THE HISTORY IN DANIEL 11-1 2 | Bible Study Notes

The book of Daniel provided many glimpses of the future in store for th e
kingdoms of his time and the future of the people of Israel . The “400 years o f
silence” that follow the return of the Jews from captivity and the building o f
the temple to the time of the gospels is revealed in the prophesy of Daniel .
This prophesy takes them to the end of the nation and shows the path to tha t
end in great detail .
An important study note : If you look on a reap of the ancient world you wil l
notice the unique position Palestine occupies in the geography . With th e
impassable Arabian Desert to the east and the Great Sea (Th e
to the west, Palestine is like a land bridge between the sout h
and the north . When Daniel refers to the kings of the north and south he i s
referring to the directions of the kingdoms in relative position to the ” ends” o f
the bridge . For example the Pharaohs would be kings of the south since the y
would enter Palestine from the south and the king of Medo-Persia would be a
king of the north because he would enter from the north even though th e
actual kingdom is positioned north and northeast of Palestine .
Words of the scripture are in bold and in the New King James Translatio n
unless otherwise noted . All dates are BC unless otherwise noted .
DANIEL 1 1
v .2 And now I will teII you the truth : Behold, three more kings will arise i n
Persia, and the fourth shall be far richer than them all ; by his strength, throug h
his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece .
The vision comes to Daniel to inform him and strengthen Cyrus (10 :1) . The vision came i n
the third year of the reign of Cyrus (539-530) in 536 BC . The three kings of Persia to follo w
Cyrus are : Cambyses (530-522), Pseudo-Smerdis (522) and Darius I (522-486) This Dariu s
was Darius the Great who reissued the order of Cyrus to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem .
The fourth king to follow was Xerxes I (486-465) . He was successful in crushing revolts a s
far as Egypt . He invaded Greece and was victorious in Macedonia and Thrace . Xerxes ,
with an army of over two million built bridges across the Hellespont and defeated th e
guards at the Thermopylae Pass in 480 and burned Athens (in the heart of Greece) . He wa s
later murdered in his home in Susa .
v .3 Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion, and d o
according to his will .
In the years following Xerxes I Persia became weaker and more corrupt as the Greek s
became stronger . The next major event in history, and with the book of Daniel, is th e
arrival of the mighty king, Alexander the Great (336-323) . In 334 he crossed the Hellespon t
and conquered the Persian empire . He then conquered Tyre and moved towards Jerusalem .
According to Josephus, Jaddua the priest, dressed in purple and scarlet leading a processio n
of people in white, met Alexander before he came to Jerusalem . Before Alexande r
conquered the Persians he had seen a man such as Judda in a dream urging him to conque r
Persia without delay . Alexander, supposing he was divinely guided, spared the Jews an d
escorted them back to Jerusalem . The Jews showed him in Daniel where ” one of the Greeks
should destroy the empire of the Persians” and Alexander (rightly so) understood that h e
was the person prophesied .
v .4 And when he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken up and divided towar d
the four winds of heaven, but not among his posterity nor according to hi s
dominion with which he ruled ; for his kingdom shall be uprooted, even for other s
besides these .
When Alexander died his kingdom did not pass to his children but was divided among hi s
four strongest generals . Lysimachus ruled Thrace and western Asia Minor, Macedonia an d
Greece were ruled by Cassander, Ptolemy Isoter controlled Egypt, and Seleucus I Nicanto r
ruled Persia, Mesopotamia, and Asia . In the years following, Lysimachus was killed in a
rebellion of his Macedonian subjects (281) who then offered the crown to Seleucus . Rome ,
rising in strength, kept Cassander and Seleucus from growing and in fact took some of thei r
territory . Alexander’s great kingdom was further divided as independent states wer e
formed from crumbling pieces of the initial four territories . In 279, the Gauls invade d
Macedonian and Greece and took Delphi taking yet another slice of the Grecian kingdom .

I. 5 Then the king of the South shall become strong, as well as one of his princes ;

and he shall gain power over him and have dominion . His dominion shall be a
great dominion .
Notice the emergence of the terms ” King of the South” and ” King of the North” throughout .
Remember this refers to their position in relation to Jerusalem .
