02.12- Chapter 11. The Pre-written History of the Kings of the North and the South

Daniel 11:1-45. The Pre-written History of the Kings of the North and the South

Daniel 11:2-35 THE SCRIPTURE OF TRUTH In Daniel 11:1-45 we have what Gabriel calls the “Scripture of Truth.” It is a PRE-WRITTEN HISTORY of the wars of the Ptolemies of Egypt, “the Kings of the South;” and the Seleucidae of Syria, “the Kings of the North.” Here we have history so accurately foretold and “written in advance,” that the Critics claim that the Book of Daniel could not have been written as early as is claimed (B. C. 533), but that it must have been written after the wars of the Ptolemies and Seleucidae were over, or about B. C. 160, for it would have been impossible for Daniel, or any other person, to have so accurately described these wars before they occurred. But it is right here that the Scriptures and the Critics part. The Scriptures claim that they have been inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:15-17), and that “Holy Men of God spake as they were moved by the HOLY SPIRIT.” 2 Peter 1:19-21. Prophecy then is HISTORY WRITTEN IN ADVANCE. And the “Spirit of God” can write History beforehand as well as afterward. The catching phrase “History Unveiling Prophecy” should be reversed to read “Prophecy Foretelling History.” Historical interpretation of Prophecy always works mischief, for it leads to “forced interpretation” of historical events. The relation of History to Prophecy is not that of interpretation, but of verification. This makes Prophecy a “LIGHT IN A DARK PLACE .” 2 Peter 1:19. That is, Prophecy illuminates the future by forecasting it. The detailed accuracy of the Prophecy is most marvelous. The Prophecy is not clothed in figures and symbols, as in the previous Visions. In fact it is not a Vision, but a description in literal language of historical events concerning Daniel’s people and the Holy Land, from Daniel’s time down to the Second Coming of Christ. For the sake of clearness we will take the Prophecy up verse by verse, or where necessary several verses together. The Prophecy begins with the second verse of chapter eleven.

Daniel 11:2— “And now I will shew thee the Truth (Scripture of Truth. Daniel 10:21). Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia.”

Since the Prophecy was given in the third year of Cyrus (Daniel 10:1. B. C. 533), the three kings that were to “stand up yet,” that is, “after him,” were Ahasuerus, Artaxerxes, and Darius (Ezra 4:1-24), known in history as Cambyses (B. C. 529-522), Pseudo-Smerdis (B. C. 522-521), and Darius Hystaspes (B. C. 521-485). The “fourth” king was Xerxes (B. C. 485-465), the son of Darius Hystaspes, whose marvellous riches enabled him to put vast armies in the field. He stirred up Persia against Greece, which he invaded in B. C. 480, but failed to conquer it. Since prophecy touches only upon important events and characters, the remaining kings of Persia are omitted, and the prophecy jumps over nearly 150 years to the time of Alexander the Great. B. C. 336-323.

Daniel 11:3-4—“And a Mighty King shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. And when he shall stand up, his Kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the ’Four Winds’ of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his Kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those.”

These verses take us back to the Vision of the “Ram and He-Goat” (Daniel 8:3-8; Daniel 8:20-22), and we recognize in the “Mighty King,” the “Notable Horn” of the “He-Goat” that was broken off, and in the “Four Horns” that came up in its place, the division of this “Mighty King’s” Kingdom toward the “Four Winds.” This “Mighty King” then was Alexander the Great, and the division of his Kingdom toward the “Four Winds” of heaven was the division of his Kingdom at his death among four of his Generals. Cassander took Macedonia and the Western part; Lysimachus took Thrace and the Northern part; Seleucus took Syria and the Eastern part; and Ptolemy took Egypt and the Southern part. None of Alexander the Great’s posterity succeeded him, and within fifteen years his family was extinct.

