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context of Daniel 11 portrays a continuing conflict of the king of the north
and the king of the south. This conflict exhibits both a military nature and
a religio-political nature. Shea rightly acknowledges the direct linkage of
Dn. 11:31 with 8:11-13 and suggests “these passages should be interpreted
as referring to the same action of the same power at the same time”.118
In verse 31, “forces will stand from him and they shall profane the
sanctuary (miqdash), the fortress (maoz), and they shall turn
aside or remove (sur not rum) the continual (hattamid)
and they shall place the abomination that desolates.
Miqdash (sanctuary) is
clearly used in the context of a military setting. Forces or arms (zeroa`)
and fortress (ma`oz) are repeatedly used in Daniel 11 in a
pagan military context.119
Although ma`oz (fortress or strength) sometimes is used
figuratively of Jehovah,120
it is employed exclusively in Daniel 11 with the meaning of military
fortress of political fortifying; in 11:1 ma`oz refers to
Gabriel fortifying Darius the Mede; the other applications Daniel 11 deal
with military-political fortifications. Daniel’s application of
counterfeit cultic language, employing hattamid (“the daily”) and
miqdash (sanctuary) in 8:11, is reapplied 11:31 with the same
counterfeit cultic meaning. The pagan military contextual setting of
conflict in Dn. 11:20-31 reinforces and demands the counterfeit cultic
application of hattamid and miqdash in 11:31. The use of miqdash
in association with hattamid in Dn. 11:31 as a fortress of paganism
defines its use in Dn. 8:11. It cannot fit the heavenly sanctuary.
In harmony with the preceding
analysis, U. Smith has suggested that the profaning of the sanctuary refers
to “the rulers of the empire who were working in behalf of the papacy
against the pagan and all opposing religions” which signified “the
removal of the seat of the empire from Rome to Constantinople” in AD 330
and “which contributed its measure of influence to the downfall of Rome.
This passage would then be parallel to Dn. 8:11 and Rev. 13:2.”121
An alternative view expressed by Smith is that the passage applied to the
sacking of Rome by the Goths and Vandals resulting in the cessation of the
imperial power of the West through the conquest of Rome by Odoacer.122
The root meaning of the verb sur
is “to turn aside”, “to go away”, or “to depart.”123
That which is turned aside still exists but not in its original mooring,
setting, or form. For example, garments are laid aside (Gen. 38:14); the
covering of a ship is turned aside (Gen. 8:13); a person who departs from
the law (Deut. 17:20) still exists. The verb sur (turn aside or
remove) in Dn. 11:31 refers to the turning aside of “the daily” by
political and military forces (zeroa`) in behalf of the papacy; its
incorporation spiritually into the papacy is denoted by the verb rum
in Dn. 8:11. “The daily” has been previously identified as the
self-exalting behavior of paganism inherent in mankind of which Arianism
became integrated. Although “the continual” (hattamid)
self-exalting behavior of pagan Rome was lifted up by papal Rome with the
casting down of the habitation of pagan Rome’s sanctuary in the city of
Rome in AD 330, yet the two competing powers co-existed, since the papacy
had not yet transcended the dominance and splendor of Rome’s empire, both
in the East and the West. Upon the conversion of Clovis in AD 496 and his
military conquests in behalf of Rome, culminating in AD 508, the “turning
aside” (sur) of the “daily” was finally complete. The
self-exalting character of the papacy would now surpass, supersede and
transcend that same character previously manifested by avowed pagan forces
which would continue to exist but in a diminished role compared the
transcending character of the papacy. Papal Rome was to become an
acknowledged “religio-political” power.
“When the prominent powers of
Europe gave up their attachment to paganism, it was only to perpetuate its
abominations in another form, for Christianity as exhibited in the Roman
Catholic church was, and is, only paganism rebaptized.”124
Thus, between AD 508-538, the setting up of the abomination that desolates
commenced. A religious power of pagan origins now became a
religious-political power exhibiting all the self-exalting (gadal)
behavior of paganism. The joint action of church and state, first with
Clovis between AD 496-508 and again with Justinian from AD 533 to 538 is
represented by the “transgression” in Dn. 8:12-13 which resulted in the
placing of the abomination that desolates. Thus, “the abomination which
desolates” may be identified as the self exalting character of nominal
Christianity of which the papacy became the fountain head. Nominal
Christianity surpasses, supersedes, and transcends all other false religious
systems of the world. It is the principal force and the largest religious
bloc in the world today constituting 33% of the world’s population, twice
the size ofthe second largest bloc, the Muslims at 17%.125
“The abomination which desolates” is the character of paganism with a
nominal Christian face.
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EXTERNAL EVIDENCE OF DANIEL 12:11 |