The
Longest Prophecy in the Bible,
Daniel
11
Daniel 11 is living historic proof of two central things: 1)
the veracity of God’s Word, the Bible; 2)
since 9/10ths of this prophecy is already fulfilled and in the history books,
it shows conclusively in one chapter that Bible prophecies (in this case Old
Testament) are to be taken quite literally, and not figuratively--allegorizing
away their literal meaning is not an option for the honest Biblical historian.
The verses up to verse 35 of this prophecy in this study have been linked
up with and compared to “A Manual Of Ancient History” by Rawlinson, a noted
British historian of impeccable credentials.
Amillennialists, basing their theories and allegorizations on their church
father Origen cannot stand up to this chapter with any coherent explanation,
other than that the Bible’s prophecies should be interpreted literally. But not wanting to do this, they try to teach
that Daniel was written “by a bunch of Jews in 139BC in an effort to influence
their brethren with Messianic prophecies”. Such
claptrap denies the Old Testament canon as being the true Word of God, a very
serious thing to do, and amounts to nothing more than interpretive slight of
hand. Even if Daniel were written in 139BC, which eliminates about half of the
details of this prophecy, the other half have been fulfilled, right up to the
1930’s. So I guess Daniel must have been
written by Daniel in 539 BCE, the first year of Darius the Mede (Daniel 1:1),
as it clearly states in the Bible. There is absolutely no way a “bunch of Jews
wanting to influence Messianic prophecies” could have written even the latter
half of these prophecies and gotten it right.
The laws of probability say just as much. It goes directly against the
laws of probability and averages, which is a very specific science (there are
mathematical books on the subject).
THE
MIDDLE EAST IN PROPHECY: NOTES
(HISTORY
FROM “A MANUAL OF ANCIENT HISTORY” BY RAWLINSON)
Daniel
11:1, “Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm
and to strengthen him.”
The angel talking to Daniel
is giving the actual date when this prophecy was given to
Daniel. Daniel 10 describes the coming
of this angel to speak with Daniel, and it was probably Gabriel. [October 9, 539 BCE]
Daniel
11:2-3, “And now will I shew thee the truth.
Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth
shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he
shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia.
And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall bear rule with great dominion,
and do according to his will [that is referring to Alexander the Great].”
1.
Three kings in Persia stand up (in importance) following
Cyrus. Canbyses, Pseudo Smerdis, Darius.
Xerxes was the fourth and richest of all--stirred up all against…Grecia. In response, Philip of Macedonia plans a great
war with Persia, but dies. Alexander
his son takes over the plans and invades Persia. He met the Persian army at the Battle of Issus,
B.C. 333 (cf. Daniel 8:2,5-6). Final
battle, defeat of Persia took place at the Battle of Arbella, B.C. 331 (Dan.
11:2-3).
2.
Daniel
11:4, “And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be
divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according
to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for
others besides those.” “His (Alexander’s) kingdom
shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds…” Alexander dies in B.C. 323. His four generals divide his empire. By 301 B.C. the four generals are ruling over
these territories: 1) Ptolemy (Soter), Egypt and part of Syria, Judea; 2) Seleuscus
(Nicator), Syria, Babylonia, territory east to India; 3) Lysimachus, Asia Minor;
4) Cassander, Greece and Macedonia.
3.
In this prophecy of God, attention now focuses on
only two of the four generals: Egypt—Ptolemy (Soter), and Seleuscus (Nicator),
the king of the south and the king of the north respectively. This is now a prophecy and history of the Holy
Land passing back and forth between these two divisions or kingdoms which came
out of Alexander’s empire at his death. Their
wars were mainly fought over possession of the territory of Judea.
Daniel
11:5, “And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes; and
he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great
dominion.”
Ptolemy I consolidates his
power and forcesin Egypt. Seleucus (Nicator)
consolidates his power and forces in Syria, assumes the diadem as king there.
Daniel
11:7, “But out of a branch of her roots shall one stand up in his estate, which
shall come with an army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the
north, and shall deal against them and shall prevail.”
Philadelphus’s
son, Bernice’s brother becomes the next king of the South (Ptolemy Euergates
III), and he invades Syria in 245 B.C. to avenge Bernice’s murder. He took immense booty, 2,500 gold molten images
and vessels. Daniel 11:8, “And shall also carry
captives into Egypt their gods, with their princes, and with their precious
vessels of silver and of gold: and he shall continue more years than the king
of the north.”
