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Section Introduction

This final vision was given to Daniel in the third year of Cyrus (v1), which would be around 536 BC. By now, Daniel was a very old man. He was first taken to Babylon in 605 BC, as a young man (Dan 1), so he is probably by now in his early eighties.

In 539 BC Cyrus of Persia captured Babylon, and allowed Jews and other captured people to go home with financial help, and gave an edict to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. Some Jews returned to Jerusalem, led by Zerubbabel the governor, and Jeshua the high priest, and started to rebuild the temple (Ezra 1:1-3). This was the first return, which will be followed by two later returns led by Ezra and then Nehemiah. Daniel had not returned with the first group, perhaps because he was too old to walk all the way from Babylon to Jerusalem.

By 536 BC there was opposition to the rebuilding of the temple. Cyrus was away from Persia, leading military campaigns in the east against the Sycthians, and in the west in Turkey. His son, Cambyses, was left in charge in Persia, and he opposed the rebuilding of the temple. Adversaries had tried to join the rebuilding of the temple, but Zerubabbel and Jeshua refused to let them join, "We alone will build to the LORD, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus of Persia has commanded us" (Ezra 4:1-4). These adversaries then discouraged the builders, made them afraid to build, and bribed officials to frustrate their building for the next 16 years, until 520 BC. God sent the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to get them building again (Ezra 5). It is probable that Daniel had heard about the temple-building being stopped, which would explain why he was mourning. He was reacting personally to news of something that concerned him greatly.

The title and introduction to the vision: A word concerning a great conflict (10:1)

This introduces Daniel’s own account of the vision, and is written in the third person. It states that the word was revealed to Daniel concerning a great conflict, and that Daniel understood the vision (v1). It was to gain understanding that Daniel had humbled himself before God and prayed (v12). Later it will become clear that this great conflict will be the dreadful suffering that the Jews will experience under Antiochus IV Epiphanes, nearly 400 years later.

Mourning and vision of man in linen(10:2-9)

From verse two onwards the pronoun changes to Daniel describing in the first person what happened as he fasted and prayed. He had been in mourning for three weeks, praying and seeking God. He had been fasting, not a total fast, but fasting from rich food, meat and wine. He had also fasted from washing and anointing himself.

After three weeks, on the banks of the River Tigris, Daniel had a vision of a man clothed in linen (v5-6). The description is remarkably similar to the vision John had of the risen Jesus on the Island of Patmos (Rev 1), so this is probably a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus. The result of Daniel seeking God is to get a vision of Jesus. It is this man clothed in linen who guides Daniel through this vision (12:6-7), speaking continuously from 10:20 to 12:4.

Only Daniel saw the vision (v7) but it also affected those with him. This was similar to the time when Paul met Jesus on the Road to Damascus (Acts 9:7). The people with Paul heard the voice, but did not see anyone. Here, they did not see the vision, but great trembling fell upon them, and they fled because they were scared stiff. This vision had a severe physical and emotional affect on Daniel too (v8,15,17).

Daniel’s prayer has been heard (10:10-14)

Daniel is raised up, and comforted, and encouraged (v10-11). Jesus meets with him personally and helps him with this dramatic spiritual encounter. Jesus now speaks to him, and gives him the answer to his prayers (v12). Jesus has been sent to him as a result of his prayers, so prayer does have affects. But Daniel had to wait for three weeks, showing the need of perseverance. Daniel probably thought at times that his prayers were not being heard by God, and may have been tempted to give up. However he persevered, and received the encouragement that his prayers had been heard and had been having an effect from the beginning, but did not become aware of it until three weeks later.

The man then explains to Daniel that there was a delay was because he was opposed for 21 days by the prince of Persia (10:13). They fought for three weeks, then Michael took over. Michael is described as the great prince, and the protector of God’s people (12:1). In this context, the prince of Persia is far more than the human king of Persia, but is a spiritual being over the Persian Empire, who is being fought against by a great angel and Jesus himself.

The man clothed in linen then tells Daniel why he has come. He left Michael fighting against the prince of Persia, to help Daniel understand what will happen to his people at the end of days (v14). Again, this does not necessarily refer to the events of the end of time before the second coming and final judgement. There are a number of references to 'the time of the end' through the book (2:28,29,45, 8:17,18, 10:14, 11:35,40, 12:4,9,13).

Daniel overwhelmed and strengthened (10:15-19)

Again, Daniel was overwhelmed by this revelation, with physical and emotional effects, shaking, pains, breathlessness and loss of strength. The one in human form then touches and strengthens him, encouraging him not to fear, and to be strong and courageous. After that, Daniel is ready to hear the message from Jesus, the man in linen.

What do we learn about spiritual warfare?

Before looking at the detailed predictions that follow, it is helpful to consider the controversial but real issue of spiritual warfare, and what we learn from this passage. Behind the political events are spiritual battles. The Prince of Persia (v13), and the Prince of Greece (v20) are not just the human kings, but spiritual beings behind these political and military powers. At the time of the vision, Persia was currently in power, and Greece will follow. This passage gives a rare glimpse into the spiritual realm and the spiritual battle that goes on when we pray. There are a number of things this passage shows us.

