Daniel 11.14-The Prophecy of the Alliance Between Philip V of Macedon Antiochus III the Great and Violent Jews to Fight Ptolemy V Epiphanes
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday April 29 2014
Daniel: Daniel 11:14-The Prophecy of the Alliance Between Philip V of Macedon, Antiochus III the Great and Violent Jews to Fight Ptolemy V Epiphanes
Lesson # 331
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 11:2.
Daniel 11:2 “Now, at this present time, I must reveal to you the truth. Behold, three future kings will ascend to power for Persia. Then, the fourth will cause greater riches to make him wealthier than each and every one of these in comparison. However, when he amasses power through his wealth, the entire nation will stir up the Greek kingdom. 3 Next, a powerful king will ascend to power so that he will rule with great authority with the result that he will do according to his desire. 4 However, after he ascends to power, his kingdom will be broken up. Then, it will be divided towards the heaven’s four winds but not for the benefit of his posterity and in addition, not according to his sovereign will which he sovereignly exercised. For his kingdom will be uprooted specifically, for the benefit of others, to the separation and exclusion of these. 5 Then, the king ruling the south as well as one of his subordinate commanders will be strong. In fact, he will become stronger than him because he will exercise authority over a dominion greater than his dominion. 6 Next, at the end of an unspecified number of years, they will form an alliance as the daughter of the king ruling the south will enter into marriage with the king ruling the north in order to secure a peaceful arrangement. However, she will by no means retain her powerful position likewise he will by no means endure, namely his power. For she will be delivered over as well as he who caused her to enter into marriage, as well as her child and in addition, her benefactor during those times. 7 But one of the branches from her roots will ascend to power in his place. Then, he will wage an attack against their army so that he will enter the fortress of the king ruling the north. Indeed, he will take action against them so that he will be victorious. 8 Consequently, he will also cause their gods to be transported into captivity to Egypt along with their cast images, as well as their valuable silver and gold articles. Furthermore, for some years he will withdraw from the king ruling the north. 9 Then, he will wage an attack against the king ruling the south but will return to his land. 10 Following this, his sons will initiate hostile military action. Specifically, they will muster a multitude of great military forces. Then, he will as a certainty wage a massive attack so that he will overflow, yes, pass through like a flood with the result that he will turn him back. Indeed, he will engage in hostile military action up to his fortress. 11 Then, the king ruling the south will cause himself to be enraged so that he will march out in order to wage war against him, against the king ruling the north. Consequently, he will cause a great multitude to be assembled. However, despite this, this multitude will be delivered into his power. 12 When this multitude will be defeated, his heart will become arrogant. Even though, he will cause ten thousand to fall in combat, he will by no means continue to prevail. 13 For he will return again since he will muster a multitude larger than the first in order to wage a massive attack with a great army as well as enormous logistical provision at the end of an interval of some years.” (My translation)
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.” (NASB95)
“In those times” indicates that during the period of time in which the king of the north waged war against the king of the south, who is Ptolemy V Epiphanes, many will also rise up against the king of Egypt.
“Many” is the adjective rǎḇ (רַב) (rab), which means “great ones” referring to the “the leaders” of other nations who constitute the highest authorities in these nations or in other words, the political and military leadership of these nations.
Most English translations render the word “many.”
However, it appears the word would be best translated “great ones” since the word can have this meaning as it did in Daniel 9:27.
Furthermore the context is speaking of the king of the north waging war against the king of the south, which would suggest other governmental or military leaders are involved in this war against the king of the south.
“Will rise up against the king of the South” indicates that governmental and military leaders of other nations will join the king of the north to oppose the king of the south.
“The violent ones among your people” is an addition to the previous statement and is out of the ordinary or unexpected expressing the fact that violence should never characterized God’s covenant people, Israel.
“The violent ones among your people” indicates that violent persons from the nation of Israel will join in the war waged by the king of the north against the king of the south.
“Will also lift themselves up” is the verb nā∙śā(ʾ) (נָשָׂא) (naw-saw), which means “to rebel” indicating that violent persons from the nation of Israel will rebel against the king of the south’s authority over them.