The king of the South referred to Ptolemy I Soter (323-285), Alexander’s general wh o
inherited Egypt . One of the princes is presumably Seleucus I Nicantor (311-280) who in th e
next verse is addressed as the king of the North . He had a very mighty kingdom, based i n
Syria, stretching through Persia and Asia minor (but as mentioned before lost much of tha t
territory when independent states emerged) During this time the Seleucids were often a t
war with the Ptolemies . When Cassander, Lysimachus, and Seleucus were warring wit h
Antigonus in Asia Minor (301), Ptolemy I added Palestine, Phonecia and as far as Cypru s
(part of Seleucus’ initial inheritance) to his domain . When he took Jerusalem, he waite d
until the Sabbath knowing they would not fight on that day .
v .6 And at the end of some years they shall join forces for the daughter of the kin g
of the South shall go to the king of the North to make an agreement ; but she shal l
not retain the power of her authority, and neither he nor his authority shal l
stand ; but she shall be given up, with those who brought her, and with him wh o
begot her, and with him who strengthened her in those times .
Around 249 Ptolemy II Philadelphus (king of the South, 285-246) gave his daughte r
Berenice to Anti gohus lI Theos (king of the North, a Seleucid, 261-246) in marriage t o
secure a peace . Ant i gchus II was a weak king and was heavily influenced by his wives . H e
invaded Egypt at the urging of his wife Laodice . The war was ended when he divorce d
Laodice and married Berenice . When Ptolemy 11 Philadelphus died, Antioohus II divorce d
Berenice and took back Laodice . Laodice did not trust his faithfulness and killed him ,
Berenice and their infant son .
v .7 But from a branch of her roots one shall arise in his place, enter the fortres s
of the king of the North, and deal with them and prevail .
When Ptolemy III (246-222) ascended the throne and learned of his sister Berenice’s
murder, he made war on Syria (known as the Laodicean War) and killed Laodice .
v .8 And he shall also carry their gods captive to Egypt, with their princes an d
their precious articles of silver and gold ; and he shall continue more years tha n
the king of the North .
Ptolemy III took back the gods taken from Egypt by Cambyses, the Persian ruler an d
Sargon II and Esar-Haddon of the Assyrians . Upon the return of their gods, the Egyptian s
gave Ptolemy III the name Euergetes, meaning well-doer or benefactor . He outlived th e
king of the North by 5 years and outlived the next king of the North, Seleucus III as well .
v .9 Then the king of the North shall come to the kingdom of the king of the South ,
but shall return to his own land .
Ptolemy III Euregentes had to return from his conquering to quell a revolt in Egypt .
Seleucus 11 recaptured the land that was taken, except the seacoasts, but did not procee d
farther into Egypt .
v .10 However his sons shall stir up strife, and assemble a multitude of grea t
forces ; and one shall certainly come and overwhelm and pass through ; then h e
shall return to his fortress and stir up strife .
Antiochus III Magnus (North, 223-157), a mighty king, conquered his most powerfu l
commander of the Euphrates then turned to attack the Ptolemies, ruled by Ptolemy I V
Philopator (221-203) . Palestine submitted to the rule of Antiochus and recovered Phoneci a
as well . Antiochus turned to attack Egypt in 218 and advanced as far as the fortress o f
Raphia .
v .11 And the king of the South shall be moved with rage, and go out and fight wit h
him, with the king of the North, who shall muster a great multitude ; but th e
multitude shall be given into the hand of his enemy .
Although Antiochus III was a powerful Ieader, he was soundly defeated by Ptolemy IV an d
lost all of his conquered territory except Selucia in Syria and the port of Antioch .
v12 When he has taken away the multitude, his heart will be lifted up ; and he wil l
cast down tens of thousands, but he will not prevail . NIV : When the army i s
carried off, the king of the South will be filled with pride and will slaughter man y
thousands, yet he will not remain triumphan t
After the defeat of Antiochus III, Ptolemy IVs subjects revolted for many years and man y
were killed in subduing the bloody rebellion . He then lived a life of excess which shortene d
his life .
v .13 For the king of the North will return and muster a multitude greater tha n
the former, and shall certainly come at the end of some years with a great arm y
and much equipment .
