Hierarchical Précis
The ‘Silent’ Years
Daniel 11:5-35
Following
the
death
of
Alexander
the
Great
in
323
b.c.,
the
Greek
Empire
was
divided
between
four
of
his
generals:
Cassander,
who
took
Macedonia
and
Greece;
Lysimachus,
who
took
Asia
Minor
and
Thrace;
Seleucus,
who
took
the
largest
portion
of
Syria
and
Babylon;
and
Ptolemy,
who
took
Egypt,
Arabia
and
Israel.
In
Daniel
11,
the
king
of
the
south
is
Ptolemy
I
and
the
king
of
the
north
is
Seleucus
I.
Israel,
being
the
northern
extremity
of
Ptolemy’s
region,
effectively
becomes
a
buffer
state
between
the
south
and
the
north and is caught up in the 150 years of warfare between the two regions, chronicled in Daniel 11:5-35.
What follows is:
Daniel’s prophecy by verse …… followed by …..
the relevant history
Verse 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
king
of
the
south
here
is
Ptolemy,
who
reigned
over
the
land
south
of
Judea
which
included
Egypt,
Lybia,
Cyrene,
Ethopia,
Arabia
and
Phoenicia,
as
well
as
others.
The
king
of
the
north,
Seleucus,
was
greater,
for
he
reigned
over
countries
from
Syria
eastward
as far as India.
Verse 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, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in these times.
After
a
lapse
of
some
years,
a
political
marriage
is
arranged
between
Antiochus
II
of
the
north
and
Bernice,
the
daughter
of
Ptolemy
II,
from
the
south.
Antiochus
is
required
to
divorce
his
own
wife,
Laodiceia,
to
facilitate
this
arrangement.
Bernice
was
unable
to
prevail
against her rival Laodiceia who poisoned Antiochus, murdered Bernice, and set her elder son, Seleucus II Callinicus, on the throne.
Verse 7
But
out
of
a
branch
of
her
roots
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:
Ptolemy
III
Euergetes,
the
brother
of
murdered
Bernice,
invades
Syria,
seizes
the
port
of
Antioch,
and
overruns
Seleucus’
empire
as
far as Babylon.
Verse 8
And
shall
also
carry
captives
into
Egypt
their
gods,
with
their
princes,
and
with
their
precious
vessels
of
silver
and
of
gold;
and
he
shall
continue more years than the king of the north.
His
spoils
for
Egypt
included
4,000
talents
of
gold,
40,000
talents
of
silver,
and
2,500
idols.
These
included
treasures
carried
from
Egypt some 280 years earlier. He ruled more years than his rival: 24 years as opposed to 20.
Verse 9
So the king of the south shall come into his kingdom, and shall return into his own land.
(The Septuagint reads “and he shall enter the kingdom of the king of the south, and he shall return to his own land.”)
After
two
years
Seleucus
reorganises
and
marches
south
against
Egypt,
is
defeated
and
returns
to
Antioch
with
only
a
small
remnant of his army.
Verse 10
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
sons
of
Seleucus
II
are
Seleucus
III,
who
is
murdered
during
a
campaign
in
Asia
Minor,
and
Antiochus
III
(known
as
Antiochus
the
Great)
who
recovers
the
fortress
of
Seleucia,
the
province
of
Coele-Syria
and
Tyre,
then
resumes
the
war
with
Egypt.
After
this
campaign, in the following spring (219 b.c.), Antiochus returns with a large army of 60,000 men to Raphia.
Verse 11
And
the
king
of
the
south
shall
be
moved
with
choler,
and
shall
come
forth
and
fight
with
him,
even
with
the
king
of
the
north:
and
he
shall set forth a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into his hand.
Ptolemy
IV
assembles
an
army
of
70,000
men,
meets
Antiochus
III
at
Raphia
where
they
fight
and
Antiochus
is
defeated.
His
losses
are said to be 10,000 infantry and 300 cavalry.
Verse 12
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.
Ptolemy
IV’s
pride
in
victory
leads
to
a
celebratory
tour
of
his
provinces,
including
Jerusalem
where
he
attempts
to
enter
the
Holy
of
Holies,
but
is
miraculously
prevented
by
paralysis.
He
returns
to
Egypt
and
persecutes
the
Egyptian
Jews,
killing
many
of
them.
Ptolemy
IV
is
said
to
have
not
taken
advantage
of
his
victory
but,
being
content
then
returned
to
Egypt,
there
to
continue
to
indulge
himself in the sensual pleasures and vices of the life he had been used to.
Verse 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.
