Around 536 BC.
Daniel is 88-90 years old.
This is a continuation of the conversation with the angel
from chapter 10.
Reportedly verses 1-35 contain 135 fulfilled prophecies.
For this reason, critics hate this chapter.
For this reason, Christians love this chapter.
2 Peter 1:19. We have also a more sure
word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a
light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise
in your hearts:
This sure Word, we hold in our hands can be depended
upon beyond emotions, feelings, miracles, signs and wonders.
Almost 1/3 of Scripture is prophecy (100% of Daniel
11) and confirms the Word to be True with undeniable proofs.
With each scientific discovery, each archeological
uncovering, the Bible is proved to be absolutely True, every jot, every tittle.
Not matter what the sceptics say, no matter what facts
remain, in your heart and in your soul let God be True and every man a liar.
Facts change. Truth, ever remains the same.
“Remember the former things of old: for I am
God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring
the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are
not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my
pleasure:” Isaiah 46:9-10.
Verses 36-45 includes prophecy of things that are
not yet done.
Daniel 11:21 introduces Antiochus IV Epiphanes, a type
and shadow of the antichrist.
A study of this chapter includes lots of dates and data,
but it’s not about that, it’s to show that God declares the end from the beginning,
what He says comes to pass without fail.
Much of the spotlight rests on two dynasties that
fought for about 200 years from 261B.C. - 60 B.C. Giving Voice to the “Silent
Years” between the Testaments.
Seleucus and Ptolemy, two of Alexander the Great's
generals.
The Seleucids in the North (of Jerusalem) controlled
Syria and southward.
The Ptolemies in the South (of Jerusalem) controlled
Egypt and northward.
Daniel 11:1
“Also in the first year of Darius the Mede, I, even I,
stood up to confirm and strengthen him.)
Chapters and verses were not Divinely inspired and are
not always in great places.
Daniel 10 and11 splits in the middle of a conversation
between Daniel and an angel.
The angel, not Daniel, is speaking as we open chapter
11.
In chapter 10, the Lord through the angel revealed
much about spiritual warfare.
Now, the angel is explaining that he’s been around since the Medo-Persian empire conquered Babylon. Perhaps mostly because of the fulfillment of the prophecy that after 70 years the Babylonian exile would end. Jeremiah 25:11-12.
Whenever God is on the move the serpent starts to
rattle.
So, there must’ve been quite a spiritual battle attempting
to thwart God’s Divine plan.
2 And now I
will tell you the truth: Behold, three more kings will arise in Persia,
and the fourth shall be far richer than them all; by
his strength, through his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of
Greece.
HIStory identifies these kings as:
Cambyses (529-522 BC).
From history we know that Cambyses was the son of Cyrus.
An impostor, by the name
of Guamata, claimed to be Smerdis, also called Artaxerxes, the younger brother
of Cambyses. Is this the first case of Identity theft?
Pseudo-Smerdis, won the hearts of the people
and stole the throne by promising a three-year exemption from taxes.
When Cambyses realized he
was defeated, he committed suicide.
Pseudo-Smerdis
(522-521 BC).
Psudo-Smerdis reigned a short time before Darius the Great took
control of the Persian Empire.
Darius The Great
(521-486 BC).
Xerxes aka: Ahasuerus (486-465 BC).
Far richer than them all, the one you know and love from the book of Esther.
Xerxes amassed the largest
army in the ancient world (some claim 2.5 million men, plus naval ships).
The Greek historian Herodotus records that in around
482 B.C., Xerxes had two bridges built across the width of the Hellespont in
order that his huge army could cross from Persia into Greece. These bridges
were then destroyed by a storm that so enraged Xerxes, that he beat the sea 300
times with a belt!
However, the ultra-wealthy seldom know when to quit or
when enough is enough and Xerxes of Persia, wanting more wealth and more power,
rammed into quickly growing Greece, not once but twice.
