Daniel Chapter 11

Daniel 11:1-45 (NASB) 
¹  “In the first year of Darius the Mede, I arose to be an encouragement and a protection for him.

1. OK who is speaking here?

Chapter 11 is a continuation of chapter 10.  As the angel finishes his encouragement of Daniel he adds something unexpected.

The angel concluded his encouragement of Daniel by adding that he had been responsible for encouraging and protecting Darius the Mede from the beginning of his reign over Babylon. As mentioned previously (see my comment on 5:31), “Darius” was probably another name for Cyrus. The angel may have used it here because it was a title that Daniel preferred (cf. 5:31; 6:1, 6, 9, 25, 28; 9:1). The first year of Darius in view was the first year of his reign as king of Babylon, namely, 539 B.C. Almost immediately, in 538 B.C., Darius (Cyrus) had issued his decree allowing the Jews to return from exile. Obviously this angel’s ministry had been effective and had resulted in blessing for the Jews. This king had also issued a decree commanding everyone in his kingdom to honor Yahweh (6:26-27), assuming that incident happened before the events of chapters 10—12. Thus the point of this verse is that the success that the Israelites had experienced under Darius had been the result of successful angelic warfare in the heavenly realms. This success was to encourage Daniel as he pondered the future revelation of Israel’s fortunes that he was about to receive. Three antagonists of Israel would seek to implement the plan of Satan and his angels to eliminate the Jews: Haman, Antiochus, and Antichrist. Nevertheless holy angels, though invisible, would resist them effectively. CN

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²  “And now I will tell you the truth. Behold, three more kings are going to arise in Persia. Then a fourth will gain far more riches than all of them; as soon as he becomes strong through his riches, he will arouse the whole empire against the realm of Greece.

2. What is this all about?

This passage gives a selective yet detailed overview of the flow of history from the time of Daniel in the late sixth century b.c. until the end of the world, the final climactic conflict and victory of God. ESVN

This chapter is an enlargement of the eighth:The overthrow of Persia by Grecia: The four divisions of Alexander’s Kingdom: Conflicts between the Kings of the South and the and the North, the Ptolemies and Seleucidae: Antiochus Epiphanes. JFB

As in 8:3–26, this prophecy sweeps all the way from the history of spiritual conflict in Israel (11:2–35) to the tribulation (vv. 36–42) when Michael aids in fully delivering Israel (12:1). The detail of this history is so minute and accurate, so confirmed by history, that unbelieving critics have, without evidence, insisted that it was actually written 400 years later than Daniel, after it had happened which would make the prophet a deceiver. The prophecy actually looks ahead from Daniel to the final Antichrist.MSBN

At the time of Belshazzar’s death (see chapter 5), the Babylonian empire had fallen, and Cyrus was presently the king of Medo-Persia. The text indicates the events of chapters 10-12 took place in the “third year of Cyrus, king of Persia” (10:1). RD

3. Who are these kings?

Three more kings would arise in Persia after Cyrus (Cambyses [530–522 b.c.], Smerdis [522], and Darius I Hystaspes [522–486]), and then a fourth, who would be richer and more powerful than the others and would enter into conflict with Greece. This fourth king was Xerxes I (486–464 b.c.), who invaded Greece, only to be defeated at the Battle of Salamis (480). ESVN

The angel now informs Daniel that three more kings will arise in Persia, followed by a fourth (11:2).Critics quickly point out that Persia had more kings than Daniel mentions. I see several possibilities. It may be the angel is speaking only of those kings who are considered major figures in history. The explanation which best satisfies me is that which the text itself seems to suggest: the angel had no intention of indicating the total number of kings who would rule over Persia. The angel indicated only that the Persian king who arouses the animosity of Greece is the fourth king of Persia. There could well have been other kings after him, and during their reign Greece waited for the time when they could avenge themselves by defeating Persia. However, the actions of this fourth Persian king is that which offended the Greeks and led ultimately to the overthrow of the Medo-Persian empire by Greece. RD

³  “And a mighty king will arise, and he will rule with great authority and do as he pleases. ⁴  “But as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom will be broken up and parceled out toward the four points of the compass, though not to his own descendants, nor according to his authority which he wielded, for his sovereignty will be uprooted and given to others besides them.

