DANIEL - A Verse by VERSE BIBLE STUDY

Daniel Chapter Ten

10:1-3............
"In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar. The message was true, but the appointed time was long; and he understood the message, and had understanding of the vision. In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled."

In the third year of Cyrus:
By this time, the first wave of exiles had returned under the leadership of Ezra.
By now, Daniel would be about 90 years old.

The message was true, but the appointed time was long:
Daniel 10 sets the stage for the spectacular prophecy (message) of Daniel 11, which described a time of great persecution and testing for the people of Israel.

Dr. John Walvoord on the appointed time was long:
“The implication is that the period in view is a long and strenuous one involving great conflict and trouble for the people of God.”

Mourning three full weeks:
Some think that Daniel was in mourning because so few Jews had returned with Ezra from exile.
Others believe it was because Ezra faced severe opposition in rebuilding the temple. Either or both could be the case.

Daniel did not go back with Ezra’s group of exiles because he was about 90 years old at this time. Daniel could serve the exiles better from his high position in government than he could with them in Jerusalem. Travel in that day at that age was not anything like it is today.

Spurgeon said =
“I think too that Daniel’s sorrow was occasioned partly by the repetition of those words to him: ‘The vision is true, but the time appointed is long.’

I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth:
It would be wrong to call what Daniel did fasting. The Biblical idea of fasting is to abstain from food altogether, drinking only water. Daniel definitely practiced a form of self-denial, but it was not fasting.
 
Daniel 10:5-6............
"I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz! His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude."
A certain man clothed in linen:
Commentators divide over the identity of this certain man. Some say this is Jesus, noting that the description is remarkably like what John saw in Revelation 1:12-16.

Some others think that the certain man is an unnamed angel of high rank, noting that Jesus would not need the assistance of Michael, mentioned in Daniel 10:13.

We also know that Ezekiel saw angelic figures clothed in linen (Ezekiel 9:2).

Notice the correlation between Daniel's vision and John's vision in the Revelation...........

CLOTHED IN LINEN
Daniel 10:5...........................................Revelation 1:13 & 19:8

LOINS GIRDED WITH FINE GOLD
Daniel 10:5 ..........................................Revelation 1:13

BODY LIKE BERYL
Daniel 10:6 ...........................................Revelation 4:3

HIS FACE WAS LIKE THE SUN
Daniel 10:6 ............................................Revelation 1:16 & 10:1

HIS FEET WERE LIKE POLISHED BRASS
Daniel 10:6.............................................. Revelation 1:15

HIS ARMS WERE LIKE POLISHED BRASS
Daniel 10:6................................................Revelation 1:15

HIS VOICE WAS LIKE A MULTITUDE
Daniel 10:6 ................................................Revelation 8:5 & 10:2-4

Daniel sees His face and believes that it looks like lightning. Lightning gives the appearance of brilliance & power!
If you have been close to a lightning strike and then immediately the thunder claps, your heart beats quicker and you realize that something very extraordinary just took place and then you realize.......I AM STILL ALIVE!

That is what Daniel felt! I live in Central Florida and I promise you that I have experience that feeling many times!
 
Daniel 10:7
" And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves."
I, Daniel, alone saw the vision:
This shows that there was something supernatural about this vision. Daniel saw what he saw regarding the glorious man, but his companions could not see it. There are several people with Daniel and they know that "something" is going on but they do not see what Daniel sees.

"QUAKING" is felt and that suggests the presence of DIETY among men which tends to tell us that the MAN in the previous verse was the pre-incarnate Christ. My Pentacostal friends would call this "Slain in the Spirit". I am the 1st to admitt that if I came face to face with a heavenly visitor, I would pass out as well.

Dr. Oliver B. Green, Dr. Lewis Shaffer, Dr. Magee and Dr. Schofield also believe that Daniel has passed out and at some point an angel came to help Daniel and he came at verse #10. They also agree that THE MAN was the pre-incarnate Christ so I am in really good company. They believe that in verse #10 that it is the angel Gaberial who is in view.

This is like the latter instance of Saul on the road to Damascus, when his companions could not hear the same voice from heaven that he heard. These cases remind us that we can be close to the presence and power of God, yet miss the message through lack of spiritual perception.