This, set the stage for the prophecy we’ve already
heard of the ram and the goat in Daniel 8. The Grecian Goat,
quickly rose up and ground the Persian Ram into a Persian rug.
The Grecian Goat was Alexander the Great.
3 Then a mighty king shall
arise, who shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his
will. 4 And when he has arisen, his kingdom shall be
broken up and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not among
his posterity nor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for
his kingdom shall be uprooted, even for others besides these.
Don’t forget the awesomeness of all of this. Remember,
this was written about 200 years before Alexander the Great graced the scene.
All historians agree that this speaks of Alexander the
Great.
After quickly conquering the known world around June
10th, 323 BC, at only 32 years of age, after a night of drunkenness,
he died, in Babylon. Perhaps in the same place Belshazzar, during a night of
drunkenness, saw the handwriting on the wall and met his demise.
Alexander had no clear successor when he died.
His wife, Roxana, was pregnant with Alexander IV.
He also had a four year old son, Heracles, born to Barsine,
a mistress from Macedon.
He had a half-brother, Philip III, who was mentally
challenged.
All possible successors related to Alexander, including
Roxana, were assassinated.
Now notice again the accuracy of Scripture; the
kingdom was divided, toward the four winds, but not
among his posterity.
The kingdom was divided four ways between four
of his generals. As previously depicted in the vision with the four headed, four-winged,
leopard in Daniel 7, and the four horns from the goat in Daniel 8.
Cassander
ruled over Macedonia and Greece.
Lysimachus
over Thrace.
Ptolemy I,
reigned Egypt.
Seleucus ruled Syria.
The first two (Cassander and Lysimachus) fade away and
the focus remains on the North
and the South as they battle it out and guess whose glorious land is
right smack dab in the middle of Syria and Egypt?
Israel.
Therefore, the spotlight remains on them because what
they do affects the apple of God’s eye, Israel.
5 “Also the
king of the South shall become strong, as well as one of his princes;
and he shall gain power over him and have dominion. His dominion shall
be a great dominion.
HIStory tells us that the king of the south, Ptolemy
I Soter, established his authority over Egypt quickly, (323-285 BC).
However, Seleucus I Nicator, in the north, was having
some trouble. One of Alexander's former military leaders, Antigonus, thought he
ought to be king of the north.
Ptolemy rode up from the south and helped Seleucus in
the north to gain power and have a great dominion even larger than his
own.
6 And at the end of some years...
Seems like there might be some truth to the saying, “no
good deed goes unpunished.” Because after Ptolemy showed southern hospitality
and helped Yankee Doodle Seleucus in the North, they started fighting amongst
themselves for some years, about six decades.
Then, somebody had a brilliant idea.
Let’s have a wedding. Why not? We already hate each
other, so we might as well be in-laws.
How about, one of your boys marries one of our gals? Who
knows, maybe we’ll become one big, noisy, messy, happy, family.
What could possibly go wrong?
6...they
shall join forces, for the daughter of the king of the South
shall go to the king of the North to make an agreement;
but she shall not retain the power of her authority, and neither he nor
his authority shall stand; but she shall be given up, with those who
brought her, and with him who begot her, and with him who strengthened her
in those times.
So, they found a lovely southern belle, Berenice (daughter
of Ptolemy II Philadelphus, the king of the south), to marry the handsome
northern king Antiochus II (262-246 BC).
So, now what could stand in the way of wedded bliss?
Well, Queen Laodice for one. Antiochus’s wife.
Oops.
Hell has no fury like a woman... well, it wasn’t long
until the bell tolled for southern belle Berenice, her infant son, and king
Antiochus.
Then Laodice put her son, Seleucus II Callinicus, on
the throne.
7 But from a branch
of her (deceased Berenice) roots one shall
arise (her brother, Ptolemy III Euergates) in his place, who shall come with an army, enter the
fortress of the king of the North, and deal with them and prevail.