The first is that there are evil spiritual beings. They really do exist. Paul refers to principalities and powers in the heavenly places, "For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Eph 6:12), before he describes the armour of God. The devil has an army of evil spiritual beings, demonic beings, who work with him to oppose what God is doing. Some of these beings are extremely powerful. Today the church tends to go to two opposite extremes, either to ignore the work of Satan and not think about it at all, or to see the work of the devil everywhere. The truth is somewhere in the middle.

The second is that it appears that these beings are allocated over different peoples, nations and empires, meaning that they have a limited geographical authority. This fits the popular understanding in the Ancient Near East, which is seen in the account of a battle between Israel and Aram. "The servants of the king of Aram said to him ‘Their (Israel’s) gods are gods of the hills, and so they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they." (1 Kg 20:23). The Arameans believed that they had been defeated by Israel because their god had control of the hills. They thought Yahweh was another regional god with only localised power. If they fought Israel in the plain, then their gods would help them defeat Israel.

This is a controversial issue in the church, and is sometimes referred to as territorial spirits. If we travel to different places and different nations, we can become aware of different spiritual climates. People who work on the mission-field often become particularly aware of these. In our own country, we get so used to them, that we do not have the same awareness. Often the spiritual climate is deeply affected by the history of the nation.

The third is that the Bible gives us only a glimpse into the spiritual realm, but not a great deal of information, so we need to guard against speculation. The angel (or Jesus) explained to Daniel what was happening in the spiritual realm. As Daniel prayed, the angelic forces engaged these evil powers in battle. Daniel did not fight against them himself, and did not even know what was going on in the spiritual realm until it was explained to him.

The words of the man in linen (10:20 - 12:4)

From this point, the one in human form (10:18), the man clothed in linen (10:5) speaks without interruption until 12:4. This speech gives a detailed prediction of the history of Alexander’s successors over the next two hundred years, and the difficult time Israel will have, as it becomes involved in the conflicts between the king of the north (the Seleucids in Syria) and the king of the south (the Ptolemies in Egypt), with a particular emphasis on the rise and fall of Antiochus IV Epiphanes. For this section I have included the text of each verse, so the details of the predictions can be explained more clearly.

Revelation of contents of Book of Truth (10:20-21)

"Do you know why I have come to you? Now I must return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I am through with him, the prince of Greece will come. But I am to tell you what is inscribed in the book of truth. There is no one who contends against these princes except Michael your prince. And as for me in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him." (10:20 - 11:1)

The one in human form (10:18) continues to speaking to Daniel, explaining the reason he was sent. He will return to fight against the prince of Persia, then the prince of Greece will come. Currently Persia is the ruling power, but the next ruling power will be Greece under Alexander the Great, followed by the Ptolemaic and Seleucid kings, especially Antiochus IV Epiphanes. The one in human form has come to come to Daniel to reveal what will be happening during this period. Future history is written in the Book of Truth, implying that God knows and controls the events of history before they happen. This would give confidence to God’s people as they experience the troubles of the inter-testamental period, that God remains sovereign over these nations, and will protect his people.

In this time of great conflict, the only being who will join the one in human form in the battle against these princes is Michael. Michael is later described as the protector of your people (12:1). He is a powerful angelic being whose role is protect God’s people, the Jews.

The year is the first year of Darius the Mede, soon after 539 BC. Please see the introduction to the Book of Daniel about question over the identity of Darius the Mede. The final statement, "I stood up to support and strengthen him" (11:1), can be understood when read in context. The 'I' is the one in human form, and the 'him' is Michael. Michael is the only one contending against these princes, and the one in human form, Jesus, will join in the battle to support and strengthen him.

I. Persia

"And now I will announce the truth to you. Three more kings shall arise in Persia. The fourth shall be far richer than all of them; and when he has become strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece." (11:2)

The one in human form will now begin to announce the contents of the book of truth (10:21). As Cyrus was currently reigning (10:1), then the three more kings are those that followed him. These would be Cambyses, Smerdis and Darius I. The fourth who was far richer was Xerxes (486 - 464 BC). Xerxes attempted to conquer the Greeks, but was defeated several times from 480 to 478 BC, at Thermopylae and Salamis.

II. Alexander the Great

"Then a warrior king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion and take action as he pleases." (11:3)

This mighty king was Alexander the Great who conquered the whole of the Persian Empire before the age of 32 in the 330's BC His 'great dominion' covered a vast area of the Middle East, stretching from Greece, down to Egypt and east as far as the Indus river in modern Pakistan and up into Central Asia to modern Uzbekistan. He has already appeared in several previous visions.

"And when still rising in power, his kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to the dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be uprooted and go to others besides these." (11:4)

Alexander died and did not establish a family dynasty. As already stated in the three previous visions, Alexander’s kingdom was divided into four parts at his death. After a civil war, four of his generals who were not related to him by blood divided the Greek empire between them: General Cassander in Macedonia, General Lysimachus in Asia Minor, General Seleucus in Syria and the east and General Ptolemy in Egypt.

