FIRST
SECTION
Events
from the rise of Alexander the Great B.C. 336 to the death
of Seleucus Nicator B.C. 280. There are to be three kings of
Persia after Cyrus who is then reigning, of whom the third is to be
the richest; and when he is waxed strong through his riches, he shall
stir up the all against the realm of Javan.
There
were of course many more than four kings of Persia: viz.-
Cyrus-536
Cambyses-529
Pseudo-Smerdis-522
Darius
Hystaspis-521
Xerxes
I-485
Artaxerxes
I (Longimanus)-464
Xerxes
II-425
Sogdianus-425
Darius
Nothus-424
Artaxerxes
II (Mnemon)-405
Artaxerxes
III-359
Darius
Codomannus-336
But
probably Daniel had no historic sources to which to refer, and only
four Persian kings are prominent in Scripture Cyrus, Darius, Xerxes,
and Artaxerxes. Darius Codomannus is indeed mentioned in Neh.
12:22,
but might have easily been overlooked, and even confounded with
another Darius in uncritical and unhistorical times. The rich fourth
king who
stirs up all against
the realm of Grecia might be meant for Artaxerxes I, but more
probably refers to Xerxes Achashverosh, or Ahaseurus, and his immense
and ostentatious invasion of Greece B.C. 480. His enormous wealth is
dwelt upon by Herodotus.
Dan.
11:3 B.C.
336-323. Then shall rise a mighty king Alexander
the Great.
and shall rule with great dominion and do according to his will.
"Fortunam
solus omnium mortalium in potestate habuit," says his historian,
Quintus Curtius.
History
under Greece
The
rise of Alexander
The
mighty
king
was Alexander whose rise had been foreshadowed by (a) the bronze
belly and thighs of Nebuchadnezzar’s image Dan. 2:32, 2:39, (b) the
winged leopard Dan. 7:6, and (c) the prominent horn of the goat Dan.
8:5-8. Between 334 and 330 b.c. Alexander conquered Asia Minor,
Syria, Egypt, and the land of the Medo-Persian Empire. His conquests
extended as far as India. Dan. 8:20-21 before Alexander’s death at
the age of 32 in 323 b.c. from malaria with complications from
alcoholism.
Dan.
11:4 (.C.
323. But when he is at the apparent zenith of his strength his
kingdom shall be broken, and shall not descend to any of his
posterity, but B.C. 323-301 shall be for others, and shall ultimately
after the Battle of Ipsus, B.C. 301 be divided towards the four
winds of heaven,
into the kingdoms of Cassander ( and Macedonia, Ptolemy Egypt,
Coele-Syria, and Palestine, Lysimachus Asia Minor, and Seleucus Upper
Asia.
A
few years after Alexander’s death, his kingdom was divided among
his four generals cf. Dan. 8:22: Seleucus over Syria and Mesopotamia,
Ptolemy over Egypt, Lysimacus over Thrace and portions of Asia Minor,
and Cassander over Macedonia and Greece. This division was
anticipated through the four heads of the leopard Dan. 7:6 and the
four prominent horns on the goat Dan. 8:8. Alexander founded no
dynasty of rulers; since he had no heirs, his kingdom was divided and
the
empire
was marked by division and weakness.
Dan.
11:5 Of
these four
kingdoms and
their kings the vision is only concerned with
two the
kings of the South i.e.,
the Lagidae, or Egyptian Ptolemies, who sprang from Ptolemy Lagos,
and the kings of the North i.e.,
the Antiochian Seleucidae. They alone are singled out because the
Holy Land became a sphere of contentions between
these rival dynasties.
B.C. 306. The King of the South Ptolemy Soter, son of Lagos shall be
strong, and shall ultimately assume the title of Ptolemy I, King of
Egypt. But one of his princes or generals Seleucus Nicator shall be
stronger and, asserting his independence, shall establish a great
dominion over Northern Syria and Babylonia.
The
conflict between the Ptolemies and the Seleucids
The
Ptolemies who ruled over Egypt, were called the kings of
the South. The Seleucids, ruling over
Syria, north of Israel, were called the kings of
the North. This section Dan. 11:5-20
gives many details of the continuous conflict between the Ptolemies
and the Seleucids during which the land of Israel was invaded first
by one power and then by the other.
