The Regular Guys Bible Study

Daniel 11

• Ken Strickland • Season 9 • Episode 12

Share episode

Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.

0:00 | 25:42

Send us Fan Mail

We read Daniel 11 aloud and wrestle with a dense, detailed prophecy about power, pride, and God’s timing. We share why hard chapters still shape steady faith and how to keep reading when it feels like a blur.

• listener update and job reorg
• podcast download swings and consistency
• why reading hard scripture matters
• choosing NIV and reading Daniel 11 aloud
• north vs south and the Beautiful Land
• siege ramps, Masada, and ancient warfare
• history, commentaries, and dating of Daniel
• God’s sovereignty, appointed times, and true good
• endurance, refinement, and resisting with wisdom
• preview of Daniel 12 and invitation to return

Please come back for Daniel 12. Don’t be scared off by Daniel 11.


Welcome And Listener Update

SPEAKER_00

You are listening to the Regular Guys Bible Study Podcast, the Bible study for regular guys by regular guys. We are your host, Ken and Steve, and we are just regular guys studying the Bible together. Not theologians.

SPEAKER_01

How are you doing, Ken?

Reorg At Work And Trusting God

SPEAKER_00

You know what, Steve? I still have a job, and that's a good thing. So, yeah, we had a massive re-org at work.

SPEAKER_01

So, um, really?

SPEAKER_00

Oh, yeah. Um, I don't um and so I I did uh, you know, I've never met, I had never met the guy that I work for. A completely different organization. They moved us completely to a new organization. Um you know, um, we'll see. God has a plan.

SPEAKER_01

Is that good or bad?

SPEAKER_00

I don't know. Um yeah, I don't want to talk too much about it. It's all pretty private.

SPEAKER_01

Um is he one of your listeners?

SPEAKER_00

I don't know.

SPEAKER_01

Or she?

SPEAKER_00

Uh he'd say he, but uh I don't know. Anybody could be. Uh my listeners or our listeners, Steve. Our listeners. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

I mean, we had a dozen downloads this week. A dozen. Woo!

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I think uh it does matter when we skip a week. Um it really it does it does lag. But the week because the week before that we had like um what was it? Like 90 or something, something ridiculous.

SPEAKER_01

Was it that high? Yeah, it was definitely higher than a dozen.

Why Hard Scripture Still Matters

SPEAKER_00

It was a lot. Um, and then this past week was down, but um, but that's okay, guys. Look, our goal is that you read your Bible um and that you don't have to have people read it for you. Um when we read the Bible.

SPEAKER_01

That's what you're getting today.

Setting Up Daniel 11 In NIV

SPEAKER_00

That's pretty much what you're getting today. Um, Daniel 11 is is tough. Um it is very tough. Um it's long. It's for a for a non historical expert. This is this is um it's a trying chapter, but please go read it. Um, you know, um where does it say I should have looked this up? All um all scripture is God breathed and useful for teaching and reproof or something like that. I thought it was rebuke, but okay. Um probably a different translation, but at any at any rate, um you know there are there will be times, guys, when you're reading your Bible and you read something and it means nothing to you. Um and there will be This might be one of those times. It could be, but you know what? There are other times when you'll read that same passage and God will reveal something to you about himself or about how you relate to him, or you will have an epiphany, and you could have an epiphany um from God through scripture like Daniel 11.

SPEAKER_01

So don't maybe we'll get one tonight.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, it's possible. So but um my point is don't ignore scripture like this. I know it's um it's really easy for us sometimes to go, well, I don't want to read Lamentations because that's boring. But you know what? You do need to read Lamentations. Um you don't need to read it every day, uh, but you do need to read it. Understand what God's Word says.

SPEAKER_01

Funny you say that. Part of Lamentations I actually relate to the most.

SPEAKER_00

Because your head is laminated looking.

SPEAKER_01

No, it's so close to reality. Uh isn't that the one where there's a time to die? No, that's that's no, that's a that's Ecclesiastes or Ecclesiastes. Sorry, yep, wrong book. Great, but numbers, now there's one.

