Daniel 11:21-45 is a detailed overview of the military career of the Antichrist. In order to fully appreciate what the passage is about, we have to cover some things first. One of those things is Daniel’s 70th Week.
In Daniel 9:24-27, God informed Daniel through an angelic messenger that there would be seventy seven-year periods in the future. This 490-year period of time would concern the deliverance of the Jewish people and Jerusalem. After the first 69 sevens, or 483 years, the Messiah, Jesus, would die for our sins. After that, the Temple in Jerusalem and the city itself was going to be destroyed. Yet, a future seven-year period still remains, and it will take place before Jesus fully establishes His Kingdom. It’s often called “Daniel’s 70th Week.”
In verse 26, Daniel was told that the soldiers of a coming ruler would destroy Jerusalem and the Temple. The Romans definitely leveled Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD. That said, verse 27 talks about a future ruler making a seven-year covenant with Israel. This ruler would violate the agreement 3 ½ years in by stopping Temple sacrifices. Obviously, no Roman ruler ever broke a seven-year agreement with Israel by stopping Temple sacrifices. So, this coming ruler hasn’t shown up yet.
When he does show up, he’ll invade Israel, overwhelm it like a flood and desolate the Temple. This is all described in Daniel 9:26-27 and again in Daniel 11:31. Before he does any of this though, he will make a deal with many nations, including Israel. This event will start the final seven-year period before Jesus establishes His Kingdom in its fullness, “Daniel’s 70th Week.”
Now, why would Israel and a bunch of other nations sign an agreement with this guy? We’ll look at that a little bit later.