See
table, The Ptolemies and the Seleucids in Daniel 11:5-35.
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The
Ptolemies and the Seleucids in Daniel 11:5-35
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Ptolemies Kings
of the South, Egypt
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Seleucids Kings
of the North, Syria
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Daniel
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Dan.
11:5
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Ptolemy
I Soter 323-285 b.c.
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Daniel
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Dan.
11:5
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Seleucus
I Nicator 312-281 b.c. Antiochus I Soter† 281-262
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Dan.
11:6
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Ptolemy
II Philadelphus 285-246
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Dan.
11:6
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Antiochus
II Theos 262-246
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Dan.
11:7-8
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Ptolemy
III Euergetes 246-221
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Dan.
11:7-9
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Seleucus
II Callinicus 227-223
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Dan.
11:11-12, Dan. 11:14-15
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Ptolemy
IV Philopator 221-204
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Dan.
11:10-11, Dan. 11:13, Dan. 11:15-19
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Antiochus
III the Great 223-187
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Dan.
11:17
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Ptolemy
V Epiphanes 204-181
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Dan.
11:20
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Seleucus
IV Philopator 187-176
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Dan.
11:25
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Ptolemy
VI Philometer 181-145
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Dan.
11:21-32
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Antiochus
IV Epiphanes 175-163
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*The
years designate the rulers’ reigns.
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† Not
referred to in Dan. 11:5-35
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The
strong king
of the South
was Ptolemy I Soter, a general who served under Alexander. He was
given authority over Egypt in 323 b.c. and proclaimed king of Egypt
in 304. The commander referred to in Dan. 11:5 was Seleucus I
Nicator, also a general under Alexander, who was given authority to
rule in Babylon in 321. But in 316 when Babylon came under attack by
Antigonus, another general, Seleucus sought help from Ptolemy I Soter
in Egypt. After Antigonus’ defeat in 312, Seleucus returned to
Babylon greatly strengthened. He ruled over Babylonia, Media, and
Syria, and assumed the title of king in 305. Thus Seleucus I
Nicator’s rule
was over
far more territory than Ptolemy I Soter’s.
Dan.
11:6 B.C.
250. The vision then passes over the reign of Antiochus II Soter, and
proceeds to say that at
the end of years
i.e.,
some half century later, B.C. 250 the kings of the North and South
should form a
matrimonial alliance.
The daughter of the King of the South the Egyptian Princess Berenice,
daughter of Ptolemy II Philadelphus, should come to the King of the
North Antiochus Theos to make an agreement. This agreement marg.,
equitable conditions was that Antiochus Theos should divorce his wife
and half-sister Laodice, and disinherit her children, and bequeath
the throne
to any future child of Berenice, who would thus
unite the empires
of the Ptolemies and the Seleucidae. Berenice took with her so vast a
dowry that she was called the
dowry-bringer.
Antiochus himself accompanied her as far as Pelusium B.C. 247. But
the compact
ended in
nothing but calamity. For, two years after, Ptolemy II died, leaving
an infant child by Berenice. But Berenice did not retain the strength
of her arm , since the military force which accompanied her proved
powerless
for her protection; nor did Ptolemy II abide, nor any support which
he could render. On the contrary, there was overwhelming disaster.
Berenice’s escort, her father, her husband, all perished, and she
herself and her infant child were murdered by
her rival Laodice
B.C. 246, in the sanctuary of Daphne, whither she had fled for
refuge.
Ptolemy
I Soter died in 285 b.c. and Ptolemy II Philadelphus, Ptolemy’s
son, ruled in Egypt 285-246. Meanwhile Seleucus was murdered in 281
and his son Antiochus I Soter ruled till 262. Then Seleucus’
grandson Antiochus II Theos ruled in Syria 262-246. Ptolemy II and
Antiochus II were bitter enemies but finally after
some years
they entered into an alliance in about 250. This alliance was sealed
by the marriage of Ptolemy II’s daughter
Berenice to Antiochus II. This marriage, however, did
not
last,
for Laodice, whom Antiochus had divorced in order to marry Berenice,
had Berenice killed she was handed
over.
Laodice then poisoned Antiochus II and made her son, Seleucus II
Callinicus, king 246-227.
Dan.
11:7 B.C.
