Remember Who is in control | Daniel Chapter 11:1-28

Introduction

Who has ever heard the saying History repeats itself, or there is nothing new under the sun? I remember back in high school talking to friends about how America will will probably fall just as Rome did, and how both countries lined up as one could say side by side.

The New King James Version Chapter 1

That which has been is what will be,

That which is done is what will be done,

And there is nothing new under the sun.

10 Is there anything of which it may be said,

“See, this is new”?

It has already been in ancient times before us.

11 There is no remembrance of former things,

Nor will there be any remembrance of things that are to come

By those who will come after.

“Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it” George Santayana

Tytler Cycle

This cycle, as written by Alexander Fraser Tytler, illustrates the progression of nations through various stages

Bondage A society begins in bondage, characterized by limited freedoms.

Spiritual Faith Faced with hardship, people turn to religion and spiritual faith.

Great Courage Faith inspires the courage needed to fight for and win freedom.

Liberty Victory leads to liberty and freedom.

Abundance Freedom then fosters an abundance of material things.

Selfishness Selfishness and laziness begin to take hold.

Complacency Society grows complacent.

Apathy Complacency leads to apathy.

Dependence Apathy results in dependence.

Back to Bondage Finally, dependence leads back to bondage, restarting the cycle.

There is a reason The verb “remember” (Hebrew zachor appears 15 times in Deuteronomy. Actually, throughout the entire Old Testament memory is a prominent word with no fewer than 169 occurrences

How to view this chapter

70 weeks of years

vv. 1-35 are prophecies that fit within the first 69 weeks of years

Vv. 36-46 are things that happen in the 70th week, the great tribulation period

In 35 verses are 135 detailed prophecies that have already been fulfilled

History is God’s story, and God knows the future. why it is called “His story”

The New King James Version Chapter 11

Also in the first year of Darius the Mede, I, even I, stood up to confirm and strengthen him.) 2 And now I will tell you the truth: Behold, three more kings will arise in Persia, and the fourth shall be far richer than them all; by his strength, through his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece

Roughly the year 539 BCE

Darius the Mede (same ruler that threw Daniel into the Lions Den)

The 4 Kings

Cambyses, Son of Cyrus (530-522 BC) (Current Leader)

Pseudo-Smerdis (522 BC) (imposter, made the claim of he was Cabyses )

Darius I Hystaspes (521-486 BC)

Xerxes (Ahasuerus) (485-465 BC) (Featured in the book of Ester)

He’s the king who from the book of Esther 

He was very wealthy

He had a huge army

He attacked Greece and lost the war

150 years later, Greece took revenge under Alexander the Great

The New King James Version Chapter 7

6 “After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.

The New King James Version Chapter 11

3 Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. 4 And when he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken up and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not among his posterity nor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be uprooted, even for others besides these.

Alexander the Great: Conquered Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt, and the Medo-Persian Empire, foreshadowed by biblical visions.

Division of Alexander’s Kingdom: Divided among four generals (Seleucus, Ptolemy, Lysimacus, and Cassander) after Alexander’s death.

Cassander took Macedonia and Greece

Lysimachus to Asia Minor and Thrace

Seleucus took Syria and Mesopotamia

Ptolemy took Egypt--North Africa and Arabia

Ptolemaic-Seleucid Conflict: The Ptolemies (kings of the South) and the Seleucids (kings of the North) engaged in a long-standing conflict, with Israel caught in the middle.

The New King James Version Chapter 11

Warring Kings of North and South

5 “Also the king of the South shall become strong, as well as one of his princes; and he shall gain power over him and have dominion. His dominion shall be a great dominion. 6 And at the end of some years they shall join forces, for the daughter of the king of the South shall go to the king of the North to make an agreement; but she shall not retain the power of her authority, and neither he nor his authority shall stand; but she shall be given up, with those who brought her, and with him who begot her, and with him who strengthened her in those times. 7 But from a branch of her roots one shall arise in his place, who shall come with an army, enter the fortress of the king of the North, and deal with them and prevail. 8 And he shall also carry their gods captive to Egypt, with their princes and their precious articles of silver and gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the North.

