set up himself as God.

May God preserve us from all trace and appearance of that spirit which will shew itself in these days in opposition, whether against the Almighty and Most High God, or against the Lord Jesus, the Prince of princes. May He keep us in humility of heart, giving our affections to the Lord Jesus; so shall we be safe. If we are content to be nothing and Jesus everything, we shall be guarded by Him, for Him, and for ever.