The king of Egypt Ptolemy III, the brother to recently
deceased Berenice marched into the fortress of the North, like Braveheart, and
killed Laodice, and plundered the Northern empire as far as Babylon.
8 And he
shall also carry their gods captive to Egypt, with
their princes and their precious articles of silver and gold;
and he shall continue more years than the king of the North.
The spoils they took back
to Egypt included 2500 idols (gods), 4000 talents of gold and 40,000 talents of
sliver.
Ptolemy III, the king of
the South reigned for 24 years. The king of the North (Seleucus II Callinicus) reigned
for 20 years (died from falling off a horse).
Thus, as prophesied, he
continued more years than the king of the North.
9 “Also the
king of the North shall come to the kingdom of the king of the South, but
shall return to his own land. 10 However his sons shall
stir up strife, and assemble a multitude of great forces; and one (Antiochus
III) shall certainly come and overwhelm
and pass through; (Judah) then
he shall return to his fortress and stir up strife.
11 “And the
king of the South (Ptolemy IV) shall be moved with rage, and go out and fight with
him, with the king of the North, (Antiochus III) who shall muster a great multitude; but
the multitude shall be given into the hand of his enemy.
North attacked the South.
South attacked the North.
Back and forth.
Antiochus III recaptured much of what Ptolemy III had
taken.
In 221 BC Ptolemy IV marched through Judea and was turned
back in Lebanon by Antiochus III.
Then in the spring of 219 BC the big battle of Raffia ignited
(20 miles south of Gaza).
The South had 75,000 soldiers and 73 elephants.
The North had 68,000 soldiers and 102 elephants.
The South lost 2,200 men, whereas the North lost 14,300.
12 When he (Proud Ptolemy) has taken away the multitude, his heart will
be lifted up; and he will cast down tens of thousands, but he will not
prevail.
The South won the day, but not the war.
Ptolemy’s heart was lifted up. Never a good
sign—pride comes before a fall, Proverbs 16:18.
Reportedly Ptolemy went
on a victory tour stopping at Jerusalem. He was about to enter the Holy of Holies,
against the warning of the high priest, but was suddenly struck with paralysis.
God protected the Holy
place, until an appointed time.
Meanwhile Antiochus,
rather than being discouraged by the defeat, was rebuilding his army for a
rematch.
13 For the
king of the North will return and muster a multitude greater than the former,
and shall certainly come at the end of some years with a great army and
much equipment.
14 “Now in
those times many (including early Rome) shall rise up against the king of the South.
Also, violent men of your people (Israel) shall exalt themselves in fulfillment of the
vision, but they shall fall. 15 So the king of the
North shall come and build a siege mound, and take a fortified city; and
the forces of the South shall not withstand him. Even his choice
troops shall have no strength to resist.
16 But he (Antiochus
III) who comes against him (Ptolemy
IV) shall do according to his own will,
and no one shall stand against him. He shall stand in the Glorious Land
(Israel) with destruction
in his power.
Antiochus returns with 100,000 soldiers.
Back and forth for some years, about 200
years these battles raged, the north and the south battled, crisscrossing the
land of Israel to wage war with one another.
The glorious land of
Judea was reduced to poverty after so many years of being the center of this North
and South tug of war.
17 “He shall
also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom,
and upright ones with him; thus shall he do. And he shall give him (Ptolemy
V) the
daughter (Cleopatra I) of
women to destroy it; but she shall not stand with him, or be for him.
Not Elizabeth Taylor, that was Cleopatra VII. This is Cleopatra
I.
Antiochus III gave his daughter (10 years old) to
Ptolemy V (teenager) thinking peace through matrimony would give him the
advantage over Egypt, without the expense of war.
Only his daughter wasn’t the spy he hoped she’d be. Instead,
she fell in love with Ptolemy V.
18 After this
he shall turn his face to the coastlands, and shall take many. But a ruler
shall bring the reproach against them to an end; and with the reproach removed,
he shall turn back on him.
Antiochus III set his sights on Greece, but Rome
intervened and sent him high tailing it back to home.