About 13 years later, Antiochus III renewed his plans to take Egypt . Ptolemy IV die d
leaving his five year old son Ptolemy Epiphanes, to rule in his place . Through Antiochus’
extensive victories he earned the title the Great and amassed a great army .
v .14 And in those times many shall rise up against the king of the South ; als o
certain violent men of your people shaII exalt themselves in fulfillment of th e
vision, but they shall fall .
The use of ” your people” refers to the Jews . The Jews, who were torn one way then another ,
in the battles between the kings of the North and South . Certain of the Jews fought agains t
Ptolemy, thinking they were fulfilling either Daniel’s vision or possibly a false vision, bu t
were defeated by his general, Scopus . Scopus, took many of the cities of Judea .
v .15 So the king of the North shall come and build a siege mound, and take a
fortified city ; and the forces of the South shall not withstand him . Even hi s
choice troops shall have no strength to resist .
Antiochus took back the cities that Scopus had taken and defeated a great part of his arm y
at the fountains of Jordan . He besieged and took Sidon, a fortified city, in 198 .
v . 18 But he who comes against him shall do according to his own will, and no on e
shall stand against him, He shall stand in the Glorious Land with destruction i n
his power .
The term ” Glorious Land” refers to the Promised Land, particularly Jerusalem . Those wh o
came against Antiochus were not successful . While he was fighting in Judea, the Jew s
showed hospitality to him and his army, feeding them and assisting them in a siege of th e
citadel of Jerusalem . Antiochus thus showed mercy to the Jews and did no destruction t o
them .
v . 17 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 daughte r
of women to destroy it ; but she shall not stand with him, or be for him .
Antiochus set his heart back to conquering Egypt . He gave his daughter Cleopatra i n
marriage to Ptolemy Epiphenes . He promised Palestine and Coele-Syria as a dowry bu t
never paid . He hoped that Cleopatra would, by deceit, allow him to easily conquer Egyp t
but she sided with her husband, Ptolemy, and after Ptolemy’s death ruled Egypt as a wis e
and aggressive queen for eight years .
v . 18 After this he shall turn his face to the coastland, and shall take many . But a
ruler shall bring the reproach against them to an end ; and with the reproac h
removed, he shall bring the reproach against them to an end ; and with th e
reproach removed, he shall turn back on him .
Rome, now a rising power, sided with the Ptolemaic rule and sent messengers in 19 6
demanding that he give back the land conquered in Egypt and Macedon . Antiochus ,
outraged at this insistence amassed an army and enlisted the aid of Hannibal of Carthage .
He invaded Greece in 192 and took Chalcis . After he was soundly defeated by the Roman s
in Thermopylae, Antioebus retreated into Asia Minor . In 190 Antiochus was defeated in th e
battle of Magnesia by Lucious Scipio Asiaticus . He thus lost control of Asia, came unde r
Roman tribute and gave his son Antiochus Epiphenes as a down payment .
v . 19 Then he shall turn his face toward the fortress of his own land ; but he shal l
stumble and fall, and not be found .
Antiochus, in an effort to pay the heavy Roman tribute, robbed temples in Asia . A rebellio n
against this practice erupted in Elymais and brought this once great king’s life to a close .
v . 20 There shall arise in his place one who imposes taxes on the gloriou s
kingdom ; but within a few days he shall be destroyed, but not in anger or i n
battle .
His son Seleucus IV Philopator or Soter ruled for eleven years and had to continue th e
heavy taxing policy to pay the Romans until he practically exhausted the funds of th e
kingdom . His treasurer, Heliodorus, assassinated him (possibly by poison) and usurped th e
throne . He ruled only for a short time .
NOTE : The following passages are often used to refer to the ” .Antichrist” of 1 and 2 John .
However in both the logical and historical flow of the prophecy there is no reason to remov e
the natural and expected fulfillment (that was fulfilled in great detail) and give it to anothe r
person in a far future time .
v . 21 And in his place shall arise a vile person, to whom will not give the honor o f
royalty ; but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue .
Antiochus IV Epiphenes (literally the god manifest on earth) quickly overthrew Heliodoru s
and took his father’s throne from this infant son of Seleucus IV, the rightful heir to th e
throne . He was not an honored king by the Jews due to his sacrilegious actions an d
cruelties . He gained control over many of the Jews through a bribe offered by Jason, a Je w
given to Greek customs . By the good wishes of Antiochus he built a gymnasium (wher e
exercises were performed in the nude) and incorporate other abominable Gentile customs i n
return for the high priesthood .
v . 22 With the force of a flood they shall be swept away from before him and b e
broken, and also the prince of the covenant .
This seems to sum up the events detailed in vs . 23-35 for it details his force and specificall y
brings attention to his enmity to the righteous Jews .
v . 23 And after the league is made with him he shall act deceitfully, for he shal l
come up and become strong with a small number of people .
Some of the Jews who were partial to Greek ways and customs went to Antiochus to mak e
peace with him . They desired that he introduce Greek customs into Jerusalem and eve n
build a gymnasium in the city (as previously mentioned) . Antiochus made an expedition (1
of 4) to Egypt to conquer Ptolemy but was driven back by the Romans . He then entere d
Jerusalem and according to Josephus (12,5,3) took the city without a fight . After killin g
many opponents he took much plunder to Antioch .
v . 24 He shall enter peaceably, even into the riches places of the province ; and h e
shall do what his fathers have not done, nor his forefathers : he shall dispers e
among them the plunder, spoil, and riches ; and he shall devise his plans agains t
the strongholds, but only for a time .
Antiochus, to strengthen the morale of his troops in an increasingly hostile Jewis h
atmosphere, opened his treasure chests to his soldiers . According to I Mace 3 :27-31 this wa s
unlike that which his father’s or grandfather’s had done and caused him to later levy heav y
taxes on the Persians to pay for his army’s suppor t
v . 25 He shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South wit h
a great army . And the king of the South shall be stirred up to battle with a ver y
great and mighty army ; but he shall not stand, for they shall devise plans agains t
him .
v . 26 Yes, those who eat of the portion of his delicacies shall destroy him ; his arm y
shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain .
Antiochus, desiring to rule Egypt, amassed a large force of chariots, ships and elephants i n
169 . According to 1 Mace 1 :16-19 Ptolemy was frightened and ” fled leaving man y
casualties” . He then plundered Egypt and gained Pelusium and took Ptolemy Philometor .
v . 27 Both these kings’ hearts shall be bent on evil, and they shall speak lies at th e
same table ; but it shall not prosper, for the end will still be at the appointed time .
During Ptolemy Phi Iometor’s capture Ptolemy Psychon was crowned king . ” Antiochus trie d
to use Ptolemy Philometor as a tool to effect the conquest of the whole kingdom” by signin g
a treaty with him . ” The Alexandrians infuriated at Antiochus’ interference into Egyptia n
affairs revolted against Philometer and crowned Ptolemy Psychon king” (A History of th e
Roman People )
v . 28 While returning to his land with great riches, his heart shall be move d
against the holy covenant ; so he shall do damage and return to his own land .
On the return from Egypt Antiochus invaded the sanctuary (1 Mace 1 :20-23) and plundere d
it .
v . 29 At the appointed time he shall return and go toward the south ; but it shal l
not be like the former or the latter .
At the appointed time (God’s time) Antiochus renewed his plans to conquer Egypt (168- yea r
because Ptolemies Philometer and Psychon united against Antiochus .
v . 30 For ships from Cyprus shall come against him ; therefore he shall be grieved ,
and return in rage against the holy covenant, and do damage . So he shall retur n
and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant .
v . 31 And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuar y
fortress ; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there th e
abomination of desolation .
When Antochus prepared to attack Alexandria (capital of Egypt) Gaius Popilius Laena s
gave him a decree from Rome (ships from Kittim) commanding him to stop the war . ” Whe n
Antiochus replied that he would have to consult with his generals before making a decision ,
Leanas drew a circle around him in the sand and told him to make up his mind befor e
stepping out of the circle .” Antiochus decided against attacking at this time and stepped ou t
of the circle, embracing Laenas as if he were an old friend .