4. Who is this mighty king?

The mighty king who arose and did as he pleased proved to be Alexander the Great (cf. 2:32, 39b; 7:6; 8:5-8, 21). He was, of course, Greek. His invasion of the Persian Empire was in large part retaliation for Xerxes’ attacks against his people. He first attacked the Persians at the Granicus River near Constantinople in 334 B.C. and finally overthrew the Persian yoke at Gaugamela near Nineveh in 331 B.C. His conquest of the ancient world took only five years (334-330 B.C.). After conquering most of the ancient world, even farther east than the Persian Empire had extended, Alexander died prematurely in Babylon, his imperial capital, in 323 B.C. His two sons, Hercules and Alexander, were both murdered when they were very young as was his uncle, Philip Arrhidaeus. Consequently his kingdom eventually was divided up between his four leading generals (cf. 7:6; 8:8, 22). Cassander ruled Macedonia-Greece, Lysimachus governed Thrace-Asia Minor, Seleucus took the rest of Asia except lower Syria and Palestine, and Ptolemy reigned over Egypt and Palestine. This Greek Empire following Alexander’s demise did not retain the strength that it had previously under the centralized authority of Alexander.

a. Then a mighty king shall arise: The angel told Daniel of a mighty king with a great dominion – but his kingdom would not endure, and it would be divided after the death of the mighty king.

b. Shall rule with great dominion and do according to his will: This is fulfilled in Alexander the Great, who certainly was a mighty king. Alexander died at 32 years of age of a fever after a drunken party in Babylon.

c. Not among his posterity: Afterward Alexander’s death, none of his descendants succeeded him. It wasn’t for lack of trying. Alexander did leave three possible heirs: a half brother named Philip, who was mentally deficient; a son who was born after Alexander died; and an illegitimate son named Hercules. The half-brother and the posthumous son were first designated co-monarchs, each with a regent. But fighting amongst the regents eventually resulted in the murder of all possible heirs.

d. Divided towards the four winds of heaven: After the death of all Alexander’s possible heirs, four generals controlled the Greek Empire, but none of them according to his (Alexander’s) dominion.

i. The rest of this prophecy focuses on two of the four inheritors of Alexander’s realm, and the dynasties they established. Only two are focused on because they constantly fought over the Promised Land, because it sat between their centers of power.

⁵  “Then the king of the South will grow strong, along with one of his princes who will gain ascendancy over him and obtain dominion; his domain will be a great dominionindeed. ⁶  “After some years they will form an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the South will come to the king of the North to carry out a peaceful arrangement. But she will not retain her position of power, nor will he remain with his power, but she will be given up, along with those who brought her in and the one who sired her as well as he who supported her in those times.

5. Who are all of these people?

….. king of the South … king of the North. King of the South represents the Ptolomies, the leaders of Egypt

 contrasted often in vv. 5ff. with the king of the North, the Seleucids, leaders of Syria (v. 6). South and N are in relation to Palestine, for which the angel Gabriel, speaking in this passage, is so concerned. Verses 5–20 cover almost 200 years of wars between these bordering powers. form an alliance. Berenice, daughter of Egypt’s Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285–246 b.c.), married Syria’s King Antiochus II Theos (261–246 b.c.). The latter part of the verse refers to the political advantage they hoped the alliance would produce. Antiochus divorced his wife to marry Berenice. Later that divorced wife murdered Berenice, her baby son, and even Antiochus by poisoning him. Thus she brought her own son, Seleucus II Callinicus, to the throne.MSBN

Beginning with verse 5, the kings of the North and the South are introduced in Daniel. The ensuing struggle goes on for a long period of time, continuing it seems to the day of God’s wrath (see 11:45; 12:1). There are a number of kings, both in the North and in the South, but the struggle between these two superpowers is represented as continuing throughout the course of history. It seems somewhat similar to the conflict between the “East” and the “West,” until recently in our own times—the struggle between Russia and the United States, or between communism and the free world. “North” and “South,” as I understand it, is reckoned from the standpoint of Israel.

