keras said in post 6314:
The aim of Islam, be they whatever group you like to name, is to establish a worldwide Caliphate.
But note that the beauty of Baathism (from a Baathist's point of view) is that it downplays religion and focuses on Arab nationalism. The Baathists could point to Sunni vs. Shiite terrorism to show that religious extremism is only hurting the Arabs themselves, and that the Arabs need to assert religious moderation across the board. Almost all Arabs are already religiously moderate; they are just too scared of the religious extremists to speak out publicly against extremism. But if the Baathists squash the extremists militarily, the Arabs can unite politically under Arab nationalism and a moderate Islam into one, powerful United Arab States, regardless of the majority religious sects within its various states.
keras said in post 6314:
Not much of what you promote in #6311 is supported by Bible prophecy.
Actually, it could be.
For example, note that in Daniel 11:16 the original Hebrew word (kalah: H3615) translated as "consumed" can be translated as to "cease" (Isaiah 10:25). So Daniel 11:16 can mean that the Antichrist's precursor will cause the current nation-state of Israel (in "the pleasant land", cf. Daniel 8:9) to cease its existence as a nation-state. For the current nation-state of Israel could be completely defeated and occupied by the Antichrist's precursor (Daniel 11:15-17), and, along with the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, its territory could then become a new nation-state called "United Palestine" or "Greater Palestine".
Also, regarding Daniel 11:17, the Hebrew word "bath" (daughter) in that verse could include a pun on "Baath", like how, for example, God employs a pun in Jeremiah 1:11-12 between "shaqed" (almond tree) and "shaqad" (hasten). And he employs a pun in Amos 8:2 between "qyts" (summer fruit) and "qts" (the end).
Also, in Daniel 11:17 the original Hebrew word (yashar: H3477) translated as "upright ones" can refer to something being physically "straight" (e.g. Ezekiel 1:7,23). In the military context of Daniel 11:17, the image of things being "upright" (English) and "straight" (Hebrew) brings to mind large missiles standing upright, ready to fire. So when Daniel 11:17 says "He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him", this could mean (antitypically) that the Antichrist's precursor will bring his entire military force, including mobile, large-missile systems, into Egypt when he defeats and occupies that country.
Regarding the rest of Daniel 11:17, when it says "he shall give him the daughter", the original Hebrew word translated as "daughter" is "bath" (H1323), so that Daniel 11:17 could mean (antitypically) that after defeating and occupying Egypt, the Antichrist's precursor (who could be an Iraqi Baathist general) will give Egypt a Baathist government, made up of local Egyptian leaders whose views are (or will have become) in line with Baathism. When Daniel 11:17 refers to him "corrupting her", this could mean that he will give this government large bribes in order for it to remain submissive to him. But when Daniel 11:17 says "she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him", this could mean that the new Egyptian Baathist government will nonetheless assert its independence from him.
In Daniel 11:18, the original Hebrew word (cherpah: H2781) translated as "reproach" can be translated as "shame" (Daniel 12:2). In the case of Daniel 11:18, it can mean the shame of military defeat. So Daniel 11:18 can mean (in a future, antitypical fulfillment) that after the Antichrist's precursor militarily defeats and occupies Israel and Egypt (Daniel 11:15-17), he will continue on across North Africa defeating other nations as well, such as Libya and Tunisia, until he is defeated himself, possibly by Algeria (with a lot of U.S. and French air support).
Also, in Daniel 11:18, the original Hebrew word ('iy: H0339) translated as "isles" can refer to "coasts" (Strong's Hebrew Dictionary), and so can refer to countries along the coasts of North Africa.
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Also, Daniel 11:19 could mean (antitypically) that after his defeat in Algeria, the Antichrist's precursor could try to return quickly to Iraq, only to disappear permanently, possibly during a huge sandstorm in Libya. This storm could be whipped up by Satan (cf. the deadly windstorm he whipped up in Job 1:19) in order to kill the Antichrist's precursor, and thereby clear the way for the rise of the Antichrist (Daniel 11:21).
So the Antichrist may not even appear on the world stage until after the horrible, future, tribulation-starting war of Revelation 6:4-8 and Daniel 11:15-17 has resulted in the total defeat and occupation of Israel, and Egypt, and the death of 1/4 of the world. It could be this war which will help open the way for the Antichrist to arise on the world stage as a great man of peace and antitypically fulfill the "vile" person of Daniel 11:21-45.
