christian warrior: Daniel Extremity 11

In this chapter of Daniel we have a lot of similarity compared to chapter 8. There are many allusions of history for the particular time we are studying as examples of things to come again in the not so distant future. However the chapter is a direct continuation of chapter 10 as the angel begins to divulge more world history to Daniel.

Dan 11:1-3 KJV

(1) Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him.

(2) 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.

(3) And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.

For the cause of historical accuracy we will list the 3 mentioned in verse 2. However it is the 4^th and final one that the prophecy deals with in military and biblical history. There were more kings of Persia involved with the empire but the prophecy focuses on these 4 as they had direct dealings with the Hebrew people.

Smerdis, the Magian, who was an impostor, who pretended to be another son of Cyrus. And,

Darius, the son of Hystaspes, who married Mandane, the daughter of Cyrus.

Cambyses organized an expedition for the conquest of Egypt, which was rendered successful by internal treachery and by the aid of the Phoenician, Cyprian and Greek fleets. During this campaign Cambyses seems to have acted with good generalship and with clemency toward the conquered. After the subjugation of Egypt, Cyrene and Barca, the modern Tripoli, submitted to his sway. He then desired to undertake the conquest of Carthage, but was compelled to give it up, because his Phoenician allies, without whose ships it was impossible for him to conduct his army in safety, refused to join in an attack upon a country that had been colonized by them.

Shortly after this, Cambyses heard that a certain Magian, who claimed to be his brother Smerdes whom he had secretly put to death, had set himself up as king of Persia, and that almost the whole of his Asiatic dominions had acknowledged him as king. With the fragments of his army he started toward Persia to attack the usurper, but on the way was killed by a wound inflicted by himself, it is uncertain whether by accident or with intention. His general and cousin, Darius Hystaspis, soon put down the false Smerdis and reigned in his stead.

Darius, the fourth king of Persia, called Hystaspes because he was the son of a Persian king named Hystaspis, is mentioned in Ezr (Dan_4:5, et al.), Hag (Dan_1:1) and Zec (Dan_1:1). Upon the death of Cambyses, son and successor to Cyrus, Smerdis the Magian usurped the kingdom and was dethroned by seven Persian nobles from among whom Darius was selected to be king. After many rebellions and wars he succeeded in establishing himself firmly upon the throne (Ant., XI, i). He reorganized and enlarged the Persian empire. He is best known to general history from his conflict with Greece culminating at Marathon, and for his re-digging of the Suez Canal. In sacred history he stands forth as the king who enabled the Jews under Jeshua and Zerubbabel to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem.

Xerxes was king of Persia in 485-465 BC. The first part of his reign was marked by the famous campaign into Greece, beginning in 483. After the defeat at Salamis in 480 Xerxes himself withdrew from the expedition and it was finally discontinued in the next year. During the remainder of his reign, Xerxes seems to have spent a listless existence, absorbed in intrigues of the harem, and leaving the government to be carried on by his ministers and favorites (often slaves). He was finally murdered by his vizier and left an unenviable reputation for caprice and cruelty. For the various Biblical references see AHASUERUS.

Xerxes being this 4^th and final king specifically associated with the Persian empire. He was ruler at the richest time of the empire. Some historical accounts attribute Xerxes' invasion of Greece due to uprisings in the outlying provinces. It can also be said he just decided to grow the empire even further. As we have done previously we can look into the flow of scripture in this book. The subject being addressed concerns the chest and arms of silver in Daniel 2 coming against the belly and thighs of bronze.

Dan 2:32 KJV

(32) This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,

The bear and the leopard described in Daniel 7.

Dan 7:5-6 KJV

(5) And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.

(6) After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.

The 2 horned ram and the goat with the 1 prominent horn of chapter 8.

Dan 8:1-8 KJV

(1) In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first.

(2) And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai.

(3) Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last.

(4) I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great.

(5) And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.

(6) And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power.

(7) And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand.

(8) Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.

The goat representing the person of Alexander the Great.

Dan 11:4 KJV

(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 beside those.

In the event you may not have read the chapter 7 study we did a break down of Alexander's empire among 4 of his top generals.

The territory of Macedon and Greece went to Cassander.

