Daniel describes a strong ruler emerging in the western world following a series of tumultuous events. Donald Trump is a key person in a transition to autocratic power.

The ruler who precedes him became obsessed with the "borderlands" (Ukraine)

He will turn his attention to the coastlands and will seize many of them (Dan 11:18).
This is a good description of Joe Biden.

So he will turn his back face toward the strongholds in own land, but he will stumble and fall and not be found (Dan 11:19).
He stumbles and falls, and then disappears from the stage. This is what happened to President Biden.

Daniel describes the ruler who emerges in his place (Dan 11:20).

He stands in his place and sends an extractor of tribute for the glory of his kingdom (Dan 11:20a).
This ruler sends out a tax collector. There was no income tax in Daniel’s time, so kings raised money by levying tariffs and duties on trade and by imposing the payment of tribute on other kings. The "trade war" tariffs on imports and the sanctions being imposed by the US on various nations could be a fulfilment of this prophecy.

The United States has imposed more sanctions and tariffs than any other nation. It has destroyed numerous nations using economic sanctions, including Syria, Iraq, Iran and Libya.

Daniel explains that this king takes these actions for the "glory of his kingdom". This sounds like "Make America Great Again". Using tariffs and sanctions to restore American power points to the second term of President Donald Trump.

This transitional ruler is powerful, but Daniel explains that within a short time, he will be broken.

In a few years, he will be broken, yet not in anger or in battle (Dan 11:20b).
If this is a reference to Donald Trump, it suggests that he will have great power, but it will not last long. Daniel explains that he will rise fast, but fizzle out. He will be broken, but not by war or plague.

Many Christian leaders are concerned that Donald Trump is undermining democracy and will become a dictator. The reality is that he is too old and lazy to become a dictator (wielding autocratic power is a young man’s game). I believe that he will not last long enough to become a real dictator. His administration has started with a hiss and a roar, but Trump does not have the energy to sustain it, especially when the opposition to policies builds up.

Broken and Pushed Aside

Donald Trump will have a dazzling rise like a bright shining shooting star, but will fade quickly and disappear (More in Rise and Fall of Donald Trump. After several fiascos resulting from the overuse of international power that he does not have, he will be broken by failure.

Donald Trump will discover that he has immense power over the federal bureaucracy (great power in the nation) but that his power to control the nations has evaporated. Too many bad economic decisions and the failure of his foolish international adventures will break him. Trump will be a broken man, destroyed by the shame of failure. Like Nebuchadnezzar, he will collapse at the peak of his power (Dan 4).

People who are scared of Donald Trump will welcome his successor, but this is a mistake, because they will be deceived into welcoming their betrayer. Trump will be pushed aside by the powerful men who surround him. His VP will probably pushed out too. He has empowered these men, but they will disempower him.

Broken Trump will be succeeded by a despicable person, who will use the power techniques that his predecessor has developed to exercise immense power and control over the American nation.

A despised person will stand in his place (Dan 11:21a).
The people who dislike Donald Trump will welcome his successor, but they will be surprised when he lasts longer and uses the power that Donald Trump has released to develop immense executive power. He might seem to be good at first, but according to Daniel, he will be around for a long time and will do great evil.

Donald Trump will only last for a short time, but is important, because he will open the way for another ruler more successful. The second ruler will use the same methods as Donald Trump to massively expand presidential power. He will do far more harm, because his power will last much longer.

The ruler who replaces Donald Trump will be a despicable person.

A despised person will stand in his place, to whom they had not given the respect of the kingdom: but he will come without warning and seize the kingdom by intrigue (Dan 11:21).
When he gains his place, this person will not have the respect of many in his nation. They will recognise that he is a despicable person and assume that he will not gain power, but he will engage in intrigue and seize control of his nation.

Once he gains power, this ruler is successful against strong opposition.

The forces of the overwhelmer will be overwhelmed before him; they will be broken (Dan 11:22).
Stated literally, this verse says that "overwhelming forces will be overwhelmed". Or a deluge of forces will be deluged.

There is no reference to the King of the South, so the expression "overwhelmer" could have a different more local meaning. A perceived threat to the United States at the current time is the millions of refugees from Latin America who are travelling through Mexico and sneaking across the southern border into the southern states. So many were coming that they have been "overwhelming" the border control forces. Associated with this overwhelming flood of people is a flow of illicit drugs that are destroying the youth of America.

To distract the people of his nation from the pain of his losses overseas, the despicable ruler might attack Mexico (or perhaps Venuzuela) to once and for all close the border to the overwhelming flood of people who are crossing every night and the flow of drugs that are striking the heart of his nation. Daniel might be warning that Mexico (or perhaps Venuzuela) will be broken when the United States invades to secure its border and overwhelming flow of people and drugs.

Daniel also explains that

A commander of the covenant will be destroyed (Dan 11:22).
The despicable ruler will destroy a key military leader in Israel.

The despicable leader will also transform the relationship between the United States and the ruling powers of Israel. He will probably make this change because an extremely right-wing government in Israel is openly implementing apartheid policies against the Palestinian people.

Daniel also explains that the despicable leader will become the American Beast that Daniel described in his seventh and eighth chapters, by relying on military power and control. He and his descendants will lead their nation into the last battle that destroys government power for ever.

Next page Israeli Apartheid.

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