Antiochus did whatever he wanted. H

  

Daniel 11:36-45

 

April 10, 2024

 

“And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done.  He shall pay no attention to the gods of his fathers, or to the one beloved by women. He shall not pay attention to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all.  He shall honor the god of fortresses instead of these. A god whom his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts.  He shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him, he shall load with honor. He shall make them rulers over many and shall divide the land for a price.

“At the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack him, but the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. And he shall come into countries and shall overflow and pass through.  He shall come into the glorious land. And tens of thousands shall fall, but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom and Moab and the main part of the Ammonites.  He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape.  He shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver, and all the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans and the Cushites shall follow in his train.  But news from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many to destruction.  And he shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the glorious holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, with none to help him.

Once again, this is above and beyond my knowledge, so I will give you what Got Question has to say on the subject: “Fulfillment: Antiochus did whatever he wanted. He even proclaimed himself to be a god by taking the title Epiphanes. He chose the Sabbath as a day to worship him. He went far beyond his predecessors in arrogance. He did not rely on the pagan gods but on his own financial and military might.”

Daniel 11:40-45: “At the time of the end, the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood. He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab, and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand. He will extend his power over many countries; Egypt will not escape. He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Nubians in submission. But reports from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will set out in a great rage to destroy and annihilate many. He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.”

Fulfillment: There is no doubt that the focus of chapter 11 is Antiochus Epiphanes, but he is only one king of the North among many. After his time, there was still a king of the South and a king of the North, and it is common with prophecy to telescope events, hitting only the high points. Many believe this final paragraph refers to a final king of the North who will outdo even Antiochus in his pride and blasphemy. He will be the final Antichrist at the end of history (“at the time of the end”). In this scenario, the specific identity of the two kings is yet to be revealed.

Others see the events recorded in Daniel 11:40-45 as referring to Antiochus’s successor (Antiochus V) and the end of the Greek Empire. The Romans who conquered Syria became the new “king of the North” and then went on to defeat the Greek king in Egypt (the king of the South) and the rest of the Mediterranean world, ultimately destroying the temple in Jerusalem in AD 70. Yet even the mighty Roman Empire fell and could not be helped. Still others see a dual fulfillment: the prophecy refers to both the events in the years before Christ and to events at the end of time before His second coming.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice