INDIGNATION AGAINST THE
HOLY COVENANT
Daniel 11:27 And both these kings’ hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed. 28 Then shall he return into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do exploits, and return to his own land. 29 At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter. 30 For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant. 31 And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. 32 And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. 33 And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. 34 Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries. 35 And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.
These specific events, precisely set forth hundreds of years before they occur, reveal that in order to purge and sanctify the Lord’s people, just prior to the appearance of Messiah on earth, God shall raise up “a vile person.” Daniel 11:21 And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. And now, thousands of years after these events have accurately taken place, we know that person to have been Antiochus Epiphanies. He was a severe scourge to the Jews, obtaining his authority over that world by lies, flatteries, and bribes of places of worldly honor and high position.
Notice in verse thirty of our text that his indignation of God’s holy covenant that history reveals was matched by even the high priests in Jerusalem, of whom it was also said they “forsake the holy covenant.” And it was through this unholy alliance that the “abomination that maketh desolate” was placed in the temple of God. It is reported that it was a statue of Jupiter Olympus. Our Lord preached a warning of this. Matthew 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
And to what purpose is this “vile person” to the Lord’s people? Read verse thirty-five in our above listed text. And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed. It was for the purpose of purging and purifying in order that they may receive the soon coming Messiah. 1 Peter 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
John the Baptist preached of this, and of the needed preparations of the heart to receive him. Luke 3:6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. 7 Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 9 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 10 And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?11 He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise. 12 Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? 13 And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you. 14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.
For it is only those with clean hands and pure hearts who shall be allowed to ascend unto the holy heights of spirituality. Psalm 24:3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? 4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. 5 He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6 This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.
Psalm 24:7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. 10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.
Luke 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without (any farther provision for) sin unto (a full and perfected) salvation.
We are also struck by the awareness of the multiple occurrences of the word “end” in chapters eleven and twelve of Daniel. It is listed eleven times from Daniel 11:6 to Daniel 12:13. And in that last verse it is listed twice. And upon studying these verses, (Daniel 11:6,27,35,40,45; 12:4,6,8,9,13), we fully understand that they do not all refer to the end of the world. But they all do refer to the ending of some segments of providence taking place in the world. Therefore we are brought to understand that the Lord God is directing ‘history’ according to his eternal councils. Isaiah 46:9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
And one of the things that God raises up, as his people Israel become reprobate, is this “vile person.” He has warned them of the reversal of his attitude towards them, pertaining to their lack of obedience. Joshua 24:20 If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good. Psalm 18:25 With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright; 26 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward. 27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.
A wise man of yesteryear did wisely say, “God will not waste a good government upon an evil people.” Therefore we take careful notice of this word, “indignation.” Antiochus was infuriated by not being able to plunder Egypt as he hoped. Therefore it states that when “the ships of Chittim shall come against him,” then he will return and plunder Israel in his “indignation against the holy covenant.” Little did he know before hand that he would have “arms,” that is “armed forces,” within Jerusalem by those priests who also forsaken the covenant.
He expresses the exact characteristics as Satan does upon his being denied his intents to go farther than his master, Jesus Christ would allow. Revelation 12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. 13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. 17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
And this was not just revealed to Daniel several hundreds of years before its fulfillment, but it was shown, of all people, through the false prophet Balaam, a long time before this! Numbers 24:15 And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said: 24 And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, (that is Assyria), and shall afflict Eber, (that is, the Hebrews), and he also shall perish for ever. Consider 2 Peter 2:15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
And we also see that this time was marked by the raising up of a champion of the Lord. Daniel 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
The Lord taught us that every personality in the scriptures referred to him. Luke 24:25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: 26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? 27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. 44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. 45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, Those who do not see him as the sole theme of the Old Testament are referred to as “fools and slow of heart.”
God and his words are spiritual. Therefore we must not approach them just in the letter of the law, but as spiritually revealing. John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. 2 Corinthians 3:6 …for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
We realize that Michael is literally an archangel! But because everything pictures Christ, we can see Michael as a type, or picture of Christ. Therefore Michael’s standing up symbolizes to us the time of the Incarnation, representing the time of our Great Prince becoming flesh and dwelling among us. See John 1:14
For Michael is called, “the great prince.” And the Lord Jesus is referred to in Daniel as “the Messiah the prince,” and as “your prince.” Daniel 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. 10:21 But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.
Consider also these verses: Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
Ezekiel 34:24 And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it. Revelation 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
The Lord Jesus has informed us that the Holy Spirit within us is stronger than the powers and influences of Satan in the world. 1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. All power is given to Him. Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
He can, with just one finger cast out devils! Satan may be seen as “a strong man,” but Christ is the “stronger” man. Luke 11:20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. 21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: 22 But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.
He cast Satan into a prison while the gospel age endured. And he shall cast him into the lake of fire for all eternity. Revelation 20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Pastor Gene Breed
February 13, 2020
