The Most Remarkable Chapter In the Bible
In the Book of Daniel, Chapter 11 is considered to be one of the most profound pieces of ancient literature that the world has ever had. It’s mind-blowing. The messenger angel in Daniel 11 spends 45 verses outlining the specific details of the upcoming wars and battles that are going to take place in ancient Mesopotamia over the course of the next 200 years following Daniel's life.
A Prophecy for the Ages
Chuck Swindoll, whom many regard as one of the greatest Bible thinkers and teachers of our day, calls Daniel 11 the most remarkable chapter in the entire Bible. And it's not remarkable because of what it teaches. It's remarkable because of what it predicted in human history — what historians would call secular history. Most of these secular historians would say that in just the first 35 verses of Chapter 11, there are at least 135 specific prophecies that have been literally fulfilled within the course of the next 200 years after they were originally recorded. It’s easy to not be impressed by things like this when they do not apply immediately to us in the here and now.
The exact history of these prophecies is something you can take a deep dive into on your own. But for 200 years after Daniel 11 was written, this text was used within ancient Mesopotamia to warn leaders of their future, even though there was nothing these leaders could do to thwart said future. They couldn't stop what was being predicted from happening.
Fast Forward to Now
Imagine something like that applying to us today. It would be like living in Washington DC in 1825. Imagine living in 1825 and finding a journal of a young man named Daniel. You pick it up and all of a sudden find yourself reading about a dream, a vision.
The vision starts out with a transportation system that you have never seen before, formed in the days ahead. It travels the coast on rails with moving cars and wheels powered by hot rocks, breathing out smoke from their carts. And then in upcoming days beyond that, a new national leader would rise — the 16th by number. This leader will be elected, and he will be tall, and he will be bearded, and he will have an oversized stovepipe hat, and he will lead a nation into a civil battle, and the North will be against the South, the South against the North. And the purpose of the civil war will be for the freeing of a people of a darker complexion who have been enslaved; and the North will prevail. But the leader of the North will be killed, and another battle will begin.
And this time, there will be a surprise attack on a small island off the western coast; fire will fall from the heavens and ships in the harbor will be destroyed. 2400 lives will be lost. A sleeping giant, however, will be awakened and the giant will go to war with the world and it will destroy two cities with two falling balls of fire.
And in due time, two other birds will fly into two other identical towers, and these towers will be in a great city. And these towers will resemble silver and gold and turquoise — great wealth and power. And the towers will fall and many will perish in that great city. But a new tower will emerge. This tower, larger than the first two, will signify freedom and strength.
And then, in the final hour, two elders will battle it out. They will be elderly elders, and it will be an embarrassment to all. And they will debate their handicaps. Handicaps will be chosen, and clubs will be picked up, bags will be carried and flags positioned in their holes. One elder wears red with the mind of a beast, another wears blue with no mind at all.
This kingdom will be divided. Yet God's kingdom will once again prevail.
Just imagine reading that in 1825, and not believing a single one of those prophecies would come to pass. What do we do with something like that?
That is Daniel 11. It’s more than profound; it’s mind-blowing. We can learn something from these visions and prophecies about God’s answers for us today.