Daniel 11:5— “And the ’King of the South’ shall be strong, and one of his Princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion.” The Prophecy now narrows down to two of the four Kingdoms into which Alexander the Great’s Empire was divided. And the reason is clear. Gabriel told Daniel that the Prophecy belonged to Daniel’s PEOPLE. And as the “Glorious Land” (Palestine—Daniel 11:16; Daniel 11:41; Daniel 11:45) lay between Syria on the North and Egypt on the South, so the Prophecy narrows down to a description of the wars between the “Kings of the North” and the “Kings of the South,” whose marching ground and battlefield would be the “Glorious Land,” where for centuries (B. C. 320 to A. D. ?) Daniel’s People would be ground between the Upper and Lower Millstones. Because of the suffering that these wars would bring to Daniel’s People, and the desolation they would cause the country, God revealed these wars to Daniel that he might see that it would be “many days” (Daniel 10:14) before his People would ever become a nation again. Of the Four Kingdoms into which Alexander’s Empire was divided, the Kingdom of Egypt was the first to appear. It was founded by Ptolemy Soter, one of Alexander’s generals. Another of Alexander’s generals, Seleucus Nicator, was appointed vicegerent of Babylonia, but was driven out by Antigonus and fled to Egypt, where he was favorably received by Ptolemy and made one of his Princes. With Ptolemy’s assistance he recovered his province and enlarged it, until it extended to the Indus and included Syria, as well as Assyria, and so he became stronger than Ptolemy, and his dominion became a great dominion.

Daniel 11:6—“And in the end of years they shall join themselves together; for the King’s daughter of the South shall come to the King of the North to make an agreement: but she shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm: but she shall be given up, and they that brought her (her attendants), and he that begat her (Margin—whom she brought forth), and he that strengthened her in these times.”

There was peace between Egypt and Syria during the reigns of Ptolemy Soter and Seleucus Nicator. But, at length, Ptolemy Soter abdicated in favor of his son Ptolemy Philadelphus, whose half brother Magas had married a daughter of Antìochus Soter, who had succeeded Seleucus Nicator as King of Syria. This marriage led to war between Egypt and Syria. For Magas induced his father-in-law, Antiochus Soter, to declare war against Egypt . Antiochus Soter was succeeded by Antiochus Theus, who continued to war with Ptolemy. At length, “at the end of years,” Ptolemy offered Antiochus Theus, as a bribe for peace, his daughter Berenice with a large dower, on condition that the Syrian King should declare his former marriage to Laodice void, and her two sons illegitimate. This iniquitous compact was carried out. But when Ptolemy Philadelphus died, his daughter Berenice could no longer “retain the power of her arm,” for Antiochus Theus put her away, and took back his former wife Laodice. But neither did he himself “stand,” for Laodice, distrusting his motives, and eager to secure the crown for her own son, poisoned her husband, and so opened the succession to Seleucus Callinicus. Then Laodice persuaded Seleucus to have Berenice assassinated, and her child, who by the articles of her marriage had been made heir to the throne, was also killed, as well as all those who “strentghened her in those times.”

Daniel 11:7-8—“But out of a branch of her (Berenice) roots (her parents) shall one stand up in his estate, which shall come with an army, and shall enter into the fortress of the King of the North, and shall deal against them, and shall prevail. And shall also carry captives into Egypt their gods, with their princes, and with their precious vessels of silver and gold; and he shall continue more years than the King of the North.”

Out of a “branch of her roots” means an offspring of Berenice’s parents, and refers to her brother, Ptolemy Euergetus, who succeeded his father Ptolemy Philadelphus. And who, indignant at the treatment of his sister, hastily marched into Syria with a large army, and, although he arrived too late to save Berenice and her son, took revenge by putting Laodice to death, captured Seleucia, the fortress of the King of the North, and would have possessed himself of the whole of the Kingdom had he not been recalled by an insurrection in Egypt. But he did not return empty handed. Not only did he carry back many princes, but spoil to the value of 40,000 talents of silver, and 2500 precious vessels and “idol-images” of the gods. Among these “images” were many that Cambyses had formerly taken from Egypt and carried into Persia. These were replaced in the Temples of Egypt with great ceremony, and it was in gratitude for their restoration that the Egyptian priests bestowed upon Ptolemy his surname of Euergetes, or Benefactor.

