Daniel 11:10 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.
Seleucus
Callinus left two sons, Seleucus Ceraunus and Antiochus. These are
his
sons
mentioned in the
opening
verse of today’s passage that shall
be stirred up. They
stirred
up
and assembled a
multitude of great forces to
come against
Egypt.
Seleucus
Ceraunus,
the elder son,
was murdered after reigning only two years, whereas Antiochus reigned
37 years and became known as “the Great.” He was the one
that
the angel said would certainly
come,
and overflow, and pass through: then…return,
words indicating his campaign against Egypt in which he regained
territory his father had lost. His being stirred
up, even to his fortress
refers to his campaign against Raphia, a fortified city in Egypt.
Daniel 11:11 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.
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
Philopater, the
king of the south,
was moved
with choler
(indignation)
against Antiochus the Great,
the
king of the north,
and came against him with
a great multitude consisting
of 70,000 footmen, 5000 horse, and 73 elephants. Antiochus force was
also a multitude
in
that it consisted of 62,000 footmen, 6000 horse, and 102 elephants.
Ptolemy won the battle and thus the multitude of Antiochus was given
into his hand. However,
Ptolemy
Philopater having won his victory became lifted
up
with pride and gave himself up to luxury and uncleanness rather than
completing the conquest of Syria. He also let Antiochus escape out
of his hands. In his pride he forced his way into the Holiest of all
in the temple at Jerusalem to offer sacrifice for his victory over
Antiochus. This, of course, provoked the God of Israel. And thus
Ptolemy was not strengthened
by
his victory even though he had cast
down many ten thousands.
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.
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
the Great, the
king of the north,
returned to Egypt and set
forth a multitude greater than the former,...with a
great army
and much
riches
to sustain it. This was prophesied to certainly
occur
after
certain years
(about 14 years). It did certainly occur upon the death of Ptolemy
Philopater, whose son Ptolemy Epiphanes succeeded him when but a
child, which gave the advantage to Antiochus.
At
that time many stood up
against the king of the south.
Antiochus the Great formed an alliance with Philip of Macedon
against Ptolemy Epiphanes to seize his kingdom and divide it between
themselves. The apostate Jews called here the
robbers of
Daniel’s people exalted themselves and sought to capitalize upon
the unrest caused by this conflict. They came to the aid of
Antiochus thus helping to accomplish this prophecy (establish
the vision).
But this alliance proved a calamity to them in the end as
the angel predicted: but
they shall fall.
So
Antiochus
the Great, the
king of the north,
is poised to invade Egypt and overthrow the kingdom of Ptolemy, the
king of the south. Now
let’s see what happened in this campaign.
Daniel 11:15 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.
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.
So
Antiochus the Great did come,
and cast up a mount against
Ptolemy Epiphanes,
the king
of Egypt. The
most fenced cities being
taken by
Antiochus refer
to his taking of the cities of Coelesyria and Phoenicia, which were
then part of the kingdom of Egypt. Ptolemy’s general, Scopas, who
had been sent to Coelesyria was put to flight by Antiochus. Scopas
fled
to Sidon with 10,000 troops where he tried to hold up and resist.
Ptolemy’s choicest commanders (his
chosen people)
were sent to relieve him, but to no avail. The
arms of the south
(Egypt) had no strength
to withstand.
Scopas and his troops were besieged by the king of the north and
forced to surrender.
He
that cometh against him in
verse 16 refers
to Antiochus the Great coming against Ptolemy Ephiphanes. Antiochus
being victorious over Ptolemy did
according to his own will
and Ptolemy was powerless to resist: none
shall stand before him.
Antiochus seized control of Judea, the
glorious land. Antiochus
sustained his large army with the fruits of the earth that were found
there. Thus by
his hand the
land was
consumed.
Nevertheless, the leaders of Judea welcomed Antiochus as the
liberator from the oppression of the Egyptians. Antiochus granted
the inhabitants of Judea many favours and privileges.
Daniel 11:17 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.
Antiochus
the Great then
set
his face…with the strength of his whole kingdom to
enter Egypt. In pursuing this end he enlisted the help of many pious
Jews, the
upright ones.
In order to assist him in gaining Egypt Antiochus gave his daughter
Cleopatra in marriage to Ptolemy Epiphanes hoping she would betray
her husband. This
is what is meant when the angel said: he
(Antiochus)
shall
give him (Ptolemy)
the
daughter of women (Cleopatra),
corrupting her. This
scheme backfired when Cleopatra sided with her husband instead of her
father. As
a father of the daughters of women, I should hope that I would have
more sense than to expect my daughters to side with me against their
husbands! Cleopatra and
her husband sent ambassadors to the Romans to congratulate them on
their victory over Antiochus in driving him out of Greece and to urge
them to extend their campaign to Asia. Thus
it was fulfilled which was spoken by the angel that she did not
stand on his side, neither was
for
him.
Daniel 11:18 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.
19 Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.
Failing
in his designs against Egypt, Antiochus the Great turned his
face unto the isles,
which were provinces of the Romans. With a large fleet he sailed
into the Aegean sea (the sea between Greece and modern Turkey) and
took many
of
their
isles such as Rhodes, Samos, etc. and several of the cities of Greece
and Asia. But this reproach
offered by him against
the Romans was caused to
cease by
a Roman general, here called a
prince,
named Lucius Scipio, who defeated Antiochus’ army of 70,000 with an
army of 30,000 at the hill of Sipylus. Thus Scipio turned Antiochus’
reproach upon Antiochus without himself (Scipio) incurring reproach
(without
his own reproach).
Being
totally defeated by the Romans and placed under heavy tribute,
Antiochus had to abandon all he had gained in Europe and return to
the
fort of his own land.
Needing to raise money to pay the tribute, he attempted to rob the
temple of Jupiter. This so enraged his own subjects against him that
they killed him. So
the words of the angel were fulfilled: he
(Antiochus
the Not
So Great) shall
stumble and fall, and not be found.
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