Vv 1 – 10 Conflicts to Come
V 1 In the first year
of Darius the Mede, I arose to be an encouragement and a
protection for him.
A. The first year of Darius the Mede, either Cyrus or a
governor under Cyrus,
was 539
B.C.
1. Obviously, Daniel
isn’t going back to
2. He is somewhere
around 80 years of age.
3. He goes to
strengthen and encourage the king and offer protection for him.
a. What kind of
protection?
b. Spiritual.
V 2 And now I will
tell you the truth Behold, three more kings are going to arise in
becomes strong through his riches,
he will arouse the whole empire against the
realm of
B. The three kings are:
Cambyses
(530-522 B.C.)
Pseudo-Smerdis
(522-521 B. C.)
Darius I
Hystaspes (also called Darius the Great) (522-486 B.C.)
Xerxes
(486-464 B. C.) known as Ahasuerus in some translations of Esther.
1. The fourth will
gain much riches.
2. His riches will
make him proud.
3. His riches will
arouse the Greece Empire against him.
V 3 And a mighty king
will arise, and he will rule with great authority and do as he
pleases.
C. The mighty king is Alexander the Great (334-331 B. C.)
V 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.
D. His four generals began to rule his kingdom.
1. Cassander took
2. Lysimachus took
3. Seleucus took
4. Ptolemy claimed
5. Notice that these
men are not his descendants.
5 – 20 The struggles between the Ptolemies and
the Seleucids
V 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
dominion indeed.
A. Who is the king of the South?
1. Ptolemy of
2. “One of his
princes”
a. Not a reference
to Ptolemy but to Alexander the Great
b. The prince
mentioned here is Seleucus I Nicator.
c. His kingdom
stretched from
V 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.
B. Like the Hatfields and McCoys, the Ptolemies and
Seleucids try to mend their
differences
by marriage.
1. The king of the
South, Ptolemy II gave his daughter in marriage to Antiochus I, A
Seleucid.
2. It didn’t work
because he deserted her, “will be given up.”
3. Later he was
murdered.
V 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.
C. However, one of her descendants will come against their
army.
1. One of her
descendants. . .
a. Where is she
from?
b. South,
2. Her descendant
who came against the North was Ptolemy III (246 – 221 B.C.).
3. He invaded
V 8 Also their gods
with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold
he will take into captivity to
the king of the North for some years.
D. Ptolemy III makes a great showing with his army, he
carries off their gods and some
valuable
vessels and metal images and returns to
1. Apparently
Ptolemy III is satisfied with this showing.
2. He doesn’t attack
the North for several years.
Vv 9 – 13 A Description of the Seesaw Battles
Between the Two Houses
(223-220 B.C).
V 9 Then the latter
will enter the realm of the king of the South, but will return to his own
land.
A. However, the king of the North can’t leave well enough
alone.
1. He attacks the
king of the South.
2. But he loses
badly and goes home.
V 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.
B. The king of the North’s sons mobilize a huge army that
gets nearly to the king of the
South’s
home.
V 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.
C. The king of the South gets mad and puts together a great
army to go teach the king of
the North a
lesson.
V 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.
D. The king of the South will carry away a huge number of
people from the North’s
army, and
he will kill tens of thousands of them.
1. Although he wins
a victory, he loses the war.
2. Eventually, the
king of the North will prevail.
V 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.
E. The king of the North raises an even larger army along
with much equipment.
V 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.
F. During these times, many will come against the king of
the South including some of
his own
people, but they will fail.
V 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.
G. Finally, the king of the North lays siege to a well
fortified city of the South.
1. This king is
Antiochus III (the Great).
2. His army is
successful to the point that the king of the South’s army run from him.
V 16 But he who comes
against him will do as he pleases, and no one will be able to
withstand him; he will also stay for
a time in the
in his hand.
H. In Egypt Antiochus does as he pleases.
1. He eventually
comes to terms with the king of the South.
2. Then he turns his
attention to
V 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.
I. He purposes peace to the king of the South, and he gives
his daughter in marriage to
the South’s
king.
1. However, the goal
here was for the daughter to help him ruin
2. She, on the other
hand, would not help (“she did not take a stand for him,” the king of
the North,
her father).
V 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.
J. Antiochus III did annex the coastlands of
Romans when
he tried to take
1. He lost to the
Romans at Magnesia in 190 B.C.
2. He was forced to pay
tribute to them.
V 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.
K. He returns home and is found no more.
1. He is succeeded
by his son, Seleucus IV (Philopator)
2. His son tries to
tax
3. He sends
Heliodorus to
4. However, his plan
fails and Heliodorus returns home empty handed.
V 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.
L. Seleucus IV dies with in a few days.
1. He isn’t killed
in anger.
2. He doesn’t die in
battle.
3. He is assassinated.
4. Then Heliodrous
becomes king.
Vv 21 – 35 The
Career of Antiochus IV (Epiphanes 175 – 164 B.C.)
