Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

-One of the biggest claims that unbelieving liberal theologians use to try to dismantle the book of Daniel is by claiming that it was written in the 2nd century BC as opposed to the 6th-5th centuries BC as the book claims for itself.

The reason they take this stance is because the prophecies that are given in Daniel are so accurate that they believe there is no way that anyone could have been so right on so much detail.

They don’t believe in predictive prophecy because they are against the supernatural.

-They are wrong about the date of the book, but they are right that Daniel gives such amazing detail to events that were still in his future, and now in our history.

This is especially seen in chapter 11 of Daniel.

Beginning in chapter 10, Daniel is given one last vision (that expands to the end of the book).

Daniel had been in distress about what is going to happen to his people.

Daniel lifted up many prayers to God hoping that what God promised in the past would come true in the future.

Because of His great love for Daniel, God sends an angel to speak with Daniel to tell him what will happen to Israel.

Much of it would not be pretty—in fact, Israel would still go through a lot of trials.

Nevertheless, God was moving the events of Israel’s history to a specific point where God would set up an everlasting Kingdom, and now we who are able to look back in history know that all of history was moving to Jesus Christ.

But Israel would go through a lot to get to that point.

To give us some context:

-Chapter 10 gave us a glimpse of what happens behind the scenes in the heavenly, spiritual realms.

There are great battles happening in the heavens that affect what happens on the earth.

This angel messenger was to give Daniel the vision and the message, and then he was to return to help Michael in the battles going on in the invisible realm.

The angel mentions the book of truth, which seems to be God’s plans for history.

And from that book the angel would let Daniel know what was going to happen over the next few centuries in Israel.

There is so much here, and so much detail, all we can do is take it piece by piece.

But what is so fascinating is that uninspired books of history confirm what the inspired Word of God said would happen during this period.

What was Daniel told?

-This vision came to Daniel during the height of the Medo-Persian empire, and at this point it was during the reign of Darius.

The angel says that there would be three more king, and then a fourth would become strong and stir up his kingdom against Greece.

There were more than four Persian kings after Darius so there is some debate about which four kings it was speaking of.

Some believe that it was talking about the last kings leading to Darius III who would be defeated by the Greeks.

-A more likely possibility is that it is speaking of the next four kings, because the kings after them were weak and the leadership really was watered down after that period.

This would mean the three kings were Cambyses, Smerdis, and Darius Hystaspes.

The fourth king would be Xerxes I who was very rich and it is recorded that he began expeditions against Greece, although he was unsuccessful in subduing them.

-These expeditions did rile up the Greeks and the Macedonians.

It would be some time later, but the Greco-Macedonian empire would rise and then take on the Medo-Persian empire.

Under the leadership of Alexander the Great of Macedon (the mighty king who would arise according to v. 3) he quickly conquered the area from Europe to India.

However, Alexander died at a very young age (32 years old), and everything broke loose.

There was no succession plan in place, so four of Alexander’s generals vied for power.

As v. 4 states, Alexander’s kingdom was broken and divided toward the four winds, but it did not go to his posterity (as it seems his sons were assassinated).

And no general held the power and authority that Alexander held.

The empire became four smaller empires, and there was constant fighting between them.

-Only two of these four mini-empires were important to the story of Israel.

The Ptolemies were somewhat based in Egypt to the south of Israel, and the Seleucids were somewhat based in Syria to the north of Israel.

And there was Israel caught in the middle of them.

Due to its strategic location, both sides wanted to have control of the area, so Israel suffered under the constant battles between the two.

Most of the rest of the chapter deals with the battles and political intrigue that would happen with the Ptolemies in the south and the Seleucids in the north.

And honestly, when you read this, it’s going to almost sound like a soap opera.

-This verse gives a bit of history to the formation of the Ptolemy and Seleucid empires.

The “king of the South” (v. 5) is a reference to Ptolemy I Soter the ruler of Egypt.

“One of his princes” alludes to Seleucus I Nicator.

Seleucus was appointed satrap of Babylonia in 321 BC, but when another general, Antigonus, seized Babylonia, Seleucus fled (in 316 b.c.) to Ptolemy Soter in Egypt to serve under him, thus becoming “one of his commanders.”

