Endure Enemies

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.

Wars have been incited over a lust for power

Lives have been left in ruin over the lust for prestige

and people have been murdered over the lust for possesions

This bloodlust of people dates all the way back to the earliest of mankind

when Cain murdered his brother Abel in because he desired prestige in God’s eyes

We have even made a game out of this lust for power

Literally, the game of Risk

It is titled Risk, the game of global domination

Now I’m not here to chastise you for playing Risk

In fact, I really enjoy playing the game of Risk

But the game represents a genuine bloodlust for power and domination

This morning we see this bloodlust continue to play out like a game of Risk in the vision given to Daniel in

This chapter, joined together with what we looked at two weeks ago in and with

comprise the final vision of Daniel

This vision communicates some of the history that played out between the end of the OT and the start of the NT

This is a truly astonishing chapter

It is unique, and I will be honest, challenging to preach

You will notice as we go through it

A lot of this chapter is mind-blowingly accurate prophecy that we can trace lines throughout history to see the accuracy of this prophecy

James Boice says about this chapter:

“Even though the eleventh chapter is difficult, it calls for a detailed explanation…this is the last, longest, most detailed, and therefore most important, prophecy in the book.”

That is quite a claim, we have seen many prophecies throughout this book

But Boice is correct that this is the longest and most detailed

So I would agree that this chapter is of the utmost importance in the Book of Daniel

And speaking in regard to the accuracy of this prophecy

Sinclair Ferguson asks;

“What is at stake then is a vital issue: Does God so rule history and can He so communicate with us that His future purposes may be disclosed to us before the events?”

We can all respond to this question with a resounding YES!

Let us prepare our hearts as we approach chapter 11 of the Book of Daniel

By coming before our Lord in prayer

Please join me

WE: God Raised up Medo-Persia & Greece (vs. 1-4)

As I said earlier, the predictions in this chapter, written long before the predicted events

Are perhaps some of the most precise predictions in the entire Bible

In chapter 10 we were introduced to a messenger of God

And at the very end of the chapter this messenger told Daniel he was going to tell Daniel what is inscribed in the book of truth

This chapter is the revelation he was referring to

This revelation includes truth about God’s people, about earthly kings and kingdoms, about division, and wars, and battles

And in it all, the truth remains that God is sovereign

He is in control, He raises up kings and He removes kings

Two of the kingdoms included in this revelation are the Medo-Persians and Greece

Look with me in , where we see God raised up Medo-Persia & Greece;

Daniel 10:1–4 ESV

In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a word was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. And the word was true, and it was a great conflict. And he understood the word and had understanding of the vision. In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks. On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river (that is, the Tigris)

Daniel 11:1–4 ESV

“And as for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him. “And now I will show you the truth. Behold, three more kings shall arise in Persia, and a fourth shall be far richer than all of them. And when he has become strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece. Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion and do as he wills. And as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to the authority with which he ruled, for his kingdom shall be plucked up and go to others besides these.

This vision is a continuation of apocalyptic literature

Throughout Daniel we have seen visions regarding the empires of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome

If you remember back in

Daniel had a vision of a ram and a goat

That was interpreted to be a reference to Medo-Persia and Greece

The same two empires we see God raised up at the start of

Vs. 1 serves as a bridge verse

Connecting chapter 10 to chapter 11

From chapter 10 to chapter 11

The messenger begins by informing Daniel that He had come to confirm and strengthen Darius the Mede

During the first year of his reign

Which was the same year Darius gave a decree allowing the Jews to return to Israel

Leading many to believe this messengers visit perhaps could have influenced the king’s decree

So that had occurred two years prior to this vision

Which the start of chapter 10 tells us was during the third year of the king’s reign

After this bridge verse, our history lesson that comprises the majority of this chapter begins in vs. 2

And the messenger introduces this by saying he will show Daniel the truth

Focusing on the Medo-Persians that God has raised up first

The messenger tells Daniel that three more kings will arise in Persia

Looking back at historical records

We see that Cambyses was king of Persia from 530-522 BC

Smerdis was king for a short time in 522 BC

Then Darius Hystapes became king in 522 -486 BC

But going back to vs. 2, the messenger says a fourth king shall be far richer than all of them

