Daniel 10 – 12

Daniel 11 (cont.)

11:21-35 – focus on the events of Antiochus Epiphanies’ reign in Syria (c. 170 B.C.)

  • He seized the throne by deceit.
  • He had victory over Egypt (King of the South).
    • 1st visit to Egypt – went with a small number deceitfully.  
    • 2nd visit – went with vast army to conquer.
  • After 2nd visit to Egypt, he attacked Jerusalem, slewing 80,000, taking 40,000 prisoners, and selling 40,000 slaves (much of this is said to have come from a misunderstanding he had about their activities).
  • 3rd trip to Egypt – Unsuccessful
  • After 3rd visit to Egypt, he plundered Jerusalem and desecrated their temple and their worship.
    • Some Jews fought back to restore worship; others joined Antiochus, forsaking their religion

11:36-45 – Who is “THE KING”?

Four prominent opinions on who the king of these verses refers to:

  1. Antiochus Epiphanies
    1. Why? The context would naturally suggest this.
    2. Why not? Unlikely historically that the events of 11:40-45 happened near the end of his life.
  2. King Herod
    1. Why? Referred to as “the king” in the New Testament; fits the relative timescale.
    2. Why not? The context of this chapter seems disjointed from what happened in history with Herod.
  3. Antichrist – Early Roman Emperor; Future Power; or Papacy
    1. Why? Seems to refer to the “time, times, and half a time” that is said to be fulfilled by Antichristian power (Dan. 7:25; Rev. 11:2-3; 12:6,14; 13:5), and Christ’s return (Dan. 12:1-3), which comes when Antichrist still exists (2 Thes. 2:8).
    2. Why not? There would have to be a sizeable leap of time between the time of Antiochus and the time of Antichrist, while the prophecy of Dan. 11 can hardly allow this. 
  4. Rome
    1. Why? In Dan. 7:24, a kingdom is called a “king”, and Rome did fulfill all of the events spoken of in 11:36-45.
    2. Why not? It would be strange for this “king” to refer to a kingdom when all the other “kings” of Dan. 11 are individual rulers.

Which one, if any, is correct?

With so many brilliant, God-fearing people in disagreement on this subject, I would feel uneasy about making any kind of a categorical statement here.  I do, however, lean heavily towards the position that the king of Dan. 11:36-45 must, in its immediate, historical context, be Antiochus Epiphanies.  But I also believe that Dan. 12 alludes to Antichrist, establishing Antiochus Epiphanies as a type/shadow for Antichrist in a limited sense.  That is, Antichrist will act in some ways similar to Antiochus Epiphanies, though not necessarily in all ways.

Did Antiochus Epiphanies fulfill the events of Dan. 11:36-45?

Porphyry, a non-Christian scholar of the 3rd century, says that Epiphanies’ history agrees exactly with the events described in Dan. 11:36-45*, though he believes the book of Daniel was written after the fact of these events.  Besides his witness, however, almost no historian mentions Antiochus traveling to Egypt a 4th time (11:40) and fulfilling other events that are described in verses 40-45.  This fact has caused some to doubt that “the king” here is Antiochus.
* All that we have of Porphyry’s statements concerning the book of Daniel have been preserved by Jerome in his commentary on Daniel (c. 400AD).

Two Possibilities:

  1. We accept the testimony of Porphyry, despite the lack of corroboration. (see the commentary of Matthew Henry, or that of Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown)
  2. Most of the events of Dan. 11:40-45 recap the major events that happened throughout Antiochus’ reign. (see Albert Barnes’s commentary)

DANIEL 12 – The link between Antiochus and Antichrist

12:1 – “At that time” – must refer to the time of the events at the close of Dan. 11

  • “Michael shall stand up” – Michael standing up brings victory to the Jews (see also Dan. 10:21).  He also is seen standing up at the beginning of the 1,260 days (or day-years) in Revelation
    • This is one of many links that will be shown in this chapter between the events of Antiochus and the events of Antichrist.
  • “Time of trouble,/ Such as never was since there was a nation” – Considering the intensity and magnitude of troubles within a short time span.
    • Matt. 24:21 – Jesus speaks similar language to describe the Jewish temple’s destruction in 70 A.D.  After saying it was a trouble greater than any thus far in the world, He adds: “nor ever shall be.”  A phrase that is absent in Dan. 12:1.
  • “Written in the book” – applied to those who are truly God’s people, and have not sinned against Him (see Ex. 32:32-33).  In Revelation, after the 1,260 days (or day-years) expire, and other events take place, God judges the world based on who is written in his Book of Life (Rev. 20:11-15).