285-247. But the murder of Berenice shall be well avenged. For out of
a shoot from
her roots
stood up one in his office, even her brother Ptolemy III Euergetes,
who, unlike the effeminate Ptolemy II, did not entrust his wars to
his generals, but came himself to his armies. He shall completely
conquer the King of the North Seleucus II, Kallinikos, son of
Antiochus Theos and Laodice, shall
seize his fortress
Seleucia, the port of Antioch.
Berenice’s
brother, Ptolemy III Euergetes 246-221, succeeded his father and set
out to avenge the death of his sister Berenice. He was victorious
over the Syrian army the
king of the North,
put Laodice to death, and returned to
Egypt
with many spoils.
Dan.
11:8 B.C.
247. In this campaign Ptolemy Euergetes, who earned the title of
Benefactor by this vigorous
invasion,
shall not only win immense booty four thousand talents of gold and
many jewels, and forty thousand talents of silver but shall also
carry back with him to Egypt the two thousand five hundred molten
images, and idolatrous vessels, which, two hundred and eighty years
before B.C. 527, Cambyses had carried away from Egypt. After this
success he will, for some years, refrain from attacking the Seleucid
kings.
Dan.
11:9 B.C.
240. Seleucus Kallinikos makes an attempt to avenge the shame and
loss of the invasion of Syria by invading Egypt, but he returns to
his own land totally foiled and defeated, for his fleet was destroyed
by a storm.
After
this humiliating defeat, Seleucus II Callinicus the
king
of the North
sought to invade
Egypt but was unsuccessful. After his death by a fall from his horse
he was succeeded by his son, Seleucus II Soter 227-223 b.c., who was
killed by conspirators while on a military campaign in Asia Minor.
Seleucus III’s brother, Antiochus III the Great, became the ruler
in 223 at 18 years of age and reigned for 36 years till 187.
The
two sons
Seleucus III and Antiochus III had sought to restore Syria’s lost
prestige by military conquest, the older son by invading Asia Minor
and the younger son by attacking Egypt. Egypt had controlled all the
territory north to the borders of Syria which included the land of
Israel. Antiochus III succeeded in driving the Egyptians back to the
southern borders of Israel in his campaign in 219-217.
The
king of the South
here was Ptolemy IV Philopator 221-204 b.c.. He was the one driven
back by Antiochus III the Great cf. see Dan. 11:10. Ptolemy IV came
to meet Antiochus III at the southern borders of Israel. Ptolemy IV
was initially successful in delaying the invasion of Antiochus
Ptolemy slaughtered many
thousands.
But after a brief interruption Antiochus returned with another
army
much
larger
and turned back the
king of the South.
Syria
was not Egypt’s only enemy, for Philip V of Macedonia joined with
Antiochus III against Egypt. Many
Jews your own people,
i.e., Daniel’s people, the Jews; cf. your people in Dan. 9:24;
10:14 also joined Antiochus against Egypt. Perhaps the Jews hoped to
gain independence from both Egypt and Syria by joining the conflict,
but their hopes were not realized.
Antiochus
then sought to consolidate control over Israel from which he had
expelled the Egyptians. The fortified
city
seems to refer to Sidon which Antiochus captured in 203 b.c.
Antiochus III continued his occupation and by 199 had established
himself
in the Beautiful Land
cf. Dan. 8:9; 11:41. Antiochus sought to bring peace between Egypt
and Syria by giving his daughter to marry Ptolemy V Epiphanes of
Egypt. But this attempt to bring a peaceful alliance between the two
nations did not succeed Dan. 11:17.
Antiochus
III then
turned
his attention to
Asia Minor in 197 b.c. and Greece in 192. However, Antiochus did not
succeed because Cornelius Scipio a
commander
was dispatched from 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 campaigns of any of Alexander’s
successors, but
his dream of reuniting Alexander’s empire under his authority was
never realized.
Antiochus
III’s son Seleucus IV Philopator 187-176 b.c. heavily taxed his
people to pay Rome, but he
was poisoned
destroyed…
not in… battle by
his treasurer Heliodorus.