They fled to hide themselves:
Of course they couldn’t see the vision if they were hiding from it.
 
Daniel 10:8-9.........
"Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me; for my vigor was turned to frailty in me, and I retained no strength. Yet I heard the sound of his words; and while I heard the sound of his words I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground."

No strength remained in me:
As godly as Daniel was, he was undone by this vision of the glorious man. Daniel’s experience shows us that even the holiest of men fall short before God and even before His closest associates.

My vigor was turned to frailty:
Dr. Wood says of this word frailty, “The word suggests a death-like paleness, combined with a grotesque wrenching of facial features.”

Baldwin Commentaries:
“To judge by the description, the trance experienced was not one to envy.”
 
Daniel 10:11-13............
" And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling. Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia."

A hand touched me:
As Daniel was laid out in weakness by this experience, he was strengthened by the touch of a hand.

O Daniel, man greatly beloved:
This was the second time Daniel was called greatly beloved (Daniel 9:23 previous to this). Each time it was in relation to Daniel’s being favored with a great and significant revelation of the future.

Spurgeon stated in his commentary that.........
“It did not do Daniel any harm to know that he was greatly beloved of God; or else he would not have received that information from heaven. Some people are always afraid that, if Christian people obtain full assurance, and receive a sweet sense of divine love, they will grow proud, and be carried away with conceit. Do not you have any such fear for other people, and especially do not be afraid of it for yourselves. I know of no greater blessing that can happen to any man and woman here, than to be assured by the Spirit of God that they are greatly beloved of the Lord.”

Stand upright:
When it was time for Daniel to hear and understand, he needed to stand at attention.

From the first day… your words were heard:
God responded to Daniel’s prayer the very moment he made his request known. Daniel had been in great and serious prayer for three full weeks (Daniel 10:2).

I have come because of your words:
We can’t pass this over lightly. An angel was dispatched because of Daniel’s prayer. This is another of many reminders in the Book of Daniel that prayer matters. It isn’t merely a therapeutic exercise for the one who prays. Remember......At this time, the Holy Spirit did NOT indwell the believers.

The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me:
Since this prince was able to oppose the angelic messenger to Daniel, we know this was more than a man. This prince was some kind of angelic being, and we know he was an evil angelic = A DEMON being because he opposed the word of God coming to Daniel and stood against the angelic messenger.

The word prince has the idea of a ruler or authority. This fits in well with the New Testament idea that angelic ranks are organized and have a hierarchy (Ephesians 1:21, Ephesians 6:12, Colossians 1:16, Colossians 2:15). These angelic ranks seem to include both faithful angels and fallen angels.

Apparently, this was a demon of high rank that opposed the answer to prayer. On three occasions, Jesus referred to Satan as the prince of this world (John 12:31, 14:30 & 16:11).

Withstood me twenty-one days:
Since the angel was dispatched immediately and Daniel’s period of prayer and self-denial was 21 days (the three full weeks of Dan. 10:2), we see that the answer to the prayer was delayed by the prince of the kingdom of Persia or a demonic entity.

The correlation between Daniel’s time of self-denial and prayer and the duration of the battle between the angels and the prince of the kingdom of Persia establishes a link between Daniel’s prayer and the angelic victory. Since the angelic victory came on the 21st day, we can surmise that if Daniel would have stopped praying on the 20th day, the answer may not have come.

Archer Commentaries state......
“There may be hindering factors of which a praying Christian knows nothing as he wonders why the answers to his requests are delayed. Nevertheless, he is to keep on praying. It may be that he will not receive an answer because he has given up on the twentieth day when he should have persisted to the twenty-first day.”

Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me:
In other passages Michael is associated with the battle between good angels and evil angels (Revelation 12, Jude 9).
Michael is associated with the nation of Israel and is thought to be its protector.

A lot of people ignore the Bible when it comes to demons. That is very dangerous. Ignorance is never bliss!