III. Ptolemy I Soter (323 - 282) & Seleucus I Nicator (312 - 261)

"Then the king of the south shall be strong, but one of his officers shall be stronger than he and shall rule a realm greater then his own realm." (11:5)

The king of the south is Ptolemy I Soter, meaning saviour. He began his career as governor of Egypt. He ruled in the name of Alexander’s half-brother and Alexander’s son, Alexander IV, until both died. In 305 BC, Ptolemy took the title of King of Egypt and ruled Palestine, Southern Syria, and various places in Asia Minor. He founded what was to become a huge library at Alexandria, his capital, and introduced Greek culture to the nation.

"One of his officers" is Seleucus I Nicator, meaning conqueror. Seleucus I was originally a leading general under Ptolemy. He became the ruler of Syria and Babylon after Alexander’s death. In 316 BC, he lost his domain and was forced to flee to Egypt. With the help of Ptolemy he regained Babylon, Media, and Susiana. He became so strong, that he became king of Syria and Babylon in 311 BC and went on to conquer all the way to India. Seleucus I was the strongest of Alexander the Great’s successors. He founded the Seleucid dynasty which lasted until 65 BC. "... shall rule a realm greater than his own realm" predicts the vast expanse of the conquests by Seleucus I.

Seleucus I was succeeded by his son Antiochus I Soter (293/2-261 BC), who is not mentioned in Dan 11. He became known as the greatest founder of cities after Alexander the Great.

IV. Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285 - 246) & Antiochus II (261 - 246)

"After some years they shall make an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to ratify the agreement. But she shall not retain her power, and his offspring shall not endure. She shall be given up, she and her attendants and her child and the one who supported her." (11:6)

There is now a jump of 35 years to the next generation. These two kingdoms were hostile to each other. Both wanted to control Palestine, but made peace in 252 BC through a marriage alliance. The king of the south is now Ptolemy II in Egypt (285-246 BC). The "daughter of the king of the south" is Ptolemy’s daughter, Berenice.

Ptolemy II Philadelphus organized the Alexandrian library which his father started. He also settled many Greeks in his capital. Tradition places the translation of the Hebrew Scriptures into the Greek Septuagint (LXX) during his reign. This reflected the need of the many Jews to have the Scriptures in a language they could understand, and opened the scriptures to the world. Ptolemy II had intermittent conflicts with the Seleucids, until he eventually made an alliance with them in 252 BC by giving his daughter Bernice in marriage to Antiochus II of Syria. Antiochus II promised to divorce his first wife Laodice in order to marry Berenice with the understanding that the kingdoms of both Egypt and Syria should go to Bernice’s son. In revenge, Laodice successfully plotted to have her former husband, Antiochus II, poisoned, and Berenice and her son murdered. Laodice then became queen in her own right. Her son Seleucus II Callinicus became the heir.

Not much is known about the life of Antiochus II Theos. He attacked Ptolemy II and regained various parts of Asia Minor and Syria. It was a brilliant political triumph for Ptolemy II when he made the marriage alliance with Antiochus II. However, the peace between the north and the south was short-lived because both Antiochus and Ptolemy died in 246 BC. The sons did not have the mutual friendship of their fathers.

V. Ptolemy III Euergetes (246 - 222) & Seleucus II Callinicus (246 - 226)

"In those times a branch from her roots shall rise up in his place, He shall come against the army and enter the fortress of the king of the north, and he shall take action against them and prevail. Even their gods, with their idols and with their precious vessels of silver and gold, he shall carry off to Egypt as spoils of war. For some years he shall refrain from attacking the king of the north;" (11:7)

The "branch from her roots" refers to murdered Berenice’s brother, Ptolemy III Euergetes. In retaliation for his sister’s murder, he marched north and invaded Syria (246-241 BC) capturing both Damascus and Antioch, and killing Laodice. After hearing about trouble brewing in Egypt, he returned with large quantities of loot, including Egyptian gods originally taken from Egypt by the Persian king Cambyses.

However, he was not able to hold or eliminate the Syrian kingdom. The wealth gained by Ptolemy III enabled him to start temple-building on a huge scale. Today, these temples are the finest example of Greek temples in Egypt. In gratitude, the people gave him the title Euergetes, meaning benefactor. The "king of the north" in this passage is Seleucus II Callinicus (247-226 BC)

"then the latter shall invade the realm of the king of the south but will return to his own land." (11:9)

Seleucus II was the son of the deposed queen Laodice. After his marriage to Bernice, Antiochus II returned to Laodice, and she poisoned him in 246 BC. She then named her son Seleucus II as king. Bernice asked her brother Ptolemy III to come to her aid then she and her son were murdered. Ptolemy III came north and plundered Syria and Babylonia. This was the time when Parthia was lost as well as other parts of the Seleucid empire. Seleucus II attacked Egypt in 240 BC, but was defeated by Ptolemy III, after which they agreed to a ten-year truce. He died of a riding accident.

