The Kings of Daniel 11 NAU Daniel 11:2 "And now I will tell you the truth. Behold, three more kings are going to arise in Persia. Then a fourth will gain far more riches than all of them; as soon as he becomes strong through his riches, he will arouse the whole empire against the realm of Greece.

Historical Context

• At that time, there has only been one king of Persia • There are a total of thirteen Persian kings • The fourth Persian king from Cyrus () began a full scale war with Greece

Actual Persian Kings 1. (559 – 530 BC) 2. Cambyses II (530 – 522 BC) 3. Bardiya (522 BC) Possibly a usurper to the throne 4. Darius I (522 – 486 BC) 5. Xerxes I (485 – 465 BC) [Most likely Ahasuerus of the Book of Esther] 6. (465 – 424 BC) 7. Xerxes II (424 BC) Son of Artaxerxes I 8. Darius II (424 – 404 BC) Son of Artaxerses I 9. Artaxerxes II (404 – 358 BC) Son of Darius II 10. Artaxerxes III (358 – 338 BC) Son of Artaxerxes II 11. Artaxerxes IV (338 – 336 BC) Son of Artaxerxes III 12. Darius III (336 – 330 BC) Great grandson of Darius II 13. Artaxerxes V (330 – 329 BC) ??? – killed by

Of all the Persian kings, Xerxes I (the 4th from Cyrus) was the richest of all the Persian kings. He began a total assault on the empire of Greece. The time frame from Dan. 11:2–3 is about 200 years! The time from when the 4th Persian king Xerxes I waged war on Greece to Alexander the Great is about 130 years.

NAU Daniel 11:3 "And a mighty king will arise, and he will rule with great authority and do as he pleases.

There is no doubt that this is Alexander the Great of the empire of Greece.

• Alexander the Great (336–323 BC) • He conquered most of the Asia / Middle East world (involving Israel) • He died in 323 BC and did not leave his kingdom to his son • He went through Jerusalem and the priests came out in their robes and read to him from the book of Daniel, to prove that Israel’s God had prophesied about him! Because of this, Alexander the Great spared Israel from paying taxes and left them pretty much alone if they recognized his rule. Read this quotation from the Jewish historian, Josephus, about the encounter (found in Josephus “Jewish Antiquities.”

[11.337] And when the Book of Daniel was showed him wherein Daniel declared that one of the Greeks should destroy the empire of the Persians, he supposed that himself was the person intended. And as he was then glad, he dismissed the multitude for the present.

In conclusion, Dan. 11:3 takes us to 323 BC.

NAU Daniel 11:4 "But as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom will be broken up and parceled out toward the four points of the compass, though not to his own descendants, nor according to his authority which he wielded, for his sovereignty will be uprooted and given to others besides them.

When Alexander the Great died in 323 BC, his kingdom went to four of his generals. This transition did not happen immediately, but took place over about 20 years. The four generals and their regions are as follows:

• (Macedonia [which is Greece]) • (Pergama [which is Turkey and Asia Minor]) • Ptolemy I (Egypt and parts of North Africa) • ( and )

From Dan. 11:5 – 31, the kings that are listed (King of the North, King of the South) are only referring to the Ptolemy and Seleucus dynasties. This is because right where the two kingdoms are joined is the nation Israel. The prophecy to Daniel in Dan.11 is about “what will happen to your people in the latter days…” (Dan. 10:14). Dan. 11:2 covers the approximate time of 538 – 485 BC which is about 53+ years. Dan. 11:3 then picks up about 323 BC, which is about another 160+ years. It took about 20 years for the four generals to secure their four territories. At first there were five generals, but the fifth gave way to the others.

Between the Ptolemy and Seleucid dynasties, for the first 100 years (from approximately 300–200 BC) the Ptolemy dynasty was stronger. Dan. 11:5-12 describes what happens with the Ptolemy dynasty. After that, vv. 13-36 describe the Seleucid victories. Ptolemy and Seleucid Dynasty Explained

Ptolemy Dynasty Seleucid Dynasty (323–285 BC) Seleucus I Nicotor (312–281 BC) I Soter (not referenced in Dan.) Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285–245 BC) Antiochus II Theos (262–246 BC)

Ptolemy III Euergetes (245–221 BC) Seleucus II Callinicus (246–226) Seleucus III Caraunus (226–223) Ptolemy IV Philopator (221–203 BC) Antiochus III the Great (223–187 BC)

Ptolemy V Ephiphanes (203–181 BC) Seleucus IV Philopator (187–175 BC)

Ptolemy IV Philometor (181–146 BC) Antiochus IV Ephiphanes (170–163 BC)

Ptolemy Dynasty (Dan. 11:2-12) NAU Daniel 11:5 "Then the king of the South will grow strong, along with one of his princes who will gain ascendancy over him and obtain dominion; his domain will be a great dominion indeed.