Daniel 11:9-10—“So the King of the South shall come into his Kingdom, and shall return into his own land. But his sons shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces: and one shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall he return, and be stirred up, even to his fortress.” The Revised Version translates these two verses differently. But their meaning is clear if read thus— “So the King of the South shall come into his (the King of the North) Kingdom and shall return into his own land (Egypt).” Which we have seen he did. “But his sons,” not the sons of the King of the South, but the sons of the King of the North, “shall be stirred up” by the invasion of the King of the South, “and shall assemble a multitude of great forces, etc.” Now we know that this is what actually occurred. The sons of Seleucus Callinicus, Seleuciis Ceraunus, and Antiochus, afterwards surnamed Magnus (the Great), assembled large armies. Seleucus Ceraunus succeeded his father. He assembled a large army to recover his father’s dominions, but being a weak and pusillanimous Prince, and unable to discipline his army, he was poisoned by two of his generals after an inglorious reign of two or three years. He was succeeded by his brother Antiochus, who assembled a large army and took the field in person. He is the “one” in the text who should “overflow” and “pass through.” He directed his energies against the “King of the South,” Ptolemy Philopater, who had succeeded his father, Ptolemy Euergetes. He seized Tyre and Ptolemais, overflowed and passed through Palestine, and marched against Gaza, the fortress of the King of the South, the limit set by the Prophecy. This was in B. C. 218.

Daniel 11:11-12—“And the King of the South shall be moved with choler (rage), and shall come forth and fight with him, even with the King of the North: and he (the King of the North) shall set forth a great multitude (army): but the multitude shall be given into his (the King of the South) hand. And when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted up; and he shall cast down many ten thousands: but he shall not be strengthened by it.” The voluptuous and dissolute King of the South, Ptolemy Philopater, was thoroughly aroused by the invasion of his realm by the King of the North, Antiochus. He assembled a great army, and defeated the large and well-appointed army of Antiochus, at Raphia, not far from Gaza, B. C. 217. Ptolemy’s “heart was lifted up” by his success, and he might have followed up his victory and seized the Kingdom of Antiochus, but he was too anxious to return to his sensual pleasures, and so lost his opportunity of gaining supremacy, and thus he was “not strengthened” by his great victory.

Daniel 11:13—“For the King of the North shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come AFTER CERTAIN YEARS with a great army and with much riches.” The peace concluded between Ptolemy Philopater and Antiochus lasted thirteen years. In the meantime Antiochus strengthened himself in his Kingdom. And when his armies were numerous and well equipped, and flushed with many victories, and his treasury filled with spoils, having learned of the death of Ptolemy Philopater, and that he had been succeeded by his infant son Ptolemy Epiphanes, Antiochus, feeling the time was ripe, marched against Egypt with a “great army and much riches,” expecting an easy victory. How he succeeded we shall presently see, for new complications entered into the affairs of the two Kingdoms, and new actors were introduced upon the stage of history. In studying the history of these two Kingdoms and their Kings, we must not forget that while the Kingdoms remain the same, the “King of the North” and the “King of the South” change, though their official title does not.

Daniel 11:14—“And in those times there shall many stand up against the King of the South: also the robbers of thy people (the Jews) shall exalt themselves to establish the Vision; but they shall fall.”

Among the “many” that stood up against the infant King of the South was Philip, King of Macedon, who entered into a league with Antiochus to divide the Kingdom of Ptolemy Epiphanes between them. Egypt itself was also a “seething pot” of sedition. And there were “wicked Jews” in Palestine who hoped to gain the favor of Antiochus. They were called “robbers” because by their conduct they made it hard for their brethren, and thus “established the Vision,” or prophecy of suffering for Daniel’s people during those times. Antiochus turned against these “robber Jews” and thus caused them “to fall.” This verse was fulfilled in the wars of Antiochus that followed.

Daniel 11:15-19—“So the King of the North shall come, and cast up a mount (breastwork) and take the most fenced cities: and the arms (army) of the South shall not withstand, neither his (the King of the South) chosen people, neither shall there be any strength to withstand. But he (the King of the North) that cometh against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him: and he shall stand in the Glorious Land (Palestine), which by his hand shall be consumed. He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole Kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall he do: and he shall give him (the King of the South) the ’daughter of women’ corrupting her: but she shall not stand on his (the King of the North) side, neither be for him. After this shall he turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many: but a Prince for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he shall cause it to turn upon him. Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.”