VIa. Antiochus III The Great (223 - 187) & Ptolemy IV Philopator (222 - 205)

"His sons shall wage war and assemble a multitude of great forces, which shall advance like a flood and pass through, and again shall carry the war as far as his fortress." (11:10)

"His sons", the sons of Seleucus II Callinicus were Seleucus III Soter (226-223) and Antiochus III the Great (223-187). Seleucus III Soter only reigned two years and was killed mysteriously while at war in Asia Minor in 223 BC. He was succeeded by his brother, Antiochus III The Great (222 - 187). It was under Antiochus III that the Jews changed from being under Egyptian control to Syrian control. When Antiochus came to the throne, the Seleucid empire was being fragmented. His task was consolidation, then expansion.

Ptolemy IV Philopator (222-205 BC) was a pleasure-loving prince who left much of his government to ministers of the crown. He enlarged his army by recruiting Egyptians for the first time. "his fortress" is the fortress of Gaza on the Egyptian border, which was attacked by Antiochus.

"Moved with rage, the king of the south shall go out and do battle against the king of the north; who shall muster a great multitude, which shall, however, be defeated by his enemy." (11:11)

Antiochus invaded south, seeking to take Lebanon and Judea. He had many victories, but Ptolemy IV struck back angrily, and defeated Antiochus III at Raphia in 217 BC. He then made peace and returned to licentious living in Egypt.

"When the multitude has been carried off, his heart shall be exalted and he shall overthrow tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail." (11:12)

The apparent victory of Ptolemy IV over Antiochus III had relatively short-lived benefits for Egypt. After this defeat Antiochus concentrated his warfare in the east, regaining Bactria and Parthia. With the death of Ptolemy IV in 203, Antiochus saw his opportunity to take Coele-Syria.

Ptolemy V (Epiphanes) (204-180 BC) was very young when he came to the throne, aged about five or six. He lost the control of Palestine, as well as his overseas territory. He married Cleopatra, daughter of Antiochus III in a marriage alliance. He had to deal with revolts in his own kingdom. It was from this king’s reign that the Rosetta stone was found. This stone, containing three scripts (Egyptian hieroglyphics, Demotic, and Greek) has been a vital key to deciphering ancient Egyptian script.

"For the king of the north shall again raise a multitude, larger than the former, and after some years he shall advance with a great army and abundant supplies." (11:13)

The king of the north, Antiochus III, returned to fight against Ptolemy V of Egypt 14 years later in 201 BC, with a great army, including help from Philip of Macedonia and Egyptian rebels. He invaded Palestine and after hard fighting took Gaza (Dan 11:13). Having secured Palestine, he turned his attention to the north-west.

"In those times many shall rise against the king of the south. The lawless among your own people shall lift themselves up in order to fulfil the vision; but they shall fail." (11:14)

Judea was part of Egypt at this time, so Antiochus III persuaded Jews, who were hoping to gain their independence, to change sides to fight against Ptolemy V. Ptolemy V’s leading General Scopas, hearing of the absence of Antiochus III, invaded Palestine in 200 BC, and laid waste the city of Jerusalem.

"Then the king of the north shall come and throw up siegeworks, and take a well-fortified city. And the forces of the south shall not stand, or even his picked troops, for there shall be no strength to stand." (11:15)

Antiochus III finally conquered Ptolemy V at Sidon, the "well-fortified city", in 198 BC, where Scopas surrendered.

"But he who comes against him shall take the actions he pleases, and one shall withstand him. He shall take a position in the beautiful land and all of it shall be in his power." (11:16)

Antiochus took the "beautiful land" around 198 BC, when Palestine was given into the control of Antiochus III and Israel came under Syrian rule until Rome took the province in 63 BC. He granted the Jews freedom of religion. Rome at this point was growing in influence.

"He shall set his mind to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and he shall bring terms of peace and perform them. In order to destroy the kingdom, he shall give him a woman in marriage; but it shall not succeed or be to his advantage." (11:17)

Antiochus III eventually gave his daughter Cleopatra to Ptolemy V in a peace treaty sealed with a marriage alliance hoping that hoping that he would gain control over Egypt this way. Unfortunately for Antiochus, Cleopatra sided with her husband Ptolemy V against her father.

"Afterward he shall turn to the coastlands, and shall capture many. But a commander shall put an end to his insolence; indeed, he shall turn his insolence back upon him." (11:18)

Antiochus III turned his face to the coastlands and invaded Thrace and Greece. The Romans, led by their commander Scipio, fought with him and defeated him at Thermopylae in 189 BC. Antiochus had to agree to give up parts of Asia Minor, reduce the size of his army and pay a heavy fine. Twenty hostages were taken to Rome until the fine was paid. One of these hostages was Antiochus IV, who would later call himself Antiochus Epiphanes. In 176 BC, Antiochus was replaced as hostage by his nephew Demetrius, who was the son of Seleucus IV.

"Then he shall turn back toward the fortresses of his own land; but he shall stumble and fall, and shall not be found." (11:19)

To raise money to pay the Roman fine, Antiochus III raided temples. This so angered the people of Susa that they attacked his forces and killed him in 187 BC.