Came to help me:
This phrase may be the most compelling reason to think that this “me” is not Jesus, despite the remarkable similarity between the certain man of Daniel 10 and the vision of Jesus in Revelation 1. Though Jesus received angelic assistance as an incarnate man (Mark 1:13and Luke 22:43), it is difficult for me to think of Him needing or receiving angelic help before the incarnation.
 
Daniel 10:14..........
" Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days."
Now I have come:
Why did this happen???
I think that God allowed this kind of conflict because He had a purpose in allowing it. He certainly could have blasted away in a moment any demonic opposition. God’s plan probably was to use the time of delay to develop Daniel as a man of persistent prayer.
Persistence in prayer is necessary, but not because God is reluctant and needs to be overcome; rather, it is necessary to train us.

Daniel’s success makes us reflect on our failures. How much angelic assistance or insight has never been realized, or greatly delayed, because of a lack of persistence in prayer? Again........at this time we have the Holy Spirit IN us and in MY OPINION we do not need the help of an angel.

What will happen to your people in the latter days:
The vision of Daniel 11 and 12 was focused on the latter days, though it also relates to the closer time of Antiochus Epiphanes.

ALL prophets had a TWO FOLD function............
1. To their present day &
2. Down the road to a future day.

I would relate this to going down the road toward Ashville N.C. A long way away you see a rather large hill but as you get closer you see a larger mountain in the distance behind that hill both you see both of them at the same time.

There are FOUR things to remember and understand so that YOU will be properly prepared!
1. Daniel's people are the JEWS.
2. Their home is Israel.
3. "latter Days" refers to the days preceding the 2nd Coming of Messiah Jesus.
4. The understanding of "MANY DAYS" is.......A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.

ALL of those are seen in this Scripture. Daniel's message relates to the deeds of Antiochus Epiphanes because he was a PICTURE of the coming Antichrist, but the message also relates to the coming Antichrist who will try and bring the ultimate end of the Jewish people.

Keep in mind that there is still one more oppression to take place by Gentile nations led by the A/C.
 
Daniel 10:15-19............
"When he had spoken such words to me, I turned my face toward the ground and became speechless. And suddenly, one having the likeness of the sons of men touched my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke, saying to him who stood before me, “My lord, because of the vision my sorrows have overwhelmed me, and I have retained no strength. For how can this servant of my lord talk with you, my lord? As for me, no strength remains in me now, nor is any breath left in me.” Then again, the one having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me. And he said, “O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!” So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”

I turned my face toward the ground and became speechless:
Daniel started on the ground (Daniel 10:9), then stood up (Dan. 10:11), and now was back on his face again.
This is the 1st reference of Jane Fondas workout video!!!!..........(Just kidding)!;)

Because of the vision my sorrows have overwhelmed me:
The ancient Hebrew word translated sorrows has the thought of twisting or writhing pain. It is used in several places in the Old Testament for labor pains in childbirth. Daniel was so severely affected by this vision that he could barely breathe, much less could he deal with prophetic complexities.

One having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me:
This was not God, but an angel. God touched Daniel through an intermediary.
 
Daniel 10:20..........
"Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come. But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth. (No one upholds me against these, except Michael your prince".
I must return to fight with the prince of Persia:
Daniel was about to receive the answer to his prayer, but the battle was not over for his heavenly messenger. First he must battle the prince of Persia, then the prince of Greece. God watched out for Israel, working behind the scenes in the spiritual realm.

Balwin Commentaries state:
“The heavenly warfare is to be directed against first Persia and then Greece, because each of these in turn will have power over God’s people.”

No one upholds me against these, except Michael your prince:
Michael seemed to be an angelic guardian of Israel, battling against the demonic representative of Persia or any other who opposed God’s people. On earth, Israel seemed lowly and weak; but in the heavens, Israel had the mightiest representative of all.

This angel told Daniel that he would show him what was written in the Scriptures. This refers to the revelation about the war between Med-Persia and Greece that was discussed in chapters 2, 7, & 8.

Gaberial is speaking to Daniel and tells him that "YOUR PRINCE" is Michael. Common sense then tells us that since Daniel is a Jew, and this whole vision is concerning the nation of Israel, then Michael would be the Angel of Isreal.
 
