Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction and Review

Throughout Daniel we see an outline of prophecy from Daniel’s day to the end of history.

The first outline was given in Daniel two and enlarged upon in Daniel seven.

More information was given in chapters eight and nine.

In chapter ten through twelve, God covers the same ground giving even greater detail.

The same outline of kingdoms is followed–but now individual kings and their actions will be seen.

Though there is much detail, the essential outline is easily discerned.

The most important detail we will discover in this lesson will pertain to Messiah the Prince.

As we see the events surrounding His entrance into human history described, our hearts will be touched.

His love goes far beyond a mere depiction of detail.

His willingness to enter human history and give His life for lost humanity provides hope and healing.

Read

1.

What do we see Michael the Prince doing?

Note: In Daniel ten, Michael had strengthened and assisted the angel Gabriel in a behind-the-scenes battle concerning God’s prophetic time line.

Not only did He strengthen Daniel, he also moved on the heart of Cyrus to rebuild Jerusalem.

This chapter finds Him strengthening Darius who also was instrumental in assisting His people.

2. Who are the Persian kings pictured in verse two?

Note: This is not an exhaustive list of the kings of Persia, but rather a list of important key players as they relate to God’s prophetic time line.

• Cambyses (530-522 BC)

• Bardiyya or False Smerdis (522 BC)

• Darius I Hystaspes (522-486 B.C).

• Xerxes (486-465 BC)

(known in the Bible as Ahasuerus, the husband of Queen Esther)

Note: Xerxes was very rich and used his wealth in architecture, art and military pursuits.

He “stirred up” the Greeks humiliating them in the famous battle of Salamis (480 BC).

They never forgot this humiliation.

Over a hundred years later they would seek revenge.

Read Daniel 11:3-4

3. Who was the “mighty king” that overcame the Medo-Persian Empire?

Alexander the Great

overcame the Persians in a series of battles.

Verse four describes the breakup of Greece.

Alexander was “broken” (same word seen in Dan.

8:8,22) and his kingdom wasn’t given to his “posterity” (his family) but rather, after twenty-five years of struggle, it was divided among his four gen-erals: Cassander, Lysimachus, Ptolemy, and Seleucus.

A military genius, Alexander effectively utilized his own Greek forces as well as soldiers from other nations.

He organized them according to their own nationality, communicating with them by his own physical presence and bravery.

The core of his war machine was the “Greek Phalynx” first developed by his father.

The Phalynx was an innovative infantry unit that utilized multiple rows of infantry equipped with long spears.

The front line of this unit would engage the enemy, plunging their spears into opponents.

Immediately the next line of infantry would make its way to the front doing the same thing.

The Phalynx would literally walk over enemies.

In addition, because the spears were so long, they were especially effective against horsemen who had in the past wrecked havoc on infantrymen.

Read Daniel 11:5

4. Which of these four generals eventually became the most powerful?

The Ptolemaic empire of Egypt in the south and the Seleucid empire in the north eventually became the most powerful of the four kingdoms.

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The terms “king of the north” and “king of the south” thus appear frequently in Daniel eleven.

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They designate those countries or kingdoms in power, which were physically located to the north or south of Palestine, the dwelling place for God’s people.

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Here the angel portrays God’s people caught between the great struggles of opposing powers that Satan manipulates for his own ends.

They could literally see God’s plan for history fulfilled as the opposing sides passed before them.

Let’s take a closer look at the details of verse five.

Ptolemy I Soter (323-280 BC) was strong right from the start.

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The prince who would become strong was Seleucus I Nictator, who was driven out of the north.

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Seleucus I, who was originally a captain in the army of Alexander the Great, was forced to flee to Egypt where Ptolemy I Soter helped him.

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Seleucus I Nictator was outfitted with another army and eventually retook the Seleucid Empire, making himself “king of the north” and master of most of Alexander’s original empire dominating Babylon, Media, Macedonia and Thrace.

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This is why the text says that he had “great dominion” and that he was “strong above him.”

Read Daniel 11:6

5. How did they “join forces?”

What can we learn from this history?

