Daniel 11:20-45: Antiochus IV Epiphanes

Daniel and Revelation, Doctrine, Feature, Phil Harris

PHIL HARRIS | Seeker of Truth |

Introduction

Before we look at the last half of Daniel 11, I want to remind us all of the warning Jesus gave to the whole world—especially those living in Judea:

And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.—Matthew 24:14-21

The second half of Daniel 11 focuses on Antiochus Epiphanes whom history recorded as Antiochus IV.

As we continue to walk through Daniel 11, I will rely on the use of the online Enduring Word Commentary (EnduringWord.com) which is edited to reflect the use of the English Standard Version of the Bible. Because the prophecies of Daniel 11:1–35 are so detailed and precise, we are able to trace their fulfillments by the use of historical records, so we refer to a source that has compiled these events and shows their relationship to the verses of Daniel. 

Prologue

Verses 18 and 19 of this prophecy were fulfilled in history as Antiochus III and then Seleucus III:

“Then shall arise in his place one who shall send an exactor of tribute for the glory of the kingdom. But within a few days he shall be broken, neither in anger nor in battle. (Dan. 11:20)

  1. Then shall arise in his place: After the inglorious end of the king of the North, his successor would raise taxes but would soon meet his end.
  2. An exactor of tribute: This was fulfilled in the brief reign of Seleucus III, the eldest son of Antiochus III. He sought to tax his dominion (including the Holy Land) to increase revenues. His plan to pillage the Jerusalem temple was set aside when his ambassador had an angelic vision of warning.
  3. Within a few days he shall be broken: Seleucus III was assassinated, probably by his brother Antiochus IV—Enduring Word Commentary edited.

Antiochus IV Epiphanes:
Antiochus IV is better known as Antiochus IV Epiphanes.

In his place shall arise a contemptible person to whom royal majesty has not been given. He shall come in without warning and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.—Daniel 11:21

  1. In his place shall arise a contemptible person: The angel told Daniel that after the brief reign of the former king of the North, the next king would be a vile person. He would not be recognized as royalty, but shall take power by flatteries.
  2. In his place: This was fulfilled in the successor of Seleucis III, named Antiochus IV. He did not come to the throne legitimately because it was strongly suspected that he murdered his older brother, the previous king. The other potential heir (the son of Seleucus III) was imprisoned in Rome.
    1. He shall come in peaceably: Apart from the murder of his older brother, Antiochus IV didn’t use terror to gain power. He used flattery, smooth promises and intrigue.
    2. “He flattered Eumenes, king of Pergamus, and Attalus his brother, and got their assistance. He flattered the Romans, and sent ambassadors to court their favour, and pay them the arrears of the tribute. He flattered the Syrians, and gained their concurrence.” (Enduring Word Commentary, quoted from Clarke)
    3. Antiochus IV took the title Epiphanes, meaning illustrious. Others derisively called him Epimanes, meaning madman.—Enduring Word Commentary edited.

Armies shall be utterly swept away before him and broken, even the prince of the covenant.And from the time that an alliance is made with him he shall act deceitfully, and he shall become strong with a small people.Without warning he shall come into the richest parts of the province, and he shall do what neither his fathers nor his fathers’ fathers have done, scattering among them plunder, spoil, and goods. He shall devise plans against strongholds, but only for a time.And he shall stir up his power and his heart against the king of the south with a great army. And the king of the south shall wage war with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he shall not stand, for plots shall be devised against him.Even those who eat his food shall break him. His army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain.And as for the two kings, their hearts shall be bent on doing evil. They shall speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for the end is yet to be at the time appointed.—Daniel 11:22-27

  1. He shall act deceitfully: The angel told Daniel that the new king of the North (the vile person of Daniel 11:21) would attempt a deceitful covenant with the king of the South. This would fail, and there would be a great battle that would not change the balance of power.
  2. He shall stir up his power: This was fulfilled when Antiochus Epiphanes carried on the feud between the dynasties but pretended friendship and alliance to catch them off guard. Despite massive efforts and epic battles, Antiochus Epiphanes did not stand, and his army was swept away.
    1. The defeat of Antiochus Epiphanes at his second campaign against Egypt was important, because Egypt beat Antiochus with the help of Rome. At the end of it all, Antiochus Epiphanes and his kingdom were under the dominion of Rome.
    2. In a famous battle, the Roman Navy defeated the navy of Antiochus Epiphanes. After the battle, a Roman general drew a circle around Antiochus in the dirt and demanded to know if he would surrender and pay tribute to Rome – and demanded to know before he stepped out of the circle. From that point on there was no doubt: Antiochus Epiphanes took his orders from Rome and was under Roman dominion.
    3. Those who eat his food shall break him: This was fulfilled in the treachery against Antiochus IV by his own counselors—Enduring Word Commentary edited.