These verses are taken together because they cover the remainder of the wars of Antiochus the Great, the King of the North. In considering them we must not forget that the “Glorious Land “ was under the dominion of the King of the South, at this time Ptolemy Epiphanes. Therefore to reach Egypt it was necessary for Antiochus to first conquer the “Glorious Land .” Upon his entrance into the land he encountered Scopas, the General of Ptolemy’s army, and compelled him to seek refuge in the strongly fortified city of Sidon, which he besieged. Desperate attempts were made by the Egyptians to relieve the city, but all failed, and Sidon was compelled to surrender. Then Antiochus was able to do “according to his own will, and none were able to stand before him.” So he took possession of the “Glorious Land.”

Then he “set his face” to enter Egypt with the whole strength of his Kingdom. But he was compelled to change his plans. The Egyptian regency had sought the help of the Romans, then rising in power, and their assistance had been promised. So Antiochus decided to resort to diplomacy. He proposed that his daughter Cleopatra be espoused to the infant king Ptolemy Epiphanes, then seven years old. Cleopatra herself was very young, and it was because she was of tender years, and still under the care of her mother and a nurse, that she was called the “daughter of women.” The marriage was consummated some five years later. The words “corrupting her” refer to Antiochus’ scheme to get her to play into his hands, rather than into the hands of her husband. But the plan failed. Cleopatra not only took sides with her husband, but even joined him in sending congratulations to the Romans on their victories over her father. To avenge himself against the Romans, Antiochus fitted out a fleet of 300 vessels and assailed the coasts and isles of Asia Minor. He was defeated at Magnesia, B. C. 190, by Scipio Asiaticus, the Prince mentioned in the prophecy. He then turned his face homeward. At Antioch he sent ambassadors to sue for peace. The terms were hard. He was not only to relinquish Europe, but Asia on the European side of the Taurus, and pay 2550 talents down, and 1000 talents annually for the next twelve years. A few months later, while traversing his Eastern Provinces to raise this tribute money, he attempted to plunder the Temple of Bel in Elymais, but the people rose and slew him. So he “stumbled and fell and was found no more.”

Daniel 11:20—“Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the Glory of the Kingdom: but within a few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle.”

Antiochus the Great was succeeded by his eldest son, Seleucus Philopater. He was compelled to be a “raiser of taxes” to pay the heavy tribute imposed on his father. He seems to have reigned about twelve years. Toward the end of that time, being hard pressed for money, he sent his Treasurer, Heliodorus, to Jerusalem, called in the above Scripture the “Glory of the Kingdom,” to confiscate the treasures of the Temple. Shortly afterward, “within few days,” he was mysteriously poisoned. So he died “neither in anger, nor in battle.”

ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES B. C. 175-164

Daniel 11:21-31—“And in his estate (place) shall stand up a VILE PERSON, to whom they shall not give the honor of the Kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the Kingdom by flatteries. And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken: yea, also the ’Prince of the Covenant.’ And after the League made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people. He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the Province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his father’s fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strongholds, even for a time.”

“And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the King of the South with a great army; and the King of the South shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand; for they shall forecast devices against him. Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain. And both these Kings’ hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak LIES at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed. Then shall he return into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be against the HOLY COVENANT; and he shall do exploits, and return to his own land.

