Daniel 11:28-36

Wars Until the End ~ part 3

 

Pray

 

Intro

 

√       The worst of the bunch

 

Vs. 5-45 tell of the continuing wars between the Kingdom of the North and the Kingdom of the South…

 

We left off in our last study looking at the main events in the life of the worst king (historically) who would rule over Daniel’s people and land.

 

His name was Antiochus IV, though he called himself Antiochus Epiphanes (“illustrious one”), but whom God calls…

 

“a vile person” ~ vs. 21

 

He is also known in the Bible as…

 

“the little horn” ~ Dan. 8:9-12 & 23-25

 

He is a type of the future Antichrist as revealed through his persecution of the Jewish people, his desecration of the Temple, and his exalted opinion of himself!

 

God gives us more information on him than all the previous kings combined! 

 

Probably because he foreshadows the other “little horn” (ref. Dan. 7:8) the Antichrist.

 

So, we continue our study…

 

15)    Antiochus attacks Israel (vs. 28)

 

Dan. 11:28   While returning to his land with great riches, his heart shall be moved against the holy covenant; so he shall do damage and return to his own land.

 

Antiochus attacks Israel

 

The Angel tells Daniel that after the “Vile person” defeats the king of the South, that on his way home he will…

 

…attack Israel.

 

Great riches

 

Failing in his invasion of Egypt, Antiochus Epiphanes returned home with only great plunder to salve his wounded pride.

 

Remember, he’d won the battle and captured Ptolemy VI…

 

…but had failed to take control of Egypt because his dinner time deceit did not gain him influence over Ptolemy’s uncle who controlled the rest of the kingdom.

 

Antiochus did not have an army sufficient to challenge all of Egypt, so he returned home with a bad attitude.

 

Moved against the Holy Covenant

 

This was fulfilled when Antiochus returned from Egypt in 168 B.C.

 

He was still bitter that he had not accomplished his objectives, so, he vented his anger against Jerusalem and the Jewish people.

 

He massacred many of the Jews in Jerusalem, forced them to abandon their faith and embrace Greek culture.

 

He also took many of the golden vessels from the Temple and took them back to Antioch.

 

Once home he began plotting his next invasion of Egypt in which he hoped to finally gain control over all of the Southern Kingdom.

 

16)    Antiochus attacks the South again (vs. 29-35)

 

Dan. 11:29   “At the appointed time he shall return and go toward the south; but it shall not be like the former or the latter.

 

Dan. 11:30   For ships from Cyprus shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and return in rage against the holy covenant, and do damage.  “So he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant.

 

Dan. 11:31   And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation.

 

Dan. 11:32   Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.

 

Dan. 11:33   And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering.

 

Dan. 11:34   Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them by intrigue.

 

Dan. 11:35   And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time.

 

Ships from Cyprus shall come against him (vs. 29-30)

 

Antiochus was initially very successful in his 2nd attack and took all of Egypt except Alexandria.  However, the Angel tells Daniel that Antiochus’ dream of ruling the Southern Kingdom will come to an end because…

 

“Ships from Cyprus shall come against him” ~ vs. 30

 

This was literally fulfilled through the naval assistance of the Romans who helped Ptolemy VI, by defeating Antiochus’ navy then confronting him on land.

 

In this famous battle, the Roman Navy defeated the navy of Antiochus Epiphanes near the island of Cyprus.

 

After the battle, the Roman general, Gaius Popillius demanded to know if he would surrender and pay tribute to Rome.

 

Antiochus tried to gain time by responding that he would need to return home and seek the counsel of his advisors.

 

Popillius responded by drawing a circle in the sand around Antiochus and saying…

 

“Think about it here”

 

…the implication was clear, submit now or experience the full weight of Rome’s wrath!

 

From then on, there was no doubt, Antiochus Epiphanes took his orders from Rome and was under Roman dominion.

 

The defeat of Antiochus at his 2nd campaign against Egypt was important, because Egypt beat Antiochus with the help of Rome.

 

At the end of it all, Antiochus and his kingdom were under the dominion of Rome.

 

From a prophetic view we now see the 4th Kingdom of Man…

 

The legs of Iron ~ chapter 2

The monster beast ~ chapter 7

 

…introduced that will eventually replace the 3rd Kingdom of Man (Greece).

 

Terror in the Temple (vs. 31)

 

The Angel tells Daniel that the “vile person” will vent his fury on Jerusalem by taking away the daily sacrifice and setting up an abomination of desolation.

 

Antiochus Epiphanes set up an image of Zeus at the temple altar.