VII. Seleucus IV Philopator (187 - 175)

"Then shall arise in his place one who shall send an official for the glory of the kingdom; but within a few days he shall be broken, though not in anger or in battle." (11:20)

The "one who shall send an official" in this passage is Seleucus IV Philopater (187-175). He was the son of Antiochus III and the older brother of Antiochus IV Epiphanes. He sent his prime minister, Heliodorus, to plunder treasures from the Jewish temple to pay the debt to Rome (2 Macc 3). God appeared to him in a vision, so Heliodorus returned without the treasures, and poisoned Seleucus IV in 175 BC.

VIII. Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175 - 163)

"In his place shall arise a contemptible person on whom royal majesty had not been conferred; he shall come in without warning and obtain the kingdom by intrigue." (11:21)

Because of the weakness of the Selucid kingdom, Antiochus began a vigorous program of Hellenisation especially incorporating the worship of Zeus. Antiochus considered himself to be the earthly incarnation of Zeus, taking the name 'Epiphanes', meaning the manifest god. Antiochus was greedy, but wasteful, violent, cunning, flattering, and cruel. Instead of 'Epiphanes', by changing a single letter, people called him 'Epimedes', meaning 'mad man'.

"Enemies shall be utterly swept away and broken before him, and the prince of the covenant as well." (11:22)

The enemies would refer to the forces of Ptolemy VI of Egypt (181-145). Antiochus’ kingdom lacked political and financial stability, so to seek to rectify this and bring unity, he started vigorous programs of Hellenisation, particularly spreading the worship of Olympian Zeus. The "prince of the covenant" probably refers to the high priest, Onias III, whom Antiochus deposed in 175 BC, after receiving bribes. Onias was replaced by his brother Jason (2 Macc 4:7-10), who was pro-Greek, and was eventually assassinated in 171 BC.

"And after an alliance is made with him, he shall act deceitfully and become strong with a small party". (11:23)

Antiochus agreed to let Jason be high priest, but when Jason sent Menelaus to Antiochus with the money, Menelaus pledged more money and more vigorous Hellenisation. Antiochus accepted this bribe because it meant getting more money to replenish his depleted funds. When Menelaus became high priest, the Aaronic line was broken, which had run continuously since Aaron in the 1400's BC.

"Without warning he shall come into the richest parts of the province and he do what none of his predecessors have ever done, lavishing plunder, spoil, and wealth on them. He shall devise plans against strongholds, but only for a time." (11:24)

Antiochus plundered temples and lavished gifts on his followers to gain their support.

First expedition against Egypt - successful (1 Macc 1:16-19)

"He shall stir up his power and determination against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall wage war with a much greater and stronger army. But he shall not succeed, for plots shall be devised against him by those who eat of the royal rations. They shall break him, his army shall be swept away, and many shall fall slain. The two kings, their minds bent on evil, shall sit at one table and exchange lies. But it shall not succeed, for there remains an end at the time appointed." (11:25-27)

In 170 BC, the advisors of the young Ptolemy suggested he seek to recover Coele-Syria. Antiochus heard of this and went south with a large army. He defeated Ptolemy VI and proclaimed himself king at Memphis. An arrangement was made whereby Ptolemy VI should be king in Memphis and Ptolemy VII should be king in Alexandria. These are the two kings, who pretended to be friends (v27). His purpose was that the nation of Egypt should be paralysed by the rivalry of the two brothers. Instead, they united against Antiochus. Ptolemy VI’s subjects rebelled against him, so he fell from power.

"He shall return to his land with great wealth, but his heart shall be set against the holy covenant. He shall work his will, and return to his own land." (11:28)

After this expedition in Egypt, Antiochus was returning to Damascus, when he heard of uprisings in Jerusalem. Menelaus had plundered the temple and desecrated it, so the Jews began to riot. Antiochus took this as a threat to his own authority. He attacked Jerusalem on the Sabbath so there would be no resistance from the Jews, and together with Menelaus, he desecrated and plundered the temple, leaving Jerusalem under command of one of his commanders (1 Macc 1:20-24).

2nd Expedition against Egypt - failure

"At the time appointed he shall return and come into the south, but this time it shall not be as it was before." (11:29)

In the winter of 169-168 BC the two Ptolemy brothers agreed to unite against Antiochus, their uncle. Antiochus heard of this and marched south, to attack and take Memphis.

"For ships of Kittim shall come against him, and he shall lose heart and withdraw. He shall be enraged and take action against the holy covenant. He shall turn back and pay heed to those who forsake the holy covenant." (11:30)

Following his success in Memphis, Antiochus turned west to Alexandria to strengthen his grip on Egypt. However, before arriving in Alexandria he was humiliated by Rome. A Roman representative called Popillius Laenas, a former acquaintance of Epiphanes from his days as hostage in Rome, presented Antiochus with a written order from the Roman Senate, ordering him to leave Egypt. He wanted time to consider this, but the legate drew a circle around him with his sword and demanded an answer before he left the circle. If he did not promise to leave Egypt, he would kill him. Antiochus, having first-hand knowledge of Roman military might from his time in Rome, wisely withdrew.