And this fourth king will stir up all against the kingdom of Greece

This is what sets the stage for the Greek Empire to become the dominant world power

Again we look at historical records and see this king was Xerxes I

He is also found in the book of Esther, referred to as Ahasuerus

*Insert Artaxerxes wine drinking cup

Who was king from 486-465 BC

His name is included in this drinking cup pictured on the screen

This drinking cup is on display at the

Xerxes I led a mighty Persian army into Greece in 480BC

Into the Battle of Salamis

and was defeated

God had raised up the Medo-Persians

and God removed the Medo-Persians

150 years later a mighty king arises, as vs. 3 says

This mighty king that God raised up was Alexander the Great

from 336-323 BC

And he was mighty

We’ve talked about his kingdom before

and pages have been written about Alexander the Great

He conquered the known world

He ruled with absolute power

acting as he wills, as vs. 3 says

And then he died at 33

and his kingdom was broken and divided

His sons were murdered, so the kingdom was not given to his descendents

as vs. 4 prophesied

and

and instead it was divided amongst four of his generals

and again as vs. 4 prophesied

The four kingdoms that came from the Greek empire were never even close to the strength and magnitude of the Greek Empire under the leadership of Alexander the Great

But just like God raised up then removed the Medo-Persians

God raised up then removed the Greeks

GOD: God Raised up Egypt & Syria (vs. 5-20)

Then we see in that God also Raised up Egypt & Syria

Daniel 11:5–20 ESV

“Then the king of the south shall be strong, but one of his princes shall be stronger than he and shall rule, and his authority shall be a great authority. After some years they shall make an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement. But she shall not retain the strength of her arm, and he and his arm shall not endure, but she shall be given up, and her attendants, he who fathered her, and he who supported her in those times. “And from a branch from her roots one shall arise in his place. He shall come against the army and enter the fortress of the king of the north, and he shall deal with them and shall prevail. He shall also carry off to Egypt their gods with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold, and for some years he shall refrain from attacking the king of the north. Then the latter shall come into the realm of the king of the south but shall return to his own land. “His sons shall wage war and assemble a multitude of great forces, which shall keep coming and overflow and pass through, and again shall carry the war as far as his fortress. Then the king of the south, moved with rage, shall come out and fight against the king of the north. And he shall raise a great multitude, but it shall be given into his hand. And when the multitude is taken away, his heart shall be exalted, and he shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail. For the king of the north shall again raise a multitude, greater than the first. And after some years he shall come on with a great army and abundant supplies. “In those times many shall rise against the king of the south, and the violent among your own people shall lift themselves up in order to fulfill the vision, but they shall fail. Then the king of the north shall come and throw up siegeworks and take a well-fortified city. And the forces of the south shall not stand, or even his best troops, for there shall be no strength to stand. But he who comes against him shall do as he wills, and none shall stand before him. And he shall stand in the glorious land, with destruction in his hand. He shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and he shall bring terms of an agreement and perform them. He shall give him the daughter of women to destroy the kingdom, but it shall not stand or be to his advantage. Afterward he shall turn his face to the coastlands and shall capture many of them, but a commander shall put an end to his insolence. Indeed, he shall turn his insolence back upon him. Then he shall turn his face back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he shall stumble and fall, and shall not be found. “Then shall arise in his place one who shall send an exactor of tribute for the glory of the kingdom. But within a few days he shall be broken, neither in anger nor in battle.

This is where we really start to get in depth in the history of the ancient world

*Insert Chart from pg. 140 of Akin (include verse references)

Starting in the south, in Egypt, the first king referenced in vs. 5 is Ptolemy I

Also known as Ptolemy Soter

He reigned from 323-285 BC

Then in vs. 6 the king of the south is Ptolemy II, Ptolemy Philadelphus

He reigned from 285-246 BC

Fun fact about Ptolemy II

Historians believe he is the first person to begin translating the Bible into his native tongue

The Hebrew OT was translated into Greek during this time period

It is known as the Septuagint or LXX, the Roman Numeral for seventy

and most believe it was under the reign of Ptolemy II when this translation occured