But not before forcing him to pay restitution, and
tribute, agree to a peace treaty, and to leave his son, Mithradates, as a
political hostage. NOTE: This boy would eventually become Antiochus IV
Epiphanes, infamous for his spiteful persecution of Jews. The shadow of the
antichrist.
19 Then he
shall turn his face toward the fortress of his own land; but he
shall stumble and fall, and not be found.
Here, we see the final fate of Antiochus III, he will
stumble and fall, and not be found.
Once again, history reveals that prophecy was
fulfilled.
After his defeat in Asia Minor, he turned his face
toward his own land, and went home. But instead of settling down, he stumbled
and fell and was found dead, while plundering a temple in his own land in
modern-day Iran.
20 “There
shall arise in his place one who imposes taxes on the glorious
kingdom; but within a few days he shall be destroyed, but not in anger or
in battle.
Antiochus III was succeeded by his son, Seleucus IV
Philopator.
He drastically increased taxes to pay his dad’s debts.
He also arranged for his brother, Mithradates, to be
brought back from Rome in exchange for his own son.
His reign was brief, as he was poisoned by one of his
political officials.
Just as prophesied, he was destroyed ‘neither in
anger nor battle’ but as a result of a political scandal.
This led to the wicked reign of Antiochus IV Epiphanes,
the type and shadow of the antichrist.
21 And in his place shall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty;
but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue.
Here, the prophecy comes to one of Scripture's most infamous
historical figures.
His illegitimate rise was predicted, he seized the
kingdom by intrigue.
The peace deal with Rome was that the son of king would
be a political prisoner.
That’s why Seleucus IV sent his own son in exchange, Antiochus.
When Seleucus IV was assassinated, Antiochus seized the
throne through flattery and bribery.
He changed his name from Mithradates to Antiochus IV
Epiphanes, meaning, "God Manifest." However, he was often called,
"Epimanes," which means "insane."
22 With
the force of a flood they shall be swept away from before him and be
broken, and also the prince of the covenant.
23 And after the league is
made with him he shall act deceitfully, for he shall come up and
become strong with a small number of people. 24 He
shall enter peaceably, even into the richest places of the province; and he
shall do what his fathers have not done, nor his forefathers: he
shall disperse among them the plunder, spoil, and riches; and he shall
devise his plans against the strongholds, but only for a time.
Here, we see prophecy of Antiochus’s early military
victories. His actions reflect those of the antichrist. A deceitful peace
maker, dispersing plunder and riches to devise his evil plans.
He besieged Egypt in 170 BC; with the force of a flood
he swept in and conquered the city of Pelusium and gained access to all of Egypt.
He dictated who would be the High Priest, (the
prince of the covenant), by giving it the highest bidder.
He rose to power by deception and flattery.
25 “He shall
stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South with a
great army. And the king of the South shall be stirred up to battle with
a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand, for they shall devise
plans against him. 26 Yes, those who eat of the portion of
his delicacies shall destroy him; his army shall be swept away, and many
shall fall down slain.
27 Both
these kings’ hearts shall be bent on evil, and they shall speak lies at the same table; but it shall not
prosper, for the end will still be at the appointed
time.
The battles, the hearts bent on evil, the speaking of
lies at the same table, continued, and will continue, for the end will still
be at the appointed time.
28 While returning to his land with great
riches, his heart shall be moved against the holy covenant; so
he shall do damage and return to his own land.
Antiochus returned north with great riches, yet, his
heart was moved against the holy covenant, to do damage.
There is a demonic hatred toward God’s covenant people
and property.
If you have a hatred toward Jews, like much of the
world. Stop right now and ask God for forgiveness and deliverance from this
demonic evil.
Antiochus had heard that a rumor went about claiming
he was dead. He also heard the news was met with celebrations in Israel.
Something he figured he needed to punish.
29 “At the
appointed time he shall return and go toward the south; but it shall not be
like the former or the latter. 30 For ships
from Cyprus shall come against him...