The king of the South [Egypt area] is Ptolemy I Soter, one of Alexander the Great’s main generals and took the kingdom in 323 BC. Ptolemy I Soter had the Hebrew scriptures translated into Greek for the Greek speaking Jews in Alexandria. We have these copies, and they are called the Septuagint, or the LXX. Ptolemy I Soter reigned for about 38 years and died in 285 BC.

NAU Daniel 11:6-7 6 "After some years they will form an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the South will come to the king of the North to carry out a peaceful arrangement. But she will not retain her position of power, nor will he remain with his power, but she will be given up, along with those who brought her in and the one who sired her as well as he who supported her in those times. 7 "But one of the descendants of her line will arise in his place, and he will come against their army and enter the fortress of the king of the North, and he will deal with them and display great strength.

The time is now about 260 BC. The king of the South is Ptolemy II Philadelphus. The king of the North is Antiochus II Theos. After many military conflicts, Ptolemy II made a peace treaty with the king of the North—Anitochus II Theos in 250 BC. The terms of the agreement were that Ptolemy’s daughter Berenice, would marry Antiochus II Theos to seal the alliance, and their first son would be the next king of the Seleucids. The problem was that Antiochus II was already married to a powerful and ambitious woman named Laodice. Laodice succeeded in murdering her husband Antiochus II, Berenice, and their child, thus Berenice did not “retain her position of power” (v. 6). Laodice then ruled as “queen regent” with her son Seleucus II Callinicus. After this, Berenice’s brother, Ptolemy III Euergetes (son of Ptolemy II Philadelphus) took the Ptolemy throne and retaliated against his sister’s murder. He attacked the Seleucid king of the North (v. 7) with a great army. The war lasted from 246–241 BC during which Ptolemy III looted the Seleucid capital of . He eventually put Laodice to death.

NAU Daniel 11:8-9 8 "Also their gods with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold he will take into captivity to Egypt, and he on his part will refrain from attacking the king of the North for some years. 9 "Then the latter will enter the realm of the king of the South, but will return to his own land.

Dan. 11:8-9 continues with the strength of Ptolemy III Euergetes. In his defeat of the young Seleucus II Callinicus—the Seleucid king—he took Syria’s golden “gods” and all their treasure back to Egypt, where he was hailed as a hero and a great victor. Ptolemy III then made a peace treaty with Seleucus II and left him in power in 240 BC. Dan. 11:9 refers to a brief attempt by Seleucus II to test his strength against Ptolemy II once more, but made a quick retreat back to Syria.

NAU Daniel 11:10 "His sons will mobilize and assemble a multitude of great forces; and one of them will keep on coming and overflow and pass through, that he may again wage war up to his very fortress.

Seleucus II Callinicus died in 226 BC, but his sons, Seleucus III Ceraunus (226–223 BC) and Antiochus III (the Great; 223–187 BC), continued the wars with the Ptolemies. Seleucus III Ceraunus was murdered after a brief three-year reign, and his brother, Antiochus III (“one of them will keep on coming”), came to power. Antiochus III was called the “Great” because of his military successes, and in 219–218 BC he campaigned in and Palestine, part of the Ptolemaic Empire (“up to his [the king of the South's] very fortress”).

NAU Daniel 11:11-12 11 "The king of the South will be enraged and go forth and fight with the king of the North. Then the latter will raise a great multitude, but that multitude will be given into the hand of the former. 12 "When the multitude is carried away, his heart will be lifted up, and he will cause tens of thousands to fall; yet he will not prevail.