“At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the South; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter. For the ships of Chittim (the Romans) shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the HOLY COVENANT: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the HOLY COVENANT. And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the SANCTUARY OF STRENGTH, and shall take away the DAILY SACRIFICE, and they shall place the ABOMINATION THAT MAKETH DESOLATE.” The next King of the North was Antiochus Epiphanes, spoken of in the text as a “VILE PERSON.” He was the younger son of Antiochus the Great. He was given up to the most degraded and unnatural passions, was unscrupulous, cruel, and of a savage nature, but did not lack courage and ability. The “honor of the Kingdom” was not given to him, because his nephew, Demetrius, was the rightful heir. He was aided by Eumenes, King of Pergamum, and his brother Attalus. With their help his enemies, as the “arms of a flood,” were swept away, and the “Prince of the Covenant,” the Jewish High Priest Onias III, was deposed. He broke the “League” he made with King Eumenes and his brother, Attalus, when he persuaded the Romans to recognize him, and meanwhile he was working “deceitfully,” letting on that he had but a small following. But he soon became “strong with a small people,” and entered “peaceably into the fattest places of the Province.” Unlike his predecessors, he was profuse and extravagant in his gifts, and “scattered the spoil” of his conquests among his friends, all the time “forecasting his devices against the strongholds” of Egypt, three of which, Pelusium, Naucratis, and Memphis, he later occupied, but failed to take Alexandria. This he did, “even for a time,” but was finally checked by the Romans. When he was ready to invade Egypt, he marched against it with a very great army, and was met by an equally great army, which, after great losses, dissolved, and Ptolemy Philometer fell into the hands of Antiochus, probably betrayed by those that “fed of the portion of his meat.” His brother Physcon was proclaimed King in his stead. Antiochus received Ptolemy Philometer with much consideration, concluded a peace with him on favorable terms, and then, on pretense of taking his part against his brother Physcon, laid siege to Alexandria , but without success. In the meantime, Philometer suspicious of Antiochus, and scheming for himself, made overtures to Physcon, on the basis of a joint sovereignty, and was received into Alexandria. Both brothers then declared against Antiochus. So the prophecy was fulfilled—”these kings’ (Antiochus and Philometer) hearts shall be to do mischief (against each other), and they shall speak LIES (to each other) at one table.”

Antiochus then returned toward Syria, loaded with the rich spoils of Egypt . On the march he heard, that, owing to a false report of his death, Jason, who had been deprived of his High Priestly Office, had made an attack upon Jerusalem , and had endeavored to recover his Office by force. Choosing to regard this as a revolt of the Jews, especially when he found that the news of his supposed death caused great joy among them, he assailed Jerusalem, slew 40,000 of the inhabitants, sold as many more as slaves, and plundered the Temple, carrying off treasure to the value of 1800 Talents. And, after thus venting his anger against the “Holy Covenant” (the Temple), he continued his march to Antioch. 2Ma 5:11-21. In the spring of B. C. 168, Antiochus again led his troops to Egypt in order to subjugate the two brothers, Ptolemy Philometer and Ptolemy Physcon. But the same success no longer awaited him, for the Ptolemies had appealed to Rome. Along the well-known route the Syrian King passed, no one daring to arrest his progress, until he was within four miles of Alexandria. A Roman fleet lay at anchor in the bay, and presently Antiochus was met by Popilius Laenas, who put into his hand a missive from the Roman Senate commanding him to leave the friends of the Roman people unmolested, and to be content with his own Kingdom. Having read it, Antiochus remarked that he would call his advisers and consult with them as to what was to be done. Whereupon Popilius drew a circle around him in the sand with his staff, and said—”Before you step out of that circle give such an answer as I may report to the Senate.” The King was cowed, and replied—”If it so please the Senate, we will depart.”

Antiochus then withdrew his army from Egypt and vented his fury upon the Jews of the “Glorious Land,” in the fearful massacres, persecutions, and pollutions of the Temple, described in the first chapter of the first Book of Maccabees. In doing this he repaired the massive walls and towers of the Citadel of David, and garrisoned them with Syrian soldiers. He commanded that all his subjects should be one people, with one religion, and with the same laws. And, in order to enforce this upon the Jews, their Sanctuary was profaned, the offerings and sacrifices prohibited, and an “Idol-Altar” built over the “Altar of Jehovah,” upon which swine’s flesh was sacrificed, presumably to an Image placed over it. This was the “Abomination that maketh desolate,” spoken of in the text, but not the “Abomination of Desolation” spoken of by Christ in Matthew 24:15. That is still future. It is mentioned in Daniel 12:11, and will be the fulfillment of the “Overspreading of Desolations” of Daniel 9:27. Antiochus’ stringent measures for the Hellenization of Judea caused the Maccabean revolt. In the meantime he had gone with an army into Persia, gaining many victories everywhere. Later he was forced to retire to Babylon. Heartbroken at the news of the Maccabean revolt in Palestine, he died a natural death at Tabae in B. C. 164.