9 “Also the king of the North shall come to the kingdom of the king of the South, but shall return to his own land. 10 However his sons shall stir up strife, and assemble a multitude of great forces; and one shall certainly come and overwhelm and pass through; then he shall return to his fortress and stir up strife.

11 “And the king of the South shall be moved with rage, and go out and fight with him, with the king of the North, who shall muster a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into the hand of his enemy. 12 When he has taken away the multitude, his heart will be lifted up; and he will cast down tens of thousands, but he will not prevail. 13 For the king of the North will return and muster a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come at the end of some years with a great army and much equipment.

14 “Now in those times many shall rise up against the king of the South. Also, violent men of your people shall exalt themselves in fulfillment of the vision, but they shall fall. 15 So the king of the North shall come and build a siege mound, and take a fortified city; and the forces of the South shall not withstand him. Even his choice troops shall have no strength to resist. 16 But he who comes against him shall do according to his own will, and no one shall stand against him. He shall stand in the Glorious Land with destruction in his power.

17 “He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall he do. And he shall give him the daughter of women to destroy it; but she shall not stand with him, or be for him. 18 After this he shall turn his face to the coastlands, and shall take many. But a ruler shall bring the reproach against them to an end; and with the reproach removed, he shall turn back on him. 19 Then he shall turn his face toward the fortress of his own land; but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found. 20 “There shall arise in his place one who imposes taxes on the glorious kingdom; but within a few days he shall be destroyed, but not in anger or in battle.

This Fighting Directly impacts Israel (they are smack dab in the middle of it)

The New King James Version Chapter 5

5 “Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘This is Jerusalem; I have set her in the midst of the nations and the countries all around her.

V5.

Ptolemy I Soter was a general who served under Alexander.

He was given authority over Egypt in 323 B.C.

He proclaimed himself king of Egypt in 304 B.C.

Seleucus I Nicator was another general under Alexander.

He was given authority to rule in Babylon in 321 B.C.

In 316, Seleucus sought help from Ptolemy I Soter in Egypt when Babylon came under attack by Antigonus.

After Antigonus’ defeat in 312, Seleucus returned to Babylon greatly strengthened.

He ruled over Babylonia, Media, and Syria, and assumed the title of king in 305.

Seleucus I Nicator’s rule was over far more territory than Ptolemy I Soter’s.

V6

Ptolemy I Soter died in 285 B.C.

Ptolemy II Philadelphus, Ptolemy’s son, ruled in Egypt (285–246).

Seleucus was murdered in 281 and his son Antiochus I Soter ruled till 262.

Seleucus’ grandson Antiochus II Theos ruled in Syria (262–246).

Ptolemy II and Antiochus II were bitter enemies but finally (after some years) they entered into an alliance in about 250.

This alliance was sealed by the marriage of Ptolemy II’s daughter Berenice to Antiochus II.

Berenice was handed over to Laodice, whom Antiochus had divorced in order to marry Berenice, and Laodice had Berenice killed.

Laodice then poisoned Antiochus II and made her son, Seleucus II Callinicus, king (246–227).

V7-12

Berenice’s brother, Ptolemy III Euergetes (246–221), succeeded his father and set out to avenge the death of his sister Berenice.

He was victorious over the Syrian army (the king of the North), put Laodice to death, and returned to Egypt with many spoils.

After this humiliating defeat, Seleucus II Callinicus (the king of the North) sought to invade Egypt but was unsuccessful.

After his death (by a fall from his horse) he was succeeded by his son, Seleucus II Soter (227–223 B.C.), who was killed by conspirators while on a military campaign in Asia Minor.

Seleucus III’s brother, Antiochus III the Great, became the ruler in 223 at 18 years of age and reigned for 36 years (till 187).

The two sons (Seleucus III and Antiochus III) had sought to restore Syria’s lost prestige by military conquest, the older son by invading Asia Minor and the younger son by attacking Egypt.

Egypt had controlled all the territory north to the borders of Syria which included the land of Israel.

Antiochus III succeeded in driving the Egyptians back to the southern borders of Israel in his campaign in 219–217.

V13-20

The king of the South in this verse was Ptolemy IV Philopator (221–204 B.C.).