Hello Major;

We want to thank you for taking the time to teach Daniel. This is one of my wife's favorite books in the Bible.

Thank you for blessing us, brother. Check is in the mail. lol!

God bless you and your family.
 
bobinfaith said:
Hello Major;

We want to thank you for taking the time to teach Daniel. This is one of my wife's favorite books in the Bible.

Thank you for blessing us, brother. Check is in the mail. lol!

God bless you and your family.
Click to expand...
Bless you Robert and your wife. Many, many years ago, when I first came into the ministry, there was so much false and misleading material on Prophecy that I decided to make it my calling in my ministry. Ah Millennial, Postmillennial, Pretribulation, Mid-tribulation, Preterists and the list went on and on and on.

Thank you for your kind words! It means a lot.
 
Daniel 11:1...............
"Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him.”

WATCH THIS NOW!!!

"I" is NOT Daniel here. "I" is the angel Gaberial.

It was Michael's responsibility to overthrow the prince of Babylon in order that the prince of Persia might come.

Now, Michael was standing by Gaberial to help him overthrow the prince of Persia so that the prince of Greece might come in.
Satanic rulers of certain kingdoms will always be defeated by God so that succeeding ones can come to fulfill HIS prophetic promises.

The rise and fall of world empires in the times of the Gentiles have already been predicted by God's Word and plan and they will be fulfilled.
 
Daniel 11:2...............
"And now I will tell you the truth: Behold, three more kings will arise in Persia, and the fourth shall be far richer than them all; by his strength, through his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece."

Three more kings will arise in Persia:
Simply stated, the angel told Daniel that there would be three more kings in Persia until a fourth arose.
The fourth king would be strong, rich, and oppose the realm of Greece.
REAL History confirms This strong, rich fourth king was fulfilled in the Persian King Xerxes who by the way married a Jewish woman named ESTHER.

The fourth shall be far richer:
In fulfillment, there were actually four kings from the time Daniel spoke of until Xerxes, the one who did stir up all against the realm of Greece. Either the angel omitted the current king (Cyrus), looking only to the future, or he ignored King Smerdis of Persia (522-21 B.C.) because he ruled less than one year and was an imposter to the throne. IMHO he did so because that king was an "imposter".

Persia… Greece:
These visions and insights regarding the future of the Persian and Greek Empires were relevant because each empire attempted to wipe out the people of God at some time.

The Persian Empire tried to wipe out the Jewish people during the reign of Xerxes, through the plot of Haman (as shown in the Book of Esther).
It was ESTHER who saved the nation of Israel.

The Greek Empire tried to wipe out the Jewish people during the reign of Antiochus IV, when he attempted to kill every Jew who did not renounce their commitment to God and embrace Greek culture.

XERXES ruled for 21 years until 485 BC. He was the 1st Persian king to invade Greece but was defeated in 490 at MARATHON. He was the king that stirred up all of Persia against Greece and he brought them face to face in a death struggle that actually that changed the history of the world.

You see, at this point in time, PERSIA had adopted the Oriental culture completely. As a nation they were deeply rooted in the TRADITIONS of the past and that backwards looking meant that a better civilization and society was not going to come from them.

However, the GREEKS were youthful, and innovative and they produced new ideas in literature, art, finance and individual rights. They were FORWARD looking! If the Persians had remained in power, the progress of the world would have been set back hundreds of years.
The struggle between Persia and Greece would lead to the end of these ways of life, whether Eastern or Western.

Now as Pul Harvey used to say................"Now you know the rest of the story"!
 
Daniel 11:3-4................
"Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. And when he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken up and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not among his posterity nor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be uprooted, even for others besides these."

Then a mighty king shall arise:
The angel told Daniel of a mighty king with a great dominion – but his kingdom would not endure, and it would be divided after the death of the mighty king. This is of course Alexander the Great of Greece. He started out with $75,000 dollars and 32 thousand men.
Persia had MILLIONS of dollars and hundreds of thousands of men.

Shall rule with great dominion and do according to his will:
This was fulfilled in Alexander the Great, who certainly was a mighty king. Alexander died at 32 years of age of a fever after a drunken party in Babylon.