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Also, regarding Daniel 11:22-23, in a future, antitypical fulfillment, it can refer to 2 different future leaders: the Antichrist and an ultra-Orthodox Jewish false Messiah in Jerusalem. That is, Daniel 11:22-23 can mean that "with the arms of a flood [an overwhelming armed attack] shall they [the ultra-Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem] be overflown from before him [the Antichrist], and shall be broken [defeated]; yea, also the prince of the covenant [an ultra-Orthodox Jewish false Messiah, claiming to rule under the Old Covenant Mosaic law]. And after the league made with him [i.e. the ultra-Orthodox Jewish false Messiah, cf. Daniel 9:26a] he [the Antichrist] shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people [possibly the numerically-small Druze Arab people, and/or the numerically-small, yet very powerful, Gnostic Luciferians, who are networked by a worldwide secret society]".
In Daniel 9:26, the original Hebrew word (karath: H3772) translated as "cut off" can refer to when a peace treaty/covenant is "made" (Genesis 21:27). The 1st century AD fulfillment of Daniel 9:26a was at the Crucifixion, when the true Messiah, Jesus, made the New Covenant (Matthew 26:28, Hebrews 9:15-17). But a future fulfillment of Daniel 9:26a will be when the Antichrist makes a peace treaty, which will be a fulfillment of the covenant in Daniel 9:27 and the league in Daniel 11:23, with a future, ultra-Orthodox Jewish false Messiah in Jerusalem, after he and his followers are defeated by the Antichrist (Daniel 11:22-23). So this future fulfillment of Daniel 9:26a can refer to this false Messiah being "cut off" in the sense of being "covenanted", peace-treatied.
This treaty will allow this false Messiah and his followers to keep a 3rd Jewish temple which they will have built on Jerusalem's Temple Mount (after they or great earthquakes have destroyed the Muslim structures there), and to (mistakenly) continue to perform the daily Mosaic animal sacrifices in front of the temple for at least 7 years (Daniel 9:27a), so long as they give up the outer court of the temple (Revelation 11:2a) to the Muslims so that the Muslims can rebuild the (by that time destroyed) Al Aqsa Mosque on the southern end of the Temple Mount and resume worship there. After "cutting" this treaty (Daniel 9:26a), the Antichrist could appear before the "many" (Daniel 9:27) nations represented at the U.N. General Assembly, and "confirm" (Daniel 9:27) that for at least 7 years he will keep this treaty with the ultra-Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem, using this as purported proof to the world that he is (in his words) "a man of peace, and no Hitler".
In Daniel 9:27, "he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease" refers to when, only some 3.5 years after making the peace treaty of Daniel 9:26a,27a and Daniel 11:23a, the Antichrist will break the treaty, attack the 3rd temple, stop the daily Mosaic animal sacrifices, place the abomination of desolation (possibly a standing, android image of the Antichrist) in the holy place (the inner sanctum) of the temple (Daniel 9:27b, Daniel 11:31, Matthew 24:15), and then sit himself (at least one time) in the temple and proclaim himself God (2 Thessalonians 2:4, Daniel 11:36). Thus could begin the Antichrist's literal, 3.5-year Luciferian (Satanic) worldwide reign of terror (Revelation 13:4-18, Revelation 12:9; 2 Thessalonians 2:9).
At the very end of the future tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24, the Antichrist (Daniel 11:45) and the world's armies will pillage Jerusalem right before Jesus' 2nd coming (Zechariah 14:2-21). And at the 2nd coming, there will be tremendous earth changes in the vicinity of Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:4-5). These events could result in all of Jerusalem's structures, including the 3rd temple and the Wailing Wall (also called the Western Wall), being broken down so that not one stone will be left on another (Luke 19:44, Matthew 24:2). Then the returned Jesus (Zechariah 14:4, Acts 1:11-12) will rebuild Jerusalem and make it the capital of the world (Zechariah 14:8-19, Micah 4:1-4). He will also build a 4th temple there (Zechariah 14:20-21, Zechariah 6:12-13). It will serve a similar function for the church during the future millennium (of Revelation 20:4-6) as the 2nd temple served for the church in the 1st century AD (Luke 24:53, Acts 2:46, Acts 22:17), and as the temple building in heaven (Revelation 11:19) serves for those in heaven (Revelation 7:15).
