The Antichrist the "vile person" and flatterer in the person of Antiochus Epiphanes in the 160s BC gained control of Israel by flattery (false praise and deception) and the Antichrist will probably gain control of Israel in a similiar way in the last days. In verse 22 the vile person killed the prince of the covenant meaning the Jewish high priest and it is likely that the high priest of the Jewish priesthood that has already been substantially restored under groups like the Temple Mount Faithful will be killed also probably at the end of the first half of the tribulation or 70th week of Daniel. In verse 23 the small people the vile person becomes strong with included some apostate Jews that allied with the vile person instead of with godly Jews and the nation of Israel as a whole. A main thing these flatteries were used for was to get peace treaties with other nations including Israel on a deceitful basis. The king and kingdom of the south historically was and in the final fulfillment will most likely also be Egypt.
And in his estate(place) shall stand up a vile person (the Antichrist), to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peacably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant. And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people. He shall enter peacably upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his father's fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time. Daniel 11:21-24.
Later in this chapter the vile person being against the holy covenant means that he was against the Jewish faith especially the sacrificial system and the Temple. Ships coming from Chittim historically were Roman naval forces from Cyprus. This could happen in the 70th week of Daniel also although I can't be sure of this point. As of May 1, 2004 at least the Greek part of Cyprus is part of the European Union or revived Roman Empire. Them that forsake the holy covenant are unfaithful Jews. They are probably also described in Isaiah 66:1-6 for the 70th week of Daniel. There are two things that would be the pollution or abomination in the sanctuary or Jewish Temple in history. These are an idol that was placed by Antiochus Epiphanes in the Jewish Temple and according to Jewish tradition a pig that was offered on the altar. Either of these could be a symbol of the Antichrist and his image being seated in the Jewish Temple in the Great Tribulation and the probably Jewish false prophet or beast out of the land encouraging Jews to worship the vile person(the Antichrist).
And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand: for he shall forecast devices against him. Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain. And both these kings' hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed. Then shall he(the vile person)return into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do exploits, and return to his own land. Daniel 11:25-28.
Historically those who rose up against the vile person or flatterer to try to rededicate to God and restore the Jewish Temple and the animal sacrifice Temple worship and to instruct people in God's law were the Maccabees. There will most likely be a similiar group of zealous, godly Jews in the last days or the Great Tribulation also. This time of struggle for their existence, and the Temple and the Temple sacrificial system is commemorated by Jews to this day in the Festival of Hannukah or the Feast of Dedication which Jesus Christ also celebrated in John 10:22. The scriptures about the vile person and flatterer that persecuted Israel is in Antiochus Epiphanes and will also apply in a greater and final way under the Antichrist or Beast out of the Sea is in Daniel 11 as follows:
At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter. For the ships of Chittim(Cyprus) shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant. And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries. And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed. Daniel 11:29-35.
A classic and central prophetic passage about the timing of different important prophetic events is found in Daniel 9. Although this passage mentions the time of the death of the Messiah(Jesus Christ) (shall Messiah be cut off) after 69 weeks after the decree by Cyrus king of Persia to allow the Jews to rebuild the Temple or House of the LORD in Jerusalem and its destruction after that by a prince that shall come (the Roman general and emperor Titus that happened 70 AD) I want to focus on verse 27 on this web page but I will note that the passage is worded in such a way that the prince that shall come (the Roman emperor and general Titus and his people the Romans are referred by to as he in verse 27 concerning the Antichrist. This implies that the Antichrist will also be a Roman emperor and general and that his people also will be Romans. This could be taken as further evidence that the prince of the people that shall come in the last days 70th week of Daniel will be a Roman Catholic pope ruling during the tribulation and that his people will be Roman Catholics and perhaps those of the former Roman Empire the European Union and English North America as three horns that are taken out by the little horn (the Antichrist) in Daniel 7. I will just also mention that after seventy weeks the events in verse 24 refer to the Messiah(the Lord Jesus Christ) bringing God's Kingdom and rule to Earth after His coming in power and great glory at the end of the Great Tribulation or 70th week of Daniel. Also it should be noted that each of these 70 weeks are 7 YEARS (not days) long.
In verse 27 the he who is the subject is the Antichrist or Beast out of the Sea the same as the "vile person" of Daniel 11. His confirming the covenant for one week means he will negotiate and establish a peace treaty with Israel that will allow the full resumption of the Jewish Temple worship and operation of their sacrificial system at the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. His confirming the covenant will also authorize the building of the Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The mention with many could imply this covenant will satisfy the objections of the majority of Muslims who generally consider all the Temple Mount a Moslem mosque and do not want a Jewish Temple there again. This week will be 7 years the period of the Great Tribulation and will start immediately after the Rapture or catching away of the Church of all true believers in Jesus Christ. In the midst of the week he shall force the sacrifices etc. to stop as described in more detail in Daniel 11. Then in the second half of the tribulation which will coincide with the Antichrist or Beast out of the Sea becoming energized by Satan and consolidating power on Earth he will present in himself and force worship of all people on Earth of himself and his image (the image of the beast) in the then defiled by his abomination Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. Desolation being poured at the consummation means God's judgment through His Son or Annointed One the Lord Jesus Christ when He comes to judge the world and deliver His persecuted believers and set up His Kingdom over all the Earth centred on Jerusalem.
Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city(Jerusalem), to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy (Place - the Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem). Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. Daniel 9:24-27
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs(Messiahs), and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Gospel of Matthew 24:15-27 (Compare Gospel of Mark 13:14-27 and, Gospel of Luke 21:20-28)
According to 2 Thessalonians 2 in the correct reading the rapture precedes the revelation of the Antichrist or the Man of Sin. Our gathering together unto him (the Lord Jesus Christ) most likely refers to all true Christians who have trusted in Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Saviour being gathered together with Jesus first in the air and then taken with him to Heaven at the rapture and beginning of the 70th week of Daniel. Although I generally prefer the King James Version I have heard and found by my own study that in this chapter the King James Version makes a significant mistake. The King James Version has in verse 2 "that the Day of Christ is at hand" but many other versions including a note in the Ryrie New King James version says something to the effect the Day of the LORD is already come, and the Chinese Chen Union Version which says the Day of the LORD is now arrived. This is important because the Day of Christ or the Day of Jesus Christ in the New Testament elsewhere refers to the rapture of the Church while the Day of the LORD refers especially to the Tribulation. The advice here then is for believers not to be concerned that the Great Tribulation has already come or that they are in the midst of it and experiencing it but that we will have our gathering together with Jesus Christ in the air and Heaven just before the day of the Lord starts. Jesus through the apostle Paul then goes on to say that there shall be a falling away first before the day of the Lord followed by the revelation of the man of sin or the Antichrist. I am quite convinced there is the falling away or apostasy at this time in the church. This refers to people that once claimed to be Christians abandonning in whole or in part teachings of the Bible for the Church or abandonning gathering in places where there are faithful Christians and Bible teaching. Some of these Christians weren't Christians in the first place, others are true Christians and will be saved and go to Heaven at the rapture but will forfeit rewards and crowns they could have earned by remaining more faithful and active in Christian service in the time leading up to the rapture of the Church to Heaven and the revelation of the Antichrist or man of sin on Earth.
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him. That ye(you) be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the Day of Christ is at hand(Day of the LORD is already come). Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3
The statement that the man of sin will oppose and exalt himself above all that is called God or is worshipped means that he will insist to all people of the world and all religions (all that is called God or is worshipped) including Judaism, all forms of Christianity, cults, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, nature worship tribal religions, the New Age movement, Sikhism or anything else that worship that he himself (the man of sin or the Antichrist) is the only acceptable and encouraged or forced form of worship in the second half of the Great Tribulation or 70th week of Daniel. The man of sin or the Antichrist or Beast out of the Sea will also show signs or other indications that will seem to give some credibility to his claim that he is God and he will do this while he is in the then rebuilt Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 2 Thessalonians 2:3-5
He who withholdeth, lets or restrains speaks of the Holy Spirit's work throughout this present age of restraining evil both from evil spirits, unsaved human being and from the old nature of believers in Jesus Christ. This work will cease when the Holy Spirit is "taken out of the way" probably when He will leave the Earth at least in his present pervasive or universal ministry of convicting unbelievers and indwelling all true or born again or born of the Holy Spirit believers in the Lord Jesus Christ when we go to Heaven with Jesus at the rapture. The prominent work of the Holy Spirit in this age is the exception rather than the rule in scripture. The Holy Spirit is also not mentioned in these type of works on Earth during the Tribulation in Revelation chapters 6 to 18 except the more Old Testament working when he revives the two witnesses of God in Revelation 11 after they are killed.
And now ye know what withholdeth that he(the man of sin or the Antichrist) might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity(lawlessness) doth already work: only he who now letteth(restraineth) will let (restrain), until he be taken out of the way. 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7
God will also send strong delusion to those who knowingly neglect or reject Jesus Christ and God's way of salvation and are left behind on Earth to face God's wrath in the Great Tribulation. This probably means they heard at least once a clear understandable to them Gospel message but neglected or rejected Jesus Christ and neglected or rejected to receive Him as their personal Lord and Saviour and the one who died for their sins and rose from the dead to give them new, eternal and godly life because they didn't want to turn to God from their sins. God will then cause them to be deceived(deluded) so they won't be saved in the Great Tribulation and will believe the lie(perhaps this is the same as the first lie told to members of the human race and believed by our first parents where Satan in the form of the servant said "hath God said ye shall not eat of all the trees of the garden" and "Ye shall not surely die: For God doth(does) know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." Genesis 3:1, 4-5. This idea of man becoming God or as God or gods is already quite popular in the New Age Movement, Hinduism, Mormonism, tribal religions and I think in Buddhism. The idea even with secular people of belief that man is continuing to progress as the highest form of evolution also leads to this belief in the lie. It will become even more popular in the Great Tribulation. The Lord Jesus Christ will also consume the Man of Sin or the AntiChrist with the spirit of his mouth(the word of God) and the brightness of his coming(His glory) at the end of the 70th week of Daniel when the Lord Jesus Christ comes to judge the world and set up God's Kingdom through Himself(Jesus the Christ or Messiah and Son of God). The Wicked or wicked one in verses 8 and 9 refers to the incarnation of Satan in the Beast out of the Land or the False Prophet of Revelation 13 and 17.
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders. And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they might believe a lie: That they all might be damned(condemned) who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12
For the reader that is concerned about coming under the power or control of the Antichrist, the best and only reliable means to avoid this is to trust with all your heart as soon as possible in the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour that He was God in the flesh and paid the complete penalty for our sins and rose from the dead so Christians or those who believe in Him can have eternal life with Him and God the Father in Heaven and a restored then new Earth forever.
The Antichrist or Beast out of the Sea Part 1