Daniel 11.19-The Prophecy of the Death of Antiochus III in His Own Country
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday May 8, 2014
Daniel: Daniel 11:19-The Prophecy of the Death of Antiochus III in His Own Country
Lesson # 336
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. 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. 15 And so, the king ruling the north will wage an attack. Specifically, he will construct a siege mound in order to capture a fortified city. However, the south’s armed forces will by no means stand their ground, not even their elite unit because there will be no strength. 16 Consequently, the one who waged the attack will do according to his desire because there will be absolutely no one standing against him. Furthermore, he will occupy the beautiful land so that it will be completely in his power. 17 Then, with the power of his entire kingdom, he will devise a plan to enter into an agreement. Indeed, equitable terms to injure him. Consequently, he will accomplish it. Namely, he will give in marriage a daughter from his harem for the purpose of destroying it. However, she will never remain loyal because she will never stay united for the benefit of him. 18 Then, he will turn his attention against the inhabitants of the coastal regions so that he will capture many. However, a military commander will, to his dismay, cause his shameful conduct to come to a stop. Furthermore, he will cause his shameful conduct to be turned back against him.” (My translation)
Daniel 11:19 “So he will turn his face toward the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble and fall and be found no more.” (NASB95)
“So he will turn his face toward the fortresses of his own land” presents the result of the king of the north being defeated by a certain military commander.
“He will turn his face” is composed of the verb šûḇ (שׁוּב) (shoob), “he will turn” and then we have the noun pā∙ně(h) (פָּנֶה) (pah-neh), “face” which is modified by the third person masculine singular pronominal suffix hû(ʾ) (הוּא) (who), “his.”
The verb šûḇ means “to turn” and is employed with the noun pā∙ně(h) which means “face.”
Together, these two indicate that after the king of the north is defeated by a certain unidentified military commander, the king of the north then “will turn his attention” to the fortresses of his own homeland.
They denote that the king of the north will have his attention on fighting this military commander sent to stop him but then change his focus to waging war against the fortresses of his own homeland.
“But he will stumble and fall and be found no more” stands in contrast to the previous statement that as a result of being defeated by a certain unidentified military commander, the king of the north will turn his attention toward the fortifications of his own land.
“He will stumble and fall” is composed of the verb kā·šǎl (כָּשַׁל) (kaw-shal´), “he will stumble” and then we have the conjunction wa (וְ) (waw), “and” which is followed by the verb nā·p̄ǎl (נָפַל) (naw-fal´), “fall.”
The verb kā·šǎl means “to be overthrown, to be repulsed, to be repelled” referring to the king of the north being overthrown or repulsed as a result of attempting to attack the fortifications of his own homeland.
The verb nā·p̄ǎl means “to fall” referring to a person being murdered and here it refers to the murder of the king of the north and here it refers to those of his own people who will cause the death of the king of the north.
The conjunction wa is used to join the nouns kā·šǎl and nā·p̄ǎl in order to communicate one idea, which is called “hendiadys.”
Here Daniel 11:19, the verb nā·p̄ǎl intensifies the meaning of the verb kā·šǎl in the sense of explaining to the reader in what sense the king of the north was overthrown.
Therefore, these two words express one idea, namely, the death of the king of the north.
“And be found no more” presents the result of the previous statement that the king of the north will be overthrown, yes he will fall in combat.
It means that the human race will never again encounter the king of the north as an adversary or enemy and is a euphemism for the state of being dead.
Daniel 11:19 “Consequently, he will turn his attention toward the fortifications of his own land. However, he will be overthrown, yes he will fall in combat so that he will never be encountered again.” (My translation)
The elect angel of God continues with his prophecy of Antiochus III the Great.
This prophecy in verse 19 has also been fulfilled in history since history records that Antiochus III returned to Antioch but died a year later in 187 B.C.
He turned his attention to the fortifications of his own homeland because he was in need of money to pay the tribute demanded by the Romans who had defeated him.
Consequently, he attempted to rob the temple treasury of one of his own gods, namely Bel, which was located in Elymais or Elam in Persia.
This action caused his own people to be infuriated with him resulting in his murder by those guarding the sanctuary of Jupiter or Zeus.
His son Seleucus IV Philopator assumed the throne.
He was a son Laodice bore to Antiochus III.
Antiochus III attempted to reunite Alexander the Great’s empire under his authority but this failed.
He had underestimated the military power of Rome which was at that time in fulfillment of the prophecies in Daniel 2 and 7 a world-power.
Antiochus III was a great military commander and very successful.
However, in the end his arrogance got the best of him resulting in his death.
The death of Antiochus III was an important death not only in relation to the Gentile nations of the earth at that time but also of course in relation to Israel since Seleucus IV Philapator (187-175 B.C.) assumed the throne over the Seleucid dynasty who was then followed by Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175-164 B.C.).
The latter was a great persecutor of Israel so much so that he is called by some expositors the “Antichrist of the Old Testament.”
Daniel 11:2-19 teaches that God is sovereign over the nations and over the rulers of this earth in the sense that He raises men up to positions of power over nations and deposes them from power.
This pericope also teaches that human history is characterized by war as a result of the fallen sinful nature of men and the fact that Satan is the god of the world.
This passage also teaches God is omniscient in that He foresaw all the events of history in eternity before they transpired in time.
Lastly, this passage teaches that God is omnipotent meaning that He brings to pass that which He predicts will take place in history centuries before. Daniel received this prophecy in the sixth century B.C.
When Daniel received this prophecy, the year was 536 B.C. and the events recorded in Daniel 11:2-19 took place between 530 to 187 B.C.
This indicates that God can bring to pass everything He says will take place in history.
The fulfilled prophecy that appears in Daniel 11:2-19 is designed to produce faith in God’s people meaning it is designed to cause God’s people to exercise faith in the Word of God to govern their daily lives.
It also should cause God’s people to be assured that everything in life including war and disaster is a part of God’s sovereign plan to establish His kingdom on the earth.
Fulfilled prophecy should serve as a comfort and encouragement for God’s people as they go through various trials and tribulations in the devil’s world.