The “kings of the North” are those kings who rule over the kingdom north of Israel, and the “kings of the South” are those kings who rule over the southern kingdom. Whether this is always the same precise piece of geography or the same political entity I do not know. Over time, the relationship between the kings of the North and the kings of the South changes. Early on, the “king of the South” grows very powerful; after a number of years, he attempts to form an alliance with the “king of the North” by giving this northern king his daughter as a wife, although this does not produce the desired effect over a long period of time (11:6). RD

There was constant conflict between the Ptolemaic (Egyptian) and Seleucid (Syrian) kingdoms, but around 250 b.c. Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285–246, “the king of the south”) attempted to make peace with Antiochus II Theos (261–246, “the king of the north”) by sending his daughter Berenice to marry him, as Daniel had predicted: the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement. Antiochus II then planned to divorce his first wife, Laodice, and disinherit her sons so that he could marry Berenice and have a child who would then rule over the Seleucid kingdom. But Laodice had Antiochus II and Berenice poisoned, fulfilling the words she shall not retain the strength of her arm and he and his arm shall not endure. In the same year, Berenice’s father (he who fathered her) died in Egypt. ESVN

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⁷  “But one of the descendants of her line will arise in his place, and he will come against their army and enter the fortress of the king of the North, and he will deal with them and display great strength.⁸  “Also their gods with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold he will take into captivity to Egypt, and he on his part will refrain from attacking the king of the North for someyears. 9  “Then the latter will enter the realm of the king of the South, but will return to his own land.

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6. One of the descendants?

Berenice’s brother, Ptolemy III (246-222 B.C.), whose other name, “Euergetes,” means “Benefactor,” succeeded his father and determined to avenge Berenice’s death. He attacked Seleucus II at Antioch in Syria and killed Laodice. He also conquered much adjacent territory and remained the foremost power in the region for the rest of his reign.  Ptolemy III returned to Egypt from Antioch with much spoil including idols and precious vessels from the temples and treasure houses of Syria. He also signed a treaty with Seleucus II in 240 B.C. that resulted in peace between their two nations. Evidently Seleucus II invaded Egypt later unsuccessfully, though I know of no record of this in secular history. CN

Ptolemy II in Egypt was succeeded by Berenice’s brother, Ptolemy III Euergetes I (246–221 b.c.), a branch from her roots. In retaliation for the death of his sister, Ptolemy III invaded the Seleucid kingdom and conquered its capital, Antioch (He shall come against the army and enter the fortress of the king of the north). He took the Syriangods and other precious vessels of silver and gold and even returned to Egypt some of the sacred idols taken by the Persian monarch Cambyses in 524 b.c. when he had sacked the Egyptian temples. For this latter feat the Egyptians gave him the title “Euergetes” [Benefactor]. Afterward Ptolemy III made a peace treaty with Seleucus II Callinicus (246–226 b.c.) and he did refrain from attacking them so that he could work on expanding his kingdom in the Aegean area. Verse 9 says that Seleucus II shall come into the realm of the king of the south, but there is no record of such an invasion and he must have made a swift and hasty retreat (shall return to his own land). ESVN

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 ¹⁰  “His sons will mobilize and assemble a multitude of great forces; and one of them will keep on coming and overflow and pass through, that he may again wage war up to his very fortress. ¹¹  “The king of the South will be enraged and go forth and fight with the king of the North. Then the latter will raise a great multitude, but that multitude will be given into the hand of the former. ¹²  “When the multitude is carried away, his heart will be lifted up, and he will cause tens of thousands to fall; yet he will not prevail.

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7. Seems like two royal families can’t get along.

After Seleucus II Callinicus’s death in 226 b.c. his sons(Seleucus III Ceraunus, 226–223; and Antiochus III the Great, 223–187) continued skirmishes with the Ptolemies. Seleucus III was murdered after a short reign, but his brother took the disorganized state and made it a strong nation. In 219–218 b.c. Antiochus III campaigned in Phoenicia and Palestine so that he made it as far as his fortress (in Raphia, southwest of Gaza).

