1 And in the first year of Darius the Mede, I took my stand to support and protect him.)
Daniel 11 starts with Daniel marking the time. It is in the first year of Darius, after the overtake of Babylon by the Persians in 539 BC.
The Kings of the South and the North 2 “Now then, I tell you the truth: Three more kings will arise in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. When he has gained power by his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece.
Daniel recounts his prophecy. These kings that he will discuss are historical figures, some close to Daniel’s timeframe and others vastly far away. We begin with these three kings:
Cambyses (530-522) Gaumata (522) Darius (522-486)
These are the three next kings of Persia. It is important to note Daniel’s age here. Daniel, at this point in time, is very old. He began his servitude of Nebuchadnezzar upon the overthrown of Judah in 608 BC. The Jews have been deported and served their entire term in Babylon and have been released back to Judah by Cyrus. So Daniel, who was probably taken to Babylon in his teens, has served the subsequent Babylonian kings for 70 years. Here, he is serving the first Persian king. Even though that is remarkable, we’ll see his vision begin with the most current news and then span far into the future.
The fourth king Daniel talks about is Xerxes, who ruled between 486-465 BC. He attempted to conquer Greece in 480 BC and was thwarted. But his action caused Greece to view Persia as an enemy, and as Greece grew and Persia stagnated, the writing on the wall became evident.
3 Then a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great power and do as he pleases. 4 After he has arisen, his empire will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the power he exercised, because his empire will be uprooted and given to others.
This next great king is Alexander the Great, a Greek (356-322 BC). Alexander swiftly moved across the Persian Empire and decimated it in 12 short years. Alexander’s empire, however, would not stand as a whole, strong unit. After his death, the kingdom was not given to his descendants (his heirs ended up murdering each other), but parceled into four ruling powers:
Cassander Ruling over Greece and its region
Lysimachus Ruling over Asia Minor
Seleucus Ruling over Syria and Israel’s land
Ptolemy Ruling over Egypt
5 “The king of the South will become strong, but one of his commanders will become even stronger than he and will rule his own kingdom with great power. 6 After some years, they will become allies. The daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North to make an alliance, but she will not retain her power, and he and his power will not last. In those days she will be betrayed, together with her royal escort and her father and the one who supported her.
The kings of the north and south are the northern and southern ruling powers in the parceled Grecian landscape. The northern king is Seleucus, ruling over the Syrian land, and the southern is Ptolemy, ruling over Egypt. The king of the south, Ptolemy I (323-285 BC), ruled not only Egypt but the holy land. Seleucid, his son, ruled over Syria and Israel (They will become allies). Berenice, the daughter of Ptolemy II, married Antiochus II, the ruler in Syria (They will make an alliance). Once Ptolemy died, Antiochus II, took back his former wife Laodice. Laodice ultimately poisons him. Since now Antiochus is dead, Berenice is left unshielded and Laodice has her killed (She will be betrayed).
7 “One from her family line will arise to take her place. He will attack the forces of the king of the North and enter his fortress; he will fight against them and be victorious. 8 He will also seize their gods, their metal images and their valuable articles of silver and gold and carry them off to Egypt. For some years he will leave the king of the North alone. 9 Then the king of the North will invade the realm of the king of the South but will retreat to his own country.
Ptolemy III (the brother of Berenice) takes power (246-221 BC) (One from her family line will arise to take her place). Ptolemy III invaded Syria and humbled its king (Seleucid II) (He will attack the forces of the king of the North).
10 His sons will prepare for war and assemble a great army, which will sweep on like an irresistible flood and carry the battle as far as his fortress. 11 “Then the king of the South will march out in a rage and fight against the king of the North, who will raise a large army, but it will be defeated. 12 When the army is carried off, the king of the South will be filled with pride and will slaughter many thousands, yet he will not remain triumphant. 13 For the king of the North will muster another army, larger than the first; and after several years, he will advance with a huge army fully equipped. 14 “In those times many will rise against the king of the South. Those who are violent among your own people will rebel in fulfillment of the vision, but without success. 15 Then the king of the North will come and build up siege ramps and will capture a fortified city. The forces of the South will be powerless to resist; even their best troops will not have the strength to stand. 16 The invader will do as he pleases; no one will be able to stand against him. He will establish himself in the Beautiful Land and will have the power to destroy it. 17 He will determine to come with the might of his entire kingdom and will make an alliance with the king of the South. And he will give him a daughter in marriage in order to overthrow the kingdom, but his plans[c] will not succeed or help him. 18 Then he will turn his attention to the coastlands and will take many of them, but a commander will put an end to his insolence and will turn his insolence back on him. 19 After this, he will turn back toward the fortresses of his own country but will stumble and fall, to be seen no more. 20 “His successor will send out a tax collector to maintain the royal splendor. In a few years, however, he will be destroyed, yet not in anger or in battle.