Abomination That Makes Desolate

And he shall return to his land with great wealth, but his heart shall be set against the holy covenant. And he shall work his will and return to his own land.“At the time appointed he shall return and come into the south, but it shall not be this time as it was before.For ships of Kittim shall come against him, and he shall be afraid and withdraw, and shall turn back and be enraged and take action against the holy covenant. He shall turn back and pay attention to those who forsake the holy covenant.Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regularburnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate.He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action.And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder.When they stumble, they shall receive a little help. And many shall join themselves to them with flattery,and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time.—Daniel 28–35

  1. His heart shall be set against the holy covenant: When the vile person returned to his land, he would attack the land, people, and the temple of Israel. It will be a time of great courage and great treachery among the people of God.
  2. So he shall work his will and return to his own land: This was fulfilled when Antiochus Epiphanes returned from Egypt, bitter from defeat. He vented his anger against Jerusalem, which was already shaken because Antiochus sold the office of High Priest and persecuted the Jewish people to conform to Greek culture, forsaking the faith and traditions of their fathers.
    1. He shall return to his land with great wealth: Failing in his invasion of Egypt, Antiochus Epiphanes returned home with only great plunder to soothe his wounded pride.
    2. Ships from Kittim (Cyprus) shall come against him: This was naval assistance from the Romans, who helped the Egyptians turn back Antiochus.
    3. Shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate: Antiochus Epiphanes set up an image of Zeus at the temple altar. He demanded sacrifice to this image, and later desecrated the temple by sacrificing a pig on it. “It was in truth an abomination, which brought a desolate condition to the Temple, for now no one would come to worship at all.”
    4. He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action: When Antiochus Epiphanes turned on Jerusalem, the Jewish people were divided. Some forsook their covenant with God and embraced Greek culture. Those who knew their God made a stand for righteousness in the face of incredible persecution.
    5. For some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder: In his attack on Jerusalem Antiochus IV is said to have killed 80,000 Jews, taken 40,000 more as prisoners, and sold another 40,000 as slaves. He also plundered the temple, robbing it of approximately $1 billion by modern calculations.
    6. Until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time: This terror could only last for as long as God had appointed it, and God had a purpose even for such persecution and blasphemy.—Enduring Word Commentary edited.

Antiochus IV Epiphanes Magnifies Himself

“And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done. (Dan. 11:36)

  1. He shall exalt and magnify himself above every god: The angel explained to Daniel that this king would blaspheme God and exalt himself until the indignation is accomplished and for what is decreed shall be done.
  2. Above every god: Here we shift from what was fulfilled in the Ptolemies and the Selucids to what will be fulfilled in the Antichrist, the final world dictator. Daniel was told that this revelation pertained to the latter days (Daniel 10:14), and Daniel 11:36 begins to look more towards this final world dictator, who is sort of a “last days Antiochus Epiphanes.”
    1. We know that everything about this prophecy was not fulfilled during the career of Antiochus Epiphanes. Jesus specifically said the real abomination of desolation was still in the future (Matthew 24:15). The Apostle Paul paraphrased Daniel 11:36 in reference to the coming Antichrist in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4.
    2. Antiochus Epiphanes is important, but mostly as a historical preview of the Antichrist.
  3. He shall exalt and magnify himself above every god: Antiochus Epiphanes certainly did this in the general sense that all sinners oppose God. Yet he remained loyal to the Greek religious tradition, which revered the entire Olympian pantheon.
  4. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished: Antichrist will do much damage, but he is on a short chain and will only work into God’s plan. God’s purpose will be accomplished.—Enduring Word Commentary edited.