Angered at this interference by Rome, Antiochus turned against Jerusalem which was in a n
uproar . There was a rumor that Antiochus was dead and Jason gathered an army t o
recapture the city . He was not victorious and fled the city again . Antiochus hearing of th e
violence invaded Jerusalem slaying a great number . According to 2 Mace 5 :14 80,000 wer e
lost, 40,000 met violent deaths and 40,000 were taken slaves . He entered the Holiest o f
Holies (which only the high priest was allowed to do and that once a year to offer for the
sins of the people) and defiled it by his presence . During this period Judas Maccabeus an d
his followers went to live in the wilderness . Shortly thereafter Antiochus sent a n
ambassador to the Jews forbidding them to worship God . He dedicated the temple to th e
Olympian God Zeus and allowed the Gentiles to fill the temple with prostitutes and offe r
abominable things on the altar . The Jews were also forbidden to keep the feasts an d
sabbaths (2 Mace 5 :11-6 :11) .
v . 32 Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery ;
but the people who know there God shall be strong . and carry out great exploits .
Many of the Hellenistic Jews embraced these practices but there were ones who stayed o n
God’s side and ” fought valiantly” . Most notable of these was Judas Maccabeus, the son o f
Matthias, a Jewish priest . He led a band of followers in sort of a guerrilla war against th e
Seleucid king . The warriors of the Maccabean revolts were zealous to return the Jewis h
practices and worship of God to the point of sacrificing their lives . Their accomplishment s
are recorded in the two books of the Maccabees and by Josephus .
v . 33 And those of the people who understand shall instruct many ; yet for man y
days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering .
Judas drew many to his cause (1 Mace 2 :14-48) and many of the cause fell by sword (2 Mac e
24 ; 1 Mace 2 :32), flame (2 Mace 6 :11), and captivity (2 Mace 5 :24) .
v . 34 Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help ; but many shall joi n
with them by intrigue .
v . 35 And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them, purge them ,
and make them white, until the time of the end ; because it is still for th e
appointed time .
With deaths came others to take the places of the fallen . When a large number of Jews wer e
killed in 1 Mace 2 :37-38 a group of devout Israelites joined the cause to defeat the sinner s
and lawbreakers . Some however joined for profit or to make a name for themselves . 1 Mac e
5 :56-57 : Joseph, son of Zecheriah … heard about the brave deeds and the fighting said, ” Le t
us also make a name for ourselves by going out and fighting against the Gentiles aroun d
us” . This was done, and righteous ones also died, to refine the people . If one who wa s
righteous fill beside them would they have the courage to fight on? The sincere woul d
continue to fight no matter what happened . God had a time appointed for the end of thes e
things . He was in control of the outcome .
This seems to mark a significant time break from vs .35-36 . The vision does not detail th e
death of Antiochus or the result of the Maccabean revolt . Perhaps the existence of the Jew s
in the latter parts of the prophecy is evidence enough of victory or perhaps the end of th e
conflict was not the main concern of the vision . With the death of Antiochus the Seleuci d
empire began a descent in power and the Ptolemies government was suffering a tumultuou s
period .
Verses 36-39 seem to detail one who marks the next major historical change . Som e
attribute this to Julius Caesar buy I am inclined to believe that these characteristics bette r
apply to Octavius (also known as Augustus) Caesar who established the Roman Empire .
v . 36 Then the king shall do according to his own will : he shall exalt and magnif y
himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, an d
shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished ; for what has been determine d
shall be done .
Octavius took the name Augustus (meaning The Divine) and was called Augustus from the n
on .
v . 37 He shall regard neither the God of his fathers nor the desire of women, no r
regard any god ; for he shall magnify himself above them all .
Octavius was very cruel to his conquered enemies . He once offered 300 nobles in memory o f
Julius Caesar and destroyed men in his ambition . Perhaps his lack of regard for the desire
of women refers to his resistance to the charms of Cleopatra . Her allurements led to the fal l
of several men especially Mark Antony’s . Upon Antony’s defeat she tried to entice Octavia n(hoping to keep her kingdom) . His resistance and insistence to conquer Egypt led to he r
desire to commit suicide . The god of his fathers he did not regard . He worshipped himself ,v . 38 But in their place he shall honor a god of fortresses ; and a god which hi s
fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stone s
and pleasant things .
