Daniel 11c - Bible Study, Explanation, and Application

Daniel 11c 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:

• THE DEEDS OF ANTIOCHUS IV EPIPHANES (11:21-39):

  • After the end of the reign of Seleucus Philopator (11:20, see Daniel 11b study), Daniel prophesied the rise of a “contemptible person to whom royal majesty” did not belong. He would become king of the north through flattery.

  • This “contemptible person” is a reference to Antiochus IV (Antiochus Epiphane, 215-164 BC). He was not directly in line for the throne. He likely had his brother killed and flattered his way to power.

  • Armies would be swept away before him. This is probably a prophecy of his military victories against the kingdom of the south (Ptolemies). Antiochus was able to capture Pelusium, a key Egyptian city, and the king of the south. He made a treaty with Rome, but then attacked Egypt, which was in league with Rome.

  • Antiochus Epiphanes and the new king of Egypt, Ptolemy VI Philometor, sat down in pretense of making a mutually beneficial treaty with one another, but Antiochus was only interested in the personal advancement. They sat down, lied to each other across the table, and the treaty failed quickly, as Daniel prophesied in Daniel 11:27.

  • Although it was his ambition, Antiochus never achieved total victory over the southern kingdom.

  • On another campaign, he was turned away by the Romans (ships of Kittim, 11:30). This enraged him and he took out his anger on the Jews.

  • Antiochus attacked Jerusalem, killing thousands, and he profaned the sanctuary of the Temple in a few ways. First, he set up an image of Zeus near the altar. Second, he sacrificed a pig on the altar to defile it. Third, he prevented the Jews from offering their daily sacrifices.

  • These abominations, and the bloodshed in Jerusalem, put the city and Temple into a desolate state (The abomination of desolation, 11:31).

  • Antiochus won many Jews to his side through flattery and persuasion (11:32). They embraced the greek culture and the greek gods, but other Jews stood firm against him.

  • The righteous would resist Antiochus, and many of them would fall by sword, flame, and captivity. They would struggle, but God assured they would receive help (11:34). This struggle likely refers, in part, to the revolt of the Maccabees. The Maccabees were Jews who resisted Antiochus and greek influence and fought for independence.

  • Daniel prophesied that this contemptible king would elevate himself above the gods, and not have respect for any of them save the god of war and fortresses (he only worshipped military power, 11:39). With the help of his “god” he would conquer and reward those who pandered to him.

• SUMMARY OF THE REIGN OF ANTIOCHUS IV EPIPHANES (11:40-45):

  • The meaning of verses 40-45 is consistently debated. Some believe it is a concluding summary of the life of Antiochus IV, while others believe it refers to future events and the Antichrist at the end of time.

  • Both views have challenges. To me, the flow of the contexts suggest this still refers to Antiochus, and acts as a short summary to conclude all that God prophesied about him.

  • Antiochus would conquer much of Egypt (11:40), subject the allies of Egypt (Cush and Libya, 11:43), spoil the south and carry riches back to his land (11:43), turn his sword against the glorious land (Judah, 11:41), but he would ultimately be unsuccessful in achieving all his goals and God would bring him down (11:44-45).