Ptolemy IV Philopator (221–204 b.c., king of the south) responded quickly to Antiochus III’s advances and administered a severe defeat at Raphia in Palestine. Antiochus III’s losses were very high (Ptolemy IV cast down tens of thousands), yet Ptolemy IV’s victory was short-lived (he shall not prevail). From this point in the chapter the Ptolemies begin to weaken as the Seleucid kingdom becomes increasingly dominant.

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¹³  “For the king of the North will again raise a greater multitude than the former, and after an interval of some years he will press on with a great army and much equipment. 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. ¹⁵  “Then the king of the North will come, cast up a siege ramp and capture a well-fortified city; and the forces of the South will not stand their ground, not even their choicest troops, for there will be no strength to make a stand. ¹⁶  “But he who comes against him will do as he pleases, and no one will be able towithstand him; he will also stay for a time in the Beautiful Land, with destruction in his hand. ¹⁷  “He will set his face to come with the power of his whole kingdom, bringing with him a proposal of peace which he will put into effect; he will also give him the daughter of women to ruin it. But she will not take a stand for him or be on his side. ¹⁸ “Then he will turn his face to the coastlands and capture many. But a commander will put a stop to his scorn against him; moreover, he will repay him for his scorn. 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. ²⁰  “Then in his place one will arise who will send an oppressor through the Jewel of his kingdom; yet within a few days he will be shattered, though not in anger nor in battle.

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8. The King of the North runs amok.

Antiochus III then proceeded to turn in other directions for conquests, specifically to his east and to his north. About 203 B.C., Antiochus III returned with a much larger army and repulsed the Egyptians who were then under the rule of the child king, Ptolemy V Epiphanes (203-181 B.C.). Antiochus was able to retake Palestine as far south as Gaza.

The Macedonians under Philip V of Macedonia and the Jews living in Israel joined Antiochus III in opposing the Egyptians. Evidently some of the politically zealous Jews believed that they could gain more freedom if Antiochus III succeeded, but that did not happen.

The fortified city that Antiochus III besieged and took was Sidon, which he defeated about 200 B.C. There he forced the Egyptian General Scopas, whom he had recently defeated at Paneas (biblical Dan), near the headwaters of the Jordan River, to surrender. Three other Egyptian commanders tried to free Scopas from Sidon, but they failed. The king of the north in this instance was Seleucus IV Philopator (187-175 B.C.).

Antiochus III continued to solidify Syrian control over Palestine without successful opposition from the Egyptians.

“When Scopas finally surrendered to Antiochus III at Sidon, the Holy Land was permanently acquired by the Antioch [Syrian] government, to the exclusion of Egypt.”[431]

When Antiochus III entered Jerusalem, the populace welcomed him as a deliverer and benefactor.

Antiochus III, under threat from Rome, then initiated peace with Egypt and offered his daughter Cleopatra to Ptolemy V in marriage to cement their alliance. He hoped that Cleopatra would remain pro-Syrian and that her loyalty to him would give him control over Egypt. This attempt failed, however. Cleopatra consistently sided with her husband against her father, even though Ptolemy V was then only a boy.

Antiochus III then turned his attention to the Aegean coast and sought to conquer Asia Minor and Greece. He had been contemptuous of Roman authority in Greece and had said the Romans had no business there. Antiochus did not succeed completely because a Roman commander named Claudius Scipio resisted him effectively. He is the commander that fulfilled the prophecy in this verse.

Antiochus III returned to Antioch were he died a year later in 187 B.C. He had tried to reunite Alexander the Great’s empire under his own authority, but he failed largely because he underestimated the power of the rising Roman Empire. Nevertheless Antiochus III, “the Great,” was a brilliant and successful military leader.