During this time, Ptolemy III Euergetes dies (221 BC) and is replaced by his second son Ptolemy IV Philopater who is about twenty years old. In response to Antiochus III’s continued military attacks, Ptolemy IV (“The king of the South”) launched a massive counterattack. Both armies were very large (both had about 60.000 – 70,000 men, thousands of cavalry, and elephants). In the end (217 BC) Ptolemy IV claimed a great victory, but then he was filled with pride “his heart was lifted up” (v. 12) which began the downfall of the Ptolemy dynasty. Ptolemy IV Philopater was killed in 204 BC under mysterious circumstances, and his infant son (about 5–6 years old) was declared king.

Seleucid Dynasty (Dan. 11:13-20)

NAU Daniel 11:13 "For the king of the North will again raise a greater multitude than the former, and after an interval of some years he will press on with a great army and much equipment.

At this point in Dan. 11, a significant development takes place. No longer are the Ptolemies dominant, but vv. 13-35 describe the ensuing period of Seleucid supremacy. The Seleucid (Syrian) empire will now rule until the Maccabean revolution.

In 202 BC Antiochus III again invaded Ptolemaic territories with a huge army. The occasion for this invasion was the death of Ptolemy IV in 204 BC and the crowning of his young son (between four and six years of age), Ptolemy V Epiphanes (204–181 B.C.), as the new king. Antiochus III took full advantage of the opportunity and attacked Phoenicia and Palestine; by 201 B.C. the fortress in Gaza had fallen to the Syrians.

NAU Daniel 11:14 "Now in those times many will rise up against the king of the South; the violent ones among your people will also lift themselves up in order to fulfill the vision, but they will fall down.

The “many” here are allies of Antiochus III the Great, such as Philip V of Macedeon as well as local Egyptian insurrections. The “violent ones among your own people” are definitely Jews who sided with Antiochus III. The term for “violent ones” is used in the Old Testament to speak of robbers and murderers. They “rebelled” against Egypt in order to fulfil this prophecy (recorded in the book of Daniel) but ultimately failed. History records the while the Egyptian forces were ultimately defeated, the Egyptian General Scopas punished the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem.

NAU Daniel 11:15-16 15 "Then the king of the North will come, cast up a siege ramp and capture a well- fortified city; and the forces of the South will not stand their ground, not even their choicest troops, for there will be no strength to make a stand. 16 "But he who comes against him will do as he pleases, and no one will be able to withstand him; he will also stay for a time in the Beautiful Land, with destruction in his hand.

Ptolemy V Ephiphanes was still only a young boy (9–10 years old) and with insufficient strength to lead. General Scopus of Egypt tried to attack the near Caesarea Phillipi at the Battle of Panium, but suffered severe losses and ultimately surrendered in 198 BC. With this defeat, Antiochus III the Great now had complete control over Phoenicia and Palestine (“the Beautiful Land”). Israel was now a permanent possession of the , under the control of Antiochus III the Great. Antiochus III did punish any Jews who were sympathetic to Egypt, but many in Israel fought with Antiochus because they believed he would give them independence. He did receive a warm welcome when he entered Jerusalem in 198 BC as a deliverer and benefactor.

NAU Daniel 11:17 "He will set his face to come with the power of his whole kingdom, bringing with him a proposal of peace which he will put into effect; he will also give him the daughter of women to ruin it. But she will not take a stand for him or be on his side.

As Antiochus III the Great now dominated the region, he forced a peace treaty (“proposal of peace” or “alliance—NIV”) with Ptolemy V Epiphanes (Egypt). To seal the agreement, Antiochus gave his daughter (“the daughter of women”) to Ptolemy V as a wife. We must note that this Cleopatra is not the famous Cleopatra who committed suicide with Mark Antony, a Roman General—they are about 180 years apart. Antiochus hoped that through Cleopatra he could gain further control over Egypt and eventually destroy his new son-in-law Ptolemy V (“to ruin it” or “overthrow the kingdom—NIV”). However the plan did “not succeed,” for Cleopatra loved her husband Ptolemy V and supported the Ptolemaic cause completely. She chose her new husband over her father.

NAU Daniel 11:18-19 18 "Then he will turn his face to the coastlands and capture many. But a commander will put a stop to his scorn against him; moreover, he will repay him for his scorn. 19 "So he will turn his face toward the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble and fall and be found no more.

