Dan 11:21-27  Be ye not troubled – Part 4

[Study Aired May 30, 2024]

In this section of Daniel we will look at some more detailed prophecies that have a natural fulfillment in history of which God’s elect are blessed to have eyes that see and ears that hear how this history points to a spiritual lesson that is received by those who are given to read, hear and keep the sayings of the prophecies throughout God’s word (Rev 1:3) from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21.

The body of Christ can be edified by the outward fulfillment of historical verses which we study when we are given to understand the inward spiritual significance of those events. Our heavenly Father blesses us by revealing (Joh 16:17) how these verses apply to the judgment that is upon the kingdoms of our old man in this present age, and in doing that we mature and grow in the Lord (1Pe 4:17). 

Our prayer is that God will grant us to remain focused on this point, remembering that all the scriptures we read have been given by inspiration of God and become “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2Ti 3:16), and that reproof and correction will drive away our fears so we can live out our lives considering ourselves dead to sin and alive through Christ (Rom 6:2). Today we are blessed to learn of His righteousness and of the kingdom of God which is His good pleasure to give to us (Luk 17:21, Luk 12:32, 1Jn 4:16-18).

Rom 6:2  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 

Luk 17:21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Luk 12:32  Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

1Jn 4:16  And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 
1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 
1Jn 4:18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

With these things in mind, we’ll jump into the first verse of this study which introduces another type of the man-of-sin character we know represents the inward man of perdition who must be destroyed by the brightness of Christ’s coming that judges the elect first in this life (2Th 2:2-9). Christ was not dwelling in anyone at this time in history, and so the inward message to Daniel is a book that is sealed and hidden from him (Dan 12:4). However the elect’s perception of all these different characters we read of in history are always representing either a Christ-like figure or the first man Adam who has been appointed to death (Rom 6:3) or judgment (1Jn 4:17) which has only begun on the house of God today (1Pe 4:17, Heb 9:27).

Dan 12:4  But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. 

Rom 6:2  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 

2Th 2:2  That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
2Th 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition [1Pe 4:17];
2Th 2:4  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
2Th 2:5  Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 
2Th 2:6  And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 
2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming [1Pe 4:17]: 
2Th 2:9  Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 
2Th 2:10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved [We come to love the truth because of His judgments upon us (1Pe 4:17, 1Jn 4:17)].

Dan 11:21  And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.

I will start off this first verse by reading the history connected to this prophecy of Antiochus IV as a starting point to then look at the spiritual significance of this “vile person” who tried to “obtain the kingdom by flatteries.“

History

Antiochus IV, known as Antiochus Epiphanes: A Vile Person.
(Daniel 11:21) The vile person comes to power.

And in his place shall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue.

In his place shall arise a vile 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 intrigue.
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.
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.
“He flattered Eumenes, king of Pergamus, and Attalushis brother, and got their assistance. He flatteredthe Romans, and sent ambassadors to court their favour, and pay them the arrears of the tribute. He flattered the Syrians, and gained their concurrence.” (Clarke)

iii. Antiochus IV took the title Epiphanes, meaning illustrious. Others derisively called him Epimanes, meaning madman (Study Guide for Daniel 11 by David Guzik (blueletterbible.org)

The “vile person” in history, Antiochus Epiphanes, represents the vile man within me who needs to be destroyed by the brightness of Christ’s coming. As we read in 2 Thessalonians 2:2-10, he needs to be revealed, and he is first revealed to those through whom God is working by Christ’s judgments in our lives (1Pe 4:17).

“b. 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.“

One critically important spiritual point we can connect to “section b” of this history we just read, is that when we do not come to the throne of God legitimately, it is because we have murder in our hearts and have not passed from death to life (1Jn 3:14-17). A miracle must happen for this to happen, where by God’s goodness (Rom 2:4) we are brought to see that either ‘we have ought against another’ or ‘another has ought against us’ and we therefore need to ‘go to our brother between you and them alone’ to resolve this sinful condition (Mat 5:23-24, Mar 11:25-26, Mat 18:4, Mat 18:10, Mat 18:15).

1Jn 3:14  We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
1Jn 3:15  Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
1Jn 3:16  Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 
1Jn 3:17  But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 

Mat 5:23  Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
Mat 5:24  Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

Mar 11:25  And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
Mar 11:26  But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

Mat 18:4  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Mat 18:10  Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

It is a process of judgment upon our sinful flesh that must unfold over time, and so in the previous verse (Dan 11:20) we had already learned of Seleucus III who was Antiochus’ III eldest son and successor who would raise taxes taking actions that represent the bondage of sin that is brought upon us when we are yet subject to those powers and principalities of corrupt minds and leadership (Rom 6:16). The point being, there is a lineage to sin (Num 14:18, Exo 34:7) just as much as there is a typical lineage of righteousness which represents the true seed and lineage of Christ in the spirit that will overcome the corrupt lineage within us (Gal 3:16), through the church where the gates of hell will not prevail against Christ’s body (Mat 16:18). The history of which we read in God’s word is written in such a way that we can see the process of judgment that must unfold, by little and little (Exo 23:30), and so the death of one evil king is not enough to destroy the man of perdition, and all the other corrupt kings who must be destroyed tells us that we have that potential to be those corrupt kings every day, and therefore we must die daily to overcome those powers and principalities we wrestle against (1Co 15:31).