He firmly established the strength of the empire . he built many of the temples throughou t
the empire and statues to himself instead of propagating the pagan temples as hi s
predecessors did (such as Julius Caesar setting up temples to Jupiter )
v . 39 Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, whic h
he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory ; and he shall cause them to rule ove r
many, and divide the land for gain .
Octavius expelled vast numbers of Italians from their land and gave it to his war veteran s
for their support .
v . 40 At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him ; and the king o f
the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, an d
with many ships ; and he shaII enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pas s
through .
Mark Antony, a part of the triumvirate with Augustus and Lepidus, fell in love wit h
Cleopatra and alienated his allegiance to Rome and even his army . Augustus came agains t
him with a great fleet of ships and a force from the land and soundly defeated Antony in th e
battle of Actium (31 BC) . On his occasion of seizing Alexandria Cleopatra and Anton y
committed suicide . This defeat of Egypt rapidly ushered in the beginnings of the Roma n
Empire .
v . 41 He shall also enter the Glorious Laud, and many countries shall b e
overthrown ; but these shall escape from his hand : Edom, Moab, and th e
prominent people of Ammon .
Herod the Great was made tributary king of Judea in 40 BC . Since the Jews were resistan t
to being ruled by an Idumean (after being ruled by the descendants of the Maccabees) h e
had to take control by force . He conquered Galilee then captured Jerusalem after a siege i n
37 BC) . The land that Herod controlled (much of it given by Augustus) included Galilee ,
Perea, Judea but did not stretch into the land of Edom, Moab or Ammon . This lan d
belonged to the Nabateans, wealthy traders . They were a self-contained group that relie d
on irrigation and effective water management . Their trade expertise created a wealth tha t
threatened the Romans . They controlled their land along the land that Herod controlle d
until 106 AD when they were brought under Roman rule by the emperor Trajan . (Th e
Harper Atlas of The Bible )
v . 42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egyp t
shall not escape .
v . 43 He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all th e
precious things of Egypt ; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at hi s
heels .
With the defeat of Egypt and Antony at the battle of Actium Augustus became the master o f
the Roman world and the period of the Roman Empire began . The Egyptian rule by th e
Ptolemy’s was ended and all of the treasures of Alexandria were his .
In relation to the Jews it would be about 30 years before the next major event between the m
and the Roman empire would take place . With Caligula would begin active empero r
worship and thus a great conflict in the ideals of the Jews and the empire . Tensions began
to build as Roman officials sought to lure the Jews into rebellion and thus war with Rome .
The latter verses of this prophecy take us to the time that the events are coming to a head .
v . 44 But news from the east and the north shall trouble him ; therefore he shall g o
out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many .
Nero, ruler from 54-68 AD, was a cruel tyrant and a threat to those whom he disliked _
During his reign he had great problems in trying to subdue the Druids in Briton (North )
and trouble with the Parthians in the east . The greatest news to trouble him was the fir e
that destroyed much of Rome . Many suspected Nero of setting the blaze because of hi s
displeasure with the layout of the city . According to the historian Tacitus, Nero began a
widespread persecution of the Christians (” followers of Crestus, killed by Pontius Pilate …) .
The Jews also received his fury . During this time Florus, a procurator, was pushing th e
Jews into rebellion . Those interested in further study would be wise to look to the Wars o f
the Jews by Flavius Josephus .
v . 45 And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the gloriou s
holy mountain ; yet he shall came to his end, and no one will help him .
The Jews throughout the empire were subjected to great persecution . Cestius Gallus cam e
to Jerusalem and besieged it (between the seas (or sea as some translations read) and th e
holy mountain) . According to historians Gallus withdrew from the city for no apparen t
reason . Seditious Jews followed the Romans as far as Antipatras, killing a great numbe r
and seizing many of the war machines . Nero, hearing of the shameful defeat, sen t
Vespasian to take control over the armies in Judea and destroy Jerusalem .
DANIEL 1 2
v . 1 At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch ove r
the sons of your people ; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never wa s
since there was a nation, even to that time . And at that time your people shall b e
delivered, every one who is found written in the book .
Vespasian’s command over the forces against the Jews truly marked the beginning of th e
end . When Gallus retreated the Christians, responding to the prophesy of the destruction o f
Jerusalem by Christ (Mt .24) fled from the city to Pella where they were safe . The Jew s
however found persecution in every city by the Romans and even some Jews in Jerusale m
were killing their brethren . Galilee fell to Vespasian in 67 AD and the remaining Jews fle d
to Jerusalem . Josephus tells us that there were civil wars in every city and even familie s
would be divisive (Mt . 24 :10-12) . The persecution was such that has never been seen fo r
cruel atrocities were inflicted from without and within the Jewish nation . Josephus says ,
” Jerusalem had arrived at a higher degree of felicity than any other city under the Roma n
government, and yet at last fell into the sorest of calamities again . Accordingly it appears t o
me that the misfortunes of all men from the beginning of the world, if they be compared t o
those of the Jews, are not so considerable as they were” .
The precise work of Michael is difficult to understand . From earlier in the book he seems t o
be a special caretaker of the nation of Israel but physical Israel was coming to an end an d
spiritual Israel was to take her place . Perhaps this is the work of Michael . How exactly h e
works can only be supposed .
v . 2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some t o
everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt .
The figure of resurrection is used to describe the reaction to the Jews to their tribulatio n
and the destruction of the city and the sanctuary . The figure of the resurrection is used i n
Eph 5 :14 to call those in darkness to the light and says, ” Awake you who sleep, arise fro m
the dead, and Christ will give you light” . Those who saw these events and turned to th e
scripture and saw that this was the purpose of God could turn to Christ and the new Israe l
and live . Those who were insistent on the Jewish way and would oppose the new Israe l
were doomed to contempt . They would be a people without a nation . Jn 5 :25 says, ” the tim e
is coming AND NOW IS where the dead will hear the voice of God and live!” This is
obviously not talking about physical death (how can they hear? ; physical death is dealt wit h
in 5 :28) but the spiritual death that many of the Jews lived in ,
v . 3 Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, an d
those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever .
The new Israel is pictured here . The Jews who accepted the new kingdom and became par t
of the new Israel went everywhere preaching the word of the gospel (Acts 8 :4; Col . 1 :6,23) .
Rom 10 :15 : ” How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel, who bring gla d
tidings of good things .”
v . 4 ” But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of th e
end ; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase .”
The command to seal up the book was to imply that the events would take place over a lon g
period of time . This is in contrast to the book of Revelation that was not to be sealed u p
(Rev 22 :10) for the events were to come quickly (1 :1,3 ; 22 :6).
v . 5 Then I, Daniel, looked ; and there stood two others, one on this riverbank an d
the other on that riverbank .
v . 6 And one said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of th e
river, ” How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be? ”
v . 7 Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river ,
when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Hi m
who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time ; and when th e
power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall b e
finished .
Naturally Daniel is concerned about the events prophesied for they concern his own nation ,
the people of God . But he is told that it shall be for times, time and half a time ; a period o f
turmoil and trial . (The symbol of perfection, 7, broken in half) . The end of these events i s
the shattering of the power of the holy people . Many today seek the restoration of Israel t o
power but according to prophesy and now history their power has been shattered . God ha d
always planned to open the borders of his kingdom to ” whosoever wills” not those of a
bloodline . The physical Israel was a type of the Israel to come . Those who seek the physica l
would well heed the book of Galatians that urges us to ” cast out the bondwoman (physica l
and become children of the freewoman . Those who seek for these events to b e
fulfilled in the future neglect the logical progression of events that show it as alread y
coming to pass . Again the conclusion of the vision was the ” shattering of the power of th e
holy people” . This took place in 70 AD with the destruction of Jerusalem .
Most of the historical references are from The Standard History of the World, (vols . 1-3) Th e
University Society, Inc . New York . This is a ” narrative of political events and a survey o f
civilization …” by great historians . It’s recordings of history can be backed by multitudes o f
historical works .
Other references include :
Josephus : Wars of the Jew s
The Lion and the Lamb on Planet Earth (Rodney Miller )
The Avenging of the Apostles and Prophets (Art Ogden) -Some historical notes .
I and II Macabees (Part of the Apocrypha )
A History of the Roman People (info on Antiochus Epiphenes)