Daniel – Chapter 11b
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 (11:21-24)
b. His Conquests (11:25-27)
c. His Cruelty (11:28-35)
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
II. A Chronology of Antiochus (IV) (11:21-35)
We have already met this wicked man in chapter 8, his character and activities are a picture of the future Antichrist. He gave himself the name “Epiphanes” which means “glorious one” but Gabriel calls him a vile person.
a. His Craftiness (11:21-24)
Verse 21
Various ancient historians agree that Antiochus IV Epiphanes was indeed “vile,” as the text declares. Often his behaviour was eccentric, if not mad, some even called him “Epimanes” which is a play on his name and it means – mad man.
The honour of the kingdom was not his, it belonged to his nephew Demetrius, who was the rightful king. Antiochus had made some influential friends and he had joined them in a conspiracy against Rome. The king of Pergamum put up the money and the troops to secure the Syrian throne. Heliodorus was put to death and Antiochus won the Syrians over with clemency and flattery, coming to the throne peaceably.
Verse 22
The Prince of the covenant is said to have been the Jewish high priest Onias III. Antiochus disposed of him because he opposed the pro-Syrian Hellenised party in Jerusalem and because he was a supporter of Egypt. His brother Jason paid a bribe to obtain the office of high priest.
Verses 23-24
Antiochus was crafty in all his dealings. With an expected war with Rome on the horizon, he signed a treaty with The king of Pergamum who had helped him secure the throne. He had no problem, however, breaking that treaty to secure links with Rome which he also intended to break when he was strong enough to do so.
Antiochus had his eyes set on Egypt, he signed another treaty with the youthful Egyptian king to lull Ptolemy into a false sense of security. Still mouthing assurances of goodwill, he made his way up the Nile as far as Memphis. His army was small, but it enabled him to build up his strength. He entered peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province.
Antiochus invaded Galilee and lower Egypt and achieved something none of his predecessors had been able to do. He also did something else uncharacteristic of those who sat on the throne before him, he distributed his booty lavishly, hoping to make friends and influence people.
Look at the last few words of Verse 24 even for a time this final expression shows that God had already drawn the line beyond which this crafty, evil man would not be allowed to go – God is STILL in control.
b. His Conquests (11:25-27)
Verses 25-26
Antiochus mobilised a large army and marched against Ptolemy, but by this time the Egyptian king was well aware of his adversary’s treachery and he hastily mobilised an army to match the size of his enemy. Ptolemy however, was defeated. Antiochus captured Pelusium, Memphis and conquered most of Egypt, with the exception of the key city of Alexandria.
Many of Ptolemy’s woes resulted from the treachery of some of his most trusted advisers, who, as Verse 25 says they shall forecast devices against him.
Verse 27
Unable to take Alexandria, Antiochus returned to Memphis and sat down at the conference table with his youthful nephew Ptolemy Philometer. He promised to help establish him on the throne and acknowledge him as Egypt’s king if he could help him overthrow Philometer’s brother Physcon who was held up in Alexandria.
Philometor had learned from experience by now and had adapted some of his uncles craftiness. He agreed to the proposels set out by Antiochus and was just waithing for him to return to Syria thereby outwitting his uncle – As verse 27 says they shall speak lies.
c. His Cruelty (11:28-35)
Verse 28
As Antiochus was returning home news came to him that caused his temper to boil over. Rumours were going through Israel that he was dead and there were mass celebrations. So his heart was against the holy covenant. He went to Jerusalem and killed 40,000 and sold another 40,000 into slavery.
He shall do exploits He horrified most of the Jews by sacrificing a sow on the brazen altar in the temple court and he made a broth of swine flesh and sprinkled it all over the temple. No wonder Antiochus Epiphanes is regarded as one of history’s major types of the coming Antichrist. After desecrating the temple he returned to his homeland
Verses 29-30
Two years later in 168, He moved against Egypt again. Upon moving on Egypt, he was opposed by the Romans who had come to Egypt in ships from the western coast- lines. “Ships of Chittim” –Cyprus. From the Roman senate Popillus Laenas took to Antiochus a letter forbidding him to engage in war with Egypt.
When Antiochus asked for time to consider, the emissary drew a circle in the sand around Antiochus and demanded his answer before he stepped out of the circle. Antiochus submitted to Rome because to resist would be to declare war on Rome. This was a humiliating defeat for Antiochus and he had no alternative but to return home.
Again, because of his defeat, Antiochus took out his frustrations on the Jews, the city of Jerusalem, and their temple. “He shall…have indignation against the holy covenant” –his fury was against the whole Mosaic system. “Have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant”—he favoured any renegade Jew who turned to help him.
Verses 31
Antiochus sent his general with 22,000 soldiers into Jerusalem on a supposed peace mission. But they attacked on the Sabbath, killed many people, took many women and children as slaves, and plundered and burned the city..
Verse 32a
He erected an altar to Zeus on the altar of burnt offering outside the temple, and had a pig offered on the altar. The Jews were compelled to offer a pig on the 25th of each month to celebrate Antiochus Epiphanes birthday. Great reward was promised those apostate Jews who would worship Zeus instead of God, these people went along willingly with his decrees. It meant nothing to them that were serving false gods because they had long since turned their backs on Jehovah and abandoned His Word.
Verses 32b-33
But God always has His remnant. Some people knew who their God was and they took a brave stand and defied this wicked king and endured all the consequences to stay true to Jehovah.
People started to turn back to the Word and could see that they were living in the days that Daniel had foretold about. They could put their finger on the very page and say, “this is where we are today!” These people performed no heroic deeds on the battlefield; they just read the Scripture, believed them, understood them and looked beyond their tribulation to the coming of Christ.
Those who would not bow to the king died by fire and sword; some were roasted alive, others were crucified, some strangled and there were those sold into slavery.
Why, I hear you say, did God allow this to happen to His people? The next two verses tells us.
Verses 34-35
God’s purpose in permitting all of this was to purify the nations from its apostasies and sins. You see, God was still on the throne, was still sovereign over the nations. He had already set a time limit to it all. Not even Antiochus Epiphanes could go one step or one moment beyond the line that God had drawn.
The one small ray of hope and comfort for those who suffered through this ordeal was found in Mattathias, a priest living at Modin, and his five sons, who became known as the Maccabees.
Judas Maccabee cut to ribbons the armies that Antiochus sent against him, and by the end of six years Judas had become a real power in the Holy Land. They marched on Jerusalem and recovered the city.
They repaired, cleansed and rededicated the temple and a new feast, known as the Feast of Dedication was instituted and incorporated into Israel’s religious calendar John 10:22
At this point in the narrative the prophecy leaps over centuries and focuses on the still future of the Antichrist.
