Context No. 3918 of 4322 · Daniel (Greek)

Daniel (Greek) 11:36-45: in context

36“The king will do according to his will. He will exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and will speak marvelous things against the God of gods. He will prosper until the indignation is accomplished; for what is determined will be done. 37He won’t regard the gods of his fathers, or the desire of women, or regard any god; for he will magnify himself above all. 38But in his place he will honor the god of fortresses. He will honor a god whom his fathers didn’t know with gold, silver, precious stones, and pleasant things. 39He will deal with the strongest fortresses by the help of a foreign god. He will increase with glory whoever acknowledges him. He will cause them to rule over many, and will divide the land for a price. 40“At the time of the end, the king of the south will contend with him; and the king of the north will come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, with horsemen, and with many ships. He will enter into the countries, and will overflow and pass through. 41He will enter also into the glorious land, and many countries will be overthrown; but these will be delivered out of his hand: Edom, Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. 42He will also stretch out his hand against the countries. The land of Egypt won’t escape. 43But he will have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt. The Libyans and the Ethiopians will be at his steps. 44But news out of the east and out of the north will trouble him; and he will go out with great fury to destroy and utterly to sweep away many. 45He will plant the tents of his palace between the sea and the glorious holy mountain; yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.

This prophecy describes a king who does as he pleases, exalting himself above every god, even speaking astonishing things against the God of gods. He magnifies himself above all, honors force and fortresses as his gods, and seems, for a time, to prosper and prevail, sweeping through country after country.

But the prophecy ends with a few short, decisive words about him: he shall come to his end, with none to help him. However high he had exalted himself, his end was certain and his fall complete, deserted at the last. There is a sobering pattern here that runs through Scripture and history. The proud power that sets itself up against God, magnifying itself above all, may prosper for a season and seem unstoppable. But its triumph is temporary; its end is fixed, and when it comes, none of the strength it trusted, none of its allies, can help it. Self-exaltation against God always runs finally into the wall of his sovereignty. The tyrant who lifts himself above every god comes, in the end, to his end, alone and unhelped, while the God he defied endures forever.

Do I see through the apparent triumph of every power that exalts itself against God, remembering that its end is fixed and its fall certain, so that I neither fear it nor imitate its pride?

Sources

Daniel 11:36: "The king will do according to his will. He will exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and will speak marvelous things against the God of gods."
Daniel 11:45: "Yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him."
Daniel 11:37: "He won't regard the gods of his fathers... for he will magnify himself above all."