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Before Jesus returns, back at the time of the Antichrist in Daniel 11, regarding "he shall scatter among them the ... riches" (Daniel 11:24), note that the original Hebrew word translated as "them" (hemmah: H1992) doesn't mean "his followers" (NIV), but can instead be translated as "how many soever they be" (2 Samuel 24:3). And note that this can be what "his fathers have not done", i.e. distribute the extreme, hoarded wealth of the Arab Gulf states ("the fattest places") to all the Arab masses, from Oman to Morocco, most of whom are extremely poor. It is in this way that the (Baathist/Socialist) Antichrist could make all of the Arab masses his devoted followers, so that he becomes the supreme leader and founder of a future, United Arab States, stretching from Oman to Morocco, as a first step in his eventual world takeover (in Revelation 13:7b-18).
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The ships of Chittim in Daniel 11:30 could refer antitypically to ships of the huge U.S. Navy, which by that time in the future could have established, under an agreement with the U.K., a major U.S. naval base on Cyprus.
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Regarding the "abomination of desolation", Daniel 11:31 was typically fulfilled by the abomination of desolation in 1 Maccabees 1:54, which occurred in the holy place (the inner sanctum) of the 2nd Jewish temple in Jerusalem in the time of Antiochus IV. But per Jesus' statement in Matthew 24:15, the church will see the abomination of desolation in Daniel 11:31 fulfilled (antitypically) in the future, when the church will see the abomination of desolation stand in the holy place (of a 3rd Jewish temple in Jerusalem). This future abomination of desolation could be a standing, android image of the Antichrist (Revelation 13:15) which his followers ("they") will put in the holy place of the temple (Daniel 11:31) to be worshipped (Revelation 13:15), after they have stopped the daily Mosaic animal sacrifices which the ultra-Orthodox Jews will have restarted in front of the temple (Daniel 11:31). This image will pollute the holy place of the temple (Daniel 11:31).
The Antichrist will then fulfill Daniel 11:36 and 2 Thessalonians 2:4 by sitting himself (at least one time) in the temple and proclaiming himself God. By the power of Satan (the dragon, Revelation 12:9), the Antichrist (the individual-man aspect of Revelation's "beast") will then rule and be worshipped by all the nations of the earth for 3.5 literal years (Revelation 13:4-18), and will physically overcome Biblical Christians (not in hiding) in every nation (Revelation 13:7-10, Revelation 14:12-13, Revelation 20:4-6, Matthew 24:9-13).
Also, from the day on which (antitypically) "the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be 1,290 days. Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the 1,335 days" (Daniel 12:11-12, Revelation 16:15). Also, because the Antichrist will fulfill Daniel 11:31 antitypically (Matthew 24:15) and will fulfill Daniel 11:36 for the first (and only) time, then he will also fulfill all of Daniel 11:21-45 (the first part of it antitypically, and the rest for the first and only time) when he arises on the world stage, for that passage refers to the career of the same man. And since the Antichrist will fulfill all of Daniel 11:21-45 when he arises on the world stage, then just preceding his arising on the world stage, Daniel 11:13-19 could be fulfilled antitypically by an Iraqi Baathist General completely defeating and occupying Israel and Egypt with a huge Iraqi Army (Daniel 11:15-17; in verse 17 the original Hebrew word translated as "daughter" is "bath").
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In Daniel 11:31, like in Daniel 12:11 and Daniel 8:11-13, the original Hebrew word (tamiyd: H8548) translated as "daily" refers to the daily, morning and evening lamb sacrifices which were required under the letter of the Old Covenant Mosaic law (Exodus 29:38-42, Numbers 28:3-8; 1 Chronicles 16:40). This is why Daniel 9:27 refers to the "sacrifice" (zebach: H2077) ceasing, and why Daniel 8:11-13 is referred to as the vision of "the evening and the morning" (Daniel 8:26), and why the original Hebrew words (ereb, H6153; and boqer, H1242) translated as the single word "days" in Daniel 8:14, mean "evenings" and "mornings", in reference to the evening and morning lamb sacrifices.
