Daniel – Chapter 11a
Chapter 11 Outline
I. A Chronology of Atheistic kings (11:2-20)
a. 4 Persian Kings (11:1-2)
b. 1 Powerful King – Alexander (11:3-4)
c. 2 Perverse Kings – South & North (11:5-9)
1. The Egyptian Prince (11:5)
2. The Egyptian Princess (11:6)
3. The Egyptian Protest (11:7-9)
d. 1 Pernicious King – Antiochus III (11:10-20)
1. His First Campaign (11:10-12)
2. His Further Campaign (11:13-17)
3. His Final Campaign (11:18-20)
II. A Chronology of Antiochus (11:21-35)
a. His Craftiness (11:21-23)
b. His Conquests (11:24)
c. His Confrontations (11:25-30)
d. His Cruelty (11:31-35)
III. A Chronology of Antichrist (11:36-45)
a. His Wickedness (11:36-39)
b. His Warfare (11:40-44a)
c. His Wrath (11:44b-45)
Message
Fulfilled prophecy is one of the proofs of the inspiration of the Bible, only an omniscient God can know future events accurately and direct His servants to write them down.
So many critics have attacked the book of Daniel. They claim that nobody could write so many accurate details about so many people and events before they’d even happened. They therefore come to the conclusion that the book of Daniel is a fraud, written centuries after these events and not prophetic at all.
The biggest problem theses critics have, you see, is that they cannot deny the fact that these events took place. They have been written down in the annals of ancient history for all to read. Those of us who believe in a great God have no problem accepting His prophetic Word.
2 Peter 1:19-21 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: [20] Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. [21] For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
I. A Chronology of Atheistic kings (11:2-20)
a. 4 Persian Kings (11:1-2)
We saw in chapter 10 that this vision was given to Daniel in the third year of Cyrus. The first of the three kings who were to follow was his son Cambyses (529-522 B.C.)
Cambyses was succeeded, not by his own son Smerdis (the king had him murdered) but by one of the priests who looked like the son, he has been refered to by historians as Pseudo-Smerdis (522-521 B.C.) He was followed by Darius I Hystaspes
The most important of the four kings was Xerxes I, the Ahasuerus of the Book of Esther. He was not the last king of Persia, he was the fourth and as prophesied far richer than they all. He ruled an empire that reached from Ethiopia to India and he had a great passion to conquer Greece.
This king was quite willing to sell to Haman the lives of all the Jews in his realm for 10,000 talents of silver Esther 3:8-9. He was a king whose sensuality, ambition and pride paved the way for the downfall of the Persian Empire.
For years he kept Asia in turmoil as he stirred up his vast realm against Greece. In 480 B.C. he assembled an army of more than three million men for his invasion of Greece and stirred up Phoenician Carthage against Greek colonies in Italy and Sicily, and as the prophecy says he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia.
b. 1 Powerful King – Alexander (11:3-4)
Verse 3
The mighty king of this verse is none other than Alexander the Great, who was determined to punish the Persians for Xerxes’ invasion. We have already looked at Alexander in previous chapters and seen his vast army and lightning quick conquest of the nations.
Alexander did according to his will. After he had avenged Greece for the attacks made on the country 150 years ago by Xerxes, he didn’t stop there. Within 12 years he had brought Asia, India, and parts of Africa and Europe under his sway. He never met a foe he could not conquer, a city he could not control or a people he could not compel.
Verse 4
He was wilful in all things, but his career was short. He died in his early thirties, leaving behind an empire that was fought over and eventually divided among four of his generals. None of his posterity received any lasting inheritance. Within 15 years of his own death, none of his family remained alive. God’s Word was fulfilled to the tiniest detail.
c. 2 Perverse Kings – South & North (11:5-9)
1. The Egyptian Prince (11:5)
The Prophecy now narrows down to two of the four Kingdoms into which Alexander the Great’s Empire was divided. The reason for this is quite clear. Gabriel told Daniel that the Prophecy belonged to Daniel’s people, and the “Glorious Land” (Israel-verses 16, 41, 45) lay between Syria on the North and Egypt on the South.
The Prophecy narrows down to a description of the wars between the “Kings of the North” and the “Kings of the South,” whose marching ground and battle would be the “Glorious Land,” where for centuries Daniel’s People would be ground between the Upper and Lower Millstones. Because of the suffering that these wars would bring to Daniel’s People, and the desolation they would cause the country, God revealed these wars to Daniel that he might see that it would be “many days” (10:14) before his people would ever become a nation again.
Of the Four Kingdoms into which Alexander’s Empire was divided, the Kingdom of Egypt was the first to appear. It was founded by Ptolemy Soter, one of Alexander’s generals. Another of Alexander’s generals, Selecus Nicator, was appointed vice-regent of Babylonia, but was driven out by Antigonus and fled to Egypt.
Here he was favourably received by Ptolemy and made one of his Princes. In the battle of Ispus he was one of Ptolemy’s commanders and the real architect of victory. Antigonus was defeated and Seleucus seized the lion’s share of Alexander’s kingdom. With Ptolemy’s assistance Seleucus recovered his province and enlarged it. He took Cappadocia, part of Phrygia, upper Syria, Mesopotamia, and the Euphrates Valley, and so he became stronger than Ptolemy, and his dominion became a great dominion.
2. The Egyptian Princess (11:6)
The two kings who now occupy the prophetic stage are Ptolemy II Philadelphus (son of Ptolemy Soter’s second wife), king of the south, and Antiochus II Theos , king of the north.