Dan. 11:18-19 prophesy Antiochus III’s defeat and ignominious end. Having vanquished the Egyptians in 198 BC Antiochus then turned his attention to the Greek islands or countries around the Mediterranean (“turned his face to the coastlands”). After Antiochus had some initial successes, the Roman government sent an army against him. In 191 BC the Romans, fighting with their Greek allies, routed the Antiochus III the Great at Thermopylae and forced them to withdraw from Greece and flee back to their own Seleucid territory. Then thirty thousand Roman troops pursued Antiochus III into Asia and defeated his much larger army of seventy thousand at the Battle of Magnesia near Smyrna (Turkey) in 190 BC.

In 188 BC the Romans forced Antiochus III the Great to sign the Treaty of , where he was ordered to surrender territory, much of his military force, twenty hostages (one of whom was Antiochus IV Ephiphanes), and pay a heavy indemnity to Rome. Dan. 11:19 records that after this humiliating defeat, Antiochus III returned to his own country, where he was killed by an angry mob in 187 BC. In desperate need of funds, particularly those required to meet the indemnity payments to Rome, the Syrian ruler pillaged the temple of Zeus (Bel) at Elymais but was killed in the process by the citizens of Elymais defending their sanctuary. Ultimately, Antiochus III the Great lost more than he gained over his reign, and the Seleucids were now under the boot of Rome.

NAU Daniel 11:20 "Then in his place one will arise who will send an oppressor through the Jewel of his kingdom; yet within a few days he will be shattered, though not in anger nor in battle.

After the death of Antiochus III the Great in 187 BC, his son Seleucus IV Philopator (187–175 BC) began to rule in his place. Seleucus IV sent a “tax collector” () to collect money to pay the thousand talents indemnity demanded annually by the Romans as part of the treaty at Apamea. According to 2 Maccabees 3:7–40, Seleucus IV even sent Heliodorus to plunder the temple in Jerusalem in order to provide funds for the Syrian treasury, but a frightful vision of mighty angels prevented this sacrilege. Seleucus IV reigned only “a few years” (187–175 BC) and was not killed by an angry mob (“in anger”) like his father or “in battle.” Heliodorus, his tax collector and prime minister, evidently seeking to gain the throne for himself, poisoned the king (possibly helped by Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the younger brother of Seleucus IV Philopator).

Antiochus IV Epiphanes (Dan. 11:21-35)

The next 15 verses describe one of the most horrific experiences of the Jewish people by a man named Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175–163 BC) who was the third child of Antiochus III the Great and younger brother of Seleucus IV Philopator. Ultimately, Antiochus IV is clearly the “insolent” king in Dan. 8:23–25 and he is represented by the “little horn” in Dan. 7:8 (although this “little horn” representation will come up again in Dan. 11:36ff as the Antichrist). Antiochus IV Ephiphanes is the eighth Seleucid Greek ruler since Alexander the Great died.

NAU Daniel 11:21 "In his place a despicable person will arise, on whom the honor of kingship has not been conferred, but he will come in a time of tranquility and seize the kingdom by intrigue.

When Seleucus IV Philopator died in 175 B.C., his younger brother seized the throne. Antiochus IV is labelled a “despicable person” (“vile” in the NIV) by Daniel because from the Jewish vantage point he was a monster. Antiochus IV severely persecuted the Jews, massacring thousands, and represented one of the greatest threats to worship of Yahweh in all of Israel's history. This arrogant monarch referred to himself as Epiphanes, the “Manifest One,” or “Illustrious One”; but his enemies called him Epimanes, the “Madman.”

“The honor of kingship” was not due Antiochus IV, for the throne rightfully belonged to Demetrius I Soter, the son of Seleucus IV Philopater (Antiochus IV’s nephew). However, Demetrius was being held hostage in Rome, and this allowed Antiochus to “seize the kingdom by intrigue” when Rome and the Syrians felt “a time of tranquility” in that the people felt secure or were unaware of his schemes (cf. Dan. 8:25 “And he will destroy many while they are at ease.”). The idea is stealth while there is false security. Antiochus IV was a master of political “intrigue” and won support for his government by influencing key figures in Syria. These persons were promised attractive rewards if they cooperated with him.

NAU Daniel 11:22-23 22 "The overflowing forces will be flooded away before him and shattered, and also the prince of the covenant. 23 "After an alliance is made with him he will practice deception, and he will go up and gain power with a small force of people.

