““The king will do as he pleases, exalting himself and claiming to be greater than every god, even blaspheming the God of gods. He will succeed, but only until the time of wrath is completed. For what has been determined will surely take place. He will have no respect for the gods of his ancestors, or for the god loved by women, or for any other god, for he will boast that he is greater than them all. Instead of these, he will worship the god of fortresses—a god his ancestors never knew—and lavish on him gold, silver, precious stones, and expensive gifts. Claiming this foreign god’s help, he will attack the strongest fortresses. He will honor those who submit to him, appointing them to positions of authority and dividing the land among them as their reward. “Then at the time of the end, the king of the south will attack the king of the north. The king of the north will storm out with chariots, charioteers, and a vast navy. He will invade various lands and sweep through them like a flood. He will enter the glorious land of Israel, and many nations will fall, but Moab, Edom, and the best part of Ammon will escape. He will conquer many countries, and even Egypt will not escape. He will gain control over the gold, silver, and treasures of Egypt, and the Libyans and Ethiopians will be his servants. “But then news from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will set out in great anger to destroy and obliterate many. He will stop between the glorious holy mountain and the sea and will pitch his royal tents. But while he is there, his time will suddenly run out, and no one will help him.”
Daniel 11:36-45 NLT
It seems to be in the flow of transitory history that the proud fall fast, and they fall alone. In our human experience, this time seems to last forever. Indeed, it is a terrifying time that is said to require perseverance from the saints who experience it. Even the saints who do not experience it first hand cry out before God to ask “how long?” Yet, in God’s perspective, this is a short time. Beyond that, it is an appointed time. Some think that God watches in wait rather than that he watches and waits. Here we see God revealing to Daniel that this blasphemy is merely allowed until the time of wrath is full. This could have many meanings, but it seems that this particular “little horn,” has a specific amount of wrath he is allowed to incur upon himself and God is willing to let him do it. This is an act of grace on God’s part. In this way his judgment is always just because the offender is always complete in his offense. From our finite perspective, this is difficult. But if we hold the correct perspective of one who has eternal life, it is the only just way to reconcile a loving deity with his rightful justice. When these times and these people come, let us remember who our God is, and why.
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