The territory of Thrace and Bithynia fell to Lysimachus

Egypt fell under the rule of Ptolemy

Syria to Seleucus

As you can see the territiory of the promised land is both occupied and thrust right into the middle of the wars between the Ptolemaic and Seleucid dynasties.

Dan 11:5-6 KJV

(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.

(6) And in the end of years they shall join themselves together; for the king's daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm: but she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in these times.

The angel redirects the attention of the matter to 2 of the 4 generals. If we take the promised land and determine the 2 leaders of the north and south we come up with Egypt(south) and Syria(north). This would relate to the Ptolemaic and Seleucid dynasties. These were the 2 kingdoms which had the most direct influences upon the territory of Israel. The Ptolemaic dynasty lasted until the Romans conquered Egypt. Egypt and Syria fought many campaigns against one another. The acts of war raged for about a 70 year period from the time of Alexander's death. It was during the time of Ptolemy Philadelphus that the acts of verse 6 begin to come into play. It should also be noted that under his rule the Greek Old Testament was translated. Here we should note how God uses the forces of evil to complete His work. Had Alexander not united so much of the world of his times under 1 language being Greek we as western society people would not have a Bible. God knows how far to allow the actions of the evil to carry on.

Now to return to the actions of that attempted to bring peace. Ptolemy Philadelphus had a daughter name Berenice. The Syrian ruler who fought a long and bloody war with Ptolemy Philadelphus was Antiochus Theus. The details may be somewhat boring to some but we do have some interesting history attached to this action. The original wife of Antiochus Theus was named Laodice ( Λαοδικία, Laodikı́a). In the NT there is a territory named Laodicea which Paul was known to have visited and in the book of Revelation there is a church in Laodicea which Jesus addresses with the 7 letters. It's worth noting also that there is also a territory and church named Antioch. The peace agreement was made between the 2 leaders which we will refer to by their last names from here on being Philadelphus and Theus. The agreement was that the daughter of Philadelphus Bernice was to be given to Theus. This was done with the understanding that Theus would dismiss his original wife Laodice and disinherit her son. Along with his daughter Ptolemy sent a dowry in an incredibly large amount of gold and silver.

Ptolemy Philadelphus

Antiochus Theos

Dan 11:7-10 KJV

(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:

(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.

(9) So the king of the south shall come into his kingdom, and shall return into his own land.

(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.

The family branch spoken of here is the brother of Bernice Ptolemy Euergetes. As soon as he heard of the calamities that had come upon her, he hastened with a great force out of Egypt to defend and rescue her. But it was in vain. She and her son were cut off before he could arrive for her help, but, in connection with an army which had come from Asia Minor for the same purpose, he undertook to avenge her death. He made himself master not only of Syria and Cilicia, but passed over the Euphrates, and brought all under subjection to him as far as the river Tigris. Having done this, he marched back to Egypt, taking with him vast treasures.

Dan 11:10 KJV

In verse 9 we appear to have a summation of the conquests of Euergetes. The closing verse is a reference to the Syrian empire. But his sons - He means the sons of the king of the north, shall be incensed with the deeds of Ptolemaeus Euergetes, and his son Ptolemaeus Philopator. One shall come - Antiochus the great, shall pass through Syria and recover what the king of Egypt took from his father. Even to his fortress - To Raphia, which was a strong fortress at the entrance of Egypt.

This is another reference to the anti-God of the past and the picture of the anti-Christ in the future. This is the rise of Antiochus Epiphanes. We covered the history and fulfillment of his campaign against the people of Jerusalem in chapters 8 and 9. The books of the Maccabees gave us much historical insight into one of the more quiet periods of history in the Bible. In this prophecy we get a more precise set of circumstances concerning the rise to power of both of these biblical characters. We can also refer back to the history of the Maccabees.

Dan 11:11-12 KJV

(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.

(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.

Verse 11 describes a vast and powerful army mustered by the king of the north being Antiochus. We have some historical descriptions of the size of this army. In the books of the Greek historian Polybius we get the scope of how vast the army of the north was. Amounting to sixty-two thousand foot, six thousand horse, and one hundred and two elephants; but yet the multitude was given into his hand, the hand of the king of the south; for Ptolemy gained a complete victory. Raphia, and other neighbouring towns, declared for the victor; and Antiochus was obliged to retreat with his scattered army to Antioch, from which he sent to solicit a peace.