Evil always goes too far. Sin never knows when to
quit. Power lust is never satisfied.
Antiochus was met in Egypt, by the Roman Consul, Gaius
Popillius Laenas, who told him that he must immediately withdraw from both
Cyprus and Egypt. (Antiochus’s fleet had captured the isle of Cyprus).
Antiochus asked for time to think about it.
“Sure,” said Gaius, as he drew a circle around him in
the sand, “take as much time as you want. Only you must decide before you leave
that circle.”
Surrender or declare war with Rome and die.
He agreed and headed north, only, on the way to vent
his rage, he stopped by Jerusalem and foreshadowed the actions of the
antichrist with the abomination of desolation.
30...
therefore he shall be grieved, and return in rage against the holy covenant,
and do damage.
“So he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the
holy covenant. 31 And forces shall be mustered by
him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take
away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination
of desolation.
In his rage, he slaughtered 40,000 Jews and sold many into
slavery.
Antiochus stopped temple worship.
Offered swine on the altar and desecrated the temple
with the flesh and blood of swine.
Forced public nudity.
Stole the golden vessels from the Holy of Holies (God
allowed this to happen).
Defiled the temple by placing in it a statue of Zeus
(Jupiter, the Roman equivalent).
This, Abomination of Desolation, is a foreshadow
of the actions of the antichrist to come.
Jesus refers to this “abomination of desolation
spoken of by Danie the prophet” and masterfully projects it into
future tense. Matthew 24:15-16. Thereby, telling us that Daniel’s prophecy
of Antiochus is a foreshadow of the Antichrist.
As is the case with prophecy, many times it has a near
and far interpretation, a preview for the real show.
32 Those who
do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery...
In intense times, the thoughts and intents of the
heart are revealed.
We are living in intense times, and they are getting
more and more intense, like labor pains. Are you growing more agitated and
irritated, or, more focused, calm, peacefully intense?
There were those who quickly bowed to Antiochus.
There are those who will quickly bow to antichrist.
32...but the
people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. 33 And
those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for
many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity
and plundering. 34 Now when they fall, they shall
be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them
by intrigue. 35 And some of those of understanding
shall fall, to refine them, purify them, and
make them white, until the time of the end;
because it is still for the appointed time.
Evil always goes too far. Sin never knows when to
quit.
Antiochus tried to force a rural priest to sacrifice
an unclean animal to a pagan God. The priest, Mattathias, refused.
When another villager tried to follow the command, Mattathias
killed him. That encouraged the crowd to unite and stand against the soldiers.
This escalated into a full-scale uprising now known as the Maccabean Revolt, and
is what birthed the modern celebration of Hanukkah.
When the dust settled, the Jews still standing (many
were killed just as prophesied) entered the Temple and found it defiled,
desecrated. They went to work to cleanse and rededicate the temple.
However, they didn’t have enough pure oil to keep the menorah burning continually
as required. Nevertheless, they did what they could and lit the lamp.
God did the rest.
The lamp continued to burn day after day, for eight
days, enough time to produce new pure oil for the menorah to remain lit and
never burn out.
Let
your Light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your
Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:16.
Let’s pray.
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your Word that tells
of things to come. Thank You for HIStory that reveals what You said in Your
Word has come true. This makes it easy to believe that what remains of Your
Word to be fulfilled, will come to pass exactly as You have written. Please help
us earnestly and urgently shine Your Love to those You’ve given us so we all will
hear You say, “Well done.”
We love You, forever.
Amen.
Isaiah
46:9-10. “Remember the former things of old: for I
am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring
the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that
are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do
all my pleasure:”
2
Peter 1:19. We have also a more sure word of prophecy;
whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in
a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
Prayer Requests:
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Email: pray4measap@aol.com
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Watch online:
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Daniel 11:1-35
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Future, Daniel 11:1-35
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Seed for you to sow.
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