Star Wars in Daniel
It grew so big it reached the army (06635 צָבָא tsaba’) of heaven, and it brought about the fall of some of the army (06635 צָבָא tsaba’) and some of the stars (03556 כּוֹכָב kowkab) to the ground, where it trampled them. (Dan. 8:10 NET)
And I, Daniel, fainted and was sick for days; afterward I arose and went about the king’s business. I was astonished by the vision, but no one understood it. (Dan. 8:27 NKJ)
Why was Daniel “astonished” by this vision? Recall God specially gifted Daniel to understand enigma and vision (Dan. 2:47; 4:8-9; 5:11-12). So why couldn’t he understand this vision, why didn’t his fellow experts in scripture interpretation “understand it”.
How likely is it modern Commentators, who see nothing astonishing in this context, see same thing Daniel is seeing described by his words? Why aren’t they also “astonished” and made “sick for days”?
The most likely explanation for their different reaction is, they are seeing different events described by the words. Looked at from another angle. modern commentators claim the “little Horn” is Antiochus and the “army of God” or “stars” may be Israel’s saints, priests or chief rulers. How could any of that “astonish” Daniel and his fellow experts in Scripture prophecy? They were living in exile caused by King Nebuchadnezzar when he defeated the “saints” and “army” and then destroyed God’s Temple in Jerusalem. How could seeing that duplicated in a vision “astonish” Daniel?
Therefore, the normally sound rule for interpreting ancient documents according to the understanding of the author may not be sound for this prophecy of what will happen in the future, Daniel confesses he is astonished by the vision and neither he nor his friends understood it.
So how can we interpret Daniel’s prophecy? Scripture says “the wise shall understand” in the “time of the end”, wise being “critical thinkers” “the wise” and “prudent” able to infer from events in the end time what astonished Daniel. So the predicted events would unseal the words:
8 Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, “My lord, what shall be the end of these things?”
9 And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.
10 “Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. (Dan. 12:8-10 NKJ)
Therefore, we must look at End Time events to infer what might have astonished Daniel and made him sick for days. Confirming this, Gabriel said the vision occurs in the End Time, not the time of Antiochus Epiphanes.
So he came near where I stood, and when he came I was afraid and fell on my face; but he said to me, “Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end.” (Dan. 8:17 NKJ)
We who live in the End Times know what the coming “strong delusion” (2 Thess. 2:9-12) , “Ancient Alien Theory” that promotes Atheism. The spectacular rise of UFO spectacles is causing a massive falling away from belief in God.
Given that context, what could the “army of heaven” and “Stars” be?
All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him, “What have You done?” (Dan. 4:35 NKJ)
Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come. (Dan. 10:20 NKJ)
They fought from the heavens; The stars from their courses fought against Sisera. (Jdg. 5:20 NKJ)
And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, (Rev. 12:7 NKJ)
And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. (Rev. 19:14 NKJ)
Daniel saw a version of “Star Wars”, God’s angels fighting Satan’s angels in service to the Antichrist, in the end time.
Today, words describing such battles are “unsealed”, easily understood.
Gabriel distinguishes between “the mighty” (= the stars) and “the holy people” (=the army of heaven):
24 His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; He shall destroy fearfully, And shall prosper and thrive; He shall destroy the mighty (06099 עָצוּם `atsuwm), and also the holy people. (Dan. 8:24 NKJ)
In Joel 2:11 “mighty” refers to angels:
ADONAI shouts orders to his forces- his army is immense, mighty (06099 עָצוּם `atsuwm), and it does what he says. For great is the Day of ADONAI, fearsome, terrifying! Who can endure it? (Joel 2:11 CJB)
Joel stopped talking about locusts or humans, he telescopes to the End Time when he speaks of “the day of the LORD great and terrible.” Therefore, the “mighty army” are angels who in the End Time slay the armies of the Beast, the Assyrian Antichrist whose name is Adonikam (Mic. 5:5-6; Isa. 10:24, 32; 14:25-27; 30:31-33; Zeph. 2:13-15; Zech. 12:2-3; 14:1-4; Rev. 19:17-21).
A “Star Wars” event WOULD astonish and confuse Daniel and all his contemporaries. Especially when the “sanctuary” is the Body of Christ the Temple of God and “the Daily” is their taking up Christ’s cross daily and counting 2,300 days from the start of the End Time Week, the vindicated[1] Church the Temple of God celebrates in heaven (Rev. 15:1-4).
The army (“host”) of heaven denotes both redeemed humanity (Ps. 110:3; Exod. 7:4; Rev. 19:14) and angelic soldiers (1 Kings 22:19). Even some of “the stars” (angels Job 38:7; Ps. 148:2) were brought down, meaning they crashed to the earth (Judg. 5:20; Dan. 10:13, 20; Rev. 12:7-9) and both are dishonored.
Its power reached to the heavens, where it attacked the heavenly army, throwing some of the heavenly beings and some of the stars to the ground and trampling them. (Dan. 8:10 NLT)
The Interpretation
The Assyrian Antichrist (Mic. 5:5-6; Isa. 10:24, 32; 14:25-27; 30:31-33; Zeph. 2:13-15; Zech. 12:2-3; 14:1-4; Rev. 19:17-21) rises from the remnants of the Seleucid dynasty, ancient Grecian Syria. Hence the end time revived Byzantine Roman Empire has a leopard body (Dan. 2:40-44; 7:7-9, 17-27; Rev. 13:2). I infer from the parallels with Antiochus Epiphanes he will rise up in modern Turkey near Antioch his ancient capital.
END NOTES
[1]
The usual translation of Dan. 8:14 “sanctuary will be cleansed” is chosen over a more literal and likely meaning, “will be vindicated” because translators refuse to allow Daniel is prophecy actually foretelling events. The vindication of the church’s faith is pictured in Revelation 15:1-8. It appears suddenly disconnected to the surrounding events. Chronologically, it 2,300 days after the beginning of the end time week, after everyone is raptured or gathered by Christ angels. Their faith in God now vindicated and celebrated in heaven.
Commentators reject the literal reading because:
will be purified. The Hebrew verb, weniṣdaq (the only occurrence of the niphal of ṣdq in the MT!) should mean “will be justified.” But this can hardly be said of the sanctuary. The underlying Aramaic was surely yidkê, “will be cleansed, purified,” which was corrupted into, or misread by the translator as yizkê, “will be victorious, justified.”- Hartman, L. F., &; Di Lella, A. A. (2008). The Book Of Daniel: A New Translation With Notes And Commentary On Chapters 1-9 (Vol. 23, p. 227). New Haven; London: Yale University Press.
It is NOT unhistorical the “Temple of God” prophetically in the End Time is the Church (1 Cor. 3:16-17; 6:19. 2 Cor. 6:16. 2 Thess. 2:4. Eph. 2:21), then the literal meaning of the Church being vindicated for her faith in God could be what the text is literally referring to. Of course, reference to the Church, the vision of the Church would likely add to the reasons why these visions were “sealed” to Daniel, he couldn’t understand them. End time events would unseal the words (Dan. 12:8-9).
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