We can also gain information surrounding the facts from the the 3^rd book of the Maccabees.

3Mac.1

[1] When Philopator learned from those who returned that the regions which he had controlled had been seized by Antiochus, he gave orders to all his forces, both infantry and cavalry, took with him his sister Arsinoe, and marched out to the region near Raphia, where Antiochus's supporters were encamped.
[2] But a certain Theodotus, determined to carry out the plot he had devised, took with him the best of the Ptolemaic arms that had been previously issued to him, and crossed over by night to the tent of Ptolemy, intending single-handed to kill him and thereby end the war.
[3] But Dositheus, known as the son of Drimylus, a Jew by birth who later changed his religion and apostatized from the ancestral traditions, had led the king away and arranged that a certain insignificant man should sleep in the tent; and so it turned out that this man incurred the vengeance meant for the king.
[4] When a bitter fight resulted, and matters were turning out rather in favor of Antiochus, Arsinoe went to the troops with wailing and tears, her locks all disheveled, and exhorted them to defend themselves and their children and wives bravely, promising to give them each two minas of gold if they won the battle.
[5] And so it came about that the enemy was routed in the action, and many captives also were taken.
[6] Now that he had foiled the plot, Ptolemy decided to visit the neighboring cities and encourage them.
[7] By doing this, and by endowing their sacred enclosures with gifts, he strengthened the morale of his subjects.
[8]
Since the Jews had sent some of their council and elders to greet him, to bring him gifts of welcome, and to congratulate him on what had happened, he was all the more eager to visit them as soon as possible.

As we can see the Ptolemaic empire was barely able to take victory after falling prey in the first stages of the battle. In verse 12 we get a picture of the materialism and its effects upon the war's outcome.

Dan 11:12 KJV

(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.

His heart shall be lifted up - That is, he will be proud and self-confident. The reference is to the effect which would be produced on him after his defeat of Antiochus. He was a man naturally indolent and effeminate - a most profligate and vicious prince.

And he shall cast down many ten thousands - Or, rather, the meaning is, “he has cast down many myriads.” The object seems to be to give a reason why his heart was lifted up. The fact that he had been thus successful is the reason which is assigned, and this effect of a great victory has not been uncommon in the world.

But he shall not be strengthened by it - He was wholly given up to luxury, sloth, and voluptuousness, and returned immediately after his victory into Egypt, and surrendered himself up to the enjoyment of his pleasures. The consequence was, that he, by his conduct, excited some of his people to rebellion, and greatly weakened himself in the affections and confidence of the rest. After the victory, he concluded a truce with Antiochus; and the result was, that his people, who expected much more from him, and supposed that he would have prosecuted the war, became dissatisfied with his conduct, and broke out into rebellion. As a matter of fact, he was less strong in the confidence and affections of his people, and would have been less able to wage a war, after his triumph over Antiochus than he was before.

Dan 11:13-15 KJV

(13) 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.

(14) 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.

(15) 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.

Dan 11:13 KJV

(13) 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.

For the king of the north shall return - That is, he shall come again into the regions of Coelo-Syria and Palestine, to recover them if possible from the power of the Egyptian king.

And shall set forth a multitude greater than the former - Than he had in the former war when he was defeated. The fact was, that Antiochus, in this expedition, brought with him the forces with which he had successfully invaded the East, and the army had been raised for that purpose, and was much larger than that with which he had formerly attacked Ptolemy.

And shall certainly come after certain years with a great army - This occurred 203 b.c., fourteen years after the former war.

Dan 11:14 KJV

(14) 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.

And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south - Against the king of Egypt. That is, not only Antiochus the Great, who was always opposed to him, and who was constantly waging war with him, but also others with whom he would be particularly involved, or who would be opposed to him.

Also the robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves - The angel here turns to Daniel, and states what would be done in these circumstances by his own people - the Jews. It is to be remembered that, in these times, they were alternately under the dominion of the Egyptian and the Syrian monarchs - of Ptolemy and of Antiochus. The principal seat of the wars between Syria and Egypt was Palestine - the border land between them and Judea, therefore, often changed masters. Ptolemy Philopater had subdued Coelo-Syria and Palestine, and Ptolemy Epiphanes came into possession of them when he ascended the throne. But the angel now says that a portion of his people would take occasion, from the weakness of the youthful monarch of Egypt, and the conspiracies in his own kingdom, and the foreign combinations against him, to attempt to throw off his authority, and to become independent. That part of the people who would attempt to do this is designated in the common translation as “the robbers of thy people.”