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Daniel 11:33-35 refers to the persecution of the church during the latter half of the future tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24 (Revelation 13:7-10, Revelation 14:12-13, Revelation 20:4, Matthew 24:9-13), immediately after which tribulation, Jesus will return and gather together (rapture) the church (Matthew 24:29-31; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6).
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Daniel 11:36-39 refers to the Antichrist, who will declare himself God above all gods (2 Thessalonians 2:4), except for "the God of forces" (Daniel 11:38), who is Lucifer (Satan) the dragon, "the god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4). Lucifer will be consciously and openly worshipped by the unsaved world along with the Antichrist as the "God" who is giving power to the Antichrist, the individual-man aspect of Revelation's "beast" (Revelation 13:4-18, Revelation 12:9; 2 Thessalonians 2:9). The Antichrist could say that he is the human/divine Son of Lucifer, one God with Lucifer, and empowered by Lucifer, just as for Biblical Christians, Jesus Christ is the human/divine Son of (YHWH) God the Father (John 3:16,36), one God with the Father (John 1:1,14, John 10:30, John 20:28), and empowered by the Father (John 14:10).
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By the time of Daniel 11:40-45, which will be right near the end of the Antichrist's time, the U.S. could be included as part of the "king of the south" which will rebel against him. For the U.S., as well as other countries such as Russia, China, India, and Japan, may not ever come under the same level of control as the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe will during the Antichrist's worldwide reign. But the U.S., as well as all other countries of the earth, will still come under the hegemony of the Antichrist (Revelation 13:7-8, Matthew 24:9).
What could happen is that during the Antichrist's worldwide reign, the U.S. will be under complete martial law, still controlled by U.S. soldiers, but under the economic thumb of the Antichrist. For during the future tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24, the U.S. government could go bankrupt and the U.S. dollar could become next to worthless in world markets, so that the U.S. will eventually become completely dependent on the Antichrist for its finances and trade.
The way that the U.S. could be considered a part of the "king of the south" in Daniel 11:40 is through the U.S.' current hegemony over Egypt, which is the king of the south in Daniel 11:5-17. At the start of the future tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24, Egypt could be completely defeated and occupied, along with Israel, by an Iraqi Baathist General leading a huge Iraqi Army (Daniel 11:15-17; in verse 17 the original Hebrew word translated as "daughter" is "bath"). After this happens, the U.S. could take up the mantle of Egypt and Israel and attempt a counter-attack to liberate them from Baathist control. But this counter-attack could fail so miserably that the U.S. could forego any further attacks.
It is at this point that the Antichrist could arise on the world stage (Daniel 11:21) and "cut" a peace treaty with a future, ultra-Orthodox Jewish false "Messiah" (Daniel 9:26a,27a) ruling Jerusalem, after the Antichrist has defeated that Messiah and his followers (Daniel 11:22-23a). About 7 years later, sometime after the legal end of the Antichrist's literal 3.5-year worldwide reign (Revelation 13:5-8), not only could the U.S. as the "king of the south" try to attack the Antichrist (Daniel 11:40), but so could Russia, China, India, and Japan. For "tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many" (Daniel 11:44).
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Daniel 12:1 will occur right after the future, tribulation events of Daniel 11:15-45, and will include the very last part of the tribulation, when the surviving Jews in Jerusalem (who could have been protected by the 2 witnesses during the preceding 3.5 years of the Antichrist's worldwide reign: Revelation 11:3-13, Revelation 13:5-18) will be attacked immediately before Jesus' 2nd coming (Zechariah 14:2-21). This final attack will be the time of Jacob's trouble, which the Jews will be saved from (Jeremiah 30:7) at the 2nd coming (Zechariah 14:5).
Daniel 12:2 will occur at the church's physical resurrection at Jesus' 2nd coming (1 Corinthians 15:21-23,51-53; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-16, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6), which will occur immediately after the future tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24 (Matthew 24:29-31; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6), and before the millennium (Revelation 19:7 to 20:6). For some in the church will lose their salvation at Jesus' 2nd coming (e.g. Luke 12:45-46), so that their resurrection will be a resurrection "unto shame and everlasting contempt" (Daniel 12:2), a "resurrection of damnation" (John 5:29), because of such things as unrepentant sin (Hebrews 10:26-29), unrepentant laziness (Matthew 25:26,30), or apostasy (Hebrews 6:4-8).