Seleucus II dies in 226 B.C.
His two sons take the kingdom of the north, first Seleucus III in 226-223
B.C., and then Antiochus III (the Great), together they attack Egypt and recover
their port and fortress (Seleucia) (verse 10).
Verse 9, “So the king of the south shall come into his kingdom,
and shall return into his own land.” Verse 10, “But his sons shall be stirred
up, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces: and one shall certainly
come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall he return, and be stirred up,
even to his fortress.” Verse 11, “And
the king of the south shall be moved with choler, and shall come forth and fight
with him, even with the king of the north: and he shall set forth a great multitude;
but the multitude shall be given into his hand.” Verse 12, “And when he hath
taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted up; and he shall cast down
many ten thousands: But he shall not be strengthened by it.” The king of the South, now Ptolemy IV (Philopater),
with an army of 20,000 inflicted severe defeat on Antiochus the Great. He killed tens of thousands and again annexed
Judea to Egypt. But this was a throw-away
victory because of a speedy peace treaty too hastily drawn up.
Daniel
11:13-14, “For the king of the north shall return, and shall set forth a multitude
greater than the former, and shall certainly come after certain years with a
great army and with much riches. And
in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south: also
the robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; but
they shall fall.”
B.C. 205 Ptolemy Philopater
dies--left the throne to an infant son Ptolemy Epiphanes. Antiochus the Great (III), king of the north,
masses a great army, allies with Philip of Macedon and others against Egypt--assisted
by some of the Jews.
Daniel
11:15-16, “So the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mount, and take
the most fenced cities: and the arms of the south shall not withstand, neither
his chosen people, neither shall there be any strength to withstand. But he that cometh against him shall do according
to his own will, and none shall stand before him: and he shall stand in the
glorious land, which by his hand shall be consumed.” Antiochus III takes Sidon from Egypt, ruined Egyptian
interest in Judea at Battle of Mount Panium, B.C. 198, took possession of Judea.
Verse
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 the daughter of women, corrupting her: but she
shall not stand on his side, neither be for him.” Antiochus III marries his daughter Cleopatra (not
the famous one) to Ptolemy Epiphanes hoping to gain Egypt as well, but the plan
fails. He turns his attention to Asia
Minor, B.C. 197-196, but is stopped by the Roman General Cornelius Scipio Asiaticus,
at the battle of Magnesia in B.C. 190. Verse 18, “After
this shall he turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many: but a prince
for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease: without
his own reproach he shall cause it to turn upon him.” Antiochus III killed in B.C. 187. Verse 19, “Then
he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land; but he shall stumble
and fall, and not be found.”
Daniel
11:20, “Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of
the kingdom: but within a few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger,
nor in battle.” Antiochus III’s son, Seleucus Philopater
IV (187-176 B.C.) reigned eleven years, was killed by his tax collector Heliodorus.
Seleucus Philopater left no heir.
Verse
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.” Seleucus Philopater IV’s younger
brother, Antiochus Epiphanes (IV), came by surprise, took the kingdom by flattery.
Drives out Heliodorus in 176 B.C. In
verse 22 at the end it mentions the prince of the covenant.
This is talking about the high priest of the Jews, who was at this time
under control of no government of man (i.e. under no government of Satan). Verse
22, “And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and
shall be broken: yea, also the prince of the covenant.”
This was
an attempt by Antiochus Epiphanes (IV) to replace the Jewish high priest of
God by another who would be subservient to him.
Verses
23-24, “And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he
shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people. He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest
places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done,
nor his father’s fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and
riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even
for a time.” Although only a few were with
him at first, yet by this Roman manner, by deceit and flattery, he crept into
power and prospered. He also invaded
Galilee and Lower Egypt. His fathers,
the former kings of Syria, had favored the Jews, but says Rawlinson’s history,
page 255, they “were driven to desperation by the mad project of this self-willed
monarch.”
Verse
25, “And he shall stir up 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 forecast devices against
him.” Verse 26, “Yea, they that feed
of the portion of his meat shall destroy him [the king of the south], and his
army shall overflow, and many shall fall down slain.” Antiochus Epiphanes marches against Ptolemy Philometor
(king of the south), defeated him through treachery of his (Philometor’s) own
officers.
Verse
28, “Then shall he return into his own land with great riches; and his heart
shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do exploits, and return to
his own land.”
