Daniel 11.22-The Prophecy of Antiochus IV Epiphanes Defeating Ptolemy VI and Murdering Onias III, the Jewish High Priest
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday May 15, 2014
Daniel: Daniel 11:22-The Prophecy of Antiochus IV Epiphanes Defeating Ptolemy VI and Murdering Onias III, the Jewish High Priest
Lesson # 339
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 11:21.
Daniel 11:21 “Next, in his place, a despicable person will ascend to power even though for his benefit sovereign authority over the kingdom will have never been conferred. Nevertheless, he will appear on the scene during a time of false security when he seizes the kingdom by flatteries.” (My translation)
Daniel 11:22 “The overflowing forces will be flooded away before him and shattered, and also the prince of the covenant.” (NASB95)
“The overflowing forces will be flooded away before him and shattered” presents the next prophetic event that will take place after the events recorded in verse 21.
Therefore, this statement in verse 22 presents the event taking place immediately after the ascension to power of this despicable person.
“The overflowing forces” is composed of the noun zerôaʿ (זְרוֹעַ) (zer-o´-ah), “the forces” and then we have the noun šě·ṭěp̄ (שֶׁטֶף) (sheh´-tef), “overflowing.”
The noun is zerôaʿ in the plural and means “armed forces, forces” since it pertains to military forces.
The noun šě·ṭěp̄ means “immense” since it describes something that is marked by greatness especially in size or degree and transcending ordinary means of measurement.
Here the word describes the immense size of the armies which the despicable king will attack in the sense that these armies will be great in size.
“Will be flooded away” is the verb šā·ṭǎp̄ (שָׁטַף) (shaw-taf´), which means “to be swept away” and presents the image of people and things being swept away by a great flood.
It is used in a figurative sense to describe immense armies being swept away like a flood by the armies of the despicable king.
The word describes the overwhelming nature of the victory of this despicable king over these immense armies he will attack.
“Before him” contains the figure of metonymy meaning that the despicable king is put for the armies which he will lead into battle against these immense armies and indicates immense armies will be swept away from the presence of the despicable king.
“And shattered” presents the result of immense armies being swept away from the presence of the despicable king indicating that immense armies will be swept away from the presence of the despicable king “so that” or “with the result that” that they along with the prince of the covenant will be destroyed.
“Shattered” is the verb šā·ḇǎr (שָׁבַר) (shaw-bar´), which means “to be destroyed” referring to both the destruction of these immense armies by the armies of the despicable king and the prince of the covenant.
“Also” is the adverb gǎm (גַּם) (gam), which means “even” since it is ascensive meaning that the word is introducing a phrase which is advancing upon and intensifying the previous statement that immense armies will be destroyed by the armies of the despicable king.
This adverb introduces a phrase which refers to the prince of the covenant.
The ascensive use of the conjunction denotes that destruction of the prince of the covenant along with these immense armies by the despicable king is out of the ordinary or unexpected.
The “ascensive” use of the adverb gǎm expresses the shock that the prince of the covenant would be destroyed by this despicable king since he represents Yahweh, the God of Israel and leads the nation of Israel in worshipping Him.
“The prince of the covenant” is composed of the noun nā·ḡîḏ (נָגִיד) (naw-gheed´), “the prince of” which is followed by the noun berîṯ (בְּרִית) (ber-eeth´), “the covenant.”
The noun nā·ḡîḏ means “leader, ruler, prince” since it refers to someone who is the highest authority and describes this ruler or leader as the highest authority of the people of Israel.
The noun berîṯ means “covenant” referring to the Mosaic system.
The construct state of the nā·ḡîḏ means it is governing the noun berîṯ which follows it and is expressing a genitive relation between these two words.
The genitive relation is subordination meaning that the noun berîṯ specifies that which is subordinated to or under the dominion of the construct noun nā·ḡîḏ.
This indicates that the despicable king will destroy the leader “over” the covenant, i.e. the Mosaic system.
Daniel 11:22 “Then, immense armies will be swept away from the presence of his armies so that they will be destroyed along with even the leader over the covenant people.” (My translation)
The elect angel of God continues with his prophecy of Antiochus IV Epiphanes and which prophecy began in verse 21 and ends in verse 35.
The reason for this extensive prophecy regarding this king is that he will be a great persecutor of the Jewish people and adversary of the God of Israel.
He is the Antichrist of the Old Testament and foreshadows the Antichrist.
Daniel 11:22 has also been fulfilled in history since history records that the immense armies of the Egyptians and the army of Heliodorus were routed by the armies led by Antiochus IV Epiphanes who was assisted by the armies of his Pergamum allies.
Antiochus IV Epiphanes waged three campaigns against Egypt in 170, 169 and 168 B.C.
The Egyptian forces were attempting to take from Coele-Syria right after his ascension to power.
He attacked the Egyptians when he learned that they were about to attack him.
Thus, he invaded Egypt in 170 B.C. and defeated the Egyptians handily.
This battle occurred between Mt. Casius and Pelusium, which was located in an area on the southeast sea coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
It was halfway between Gaza and the Nile Delta.
The death of the leader over the covenant people is a reference to the murder of the Jewish High Priest Onias III whose murder Antiochus IV Epiphanes ordered in 172 B.C.
Some contend that the leader over the covenant is a reference to Ptolemy VI since Antiochus established a treaty with him.
However, the noun berîṯ, “covenant” appears in Daniel 11:28 and 32 in relation to Antiochus IV Epiphanes and in both instances the word is related to the Mosaic system and never to the Egyptians.
Onias III was detained by Antiochus, and in the interim Jason, his brother, conspired to usurp his position. He paid a considerable sum to Antiochus and offered to be cooperative in the Hellenization of Judea (promotion of Greek culture at the expense of Jewish practices). Three years later Menelaus, with the probable support of the Tobiads, paid a larger sum and, the precedent having been established, was awarded the office over Jason. According to 2 Maccabees, Onias was murdered about 171.
Butler writes “In these troublous times also the high priest shall lose his rule predicted by the statement that the ‘prince of the covenant’ shall be broken. In the early days of the reign of Antiochus IV, Jerusalem was ruled by the High Priest, Onias 111, a descendant of Simon the Just, and a strictly orthodox Jew. The Jews who looked favorably (and there were large numbers of them) on Greek culture opposed Onias and espoused the cause of his brother, Jason. By promising larger tribute to Antiochus, Jason succeeded in having himself appointed High Priest and Onias was slain by command of Antiochus in 172 B.C. Jason (who had changed his name from the Hebrew Joshua to the Greek Jason) encouraged the Hellenizing of Palestine.”