This prophecy does not mainly concern Alexander because he did no harm to Jerusalem, though he conquered the general area. The ancient historian Josephus records the interesting arrival of Alexander the Great to Jerusalem, and how he was shown the Book of Daniel by the high priest (whom Alexander had previously seen in a vision). Alexander was so impressed that he spared Jerusalem and granted it religious toleration. God works in mysterious ways does He not????

Source: Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, book XI, chapter 8:
Now Alexander, when he had taken Gaza, made haste to go up to Jerusalem; and Jaddua the high priest, when he heard that, was in an agony, and under terror, as not knowing how he should meet the Macedonians, since the king was displeased at his forgoing disobedience. He therefore ordained that the people should make supplications, and should join with him in offering sacrifices to God, whom he besought to protect that nation, and to deliver them from the perils that were coming upon them; whereupon God warned him in a dream, which came upon him after he had offered sacrifice, that he should take courage, and adorn the city, and open the gates; that the rest appear in white garments, but that he and the priests should meet the king in the habits proper to their order, without the dread of any ill consequences, which the providence of God would prevent. Upon which, when he rose from his sleep, he greatly rejoiced; and declared to all the warning he had received from God. According to which dream he acted entirely, and so waited for the coming of the king.

And when he understood that he was not far from the city, he went out in procession, with the priests and the multitude of the citizens. The procession was venerable, and the manner of it different from that of other nations…. [The approaching army] thought they should have liberty to plunder the city, and torment the high priest to death, which the king’s displeasure fairly promised them, the very reverse of it happened; for Alexander, when he saw the multitude at a distance, in white garments, while the priests stood clothed with fine linen, and the high-priest in purple and scarlet clothing, with his mitre on his head having the golden plate on which the name of God was engraved, he approached by himself, and adored that name, and first saluted the high-priest.

The Jews also did all together, with one voice, salute Alexander, and encompass him about: whereupon the kings of Syria and the rest were surprised at what Alexander had done, and supposed him disordered in his mind. However, Parmenio alone went up to him, and asked him how it came to pass, that when all others adored him, he should adore the high-priest of the Jews? To whom he replied, “I did not adore him, but that God who hath honored him with that high-priesthood, for I saw this very person in a dream, in this very habit, when I was at Dios, in Macedonia, who, when I was considering with myself how I might obtain the dominion of Asia, exhorted me to make no delay, but boldly to pass over the sea thither, for that he would conduct my army, and would give me the dominion over the Persians; whence it is, that having seen no other in that habit, and now seeing this person in it, and remembering that vision and the exhortation which I had in my dream, I believe that I bring this army under the divine conduct, and shall therewith conquer Darius, and destroy the power of the Persians, and that all things will succeed according to what is in my own mind.”

And when he had said this to Parmenio, and had given the high-priest his right hand, the priests ran along by him, and he came into the city; and when he went up into the temple, he offered sacrifice to God, according to the high-priest’s direction, and magnificently treated both the high priest and the priests. And when the book of Daniel was showed him, wherein Daniel declared that one of the Greeks should destroy the empire of the Persians, he supposed that himself was the person intended; and as he was then glad, he dismissed the multitude for the present, but the next day he called them to him, and bade them ask what favors they pleased of him: whereupon the high-priest desired that they might enjoy the laws of their forefathers, and might pay no tribute on the seventh year. He granted all they desired: and when they entreated him that he would permit the Jews in Babylon and Media to enjoy their own laws also, he willingly promised to do hereafter what they desired.

Not among his posterity:
After Alexander’s death, none of his descendants succeeded him. It wasn’t for lack of trying. Alexander did leave three possible heirs:
1. a half brother named Philip, who was mentally deficient;
2. a son who was born after Alexander died; and
3. an illegitimate son named Heracles of Macedon.

But fighting amongst the regents eventually resulted in the murder of all possible heirs.

Divided toward the four winds of heaven:
After the death of all Alexander’s possible heirs, four generals controlled the Greek Empire, but none of them according to his (Alexander’s) dominion.
1. Cassander
2. Lystmachus
3. Seleucus I
4. Ptolemy

The rest of this prophecy focuses on two of the four inheritors of Alexander’s realm, and the dynasties they established. Only two are focused on because they constantly fought over the Promised Land because it sat between their centers of power.
 