It is very important right here to note that all that has been recorded from Daniel 11:21-31, inclusive, has reference to Antiochus Epiphanes, and not to the Antichrist, or any other person, and was literally and completely fulfilled by him as foretold. So there is absolutely nothing in these verses left for the future. There is no intimation that Antiochus Epiphanes is even to be regarded as a type of Antichrist. They are distinct historical personages, each dealt with in his own place, and though they resemble each other in some respects, on account of their conduct, and their treatment of the Jewish race, yet they must not be confounded with each other. This Prophetic and Pre-Written historical account, recorded in Daniel 11:2-31, of the wars of the Persian and Grecian Empires, and more in detail of the Syrian and Egyptian Divisions of the Grecian Empire, extending from B. C. 536 to B. C. 164, a period of 372 years, is the most marvellous “Prophetic Foreview” in the whole Bible, because it goes into details that only the Omniscience of God could reveal. It is therefore one of the strongest confirmatory evidences to the Inspiration of the Word of God found within its pages. THE PERIOD BETWEEN ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES AND “MESSIAH THE PRINCE” B. C. 164-A. D. 30

Daniel 11:32-33, “And such as do wickedly against the Covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do EXPLOITS. And they that understand among the people shall instruct many.” The behavior of the Jews under the oppression of Antiochus Epiphanes is shown in Daniel 11:32. Some of them did “wickedly,” and forsook the “Covenant,” and the religion of their fathers, and worshipped idols, and were led into this by “flatteries.” But there were some who “knew their God,” that He was able to deliver, and so they were made “strong,” and did “EXPLOITS.” This refers to Mattathias, an aged Priest, and his sons, known as the MACCABEES, who, from B. C. 166 to B. C. 47, fought to restore the national life of Israel. Mattathias, driven to desperation by the outrages of Antiochus, raised a revolt against him, and fled to the mountains with a number of followers, zealous for the faith of Israel. Two years later he died and was succeeded by his third son, Judas, known as “The Hammer,” who by avoiding pitched battles, and by guerilla warfare, defeated and routed every Syrian army sent against him, and in B. C. 165 retook Jerusalem, purified the Temple, and restored the daily sacrifice. He fell in battle in B. C. 160, and was succeeded by his younger brother Jonathan, a High Priest. During the leadership of Jonathan the Syrians were engaged in civil war, so Judea was left in peace, and Jonathan strengthened his position by making a treaty with the Romans and the Spartans. He was treacherously slain by a Syrian general in B. C. 143, and was succeeded by his brother Simon, the last remaining son of Mattathias. Simon and two of his sons were treacherously slain by his son-in-law in B. C. 135. His son John, known as John Hyrcanus, who escaped, succeeded him and had a long and prosperous reign. Others in the same line followed, with varying success, until the Maccabeans, falling into disfavor, were succeeded by the Idumaen, Antipater, in B. C. 47. After the murder of Antipater, B. C. 43, Marc Anthony visited Syria, and appointed two of Antipater’s sons, Phasaelus and Herod, afterward known as “Herod the Great” (B. C. 37 to B. C. 4), to look after the Jews. Herod the Great was King when Christ was born in B. C. 4. Matthew 2:1-15. From this we see that the Maccabees bridged the greater part of the period from Antiochus Epiphanes to the Birth of Christ.

During the latter part of this period a new class of spiritual leaders arose who “understood” the Prophetic Scriptures, and knew how to “instruct” the people. They were persons like Simeon and Anna, who waited for the “Consolation of Israel.” THE GAP BETWEEN “MESSIAH THE PRINCE” AND THE “TIME OF THE END”A. D. 30 to A. D.?

Daniel 11:33-35. “They shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, MANY DAYS. Now when they shall fall they shall be holpen (helped) with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries. And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the TIME OF THE END: because it is yet for a TIME APPOINTED.” In the “fullness of time” Christ was born, and offered unto the Jews as their Messiah. But His claim was rejected, and He was Crucified (“cut-off”), and forty years later (A. D. 70) Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans, and then began the fulfilment of the last half of Daniel 11:33, “they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, MANY DAYS.” The “Many Days” are the days of this Dispensation Christ referred to them when He said—

“They (the Jews) shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations, and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the ’TIMES OF THE GENTILES’ be fulfilled.” Luke 21:24.