Continuing down Egypt’s historical timeline

The beginning of vs. 7 refers to a branch

This is believed to be Ptolemy III, Ptolemy Euergetes

And he reigned from 246-221 BC

Then going down to vs. 11, we see another reference to the king of the south

This is Ptolemy IV, Ptolemy Philopator

Who reigned from 221-203 BC

Now Ptolemy IV’s death is shrouded in mystery

and when he died the de facto king was his son Ptolemy V

From 203-181 BC

Ptolemy V, or Ptolemy Epiphanes, referenced in vs. 14 as the king of the south

was only 4 years old when he was named the king

But peeking ahead to vs. 25, the final Ptolemy king in Egypt was Ptolemy VI

Ptolemy Philometor

and he reigned from 181-145 BC

Now backing up all the way to vs. 5

We will do a historical overview of the North

The prince in vs. 5 is Seleucus I, Seleucus Nicator

And he defected from Egypt under the reign of Ptolemy I

And became a ruler in Syria from 312-280 BC

Antiochus I, Antiochus Soter reigned after him from 280-261 BC

but he is not given any reference in this prophecy

His son, though, Antiochus II, Antiochus Theos

is the King of the North in vs. 6

He was given Berenice, the daughter of Ptolemy II, in marriage

But his former wife potentially motivated by her displeasure of this marriage agreement

Concocted a plan that resulted in the death of Berenice, Antiochus II, and their infant son

Resulting in Seleucus II, Seleucus Callinicus becoming the king from 246-226 BC

He is referenced as “the latter” in vs. 9

His two sons referenced in vs. 10 are Seleucus III, Seleucus Ceraunus

Who first inherited the throne in 226 BC

But his brother Antiochus III, Antiochus Magnus, inherited the throne in 223 BC

After Seleucus III died

Antiochus III ruled until 187 BC

Then the one that arises in his place in vs. 20, is his oldest son Seleucus IV, Seleucus Philopator

He reigned from 187-175 BC

Then the one who wrongfully took the throne after him is Antiochus IV

Antiochus Epiphanes, whose name may sound familiar from an earlier prophecy in Daniel

He is described in this chapter as a contemptible person in vs. 21

and we will look at him in greater detail in vs. 21-35

But looking at our current section, vs. 5-20

Where we see God raised up Egypt and Syria

In the grand scheme of things

These two kingdoms are relatively insignificant

At this time period they didn’t really become world powers

In fact, much of their scuttles were back and forth with one another

It was even a bit of a Civil War of sorts

with Seleucus I defecting from the Ptolemic reign in Egypt

Then establishing a treaty sealed by marriage

that was eventually broken

All while this was happening

the Romans were growing their force into the greatest world power the world had ever seen

So, why does God send a messenger to Daniel, to communicate some of the most detailed prophecies about two kingdoms that don’t amount to that much of a threat?

Well, even though they weren’t threatening to become a world power

They were threatening something very important to God

His people

These kingdoms and all their back and forth affairs over about 150 or so years

Kept changing the kingdom of influence and authority over Israel

They were stuck in the middle of this Civil War

But perhaps, more importantly,

This set the stage for this contemptible person that God raised up in vs. 21-35

In terms of the Civil War, vs. 5-12 shows us that Egypt held the power to start

Again, vs. 5 talks about Ptolemy I,

he was one of the four generals that served under Alexander the Great

and became king of a portion of the Greek Empire

And one of his princes, a commander, Seleucus I

fled to the northern kingdom

and though he established himself in Syria

He extended his kingdom to outgrow Ptolemy’s

He grew to conquer Babylonia and Media as well

This was the largest kingdom of the former Greek Empire

And this is where the string of conflicts between these two kingdoms begin to arise

Generation after generation

King after king

Conflict ensued

But Ptolemy II, the same king who is believed to have translated the OT into Greek,

He sought peace

As mentioned earlier, he gave his daughter Berenice, over to Antiochus II in marriage

as a seal to an agreement of peace

But Antiochus II was already married to Laodice

And as the old saying goes, Hell hath no fury as a woman scorn

Well Antiochus, Berenice, and their child fell victim to the wrath of Laodice’s scorn

When they were poisoned to death as a result of her scheme

So despite the fact that Berenice became queen

as vs. 6 says, she did not retain the strength of her arm

Then the branch in vs. 7 we revealed earlier is Ptolemy III

When you make a family tree, what relationship do adjoining branches share?

It is a sibling, this reference is no different

Ptolemy II was the father of Berenice, vs. 6 says

His son, Ptolemy III became king after his death

So the branch from her roots as vs. 7 says, would be a reference to Berenice’s brother, Ptolemy III

Now we’ve been looking at these historical details for a while

so this

And we may be missing the significance of these details

These details were recorded by Daniel

Who was told these details by a messenger of God

In the 500s BC!

When did Ptolemy III become king again?

246 BC!

These details were recorded over 200 years before they occured!

God is able to give these details because God not only knows the details

He wrote the details!

This is so relevant for us today

God has risen up America as a nation

He has risen up our leaders

From the president all the way down to our local government

God is the one who will remove them as well

God has known about this virus that is restricting our face to face interactions

Before it was ever even discovered

God knows what tomorrow brings

He knows how this virus will end

He knows when we will come out of isolation

And not only does He know

He is in control of it!

So as we are sitting here in the thick of these historical details

Don’t overlook what they are communicating to us about God!

Going back to vs. 7 though, Ptolemy III, very likely motivated out of vengeance for the death of his sister

Leads his army against Syria

And he had great success

He entered into their capital city Antioch, as the prophecy describes it, their fortress

Historians believe he murdered Laodice in this raid

And he plundered the idols they worshiped as gods and many other valuables

And he brought them back to Egypt

This was significant because national gods were believed to exist in the land they cared for

and that they would help the people who lived there

So, vs. 9 prophesied the brief and unsuccessful retaliation led by Seleucus II

Then his two sons, mentioned earlier, first Seleucus III then after he was murdered

His brother Antiochus III

waged war against the south with great success

Overflowing and passing through the southern forces

like a flood overwhelms and passes through a dam

Extending forces down into the southern territories of Phoenicia and Palestine

into the fortress of Raphia in 217 BC

Then the southern king at the time, Ptolemy IV was, as vs. 11 prophesied, moved with rage

In his rage, he mounts an attack back against Antiochus III and his Syrian forces

at this fortress of Raphia

And Ptolemy’s forces capture the victory

and Ptolemy begins to have his heart exalted

In other words, he becomes arrogant

and ruthlessly slaughters tens of thousands of the Syrian troops

But this would mark the end of Egypts strength over Syria

vs. 11 says Ptolemy’s victory over Antiochus was given into his hand

Meaning God raised up Egypt, He gave them the victory here

But the human heart’s lust for power and prestige

Led the king to become proud

and the Bible makes it clear how God deals with the proud

He humbles them

As was the case for Ptolemy IV

vs. 13 pivots the momentum of the two kingdoms in this section

About 15 years after the slaughter of vs 12

God began raising the Syrians up

After Ptolemy IV, king of Egypt mysteriously died in 203 BC

His four year old, Ptolemy V was crowned king

and Antiochus III, still reigning as king of Syria during this time

Saw this as an opportunity to finally exact revenge

After some years, as vs. 13 says, he had a great army ready

and he began invading the territories owned by Egypt

with the allegiance of revolutionary Philip V of Macedon and his followers

and even some Jewish rebels

as vs. 14 says, the violent among your own people

As vs. 14 continues, their initial assault against the Egyptian general Scopas was a failure

But eventually, Antiochus III leads his forces to victory at the Battle of Panium against General Scopas, who retreated by to Sidon

Then, by use of siegeworks, a device used to get through fortress walls

Antiochus III and his troops continued on

Eventually overtaking the well-fortified city of Sidon and forcing General Scopas to surrender

At what has become known as the Battle of Panium

This was the end of the Egyptians reign extending into Palestine

The glorious land, specifically a reference to Israel, is now under the power of Antiochus III

Again setting the stage for the contemptible person introduced later in this chapter

Antiochus Epiphanes

But before we get to him, we see that Antiochus III devises a strategy to deal with Egypt