Antiochus’ elder son, Seleucus IV, succeeded his father. He taxed his people, including the Jews, so heavily to pay Rome that his Jewish tax collector, Heliodorus (2 Macc. 3:7), poisoned him. Heliodorus was evidently the oppressor that Seleucus sent through “the jewel of his kingdom,” namely, Israel, collecting taxes. This assassination set the stage for the terrible persecutions of the Jews that followed. Thus Seleucus IV did not die because of mob violence, as his father had, or in battle, but from poison, as this verse predicted.CN

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²¹  “In his place a despicable person will arise, on whom the honor of kingship has not been conferred, but he will come in a time of tranquility and seize the kingdom by intrigue. 22  “The overflowing forces will be flooded away before him and shattered, and also the prince of the covenant. 23  “After an alliance is made with him he will practice deception, and he will go up and gain power with a small force of people. 

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9. Who is this despicable person?

Antiochus IV Epiphanes (reigned 175–164 b.c.), who is also the “little horn” of ch. 8(8:9–12, 23–25). He took the name Antiochus “Epiphanes” (“Manifest One”; see note on 8:25), but others called him “Epimanes” (“madman”). Seleucus IV Philopater’s son, Demetrius I Soter, was the rightful heir to the throne, but because he was imprisoned in Rome, Antiochus IV Epiphanes took the throne, even though royal majesty had not been given to him. He paid off important people for supporting him, which is what the phrase to obtain the kingdom by flatteries refers to. Ptolemy VI Philometer (181–145 b.c.) of Egypt came against Antiochus IV but was defeated and held as a hostage. Later Ptolemy VI (the prince of the covenant) made an alliance (a covenant) with Antiochus IV to regain his throne because his brother (Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II Physcon) had taken it while he was imprisoned in Syria. This worked, and he received his throne back, but later he broke this covenant and joined with his brother Ptolemy VIII, to force Antiochus IV out of Pelusium, one of Egypt’s fortress cities. ESVN

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²⁴  “In a time of tranquility he will enter the richest parts of the realm, and he will accomplish what his fathers never did, nor his ancestors; he will distribute plunder, booty and possessions among them, and he will devise his schemes against strongholds, but only for a time. ²⁵  “He will stir up his strength and courage against the king of the South with a large army; so the king of the South will mobilize an extremely large and mighty army for war; but he will not stand, for schemes will be devised against him. ²⁶ “Those who eat his choice food will destroy him, and his army will overflow, but many will fall down slain.

²⁷  “As for both kings, their hearts will be intent on evil, and they will speak lies to each other at the same table; but it will not succeed, for the end is still to come at the appointed time. ²⁸  “Then he will return to his land with much plunder; but his heart will be set against the holy covenant, and he will take action and then return to his ownland. ²⁹  “At the appointed time he will return and come into the South, but this last time it will not turn out the way it did before. ³⁰  “For ships of Kittim will come against him; therefore he will be disheartened and will return and become enraged at the holy covenant and take action; so he will come back and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant. ³¹  “Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation. ³²  “By smooth words he will turn to godlessness those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will display strength and take action. ³³  “Those who have insight among the people will give understanding to the many; yet they will fall by sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder for manydays. ³⁴  “Now when they fall they will be granted a little help, and many will join with them in hypocrisy.

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10. What was so bad about this guy?

http://augustine1blog.wordpress.com/2014/02/03/antiochus-iv-epiphanes-a-foreshadowing-of-things-to-come/

Introduced to us now is the vile person, Antiochus Epiphanes, who was king in Syria and is easily identified in history.

This is the “little horn” that has already been fulfilled, as we studied back in chapter 8.

This prophecy is concerned with one king in the line of the Seleucidae, Antiochus Epiphanes. Most fundamental interpreters of Scripture consider this section to be a direct reference to this man. The prophecy fits the history of Antiochus Epiphanes like a glove. (He is at the same time a type of the Antichrist, thus illustrative and figurative of the Man of Sin who is yet to come. The careers of both are strikingly similar.)