In 169 BC Ptolemy VI Philometor (181–146 B.C.) launched an attack to regain territories (Palestine and Phoenicia) lost to the Syrians, but his “overwhelming forces” were defeated by Antiochus IV’s forces. Ptolemy VI was even captured (“shattered”; the Hebrew word is literally “broken,” meaning defeated, not killed) and held as a hostage by the Seleucid king (see vv. 26-27). During this same time, Antiochus IV also killed the High Priest Onias III in I70 BC because of Onias’ pro-Egyptian policies and replaced by one of Antiochus IV’s cronies. The date marks the interference of the secular state in things spiritual, and both Rome and Israel continued merging the two. Jason was not qualified to be the High Priest, so this began the defilement of the priesthood and sacrificial system. To remove from office and subject to persecution and death those who are legitimately set over God’s people is to attack the originator of the covenant, God himself.

NAU Daniel 11:24 "In a time of tranquility he will enter the richest parts of the realm, and he will accomplish what his fathers never did, nor his ancestors; he will distribute plunder, booty and possessions among them, and he will devise his schemes against strongholds, but only for a time.

When there was great “tranquility” (or “without warning”), Antiochus IV invaded “the richest parts of the realm”” (lit., “the “fat ones”] of the province”) and plundered their treasures. These areas included Egypt, , and other provinces where Syrian forces were successful and divided the spoil amongst his followers. Antiochus IV will make covenants without the slightest intention of inconveniencing himself to keep them, motivated by desire for his own praise. Though his collaborators were a small people, he would succeed in penetrating the sources of wealth and use the plunder, spoil, and goods to lavish on those who would then support his cause. Plans to take further lucrative cities would be made, but only for a time. The living God whom he had defied would intervene.

NAU Daniel 11:25-26 25 "He will stir up his strength and courage against the king of the South with a large army; so the king of the South will mobilize an extremely large and mighty army for war; but he will not stand, for schemes will be devised against him. 26 "Those who eat his choice food will destroy him, and his army will overflow, but many will fall down slain.

This section refers back to Antiochus IV’s first campaign against Egypt in 169 BC (cf. v. 22). Even though he was defeated by Antiochus IV, Ptolemy VI Philometor agreed to become an ally of Antiochus IV if the Syrians would help him regain his throne in Egypt, which had been taken by his younger brother, Ptolemy VII Euergetes II (Physcon). Antiochus IV was delighted to make such a pact, for he felt that it would give him a foothold in Egypt. So with Syrian help, Ptolemy VI regained his throne.

The schemes devised against him in v. 25 refer to the scheming of Ptolemy VI against his brother Ptolemy VII, as well as the activities of disloyal subjects in Egypt and the poor counsel of his advisers (v. 27). Cumulatively these things prevented Ptolemy VII from successfully “standing” against the Syrians. “Those who eat his choice food” (v. 26) were Ptolemy's trusted counselors, who unwisely urged the young king Ptolemy VII to recapture Syria and Palestine, thus incurring the wrath of Antiochus.

NAU Daniel 11:27 "As for both kings, their hearts will be intent on evil, and they will speak lies to each other at the same table; but it will not succeed, for the end is still to come at the appointed time.

While Ptolemy VI was a prisoner (v. 22), Ptolemy VII Euergetes (Physcon) was made king. This development led Ptolemy VI and Antiochus (“the two kings”) to plan how they would regain the Egyptian throne. Both kings made promises that they had no intention of keeping. Of course, Antiochus IV was willing to support Ptolemy VI merely for personal gain, and in turn Ptolemy VI made insincere promises in order to receive aid from the powerful Syrians. This is unusually bad, because the custom of speaking lies at a table of hospitality is considered to be culturally unthinkable. Nevertheless, the plan of Antiochus IV and Ptolemy VI to control all Egypt was attempted but failed “but it will not succeed”. Ptolemy VI ended up establishing a joint rule with his brother, Ptolemy VII.

NAU Daniel 11:28 "Then he will return to his land with much plunder; but his heart will be set against the holy covenant, and he will take action and then return to his own land.

The angel giving this prophecy to Daniel now arrives at the real purpose of all this historical data—to set the stage for the persecution of the Jewish people (“the holy covenant”). After plundering Egypt, Antiochus IV was still enraged because he wanted to take the whole kingdom of Egypt but failed. He then returned home by way of Palestine and found an insurrection in progress. He put down the rebellion, massacring 80,000 men, women, and children and then looted the temple with the help of the evil high priest, Menelaus. The persecution of the Jews by this evil had now escalated to calamitous proportions (cf. Dan. 8:9-11; 24-25).

