In The Word
Read: Daniel 11:2-20
2 And now I will tell you the truth. Behold, three more kings are going to arise in Persia. Then a fourth will gain far more riches than all of them; as soon as he becomes strong through his riches, he will stir up the entire empire against the realm of Greece. 3 And a mighty king will arise, and he will rule with great authority and do as he pleases. 4 But as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom will be broken up and parceled out toward the four points of the compass, though not to his own descendants, nor according to his authority which he wielded, because his sovereignty will be removed and given to others besides them.
5 “Then the king of the South will grow strong, along with one of his princes who will gain ascendancy over him and rule; his domain will be a great realm indeed. 6 And after some years they will form an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the South will come to the king of the North to reach an agreement. But she will not keep her position of power, nor will he remain with his power, but she will be given up, along with those who brought her in and the one who fathered her as well as he who supported her in those times.7 But one of the descendants of her line will arise in his place, and he will come against their army and enter the fortress of the king of the North, and he will deal with them and prevail. 8 And he will also take into captivity to Egypt their gods with their cast metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold, and he on his part will refrain from attacking the king of the North for some years. 9 Then the latter will enter the realm of the king of the South, but will return to his own land.
10 “And his sons will mobilize and assemble a multitude of great forces; and one of them will keep on coming and overflow and pass through, so that he may again wage war up to his fortress.11 And the king of the South will be enraged and go out and fight with the king of the North. Then the latter will raise a great multitude, but that multitude will be handed over to the former.12 When the multitude is carried away, his heart will be haughty, and he will cause tens of thousands to fall; yet he will not prevail.13 For the king of the North will again raise a greater multitude than the former, and after an interval of some years he will press on with a great army and much equipment.
14 “Now in those times many will rise up against the king of the South; the violent ones among your people will also raise themselves up to fulfill the vision, but they will fall down. 15 Then the king of the North will come, pile up an assault ramp, and capture a well-fortified city; and the forces of the South will not stand their ground, not even their choicest troops, for there will be no strength to make a stand. 16 But he who comes against him will do as he pleases, and no one will be able to withstand him; he will also stay for a time in the Beautiful Land, with destruction in his hand. 17 And he will set his mind on coming with the power of his entire kingdom, bringing with him a proposal of peace which he will put into effect; he will also give him the daughter of women to ruin it. But she will not take a stand for him or be on his side.18 Then he will turn his face to the coastlands and capture many. But a commander will put a stop to his taunting against him; moreover, he will repay him for his taunting. 19 So he will turn his face toward the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble and fall and not be found.
20 “Then in his place one will arise who will allow an oppressor to pass through the Jewel of his kingdom; yet within a few days he will be broken, though not in anger nor in battle.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
God showed Daniel that many nations and kingdoms would rise and fall. Many would try to seize earthly power. Some would succeed and some would fail. God prophesied to Daniel that there would be warring factions in the land. This reminds us of what Jesus said about the end of times, “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars” (Matthew 24:6). God was showing Daniel the same thing. In the end of times, there will be warring nations. The world will appear to be in chaos and nothing will be secure. But God assured Daniel that in the midst of the insecurities and chaotic times, one thing is certain: He is in control. We can learn from scripture that nothing happens without God’s approval. This is why in Matthew 24:6 Jesus goes on to say, “See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.” God is the One who reigns supreme. Nothing happens that is outside of the boundaries of His control. God is the One who gives power and takes power away. Nothing is out of God’s control.
Beloved, we need to be encouraged that, as we watch events unfold around us, we must not be afraid or confused. As children of God, we have a hope that is not in this world, but one that is in our heavenly Father. Our hope is in the One True Living God who is in complete control. What world event has you frightened? Put your trust in God. What situation in your life seems out of control? Put your trust in God. It is only by faith in God that we find security and peace in troubling times. Do not be concerned or frightened. Put your trust in God today.