Antiochus Epiphanes came to the throne in 175 b.c. He is called vile because of his blasphemies. He came to the throne with a program of peace. (The Antichrist will come to power in the same way. He will introduce the Great Tribulation with three and one half years of peace, and the people of the world will think they are entering the Millennium when they are really entering the Great Tribulation period.) Antiochus was a deceiver and a flatterer. My friend, beware of that type of person. You can find them even in the ministry. They have hurt the church more than anything. We do not need men who will deceive and butter up folk for their own advantage; we need honest, forthright men who will stand in the pulpit and tell it like it is. Unfortunately, they are getting few and far between, but, thank God, there are still many of them about.

“The prince of the covenant” was probably the high priest, Onias III, who was deposed and murdered at this time by the deceitful devices of Antiochus when he came to power.

These verses describe the campaign of Antiochus and his victory over the king of Egypt, which brought him much riches and prestige.

“They shall speak lies at one table” refers to the fact that he was an unreliable liar. It also reveals that the conference tables of that day were very much like the conference tables of our own day, where nations meet and make treaties which become meaningless scraps of paper.

Antiochus made a second campaign against Egypt but was not successful due to the navy of Rome, “the ships of Chittim.” He broke his covenant with Israel, but notice that some of the Jews betrayed their own people—“he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant.”

Antiochus came against Jerusalem in 170 b.c., at which time over one hundred thousand Jews were slain! He took away the daily sacrifice from the temple, offered the blood and broth of a swine upon the altar, and set up an image of Jupiter to be worshiped in the holy place of the temple of God. This was an “abomination that maketh desolate,” but it was not the abomination to which our Lord Jesus referred which was future when He was on earth and is still future in our day. It is the abomination which Antichrist will set up. Antiochus set up an image of Jupiter in the holy place, and the Antichrist will probably set up an image of himself in the holy place.

There were a few in the nation Israel who played the role of Judas, but there were many who knew God and were strong and did exploits. It was during this time that God raised up the family of the Maccabees. In 166 b.c. Mattathias the priest raised a revolt against the awful blasphemy. The family was called the Maccabees, that is, the hammer. Although they are not recorded in Scripture, I am convinced that they were God’s men for that particular hour.

This period lies between the Testaments and is a saga of suffering. There were many in this time who served God as faithfully and courageously as had Gideon or David or Elijah or Jeremiah or Daniel. If you are not familiar with this period of history, you should look into the apocryphal books of 1 and 2 Maccabees as well as the writings of Josephus.JVM

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³⁵  “Some of those who have insight will fall, in order to refine, purge and make them pure until the end time; because it is still to come at the appointed time. ³⁶  “Then the king will do as he pleases, and he will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will speak monstrous things against the God of gods; and he will prosper until the indignation is finished, for that which is decreed will be done. ³⁷  “He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the desire of women, nor will he show regard for any other god; for he will magnify himself above them all. ³⁸  “But instead he will honor a god of fortresses, a god whom his fathers did not know; he will honor him with gold, silver, costly stones and treasures. ³⁹  “He will take action against the strongest of fortresses with the help of a foreign god; he will give great honor to those who acknowledge him and will cause them to rule over the many, and will parcel out land for a price. ⁴⁰  “At the end time the king of the South will collide with him, and the king of the North will storm against him with chariots, with horsemen and with many ships; and he will enter countries, overflow them and pass through. ⁴¹  “He will also enter the Beautiful Land, and many countries will fall; but these will be rescued out of his hand: Edom, Moab and the foremost of the sons of Ammon. ⁴²  “Then he will stretch out his hand against other countries, and the land of Egypt will not escape. ⁴³  “But he will gain control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver and over all the precious things of Egypt; and Libyans and Ethiopians will follow at his heels. ⁴⁴  “But rumors from the East and from the North will disturb him, and he will go forth with great wrath to destroy and annihilate many. ⁴⁵  “He will pitch the tents of his royal pavilion between the seas and the beautiful Holy Mountain; yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.  

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 11. When does all this happen?

“Then” signals a leap in time to the distant future, as the context indicates.