SPEAKER_00

Don't worry, yeah, yeah. Don't worry though, Steve. I'm gonna edit that out and so you won't sound stupid.

SPEAKER_01

Great. That's not true. All right, still sounds stupid.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. All right, so what we're gonna do, guys, this is a really long chapter. Steve and I are gonna read just a paragraph at a time, but we're actually gonna start in verse two. Two NIV. In the NIV translation, because that's a little bit easier to read. It doesn't really change the meaning of anything, but we're gonna read the NIV. Um, we're gonna do a paragraph at a time. We're gonna go through the whole thing, and then we've got a few words to say about it. You ready for this?

SPEAKER_01

I'm ready.

SPEAKER_00

All right, let's go.

SPEAKER_01

Now then, I will reveal the truth to you.

SPEAKER_00

That is not reading.

SPEAKER_01

Three more person kings.

SPEAKER_00

You are not reading NIV.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, you're right. It's an LT.

SPEAKER_00

Wow. What? We come to an agreement finally. You know, we spend all this time coming to an agreement, and then that's what you do to me.

Reading Daniel 11 Aloud

SPEAKER_01

Oh, well, I knew that looked different than what I'd been reading. I was like, man, these paragraphs are really small. Okay, here we go again.

SPEAKER_00

Alrighty. Daniel chapter 11.

SPEAKER_01

Now then I tell you the truth. Three more kings will arise in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. When he has gained power by his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece. Then a mighty king will arise who will rule with great power and do as he pleases. After he is arisen, his empire will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the power he exercised, because his empire will be uprooted and given to others.

SPEAKER_00

The king of the south will become strong, but one of his commanders will become even stronger than he and will rule his own kingdom with great power. After some years they will become allies. The daughter of the king of the south will go to the king of the north to make an alliance, but she will not retain her power, and he and his power will not last. In those days she will be betrayed together with her royal escort, and her father and the one who supported her.

SPEAKER_01

One from her family line will arise to take her place. He will attack the forces of the king of the north and enter his fortress. He will fight against them and be victorious. He will seize their gods, their metal images, and their valuable articles of silver and gold, and carry them off to Egypt. For some years he will leave the king of the north alone. Then the king of the north will invade the realm of the king of the south, but will retreat to his own country. His sons will prepare for war and assemble a great army which will sweep on like an irresistible flood and carry the battle as far as his fortress.

SPEAKER_00

Then the King of the South will march out in a rage and fight against the King of the North, who will raise a large army, but it will be defeated. When the army is carried off, the king of the south will be filled with pride and will slaughter many thousands. Yet he will not remain triumphant, for the king of the north will muster another army larger than the first, and after several years he will advance with a huge army fully equipped.

SPEAKER_01

In those times many will arise against the king of the south. Those who are violent among your own people will rebel in fulfillment of the vision, but without success. Then the king of the North will come and build up siege ramps and will capture a fortified city. The forces of the south will be powerless to resist, even their best troops will not have the strength to stand. The invader will do as he pleases. No one will be able to stand against him. He will establish himself in the beautiful land and will have the power to destroy it. He will determine to come with the might of his entire kingdom and will make an alliance with the king of the south, and he will give him a daughter in marriage in order to overthrow the kingdom, but his plans will not succeed or help him. Then he will turn his attention to the coastlands and take many of them, but a commander will put an end to his insolence and will turn his insolence back on him. After this he will turn back toward the fortress of his own country, but will stumble and fall to be seen no more.

SPEAKER_00

I'll do two paragraphs here. In a few years, however, he will he will be destroyed, yet not in anger or in battle. He will be succeeded by a contemptible person who has not yet been given the honor of royalty. He will invade the kingdom when its people feel secure, and he will seize it through intrigue. Then an overwhelming armor army will be swept away before him, both it and a prince of the covenant will be destroyed. After coming to an agreement with him, he will act deceitfully, and with only a few people he will rise to power. When the richest provinces feel secure, he will invade them and will achieve what neither his fathers nor his forefathers did. He will distribute plunder, loot, and wealth among his followers. He will plot the overthrow of fortresses, but only for a time.