Around 250 BC, King Ptolemy II Philadelphus of Egypt (king of the south) tried to guarantee peace by having King Antiochus II marry his daughter Berenice.

The problem with this was that Antiochus II was already married.

He had to divorce his wife, Laodice, to marry Berenice.

6. Did this divorce and remarriage really solve problems?

When Ptolemy II died, Antiochus divorced Berenice, and took back Laodice his original wife.

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However, Laodice was bitter, so she had Antiochus, Berenice, their son, and Berenice’s attendants, all killed.

This fulfilled what the angel had told Daniel some 300 years in advance.

Read Daniel 11:7-8

7. How did Berenice’s relatives relate to this injustice?

In response to what Antiochus II had done, King Ptolemy III Eurgetes (246-221 BC), Berenice’s brother (“from the branch of her roots”), invaded Syria to avenge his sister’s death.

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He took his army all the way to Babylon (“the fortress of the king of the North”) before voluntarily pulling back.

His navy occupied Selecia the capital city, and for some time Egypt dominated eastern Mediterranean ship-ping.

In the process of winning, Ptolemy III Euergetes recaptured some 2,500 gold and silver Egyptian images or “gods” from the king of the north returning them to Egypt.

This is where Ptolemy III got the name “Euergetes” which literally means “great benefactor.”

Read Daniel 11:9

Seleucus II, the king of the north came down and attacked Ptolemy III Euergetes, but he wasn’t successful, and had to return to his land.

Read Daniel 11:10-12

Now read these verses again with the explanation included in the text:

“His sons [Seleucus II’s sons were: Seleucus III, Ceraunus, and Antiochus III Magnus] shall wage war and assemble a multitude of great forces, which shall come on and overflow and pass through, and again shall carry the war as far as his [Ptolemy IV] fortress.

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Then the king of the south [Ptolemy IV] moved with anger, shall come out and fight with the king of the north [Antiochus III]; and he [Anti-ochus III] shall raise a great multitude, but it shall be given into his [Ptolemy’s] hand [at the Battle of Raphia].

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And when the multitude is taken [that is, Antio-chus’s army is defeated], his [Ptolemy’s] heart shall be exalted, and he shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail.”

Interesting facts about the Battle of Raphia (alluded to in verse 12):

Antiochus III came well equipped to the battle with about 70,000 foot soldiers, 6,000 cavalry, and 180 trained war elephants.

However in the battle he lost 10,000 men and had 4,000 of his troops taken captive.

His opponent, Ptolemy, lost by comparison only 1,500 of his men.

As you might imagine, this victory caused Ptolemy’s heart to be “exalted” (verse 12).

As a result of this pride, Ptolemy decided to celebrate by entering the temple in Jerusalem and offering sacrifices.

The Jews however, would not allow him into the holy place.

He became extremely angry and as a result, on his return to Egypt killed 60,000 Jews in Alexandria.

He did indeed literally “cast down tens of thou-sands” (verse 12).

You would think that after his great success, Ptolemy would have gone back and finished Antiochus III off for good–thus becoming the king of the south and north.

But instead he went home and indulged himself in many lusts and he died at the age of 37. Often, selfish pursuits become the downfall of powerful men and women throughout history.

8.

According to history, what did Antiochus III do after this?

“After a lengthy period of Seleucud weakness and decline, Antiochus III enjoyed comparative success in his military campaigns against his neighbors.

From 212 to 205 BC, he successfully reduced the Parthian king to vassaldom, thereby earning for himself a title of ‘Great.’”

(William H. Shea, “The Abundant Life Bible Ampli-fier, Daniel 7-12”, 1996, pg.

129.)

Read Daniel 11:13-14

As verse 13 indicates, Antiochus III, the king of the north eventually raised a great army well provisioned with “abundant supplies” and again attacked Egypt.

The Battle of Paraeus occurred in 198 BC.

Antiochus III completely overwhelmed Ptolemy V.

9. Why was Antiochus so successful?

Note: The first part of verse 14 provides the answer: