June 26: BUILDING FAITH AS THE WORLD GOES ASTRAY
He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels. Daniel 11:43
The fact that the Bible writers sometimes did not understand what they were writing was definitely true for Daniel (see 8:27; 12:8). The Holy Spirit led them to pen prophetic aspects of the word of God for the benefit of later generations. Prophetic passages eventually come to light. Those already fulfilled are readily understood. Progressive revelation is a distinctive teaching method of the Savior, our Master Teacher (John 13:7; 1 Peter 1:10-12).
The two groups mentioned in the second clause of our opening verse will both follow at [the] heels of the king of the North before the return of the Lord. The word picture is that of a puppy that trots along with its trusted person. Who are the Libyans who will follow at his heels? Daniel did not know how the symbolism would apply. But a close look at today’s Libya highlights several key aspects for its use as a symbol. Of the N.A.M.E. (North Africa and the Middle East) countries, Libya is among the largest with by far the greatest length of Mediterranean coastline of the Arab countries. Islam is the dominant religion of the N.A.M.E. countries, a heartbreaking reality considering that this region, long referred to as the Holy Land, was the birthplace of our Savior and the cradle of Christianity. Those within Israel’s borders predominantly claim Judaism today, but the Judaism claimed is the apostate version that collectively rejected Christ, thus losing its national identity as the bearers of the gospel message to the world (see Matthew 8:12; 21:43; Luke 13:28; Acts 7:57 and compare to Romans 2:29). The geographical land of Israel* cannot represent the Middle East either culturally or religiously.
Since Gaddafi’s overthrow in 2011, Libya has had two rival factions of Islamic governments vying for power. Both sides openly profess to sponsor “counter-terrorism training.” They solicit U.S. support to bring these counter-terrorism trainees together from both sides of their Islamic divide. Under the radar, vast areas of ungoverned desert and coastal regions exist where training for various Islamic militant groups continues unabated. Every conceivable form of Islam is represented within Libya; thus the political, cultural, and religious aspects of the Middle East are embodied in Libya. It stands to reason that modern Bible scholars believe the symbolism of Libyans here likely represents the current, last-day state of the now-Islamic Middle East.
It remains to be seen exactly how the king of the North will gain the cooperation of the Middle East, but according to the first half of today’s opening verse, economic pressure will be a big factor. The lure of riches has long held a soul-destroying power.
Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Mark 10:21-22
*The name Israel was originally given to a single man who bothered to struggle through a time of confusion, sincerely seeking God. After wrestling, he made the personal choice to align with God and was renamed “Overcomer with God,” the English equivalent of the name Israel (see Genesis 32:24-30). Israel does not symbolize the Middle East. It has become the New Testament symbol for the saved (Romans 11:26). Jesus referred to the saved as “he/him who overcomes” (Revelation 2:7,11,17,26; 3:5,12,21)