Following
the
death
of
Ptolemy
IV
in
203
b.c.,
he
is
succeeded
by
his
son
Ptolemy
V
Epihpanes
who
is
an
infant
just
four
years
old.
Twelve years after the battle at Raphia, Antiochus III sets out with a much greater army than before with the intent to conquer Egypt.
Verse 14
And
in
those
times
there
shall
many
stand
up
against
the
king
of
the
south:
also
the
robbers
of
thy
people
shall
exalt
themselves
to
establish the vision; but they shall fall.
Antiochus
makes
allegiance
with
Philip
of
Macedon
and
they
separately
attack
Ptolemy’s
provinces.
There
is
also
an
uprising
among
the vassals of Egypt and also some of the Jews.
Verse 15
So
the
king
of
the
north
shall
come,
and
cast
up
a
mount,
and
take
the
most
fenced
cities:
and
the
arms
of
the
south
shall
not
withstand, neither his chosen people, neither shall there be any strength to withstand.
Antiochus
takes
Coelesyria
(a
Hellenistic
term
for
a
region
of
Syria)
and
Phoenicia.
In
200
b.c.,
Scopas,
an
Egyptian
general,
takes
Judea but is then defeated at Sidon in 198.
None are able to stand against Antiochus the Great.
Verse 16
But
he
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, which by his hand shall be consumed.
Still
referring
to
Antiochus
the
Great,
of
whom
Gill
says
in
his
commentary
is
able
to
“take
cities,
and
dispose
of
them
at
his
pleasure;
the
army
of
the
king
of
Egypt
not
being
able
to
oppose
him,
and
stop
his
conquests
in
Coelesyria
and
Phoenicia;
nor
should
they hinder his entrance into Judea.”
“The
glorious
land”
is
Judea,
where
Antiochus
stands
as
a
victorious
conqueror
with
the
Jews
readily
submitting
to
him,
receiving
him into their city, and assisting him in taking the castle where Scopas had placed a garrison of soldiers.
It
is
the
practice
of
his
soldiers
to
‘consume’
the
land,
but
secular
history
tells
us
that
following
the
favourable
reception
and
subsequent
assistance
by
the
priests
and
elders
of
Jerusalem,
Antiochus
frees
them
from
tribute,
permits
them
to
live
according
to
their own laws, allows them cattle and other things for sacrifice and provides wood for repairing the Temple.
Verse 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 daughter of women, corrupting her: but she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him.
It
is
now
197
b.c.
and
Antiocus
III
embarks
on
a
campaign
to
take
Cilcia,
Lycia
and
Caria
which
are
still
under
Egyptian
control.
His
army
includes
Jewish
supporters,
even
some
that
had
switched
their
allegiance
from
Ptolemy.
However,
he
is
defeated
and,
realising
he
could
not
take
Egypt
by
force,
offers
the
hand
of
his
daughter
Cleopatra
to
Ptolemy
as
a
political
solution.
The
marriage
is
arranged
in
197
b.c.
(but
not
consummated
until
some
years
later
as
the
groom
was
just
10
years
old)
with
a
dowry
which
includes
Coele-Syria,
Phoenicia
and
Judea.
This
political
solution
fails
as
Cleopatra
becomes
a
devoted
wife
and
forsakes
her
own
people
in
favour
of
her
husband and his people.
Verse 18
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.
Being
disappointed
in
the
failure
of
his
scheme
to
obtain
Egypt,
Antiochus
now
looks
toward
Greece.
He
makes
a
strategic
mistake
in
aligning
himself
with
Hannibal,
the
Carthaginian
general,
to
fight
the
Romans.
In
191
b.c.
he
is
defeated
at
Thermopylae
and
in
190
b.c.
suffers
a
decisive
defeat
at
Smyrna
by
the
Roman
commander
Lucius
Scipio,
and
is
forced
to
surrender
all
his
territory
west
of
the
Taurus Mountains.
Verse 19
Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.
Antiochus
is
now
burdened
with
a
heavy
tribute
of
15,000
talents
and
flees
eastward,
plundering
temples
on
the
way
to
fund
the
expense.
An
intent
to
rob
the
temple
of
Jupiter
Elymaeus
is
discovered
and
the
incensed
inhabitants
band
together
and
slay
Antiochus
and his remnant army. He is killed at the age of fifty two after reigning for thirty seven years, but his body is never found.
Verse 20
Then
shall
stand
up
in
his
estate
a
raiser
of
taxes
in
the
glory
of
the
kingdom:
but
within
few
a
days
he
shall
be
destroyed,
neither
in
anger, nor in battle.