Daniel 11:5..................
"Also the king of the South shall become strong, as well as one of his princes; and he shall gain power over him and have dominion. His dominion shall be a great dominion."

The king of the South shall become strong:
One of the four inheritors of the empire of the mighty king would become stronger and greater than the others.
PTOLEMY I was the king of the South which included Egypt.
Directions in the Scriptures are always done with JERUSALEM as the center point.

b. He shall gain power over him and have dominion: This was fulfilled in Ptolemy I of Egypt, who exerted his control over the Holy Land. Soon after the division of Alexander’s Empire, the Ptolemies dominated this region.

Ptolemy I had a prince named Seleucus, who rose to power and took dominion over the region of Syria. He became more powerful than his former Egyptian ruler. The Seleucids are identified with the Kings of the North, and the Ptolemies were the Kings of the South.

The dynasties of the Seleucids and the Ptolemies fought for some 130 years. The stronger of the two always held dominion over the Holy Land.
 
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Now I realize what some of you are thinking about right now. The DATES, and NAMES and SITUATIONS are confusing and listless and i am bored to tears. There is just more here for me to retain and the question comes to your mind..........................
WHAT HAS ALL IF THIS GOT TO DO WITH BIBLE STUDY???????????

EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!

When those thoughts come to you, know who they come from. God wants YOU to know and understand. Satan wants YOU to be ignorant.
YOU must fight and reject those feelings. WHY do you think that you get sleepy when you read the Bible?????

I hope that you will believe me when I tell you that at times I felt the same way when I was putting all of this together. But you and I have the ability and authority to say............."This the Word of God and I need to know it so that I can be approved, a workman"!

Now, please realze the importance of all of this stuff! Here is the ******KEY******!!!

ALL of this HISTORY does ONE THING. It proves that the Word of God is 100% accurate! Never, wrong and never lies and never contradicts itself. ONE book, written by 42 men over 1500 years!
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Daniel 11:6............
"And at the end of some years they shall join forces, for the daughter of the king of the South shall go to the king of the North to make an agreement; but she shall not retain the power of her authority, and neither he nor his authority shall stand; but she shall be given up, with those who brought her, and with him who begot her, and with him who strengthened her in those times."

"And at the end of some years:
Literally means = "After some years" which actually turned out to be 65 years.

They shall join forces:
Joined by a marriage, the kings of the North and South would be allies for a while, but the arrangement would not last.

The daughter of the king of the South shall go to the king of the North to make an agreement:
This was fulfilled in the marriage between Antiochus II (of the Seleucids) and Berenice (daughter of Ptolemy II). There was peace for a time because of this marriage, but it was upset when Ptolemy II died.

Shall not retain the power of her authority:
Once Ptolemy II died, Antiochus II put away Berenice and took back his former wife, Laodice.

Neither he nor his authority shall stand:
Laodice didn’t trust her husband Antiochus II; so she had him poisoned.

She shall be given up, with those who brought her:
After the murder of Antiochus II, Laodice had Berenice, her infant son, and her attendants killed.

After this reign of terror, Laodice set her son (Seleucus II) on the throne of the Syrian dominion.

All of this was yet in the future for Daniel. We look at it as history and history confirms the Word of God which is why it is so important to know!
 
Daniel 11:7-9...........
"But from a branch of her roots one shall arise in his place, who shall come with an army, enter the fortress of the king of the North, and deal with them and prevail. And he shall also carry their gods captive to Egypt, with their princes and their precious articles of silver and gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the North. Also the king of the North shall come to the kingdom of the king of the South, but shall return to his own land."

Who shall come with an army: The angel told Daniel that a branch of her roots would come from the South and prevail over the kings of the North.

"Her roots" = Berenice .

Deal with them and prevail:
This was fulfilled in the person of Ptolemy III, who was the brother of Berenice (the branch of her roots).
Avenging the murder of his sister, Ptolemy III invaded Syria and humbled Selecus II.

He shall continue more years than the king of the North:
Ptolemy III lived four years past Selecus II.

