“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.” – Malachi 3:1
Daniel 11:3-20, talks, once again, about Alexander the Great. He and his soldiers defeated King Darius and the Persians, and then he died at a young age, likely around the same age that Jesus died in His early 30s. Once he died, four generals took one united kingdom and turned it into four divided kingdoms, with alliances in the north and south. God’s people of Israel were caught right in the middle, right in the crossfire.
Here’s the incredible thing: all of Daniel 11 has been fulfilled. There was a king who invaded Egypt and lost, and he returned to his own land. That’s Daniel 11:9. His three sons took the throne after he was murdered. That’s Daniel 11:10-11. Then, this king is pushed back to the southern border of Israel. Tens of thousands are lost in battle. This man, who was ultimately defeated, withdraws and retreats for a season to rebuild his army. He enlists Jewish soldiers; they win, and they establish a fortified city. Then they rule over the beautiful land of Israel. This is all fulfilled.
Then, starting in verse 17, there’s another political alliance formed. One king is dishonest and wants to overtake the other king and have a massive empire, so he decides to give his daughter in marriage to that king. Then, he hoped that his daughter would be loyal to him, would betray her husband, and he could take his kingdom. You may have heard of this girl, Cleopatra. Ultimately, she loved and was loyal to her husband, and her dad’s plan backfired.
Here’s the big idea: Jesus Christ is the centerpiece of the Bible and all of human history. The Bible prophesied that Jesus would come to the Temple in Jerusalem, which is why it was so important for the people of God to get back to Israel – to get the Temple open and to worship God so Jesus could come.
In tomorrow’s devo, we will look at the spirit of antichrist at work in an ancient king.
Are you consistently attending a church and being around other godly people? What needs to change so that can become a priority?
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