V 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.
A. Antiochus the IV manages to oust Heliodorus even though
an infant son whose name
is
Antiochus had to be murdered in order to oust Heliodorus.
1. Antiochus the IV
(Epiphanes) was a terrible person.
2. He would stop at nothing
to get what he wants.
3. Although
Epiphanes is the younger brother of Seleucus IV, he is not an heir to the
throne because
Heliodorus’ infant son is.
4. So he murders his
way to the top.
5. He hated
V 22 The overflowing forces
will be flooded away before him and shattered, and also the
prince of the covenant.
B. Those in opposition to him will be beaten.
1. He invades the
South.
2. He comes away
with much plunder (. 24, 28).
V 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.
C. Egypt will try to make an alliance with him.
1. He will deceive
them.
2. He will gain
power with a small army.
V 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.
D. During a supposed peace treaty, Epiphanes will enter the
choice parts of
what his
forefathers never did, i.e. return with booty to distribute to his own
people.
V 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.
E. He mobilizes a large force, but schemes are devised
against him and he isn’t
successful.
V 26 Those who eat his
choice food will destroy him, and his army will overflow, but
many will fall down slain.
F. The schemes include part of his own army, probably some
of his officers, go against
him.
V 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.
G. Both kings meet to discuss a treaty, but both of them lie
to each other.
V 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 own land.
H. He returns to his own country, the North.
1. However, he does
bring much plunder with him.
2. He sets his heart
against the covenant made with
3. He begins to
destroy the people and take their land.
V 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.
I. Again he wants to whip up on
V 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.
J. “Ships of Kittim” indicate that
V 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.
K. So perhaps because of his lack of success against
to
1. He sends forces
against the
2. He attacks the
3. And Epiphanes
does away with the regular sacrifice.
4. He desecrates the
5. He erects a
statute of Zeus in the
V 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.
L. How do you recognize godlessness?
1. You weigh what is
said against the Word.
2. You listen not to
what someone says, but you watch their fruit.
3. Jesus says, “By
their fruit you will know them.”
V 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 many days.
M. Although the leaders of the Jews find Epiphanes out and
give instructions to their
people,
many Jews are killed by sword, fire, taken captivity and plundered for a
long time.
V 34 Now when they
fall they will be granted a little help, and many will join with them
in hypocrisy.
N. Some will help in the fight,
1. Those who try to
resist will be killed.
2. Many of the Jews
will listen to the smooth words and join Epiphanes.
V 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.
O. Sometimes God uses death to purge and refine a nation.
Vv 36 – 45 Description
of the Anti-Christ.
V 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.
A. Although some have said that the following verses are
Epiphanes, the things that take
place are too
broad to fit his timeframe of
1. Although
Epiphanes tries to exalt himself above God, he in no way succeeds like the
anti-christ.
2. Epiphanes does
not prosper or accomplish world domination.
3. Epiphanes does
not successfully set himself up in the
there.
4. And Epiphanes
does not set up a statue of himself for all to worship.
5. So there are too
many differences and broader things discussed in this and the
following
verses for this to be Epiphanes.
V 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.
B. Look at 2 Thessalonians 2:4.
1. Anti-Christ will
have no regards for God.
2. Nor will women
mean anything to him.
3. He will be the
only god that will even be thought of in his mind.
V 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.
C. A statute of the anti-christ will be set up as a point of
worship, and everyone must
worship him
and take his mark.
V 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.
D. The foreign god here is satan.
1. Those who worship
him will have nothing to fear in this lifetime.
2. There will still
be buying and selling of land, perhaps the land of those who don’t
honor and
worship him and are killed.
Vv 40 – 45 The Kings
of the South and North Come Against Anti-Christ.
V 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.
A. During the tribulation period, the kings of the South and
North will try to overthrow
the
anti-christ.
V 41 He will also
enter the
rescued out of his hand:
B. First he defeats
above will
be rescued, i.e.
1. Why?
2. Who is
3. Who is
4. Who is Ammon?
V 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.
C. The armies could relate to Revelation 9:13-21.
1. Whatever the
rumors, anti-Christ will leave
2. He will return to
3. He will kill a
lot of people during this time.
V 45 He will pitch the
tents of his royal pavilion between the seas and the beautiful
Mountain; yet he will come to his
end, and no one will help him.
D. However, Christ returns to help His people escape from
all the murdering, and the anti-Christ meets his end (Revelation 19:11-21).
Study Questions
Daniel 11
1. When did Darius
the Mede first reign?
2. Who is the great
king of v 3?
3. Why was his land
divided?
4. What kind of
alliance does the king of the south try to make with the king of the north?
5. Does it work?
6. Which king
becomes the strongest?
7. Where is the
beautiful land?
8. Verse 14 what
people are being talked about here when he says, “The violent ones
among your
people?”
9. With whom does
the king of the north make a “holy covenant?”
10. Who are the “many” of verse 33?
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Blessings,
Howard
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