Due to a rebellion, he had to return home to put it down. Had that not happened, he would have completely destroyed the kingdom of Syria.
 
Daniel 11:10-12...........
"However his sons shall stir up strife, and assemble a multitude of great forces; and one shall certainly come and overwhelm and pass through; then he shall return to his fortress and stir up strife. And the king of the South shall be moved with rage, and go out and fight with him, with the king of the North, who shall muster a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into the hand of his enemy. When he has taken away the multitude, his heart will be lifted up; and he will cast down tens of thousands, but he will not prevail.

His sons shall stir up strife:
The sons of the kings of the North would continue the battle. One of the sons would conquer the Holy Land (overwhelm and pass through) which stood as a buffer between the kings of the South and the kings of the North.

Assemble a multitude of great forces:
This was fulfilled in Seleucus III and Antiochus III, the two sons of Seleucus II. Both were successful generals, but Seleucus III ruled only a short time and was succeeded by his brother.

In a furious battle, Antiochus III took back the Holy Land from the dominion of the Ptolemies.

The king of the South shall be moved with rage:
The angel told Daniel that the king of the South would attack and meet a great multitude of soldiers from the king of the North. The king of the North would lose in battle and his multitude would be defeated.

He will not prevail:
This was fulfilled when Antiochus III was defeated at the battle of Raphia in 217 BC.
Because of that loss he was forced to give back dominion over the Holy Land to Ptolemy IV.
He was a heavy drinker and given to sensual pleasures.
 
Daniel 11:13-16............
"
For the king of the North will return and muster a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come at the end of some years with a great army and much equipment. Now in those times many shall rise up against the king of the South. Also, violent men of your people shall exalt themselves in fulfillment of the vision, but they shall fall. So the king of the North shall come and build a siege mound, and take a fortified city; and the forces of the South shall not withstand him. Even his choice troops shall have no strength to resist. But he who comes against him shall do according to his own will, and no one shall stand against him. He shall stand in the Glorious Land with destruction in his power."

The king of the North… shall certainly come at the end of some years with a great army:
The king of the north that was to return refers to Antiochus IV, also called "The Great". FOUTEEN yeras after his defeat at Raphia he returned to battle the Egyptians with even more men.
The angel told Daniel that the northern dynasty would answer back and defeat the king of the South in an extended siege. This victory would give the king of the North dominion over the Glorious Land.

Trapp Commentaries states that:
“The land of ornaments – that is, Judea, which, lying betwixt these two potent princes, was perpetually afflicted, as corn is ground asunder lying betwixt two heavy millstones.

No one shall stand against him:
This was fulfilled when Antiochus III invaded Egypt again, gaining final control over the armies of Ptolemy V and over the Holy Land.

Many shall rise up against the king of the South:
Jews living in the Holy Land helped Antiochus III defeat the king of the South. This was because the Jewish people resented the rule of the Egyptian Ptolemies (violent men of your people shall exalt themselves in fulfillment of the vision).

He who comes against him shall do according to his own will… with destruction in his power:
The Jewish people of the Glorious Land initially welcomed Antiochus III as a liberator from Egyptian rule. Their decision to support Antiochus III proved unwise when he turned destruction upon the Glorious Land and its people.
 
Daniel 11:17............
"He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall he do. And he shall give him the daughter of women to destroy it; but she shall not stand with him, or be for him."

He shall also set his face:
The king of the North who ruled over the Holy Land would also attempt to dominate and destroy the king of the South. He would make one attempt by giving the king of the South the daughter of women to destroy, but this plot would not succeed.

She shall not stand with him:
This was fulfilled when Antiochus III gave his daughter Cleopatra to Ptolemy V of Egypt. He did this hoping to gain permanent influence and eventually control in Egypt. To the great disappointment of Antiochus III, the plan did not succeed because Cleopatra wasn’t faithful to her Egyptian husband at all.

NOTE----This was not the most famous Cleopatra from ancient history, made famous by Elizabeth Taylor, but this was the ancestor of the more famous Cleopatra. The more famous Egyptian woman lived some 100 years after the time of this Cleopatra.
 
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