All this is in process of fulfillment before our eyes. The Jews have been “spoiled,” that is, repeatedly robbed of their material possessions, for “MANY DAYS.” Although they have “fallen,” they have not been exterminated, and from time to time they have been “holpen (helped) with a little help.” They have been “flattered” and promised many things, but these promises have seldom, if ever, been fulfilled. Even now they are putting their trust in ZIONISM, and other schemes of men, for the rehabilitation of their own land, and their restoration to it. Some of their “understanding ones,” even in the time of Antichrist, will be deceived and “fall.” But it will be for the purpose of “purging” (Ezekiel 20:34-38), that is “refining” (Ezekiel 22:19-22; Malachi 3:1-3) and purifying them and others by their example, even unto the “TIME OF THE END.” Here we have the meaning and purpose of all the afflictions and persecutions of the Jews down the centuries, and even unto THE END, outlined in one verse. The verses we have just considered cover the “GAP” between “Messiah the Prince” (A. D. 30) and the “Time of the End” (A. D. ?), and correspond with the “Gap” between Daniel’s “69th” and “70th Week.” Thus showing the consistency of all the “Visions” of Daniel, and proving that they relate only to Daniel’s People (the Jews), and not to the Church, for in every instance the present Church Dispensation is conspicuous by its omission.

“The Time of the End”

Daniel 11:36-45, Daniel 12:1-13 “THE WILFUL KING”

Daniel 11:36-45— “And the KING shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the GOD of gods, and shall prosper till the INDIGNATION be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the GOD of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. But in His estate (in God’s place) shall he honor the ’God of Forces:’ and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honor with gold, and silver, and with precious stones and pleasant things. Thus shall he do in the most strongholds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory : and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.

“And at the ’TIME OF THE END’ shall the King of the South push at him: and the King of the North (the Wilful King described above) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. He shall enter also into the ’Glorious Land’ (Palestine), and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even EDOM, and MOAB, and the chief of the children of AMMON. He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. “But tidings out of the East and out of the North shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. And he shall plant the ’tabernacles of his palace’ between the Seas (the Mediterranean and Dead Seas) in the ’Glorious Holy Mountain;’ yet he shall COME TO HIS END, AND NONE SHALL HELP HIM.” The sudden and abrupt appearance of “THE KING” in verse 36 implies that he is one of whom we have heard before, and is not a new character, and therefore does not need to be again introduced. Notice that it does not say “a” King, but “THE” King. There are some who claim that there are THREE Kings introduced to us in the Book of Daniel. First, the “LITTLE HORN” of the “Fourth Wild Beast” (Daniel 7:8), or the last Roman Emperor. Second, the “LITTLE HORN” that came up on one of the “Four Horns” of the He-Goat (Daniel 8:9-12), that represented Antiochus Epiphanes. And third, the “WILFUL KING” of the chapter we are now considering, who represents the “Antichrist.” If this be true, then there is no “progressive revelation” of the Antichrist in the Book of Daniel, as we have tried to show. That these three Personages, the two “Little Horns,” and the “Wilful King,” appear and reign at the same time, the “TIME OF THE END;” that they display the same “Wilful disposition,” and shall be destroyed in the same manner, implies that they are one and the SAME PERSON.

The fact that this “Wilful King” appears on the scene at the close of “THE GAP” between “Messiah the Prince” and the “Time of the End” (verses 33-35). and which corresponds, as we have seen, with the “interval” between the “69th” and “70th Week” of Daniel’s “Seventy Weeks,” identifies him with the “PRINCE THAT SHALL COME” of Daniel 9:26-27. And as the “Prince that shall come” shall be the last Roman Emperor, it identifies the “Wilful King” as the last Roman Emperor, and therefore the “Little Horn” of Daniel’s “Fourth Wild Beast.” Again in verse 40 this “Wilful King” is called the “King of the North.” Some dispute this, claiming that the statement—”And at the ’Time of the End’ shall the King of the South push at him: and the King of the North shall come against him,” that the pronoun “him” stands for the “Wilful King,” and that the Kings of the “North” and “South” are “colleagues” banded together against him. But this is disproved by Daniel 11:42-43, where it says that the “King of the North” shall treat the “King of the South” as an enemy and shall spoil Egypt . What Daniel 11:40 means is, that at the “Time of the End,” the “King of the South” shall push at him (the Wilful King): and the King of the North (the Wilful King) shall come against him (the King of the South). That is, the “King of the North” will return the attack of the “King of the South.”