Instead of attempting to invade Egypt as the Syrians had for generations before him

He thought he could force terms of peace with Ptolemy V, the king of Egypt

The king of Egypt

by giving his daughter, Cleopatra, to Ptolemy V in marriage

And no, this is not the Cleopatra you all are thinking of

Her time was about 100 years later

But this wasn’t a good conscience peace treaty

His daughter Cleopatra was intended to serve as an influencer of control in Egypt

Allowing Antiochus III to have influence in Egyptian rule

In a great twist of irony, Cleopatra fell in love with Ptolemy V

and her loyalties transferred from her father Antiochus III and Syria

to her husband Ptolemy V and Egypt

In fact, she even supported Roman efforts in taking territories from her own father’s kingdom

Then in vs. 18-19 we see the prophesy of Antiochus III’s undoing

Despite his failed plan for Cleopatra in Egypt, he turned his attention toward capturing the coastlands

These would be the countries around the Mediterranean

Including countries under the Roman authority

Some historians say that records seem to indicate Rome sent Antiochus III warnings to not invade any of their territories

Well Antiochus III seemed to be having some success,

So if there were a warning, he ignored it, so the real world power stepped in

Rome sent General Lucius Cornelius Scipio to put an end to Antiochus III’s efforts

Describing Antiochus’s attempted captures as insolence

as taunting or pestering, these nagging irritations

So the Roman army goes in and just wipes out the Syrians in Thermopylae

So Antiochus III flees back toward Asia Minor

The Romans pursued after them and continued to annihilate the Syrian army at the Battle of Magnesia in 190 BC

Antiochus III, now humiliated and weakened

Returns to his homeland where he was killed by an angry mob a few years later

as vs. 19 prophesied, he did indeed stumble and fall, and was no longer found, he was no more

Antiochus III’s son, Seleucus IV succeeded him as king in Syria

and vs. 20 says he sent an exactor of tribute, also known as

a tax collector

to collect funds to pay an annual indemnity owed to Rome as a result of their surrender to Rome under the leading of Antiochus III

But this tax collector, Heliodorus, poisoned the king, perhaps hoping to gain the throne

Or, what is more likely, working in collaboration with Antiochus III’s other son

Antiochus IV, Antiochus Epiphanes

YOU: God Raised up a Contemptible Person (vs. 21-35)

Now we see that Israel is under Syrian control and Antiochus Epiphanes is preparing to inherit the throne

Yet God is in control

As we see in , God Raised up a Contemptible Person;

Daniel 11:21–35 ESV

In his place shall arise a contemptible person to whom royal majesty has not been given. He shall come in without warning and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. Armies shall be utterly swept away before him and broken, even the prince of the covenant. And from the time that an alliance is made with him he shall act deceitfully, and he shall become strong with a small people. Without warning he shall come into the richest parts of the province, and he shall do what neither his fathers nor his fathers’ fathers have done, scattering among them plunder, spoil, and goods. He shall devise plans against strongholds, but only for a time. And he shall stir up his power and his heart against the king of the south with a great army. And the king of the south shall wage war with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he shall not stand, for plots shall be devised against him. Even those who eat his food shall break him. His army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. And as for the two kings, their hearts shall be bent on doing evil. They shall speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for the end is yet to be at the time appointed. And he shall return to his land with great wealth, but his heart shall be set against the holy covenant. And he shall work his will and return to his own land. “At the time appointed he shall return and come into the south, but it shall not be this time as it was before. For ships of Kittim shall come against him, and he shall be afraid and withdraw, and shall turn back and be enraged and take action against the holy covenant. He shall turn back and pay attention to those who forsake the holy covenant. Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate. He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder. When they stumble, they shall receive a little help. And many shall join themselves to them with flattery, and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time.

This contemptible person is almost universally believed amongst biblical scholars to be a reference to Antiochus IV, Antiochus Epiphanes

A person who we looked at in detail earlier in the book of Daniel

Just to summarize briefly, especially in light of the remaining verses in this chapter

Antiochus Epiphanes is not believed to be the antichrist

He is what we consider a type

Meaning the person of Antiochus Epiphanes is a mold of the antichrist

He is the epitome of evil

Our passage describes him as a contemptible person

But honestly, he is a straight up monster

He sets his heart to destroy God’s people His temple, and His Word.

