You can view an in-depth discussion of “From North and South to the Beautiful Land” in the Hope Sabbath School class led by Pastor Derek Morris. Click on the image to view:

You may download an MP4 video file, and audio file or a PDF lesson outline from the HopeSS site.

With thanks to Hope Channel – Television that will change your life.

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1. Introduction. Our lesson authors don’t hesitate to inform us that studying Daniel 11 is “challenging.” In your personal examination of Daniel’s messages to God’s people, you may find that most of the chapters of Daniel are challenging as is any explanation of the details of these chapters. Aren’t you glad that God deals with the challenges of understanding last-day events as described in the book of Daniel so that with study and prayer they become clear and beautiful? What would you suggest to the person who struggles to understand these messages?
2. Prophecies about Persia and Greece. Who were the three kings who followed Cyrus as the leaders of Persia? Alexander the Great is never mentioned by name in the Bible, but scholars agree that he was the ruler of Macedonia and became the ruler of the known world. How old was Alexander when he died? How were his successors chosen? Based on accounts recorded in Daniel 11:2-4 and Daniel 8:3-8 and 20-11, how can you show that Alexander was the recognized leader of the ancient world at that time?
3. War between the north and the south.  The book of Daniel chronicles some of the conflicts between the northern and southern portions of Alexander’s kingdom after his death. What makes these battles between heathen nations important for us Christians to know about? Considering all the opposition and hatred pounded on God and His people through the centuries, why does He
   “fight for the right” to defend His followers?  Can we be worth it?
4. Rome and the prince of the covenant. Based on our lesson for Tuesday, what do you think of the transition in history from Hellenistic kings (Greece) to pagan Rome? How do you link the text of Daniel 11:6 declaring that the ruler “shall do according to his own will” with pagan Rome’s style of leadership?” How is the crucifixion of Jesus portrayed in this passage? Are you grateful or confused by God’s way of expounding on future events? What can we do to make our reading of Bible prophecy even more rewarding?
5. The next power. If we thought the revelation of last day events was over with that portion of our lesson, we’d better sit up and pay attention to the next section! Rome is Rome, but there are different dimensions to the pagan Rome we see revealed in the Bible about 2,000 and more years ago and the papal Rome of the very last days of earth’s history. In what ways is papal Rome different from pagan Rome? How does papal Rome reveal opposition to the heavenly sanctuary? To God’s covenant of salvation? What religious acts of apostasy does papal Rome follow today? How important are these and other differences between the Bible and papal Rome? Or does God save us no matter what we believe?
6. Final Events. This short section is based on the six verses starting with Daniel 11:40. Our lesson guide assures us that the book of Daniel is the only place in the Bible where we see the expression, “time of the end.” Find all of the references if you can. What are the time limits? Be sure to study the description of end-time events after the conclusion of this week’s lesson.

Discussion topic: (from our lesson guide)

“(T)he correlation of Daniel 11 with Daniel 7 and 8 reinforces the view of Luther and many other Protestant commentators that the institution of the papacy and its teachings constitute the fulfillment of these prophecies in history. In this connection, Ellen G. White says: “No church within the limits of Romish jurisdiction was long left undisturbed in the enjoyment of freedom of conscience. No sooner had the papacy obtained power than she stretched out her arms to crush all that refused to acknowledge her sway, and one after another the churches submitted to her dominion.”

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Read Daniel 11:5-14. What is unfolding here?

Upon the death of Alexander the Great, the vast Greek empire was divided among his four generals. Two of them — Seleucus in Syria (North) and Ptolemy in Egypt (South) — managed to establish dynasties that would fight each other for control of the land.

Image © Justinen Creation Collection at Goodsalt.com

Most Bible students understand the wars between the king of the North and the king of the South prophesied in Daniel 11:5-14 as referring to the many battles involving these two dynasties. According to the prophecy, an attempt would be made to unite these two dynasties by marriage, but that alliance would be short lived (Dan. 11:6). Historical sources inform us that Antiochus II Theos (261-246 B.C.) grandson of Seleucus I, married Berenice, a daughter of the Egyptian king, Ptolemy II Philadelphus. However, that agreement did not last, and the conflict that directly involved the people of God soon resumed. Thus, Daniel 11 deals with some important events that will touch the lives of God’s people during the centuries after the prophet Daniel passes from the scene.

Again, we can ask the question of why the Lord reveals ahead of time all these details about wars involving kingdoms fighting each other for supremacy in that part of the world. The reason is simple: these wars affect God’s people. So the Lord announces beforehand the many challenges His people will face in the years to come. Also, God is the Lord of history, and as we compare the prophetic record with the historical events, we can again see that the prophetic word is fulfilled as predicted. The God who predicts the vicissitudes of those Hellenistic kingdoms fighting each other is the God who knows the future. He is worthy of our trust and faith. This is a big God, not an idol manufactured by human imagination. He not only directs the course of historical events, but He can also direct our lives if we allow Him to do so.

<–Sunday Tuesday–>

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The hymn used as the theme for this quarter is from “The Church Hymnal, Official Hymnal of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church” which was surpassed by the “Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal” in 1985.In the ‘old’ hymnal, Number 497 – Standing by a Purpose True, that is, ”Dare to be a Daniel” will be the favourite. I do hope you are able to source this hymn and use it frequently during this quarters Sabbath School study time.

