In the chapters leading up to Daniel 11, God reveals that Israel will be restored; however, he also tells Daniel of a time of great trouble for Israel. The time foretold in Daniel 11 took place during what is known as the Intertestamental Period, the roughly 400 years between the close of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New. No canonical books were written during this period, but the apocryphal books of 1 and 2 Maccabees record the history of the time period. The information in Daniel 11 is so accurate that secular scholars insist it must be prophecy ex eventu, that is, prophecy “after the fact,” which is not really prophecy at all. In fact, aside from God’s omniscience and his ability to reveal the future to his prophets, this would be the only rational conclusion.
Daniel 11 begins with a mighty Greek king whose kingdom will be scattered to the four winds. Everyone agrees that it is about Alexander the Great. He died in 323 BC. C. during the prime of life, and his empire was divided among his generals who claimed parts for themselves. One of these generals, Ptolemy, took an area south of Israel that included Egypt. Another general, Seleucis, took control of an area to the north of Israel that included Syria. Daniel 11 spans hundreds of years, so the kings of the north and south are not individual individuals, but the rulers of the Ptolemaic dynasty (based in Egypt) and the Seleucid dynasty (based in Syria). These two dynasties were hostile to each other, and Israel was literally caught in the middle. The King of the South is the Greek King of Egypt, of the Ptolemaic dynasty.
We pick up the story in Daniel 11:5–6: “The king of the south will become strong, but one of his commanders will be even stronger than him and will rule his own kingdom with great power. After a few years, they will become allies. The daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North to make an alliance, but she will not retain his power, and he and his power will not last. In those days she will be delivered, along with her royal escort and her father and her supporter.
Fulfillment: At first, the Seleucid king of Syria had been a subject of Ptolemy in Egypt, but over time he became more powerful. Therefore, the king of the South proposed a marriage alliance to unite kingdoms. Princess Berenice of the South married the Seleucid king and a boy was born. However, the king died suddenly and the wife and child were killed in 246 BC. Instead of sealing an alliance, this started a war.
Daniel 11:7–10: “One of his family line will rise up to take his place. He will attack the forces of the King of the North and enter his fortress; he will fight them and be victorious. He will also seize the gods from him, their metal images, and their silver and gold valuables and take them to Egypt. For a few years, he will leave the king of the north alone. Then the king of the North will invade the kingdom of the king of the South but will withdraw to his own country. His sons will prepare for war and muster a great army, which will rush down like an irresistible flood and carry the battle to his fortress.”
Fulfillment: Princess Berenice’s brother, the King of Egypt, waged a successful campaign against the North in 245—241 BC. Later, the Syrian kingdom tried to retaliate and even tried to invade Egypt.
Daniel 11:11–13 : “Then the king of the South will march in a rage and fight against the king of the North, who will raise a great army, but he will be defeated. When the army is led away, the king of the South will be filled with pride and slaughter many thousands, but he will not remain triumphant. For the king of the North will gather another army, greater than the first; and after several years he will advance with a huge fully equipped army.”
Fulfillment: Syria was defeated by Egypt in 217 BC. C.; the Greek-Egyptian king of the south massacred about 20 percent of the Syrian force, but the victory was short-lived as Syria invaded again with a larger force and was successful.
Daniel 11:14–16 : “In those days many will rise up against the king of the South. Violent men among your own people will rebel in fulfillment of the vision, but without success. Then the king of the north will come and he will build siege ramps and take a fortified city. The forces of the South will be powerless to resist; even his best troops will not have the strength to resist. The invader will do as he pleases; no one can stand up to him. He will settle in the Beautiful Land and have power to destroy it.”
Fulfillment: Israel was initially under the more tolerant rule of the Ptolemaic kings of the south. But with the Syrian victory, Israel came under the control of the Seleucid king of the north in 200 BC. Some in Israel, thinking that they were being oppressed by the Ptolemies, supported the Seleucids against the Ptolemies. There were divisions and factions within Israel as people took different sides. Jerusalem, the “fortified city,” had Egyptian (southern) troops stationed there, and they were defeated by the king of the north.
Daniel 11:17–29: “He will determine to come with the power of all his kingdom and will make an alliance with the king of the South. And he will give him a daughter in marriage to bring down the kingdom, but his plans will not prosper or help him. Then he will turn his attention to the shores and take many of them, but a commander will put an end to his insolence and turn his insolence against him. After this he will turn to the strongholds of his own country, but he will stumble and fall, to be seen no more.”