The predicted king will have the power to do as he pleases; apparently he will not be subject to a higher human authority (cf. 7:23; Rev. 13:1-10; 17:12). He will exalt himself higher than any other god implying that he will demand worship (cf. 2 Thess. 2:4; Rev. 13:11-18; 17:12-13). He will also repudiate the true God (cf. 7:25; Rev. 17:14). He will prosper for a time, until God’s indignation against His people the Jews has run its course (cf. 8:19;Isa. 10:25; 26:20; Rev. 17:15-17). All of this will happen under the sovereign authority of God, however.

This verse gives more information about the ruler’s religious convictions. The phrase “the God of his fathers” is similar to one that occurs elsewhere in Scripture describing the God of the Jews (cf. 2:23; Exod. 3:15-16; 4:5; et al.). This has led some interpreters to conclude that this king will be a Jew. However the phrase does not require this interpretation. The name “God” is “Elohim,” the general word for God rather than the covenant name “Yahweh” that God often used when stressing His relationship to His chosen people. This word can have a plural translation (gods) or a singular one (God). Moreover in the light of other revelation about this man, he seems to be a Roman (7:8, 24; Rev. 13:1-10). Of course, he could be a Jewish Roman, but the description of him in this verse does not identify him clearly as a Jew. Probably the angel meant that this king will abandon the religion in his past whatever that religion may have been. He will do this because he will set himself up as the object of worship in place of all gods.

The identity of “the desire of women” is also problematic. It may be a reference to the Messiah. Supposedly the supreme desire of every godly Jewish woman in Daniel’s day was that she bear the Messiah. Another view is that the reference is to Tammuz (Gr. Adonis), a pagan goddess in Daniel’s day that women found very attractive. Others believe that the meaning is that this king will have no desire for women. Some even speculate that he will be abusive toward women. In other words, he will be devoid of natural affection. I tend to favor this third view.

 What this king will really trust in is a “god” who he believes can give him military success. Evidently this is not a god in the religious sense. He will probably idolize power. His forefathers typically acknowledged some supreme being or some pagan god or gods. He will honor his “god” by spending money to build his military arsenal. In other words, he will be a materialist. Feinberg and Ironside believed the god in view is the Roman beast (the political leader), whom they distinguished from the Antichrist. They identified the Antichrist with the religious leader in Jerusalem. This is a minority view among premillennialists.

The foreign god referred to in this verse may be the god of military might mentioned in verse 38. Alternatively it may be some other foreign god that he uses for his own ends, or it may even be himself. As Antiochus before him, this ruler will reward those who are loyal to him and support them by bestowing honors and positions of authority on them. Perhaps he will also take bribes, as Antiochus did, and give land to those who pay him off. Another possibility is that he will reward with lands those who are faithful to him.

The attack against the ruler 11:40-45

Finally the very end time of the seventieth week will arrive (cf. vv. 27, 35; 12:4, 9). Then this king will be the focus of attack by the king of the South (cf. vv. 42-43), a power south of Palestine, and the king of the North, a force to its north. Evidently these two rulers will attack him simultaneously. Apparently this king is neither the king of the South nor the king of the North himself. In view of 9:26, he will probably be a western ruler, the little horn arising out of the Roman Empire (i.e., Antichrist; 7:8, 24). Other interpreters believe the king of the North is the Antichrist. Still others hold that this king was not the Antichrist but only a minor ruler.[453]

The conflict will be great, but he, apparently the ruler described in verses 36-39 (i.e., Antichrist), will invade many countries, overwhelm them, and pass on to conquer others. The Nazis were able to do this early in World War II.

“Presumably the warfare will be carried on by armored vehicles and missiles such as are used in modern 
warfare—though in order to communicate with Daniel’s generation, ancient equivalents of these are used here. Likewise, the ancient names of the countries or states occupying the region where the final conflict will be carried on are used in the prediction, though most of those political units will no longer bear these names in the last days.”