 

He demanded sacrifice to this image, and later desecrated the temple by sacrificing a pig on it!

 

One commentator writes…

 

"It was in truth an abomination, which brought a desolate condition to the Temple, for now no one would come to worship at all." (Wood)

 

 

The wicked & the righteous (vs. 32)

 

God tells us that during this time the Jewish people would be split, some would compromise with the “vile person” and others would resist as did Daniel and his friends.

 

When Antiochus Epiphanes turned on Jerusalem some forsook their covenant with God and embraced Greek culture.

 

Those who knew their God made a stand for righteousness in the face of incredible persecution.

 

For many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering (vs. 33)

 

In his attack on Jerusalem Antiochus IV is said to have killed 80,000 Jews, taken 40,000 more as prisoners, and sold another 40,000 as slaves. He also plundered the temple again, robbing it of approximately $1 billion in treasure!

 

Until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time

 

This terror could only last for as long as God had appointed it and God had a purpose even for such persecution and blasphemy.

 

The Antichrist (vs. 36-45)

 

Dan. 11:36   “Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done.

 

√       The Antichrist

 

Vs. 36 signals a shift (“then”) in the prophetic timeline from Antiochus to another king like him.

 

That is, while Antiochus Epiphanes literally fulfilled the prophecy here in Daniel chapter 11…

 

…vs. 36 hints at another king of whom Antiochus is only the opening act!

 

We make that conclusion because of Jesus’ commentary on this verse recorded in His “Olivet Discourse” recorded in Matthew 24.

 

Ex.    The future king ~ the Antichrist

 

Speaking of a future event, Jesus said…

 

Matt. 24:15  “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand),

 

Jesus certainly can’t be thinking of Antiochus because he lived about 200 years before Jesus said this about the future.

 

So, we must be looking at a new ruler, a different king, in vs. 36-45.

 

Some Christians suggest that this prediction was fulfilled when Titus and the Roman Legions destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD.

 

But, if we look at the context of the prophecy given by Jesus it indicates that He was speaking of the Great Tribulation at the end of human history.

 

Not the invasion of Titus.

 

Note Matt. 24:21…

 

Matt. 24:21  For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.

 

While the destruction of Jerusalem and the slaughter of the Jewish people in 70 A.D. was horrific…

 

…it pales by comparison to the Holocaust.

 

Therefore, Jesus must have been speaking of another time…

 

…a time of greater persecution than either Antiochus or Titus brought upon the Jewish people.

 

So, Jesus interprets Daniel 11:36-45 as being fulfilled by a future world ruler…

 

…whom the Bible calls the Antichrist.

 

Paul also comments on Daniel 11:36-39 as a future event…

 

2Th. 2:3       Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,

 

2Th. 2:4       who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

 

Compared with Daniel 11:37…

 

Dan. 11:37   He shall regard neither the God of his fathers nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all.

 

The prophetic picture tells us that a future World Ruler will arise who will persecute Israel and the Jewish people even as Antiochus did.

 

After Jesus’ death & resurrection

After the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans (70 AD)

During the last “week” of Daniel’s 70 weeks

The final 7 years of Man’s Governments

 

For this to come to pass requires that the Temple be rebuilt!

 

17)    The Antichrist: the "last days Antiochus Epiphanes."

  

Dan. 11:36   “Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done.

 

He shall exalt and magnify himself above every god

 

The angel explained to Daniel that this future king will blaspheme God and exalt himself until the wrath has been accomplished and what has been determined shall be done.

 

Here we shift from what was fulfilled in the Ptolemaic and the Seleucids to what will be fulfilled in the Antichrist, the final world dictator.

 

Daniel was told that this revelation pertained to the latter days (Daniel 10:14), and Daniel 11:36 begins to look more towards this final world dictator, who is sort of a "last days Antiochus Epiphanes."

 

 

Antiochus Epiphanes is important, but mostly as a historical preview of the Antichrist.

 

This is why so much space is given to describing the career of one evil man…

 

…because he prefigures the ultimate evil man.

 

He shall exalt and magnify himself above every god

 

Antiochus Epiphanes certainly did this in the general sense that all sinners oppose God.

 

Yet he remained loyal to the Greek religious tradition, which revered the entire Olympian pantheon.

 

Antiochus Epiphanes put a statue of Zeus in the temple, not of himself.

 

This will be far more precisely fulfilled in the Antichrist, who sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (2 Thessalonians 2:4).

 

Shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished

 

Antichrist will do much damage, but he is on a short chain and will only work into God’s plan. God's purpose will be accomplished.