Antiochus in 168 B.C. returns from
Egypt with great plunder, massacres many Jews, loots the temple. Verses 29-30,
At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south, but it shall
not be as the former, or as the latter for the ships of Chittim shall
come against him: therefore he shall be grieved and return, and have indignation
against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence
with them that forsake the holy covenant.” Antiochus Epiphanes IV invades Egypt again, with no
success this time. Philometor (king of
the south) gets help from Rome. The Roman
fleet came against Antiochus and forced him to surrender to terms of Popillius
of the Roman fleet, return from Egypt and restore Cyprus to Egypt.
Smarting from defeat he vented his wrath on the Jews, extended special
favors to Jews who would turn from their religion.
Note: This
period of time is just at the end of the 6th head or candle (symbolically,
on the candelabra or minorah) of the Old Testament church or congregation.
This sixth head or candle corresponds to our era of the church, and this
prophecy is a foreshadow of how our church era and work will be cut short.
It is also a foreshadow of how an end-time resurrection of the king of
the north, the Holy Roman Empire, will flow into the holy land and of what this
leader of the new Roman Empire will do.
Verse
31, “And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary
of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the
abomination that maketh desolate [or that astonisheth].” Then Antiochus
Epiphanes [as a fore-runner of the abomination that makes desolate mentioned
by the apostle Paul in II Thessalonians 2:3-4 and Daniel 11:36, the anti-Christ]
sends troops to the holy land, has them desecrate the sanctuary and abolish
the daily sacrifices (Daniel 8:11,24), and place the abomination of the image
of Jupiter Olympus in the Holy of Holies (the most sacred part of the temple
building). Verse 32, “And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall
he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong,
and do exploits.”
Right here I am going to insert
a historic piece from Josephus which shows historically who this people were
that knew their God and were strong and did exploits. Right at the time of Antiochus Epiphanes IV,
the following occurred:
Background history for the Festival of Lights, taken out of
Josephus' "Antiquities of the Jews", translated by William Whiston,
Kregel Publications, pp. 256-257, 258-262.
2. Now Antiochus [Epiphanes IV], upon
the agreeable situation of the affairs of his kingdom, resolved to make an expedition
against Egypt, both because he had a desire to gain it, and because he contemned
the son of Ptolemy, as now weak, and not yet of abilities to manage affairs
of such consequence; so he came with great forces to Pelusium, and circumvented
Ptolemy Philometer by treachery, and seized Egypt. He then came to the places about Memphis, and
when he had taken them, he made haste to Alexandria, in hopes of taking it by
siege, and of subduing Ptolemy, who reigned there. But he was driven not only from
Alexandria, but out of all Egypt by the declaration of the Romans, who charged
him to let that country alone. Accordingly,
as I have elsewhere formerly declared, I will now give a particular account
of what concerns this king,--how he subdued Judea and the temple; for in my
former work I mentioned those things very briefly to go over that history again,
and that with great accuracy."
Now here is where we can get a real
historic picture of just how evil this Antiochus was. The Bible often uses a prior historic type to
represent a future coming event, and Antiochus is just such a fore-type. The famous secular philosopher Santayana is
often quoted as saying "He who forgets the lessons of history is doomed
to relive them." We'd be wise to
take note of this guy, as we live in such perilous times with the world filled
with weapons of mass destruction and mad dictators with itchy trigger fingers. And when we see a temple being built in Jerusalem,
we'd be extra wise in putting our spiritual affairs in order, as the time will
be getting shorter to the final fulfillment of these prior events. And if Antiochus is a type of a future European
dictator who touches off World War III, Judas Maccabee is a type of Yeshua the
Messiah and his conquering army, coming to save the world (cf. Zechariah 14:1-15
and Revelation 19:1-21). Notice Judas
hardly lost a man in many of the battles he fought.
"3. King
Antiochus [Epiphanes] returning out of Egypt [Hereabout Josephus begins to follow
the first book of the Maccabees], for fear of the Romans, made an expedition
against the city of Jerusalem; and when he was there, in the hundred and forty-third
year of the kingdom of the Seleucidae, he took the city without fighting, those
of his own party opening the gates to him. And when he had gotten possession of Jerusalem,
and slew many of the opposite party; and when he had plundered it of a great
deal of money, he returned to Antioch.
4.
