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Advent HOPE Sabbath School

Norman McNulty

Islam and Daniel 11

Our Father in heaven, I thank you for bringing us out this afternoon.

We thank you that we live in a land of freedom where we can openly study and dig into your word.

And Father, this afternoon we're going to be looking at some issues and perhaps some differing viewpoints on prophecy, and I pray that you would give me the right spirit to share these things and that we will be able to evaluate what is being discussed in a Christlike manner.

And so I thank you for this opportunity that we have.

So just by way of curiosity, how many of you have either heard presentations or heard about presentations that discuss Islam with respect to fulfillment of prophecy, especially in Daniel 11.

How many of you have been exposed to that?

So, I am not going to name any names because I don't feel that that is appropriate, and secondly, there's actually more than 1 idea and more than 1 person that I'm going to be discussing, and we're also going to look at Daniel 11 from what I think is the biblical perspective.

And I'll say at the outset, I mean, if you have studied these things, you'll know who I'm talking about, but I just don't feel it's necessary to mention any names.

Both individuals I've actually dialogued personally with.

1 person was in person, the other was by email.

Interestingly, and we'll get into it, but interestingly you look at Daniel chapter 11 and it's famous for culminating with the issue of the king of the north and the king of the south and the final conflict in the glorious land and the glorious holy mountain and Michael standing up in probation closing.

And 1 of these pastors and their viewpoint that we will be talking about, they believe that the king of the south is Islam at the end, and the other pastor believes that Islam is the king of the north.

So talk about confusing, but both think that Islam has a huge role, and we're gonna get into what the ideas are, but what I'm going to do first is just give you an outline of some points of significance that I think we need to look at with respect to Daniel 11.

And then we're going to see what the various ideas are that are out there.

Now, Daniel 11 is the fourth of the 4 major visions in Daniel, you have Daniel 2, Daniel 7, Daniel 8, Daniel 11.

Daniel 2 is famous for the image with the head of gold and then Daniel 7 you have the beast, the lion, the bear, the leopard, the dreadful beast with the teeth of iron and then the little horn, Daniel 8, you have the ram, you have the hegoat, you have the little horn.

And in Daniel chapter 11, you have kings, starting off with Darius the Mede in the past, and then you talk about the various kings of Persia, and then you see the rise of Alexander the Great, and then you see the division of Greece into the 4 empires, and then you see with Greece that of those 4 empires that came out of the division of Alexander's death, 2 kingdoms reigned supreme.

That's the king of the north and the king of the south.

Seleucus and Antiochus were in the north.

Seleucus and Antiochus were in the north, Ptolemy was in the south, Seleucus and Antiochus were in the Macedonian Syrian area, and in the south Ptolemy was in Egypt, and then they compete with each other for domination of the world, they become king of the north, king of the south, and then ultimately pagan Rome defeats Greece and becomes the king of the north.

And it's after that, as far as who becomes the king of the north after that, that some of the various ideas have come in.

I believe very clearly, and I'm going to show you a quote, that papal Rome becomes the king of the north after pagan Rome just as the little horn of the papacy follows pagan Rome.

You can see that very clearly in Daniel 7 and Daniel 8.

Even in Daniel 2, the mixture of iron and clay, you have a continuation of Rome, a mixture of church and state in divided Europe.

So I see the papacy following pagan Rome in Daniel 2, Daniel 7, and Daniel 8.

So it would make sense that the papacy would follow pagan Rome in Daniel 11 as well.

So that's just sort of a big picture quick overview.

Where the debate comes in then is who the King of the North is at the end of the prophecy, who the King of the South is at the end of the prophecy.

The King of the South at the beginning of the prophecy was Egypt and the question then is who is the King of the South that pushes at the King of the North or attacks the King of the North in Daniel 11 verse 40.

So that's just a brief introductory overview to the big picture of Daniel.

Now, I'll say this as well, when you look at the big picture of Daniel, then you start to fill in the detail.

Daniel chapter 2, you end with a stone striking the image, Jesus comes back and sets up His kingdom.

Daniel chapter 7 after the kingdoms of this world you have the judgment.

Daniel chapter 8 after the kingdoms of this world you have the cleansing of the sanctuary.

Daniel chapter 11 after the kingdoms of this world, Michael stands up.