Invasion
by Antiochus IV Epiphanes
These
verses describe Antiochus IV Epiphanes, a son of Antiochus III the
Great. This one Seleucid who ruled from 175-163 b.c. is given as much
attention as all the others before him combined. He is the
little horn of Dan. 8:9-12, 8:23-25. A
long section Dan. 11:21-35 is devoted to him not only because of the
effects of his invasion on the land of Israel, but more so because he
foreshadows the little horn
king of Dan. 7:8 who in a future day
will desecrate and destroy the land of Israel.
Antiochus
IV is introduced as a
contemptible person.
He took to himself the name Epiphanes which means the Illustrious
One. But he was considered so untrustworthy that he was nicknamed
Epimanes
which means the Madman. The throne rightly belonged to Demetrius
Soter, a son of Seleucus IV Philopator, but Antiochus IV Epiphanes
seized the throne and had himself proclaimed king. Thus he did not
come to the throne by
rightful succession;
he seized it
through intrigue.
He was accepted as ruler because he was able to turn aside an
invading army,
perhaps the Egyptians. He also deposed Onias III, the high priest,
called here a
prince of the covenant. After
his military victories, Antiochus Epiphanes’ prestige and power
rose with the help of a comparatively small number of people. He
evidently sought to bring peace to his realm by redistributing
wealth, taking from the rich and giving to his followers.
After
Antiochus consolidated his kingdom, he moved against Egypt, the king
of the South,
in 170. Antiochus was able to move his army from his homeland to the
very border
of Egypt
before he was met by the Egyptian army at Pelusium near the Nile
Delta. In this battle the Egyptians had a large… army but were
defeated and Antiochus professed friendship with Egypt. The victor
and the vanquished sat at a table together as though friendship had
been established,
but the goal of both to establish peace was never realized for they
both
were deceptive.
Antiochus
carried great wealth back to his homeland from his conquest. On his
return he passed through the land of Israel. After his disappointment
in Egypt he had hoped to take all of Egypt but failed he took out his
frustrations on the Jews by desecrating
the temple in Jerusalem.
Evidently he opposed set his heart… against the entire
Mosaic system
the holy covenant. After desecrating the temple, he returned to his
own country.
Two
years later in 168)Antiochus moved against Egypt the
South again.
As he moved into Egypt, he was opposed by the Romans who had come to
Egypt in ships from the western coast lands lit., ships of Kittim;
cf. NIV marg., i.e., Cyprus. From the Roman senate Popillius 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 that he give his
answer before he stepped out of the circle. Antiochus submitted to
Rome’s demands for to resist would be to declare war on Rome. This
was a
humiliating defeat
for Antiochus Epiphanes he will lose heart but he had no alternative
but to return to his own land.
For
a
second time
cf. Dan. 11:28 Antiochus took out his frustration on the Jews, the
city of Jerusalem, and their temple. He vented his fury against the
holy covenant, the entire
Mosaic system
cf. Dan. 11:28, favoring any renegade Jews who turned to help him cf.
Dan. 11:32. He desecrated the temple and abolished the daily
sacrifice. Antiochus sent his general Apollonius with 22,000 soldiers
into Jerusalem on what was purported to be a peace mission. But they
attacked Jerusalem on the Sabbath, killed many people, took many
women and children as slaves, and plundered and burned the city.
In
seeking to exterminate Judaism and to Hellenize
the Jews,
he forbade the Jews to follow their religious practices including
their
festivals and circumcision,
and commanded that copies of the Law be burned. Then he set
up the abomination that causes desolation. In
this culminating act he erected on December 16, 167 b.c. 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.
Antiochus promised apostate Jews those
who…
violated
the covenant;
cf. Dan. 11:30 great reward if they would set aside the
God of Israel
and worship Zeus, the god of Greece. Many in Israel were persuaded by
his promises flattery
and worshiped
the false god.
However, a small remnant remained faithful to God,
refusing to engage in those abominable practices. Antiochus IV died
insane in Persia in 163 b.c. cf. see Antiochus in Dan. 8:23-25.
The
Jews who refused to submit to Antiochus’ false religious system
were persecuted and martyred
for their faith.
The word fall
Dan. 11:33-34, literally stumble kāšal,
refers to severe suffering on the part of many and
death for others.