When these happenings were reported to the king, he thought that Judea was in revolt. Raging like a wild animal, he set out from Egypt and took Jerusalem by storm. He ordered his soldiers to cut down without mercy those whom they met and to slay those who took refuge in their houses. There was a massacre of young and old, a killing of women and children, a slaughter of virgins and infants. In the space of three days, eighty thousand were lost, forty thousand meeting a violent death, and the same number being sold into slavery.

— 2 Maccabees 5:11–14

29 NAU Daniel 11:29-30 "At the appointed time he will return and come into the South, but this last time it will not turn out the way it did before. 30 "For ships of Kittim will come against him; therefore he will be disheartened and will return and become enraged at the holy covenant and take action; so he will come back and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant.

In 168 BC (God's “appointed time”) Antiochus IV invaded Egypt again, but this time he was not successful as before. Dan. 11:30 records that the cause of Antiochus IV’s failure was that he encountered opposition from the “ships of Kittim.” Kittim was an ancient name for Cyprus that over time was used for the lands of the Mediterranean in general. Here it refers to the Roman fleet that had come to Alexandria at the request of the Ptolemy Dynasty. Thus the fourth empire (Dan. 2), which would eventually defeat the third (Greece), is introduced.

As the Syrians were moving to besiege Alexandria, the Roman commander Gaius Popilius Laenas met Antiochus four miles outside of the city and handed him a letter from the Roman Senate ordering him to leave Egypt or face war with Rome. Then the Roman commander drew a circle in the sand around Antiochus IV and told him that he must respond before stepping from the circle. Well aware of the might of Rome, having previously been a hostage there, and also remembering his father's (Antiochus III) defeat by the Roman legions at the Battle of Magnesia, the Syrian king stood in humiliated silence for a brief interval and then gave in to the demand. Antiochus IV withdrew from Egypt to return to Antioch in utter humiliation. But this was not the end of the story.

On his way back to Antioch in 167 BC, Antiochus IV turned his humiliation into anger against the Jewish people (“the holy covenant”) once more. He sent Apollonius, the head of his mercenaries and the “chief collector of tribute” to Jerusalem. Apollonius pretended to come in peace, but on the Sabbath Day he suddenly attacked, massacring many people and plundering the city. But he did reward “show regard for” those apostate Jews “those who forsake the Holy Covenant” like the wicked High Priest Menelaus, who supported his Hellenistic policies. Hellenistic policies were basically to enforce the idea that all people of the Seleucid kingdom (Jews and Gentiles alike) were to speak Greek, participate in Greek cultural gatherings (like the gymnasium, where people wore little clothing or wrestled while naked), and abandoned the Law of Moses.

NAU Daniel 11:31 "Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation.

Antiochus IV saw an internal struggle between the Orthodox Jews and the Hellenistic Jews, and he sided with the Hellenists. A few months later in 167 BC, the suppression of the Jewish religion began on a grand scale. All Jewish religious practices such as circumcision, possessing the Scriptures, sacrifices, and feast days were forbidden on penalty of death. All Jews (especially infant males) tried to hide their circumcision, which was difficult because of their time in the gymnasium wrestling naked. Antiochus IV made the practice of any Jewish sacrifices forbidden, “do away with the regular sacrifice.” This is the daily morning and evening sacrifice, and the intention of removing this was to impose by force worship of another god, Antiochus IV’s god—Zeus.

The extremity of sacrilege is now about to be committed. The army of the northern king (Antiochus IV) profaned “the sanctuary fortress”; “the temple and fortress”—ESV) one building, now fortified and used as a military citadel to resist invaders. Desecration of the Jewish religion reached its climax on 15 Chislev (December) 167 BC when a statue devoted to the Greek god Zeus was erected in the temple “the abomination of desolation”, and on 25 Chislev (December) sacrifices, probably including swine, were offered on the altar. So, Dan. 11:31 tells us that in all Antiochus IV:

1. Sacrificed pigs on the altar → “desecrate the sanctuary fortress” 2. Eliminated all Jewish sacrifices → “do away with the regular sacrifice” 3. Set up a statue of Zeus on the altar → “set up the abomination of desolation”

NAU Daniel 11:32 "By smooth words he will turn to godlessness those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will display strength and take action.