SPEAKER_01

With a large army he will stir up his strength and courage against the king of the south. The king of the south will wage war with a large and very powerful army, but he will not be able to stand because of the plots devised against him. Those who eat from the king's provisions will try to destroy him. His army will be swept away, and many will fall in battle. The two kings, with their hearts bent on evil, will sit at the same table and lie to each other, but to no avail, because an end will still come at the appointed time. The king of the north will return to his own country with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant. He will take action against it and then return to his own country.

SPEAKER_00

At the appointed time he will invade the south again, but this time the outcome will be different from what it was before. Ships of the western coastlands will oppose him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back and vent his fury against the holy covenant. He will return and show favor to those who forsook who forsake the holy covenant.

SPEAKER_01

His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and abolish the daily sacrifice. They will set up an abomination that causes desolation. With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him.

SPEAKER_00

Those who are wise will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered. When they fall, they will receive a little help, and many who are not sincere will join them. Some of the wise will stumble, so that they will be refined, purified, and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.

SPEAKER_01

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. He will show no regard for the gods of his ancestors or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god but will exalt himself above them all. Instead of them he will honor a god of fortresses, a god unknown to his ancestors, he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. He will attack the mightiest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him. He will make them rulers over many people, and will distribute the land at a price.

SPEAKER_00

At the time of the end, at the time of the end the king of the south will engage him in battle, and the king of the north will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood. He will also invade the beautiful land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab, and the leaders of Amon will be delivered from his hand. He will extend his power over many countries. Egypt will not escape. He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver, and all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Cushites in submission, but reports from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will set out in a great rage to destroy and annihilate many. He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at the beautiful holy mountain, yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.

SPEAKER_02

Woo Alright, Steve.

SPEAKER_01

So one of my problems with reading this is trying to keep it straight in my head of the north, the south, the north, the south, the north, the south.

SPEAKER_02

Yep.

SPEAKER_01

And it's not that it doesn't say it clearly, it does. It's just it all blurs together for me.

SPEAKER_00

It really does, especially you know, at first in the first few paragraphs, it's kind of it's but then they start um building siege ramps. When they get into the siege ramps and the very these details, it starts getting really mixed up for me.

Siege Ramps And Masada Anecdote

SPEAKER_01

I think that was verse 15. Yeah. Builds uh uh because I actually had a note on that one. The king of the north will come and build up siege ramps and will capture a fortified city. So I went to Israel once and on the Dead Sea is this uh place called Masada. And it's way up on the top of a mountain hill, whatever you want to call it. And pretty defensible, really, because there was no way to get up there. Rome built a ramp in like seven days. They just moved dirt.

SPEAKER_00

Really?

SPEAKER_01

And you can still see this ramp, and you're like, they built that in seven days? That would take our road crews a year and a half to do with modern equipment. How did they build that in seven days?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, they probably didn't have to pass inspection.

SPEAKER_01

I think that's what it was. They didn't they also didn't have to do any sort of ecological studies, no ecological surveys.

SPEAKER_00

The the cave spiders, um, you know, they suffered through this, but uh no one cared.

SPEAKER_01

Um But I don't know that this was referring to Rome and all that, because that was post I believe that Rome invasion was post-Christ. I don't think that was uh pre-Christ. Uh and I think most of this is talking about like Alexander and then the Ptolemies.

SPEAKER_00

But it actually goes according to okay, so I did read um a um what's it called? A commentary on this thing. And I began to take notes while I was going through this commentary. And then you know what I did about a tenth of the way through the commentary on all this, I decided to throw away my notes because it's uh I don't know, it's all just talking about oh this somebody else's uh guess of what it might mean. Yes. And you know, honestly, a lot of it is um they're they seem fairly confident. Like there is one specific case. I should have written this one down. I should have kept this one actually, because I did have this one in my notes, but it was about the daughter of the South going to the north, or was it the daughter of the I don't know, whichever way she went.

SPEAKER_01

Um was that Laodice and Bernice?

