Daniel 11:11-33 (Names given to the pronouns used by Daniel; 4 of 5)
Daniel 11:11 11 “Then the king of the South [Ptolemy IV Philopator; son of Ptolemy lll] will march out in a rage and fight against the king of the North [Antiochus the Great] who will raise a large army, but he [Antiochus the Great] will be defeated. 12 When the army is carried off, the king of the South [Ptolemy IV Philopator] will be filled with pride and will slaughter many thousands, yet he will not remain triumphant. 13 For the king of the North [Antiochus III the Great] will muster another army, larger than the first; and after several years, he will advance with a huge army fully equipped.
14 “In those times many [An alliance of Syria, Philip of Macedonia/Greece, and many Jews] will rise against the king of the South [Egypt i.e., Ptolemy IV Philopator]. Those who are violent among your people [The Jewish Maccabean family and Zealot Jews of the defunct Kingdom of Judah] will rebel in fulfillment of the vision, but without success. 15 Then the king of the North [Antiochus III the Great] will come and build up siege ramps and will capture a fortified city. The forces of the South will be powerless to resist; even their best troops will not have the strength to stand. 16 The invader [Antiochus III the Great] will do as he pleases; no one will be able to stand against him. He will establish himself in the Beautiful Land [Israel of old. This is symbolic of the antichrist yet to come. This is before and including the 7-year Tribulation to set himself up in the Temple of Jerusalem] and will have the power to destroy it.
17 He [Antiochus the Great] will determine to come with the might of his entire kingdom [Syrian Empire] and will make an alliance with the king of the South. And he will give him [King of Egypt] a daughter [Cleopatra I, born in 204 B.C.] in marriage [political alliances were often sealed by marriage between enemies] to overthrow the kingdom [Egypt], but his planswill not succeed or help him [Cleopatra I takes the side of her husband in Egypt]. 18 Then he will turn his attention to the coast lands [Romans who have yet to become a major power] and will take many of them, but a commander [Scipio Asiaticus, a Roman general] will put an end to his insolence and will turn his insolence back on him. 19 After this, he will turn back toward the fortresses of his own country but will stumble and fall [died], to be seen no more. [The Cleopatra of Egyptian fame, born in 69 B.C., came from this same family line. She eventually married Julius Caesar but had a love affair with Mark Anthony. She had one son with Julius Caesar, and three sons with Mark Anthony]
[At this point in Daniel 11, the angel of the Lord in speaking to Daniel begins to focus on Syria; King Seleucid Philopator, and his son Antiochus IV Epiphanes. This shift begins the parallel prophecy of the antichrist’s actions and end time]
20 “His [Antiochus the Great] successor [Seleucid Philopator; his eldest son Antiochus] will send out a tax collector [to tax the peoples in the lands of Israel] to maintain the [his personal] royal splendor. However, in a few years, he will be destroyed, not in anger or battle. [He was poisoned. Some believe it was by his younger brother, Mithradates soon to be renamed Antiochus the IV Epiphanes. He assumed the throne upon his brother’s untimely poisoning death]
21 “He [Seleucid Philopator] will be succeeded by a contemptible person [Antiochus IV Epiphanes “the Illustrious” using his own words; his original name was Mithridates] who has not been given the honor of royalty [natural succession to the throne; held in contempt by those around him]. He will invade the kingdom [Syrian Empire; his own country] when its people feel secure, and he [Antiochus Epiphanes; Life span; 215 B.C. to 164 B.C.] will seize it through intrigue. 22 Then an overwhelming army will be swept away before him; both it [Ptolemy VI Philometer, son of Cleopatra I] and a prince of the covenant [Unknow but possibly a keeper of The Law of Moses; I believe this to be High Priest Jason or Onias III] will be destroyed. 23 After agreeing with him [Egypt and the Province of Israel], he will act deceitfully, and with only a few people he will rise to power. 24 When the richest provinces [those areas supposedly protected by Rome as the 7-year peace treaty will do in the end time] feel secure, he [Epiphanes] will invade them and will achieve what neither his father nor his forefathers did. He will distribute plunder, loot, and wealth among his followers [close associates who support him]. He will plot the overthrow of *fortresses—but only for a time;
JIV AHA MOMENT: Here is the origin of the statement drawing a line (circle) in the sand. Antiochus Epiphanes invades Egypt, his pharaoh nephew, Ptolemy Philometer, son of Cleopatra. He is threatened by Rome. Withdraw his troops or be considered at war with Rome. The Roman emissary demanded an answer from (Antiochus Epiphanes) before stepping out of the circle drawn in the sand. Antiochus Epiphanes agreed, retreated, and took his anger out on Jerusalem slaughtering about 80,000 Jews and disgracing the Temple while retreating to Syria.
