Daniel 11:36 - Printer Friendly

ESV: "And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done.

NIV: "The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place.

NASB: Then the king will do as he pleases, and he will exalt himself and boast against every god and will speak dreadful things against the God of gods; and he will be successful until the indignation is finished, because that which is determined will be done.

CSB: "Then the king will do whatever he wants. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god, and he will say outrageous things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, because what has been decreed will be accomplished.

NLT: The king will do as he pleases, exalting himself and claiming to be greater than every god, even blaspheming the God of gods. He will succeed, but only until the time of wrath is completed. For what has been determined will surely take place.

KJV: And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.

NKJV: “Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done.

Prior segments of Daniel's prophecy (Daniel 10:1) associate well with historical events in Judea between the fourth and second centuries BC. From his perspective, everything being predicted was in the future. In the modern era, we see those fulfillments in the past. Starting here, however, the prophecy appears to shift to an even later stage. Some of what Daniel wrote implied dual fulfillment: an initial, partial realization that foreshadows complete fulfillment later. Much of the prior passage referred to Antiochus IV Epiphanes, whose reign of terror previews the end times figure known as the Antichrist.

In this segment, Daniel abruptly mentions a "king" who brazenly defies God, apparently including words of blasphemy. Opinions vary about the identity of this end-times "king." Like Cyrus (Daniel 8:4), Alexander the Great (Daniel 11:3), and Antiochus the Great (Daniel 11:16), this figure is marked by his self-centered will: he does what he wants. Later verses will note that this king is attacked "at the time of the end" (Daniel 11:40), suggesting that this phase of prophecy involves the very last days.

Because this king makes much of himself, he resembles the little horn of Daniel's earlier vision (Daniel 8:9–11), whose depictions also suggest Antiochus. Because he blasphemes, the king resembles the little horn of another prophecy (Daniel 7:25) and the first beast of John's end-times visions (Revelation 13:1, 5). Those who hold this view believe the king mentioned here may be the "Antichrist" of the end times.

It is important to note that Scripture never directly attaches the name "Antichrist" to anyone. Some Bible teachers prefer to apply the title "the Antichrist" to the false prophet: the second beast of Revelation chapter 13. The description of the king that Daniel gives here could be applied to either the first (Revelation 13:1, 5) or second (Revelation 13:11–17) beast of Revelation.

Daniel 11:36–45 is part of a prophecy given to Daniel; everything he was told was to occur after his own life. Viewed from the modern perspective, most of the predictions have been fulfilled in our past. In this passage, that viewpoint shifts to the future. In the last days before the final judgment, a time of tribulation, a notable figure will honor some kind of military god. He will be attacked by armies from the north, but the leader of those armies will hastily retreat to a location between the Mediterranean Sea and Israel, where he will perish.

This chapter is most easily understood in terms of the historical events which it predicts. These include the conflicts between Ptolemaic Egypt and the Seleucid Empire up through the second century BC. This mentions the infamous Antiochus IV Epiphanes and what eventually became the Maccabean Revolt. The last portion of prophecy looks to the end times: blasphemous rulers, an invasion from the north, and a major defeat.

Daniel is receiving a prophecy, in an encounter which began in chapter 10. The substance of that prophecy is mostly given in chapter 11. This predicts the major events relating to Judea leading up to the conquest of the Roman Empire. It also begins to speak of end-times events. This leads to chapter 12 and the final prophetic remarks given to Daniel. Chapter 11 connects to other prophetic segments of Scripture such as Ezekiel 38 and Joel 2. Occurrences recorded here are also used by Jesus to depict end times events (Matthew 24:15).

The book of Daniel contains famous Old Testament stories and prophecies. Daniel was taken from the Israelite people and made an advisor for a conquering empire. He demonstrates faithfulness and wisdom during many years serving in this role. Though Daniel does not deliver a public message, Jesus refers to him as a "prophet" (Matthew 24:15). The first portion of the book mostly describes Daniel's interpretations of dreams and other events. The second portion looks ahead to the end times. Daniel is classified in English Bibles as a "major" prophet, meaning the book is relatively long and the content has broad implications. The book of Revelation echoes and expands on many of the same themes.