This has in view the rise of the Maccabean revolt. Mattathias, a
priest, was the father of five sons. One of them, Judas, became well
known for refurbishing and restoring the temple in late 164 b.c. He
was called Judas Maccabeus, the Hammerer. In 166, Mattathias refused
to submit to this false religious system. He and his sons fled from
Jerusalem to the mountains and began the Maccabean revolt. At first
only a few Jews joined them. But as their movement became popular,
many
joined them, some out of sincere
motives and some from false motives. The suffering that the faithful
endured
served to refine and purify them. This time of persecution was of
short duration. It had previously been revealed to Daniel that the
temple would be desecrated for 1,150 days Dan. 8:14; see Dan.
8:23-25. Here Daniel was assured that this persecution
would run its course
and then be lifted, for its end
will still come at the appointed time.
The
Prophetic History of the 70th Seven
The
king described
All
the events described thus far in Dan. 11:1-45 are past. The intricate
details of the conflicts between
the Seleucids and the Ptolemies were fulfilled literally,
exactly as Daniel had predicted. So detailed are the facts that
skeptics have denied that the book
was written by Daniel
in the sixth century b.c. They conclude that the book must have been
written during the time of the Maccabees 168-134 b.c. after
the events took place. However, the God who knows the end from the
beginning, was able to reveal
details of forthcoming
history to Daniel.
In
Dan. 11:36-45 a leader is described who is introduced simply as
the king. Some suggest that this is
Antiochus IV Epiphanes and that the verses describe additional
incursions of his into Israel. However, the details given in these
verses were not fulfilled by Antiochus.
True, Antiochus was a foreshadowing of a king who will come cf. see
Dan. 8:25. But the two are not the same.
One is past and the other is future. The coming
king the little horn of Dan. 7:8 and the
ruler of Dan. 9:26 will be the final ruler in the last
days. His rise to prominence by satanic
power is described in Rev. 13:1-8 where he is called a
beast. According to John Rev. 17:12-13,
he will gain authority not by military conquest but by the consent of
the 10 kings who will submit to him. Starting with Dan. 11:36 the
prophecy moves from the near to the far.
The events recorded in Dan. 11:36-45 will occur during the final
seven years of the 70 sevens Dan. 9:24.
This
coming king
will
be independent of any authority apart from himself he
will do as he pleases.
Midway during his seven-year
reign
he will exercise the political power given him by
the 10 kings who
will have elected him Rev. 17:12-13. He will also take to himself
absolute
power in the religious realm,
magnifying himself
above
all gods and defying and speaking blasphemously against
the
God of gods.
He
opposes and exalts himself over everything that
is called God
or is worshiped, and even sets himself up in
God’s temple,
proclaiming himself to be God 2Thes. 2:4. He will speak against the
Most High Dan7:25. The world will be persuaded to worship him as god
by the miracles
the false prophet
will perform in his name Rev. 13:11-15. He will succeed in spreading
his influence around the world, both politically and religiously Rev.
13:7-8.
The
duration of this king’s rule has
been determined
by God. He
will be successful
as
the world ruler during
the
time of wrath,
the
three and one-half years of the Great Tribulation, but at the end of
that period the judgment
determined
by God will be
meted out
to him cf. Dan. 7:11, 7:26; 9:27; Rev. 19:19-20).
Because
of the reference to the
gods
or God, 'ĕlōhı̂m
of
his fathers,
some have concluded that this ruler will be a Jew, since the Old
Testament frequently uses the phrase the God of your fathers to refer
to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob e.g., Exo. 3:15. However,
since this individual will be
the final ruler
in the last days world, the little
horn
of the fourth
beast
Dan. 7:8, 7:24, he must
be a Gentile.
His showing no
regard
for the gods of his fathers means that in order to gain absolute
power in the religious realm,
this king will have no respect for his religious heritage. He will
set aside all organized religion nor
will he regard any god
and will set himself up exalt
himself
as the sole object of worship. Instead of depending on gods, he will
depend on his
own power
received from Satan, Rev. 13:2 and by that power he will demand
worship of himself.
The
fact that he has no regard for
the one desired by women
suggests he repudiates the messianic
hope
of Israel. Perhaps many an Israelite woman had longingly wondered if
she would become the mother of the coming Messiah, the nation’s
Savior and King.
The
Antichrist will
honor a god of fortresses,
that is, he will promote military strength. And because of his
political and religious power he will be able to accumulate vast
wealth. The god
unknown to his fathers ancestors,
who will give him strength, may
be Satan.