Fulfillment: There was another attempt at a marriage alliance. The daughter of the Seleucid king (of the north) married the Ptolemaic king (of the south) in 193 BC. The plan was not really to build an alliance but to undermine the king of the South, because the daughter was going to be an agent of her father. However, after the marriage, she sided with her husband. As the subterfuge did not work, the Seleucid king of the north attacked several Greek islands and part of Asia Minor. The Romans had warned him to stay out of Greece, but he ignored the warning and the Romans attacked and defeated him at Thermopylae in 191 BC. He was humiliated and had to start paying tribute to Rome.
Daniel 11:20: “His successor will send a tax collector to maintain the royal splendor. However, in a few years it will be destroyed, but not in anger or in battle.”
Enforcement: The Seleucid successor was preoccupied with raising money to keep Rome at bay. He was unsuccessful in an attempt to plunder the Jerusalem temple for tribute money. This king had a short and inconsequential reign.
This brings us to Antiochus IV Ephiphanes, one of the most notorious and brutal kings of the North.
Daniel 11:21–24 appears to be a summary of the reign of Antiochus IV, and verse 25 begins to give details, but not necessarily in chronological order.
Daniel 11:21–24: “A despicable person who has not been given the honor of royalty will succeed him. He will invade the kingdom when the people of it feel safe, and he will seize it by intrigue. Then an overwhelming army will be swept before him; both he and a covenant prince will be destroyed. After making an agreement with him, he will act deceitfully and with only a few people he will come to power. When the richest provinces feel secure, he will invade them and accomplish what neither his fathers nor his ancestors did. He will distribute loot, loot and wealth among the followers of him. He will plot the overthrow of strongholds, but only for a time.”
Fulfillment: Antiochus Epiphanes was not a legitimate heir to the throne, but he was able to muster an army and seize the throne by force in 187 BC. He seemed to have a special vendetta against Jerusalem. He was behind the assassination of the high priest. He was a bully and a madman. Though he took the name Epiphanes (“manifest God”), some, doubtless behind his back, called him “Epimanes” (“madman”).
Daniel 11:25–28:: “With a great army he will raise his strength and courage against the king of the South. The King of the South will wage war with a large and very powerful army, but he will not be able to resist because of the plots hatched against him. Those who eat of the king’s provisions will try to destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall in battle. The two kings, with their hearts inclined to evil, will sit at the same table and lie to each other, but it will be in vain, because the end will still come at the appointed time. The king of the north will return to his own country with great riches, but his heart will be against the sacred covenant. He will take action against him and then he will return to his own country.”
Fulfillment: Antiochus invaded Egypt in 169 BC. The king of Egypt was young and inexperienced, dependent on advisers who did not serve him well, and he was defeated. In the negotiations, neither king was honorable. Antiochus emerged victorious from Egypt. On the way home, he sacked the temple in Jerusalem and stationed a garrison there. He also desecrated the temple by sacrificing unclean animals there.
Daniel 11:29–30 ): “At the appointed time, he will invade the south again, but this time the result will be different from what it was before. The ships from the western shores will oppose him and he will lose heart. Then he will turn and vent his fury against the holy covenant. He will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant.”
Fulfillment: After returning home, Antiochus decided to invade the south again. He was met by the Romans, who told him to “cease and desist.” He had no choice but to comply, but the incident left him completely humiliated, which seemed to make him more determined to violence elsewhere.
Daniel 11:31–32: “Their armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will establish the abomination of desolation. With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him.”
Fulfillment: In his second attempt to sack the temple, Antiochus tried to bribe Jewish officials and stopped the daily sacrifices, but this time he was met with Jewish resistance. The Maccabees rebellion occurred in 167 BC.
Daniel 11:33–35: “The wise will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered. When they fall, they will receive a little help, and many who are insincere will join them. Some of the wise will stumble, that they may be refined, purified, and made blameless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.”
Fulfillment: The revolt had mixed success and mixed support among the Jewish population with some help from Rome, which later became an occupying power.
Daniel 11:36–39 seems to recapitulate the reign of Antiochus: “The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt himself and exalt himself above every god and say unheard of things against the God of gods. He will succeed until time is complete…