History, Commentary, And Prophetic Timing

SPEAKER_00

I something like that. It was it's a it's something that happened um in history um that turned out exactly like this. Um and remember many people think or the modern view of Daniel is that it was written later um because of how accurate its depiction of the future was. So there is commentary about all the historical things that this points to. Um everywhere, yes, you can find that yourself. I I'm not sure the value of me going over the historical commentaries. Um you know, I just don't I I think what I can say from this is that um first of all, I do believe this was written when when they said it was written, um which is before all these things happened. Um and assuming that is true, since that is true, I'll say that, since that is true. God is an amazing God who knows the future, he knows it's more than knows, it's he plans the future, he knows and plans what will happen for his purpose, for his glory, and for our good. Um and you know, uh a lot of times we don't understand what good means when it comes to us for our good. Um we think that means we have no pain and no sorrow. Um but that's not necessarily what good is. Um even yeah, even the world has uh what's her name? Uh Kelly Clarkson song What Doesn't Kill Us Makes Us Stronger, you know? Yeah. I mean, even that that is evident in the world, and it is definitely true in our spiritual lives.

SPEAKER_02

I'm done with my soapbox, Steve.

SPEAKER_00

Now get on your soapbox.

God’s Sovereignty And Our Good

SPEAKER_02

You know.

SPEAKER_01

I I honestly I don't have a lot to say. The the whole ramp thing was the closest I got to any insight here.

SPEAKER_02

I yeah.

SPEAKER_01

It it feels like a lot of the book of Daniel talks about the same empires that are gonna come and go, and this is just in super high detail of some of that.

SPEAKER_00

It does go beyond what the previous uh visions had talked about, um, according to most scholars. And uh and actually some of the scholars say this actually goes to things that have not yet happened, um, to the very times and at times people think that there's this will happen again, and like Russia's the army of the north, and um you gotta wonder that.

SPEAKER_01

So when Trump and Putin sat down together, did do they sit there and tell each other lies like this said? Because it kind of fits.

SPEAKER_00

They are both politicians. So I don't know. That is just a comment about politicians. It's a comment about politicians, yes. Yeah, so you know, I know the scripture was long and I know it had a lot of details in it. And um honestly, this is going to be one of our shortest podcasts because we really don't know a lot to say about it. Um other than keep reading your Bible, read even things like this, um, and read commentaries about it. Yeah, read the commentaries, and you'll see that um these things happened.

How Far Does Daniel 11 Reach

SPEAKER_01

Um and it's it's interesting though, because the commentaries on this section are super long. Because it's interesting to them.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I mean, yeah, these are you know, these are historical experts who really enjoyed writing about this stuff. Because you're right. And the the reason I quit taking notes is uh I could not I could not see how we could talk about everything because uh it's it was a ton. But so I would say, yeah, I would encourage you to read the commentaries about this. It's really fascinating, especially if you are a history junkie. Um it's uh um I I'm not really a history junkie, but but I know people who are. Um there are some uh there are some uh what are they called? Autobiographies from historical uh historically famous people that I find uh pretty fascinating. Um that's a different that's a that's a self-reflective um historical view, which I think is pretty cool. Um so anyway, that's all I got, Steve. You got anything else?

SPEAKER_01

I got nothing.

Encouragement To Read And Return For Daniel 12

SPEAKER_00

All right. Um I think chapter 12 is um it is super short. It's pretty short. It is the last chapter in Daniel, and it's really about the end times. So um, you know, read it. Um you know, please come back. Don't don't don't be scared off by Daniel 11. Come back. We'll have some really awesome things to discuss about Daniel chapter 12. Don't you think?

SPEAKER_01

Yep.

SPEAKER_00

All right, I think so. Yep. But I haven't read it yet. Yeah, I haven't either. All right, guys, I'm so sorry, man. That's it. That's all we could come up with.

SPEAKER_01

Uh that's all, folks.

SPEAKER_00

All rights reserved.

Head Shot

Ken Strickland

Host
Contributor

Steve

Co-host