| The War with Iraq: One-Year Update Summary: 1. The prophecy of Daniel 11:40 appears to have been fulfilled, also part of Numbers 24:23-24, in the recent war with Iraq. Saddam Hussein and his cohorts were Assyrians. 2. Should this prophetic interpre-tation prove true, then Israel will be occupied next by Western troops. 3. The wars and other deeds of Antiochus IV Epiphanes from 171 to 168 B.C. have been and will be strikingly paralled by the acts of the End Times "king of the north," as Daniel 11 and Matthew 24 clearly show. Both eras include an "abomination of desolation." 1. It's been just over a year since I posted "Biblical Analysis of the coming War with Iraq." Predictions made in it have so far been substantiated: in 2003, Iraq was invaded and overrun, by Western maritime powers, "like a whirlwind, with chariots and with horsemen [= 'armored calvary': tanks and APCs], and with many ships." Daniel 11:40 The "countries" now occupied include all or parts of ancient Arabia, Chaldea, Babylonia, Assyria, and Media, as well as Afghanistan, overrun in late 2001/2. It is significant that the parallel End Times' prophecy of Balaam in Numbers 24:23-24 specifically mentions Asshur (Assyria) as the first people to be "afflicted." Much has been made of Saddam Hussein's claim to be a 'second Nebuchadnezzar,' i.e., a Babylonian and/or Chaldean. In reality, however, Hussein and nearly all of his top henchmen came from the vicinity of Tikrit. That area of Iraq is in the old realm of Assyria (Tikrit is about 65 miles downriver from the old capital city Asshur), not Babylon (about 150 miles farther south). Saddam and his kinsmen were feared and passionately hated because of their extreme cruelty and relishment of torture -- exactly as were their Assyrian ancestors. Both past and present, these people were noted for the pleasure they took in devising creative ways to inflict suffering. (The Babylonians, while ruthless, were not noted as a people that relished torture.) 2. According to Daniel 11:41f. and Numbers 24:24, "the glorious land," the people of Eber -- i.e., the land and people of Israel -- will be the next to be occupied by that power which invaded Assyria. After the Holy Land, Egypt is prophesied to fall under the authority of this power; and also, during these times, the "Libyans and Ethiopians." Dan. 11:42-43 The latter nation, in our day, is most likely the oil-rich country of Sudan. At present (mid-August 2003), none of these post-Iraq conquests have taken place. If / when they do, they will be an unmistakable signal that the "time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation" is imminent. Dan. 12:1 It is significant, in my view, that the Western powers are now concentrating on the so-called "Road Map for Peace" between Israel and the Palestinians -- which plan, so far, shows few signs of success in bringing a volun-tary end to hostilities between the two sides. The next 'logical' step could well be the introduction of Western troops to insure (secure, enforce) the provisions of the Road Map covenant. 3. Most Bible commentaries agree that the "vile king" of Daniel 11:21f. was Antiochus IV Epiphanes (r. 176 - 164/3 B.C.). He is generally believed to be a type of / forerunner to a latter-day Antichrist, in part because he "place[d in the Jerusalem Temple] the abomination that maketh desolate" in 168 B.C. Dan. 11:31 Jesus prophesied that the placing of another "abomination of desolation ... in the holy place" would immediately precede the Great Tribulation (= Daniel 12:2's "time of trouble"). See Matthew 24:15-22. Because of the parallels between the deeds of Antiochus and his End Times' successor,* it may well be significant that Antiochus invaded and occupied Jerusalem about two years before he ordered the Temple des- ecrated. (See 1 Maccabees 1:20-29f., 54-59.) His invasion, in turn, took place some time after he had invaded and conquered "the king of the south," Ptolemy VI of Egypt. (Dan. 11:25-26; 1 Macc. 1:16f. The 2003 invasion and conquest of Iraq was "the time of the end's" (Dan. 11:40) parallel to the former event.) The length of time between Antiochus's conquest of Egypt and his subsequent conquest of Jerusalem is not recorded. However, historians don't believe it was more than a year or so, in part because he occupied Jerusalem on his way back from Egypt. Therefore, should the End Times' scenario follow that of the time of Antiochus, and the prophetic interpreta-tion made in this and the previous post prove accurate, we should expect to see occupation forces in Israel no later that the Spring or early Summer of 2004, and the desecration take place in late 2005 or in 2006. It's not as clear when the hegemony of the Western powers will extend to encompass Egypt, Libya, and Sudan, but it probably won't be long before the desecration.** [Update May 2, 2006: Obviously, Israel was not occupied in 2004 by the West. Therefore, either this posited linkage to Antiochus is totally in error, or else it will be correct so far as parallel events are concerned, but not so far as timing.] ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Note such intimations in Daniel 11:27, 29, and 35. ** Daniel 11:29-31 prophesied (and historical sources verify) that Antiochus would again invade Egypt not long before committing his abomination of desolation. Here is the passage, with my understanding of it [interpolated]: At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former [successful invasion in ca. 171/0 B.C.], or as the latter[-day conquest of Egypt in the End Times]. For ships of Chittim [the Romans] shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant ... and they [his forces] shall place the abomination that maketh desolate." Daniel 11:29-31 In Antiochus's second invasion of Egypt, Roman envoy Popilius Laenas arrived with a fleet of ships. He commanded Antiochus to leave Egypt immediately, or else have war declared upon him by Rome. Humiliated ("grieved") but no fool, Antiochus complied; but then vented his fury against the Jews and their Temple. The year was 168 B.C. Two phrases in Daniel 11:29-31 are particularly significant with respect to the corresponding End Times' events. First, "at the time appointed he shall return": it is God who "hath determined the times before appointed" of "all nations." Acts 17:26 I believe God determined the times of the significant acts of Antiochus so as to pre-sage the corresponding latter-day timetable. "...it shall not be as the latter...": i.e., the latter-day conquest of the south -- Egypt, Libya, and Sudan -- will be successful, whereas the former was not. However, the text indicates that the latter invasion will, like the former, immediately precede an abomination of desolation. Like Antiochus, the king of the north will receive a "troubling" message, and "shall go forth with great fury" (11:44) following his invasion of the south. "And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace ... in the glorious holy mountain" (11:45), thereby committing an abomination of desolation. The parallels between the former and latter-day events are striking. Return to Index Go to "Biblical Analysis of the Coming War with Iraq" b/w |