Antiochus made fine sounding promises (“smooth words”) in order to entice people to support his policies; thus he would further “corrupt” the apostate Jews (“those who act wickedly toward the covenant” who listened to him.

Yet even in this dark period there were true believers (“the people who know their God”) among the Jews who remained faithful to their God. 1 Maccabees 1:62-63 speaks of them: “Many in Israel stood firm and were resolved in their hearts not to eat unclean food. They chose to die rather than to be defiled by food or to profane the holy covenant; and they did die”.

Foremost among those who resisted the oppressive measures of Antiochus were the Maccabees. A certain priest named Mattathias who lived in the town of Modein (about 25 KM northwest of Jerusalem) refused to forsake his God. He had five sons, three of whom (Judas, Jonathan, and Simon) became known as the Maccabees, although the term Maccabeus (“hammer”) originally was given only to Judas. The Maccabees successfully overthrew the Syrian yoke through a series of brilliant military victories (prophesied in Zech. 9:13-17) against Antiochus IV’s military commanders, Apollonius, Seron, Gorgias, and Lysias between 166 and 164 BC. As a result the temple was rededicated (this was the creation of the Jewish holiday Hanukkah) to Yahweh on 25 Chislev (December 14) 164 BC.

The point of Dan. 11:32 is that the people had to make a stand. Either they side with the culture and Antiochus IV, or risk death and side with the Maccabees and Yahweh by holding to their convictions of being “people of God.”

NAU Daniel 11:33 "Those who have insight among the people will give understanding to the many; yet they will fall by sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder for many days.

“Those who have insight” (cf. Dan. 12:3, which describes believing Jews, and/or Jews with spiritual discernment) also may be rendered “those who cause to be wise,” that is, “teachers.” These saints would remain true to Yahweh during Antiochus's persecution and would instruct “give understanding to” others in Israel “the many” concerning the truth and the correct course of action, which included a military revolt against the Syrian government. Because of their stand many of the Jewish faithful would be killed. Tens of thousands were slaughtered in these persecutions, and many others died during the fighting. Others were “captured” for slaves or had their property confiscated (“plundered”). Though intense, this persecution would last only for a short while. NAU Daniel 11:34-35 34 "Now when they fall they will be granted a little help, and many will join with them in hypocrisy. 35 "Some of those who have insight will fall, in order to refine, purge and make them pure until the end time; because it is still to come at the appointed time.

During this period of oppression (“when they fall”), those faithful to Yahweh “will be granted a little help,” presumably describing the small number of forces (the Maccabees) who at the first fought against Antiochus. The rest of the verse apparently refers to the fact that as the strength of the Maccabean revolt grew, many uncommitted Jews sided with the rebels out of expediency, particularly when the Maccabean forces, now joined by the Hasidim (the orthodox “separatists” were the pre-cursors to the Pharisees of Jesus’ day) began to put to death those who had collaborated with the Seleucids.

“Some of those who have insight will stumble” expresses the same thought as v. 33—true believers will suffer persecution and even martyrdom for their faith. The purpose “in order to” of this fiery ordeal that fell upon Israel was that individuals and the nation as a whole were cleansed of sinful practices and had their faith strengthened. It also separated the true believers from the unregenerate within the Jewish community. In this context the “end” that has been “appointed” by the Lord denotes the termination of Antiochus IV’s persecutions. Those suffering during this time would have been greatly comforted by the promise of an end to their suffering already written in the Scriptures.

In 165 BC, after driving out the Syrian army, the Temple was “miraculously” cleansed in eight days and this began the festival of Hanukkah. The Maccabean resistance movement did not come to any decisive victory because it struggled on after achieving political independence. One major struggle was to maintain the purity of the priesthood and to while unity was briefly achieved under and his successors, any advantage was frittered away by internal dissatisfactions and intrigue connected with problems of succession.

Antiochus IV Epiphanes died a horrible death in 163 BC during an expedition in Persia, bringing to a conclusion both his wicked life and his atrocities against God's people. According to the historian Polybius, Antiochus IV died while insane.