Antiochus
the
Great
is
succeeded
by
his
eldest
son
Seleucus
Philopater,
who
is
to
reign
for
twelve
years
from
187
to
175
b.c.
Throughout
his
reign
he
places
a
heavy
burden
of
taxation
on
his
people
to
pay
tribute
still
due
to
the
Romans,
Judea
being
included.
After
twelve
years
he
is
poisoned
by
his
treasurer
Heliodorus
intending
to
take
over.
But
Antiochus
Epiphanes,
who
had
been
held
hostage by the Romans since his father’s defeat, is freed as all monies have now been paid.
Verse 21
And
in
his
estate
shall
stand
up
a
vile
person,
to
whom
they
shall
not
give
the
honour
of
the
kingdom:
but
he
shall
come
in
peaceably,
and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.
There
should
have
been
other
candidates
to
succeed
Antiochus
the
Great:
Seleucus
IV’s
son
Demetrius
who
is
being
held
as
a
hostage
in
Rome,
or
the
youngest
son,
also
named
Antiochus,
but
he
is
still
only
a
baby
living
in
Syria.
But
Antiochus
Epiphanes
arrives
back
in
Antioch
just
after
his
brother
dies,
poses
as
the
guardian
of
the
infant
Antiochus,
and
pretends
to
be
taking
the
throne
for
his
nephew
Demetrius
until
his
release.
With
the
promise
of
allegiance,
Antiochus
Epiphanes
enlists
the
support
of
the
Eumenes,
king
of
Pergamum,
and
his
brother
Attalus
against
the
usurper
Heliodorus,
and
gains
the
kingship
as
Antiochus
IV.
His
kingship
has
been
thus
obtained
through
intrigue
and
flattery,
despite
his
reputation
as
a
vile
man,
which
gained
him
the
nickname
‘Epimanes’
the
madman,
a
kind of opposite to the name he gave himself, ‘Epiphanes’, meaning illustrious.
Antiochus IV (175-164 B.C.) is the ‘little horn’ of Daniel 8:9.
Verse 22
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.
The
supporters
of
the
usurper
Heliodorus
were
crushed
by
Eumenes
and
Attalus,
leaving
Antiochus
with
a
peaceful
kingdom
to
reign
over.
Onias
III,
High
Priest
in
171
(here
referred
to
as
‘the
prince
of
the
covenant’)
is
murdered
and
the
priesthood
is
sold
to
Onias’s
younger brother Jason
[2 Maccabees 4]
.
Verse 23
And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.
Antiochus is now able to move about with a small number of men, apparently peaceably, but with the intent to overcome and rob.
Verse 24
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
fathers'
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.
Unlike
his
forefathers,
Antiochus
IV
does
not
keep
all
the
spoils
for
himself
but
distributes
them
amongst
his
men.
This
tactic
allows
him to ‘become strong with a small people’
[verse 23]
.
Verse 25
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.
Antiochus
now
gathers
a
large
army
and
heads
for
Egypt
to
fight
with
Ptolemy
VI
Philometer,
who
has
himself
assembled
a
large
army
in
preparation
for
Antiochus’
attack.
But
Ptolemy
Philometer
is
unable
to
stand
against
Antiochus
and
is
defeated.
Ptolemy’s
defeat
is
not
entirely
due
to
the
military
strength
of
Antiochus,
as
there
has
been
a
power
struggle
between
Ptolemy
VI
and
Ptolemy
Euergetes (II), who is later to succeed him. His defeat is said to have been aided by bad advice and treachery.
Verse 26
Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain.
It
was
after
the
death
of
his
mother,
Cleopatra,
that
Ptolemy
VI
Philometer
had
received
bad
advice
regarding
Antiochus
IV.
Although
Antiochus
was
able
to
take
Egypt,
he
was
unable
to
subdue
Alexandria.
The
Alexandrians
now
brought
Ptolemy
Philometer’s
brother Ptolemy Euergetes (II) to the throne.
Verse 27
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.
Now,
having
control
over
all
of
Egypt
with
the
exception
of
Alexandria,
Antiochus
entertains
Ptolemy
Philometer
on
which
occasions
they
both
show
regard
for
one
another.
However,
both
are
acting
deceitfully.
Antiochus
appears
to
side
with
Ptolemy
concerning
his
brother
at
Alexandria,
but
all
the
while
having
an
interest
in
completing
his
acquisition
of
all
the
territories
of
Egypt;
Ptolemy
appearing
grateful
with
Antiochus’
protection,
but
intending
to
conspire
with
his
brother
against
Antiochus.