We know from our study of Daniel 8:1-27, that the “Four Kingdoms” into which Alexander the Great’s Empire was divided are to be revived, and that in the “latter time of their kingdom” a King of “Fierce Countenance” shall stand up. Daniel 8:21-23. Now one of those “Four Kingdoms” was SYRIA, known as the “Kingdom of the North,” and as the “Little Horn” of Daniel 8:1-27 appeared on the “Syrian Horn,” then the King of “Fierce Countenance” of Daniel 8:1-27 must be the “King of the North” of the revived “Syrian Kingdom,”’ or the “WILFUL KING,” the “King of the North,” of Daniel 11:1-45. Here again we have proved that the “Little Horn” of Daniel 7:1-28, the “Little Horn” of Daniel 8:1-27, and the “Wilful King” are one and the same person.

Those who claim that the “Wilful King” is “Antichrist,” and not to be confounded with the last Roman Emperor, and that the “Beast” that comes up out of the sea, of Revelation 13:1-10, is the last Roman Emperor, while the “Beast” that comes up out of the earth (Revelation 13:11-18), and called three times the “False Prophet” (Revelation 16:13; Revelation 16:20; Revelation 16:10), is the Antichrist, forget that the “False Prophet” is not a King. His Office-work is to exalt the first Beast. So as he is not a King, and the “Wilful King” is, then if the “Wilful King” is Antichrist, the “False Prophet” cannot be, and vice versa. The “Wilful King” shall do according to his will. He shall “exalt” and “magnify HIMSELF above every god,” and shall speak “marvellous things” against the “GOD of Gods” (Jehovah), and he shall prosper until the “Indignation” (The Great Tribulation) is accomplished, for that which God has “determined” for the TIME OF THE END “shall be done.” He shall not regard the “God of his fathers,” the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. That means he will be a JEW. Neither shall he regard the “desire of women.” If this means the desire of Jewish women to be the mother of the Messiah, and we must not forget that to the Jews the Messiah has not yet come, then he will not regard THE SON, and this characteristic of the Antichrist is foretold by the Apostle John, who says—”He is Antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.” 1 John 2:22. But in His place (Jehovah’s) he shall honor the “God of Forces,” or “Fortresses.” That is, he shall depend on the “god” that can secure for him the Kingdoms of this world, and that is the “God of this World (Age)”—SATAN, who offered the “Kingdoms” of the world to Christ. Matthew 4:8-9. Christ refused them at the hand of Satan, for He knew that He would receive them at the hand of the Father (Daniel 7:13-14; Revelation 11:15), but the Antichrist will accept, for we read that—”the DRAGON (Satan) shall give him (the Beast) his power, and his seat (Throne), and great authority.” Revelation 13:2. By the help of this “strange god” the “Wilful King” shall secure the “strongholds” (Fortresses), or the fortified cities, of the Ten Federated Kingdoms, and shall garrison them with Imperial troops on pretense of maintaining peace and concord. Thus he shall “increase the glory” of all who acknowledge him and give them authority, and for “graft” (gain) he will divide the land. At this time the “King of the South” reappears. Who he will be we do not know. But he will be one of the “Ten Federated Kings,” for he is to appear after the “Four Kingdoms,” into which Alexander’s Empire was divided, shall reappear, and he will be some future King of Egypt who will oppose the claims and military success of the “Wilful King,” the “King of the North.” The “King of the North” will lose no time in opposing the “King of the South,” and will swoop down on him like a “whirlwind,” with chariots, and horsemen, and a large navy, and shall overflow many countries. But Edom, Moab, and the land of Ammon shall escape. But the “Glorious Land” and Egypt shall not escape. He shall confiscate the treasures of Egypt, and the Libyans and Ethiopians shall fall at his feet. But in the midst of his conquest of Egypt bad tidings shall come to him from the East, from Babylon, his Capital City, and from the North. These will fill him with rage, and he will depart from Egypt with “great fury” and will plant (pitch) the “Tabernacles of his Palace;” that is, the “Royal Tents” in which he dwelt while in the field, “between the seas,” the Mediterranean and Dead Seas, on the “GLORIOUS HOLY MOUNTAIN.” And there, with none to help, he shall come to his end. See Zechariah 14:1-21.