As was often done in the days of monarchies, the rulers used marriage as a means of forming strong political alliances. There had been war between Syria and Egypt for some time and in then Ptolemy offered Antiochus a bribe for peace, his daughter Berenice along with a large dowry. The catch was that Antiochus would have to divorce his wife Laodice, and declare his two sons by her as illegitimate.
Both rulers thought that this despicable agreement would bring lasting peace. However, when Ptolemy II died, Antiochus II took back Laodice as his wife. She poisoned her husband in order to secure the throne for her son Seleucus II.
Then they turned on Berenice, Laodice persuaded Seleucus to have Berenice assassinated, they that brought her also perished , most of her women attendants were slain before her eyes trying to protect her (according to Polyaenus). Her child who, by terms of the original marriage agreement was heir to the throne, was also killed.
3. The Egyptian Protest (11:7-9)
Verse 7
Out of a branch of her roots refers to one of the other children of Berenice’s parents, her brother Ptolemy III who succeeded his father to the Egyptian throne. He was intent on defending his sister’s honour and avenging her death.
Seleucus II soon had to face the consequences for wht he and his parents had done. Ptolemy raised an army and marched north. He captured Seleucia the fortress of the king of the north, subjugated the country and put Laodice to death.
Verses 8-9
Ptolemy III brought back to Egypt four thousand talents of gold, forty thousand talents of silver, 2,500 idols and their sacred vessels, including many that had been captured and taken from Egypt some 300 years earlier. The prophecy specifically mentions the capture of their gods.
His thirst for revenge quenched, Ptolemy made no further attacks on Syria. He left Seleucus on the throne, satisfied that he’d taught him a lesson and a truce was signed. It seems to have lasted for 10 years, and then Seleucus tried to invade Egypt and failed miserably. He returned to Syria in humiliating defeat.
He was killed by a fall from his horse and his son Seleucus II Soter took the throne. He only lasted about four years and was assassinated, his brother succeeded him Antiochus III the Great.
d. 1 Pernicious King – Antiochus III (11:10-20)
1. His First Campaign (11:10-12)
Verse 10
The sons of Seleucus Callinicus, Seleucus Ceraunus, and Antiochus III, afterwards surnamed Magaus (the Great), assembled large armies. Seleucus Ceraunus succeeded his father. He assembled a large army to recover his father’s dominions, he was poisoned by two of his generals after an inglorious reign of two or three years. He was succeeded by his brother Antiochus, who assembled a large army and took the field in person. He is the “one” in the text who should “overflow” and “pass through.” He directed his energies against the “King of the South.” Ptolemy IV Philopater, who had succeeded his father, Ptolemy Euergetes. He seized Tyre and Ptolemais, overflowed and passed through Israel, and marched against Gaza, the fortress of the King of the South, the limit set by the Prophecy. This was in BC 218.
Verse 11
The voluptuous and dissolute King of the South, Ptolemy Philopater, was thoroughly aroused by the invasion of his realm by the King of the North, Antiochus. He assembled a great army, and defeated the large and well-appointed army of Antiochus, at Raphia, not far from Gaza, BC 217.
Verse 12
Ptolemy’s “heart was lifted up” by his success, and he might have followed up his victory and seized the Kingdom of Antiochus, but he was too anxious to return to his sensual pleasures, and so lost his opportunity of gaining supremacy and thus he was “not strengthened" by his great victory.
2. His Further Campaign (11:13-17)
Verse 13
Thirteen years had passed after the Battle of Raphia, during which time, in spite of his defeat, Antiochus reorganised and plunged into new wars. Wealth flowed into his treasury and he was able to raise another vast army and could again turn his eyes towards Egypt.
Verse 14
Syria was not Egypt’s only enemy, for Philip V of Macedonia joined with Antiochus III against Egypt—“and in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south..” Many Jews also joined Antiochus against Egypt—“robbers of thy people,” but their hopes were not realized
Verses 15-17
Antiochus next sought to consolidate over Israel from whom he had expelled the Egyptians. The fenced cities, means the fortified cities, of which Antiochus captured Sidon in 203 BC and by 199 had established himself in the glorious land (vv. 15-16). Antiochus sought to bring peace between Egypt and Syria by giving his daughter to marry Ptolemy V Epiphanes of Egypt. But this attempt failed
3. His Final Campaign (11:18-20)
Antiochus III turned next to Asia Minor in 197 and to Greece in 192. He did not succeed however because Cornelius Scipio (a commander) was dispatched by Rome to turn Antiochus back. Antiochus returned to his own country in 188 and died a year later. Antiochus III the Great had carried on the most vigorous military campaign of any of Alexander’s former generals, but his dream of reuniting Alexander’s empire was never realized. Antiochus III’s son Seleucus IV Philopator (187-176 BC) heavily taxed his people to pay Rome, but he was poisoned by his treasurer Heliodorus. Antiochus IV is next in line...
Conclusion
As you review the history of the relationship between Egypt and Syria, and the family relationships among the Seleucids, you can’t help but realise that human nature hasn’t changed over these thousands of years.
The ancient world had its share of intrigue, political deception, violence, greed, and war. The lust for power and wealth drove men and women to violate human rights and break divine laws, to go to any length to get what they wanted.
They slaughtered thousands of innocent people, plundered the helpless, and even killed their own relatives, just to wear a crown or sit on a throne. It is still the same today. However, there will come a time when the greatest King will rule this earth…
