THE KING OF THE NORTH...THE LITTLE HORN...THE END TIMES – Part III

In our last corner, we looked at Seal 5, which I believe references the Great Tribulation... 

First, to understand this time period, we should understand key characters and events…

The King of the North…the “little horn” (some refer to him as the “Antichrist”)

The Bible references a fierce king…a despicable person…he is also referred to as the King of the North that is not directly in line for royal succession but will slip in when least expected and takeover using flattery and intrigue (Daniel 11:21 – 24).  He is also referred to as the “little horn” that will come up afterward and destroy 3 horns (these horns are empires or kings) (Daniel 7:19 – 25).

He will make a treaty with Israel for 7 years, but after 3.5 years, he will invade Israel, takeover the Temple, desecrate it and stop the daily sacrifices (Daniel 9:26 – 27; 11:31).

Scripture supports from the period he stops the daily sacrifices until he sets up the sacrilegious object that causes desecration that is to be worshiped will be 1290 days and “blessed are those who wait and remain until the end of the 1335 days” (1290 + 45 days) (Daniel 12:11 – 12).

So, I believe our timeline looks something like this…

Day 1 - King of the North (some refer to him as the Antichrist) makes a treaty with Israel

Day 1260 (3.5 years later) - He stops the daily sacrifices (Daniel 11:31)

Day 2550 (1290 days after he stops the daily sacrifices) - He sets up the sacrilegious object that causes desecration to be worshiped (Daniel 11:31; 12:11)

Day 2595 = The end of the 1335 days (which is 45 days after he sets up the sacrilegious object of desecration, which takes place 1290 days after he ends the daily sacrifices) = 7.1 years

Some other things we learn about this King of the North is that “He will become very strong, but not by his own power.  He will cause a shocking amount of destruction and succeed in everything he does” (Daniel 8:23 – 25).  Daniel continues saying, “He will do as he pleases, exalting himself and claiming to be greater than every other god there is even blaspheming the God of gods. He will succeed until the time of wrath is completed” (Daniel 11:36). 

Commentary: One point I take from these scriptures is that another Temple must be built for this period of the End Times to take place.  I believe the reference in Revelation 12 to the “woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet and a crown of 12 stars on her head” represents Israel. We will cover this in more detail in our next End Times’ corner, however, I believe when it says “God prepared a place to give her care for 1260 days (or 3.5 years),” it refers to this first period of 3.5 years. ” I believe, however, the Great Tribulation references either the last 1335 days (after the daily sacrifices are taken away until the end) or it only references the last 45 days after the sacrilegious object of desecration.   I will explain this point in a subsequent End Times’ Corner.

I also believe the sacrilegious object that causes desecration that is to be worshiped in Daniel is the same statue (or image of the beast) referred to in Revelation (Revelation 13:11 – 15) that the people are commanded to worship…the Beast of the Earth gives life to the statue (or image of the beast) and the statue commands that anyone refusing to worship the statue must die.

Based on scripture, it is the King of the North that gives the command to set up the object of desecration.  If the object of desecration is indeed the statue, then Revelation refers to the person who gives the command for the statue to be created as the Beast that comes up out of the Earth and has 2 horns like those of a lamb and speaks with the voice of a dragon (Revelation 13:11 – 15).

We will take a deeper dive into the Great Tribulation in our next End Times' corner.