Daniel 11b - Bible Study, Explanation, and Application

Daniel 11b Bible Study

TIMELINE:

• The Book of Daniel opens in the 3rd year of the reign of King Jehoiakim, 606 BC. Daniel was a contemporary of Ezekiel in Babylon. Daniel was taken to Babylon about 14 years before Ezekiel was called by God to be a prophet (Ezekiel 1-2).

• Daniel 1:21 informs us Daniel was in the palace of Babylon until the first year of King Cyrus (539 BC).

• The vision recorded in Daniel 10-12 is dated to the third year of the reign of Cyrus. This likely refers to Cyrus’ third year after conquering Babylon, which would date the vision to 536 BC.

WHAT WE'VE STUDIED SO FAR IN DANIEL:

• Daniel 1 – Daniel and his friends are taken to Babylon and educated for 3 years to work in the king’s court. Daniel requests to be exempted from eating the king’s food in order to keep God’s dietary laws.

• Daniel 2 – Nebuchadnezzar has a dream about a great image made of 5 different materials. Daniel interprets the dream for him, telling him about an everlasting kingdom that God would set up in the latter days.

• Daniel 3 – Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow to Nebuchadnezzar’s image of gold and were thrown into the fiery furnace. God miraculously saved them from the fire, and Nebuchadnezzar praised God and honored Him throughout the kingdom.

• Daniel 4 – Nebuchadnezzar praised God as the Most High and the Eternal King. He recounted how God humbled him by turning him into an animal-like being that lived outside and ate grass like an ox.

• Daniel 5 – The city of Babylon falls to the Medes and Persians after Daniel interprets the handwriting on the wall at Belshazzar’s drunken feast.

• Daniel 6 – Daniel’s enemies hatch a plot to prevent him from being promoted in the kingdom. Daniel is thrown into a den of lions, but God protects him and keeps the lions from killing him.

• Daniel 7 – Daniel had a vision of 4 beasts that represented 4 nations. The Ancient of Days (God) and “one like a son of man” (Jesus) defeated the beasts and established a kingdom that would last forever.

• Daniel 8 – Daniel had a vision about a ram and a goat. God revealed that the two animals represented the Medo-Persian Empire (ram) and the Greek Empire (goat).

• Daniel 9 – Daniel prayed to God and acknowledged that the Jews broke covenant with Him. He asked God to forgive them. In response to his prayer, God sent Gabriel to Daniel with a prophecy about future events outlined in 70 weeks.

• Daniel 10 – A heavenly messenger appears to Daniel to inform him what will happen to his people in latter days. Chapter 10 explains how the vision described in Daniel 11 and 12 was delivered.

OUTLINE:

• ANTIOCHUS THE GREAT TO ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES (11:10-19):

  • The sons of the king of the north would continue the war against the south.

  • The prominent son who would rise up to rule the north was Antiochus the Great (born around 242 BC and died in 187 BC).

  • He would lead several campaigns against the Ptolemaic Dynasty in the south. Though he had some initial setbacks (Battle of Raphia against Ptolemy Philopator) he would eventually overcome the southern kingdom in a number of battles (these campaigns are prophesied in verses 10-15).

  • The Jews would assist Antiochus with the hope that it would lead their nation into better days, but they were sorely mistaken (11:14).

  • Antiochus came into the “glorious land” (the Promised Land, Judah) and subjected it to himself (11:16).

  • Verse 17 prophecies that Antiochus would intend to conquer all of Egypt, but would make an agreement with them instead, an agreement that looked like peace on the surface, but was actually intended to destroy the king of the south.

  • This was done by Antiochus giving Ptolemy Epiphanes his daughter, Cleopatra I, in marriage (193 BC). It is thought that Cleopatra was instructed to later betray her husband for the benefit of her father’s empire, but the plan failed, she sided with her husband against her father, which is why the end of verse 17 informs us Antiochus’ plan did not work “to his advantage.”

  • Daniel prophesied that Antiochus the Great would turn his attention to the coastland and the islands (11:18), but a commander would oppose him successfully.

  • This commander likely references Scipio Asiaticus, a roman general. Antiochus fought with Rome and was ultimately defeated.

  • Daniel 11:20 speaks of a new king who would rise to replace Antiochus the Great. This new ruler would send an “exactor of tribute,” but would be “broken” in a short period of time.

  • This description of a new ruler was fulfilled in Antiochus the Great’s son, Seleucus Philopator. He had to raise taxes to pay tribute to the Romans, and after only 11 years on the throne, he died (175 BC).

  • This set the scene for Antiochus Epiphanes to become king of the north, which we’ll discuss in the upcoming study.