Now if you look at it in totality what you can say is Daniel 2 is telling us that Jesus is coming again, but Daniel 7 is telling us that in order for Jesus to come back there must be a judgment to take place first.

And in order for the judgment to be finished, Daniel 8 shows us that the sanctuary in heaven must be cleansed.

And Daniel 11 and 12 show us that when the sanctuary in heaven is cleansed, Michael stands up, probation closes, and Jesus comes back.

So that's a big picture of Daniel, the standard Adventist prophetic interpretation.

Now, Daniel 11 has certainly brought about a variety of viewpoints from way back in the days of the pioneers.

You may be aware of the fact that Uriah Smith and James White had different viewpoints on Daniel 11.

And LMY actually told them to stop fighting with each other about it, just because Uriah Smith had the review, and he had the voice of the review that he could speak through.

And James White, of course, was a senior statesman in the church, and Ellen White said it wasn't a good thing for them to be pushing their differing viewpoints at that time.

We live in a different era now where a lot of different ideas are being put out there and some of the prominent views that are being pushed right now, especially among Bible-believing conservative Adventists, are interesting at the very least.

Now I want to take you to Daniel 11, starting in verse 30, and I'm going to read a statement from Ellen White, and I will tell you up front, this is a Seventh-day Adventist meeting.

We're Seventh-day Adventist, Ellen White.

We consider to have divinely inspired understanding.

And I believe that she can give us helpful insight on some of these complicated issues.

And she doesn't say much about Daniel 11, but the statement that I'm going to read is her most significant statement about Daniel 11.

And before I read this statement, This statement from Daniel 11, I believe, forms the template for understanding the end of the prophecy of Daniel 11, the section on 40 to 45.

And you may hear a variety of different interpretations out there on Daniel 11, and what I would suggest to you is that if they don't include this statement as part of their interpretation, chances are they're going to veer off from a clear, thus saith the Lord, into speculation.

This is manuscript releases, volume 13, page 394.

And I'm gonna write this template on the board once we read this statement.

Manuscript releases, volume 13, page 394.

And here we read, we have no time to lose, troubleless times are before us.

The world is stirred with the spirit of war.

Soon the scenes of trouble spoken of in the prophecies will take place.

The prophecy in the 11th of Daniel has nearly reached its complete fulfillment.

Much of the history that has taken place in fulfillment of this prophecy will be repeated.

So notice, and she keeps going, but I'm going to stop right here, she says much of the history that has taken place in fulfillment of this prophecy will be repeated.

And she says it has nearly reached its complete fulfillment.

So as a student of prophecy, I want to know what history is going to be repeated, right?

So you want to understand, okay, much of the history that has taken place in fulfillment of this prophecy will be repeated.

So as a student of prophecy, I want to know which part of the history is going to be repeated.

Because that which is going to be repeated at least at the time of her writing is future.

Now she's going to tell us where we should look to find the part of the history that will be repeated.

She says in the 30th verse, a power is spoken of that shall be grieved.

Now she starts to quote, and she's going to quote Daniel 11 from partway into verse 30 all the way through the end of verse 36.

She says, 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.

And then she quotes the verses 31 through 36.

And we read, shall be strong and do exploits.

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.

Now when they shall fall, they shall be helped with a little help, but many shall cleave to them with flatteries.

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, and the king shall do according to his will, and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished, for that that is determined shall be done." Now Ellen White is done quoting Daniel 11.

Scenes similar to those described in these words will take place.

So before she quotes verses 30 to 36, she says much of the history that has taken place in fulfillment of this prophecy will be repeated.

And so you're saying, I want to know which history is going to be repeated, right?

Now she tells us what's going to be repeated.

It's the verses of 30 to 36, The history described in 30 to 36.

Now, we don't have to guess as to what period of time that's talking about.

Now she goes on and has another paragraph.

And towards the end of this next paragraph after quoting Daniel 11 31 to 36 she says, let all read and understand the prophecies of this book for we are now entering upon the time of trouble spoken of and then she quotes Daniel 12 1 to 4 which is a continuation of the prophecy of Daniel 11 and it wraps up in verse 4.

You can say when you look at the prophecy of Daniel 11, especially in Herday, at least just based on the various views that are out there, most people would agree that in her day, at least the last half of verse 40 through 45 was yet future.

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Islam and Daniel 11

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