The Coming Antichrist (Dan. 11:36–45) The next 10 verses do not describe a continuation of the reign of Antiochus IV Ephiphanes, but rather describe a future world ruler who will be far worse than the persecution under the Seleucid ruler. This is conclusive because Dan. 11:35 ends with “until the end time” and that this purity of Israel’s faith “is still to come at the appointed time.” In addition, vv. 36-37 contain facts that do not describe Antiochus IV, but those events are recorded in the New Testament describing a future world ruler.

Both Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul refer to Dan. 11 as a “coming event.” Jesus says that the abomination of desolation (Dan. 9:27; 11:31; 12:11) is yet to come after His death. The Apostle Paul says that the “man of sin” referred to as the Antichrist is also yet to come in his explanation to the church at Thessalonica.

NAU Daniel 11:36-37 36 "Then the king will do as he pleases, and he will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will speak monstrous things against the God of gods; and he will prosper until the indignation is finished, for that which is decreed will be done. 37 "He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the desire of women, nor will he show regard for any other god; for he will magnify himself above them all.

Variations of the expression “do as he pleases” are used of God in Dan. 4:35, Persia in Dan. 8:4, Alexander the Great in Dan. 8:3, and Antiochus III the Great in Dan. 11:16. He is so anti- God that vv. 36-37 describe him as a committed atheist. Another term “the indignation” in v. 36 is a Hebrew word that always describes the wrath of God.

In particular, we look at the following New Testament references.

NAU Matthew 24:15 "Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.

• In particular, Matt. 24:15 is quoted by Jesus, and He is instructing for His followers to “watch out” for the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION spoken of through Daniel the prophet. This means that the abomination of desolation in Dan. 9:27; 11:31; and 12:17 has not happened yet, so it can’t be from Antiochus IV Epiphanes.

NAU 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.

• The Apostle Paul actually quotes Dan. 11:36 in his explanation of the coming Antichrist to the Thessalonian church. When this man is revealed, the Day of the Lord will have arrived (v. 3).

NAU 2 Thessalonians 2:8-10 8 Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; 9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.

• In the same passage, after describing the revealing of the Antichrist to the world, the Apostle Paul states how Jesus Christ Himself will “slay with the breath of His mouth” the Antichrist. This means that the man described in vv. 3-4 (who is described in Dan. 11:36-37) is yet to come and will be defeated by Jesus Christ Himself.

Final Battles and Exhortations (Dan. 11:39 – Dan. 12:13) Dan. 11:39–45 describe battles yet to be fought. They have not happened yet, because the Antichrist himself has not been revealed (2 Thess. 2:3-4). Typically, vv. 41-45 are thought of as referring to the Battle of Armageddon (Ezek. 38–39; Rev. 15:16). This is the final battle between Israel and the Antichrist and his armies. At some point, the Antichrist will sign a 7- year peace treaty with Israel (Dan. 9:27) but in the middle of that treaty (3 ½ years) he will break that treaty and attack Israel. There will be great oppression, many people will be killed and Israel will be on the brink of survival.

Zech. 12-14 describes this event (in particular, Zech. 14). It will be a time of tribulation like no other, which is why it is called “The Great Tribulation. This is also referred to as “The Day of the Lord” which is a time of earthly judgment.

NAU Matthew 24:21 "For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.

• Notice that Jesus refers to an unparalleled time of tribulation which occurs after the future abomination of desolation is set up in the Jewish Temple (Matt. 24:15)

NAU Daniel 12:1 "Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued.

• Michael is the archangel whose main role is the oversight and protection of Israel in its accomplishment of the ultimate plan of God (Dan. 10:13. 21). He will arise to help Israel through the Great Tribulation. Notice that like Jesus, Daniel calls this time unlike any other time in history “a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time.”

• At the end of the Great Tribulation, Israel will be rescued.

NAU Daniel 12:2 "Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.

• At the end of the Great Tribulation, there will be a resurrection of righteous Israel (Isa. 26:9; Ezek. 37) as well as a raising of the dead of the unrighteous for judgment (Isa. 26:14).

After this resurrection, the Millennial Kingdom is then set up on the earth with Jesus Christ as the reigning King (Rev. 20:1-6). In Dan. 12:6-7, there is a question about how long the Great Tribulation will last. The answer is “time, times, and half a time” which means 3 ½ years (1 + 2 + ½), which is exactly equal to when the Antichrist breaks his covenant.