Daniel's final vision
Daniel Chapter 11 consists of visions that describe the events that occurred in the 3rd and 2nd century B.C. about the struggle between the Ptolemies(the king of the south) and the Seleucids(the king of the north) for the control of Israel, in which the Seleucids were eventually victorious,[1] as well as the rise of Antiochus Epiphanes to power and his actions against the Temple and the Jewish people. Daniel 11:3-35 is considered very accurate. [2]All major conflicts are mentioned, and the Sixth Syrian War is even mentioned in great detail.[3] However, Daniel 11:2,40-45 are considered non-historical. It is widely agreed by scholars that the vaticinia ex eventu cease at Daniel 11:39 and that the remaining verses are genuine predictions.[4] After describing the "desecration of the Temple(v.31) and the Maccabean revolt(v.32-34), the author predicts another attack from Egypt in which Antiochus will be victorius and capture the entire territory along with Libya and Ethiopia(v.40,43). There is however no historical evidence for this. Instead, Antiochus went to Armenia, Babylonia, and Susa[3]. It also claims that Antiochus will die while pitching his tents "between the seas(understood to be Mediterranean) and the glorious mountain(understood to be Mount Zion)" after conquering Egypt, Libya and Ethiopia(v.45). Antiochus however, died of injuries sustained in an attempt to sack a temple treasury in Elam near Persia in Mesopotamia, not in Judah. Further, Daniel 12:1-3 suggests a resurrection of the dead, but this event never occurred shortly after Antiochus's death. [5] Fundamentalists assert that v. 11:40-45 refer to Augustus Caesar, Herod or to an antichrist yet to come.
Succession of Events
Media/Persian Empire→Greek Empire→Seleucid and Ptolemaic Kingdoms→Antiochus Epiphanes→End(Resurection)
- Media/Persian(Daniel 11:1–2)
- Alexander the Great/Diadochi(Daniel 11:3–4)
- Wars between the Seleucids and the Ptolemies
- Reign of Antiochus Epiphanes
- Sixth Syrian War(Daniel 11:21–22)
- Desecration of the Temple(Daniel 11:31)
- Persecution of the Jews(Daniel 11:33–35)
- Maccabean Revolt(Daniel 11:32–35)
- Antiochus's death(Daniel 11:45)
- Resurrection of the dead(11:45–12:7)
- End
Parallels with Chapter 2, 7 and 8
| Chapter 11 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 kings will appear in Persia(11:2) | Third beast/leopard It had four heads(8:24) |
||
| A mighty king(11:3) His empire will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven(11:4) |
Goat/Greek kingdom(8:21) The goat became very great(8:8) His large horn was broken off, and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven.(8:8) | ||
| The kings of the south and the kings of the north(11:5–20) The king of the South will go to the king of the North to make an alliance but she will not retain her power, and he and his power will not last.(11:6) The king of the north will make an alliance with the king of the South. And he will give him a daughter in marriage in order to overthrow the kingdom, but his plans [c] will not succeed or help him.(11:17) |
Feet and the toes of the legs of statue(2:41) They shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another.(2:43) |
||
| Contemptible person(Antiochus Epiphanes): He will exalt and magnify himself above every god(11:36) |
Little horn: He will speak against the Most High(7:25) |
Little horn: He set himself up to be as great as the Prince of the host(8:11) | |
| He(contemptible person) will come to his end, and no one will help him(11:45) | His(little horn) power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. 7:26 | He(little horn) will be destroyed, but not by human power(8:25) | |
| Close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end(11:45–12:7) | End(2:44) | End of the matterDaniel 7:28 | Seal up the vision(8:26) |
See also
- Book of Daniel
- Nebuchadnezzar's statue vision in Daniel 2
- The writing on the wall
- Fiery Furnace
- Daniel's Vision of Chapter 7
- Daniel's Vision of Chapter 8
- Prophecy of Seventy Weeks
References
- ^ New American Bible
- ^ H. H. Rowley, The Growth of the Old Testament, Harper: 1950, p. 158))
- ^ a b Livius.org:Daniel 11 in Context
- ^ The Classification, Stages of Growth, and Changing Intentions in the Book of Daniel, John G. Gammie, p. 194, 1976
- ^ The Failed Prophecies of Daniel