Though this king will come to power offering peace through a covenant
with Israel cf. Dan. 9:27 he will not hesitate to use military power
to
expand his dominion.
And he will be helped by a
foreign god.
Those who submit to his authority will be put in
positions of power
he
will greatly honor
them, and his ability to dispense favors distribute
the land at a reduced?
price
will gain him a great following.
The
king attacked
The
events in Dan. 11:40-45 will transpire at
the time
of the end,
that is, they will occur in the second
half of the 70th seven of years.
Him
refers back to the king introduced in Dan. 11:36. In Dan. 11:40-45
every occurrence of
he
seven times, him
four times, and his
three times refers to this coming king. He will have entered into a
covenant with the
people of Israel,
binding that nation as a part of his domain Dan. 9:27. Any attack,
then, against the land of Israel will be an attack against him with
whom Israel will be joined
by covenant.
The
king of the South will
attack Israel. Some suggest that this will occur at the middle of the
70th seven of years; more likely it will take place toward
the end of the second half
of that seven-year period. Since the king of the South in Dan.
11:5-35 referred to a king of Egypt, there seems to be no reason to
relate this
king of the South Dan. 11:40 to some other nation. In fact Egypt is
mentioned twice in Dan. 11:42-43. In this invasion Egypt will not
come alone but will be joined by the Libyans and Nubians Dan. 11:43.
These nations, referred to elsewhere as Put and Cush, may be nations
in Africa.
However, it is more likely that Put refers to Arab nations in the
Sinai area and Cush to nations in the Persian Gulf region cf. Gen.
2:13.
Simultaneous
with the invasion of Israel by the king of the South Egypt will be an
invasion
by the
king of the North.
Some
Bible scholars equate this invasion with the one by
Gog and Magog,
for Gog will come from…
the
far north Eze. 38:15. Others say the battle of Gog and Magog will
occur in the first half of the 70th seven and thus before
this two-pronged invasion in Dan. 11:40. They suggest that the battle
of Gog and Magog will occur when Israel is at peace Eze. 38:11,
38:14. According to that view, a difference is made between Gog who
will come from the far north Eze. 38:15 and a later invasion which
will be headed by the king of the North Dan. 11:40. Either way the
king of the North in Dan. 11:40 is certainly not one of the Seleucid
kings of the North in Dan. 11:5-35. This invasion has no
correspondence to historical facts; it is
yet future.
The
king of the South and the king of the North will fight against the
Antichrist. Israel will be occupied and many Jews will flee, seeking
refuge among the Gentile nations (see Rev. 12:14-16.
When
the Antichrist hears of this invasion, he will move his army from
Europe into the Middle East, sweeping through many
countries… like a flood
Dan. 11:40. He will move quickly into the land of Israel, the
Beautiful Land
Dan. 11:41; cf. Dan. 11:16; 8:9). His first strike will be against
Egypt
Dan. 11:42-43, for Egypt and her Arab allies Libyans
and Nubians,
Dan. 11:43 are the ones who will initiate the invasion on Israel. On
this occasion the king will not conquer the territory of Edom,
Moab, and… Ammon
Dan. 11:41, now included in the present kingdom of Jordan. But he
will gain control over many countries.
Then
the Antichrist will hear alarming reports from
the east
probably referring to an invasion by a massive army of 200 million
soldiers from east of the Euphrates River, Rev. 9:16 and from the
north
perhaps another attack by the king of the North; cf. Dan. 11:40.
Enraged, the Antichrist will set out to destroy…
many
of the invaders. Then he will occupy Israel and will
pitch his royal tents between the seas,
that is, between the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, at
the beautiful holy
mountain,
probably Jerusalem.
Posing as Christ, the Antichrist will set up his headquarters in
Jerusalem, the same
city from which Christ
will rule the world in the Millennium Zec. 14:4, 14:17). The
Antichrist will also pose as Christ by introducing a one-world
government with himself as the ruler and a one world religion in
which he is worshiped as god. But God will destroy the kingdom of
this king he
will come to his end;
cf. Dan. 7:11, 7:26 at the personal appearance of Jesus
Christ to this earth
Rev. 19:19-20.