Antiochus Epiphanes As Recorded In Daniel 8:13–14

Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, “How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled under foot?” And he said to me, “For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.”—Daniel 8:13-14 KJV

  1. Then I heard a holy one speaking: Many think this nameless holy one is an Old Testament appBarance of Jesus. This is possible, but there is not enough information to be certain.
  2. How long will the vision be? Daniel didn’t ask this question; he heard the holy ones speaking together and one of them asked the question. They wanted to know how long the sacrifices would be suspended and how long the sanctuary would be desecrated.
  3. For two thousand three hundred days: Literally, Daniel heard a holy one say “two thousand three hundred mornings and evenings.” Bible students debate if this means 2,300 days or 1,150 days. 2,300 days is almost seven years and far longer than Antiochus IV Epiphanes polluted the temple.
  1. If we take it to mean 1,150 days it can refer to the time the temple was actually desecrated. Philip Newell makes this case: “For a duration of time during which 2300 daily sacrifices would ordinarily have been offered, one at evening and one in the morning, as specified in Exodus 29:38-43. Since there are two of these daily, the actual time period involved is 1150 days, or slightly over three years. This, in fact, was the time of the Maccabean tribulation, 168-165 B.C., at the end of which the sanctuary was ‘cleansed’ by Judas Maccabeus in his restoration of the evening and morning sacrifices (2 Maccabees 10:1-5).”
  2. This passage has been a favorite springboard for elaborate and fanciful prophetic interpretations. A popular and tragic interpretation of this passage took one year for every day, and William Miller used 2,300 “year-days” to calculate that Jesus would return in 1844 (2,300 years after Cyrus issued the decree to rebuild the temple). His movement ended up giving birth to the Seventh-day Adventists, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and several other movements.
  3. We can know that Miller and other “year-day” theories are wrong because this passage was fulfilled before the time of Jesus. Jesus recognized that the temple was properly cleansed and rededicated when He attended the Feast of Dedication, commemorating the cleansing and rededication of the temple after the desecration brought by Antiochus IV Epiphanes (John 10:22).

Antiochus IV Epiphanes: Type of the Coming Antichrist

  1. Then the sanctuary shall be cleansed: This amazingly specific prophecy was written some 350 years before the time of Antiochus IV Epiphanes. Great prophetic fulfillments like this demonstrate that God not only knows the future, He also guides the future—Enduring Word Commentary edited.

He shall pay no attention to the gods of his fathers, or to the one beloved by women. He shall not pay attention to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all. He shall honor the god of fortresses instead of these. A god whom his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. He shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall load with honor. He shall make them rulers over many and shall divide the land for a price. “At the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack him, but the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. And he shall come into countries and shall overflow and pass through. He shall come into the glorious land. And tens of thousands shall fall, but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom and Moab and the main part of the Ammonites. He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. He shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver, and all the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans and the Cushites shall follow in his train. But news from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many to destruction. And he shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the glorious holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, with none to help him.—Daniel 11:37-45

While the immediate context of this passage is clearly about Antiochus IV Epiphanes which is confirmed in the historical record, how it will be fulfilled by the Antichrist in the end times has been much debated.

Considering these verses, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary says:

The remainder of this prophecy is very difficult, and commentators differ much respecting it. From Antiochus the account seems to pass to antichrist. Reference seems to be made to the Roman empire, the fourth monarchy, in its pagan, early Christian, and papal states. The end of the Lord’s anger against his people approaches, as well as the end of his patience towards his enemies. If we would escape the ruin of the infidel, the idolater, the superstitious and cruel persecutor, as well as that of the profane, let us make the oracles of God our standard of truth and of duty, the foundation of our hope, and the light of our paths through this dark world, to the glorious inheritance above.

The following verse in the next chapter should explain why this is so:

But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”—Daniel 12:4

Summary

  1. Daniel 11:20-35 focuses primarily on what is now verified fulfilled history concerning Antiochus IV Epiphanes and his desecration of the temple during the time of the Maccabees.
  2. However, verses 37”45 make a transition to the end times of the tribulation where the temple in Jerusalem will be occupied and desecrated by the Antichrist. In other words the terrible actions of Antiochus IV Epiphanes is a precursor of the coming Antichrist.
  3. Concerning Antiochus IV Epiphanes’ desecration during the time of the Maccabean tribulation, 168-165 B.C., the time span of three plus years matches perfectly the “2,300 evenings and mornings” or 1150 days of Dan. 8:14. Clearly Ellen G. White had no biblical grounds for projecting this time span forward to October 22, 1844.
  4. While knowing there will be the Antichrist during the tribulation, our focus is to be on the promised return of our Savior Jesus Christ:

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.—Matthew 24:29-31

—All references unless otherwise stated are taken from the ESV.

 

Phillip Harris
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