Num 14:18  The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.

Exo 34:7  Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

Mat 16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Antiochus Epiphanes IV historically was considered a vile person, and as stated earlier, he represents one phase of the man of perdition in our lives who blinds us by smooth talking as Babylon does (Isa 30:10) saying “peace, peace when there is no peace”: “he shall come in peaceably.” We only have to look up the word “flatteries” in the bible (Psa 5:7-10, Psa 78:28-39) and look at the surrounding context to get an idea of what this corrupt king’s objective was in his day, which represents a part of  us that must be destroyed at an appointed time if our righteousness is going to exceed that of the Pharisees (Mat 5:20).

Isa 30:10  Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:

Psa 5:7  But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple. 
Psa 5:8  Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face. 
Psa 5:9  For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.
Psa 5:10  Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; [not relying on the safety that is in a multitude of counsellors (Pro 11:14, Pro 20:15, Pro 24:6, Pro 20:18)] cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee.

Mat 5:20  For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Dan 11:22  And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant. 
Dan 11:23  And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people. 
Dan 11:24  He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers’ fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time.
Dan 11:25  And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand: for they shall forecast devices against him. 
Dan 11:26  Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain. 
Dan 11:27  And both these kings’ hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed.

With the force of a flood they shall be swept away from before him and be broken, and also the prince of the covenant. And after the league is made with him he shall act deceitfully, for he shall come up and become strong with a small number of people. He shall enter peaceably, even into the richest places of the province; and he shall do what his fathers have not done, nor his forefathers: he shall disperse among them the plunder, spoil, and riches; and he shall devise his plans against the strongholds, but only for a time. He shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South with a great army. And the king of the South shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand, for they shall devise plans against him. Yes, those who eat of the portion of his delicacies shall destroy him; his army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. Both these kings’ hearts shall be bent on evil, and they shall speak lies at the same table; but it shall not prosper, for the end will still be at the appointed time.

History

He shall act deceitfully: The angel told Daniel that the new king of the North (the vile personof 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.
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.
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.
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.

iii. Those who eat of the portion of his delicacies shall destroy him: This was fulfilled in the treachery against Antiochus IV by his own counselors. [Study Guide for Daniel 11 by David Guzik (blueletterbible.org)]

“Section a” in the history portion of our study tells us 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” and that this would fail and there would then be a great battle resulting in no change in the balance of power.  These events correspond with the spirit of our age where we read in 2 Timothy 3:3-6 that people would be “without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”  This is the spirit being revealed in these last few verses we’re looking at (Dan 11:22-27).

The overarching lesson is that all our efforts in the flesh, our own righteousnesses, will not succeed (“Antiochus Epiphanes did not stand, and his army was swept away“), and we must remember there was never any choice in the outcome of any of these inevitable outcomes (Eph 1:11) that were written for our sakes to demonstrate the sovereignty of God that declares from the beginning who it is that will be preserved for the first resurrection (Jud 1:1, 1Th 5:23) and who it is that will be reserved (2Pe 3:7, Jud 1:6, Jud 1:13) until the second resurrection (1Jn 2:19) to be judged at that time, as opposed to being judged in this age.

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

Jud 1:1  Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:

1Th 5:23  And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2Pe 3:7  But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

Jud 1:6  And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. 

Jud 1:13  Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

1Jn 2:19  They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. [Rom 11:20-22, Rom 2:4, 1Pe 4:17, 1Jn 4:17]

Next week we will look at another section of these remaining verses in chapter 11 of Daniel:

Dan 11:28  Then shall he return into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do exploits, and return to his own land. 
Dan 11:29  At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter. 
Dan 11:30  For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant. 
Dan 11:31  And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. 
Dan 11:32  And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.
Dan 11:33  And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. 
Dan 11:34  Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries. 
Dan 11:35  And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed. 
Dan 11:36  And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
Dan 11:37  Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. 
Dan 11:38  But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. 
Dan 11:39  Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain. 
Dan 11:40  And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. 
Dan 11:41  He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. 
Dan 11:42  He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 
Dan 11:43  But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. 
Dan 11:44  But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. 
Dan 11:45  And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.