Antigonus was defeated in 312 BC at Gaza, and Seleucus returned to his former satrapy; there he greatly increased his power, eventually controlling more territory than Ptolemy.

And this was the beginning of the conflicts that arose between the kingdoms of the Ptolemies (Egypt) and the Seleucids (Syria).

-Ptolemy II Philadelphus tried to build relationships with the Seleucids through the marriage of his daughter Berenice to Antiochus II Theos.

To do this, Antiochus divorced his wife, Laodice, thus cutting off Laodice’s sons that she had with Antiochus, (who were named Seleucus and Antiochus), from succeeding him to the throne.

The marriage between Berenice and Antiochus did not last.

Two years later Antiochus II went back to Laodice.

But Laodice had her revenge by arranging the death of Antiochus II, Berenice, and their son & all their servants.

As the saying goes, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

But by doing that, Laodice ensured that her older son, Seleucus II Callinicus, would take his father’s place in ruling the Seleucids.

-In the same year of her death, Berenice’s father, Ptolemy II Philadelphus, died and his son/Berenice’s brother Ptolemy III Euergetes began to rule in Egypt.

To avenge the death of his sister, Ptolemy III invaded the Seleucid empire.

He took Antioch, and Seleucia on the Mediterranean, and had Laodice murdered.

Ptolemy III returned to Egypt with their gods, with their idols and with their precious vessels of silver and gold (11:8).

He carried home the spoils of war to Egypt.

To take a nation’s gods and sacred ceremonial vessels indicates humiliating defeat, not only for the people but also for their gods—their gods weren’t strong enough to protect them.

-Seleucus II Callinicus attempted a retaliation attack against the Ptolemies, but he failed miserably.

He eventually died, and his sons, Seleucus III Ceraunus and Antiochus III Magnus (aka Antiochus the Great) gathered enormous forces and charged south to wipe out the Egyptians.

Seleucus III was killed in Asia Minor before the invasion, so Antiochus the Great recaptured Seleucia, which had been taken by Ptolemy III.

Antiochus the Great also had successful campaigns in Phoenicia and Palestine, which were part of the Ptolemaic Empire (thus, he reached “as far as his [the king of the South’s] fortress” as it says in v. 10).

-When Ptolemy IV Philopator came to the Egyptian throne, being full of rage, he decided to halt the harassment from the north.

With a large army he met Antiochus III at Raphia, an Egyptian outpost on the Palestine frontier.

Ptolemy IV was the victor on that day but did not take advantage of his success.

He went to Jerusalem and was eager to enter the temple but reportedly was deterred by God (3 Macc.

1–2).

After regaining Palestine and Phoenicia, he then was defeated at Banias and made peace.

He did not prevail (11:12) in the sense that he did not push on to complete victory over the north.

-In the 14 years, Antiochus the Great invaded what is now called Turkey and also campaigned to the east to regain the boundaries of the old Seleucid empire.

He made an alliance with Philip V of Macedonia with the hope of invading Egypt.

As 11:14 indicates, many shall rise up against the king of the south, including several Jews.

During this time Ptolemy IV died (204 b.c.) and was succeeded by an infant son, Ptolemy V Epiphanes (204–180).

There was an Egyptian insurrection against the child king.

In addition, Antiochus III the Great and his allies prepared for a full invasion of Palestine.

He went as far as Gaza in 201 BC.

He met the Egyptian general Scopas near Paneas (later Caesarea Philippi) in 200 BC.

The Egyptians withdrew.

Jerusalem changed hands three times in 3 years.

In 198 BC Antiochus met and defeated a garrison left in Jerusalem by Scopas.

From this time, Judah was completely under Seleucid rule.

Antiochus the Great prevailed over Egypt since there was no strength to resist (11:15).

Apparently, within Egypt itself there was also dissension and insurrection.

So Antiochus the Great overcame the Egyptian garrison in Jerusalem and was in firm control of Palestine, including Judea, the beautiful land (11:16).

-This is history written hundreds of years before it happened, and there’s still more to go.

But this goes to prove the trustworthiness of God’s Word.

If God has such control over the minute details of these empires, we know and can trust that He has control over our lives.

It made me think—the angel is giving this prophecy out of the book of truth.

The Bible also says that God has a book about our lives.

Yes, God has complete and utter control.

Trust in Him.