This verb speaks of these violent persons from the nation of Israel taking up arms against the king of the south in opposition to his authority over them.
“In order to fulfill the vision” is expressing the purpose for which the violent persons from Israel rebelled against the king of the south.
“The vision” is the noun ḥā·zôn (חָזוֹן) (khaw-zone´), which means “revelation” since it refers to the revelation this unidentified elect angel verbally communicated to Daniel regarding Israel’s future during the times of the Gentiles and following the times of the Gentiles and is recorded in Daniel 11:2-12:13.
It does not mean “vision” since the word is not expressing the idea of Daniel receiving a visual experience which communicated God’s will.
There are no visual experiences being received by Daniel in Daniel 11:2-12:13.
He is simply receiving verbal communication from the angel regarding God’s prophetic program for the nation of Israel during and after the Times of the Gentiles.
“But they will fall down” stands in direct contrast to the angel’s previous statement that violent persons belonging to Daniel’s people will for their own benefit rebel in order to fulfill the revelation being communicated to him.
Therefore, the contrast is between the attempt by certain individuals in Israel characterized by violence rebelling against the king of the south and their rebellion failing.
“They will fall down” is the verb kā·šǎl (כָּשַׁל) (kaw-shal´), which means “to be overthrown, to be repulsed, to be repelled” referring to the king of the south overthrowing or repulsing the rebellion led by certain violent persons in Israel.
Daniel 11:14 “In fact, during those days, certain great ones will oppose the king ruling the south. Even violent persons belonging to your people will for their own benefit, rebel in order to fulfill the revelation but they will be overthrown.” (My translation)
Daniel 11:14 advances upon the thought from verse 13, which records the angel communicating to Daniel the reason why the king of the south will by no means continue to prevail militarily and politically over the king of the north.
He tells Daniel that the king of the north will return once again to fight the king of the south.
The reason why he will return to fight the king of the south again even though he lost to him previously is that he will muster a multitude of troops larger than the first army he assembled which was defeated by the king of the south.
The purpose of mustering this large army was to wage an attack against the king of the south.
This large army will possess enormous logistical provision to fight this war with the king of the south.
The angel informs Daniel that this massive attack against the king of the south by the king of the north will take place at the end of an interval of some years.
This prophecy of the king of the north in Daniel 11:13 was fulfilled in history as well since history records that fourteen years after his army was defeated by the army of Ptolemy IV Philopator at Raphia in 217 B.C., Antiochus III mustered a larger army than the first one he led against the king of Egypt in 201 B.C.
He waged a massive attack against Egypt which was no longer under the rule of Ptolemy IV Philopator who had died mysteriously in his thirties in 205 B.C.
His four year old son Ptolemy V Epiphanes (203-181 B.C.) had ascended to the throne.
Now, here in Daniel 11:14, the elect angel of God predicts that during those days in which the king of the north will wage war against the king of the south, certain great ones will oppose the king of the south.
Even certain violent persons belonging to Daniel’s people, the Jews will for their own benefit rebel in order to fulfill the revelation the angel was communicating to Daniel.
The angel then tells Daniel that this rebellion will be overthrown by the king of the south.
This verse was also fulfilled in history since history records Philip V of Macedonia joining Antiochus III the Great in waging war against Egypt whose king was only a child, Ptolemy V Epiphanes.
History records the powerful Egyptian general Scopas leading the Egyptian forces against the armies led by Antiochus and Philip.
History also records that at that time, politically zealous men in Israel who were characterized by violence waged a rebellion against Egypt who controlled Israel during those days.
General Scopas overthrew the Jewish rebellion and punished the ring leaders of this rebellion.
Unfortunately for Scopas he suffered heavy losses in 200 B.C. at the Battle of Panium, which is now called Banias.
The Egyptian general then retreated to Sidon on the Phoenician coast.
The army of Scopas at that time only numbered 10,000.
Egypt still had their best generals, namely Eropus, Menocles and Hamoxenus.
Nonetheless they were no match for the army led by Antiochus III.
This set the stage for what the angel will communicate to Daniel in Daniel 11:15.