Ezekiel described a great military force descending on Israel from the far north in the future (Ezek. 38—39;38:15). Ezekiel did not mention a power from the South. Part of the fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophecy is probably the same invasion Daniel recorded here. I believe part of what Ezekiel prophesied to take place in his description of the battle of Gog and Magog will find fulfillment at the end of the Tribulation and part of it at the end of the Millennium. This aspect of the fulfillment will probably occur in the second half of the Tribulation, when Israel is suffering intense persecution. One writer argued that this king of the North will be a ruler from the area that Assyria formerly occupied, not someone from farther north in the area of Russia. I believe “Gog” is a code name (meaning “Dark”) describing two similar invaders who will descend on Israel at two different times: at the end of the Tribulation and at the end of the Millennium. The first of these invaders is called the King of the North here.

11:41The Antichrist will also enter Palestine (cf. 8:9), and many there will fall before his forces. He will also defeat other countries in addition to Israel. He will probably enter Palestine after he breaks his covenant with Israel, which would confirm that these events will happen in the last half of the Tribulation. There will be a few areas that he does not overpower, however, namely, those in the former territories of Edom, Moab, and Ammon. These nations were to the east and south of Israel. Today Jordan occupies this region. The “foremost” of the sons of Ammon probably refers to the best part.[456] Young believed the names of these nations are symbolic, but he confessed ignorance concerning the meaning of the symbols.

This ruler will then press his attack against other countries, particularly Egypt. It will fall to his control. He will plunder the treasures of Egypt and will bring those living in the ancient territories of Libya and Ethiopia under his control. Libya lay to the west of Egypt and Ethiopia to its south.

Rumors of enemy armies from the East (cf. Rev. 9:13-21; 16:12) and from the North (cf. v. 40) will cause him to kill more people (cf. Zech. 13:8). Compare the experience of Sennacherib (Isa. 37:7-8). He will also return to Palestine. His headquarters there will evidently be in Jerusalem. This city stands between the Mediterranean and Dead Seas. The NIV translation “at the beautiful holy mountain” confirms this location since Jerusalem stands on Mt. Moriah. It is evidently there that he will meet his match and suffer defeat. Later revelation says that Jesus Christ will return from heaven and destroy him (Rev. 19:19-20; cf. Zech. 14:1-4).

One writer summarized the revelation about Antichrist in verses 36-45 as follows. He will act in self-will (v. 36), will exalt himself (v. 36), and will magnify himself above every god (v. 36). He will blaspheme the true God (v. 36), will prosper for a limited period of time (v. 36), and will be an irreligious person (v. 37). He will also place confidence in military might (vv. 38-39), his military might will be challenged (v. 40), and he will be initially victorious in battle (vv. 40-43). However, he will face renewed conflict (v. 44), will establish his headquarters in Jerusalem (v. 45), and will finally come to an end (v. 45). CN

• NIVSN……………….NIV Study Notes. 
• JVM ………………….J Vernon McGee,
• ACC ………………… Adam Clarke’s Commentary
• BN ……………………Barnes Notes
• WBC………….…….Wycliffe Bible Commentary
• CN ……….…………..Constables Notes 
• IC……………….…….Ironside Commentary
• NET…………….…….Net Bible Study Notes.
• JFB……………………Jamieson Fausset  Brown Commentary
• VWS………………….Vincent Word Studies
• CMM………………..Commentary on Matthew and Mark
• BDB……………..….Barclay’s Daily Study Bible (NT)
• Darby……………….John Darby’s Synopsis of the OT and NT
• Johnson……………Johnson’s Notes on the New Testament.
• NTCMM…………..The New Testament Commentary:  Matthew and Mark.
• EHS………………….Expositions of the Holy Scriptures
• CPP…………………The Complete Pulpit Commentary
• SBC…………………..Sermon Bible Commentary
• K&D…………………Keil and Deilitzsch Commentary on the OT
• EBC……………….…Expositors Bible Commentary
• CBSC……………….Cambridge Bible for Schools and College
• GC……………………Guzik Commentary
• RD…………………..Robert  Deffinbaugh
• NSB …………………The Nelson Study Bible
• MHC…………………Matthew Henry Commentary
• ESVN……………..….ESV Study Bible Notes 
• MSBN……………….MacArthur NASB Study Notes
• CSTTB………………..Chuck Smith Through the Bible     

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