"Forces sent by him shall occupy and profane the temple and fortress. They shall abolish the regular burnt offering and set up the abomination that makes desolate." (11:31)

After his humiliation by Rome, he was enraged and vented his wrath on the Jews. He was determined to make Judah stay loyal to him as a buffer state. Considering himself to be Zeus Epiphanes, he ordered an intensification of Hellenisation program in Jerusalem. He sent 22,000 men against Jerusalem on the Sabbath and killed many. The city was plundered and burned, women and children were taken as slaves (1 Macc 1:31-35).

In 167 BC he decided to eliminate the Jewish religion completely by forbidding Jews to obey their laws. He forbade the observance of the Sabbath, festivals, sacrifices and circumcision. The Torah was burned, idolatrous altars were set up and Jews were forced to offer up unclean sacrifices and eat swine flesh.

This all culminated on Chislev 25 (16th Dec 167 BC) when the temple in Jerusalem as well as the temple on Mt. Gerizim became the places designated by Epiphanes for the worship of Zeus. An altar to Zeus was erected on top of the altar of burnt offering, which became known as "the abomination that makes desolate". The unclean flesh of swine was offered on this altar, making the temple ritually unclean. These sacrifices were repeated on the 25th of each month as this was the birthday of Antiochus IV (1 Macc 1:54-61).

"He shall seduce with intrigue those who violate the covenant; but the people loyal to their God shall stand firm and take action." (11:32)

There was great tension within Judaism over how to respond to the pressure of Hellenisation. The Jews who agreed to these abominations were allowed to live, described as "those who violate the covenant". These were the wealthy Jews attracted to Greek ways, who compromised with Antiochus, while "the people loyal to their God" were those who opposed him. Their suffering and death at the hands of the Seleucids sparked off the Maccabean revolution begun at Modein by Mattathias and continued by his son Judas Maccabeus (1 Macc 1:62).

"The wise among the people shall give understanding to many, for some days, however, they shall fall by sword and flame, and suffer captivity and plunder. When they fall victim, they shall receive a little help, and many shall join them insincerely; Some of the wise shall fall, so that they may be refined, purified and cleansed, until the time of the end, for there is still an interval until the appointed." (11:33-35)

Many supporters of the Maccabees experienced dreadful sufferings at the hands of the Syrian army. Antiochus would have come to crush the revolt but had trouble on his eastern border. So in 165, Lysias, regent of the west, took troops to do it instead and to destroy the Jewish race.

The Maccabees had great successes in their rebellion against this desecration of the temple. Judas had a major victory at Emmaus and another one at Bethzur a year later 164 BC. As as result Judas regained the entire country of Judea and restored the daily sacrifices exactly three years to the day of its desecration. This was marked by the Jewish feast of Dedication, or Hannukah. The victory of the Maccabees marked the end of Greek rule of Judea.

Antiochus was enraged at hearing of Judas’ success. He could have stopped the Maccabeans, but he needed funds so he raided a temple in Elymais. This was unsuccessful and he only just escaped with his life. He withdrew and died insane in Persia in the spring or summer of 163 BC.

Ptolemy VI Philometer (180-145 BC)

He ascended the throne as a child with his Syrian mother Cleopatra I acting as regent. Onias IV, son of the murdered Onias III fled to Egypt. With permission of Ptolemy VI, he established a local temple at Leontopolis. It was a disused temple which he rebuilt into a rival temple of the one in Jerusalem, and as a religious centre of Hellenistic Judaism.

Comment about the last section of the vision (11:36 - 12:4)

This is a difficult passage to interpret, so there are many different opinions over what it means. It is reasonably easy to follow the historical details up to v35. Then it gets more difficult. Some of the descriptions seem to fit Antiochus IV, but others do not fit known historical facts so well. Liberals claim that the lack of historical accuracy indicates a late date of the book, after the time of Antiochus Epiphanes. They say that the verses up to verse 35 are in the past, and what follows is a vague and inaccurate prediction of the future. Dispensationalists say this passage describes a future Antichrist, who is prefigured by Antiochus. Others say that it continues to describe Antiochus Epiphanes, at least as far as verse 39. Following verse 40, there are many suggestions, including Antichrist, the Roman Empire, the Papacy, and Herod the Great.

If these verses are still to be fulfilled in the future, there must be a very long gap in the chronology. Otherwise, they may have already been fulfilled in the past, but the historical details are not so well known. If they still remain in the future then it is hard to understand until they have been fulfilled.

Exalting himself above the gods (11:36-39)

It is debated who these four verses are referring to, but it is most likely that they refer to the pride and craziness of Antiochus IV Epiphanes. It fits quite well.