25 “With a large army he will stir up his strength and courage against the king of the South [Egypt]. The king of the South [Ptolemy VI Philometer Physcon] will wage war [against Epiphanes of Syria] with a large and very powerful army, but he [Ptolemy VI Philometer Physcon] will not be able to stand because of the plots devised against him [his own people and Satraps of Egypt plotted against him including native Egyptians i.e., Nubians, desiring to replace their ‘GREEK’ Pharaoh with an Egyptian Pharaoh]. 26 Those who eat from the king’s provisions will try to destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall in battle. 27 The two kings [Ptolemy VI Philometer Physcon and Antiochus Epiphanes], with their hearts bent on evil, will sit at the same table and lie to each other, but to no avail because an end will still come at the appointed time. [What end might this be stated as an appointed time? This is probably a dual prophecy that includes the end, as appointed, of End Time Tribulation). 28 The king of the North will return to his own country with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant [The Law of Moses being honored in former Israeli territories after being expelled from Egypt by Roman threats of war if he didn’t stand down]. He will take action [with great anger] against it [Israeli territory – Jews of the Tribe of Judah primarily in and around Jerusalem] and then return to his own country. 29 “At the appointed time he [Epiphanes of Syria] will invade the South again, but this time the outcome will be different from what it was before. 30 Ships of the western coast lands [Rome] will oppose him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back and vent his fury a second time against the holy covenant [Law of Moses and the Jews in the old Kingdom of Judah current Israel?]. He will return and show favor to those [false and self-centered priests of Judaism; those who preach a false religion rejecting traditional Judaism] who forsake the holy covenant. [NOTE that Daniel’s focus has shifted toward Israel and their survival]
31 “His armed forces will rise to desecrate the temple fortress [Jerusalem] and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation. 32 With flattery he will corrupt those (Jews) who have violated the covenant, but the people [True and Orthodox Jews of Jerusalem – the beginning of the Maccabeus revolt; 167 B.C. to 69 B.C.] who [Maccabee family of a father and five sons] know their God will firmly resist him. [after 175 B.C. and just before 167 B.C. Antiochus Epiphanes of Syria plundered the Temple, captured Jerusalem once again, offered pig sacrifices on the altar of God, and forbid circumcision, Sabbath worship, and possession of the Law of Moses; manuscripts. He died in 164 B.C.E.]; 3 ½ years after he began the abomination and desecration of the Temple. This is the same sequence of events as the antichrist’s (Satan himself) demise for setting himself up in the Temple. He is shackled and then confined to the Abyss for 1,000 years).
33 “Those [Jews of Jerusalem; 2 Maccabees 5:11–14] who are wise will instruct many, though for a time they [followers of the High Priest. Menelaus was High Priest in Jerusalem from 171 BC to about 161 BC. He was the successor of Jason, the brother of Onias III.] will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered. 34 When they fall, they will receive a little help, and many who are not sincere [to the Laws of Moses] will join them. 35 Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made spotless until the time of the end [JIV: This could be a reference to the 144,000 discussed in Revelations 14:3,4] for it will still come at the appointed time.
AHA Bible Moments 