Nothing
is
to
come
of
these
deceits
since any planned outcome would not suit God’s plan at this time.
Verse 28
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.
In
Jerusalem
there
has
been
a
rumour
that
Antiochus
was
dead
and
an
uprising
ensues
led
by
Jason
seeking
to
recover
his
position
as
High
Priest.
In
the
process
he
mercilessly
slays
some
of
his
own
people,
thinking
them
to
be
his
enemies.
Antiochus
hears
of
this,
and
presuming
the
whole
of
Judea
is
in
revolt,
heads
for
Jerusalem.
The
city
is
taken
by
force
and
many
killed
regardless
of
sex
or
age.
The Temple is raided and treasures taken, after which he returns to Antioch boasting of the massacre.
Verse 29
At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter.
At
a
time
appointed
by
God,
Antiochus
embarks
on
a
third
expedition
to
Egypt
with
a
large
army
but,
unlike
the
first
two
occasions,
there is to be no military success.
Verse 30
For
the
ships
of
Chittim
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.
Ptolemy,
king
of
Egypt,
and
his
brother,
having
come
to
an
agreement,
send
representatives
to
the
senate
of
Rome
pleading
for
assistance
against
Antiochus.
In
response,
Rome
sends
ambassadors
in
ships
from
Chittim
(Macedonia)
demanding
Antiochus
should
not
make
war
against
Ptolemy,
and
that
he
should
quit
Egypt.
The
intimidation
of
the
Romans
is
sufficient
and
Antiochus
returns
to
Syria
humiliated.
His
humiliation
drives
him
to
take
his
revenge
on
the
Jews,
and
he
sends
Apollonius
with
an
army
of
twenty
thousand
men with orders to slay the men and sell the women and children.
Now
there
were
many
apostate
Jews
who
had
forsaken
the
law
of
God
and
turned
to
become
heathens.
Antiochus
had
kept
correspondence
with
these
apostates
to
keep
in
touch
with
the
affairs
of
the
Jews,
and
to
encourage
propagation
of
Heathenism,
forbidding offerings and sacrifice, and encouraging them to profane the Sabbaths and festival days.
Verse 31
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.
Antiochus’
army
invades
the
Temple,
defiling
it
by
entering
it
and
preventing
sacrifices
and
offerings.
The
“abomination
of
desolation”
is
committed
by
Antiochus
Epiphanes
himself
by
placing
an
image
of
Jupiter
Olympus
on
the
altar
of
God
and
sacrificing
a
pig on it.
Verses 32
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.
Over
time
Antiochus
had
persuaded
many
Jews
toward
a
more
Hellenistic
life,
encouraged
by
apostate
high
priests.
But
there
are
those
who
hold
strong
to
the
laws
of
God
and
resist
all
the
threats,
tortures
and
death
inflicted
by
Antiochus.
Such
a
person
is
Mattathius Hasmoneas, whose deeds are to lead to an uprising known as the Maccabean revolt.
Verse 33
And
they
that
understand
among
the
people
shall
instruct
many:
yet
they
shall
fall
by
the
sword,
and
by
flame,
by
captivity,
and
by
spoil, many days.
Among
these
are
men
who
are
able
to
teach
many
concerning
God’s
laws,
though
some
of
these,
and
many
of
those
they
teach,
suffer
at
the
hand
of
Antiochus
for
not
obeying
his
heathen
laws.
They
are
killed,
some
burned
alive,
some
captured
and
sold
as
slaves,
and many houses plundered and spoiled.
Verse 34
Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries.
The
revolt
of
Mattathius
and
his
sons
gains
much
support,
though
there
will
be
those
whose
support
will
have
less
than
honourable
motives.
Verse 35
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.
The
revolt
has
its
setbacks,
but
eventually
brings
about
a
period
of
peace
and
independence
for
the
Jews.
Nevertheless,
there
are
to
be
deep
divisions
within
the
Hasmonean
dynasty
which
will
lead
to
its
downfall,
with
the
Jewish
nation
left
to
await
a
time
appointed
by
God for their restoration.
Only
a
small
slice
of
history
has
been
prophesied
here,
focusing
on
the
pivotal
event
of
the
abomination
that
maketh
desolate
in
verse
31.
Also
prophesied
in
Daniel
9:27
(Daniel’s
Seventy
Weeks)
and
12:11
(The
end
times),
and
referred
to
by
Jesus
in
his
‘signs
of
the
end of the age’
[Matt 24:15; Mark 13;14]
(Passion Week).