"The king shall act as he pleases. He shall exalt himself and consider himself greater than any god, and shall speak horrendous things against the God of gods. He shall prosper until the period of wrath is completed, for what is determined shall be done. He shall pay no respect to the gods of his ancestors, or to the one beloved by women; he shall pay no respect to any other god, for he shall consider himself greater then all. He shall honour the god of fortresses instead of these; a god whom his ancestors did not know he shall honour with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. He shall deal with the strongest fortresses by the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall make more wealthy, and shall appoint them as rulers over many, and shall distribute the land for a price." (11:36-39)

These do give a good description of the pride and self-exultation of Antiochus. He turned away from the gods of his ancestors to worship a god not known by them. The historic deity of the Seleucid dynasty was Apollo, who Antiochus replaced by Zeus. Apollo ceased to appear on Seleucid coins, to be replaced by Antiochus, who was portrayed on coins as Zeus made manifest. The "one beloved by women" (v37) was Tammuz. In his vision of the idolatrous worship in the temple, Ezekiel saw women weeping for Tammuz (Ezek 8:14). This was an annual ritual to mourn his death. Tammuz was a fertility god, to be identified with Adonis, and the consort of Ishtar, the goddess of sex. In his attempt to unify all religious activity in his kingdom as worship of himself as Zeus, Antiochus suppressed all other religious activity, whether pagan or Jewish. "Those who acknowledge him" refer to the pro-Greek Jews, many of whom became very wealthy, and would get positions of power through bribery.

Attack by the king of the south (Egypt) (11:40-45)

Now it gets even more difficult. There is no record of Egypt attacking Syria during the reign of Antiochus, so it must describe a later period.

It describes the "time of the end", a phrase used a number of times in these visions (8:17,19). The questions is the end of what? If it refers to the end of history, then this passage refers to the Antichrist. But the focus of Daniel’s visions are the oppressions under Antiochus IV, followed by the coming of the Messiah and the Kingdom of God. The Greek empire and its successors was finally destroyed shortly before the coming of Christ by the arrival of the Roman Empire. So the time of the end in the context of Daniel would probably mark the final destruction of the Greek Empire and the coming of Christ.

"At the time of the end the king of the south will attack him. But the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. He shall advance against countries and pass through like a flood." (11:40)

The king of the south could be Ptolemy XII Auletes (80 - 51 BC), who attacked Antiochus XIII Asiaticus, the last Seleucid king. In this vision, Antiochus is described as the contemptible person (v21), and not as the king of the north, like the other Seleucid kings, perhaps because he was not a legitimate king of Syria. The king of the north here could refer to the coming of the Roman Empire, which attacked Syria. Seaurus, the legate of Pompey annexed Syria to the Roman Empire in 65 BC, ending the Seleucid kingdom. Rome certainly had chariots, horsemen and many ships.

"He shall come against the beautiful land, and tens of thousands shall fall victim, but Edom and Moab and the main part of the Ammonites shall escape from his power." (11:41)

Pompey, the Roman general started a campaign against Nabatea, which included Edom, Moab and Ammon, in 63 BC, but halted and turned to capture Jerusalem. In this way, Edom, Moab and most of Ammon remained outside the Roman Empire, but Judah, "the beautiful land" was annexed by Rome.

"He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. He shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and silver, and all the riches of Egypt; and the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow in his train." (11:42-43)

After conquering Judah, Pompey continued south to Egypt and north Africa, adding these kingdoms to the Roman Empire in 27 BC, ending the rule of the Ptolemies. In this way the Greek empire came to an end, with the destruction of both the Seleucid and Ptolemaic dynasties.

"But reports from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to bring ruin and complete destruction to many. He shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, with no one to help him." (11:44-45)

The area to the east and the north is probably Parthia. Even though Rome was very strong, it was not invincible, and was defeated by the Parthians a number of times. In 54 BC, Crassus led the first Roman campaign against the Parthians, after plundering Syria and the temple in Jerusalem. He was killed by the Parthians, so came to his end. It was Rome that finally destroyed the Greek Empire and its successors. Macedonia was captured in 148 BC and made into a Roman province, Syria was annexed in 65 BC, Judah in 64 BC, and Egypt in 27 BC.

Time of great anguish (12:1-4)

The beginning of chapter 12 continues with the conclusion of the words from the angel, which formed a single speech which started in 10:20.

"At that time" refers to the events described in this final vision, particularly the sufferings under Antiochus IV Epiphanes. This is when Michael, the protector of your people will arise (v1). It was Michael who helped the man in linen fight against the prince of Persia (10:13). Michael is one of the few angelic beings given a name in the Bible. He is also mentioned in the Book of Jude, "But when the archangel Michael contended with the devil and disputed about the body of Moses ..." (Jude 9). The other named archangel is Gabriel, who appeared to Zechariah to announce the birth of John the Baptist (Lk 1:19), and to Mary to announce the coming birth of Jesus (1:26). There are more frequent namings of archangels in the Apocrypha: Raphael (Tobit 5:4-5, 12:15) where he describes himself as one of the seven angels who stand ready and enter before the glory of God, Uriel (2 Esdras 4:1) and Jeremiel (2 Esdras 4:36), as well as Suruel, Raguel and Saragael in the first Book of Enoch (20:1). It appears that Michael has particular responsibility to protect God’s people.

