The Middle East in Daniel 11:40-45

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Several of the verses in Daniel 11:40-45 specifically have to do with the Middle East and Africa. They name Egypt, Libyans, Ethiopians, Edom, Moab and Ammon, and refer to Palestine ("glorious land") and Jerusalem ("Holy Mountain"), all of which are identifiable locations in the Middle East and northern Africa. It follows then that a literal fulfillment of these verses must involve battles that specifically involve and profoundly affect these areas (see more about interpreting Daniel 11 literally).

Beginning with Napoleon's foray into Egypt in 1798, Europeans began to get increasingly involved in the Middle East and Africa. The 1800s were a time of major expansion and rivalries among European powers, and the Middle East held desirable advantages and riches. This was the territory controlled by the Ottoman Empire, which was extensive, including modern day Algeria, Armenia, Bosnia, Egypt, Greece, Iraq, Libya, Israel, Macedonia, Moldavia, Palestine, Romania, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey.



By the end of the 19th century, European powers, primarily the 7 tribes of the Roman realm, had colonized most of Africa and Southeast Asia (see image below). It became apparent that, having already colonized much of the world, they were poised to also colonize the Middle East (European colonization of Africa and other areas controlled primarily for commerce purposes, was generally different than in America, which was colonized for purposes of settling and as a permanent extension of the European homeland). Rivalries and shifts in the balance of power in Europe had not only fueled the race to colonize, but also led to clashes that eventually triggered World War I. The world war did indeed involve many battles in the Middle East and dramatically impacted the entire region. The verse-by-verse study on Daniel 11:40-45 traces the details of each country's involvement.



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