The news this morning says the U.S. thinks it killed Abu Bkr al Baghdadi overnight.  Waiting for DNA results. 

If it was al Baghdadi, I was certainly wrong thinking the “Raiser of Taxes” would die of natural causes.  Time will tell!  The rumors of his death have happened before.

Was it in Anger or in Battle?

While we wait for the DNA results, let’s look at the passage in Daniel.

Dan 11:20

20 Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle.
KJV

Shall be destroyed in neither anger or battle. The words in Hebrew and their definitions are as follows.

Destroyed:

* shabar (shaw-bar’); a primitive root; to burst (literally or figuratively):

Anger:

* ‘aph (af); from OT:599; properly, the nose or nostril; hence, the face, and occasionally a person; also (from the rapid breathing in passion) ire:

Battle:

* milchamah (mil-khaw-maw’); from OT:3898 (in the sense of fighting); a battle (i.e. the engagement); generally, war (i.e. warfare):

All of these things can be said to be true about this incident. He definitely burst (suicide vest), Was not killed by another person, and it was not in battle. It’s reported he blew himself up before the U.S. actually engaged him. Looks like he was our Raiser of Taxes!

What to Look for after al Baghdadi

So, what follows? Who’s next on the scene?

Dan 11:21
And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.
KJV

Key words here- Vile Person, Honour, Peaceably, Flatteries.

Vile Person: bazah (baw-zaw’); a primitive root; to disesteem:

KJV – despise, disdain, contemn (-ptible), think to scorn, vile person.

Honour: OT:1935 howd (hode); from an unused root; grandeur (i.e. an imposing form and appearance):

Peaceably: shalvah (shal-vaw’); from OT:7951; security (genuine or false):

Flatteries: chalaqlaqqah (khal-ak-lak-kaw’); by reduplication from OT:2505; properly, something very smooth; i.e. a treacherous spot; figuratively, blandishment:

So, we are to expect someone to rise up and take control of the “kingdom”. It won’t be given to him by honor, but he will take it by treachery. With “reduplication”, phonetically a partial repeat of the previous. So keep your eyes open for someone to arise calling himself by a name with part of Abu Abkr Al Baghdadi in it. He may have more than one name. This will be the “VILE PERSON”.

Who Will Follow al Baghdadi?

He will arise and be the leader of a “small people,” in Hebrew, “GOWY”. Definition: A flight of locusts! Look this man will be the leader of most the Arab nations as a group. Then will peace in the region be possible. Only then will the World shout Peace, Peace, Peace. The opposite of “Wars and Rumors of Wars.

This is going to get very interesting, very quickly. Enjoy it with the knowledge that GOD IS IN CONTROL.

Stay alert. Be a good watchman. The signs will become more numerous, more obvious(for those with “Eyes to See; Ears to Hear), and more rapid, although the signs are coming very fast already!

GOD BLESS

* (Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)