12:2 – “Many of those who sleep…shall awake” – Speaks of resurrection.  In the historical reference, this terminology may denote the new life of religion spiritually resurrected after the siege of Antiochus expires (similar language is used elsewhere for Israel’s freedom from the Babylonian captivity – Isaiah 26:19; Ezekiel 37:10*).  However, there also seems to be a link to Revelation 20:12, where people are judged by the Book of Life after physically resurrecting.
* The immediate context of both of these prophecies seems to refer to the new life given to God’s people when they returned from their Babylonian captivity, though surely it also foreshadows the resurrection of Christians that would happen upon Christ’s coming.

  • “Some to everlasting life,/ Some to shame and everlasting contempt” – In the time of Antiochus and the Maccabees, some Jews were honored for their service to God, while others would be called forth to public shame on account of their apostasy, and their conformity to heathen customs (Barnes).
    • This judgment is also reflected in Rev. 20:11-15 as the eternal judgment of all who are raised from the dead.

12:3 – The wise shine like stars – “The wise” = the righteous (see Proverbs).  Shining as lights happens in this life (e.g. Phil. 2:15), but ultimately will be fulfilled in our resurrected bodies (see 1 Cor. 15:40-42)

12:4 – “seal the book” – the meaning of these prophecies will not be understood at this time.  Contrast this to Jesus opening the sealed book in Revelation 5.

12:6-7 – Angel swears that these events would last for 3.5 times/years – this is a clear allusion to Daniel 7:25, but doesn’t necessarily refer to the same event.

  • Revelation 10:1-7 – An angel has a book (like Dan. 12:4), and swears by God (like the angel in Dan. 12:7) that there would be no more delay in the event happening.  After stating this, we are soon shown (in Rev. 11:2) that an event would last for 42 months (the same time period as 3 ½ years/”times”)
  • FULFILLMENT in Antiochus:  Antiochus caused the Jewish temple to be deserted and the daily sacrifice ended.  3.5 years later the service was restored by Judas Maccabeus.
  • FULFILLMENT in Papacy: This reference in Dan. 12:7 alludes to the 3.5 years/”times” spoken of in Dan. 7:25, however, these must be separate events:
    • In Dan. 7, the little horn comes from the 4th kingdom, i.e. Rome, whereas Antiochus Epiphanies came from a Syria, a vestige of the Grecian Empire (the 3rd Kingdom of Dan. 7).  
    • Revelation repeatedly speaks of the same time period of 3.5 years/”times” as yet to be fulfilled, though the book of Revelation was written more than 200 years after Antiochus Epiphanies died.
    • In “The Little Horn” Bible study, we saw that if we accept a prophetic day to equal a historical year, and 1,260 days = 1,260 years, then the official, supreme power of the Pope from 536 – 1796 would correspond precisely.
      • As Antiochus brought in foreign elements to the Jewish temple, so the Popes throughout history have brought foreign doctrines and practices into the people of God, who are called a temple.  Antiochus, thus, is seen as a striking type to the office of Antichrist. 

12:11 – There are 1,290 days from the daily sacrifice being taken away and abomination of desolation set up – The daily sacrifice was taken away in May, 168 B.C., when Gentile soldiers took possession of the temple (i.e. “the abomination of desolation”).  On Dec. 25, 165 B.C., the temple was cleansed by Judas Maccabeus and Jehovah’s worship restored.  If 1 year = 360 days, by the Jewish timescale, and 1 month = 30 days, then there are 1,290 days between these two events (assuming, as is probable, that Antiochus seized Jerusalem’s temple in the latter part of May, 168 B.C.).

  • Why 30 days more than the 3 ½ years of Dan. 12:7? Perhaps, the time in Dan. 12:7 was the rough time, and Dan. 12:11 was the specific.  Or, after 3 ½ years, Antiochus’s forces left Jerusalem, but it took another 30 days before the temple was completely purified and worship restored (see Matthew Henry’s suggestions).

12:12 – Blessing after 1,335 days – Antiochus Epiphanies died sometime in February of 164 B.C.  If it was around the 10th of February, which is not improbable, then this would be exactly 1,335 days after he first seized Jerusalem, and 45 days after Judas Maccabeus restored the true worship.