He stole the throne from the rightful heir, Demetrius I, the son of Seleucus IV

While Demetrius was being held in Rome

Instead, Antiochus Ephiphanes slithered his way into authority

We are seeing residual conflict between Syria and Egypt

When vs. 22 prophesies that armies would be swept away before him

Ptolemy IV of Egypt attacked Syrian forces but were defeated and taken captive

Antiochus’s power seemed unstoppable

and the prince of the covenant likely refers to the high priest Onias III, who was assassinated in 171 BC

And replaced by whoever brought Antiochus the highest bribe

Antiochus consolidated his power, negotiating an alliance with Egypt even though he knew he wouldn’t honor it

Instead, he was invading the richest places and he was crossing lines that none of the rulers before him were willing to cross

and we have just studied that they crossed some pretty tragic lines

But he doesn’t care

His lust for a great kingdom won’t allow him any boundaries

He is going to steal riches, falsify alliances, and deceive whoever he has to

In a pursuit to satisfy that lust

Which is truly the ultimate tragedy of lust

It never actually gives you what it promises

It just always leaves you emptier then before

Growing an increasing desire for something you will never attain

Until it ultimately destroys you

And that is what awaits Antiochus

Because as horrific his treatment of God’s people is

God is still sovereign, as the end of vs. 24 tells us, Antiochus is in power only for a time

His tragic reign would not exceed what God will allow it to

As he goes through all these efforts to attain more power

Rome is growing increasingly stronger, preparing to oppose him if he seeks to stand against them

But before that, in vs. 25-26, we see references back to his first victory over Ptolemy VI and Egypt

Which was first prophesied in vs. 22

Where those who were under Egyptian reign aligned with Antiochus Epiphanes to defeat Ptolemy VI

Then vs. 27 seems to present the kings of these two nations

Egypt and Syria

as if they are sitting down at a negotiation table

Unfortunately, it says, their hearts are bent on doing evil

and they speak lies

Evil and dishonest words are indicative of an evil and dishonest heart

Unsurprisingly, vs. 27 tells us this negotiation is to no avail

Then the messenger tells Daniel that its no big deal

The end is going to be a time appointed by God

Not by these kings

They can make all the plans and treaties and battles they wish

God is the One who will determine the end

As Dr. Danny Akin says;

“Things will move forward on God’s timetable, not the timetable of mere humans.”

After this, Antiochus returns home to Syria and finds a Jewish insurrection taking place

So, as vs. 28 says, his heart was set against the holy covenant

Stephen Miller comments about Antiochus here:

“He put down the rebellion, massacring eighty thousand 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 tyrant had now escalated to calamitous proportions.”

Despite this heinous massacre

Vs. 29 reminds us, and God’s people who would be suffering during the time of Antiochus

That God has appointed certain times

Again, at the end of vs. 35, we see the messenger refer to the appointed time

What exactly is the messenger talking about?

Well, Antiochus will return to Egypt in an effort to seize more control

His lust for power is still a ravenous appetite

But this time will be different, the messenger tells Daniel

Antiochus will be opposed by these ships of Kittim, a reference to a Roman fleet

Dr. Daniel Akin writes;

“The Roman commander Gaius Popilius Laenas met Antiochus and handed him a letter from the Roman Senate ordering him to either leave Egypt or deal with Rome.”

Vs. 30 shows us his response

He turned back

Which was probably a wise decision

But a humiliating decision for a man with an appetite for power as massive as his is

So we see that Antiochus is a bully at least

and at worst, and abuser

He is confronted with his limited power and control

So he goes and takes out his embarrassment on those who are less powerful than him

Just so he can feel like he is powerful and in control again

The details play out by him sending the head of his mercenaries, Apollonius to Jerusalem

Pretending to come in peace, he suddenly began attacking Jews on the Sabbath Day and plundered the city

But he offered rewards to any Jews who would forsake their holy covenant with God

This anti-semitic persecution hit a high-point in 167 BC

When any Jewish practices became punishable by death

Frank Hirsch comments:

“The observance of all Jewish laws, especially those relating to the Sabbath and to circumcision were forbidden under pain of death…sacrifices must be brought to the pagan deities…once a month a search was instituted, and whoever had secreted a copy of the Law or had observed the rite of circumcision was condemned to death.”

Then the desecration of the Temple was accomplished by building an altar to Zeus in the courtyard and sacrificing a pig, an unclean animal by Jewish law, as an offering to Zeus on this altar

This is a prefiguration of the antichrist

This is the abomination that makes desolate that vs. 31 is referring to

Frank Hirsch writes about this;

“When Daniel undertook to specify an abomination so surpassingly disgusting to the sense of morality and decency, and so aggressive against everything that was godly as to drive all from its presence and leave its abode desolate, he chose this as the strongest among the several synonyms, adding the qualification ‘that makes desolate.’”

Now when Jesus refers to the abomination of desolation in , it is in reference to His second coming

Look what says prior to him using the phrase;

Matthew 24:3 ESV

As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

You see, the disciples were asking about Jesus second coming

The abomination of desolation is a reference to that

But His Jewish disciples would know of the abomination that makes desolate

Which was perhaps the lowest and most oppressed God’s people had been in recent history

Jesus is connecting that, saying remember this horrible time

There will be a desecration like that in the end times

But the messenger in Daniel is speaking specifically of Antiochus Epiphanes at this time

and he goes on in vs. 32, to talk about the seductive flattery Antiochus uses to entice supporters

Further corrupting the Jews who already forsook their covenant with God

But! Even in the midst this dark trial

There will be people who know their God and stand firm!

Faithful believers will endure enemies of God

Even if it requires them to die for their faith

Dr Daniel Akin writes;

“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.”

These believers are also described as wise in vs. 33

They would remain faithful and they would instruct others into faithfulness

exhorting their fellow believers against the flattery of Antiochus

and toward the faithfulness of Yahweh

And vs. 34 says, they shall receive a little help

This is believed to be a reference to an elderly priest, Mattathias

and his five sons, known as the Maccabees

They were utilizing guerilla warfare tactics against Antiochus and his forces

This Maccabean revolt had slowly grew in numbers and support

In the end, they successfully recaptured Jerusalem

and rededicate the holy temple on December 14, 164 BC

establishing the festival of Hanukkah

But vs. 35 reminds us that faithful believers would face persecution that may even cost them their life

But God uses this persecution to refine, purify, and make white His people until the time of the end

This time of the end is not an end time reference

as vs. 35 continues, it is a reference to the appointed time of the end of the persecution of Antiochus

This verse was likely clung to like a lifeline to those faithful believers in the second century when they were suffering through the persecution of Antiochus for their faithfulness to God

This appointed time, was in 163 BC, when God had put an end to this contemptible person that He had raised up.

WE: God Will Raise up the Antichrist (vs. 36-45)

And today, God’s people look toward the future where God tells us that He Will Raise up the Antichrist

Look at where we see that God will Raise up the Antichrist;

Daniel 11:36–45 ESV

“And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done. He shall pay no attention to the gods of his fathers, or to the one beloved by women. He shall not pay attention to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all. He shall honor the god of fortresses instead of these. A god whom his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. He shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall load with honor. He shall make them rulers over many and shall divide the land for a price. “At the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack him, but the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. And he shall come into countries and shall overflow and pass through. He shall come into the glorious land. And tens of thousands shall fall, but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom and Moab and the main part of the Ammonites. He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. He shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver, and all the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans and the Cushites shall follow in his train. But news from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many to destruction. And he shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the glorious holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, with none to help him.

There is some interpretive challenges about this passage

Up until vs. 35, the messenger referred to the prophecies as “appointed times”

From our perspective today, these appointed times are in the past

vs. 40 and chapter 12, use the phrase “the time of the end”

Leading interpreters to conclude that from through the end of the Book is a reference to the end times

to Christ’s second coming

Because these remaining verses in chapter 11 don’t seem to describe Antiochus anymore

So if this were suppose to be Antiochus

How could the prophecy given to Daniel be so accurate all the way up to this point

Then become so off?