The people longed to go home to their Beautiful Land. I am sure they would have said
Lo, What a Glorious Sight Appears, Hymn 446.

Once again, we have Daniel as the prophet telling us of what is to unfold for our future –
Hymn 413, God Has Spoken by His Prophets. God unveils the plans through Daniel –
Hymn 275, O God of Light.

We are reminded that we have the God who knows the future (Monday) so we can then say
Be Still, My Soul, Hymn 461.

The Glorious Land comes to us again on Tuesday –
Jerusalem the Golden, Hymn 429 and
Hymn 420, Jerusalem, My Happy Home.

The Final Events of Thursday will tell us to
Look for the Waymarks, Hymn 596.

God’s blessings as you enjoy your “Singing with Inspiration” this quarter.

2 Timothy 2:15 KJV – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

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Key Thought: Daniel 11 shows the nature of the repeat and enlarge prophecies of Daniel 2,7, and 8. This focuses on Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and ensuing kingdoms of the north and south..
March 21, 2020

1. Have a volunteer read Daniel 11:5-14.

1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. Who are the kings of the north and south mentioned in these passages?
   (Note: Syria in the north under Seleucus and Egypt in the south under Ptolemy are mentioned here. The Syrian king sent his daughter Bernice to marry Ptolemy to keep the two from fighting, but it didn’t work.)
3. Personal Application: How can we be sensitive to other people’s feelings, yet not compromise on the role of Rome in the last days? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your relatives states: “Why did God reveal wars between kingdoms like Syria and Egypt? How would you respond to your relative?
   (Note: These wars affected Israel and impacted the assault and capture at times of God’s people. Most nations are not mentioned until and unless they come in contact with God’s people)

2. Have a volunteer read Daniel 11:16-22.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point is in this passage.
2. How do we know that Rome is taken the place of Syria as the king of the north here?
   Note: In 63BC Rome conquered both Syria and the pleasant land – Palestine.)
3. Personal Application: How can God’s foreknowledge strengthen your personal faith? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your friends states, “This all seems like speculation to me. How can you pinpoint anything in these verses that can verify any people or events? How would you respond to your friend?
   (Note: In verse 20 – the raiser of taxes would be Augustus Caesar – see Luke 2:1. In verse 17-19 describes the king before Augustus – Julius Caesar who married Cleopatra and conquered the Bosphorous Isles, came home and was killed by Brutus and his own Senate. After Augustus we see Tiberius Caesar who was ruling during the time of Jesus – see verse 22 – the prince of the covenant. Tiberius was proclaimed by Augustus to be too “vile” to wear the purple of Rome. See Luke 3:1, 21,22)

3. Have a volunteer read Daniel 11:29-39.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
2. What gives us a clue that verse 29 thru 35 are speaking of the Papacy?
   (Note: He does away with the daily corresponding to Daniel 7 and 8 concerning Papal Rome. Rome killed the Protestants and others during the Dark ages between 50 to 150 million. Rome rule until 1798 when Berthier marched into Rome and took the Pope captive. This date is called the time of the end.)
3. Personal Application: How do we deal with presenting the Roman Church as the antichrist and cause of many souls being lost instead of saved as a viable option in today’s society where any talk of negativity toward another church or faith is treated as unacceptable? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your neighbors states, “Why do people say that the Roman Church didn’t regard any God and honored the God of forces and how did Papal Rome divide the land for gain in the time of the end?” How would you respond to your neighbor?
   Note: After Rome’s 1260 years, France rose up in the French Revolution – abolished the Bible, raised up the Goddess of Reason, and divided the land into small parcels…This was the time of the end – 1798. This was the understanding of Uriah Smith. Most Adventist scholars today reject this idea. They say this refers to Papal Rome still, although Rome was not rising up in 1798 – it was being destroyed. Those who say this is still the Papacy show that Rome doesn’t allow priests to marry, magnifies himself as God, and is a rich church with gold, silver, and precious stones. So there are two threads that divert from each other.

4. Have a volunteer read Daniel 11:40-45.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
2. The time of the end was 1798. The French Revolution. Was there a power that came as a whirlwind across France, Syria, and Egypt but did not enter the lands of Edom, Moab, and Ammon areas?
   Note: Turkey and their whirling dervishes conquered like madmen and placed the Dome of the Rock – A Muslim Temple – in Jerusalem where it stands today. Adam Clark predicted that if Turkey was the king of the north in these verses, that there would be a war between Turkey, France, and Russia in the future. He wrote that in the early 1800’s. In 1856 The Crimean War took place between Russia, Turkey, and France. Others expound that this refers to Papal Rome and its placing replacing the Spiritual aspects of the gospel and replacing them by placing his temple up instead of God’s heavenly temple. Two different understandings of these verses. , but both have their positive applications.
3. Personal Application: We were told that Jesus could have come in 1888, but His people weren’t ready. We were also told that the prophecies of Daniel 11 have almost reached their complete fulfillment in the late 1800’s. What makes you think we are more ready now than then? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: Think of one person who needs to hear a message from this week’s lesson. Tell the class what you plan to do this week to share with them.

(Truth that is not lived, that is not imparted, loses its life-giving power, its healing virtue. Its blessings can be retained only as it is shared.”Ministry of Healing, p. 148).

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