It would seem - what is indeed probable from the circumstances of the case - that the nation was not only subject to this foreign authority, but that those who were placed over it, under that foreign authority, and who were probably mainly of their own people, were also themselves tyrannical and oppressive in their character. These subordinate rulers, however, preferred the authority of Antiochus to that of Ptolemy, and on the occasion of his return from the conquests of Coelo-Syria and Samaria, they met him, and professed submission to him.

To establish the vision - That is, to bring to pass what is seen in the vision, and what had been predicted in regard to the Hebrew people. Their conduct in this matter shall have an important bearing on the fulfillment of the prophecy pertaining to that people - shall be one of the links in the chain of events securing its accomplishment. The angel does not say that it was a part of their “design” to “establish the vision,” but that that would be the “result” of what they did. No doubt their conduct in this matter had a great influence on the series of events that contributed to the accomplishment of that prediction. Lengerke supposes that the “vision” here refers to that spoken of in Dan_9:24.

But they shall fall - They shall not succeed in the object which they have in view. Their conduct in the affair will indeed promote the fulfillment of the “vision,” but it will not secure the ends which “they” have in view - perhaps their own aggrandizement; or the favor of Antiochus toward themselves; or the permanent separation of the nation from the Egyptian rule, or the hope that their country might become independent altogether. As a matter of fact, Antiochus subsequently, on his return from Egypt (198 b.c.), took Jerusalem, and killed many of the party of Ptolemy, who had given themselves up to him, though he showed particular favor to those who had adhered to the observance of their own law, and could not be prevailed on by the king of Egypt to apostatize from it.

Dan 11:15 KJV

So the king of the north - Antiochus the Great.

Shall come - Shall come again into these provinces. This occurred after he had vanquished the army of the Egyptians at Paneas. He then took Sidon and Patara, and made himself master of the whole country.

This happened 198 b.c. Scopas, a general of Ptolemy, had been sent by him into Coelo-Syria and Palestine, with a view of subjecting those countries again to Egyptian rule. He was met by Antiochus at Paneas, near the sources of the Jordan, and defeated, and fled with ten thousand men to Sidon, where he fortified himself, but from where he was expelled by Antiochus.

And cast up a mount - A fortification. That is, he shall so entrench himself that he cannot be dislodged. The reference does not seem to be to any particular fortification, but to the general fact that he would so entrench or fortify himself that he would make his conquests secure.

And take the most fenced cities - Margin, “city of munitions” Hebrew, “city of fortifications.” The singular is used here in a collective sense; or perhaps there is allusion particularly to Sidon, where Scopas entrenched himself, making it as strong as possible.

And the arms of the south shall not withstand - Shall not be able to resist him, or to dislodge him. The power of the Egyptian forces shall not be sufficient to remove him from his entrenchments. The Hebrew is, “shall not stand;” that is, shall not stand against him, or maintain their position in his advances. The word “arms” (זרעות zero‛ôth) is used here in the sense of “heroes, warriors, commanders,” as in Eze_30:22, Eze_30:24-25.

Neither his chosen people - Margin, “the people of his choices.” Those whom he had selected or chosen to carry on the war - referring, perhaps, to the fact that he would deem it necessary to employ picked men, or to send the choicest of his forces in order to withstand Antiochus. Such an occurrence is in every way probable. To illustrate this, it is only necessary to say that the Egyptians sent three of their most distin. guished generals, with a select army, to deliver Sidon - Eropus, Menocles, and Damoxenus.

Neither shall there be any stregnth to withstand - No forces which the Egyptians can employ. In other words, Antiochus would carry all before him. This is in strict accordance with the history. When Scopas was defeated by Antiochus at Paneas, near the sources of the Jordan, he fled and entrenched himself in Sidon. There he was followed and besieged by Antiochus. The king of Egypt sent the three generals above named, with a choice army, to endeavor to deliver Scopas, but they were unable. Scopas was obliged to surrender, in consequence of famine, and the chosen forces returned to Egypt.

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As always Thank You and God Bless