Thanks
@OMC . Let's see what you got...
...Daniel 11 is a
continuous historical sequence from Medo‑Persia through Greece into the Seleucid/Ptolemaic conflicts, then into a final king who pushes all the way to “the time of the end” (
Dan 11:35,
40).
This sounds good, although I believe that Daniel teaches that the 'time of the end' begins with the battles of Actium and Alexandria and ends with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. In other words, the time of the end already happened. I will address this in a moment.
Dan 11:2 — “Three kings… and a fourth… richer… stir up all against Greece.”
Text: Persia, multiple kings, one especially rich, stirs up Greece.
Conclusion: This matches the Persian line culminating in a king like Xerxes who attacks Greece.
Agreed.
Dan 11:3 — “A mighty king… shall rule with great dominion… do as he wills.”
Text: Single dominant king after Persia, tied to Greece (from v.2).
Conclusion: Alexander the Great.
Agreed.
Dan 11:4 — Kingdom broken, divided to four winds, not to his posterity.
Text: Sudden break, fourfold division, not to his children.
Conclusion: Alexander’s empire split among four generals, not his sons.
Agreed.
Dan 11:5–9 — King of the south strong; one of his princes stronger; alliances, betrayal, invasions.
Text: Ongoing conflict between “south” and “north” with specific marriage‑alliances and reversals.
Conclusion: Ptolemies (Egypt, south) vs Seleucids (Syria, north). The details (daughter, alliance, betrayal) fit the Berenice/Antiochus history.
Agreed, although you are now paraphrasing and glossing over blocks of verses which can lead to errors.
Dan 11:10–13 — Sons of the king of the north stir up war, overflow, return, stronger forces.
Text: North regroups and invades repeatedly.
Conclusion: Successive Seleucid kings pressing south.
The above is where your glossing over the critically important verses of Daniel 11 to 13 leads to a fatal error. You have failed to understand that Antiochus III the Great does not make it past verse 13.
Here is the detailed breakdown:
| 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. |
But his sons shall be stirred up…:
'His sons' refers to the sons of the king of the North, Seleucus II Callinicus, whose sons were Seleucus III Ceraunus and Antiochus III the Great.
…and shall assemble a multitude of great forces…:
The assembling of a great army signifies the preparation for significant military campaigns. Historically, Antiochus III, known for his military prowess, gathered substantial forces to reclaim territories lost to the Ptolemies.
…and one shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through…:
The imagery of advancing "like a flood" suggests an overwhelming and unstoppable military campaign. Antiochus III's campaigns were marked by rapid and decisive movements, reclaiming territories in the Levant.
…then shall he return, and be stirred up, even to his fortress.:
The "fortress" likely refers to a strategic stronghold or city, possibly in the region of Coele-Syria, which was a contested area between the Seleucids and Ptolemies.
| 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. |
And the king of the south shall be moved with choler…:
This phrase refers to the king of the South, Ptolemy IV Philopater, who was king of Egypt at that time, being advanced to the crown upon the death of his father Ptolemy III Euergetes. The 'rage' indicates a strong emotional response, likely due to previous conflicts or provocations.
…and shall come forth and fight with him, even with the king of the north…:
The King of the North is Antiochus III the Great.
…and he shall set forth a great multitude…:
The “multitude” being the army of Antiochus III the Great, which was severely defeated at that place. This is supported by Daniel 11:12, where we read of the conduct of the southern king after his victory.
…. but the multitude shall be given into his hand:
The “large army” of the North is “delivered” to Ptolemy at Raphia, fulfilling the prophecy with literal accuracy. This defeat forced Antiochus to withdraw from Coele-Syria and return to Seleucid territory north of Lebanon.
| Daniel 11:12 - 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. |
And when he hath taken away the multitude…:
This suggests a significant military victory, where the king of the South, Ptolemy IV Philopater, achieves a substantial defeat over his enemies, likely the forces of the king of the North, Antiochus III the Great. The forces of the king of the North (Antiochus III) are seized and removed after their defeat at Raphia.
…his heart shall be lifted up…:
Ptolemy IV Philopater becomes proud and arrogant as a result of his success.
…and he shall cast down many ten thousands…:
The casting down of tens of thousands indicates a large-scale battle with heavy casualties, emphasizing the might and ferocity of the conflict.
…but he shall not be strengthened by it:
Despite the resounding victory, Ptolemy IV Philopater gained no lasting strength. Within a few years his moral decay, heavy taxation, and internal unrest wiped out the advantage.
| 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. |
For the king of the north shall return…:
After the death of Ptolemy IV Philopater, Antiochus III the Great formed a secret pact with Philip V of Macedon to partition the Ptolemaic Empire. Thus, Antiochus III the Great shall return and perform another invasion of Egypt along with Philip V of Macedon.
…and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former…:
Once more Antiochus III the Great attacked the Ptolemaic province of Coele Syria and Phoenicia, and by 199 BC he seems to have had possession of it before the Aetolian leader Scopas recovered it for Ptolemy. But that recovery proved brief, for in 198 BC Antiochus III the Great defeated Scopas at the Battle of Panium, near the sources of the Jordan, a battle which marks the end of Ptolemaic rule in Judea.
…and shall certainly come after certain years with a great army and with much riches.…:
This all happened some thirteen or fourteen years after the battle of Raphia, when Ptolemy V Epiphanes, a mere child, had succeeded his father, Ptolemy IV Philopater. Antiochus III the Great took advantage of this weakness. This verse marks the end of Antiochus III.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Antiochus III the Great invasion of Greece in 192 BC, supported by the Aetolian League, ignited the Roman-Seleucid War. Despite initial successes, including the defeat of Ptolemaic forces at the Battle of Panium in 198 BC, Antiochus was eventually defeated by the Romans at Thermopylae in 191 BC and then decisively at the Battle of Magnesia in 190 BC. As a result of his defeats, Antiochus was forced to sign the Treaty of Apamea in 188 BC, losing vast amounts of territory west of the Taurus Mountains to Rome and its allies, like Rhodes and Pergamon.
Antiochus III the Great died in 187 BC.
Daniel 11:13 marks the end of Antiochus III the Great!
I will now address more of your comments in my next post.