Well, it’s very likely that vs. 36-45 refer to someone else

and that someone is the person that Antiochus prefigured, the antichrist

Looking just at vs. 36, Antiochus never exalted or magnified himself above every god

In fact, it was his devotion to Zeus, the Greek god, that fueled so much of his anti-semitism

The antichrist though, he is egomaniacal

He believes himself to be divine

He grossly blasphemes God

And he will prosper until the indignation, God’s judgment, is accomplished

And there is no question about it, as vs. 36 says, what is decreed shall be done

Then vs. 37 continues with the atrocities that the antichrist will commit

He will not respect any religious heritage before him

“We have already seen this spirit emerge in various figures in Daniel (cf. 3:15; 4:30; 8:25; 11:#, 12, 16). It will emerge in full-blown form at the end in the final conflict between the kingdoms. It does so inevitable because it is the crux of the conflict. Its foundation run back into the origins of history and beyond in to the mists to eternity. The tempting words ‘you will be like God’ echo through the ages from a whisper in the Garden of Eden to a clamor at the end of time.”

Likely because he thinks he is above the gods

but what exactly does the phrase ‘one beloved by women’ mean?

Andrew Steinmann proposes;

“The king will not favor normal marital relations nor any god because he will make himself greater than all (11:37). His arrogance renders him incapable of the loving devotion that is required by both marriage and true piety. He personally is not married and does not rightly honor the one true God, and as a king, imposes this disdain for marriage and this dishonorable view of God upon his subjects.”

The only god that the antichrist serves is the god of fortresses

In other words, the god of war

Like the other kings prophesied about before him

The antichrist has an insatiable appetite for might and power

and he believes he can satisfy this bloodlust through war

With this lust motivating him, he will crush and destroy the strongest fortresses

Offering rewards for those who acknowledge his greatness and his power

It is no wonder so many believed Hitler to be the antichrist

But then Daniel seems to pivot again in vs. 40

Presenting a battle at the time of the end

This may reference a single battle

But it seems more likely to reference a campaign of battles

The antichrist will be attached

But he will have a resounding victory

allowing him to overflow and pass through other countries

Then he will invade Israel and many will die

He will stretch out his hand, displaying his power, against other countries

And pairing this with what teaches us about the antichrist

He will rule the world for a time

Until, he becomes alarmed by news from the east and the north

as vs. 44 says

But then he shall still go out with great fury to destroy many

another translation says to go out with great fury to annihilate and completely destroy

Our chapter ends with him setting up camp in Israel

and then coming to his end

and no one will be able to help him

His time of destruction will be over

Because he was never the one in control over the extent of his destruction

God is!

God is the King of kings and Lord of lords

and this puny antichrist doesn’t stand a chance

Standing in polar opposite contrast to Antiochus and the antichrist is the Christ!

Jesus Christ

Where Antiochus deceives, Jesus is truth

Antiochus persecuted God’s people, Jesus loves us enough to die for us

Antiochus desecrated the temple, Jesus cleansed it

The antichrist

Antiochus abolished sacrifices, Jesus became the sacrifice

Antiochus murdered God’s people, Jesus refines and purifies us

The antichrist exerts his will, Jesus submitted to the Father’s will

The antichrist exalts himself, Jesus humbled himself

The antichrist makes himself to be a god, Jesus is God

The antichrist blasphemes God, Jesus glorifies God

The antichrist worship the god of war, Jesus is the God of peace

Antiochus’s kingdom ended a long time ago, the antichrist’s kingdom will also end, Jesus’s kingdom endures forever

Where Antiochus and the antichrist are evil, Jesus is good

And His goodness is a radiantly glorious light shining with the righteousness of God!

God has some powerful enemies out there

And they may seem victorious over us for a season

Again, this virus feels victorious over us in some ways

But God has given us His Word and His Spirit

but just like Antiochus and the antichrist

everything that is against God will only have victory for a time

Then the end comes

The eternal God has given us the truth of His Word so we can endure enemies

and through it, He is refining and purifying us for faithfulness

So no matter what enemy you face, remain faithful to God and you will endure enemies