The vision will be fulfilled during a time of unprecedented trouble (v1). The same hyperbolic phrase is used in the Olivet Discourse to describe the sufferings during the siege of Jerusalem up to AD 70 (Mt 24:21, Mk 13:19). Here is it probably again describing the sufferings of God’s people under Antiochus, although many claim this is describing the great tribulation at the end of time. However, during the time of trouble, Daniel’s people, the Jews, will be delivered, those who is found written in the book (v1). This is probably the Book of Life, also mentioned in the description of the judgement scene Revelation (20:12). The Book of Life is the list of the names of God’s people who will not judged according to their works, but will be saved by the grace of God. During the time of Antiochus, God knows the identity of his people, those who will remain faithful to him, and will be raised to new life.

Here is one of the very few references in the OT to the resurrection. The angel declares that many who die, or sleep in the dust, will awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt (v2). Generally in the OT, the dead go to Sheol, the grave, the place of the dead, and there is no distinction between the destinies of the righteous and the wicked. This distinction of destinies becomes far more prominent in the teaching of Jesus, especially in his teaching on the general resurrection (eg. Jn 5:28-29). Many of God’s people will die as martyrs under Antiochus, but there is an eternal hope for the righteous.

In the final words of the vision, Daniel is told to keep the words secret and the book sealed until the time of the end (v4). Again, the end does not necessarily mean the end of time. If it did here, we should not be reading the Book of Daniel. The time of the end again is the end of the power of the empires, particularly the Greek Seleucids, when the predictions in the vision will be fulfilled. At that time, the words of the vision will become relevant, and understandable.

First question: "How long until the end of the wonders" (12:5-7)

As Daniel watched, two other angelic beings appeared on each side of the River Tigris to join the man in linen who had been explaining the visions to Daniel. The first of two questions comes from one of these angelic beings. The first question is how long will be until the end of these wonders, evidently referring to all the events predicted in the speech from the man in linen (11:2 - 12:4).

He swears an oath by God, declaring that the length of time in the answer is "a time, two times and half a time" (v7), probably meaning 3½ years. This marks the time when the "shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end, all these thing would be accomplished". Again, there is debate whether this is the end of the suffering under Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the Fall of Jerusalem in AD 70, or the suffering under the Antichrist during the tribulation in end-times, linking it with the final half-week in the seventy weeks of years (9:27). In the context of this final vision, it is most likely to refer to the sufferings under Antiochus, which did last for 3½ years (167 - 164 BC), which has consistently been the focus of each of the visions Daniel received.

Second question: "What shall be the outcome of these things?" (12:8-13)

The second question is from Daniel, who has not understood the words. This question is not answered directly. Daniel is told to go on his way, as the words are not for his own time, but for the time of the end (v9). Again, this does not necessarily mean the events of end-times, but the events of the end of the power of the world empires of Babylon, Media, Persia and Greece, culminating with the sufferings of God’s people under Antiochus. Before that time, these words will remain secret and sealed, meaning that they will not be understood until they are fulfilled. As noted before, predictions only become clear after their fulfilment. They are not intended to be used to plan a schedule for events in the future before they happen.

The angel predicts the trials, and the way different people will respond to them (v10). Many will be purified, cleansed and refined. These are God’s people, who hold fast to their faith in the midst of sufferings, and allow their trials to be God’s way of purifying them. This is a similar message of the author of Hebrews, who urges his readers to, "Endure trials for the sake of discipline ..." (Heb 12:7), and of James, who tells his readers to consider it as joy to endure trials because the testing of faith produces endurance (James 1:2-3).

Others, the wicked, will continue to act wickedly. These would be the Seleucid persecutors, but also those Jews who compromised with the Greeks. However, these two groups are time-less, showing the difference between God’s people and the unbelievers at any time in history.

Again, the length of time from the removal of the regular burnt offering and the setting up of the abomination that desolates will be set up is predicted (v11), when the regular burnt offering is abolished (11:31). The time is 1290 days, which is about a month longer than the 3½ years given before (approx 1260 days). As noted earlier, the abomination that desolates is the sacrifice of pigs on the altar of burnt offering in the temple, which Antiochus had rededicated to the Greek god Zeus. The abomination lasted for almost exactly three years, from Dec 167 to Dec 164. It seems that the regular burnt offering was removed a few months before the abomination began. Again, there is debate over the when the 3½ years occurs, whether at the time of Antiochus, AD 70, or the tribulation at the end of time.

There is a blessing on those who endure to the end of 1335 days, an additional 45 days (v12). It is uncertain what period this describes. One possibility is that this marks the time up to the death of Antiochus, which occurred shortly after the Maccabean victory. God’s people won a victory under the Maccabees, when Israel regained her independence, but final victory over Antiochus came at his death.

The angel concludes with a personal word for Daniel, again telling him to go on his way, and rest (at the end of his life), and promising him a personal resurrection at the end of the days (v13), the same promise given to all believers in the One True God.

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