For 130 years there are battles between the Northern and Southern kingdoms. These wars are recorded in history. A string of Cleopatras and Seleucids and Ptolemys rage through battles, and Daniel’s unfolding prophetic history is completely on spot. One particularly intriguing prediction comes in verse 18, when Antiochus III’s plan to humiliate Egypt, with the help of the famous General Hannibal, goes asunder and the Roman General Scipio defeats him in Greece and forces Antiochus III back to Syria, humiliated. Seleucus III, Antiochus III’s successor, planned to pillage Israel with taxes, but stopped his plans after an angelic warning. It wasn’t long after that he was assassinated probably by his brother, Antiochus IV.
21 “He will be succeeded by a contemptible person who has not been given the honor of royalty. He will invade the kingdom when its people feel secure, and he will seize it through intrigue. 22 Then an overwhelming army will be swept away before him; both it and a prince of the covenant will be destroyed. 23 After coming to an agreement with him, he will act deceitfully, and with only a few people he will rise to power. 24 When the richest provinces feel secure, he will invade them and will achieve what neither his fathers nor his forefathers did. He will distribute plunder, loot and wealth among his followers. He will plot the overthrow of fortresses—but only for a time. 25 “With a large army he will stir up his strength and courage against the king of the South. The king of the South will wage war with a large and very powerful army, but he will not be able to stand because of the plots devised against him. 26 Those who eat from the king’s provisions will try to destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall in battle. 27 The two kings, with their hearts bent on evil, will sit at the same table and lie to each other, but to no avail, because an end will still come at the appointed time.
Antiochus IV most likely killed his brother to rise to power (Contemptible person not of royalty). It was well-speculated in his time that he did indeed assassinate his brother (he will seize it through intrigue). Verse 23 tells us that he will invade the richest provinces. Antiochus V did this too. He invaded the rich provinces around Syria, destroying them and causing strife between the ruling and elite families, while pretending that he was allies with them. Antiochus and Ptolemy had some very famous battles (he will fight the king of the south), but the final point is that God is still in charge (an end will come at the appointed time).
28 The king of the North will return to his own country with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant. He will take action against it and then return to his own country. 29 “At the appointed time he will invade the South again, but this time the outcome will be different from what it was before. 30 Ships of the western coastlands will oppose him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back and vent his fury against the holy covenant. He will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant. 31 “His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation. 32 With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him. 33 “Those who are wise will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered. 34 When they fall, they will receive a little help, and many who are not sincere will join them. 35 Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.
Antiochus IV, the vile leader, reigned from 216-164 BC. He chose the name Epiphanes which means God Manifest. His life work is depicted in Daniel’s vision with startling clarity. First Anitochus IV sold the office of the high priest in Jerusalem and persecuted Jews to conform to Greek culture (his heart will be set against the holy covenant). During one of his great battles with Egypt, the Roman Navy aided Egypt agains his attack (Ships of the western coastlands will oppose him, and he will lose heart). After this humiliating defeat, Antiochus IV vents his anger at Israel and Egypt (He will turn his fury against the holy covenant). Antiochus IV ends the daily sacrifice at the temple and desecrates it by erecting a giant statue of Zeus in it, as well as slaughter a pig in the name of Zeus (He will desecrate the temple). Although many are killed and many assimilate, many resist and ultimately push Antiochus out (Maccabees) (But the people will resist). We see that this time of trouble is meant to purify, clarify and help many to a stronger faith (Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time).
The King Who Exalts Himself 36 “The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place.
Verse 36 shifts to latter days. This is called future-fulfillment. Jesus himself intoned that that real abomination of the temple was in the distant future (Matthew 24:15). We are no longer talking about Antiochus IV but of the Antichrist, which of whom Antiochus IV is a model of. The verses below illustrate this.
37 He will show no regard for the gods of his ancestors or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all.
This could be an allusion toward the Antichrist being of Jewish origin. The women notation is puzzling. It could possibly refer to homosexuality. As Jesus is referred to as desired by all nations (Hag 2:7), and the Bible’s propensity to use women as a metaphor when referring to nations, it could be that the verse also means that the antichrist will not consider himself attached to any nation. or could even refer to Jesus, in that women desired bearing the Messiah. This viewpoint can only refer to Christ. In the view of that context, the antichrist would have contempt for the Jewish laws and for Christ Himself. In the extirpation of this, the antichrist has no affinity for any god but only for himself. He does not conform to the truth.
38 Instead of them, he will honor a god of fortresses; a god unknown to his ancestors he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. 39 He will attack the mightiest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him. He will make them rulers over many people and will distribute the land at a price.
He will honor military might (god of fortresses). He will be be a collector of both money and items (a god unknown to his ancestors he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts). He will make it his duty to attack the strongest nations under the auspices of a “strange god.
40 “At the time of the end the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood. 41 He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand. 42 He will extend his power over many countries; Egypt will not escape. 43 He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Cushites[e] in submission. 44 But reports from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will set out in a great rage to destroy and annihilate many. 45 He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.
The southern kingdom with invade and will be met with a giant force. He will invade Israel and will lash out in every direction. But there is no hope for the antichrist and his followers. This great battle is detailed in Revelation 19, when Christ appears, with the saints behind Him, to wage a costly, and quick war against the beast, the Antichrist, who for a brief time rises to power and tricks the world into following.