He was driven back by Antiochus III the Great (cf. comments on v. 10).

Ptolemy IV came to meet Antiochus III at the southern borders of Israel.

Ptolemy IV was initially successful in delaying the invasion of Antiochus (Ptolemy slaughtered many thousands).

But after a brief interruption Antiochus returned with another army (much larger) and turned back the king of the South.

Syria was not Egypt’s only enemy, for Philip V of Macedonia joined with Antiochus III against Egypt.

Many Jews (your own people, i.e., Daniel’s people, the Jews; cf. “your people” in 9:24; 10:14) also joined Antiochus against Egypt.

Antiochus then sought to consolidate control over Israel from which he had expelled the Egyptians.

The fortified city seems to refer to Sidon which Antiochus captured in 203 B.C.

Antiochus III continued his occupation and by 199 had established himself in the Beautiful Land (cf. 8:9; 11:41).

Antiochus sought to bring peace between Egypt and Syria by giving his daughter to marry Ptolemy V Epiphanes of Egypt.

But this attempt to bring a peaceful alliance between the two nations did not succeed (v. 17).

Antiochus III the Great carried on the most vigorous military campaigns of any of Alexander’s successors.

He aimed to reunite Alexander’s empire under his authority.

Antiochus III turned his attention to Asia Minor in 197 B.C. and Greece in 192.

However, he was unsuccessful due to the intervention of Cornelius Scipio, a Roman commander.

Antiochus III returned to his own country in 188 and died a year later.

His son, Seleucus IV Philopator, heavily taxed his people to pay Rome.

Seleucus IV was poisoned by his treasurer Heliodorus.

V21-24

Antiochus IV Epiphanes is introduced as a contemptible person.

He took the name Epiphanes, which means “the Illustrious One.” He called himself Theos Antiochus Theos Epiphanos; loosely translated means I am god most gloriously manifest.

However, he was considered untrustworthy and nicknamed Epimanes, which means “the Madman.” Don’t give yourself nicknames. that tends to backfire

The throne rightly belonged to Demetrius Soter, a son of Seleucus IV Philopator.

Antiochus IV Epiphanes seized the throne through intrigue and had himself proclaimed king.

He was accepted as ruler because he was able to turn aside an invading army, possibly the Egyptians.

He also deposed Onias III, the high priest, called here a prince of the covenant.

After his military victories, Antiochus Epiphanes’ prestige and power rose with the help of a small number of people.

He sought to bring peace to his realm by redistributing wealth, taking from the rich and giving to his followers. Have we heard of something like this before?

V 25-28

Antiochus consolidated his kingdom in 170 BCE.

He moved against Egypt, the king of the South, in 170 BCE.

Antiochus was able to move his army from his homeland to the border of Egypt before being met by the Egyptian army at Pelusium near the Nile Delta.

The Egyptians had a large army but were defeated by Antiochus.

Antiochus professed friendship with Egypt after the battle.

The victor and the vanquished sat at a table together as though friendship had been established, but the goal of both to establish peace was never realized.

Antiochus carried great wealth back to his homeland from his conquest.

On his return, he passed through the land of Israel.

After his disappointment in Egypt, he took out his frustrations on the Jews by desecrating the temple in Jerusalem.

Antiochus opposed (set his heart … against) the entire Mosaic system (the holy covenant).

Application

How do we apply this to us?

“Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it” George Santayana

If we don’t learn from our own mistakes we will continue to make them.

Remember this may seem scary or overwhelming thinking about end times or prophecy. But Remember Who it is about. Remember the Jews made it through all of this to what? Bring the Messiah and Hope for me and you. God protected the Jews through all this for His Glory His Son who came and died for us.

to quote Pastor Skip Heitzig

Every tomorrow has two handles: the handle of anxiety; the handle of faith. Most of us like to grab the handle of anxiety: Every time God fulfills a promise that he makes, it should move us toward that handle of faith, because the thinking person will say this: "If 135 prophecies that verifiable are found in 35 verses, then I think the rest of what he says is also going to happen—like Jesus is coming back, and like the kingdom age is going to come, and heaven is a real place,"—that's what it should make us think.