98    The Bible and the Future of the World 

(Europe) before the nearly seven years.  And the period of 3  years is the 

last half of his nearly seven years of power over the world. These are the 

years that he makes a concentrated effort to destroy Christianity. This is the 

last persecution of the Christian Faith, the 3  years of the Church's great 

suffering, which is the Church's holy imitation of Her Lord's Crucifixion. 

Just as Christ was given into the hands of sinners at the time of His 

Crucifixion (cf. Lk 9:44), so also must the Church be given into the hands of 

sinners at the time of the Church's Crucifixion. 

Battles Against the Antichrist (Dan 11:36 45) 

     And, at the predetermined time, the king of the South will fight against 

him, and the king of the North will come against him like a tempest, with 

chariots, and with horsemen, and with a great fleet, and he will enter into 

the lands, and will crush and pass through.  And he will enter into the 

glorious land, and many will fall.  But only these will be saved from his 

hand: Edom, and Moab, and the first part of the sons of Ammon.   

(Dan 11:40 41). 

    Antichrist's reign has no peace. Even though he rules over almost the 

whole earth, rebellions against him occur repeatedly. He defeats the forces 

which oppose him most of the time, but he never achieves complete control 

of the whole earth.  Some are saved from his hand.  Thus, even when 

Antichrist is at the height of his power, he will not have the world 

completely in his grasp. 

    Near  the end of the Antichrist's reign, the king of the South will rebel 

against the Antichrist and fight against him in war. But he cannot possibly 

win. The Antichrist's end is predetermined. He cannot die in battle. The 

Antichrist (king of the North) easily defeats the king of the South and takes 

control again of the glorious land (Israel).  However, some areas are saved 

from his power. 

More About the End of Antichrist's Reign 

    Daniel gives the number of days that the reign of Antichrist will last: 

  `From evening until morning, two thousand three hundred days, and so 

the sanctuary will be cleansed.'    (Dan 8:14). The phrase,  from evening 

until morning  means from the start of the time of darkness for the world 

(i.e. the start of the Antichrist's reign over the world) until the end of his 

reign and the beginning of the time of light for the world.  Therefore 

Antichrist's reign over the world will last more than six years and less than 

seven years.