Now it came to pass, after two years, in the hundred and forty-fifth
year, on the twenty-fifth day of that month which is by us called Chasleu…that
the king came up to Jerusalem, and, pretending peace, he got possession of the
city by treachery: at which time
he spared not so much as those that admitted him into it, on account of the
riches that lay in the temple; but, led by his covetous inclination, (for he
saw there was in it a great deal of gold, and many ornaments that had been dedicated
to it of very great value,) and in order to plunder its wealth, he ventured
to break the league he had made. So he
left the temple bare, and took away the golden candlesticks, and the golden
altar [of incense], and table [of shewbread,] and the altar [of burnt-offering;]
and did not abstain from even the veils, which were made of fine linen and scarlet. He also emptied it of its secret treasures,
and left nothing at all remaining; and by this means cast the Jews into great
lamentation, for he forbade them to offer
to God, according to the law. And
when he had pillaged the whole city,
some of the inhabitants he slew, and some he carried captive, together with
their wives and children, so that the multitude of those captives that were
taken alive amounted to about ten thousand.
He also burnt down the finest buildings; and when he had overthrown the
city walls, he built a citadel in the lower part of the city [this citadel seems
to have been a castle built on a hill, lower than mount Zion, though upon its
skirts, and higher than mount Moriah, but between them both…], for the place
was high, and overlooked the temple on which account he fortified it with high
walls and towers, and put into it a garrison of Macedonians. However, in that citadel dwelt the impious and
wicked part of the [Jewish] multitude, from whom it proved that the citizens
suffered many and sore calamities. And
when the king had built an altar upon God's altar, he slew swine upon it, and
so offered a sacrifice neither according to the law, nor the Jewish religious
worship in that country. He also compelled
them to forsake the worship which they paid their God, and to adore those whom
he took to be gods; and made them build temples, and raise idol altars, in every
city and village, and offer swine upon them every day. He also commanded them not to circumcise their
sons, and threatened to punish any that should be found to have transgressed
his injunction. He also appointed
overseers, who should compel them to do what he commanded. And indeed many Jews there were who complied
with the kings commands, either voluntarily, or out of fear of the penalty that
was denounced: but the best men, and those of the noblest souls, did not regard
him, but did pay a greater respect to the customs of their country than concern
as to the punishment which he threatened to the disobedient; on which account
they every day underwent great miseries and bitter torments; for they were whipped
with rods, and their bodies were torn to pieces, and crucified while they were
still alive and breathed: they also strangled those women and their sons whom
they had circumcised, as the king had appointed, hanging their sons about their
necks as they were upon the crosses. And if there were any sacred book of the law
found, it was destroyed; and those with whom they were found, miserably perished
also.
5.
When the Samaritans saw the Jews under these sufferings, they
no longer confessed they were of their kindred…" Is that any wonder? Also if you look at history in II Kings 17:5-6, 24, Assyria in 721BC took
all of Samaria captive and replaced the population with other races, deporting
the ten tribes of Israel to the Caspian Sea region, never to return.
So these Samaritans were a pretender race that wasn't really related
to any of the 12 sons of Joseph, the 12 tribes of Israel.
This Antiochus Epiphanes was also a forerunner of a super-dictator who
will come out of Europe, as prophecied in Daniel, and come into Jerusalem by
flattery, and take it and the temple captive, cutting off the evening and morning
sacrifices (cf. Daniel 8:5-25; 11:33-40). Classic pre-Millennialists believe this event
marks the beginning of the tribulation, when in Matthew 24 Jesus warns the people
who will read and understand this warning of his in Matthew 24 to flee to the
mountains when they see Jerusalem compassed with armies "and the abomination
that makes desolate standing in the Holy place where he ought not."
[It is my guess, these will be Messianic Jewish Christians, as the Orthodox
Jews wouldn't be regarding Yeshua's warning in the New Testament.]
So a greater repeat of this “Antiochus history” is yet to come to the
Israeli nation [this event will spill over into this world as World War III
begins].
Now let’s go back to Antiochus Epiphanes
IV, where we see here, the temple has been polluted with swine's blood. How is the Messiah going to come to the temple,
and go through all the ceremonies prescribed by the law of Moses for a Jewish
newborn male child? Think, if Jesus,
Yeshua, didn't go through this, he would have been disqualified as the Messiah
and his death couldn't have paid for the sins of the world. Yeshua, Jesus, was totally sinless throughout
his life, from the very beginning to the very end. Here we see Antiochus being used by Satan to
try to thwart God's plan of salvation for the world. What follows is truly miraculous, for Antiochus's
army was huge and powerful when compared to the forces Judas Maccabeus commanded.