Sermon Tone Analysis

Wenstrom Bible Ministries

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Tuesday April 15, 2014

www.wenstrom.org

Daniel: Daniel 11:8-The Prophecy of Ptolemy III Euergetes Returning to Egypt with Much Spoil and His Peace Treaty with Seleucus II Callinicus

Lesson # 325

Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 11:2.

Daniel 11:2 “Now, at this present time, I must reveal to you the truth.

Behold, three future kings will ascend to power for Persia.

Then, the fourth will cause greater riches to make him wealthier than each and every one of these in comparison.

However, when he amasses power through his wealth, the entire nation will stir up the Greek kingdom.

3 Next, a powerful king will ascend to power so that he will rule with great authority with the result that he will do according to his desire.

4 However, after he ascends to power, his kingdom will be broken up.

Then, it will be divided towards the heaven’s four winds but not for the benefit of his posterity and in addition, not according to his sovereign will which he sovereignly exercised.

For his kingdom will be uprooted specifically, for the benefit of others, to the separation and exclusion of these.

5 Then, the king ruling the south as well as one of his subordinate commanders will be strong.

In fact, he will become stronger than him because he will exercise authority over a dominion greater than his dominion.

6 Next, at the end of an unspecified number of years, they will form an alliance as the daughter of the king ruling the south will enter into marriage with the king ruling the north in order to secure a peaceful arrangement.

However, she will by no means retain her powerful position likewise he will by no means endure, namely his power.

For she will be delivered over as well as he who caused her to enter into marriage, as well as her child and in addition, her benefactor during those times.

7 But one of the branches from her roots will ascend to power in his place.

Then, he will wage an attack against their army so that he will enter the fortress of the king ruling the north.

Indeed, he will take action against them so that he will be victorious.”

(My translation)

Daniel 11:8 “Also their gods with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold he will take into captivity to Egypt, and he on his part will refrain from attacking the king of the North for some years.”

(NASB95)

“Also their gods with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold he will take into captivity to Egypt” presents the result of the king ruling the south being victorious over the king ruling the north.

The victorious king ruling the south transported to Egypt the gods of the king ruling the north as well as their cast images and valuable articles of silver and gold.

“And he on his part will refrain from attacking the king of the North for some years” refers to the victorious king ruling the south withdrawing from the king ruling the north for a period of years.

Daniel 11:8 “Consequently, he will also cause their gods to be transported into captivity to Egypt along with their cast images, as well as their valuable silver and gold articles.

Furthermore, for some years he will withdraw from the king ruling the north.”

(My translation)

Daniel 11:8 continues the prophecy regarding Ptolemy III Euergetes avenging his sister Bernice’s death by defeating in war Seleucus II Callinicus.

In Daniel 11:6, the angel tells Daniel that at the end of an unspecified number of years, the king ruling the south and his subordinate commander will form an alliance as the daughter of the king ruling the south will enter into marriage with the king ruling the north in order to secure a peaceful arrangement.

However, she will by no means retain her powerful position likewise he will by no means endure, namely his power.

For she will be delivered over as well as he who caused her to enter into marriage, as well as her child and in addition, her benefactor during those times.

This was all fulfilled in history when Ptolemy II Philadelphus (“the king ruling the south”) formed an alliance with Antiochus II Theos (“the king ruling the north”) which was secured by the marriage of Bernice to the latter.

Bernice was the daughter of Ptolemy II Philadelphus.

After he died, Antiochus II Theos brought back the wife he divorced to marry Bernice, namely Laodice, who murdered Bernice and her child as well as Antiochus II Theos.

Then, in Daniel 11:7, the angel continues this prophecy by informing him that one of the branches from her roots will ascend to power in his place.

Then, he will wage an attack against their army so that he will enter the fortress of the king ruling the north.

Indeed, he will take action against them so that he will be victorious.

This verse was also completely fulfilled in history.

“Her” is a reference to Bernice and “one of the branches from her roots” is a reference to her brother Ptolemy III Euergetes (246-221 B.C.).

The name “Euergetes” means “Benefactor.”

After the death of their father, Bernice’s brother ascended to power.

He then launched an attack against Seleucus II Callinicus who was the king ruling the north at this time who came to power through his mother, Laodice.

Ptolemy III Euergetes attacked Seleucus II Callinicus at Antioch, Syria and killed Laodice.

He also conquered much of that region around this city.

He remained the foremost military power in the Middle East during the rest of his reign.

He returned to Egypt not only avenging the death of his sister Bernice and her infant child and husband but also he came back with many spoils.

In exchange for peace, Ptolemy III Euergetes was awarded new territories on the northern coast of Syria including the port of Antioch.

Thus the Ptolemaic kingdom was at the height of its power.

Now, here in Daniel 11:8, the angel informs Daniel that as a result of his victory over the king ruling the north, the king ruling the south will cause the gods of the king ruling the north to be transported into captivity to Egypt along with their cast images, as well as their valuable silver and gold articles.

Also, he will withdraw from the king ruling the north for some years.

As was the case with Daniel 11:2-7, this verse also was fulfilled in history since as a result of his victory over Seleucus II Callinicus (“the king ruling the north”), Ptolemy II Euergetes transported the gods of Seleucus II Callinicus.

He also captured their cast images and valuable silver and gold articles from their temple treasuries.

Ptolemy III Euergetes also signed a treaty with Seleucus II Callinicus in 240 B.C. which fulfilled the prophecy of the king ruling the south withdrawing from the king ruling the north for some years.

Daniel 11:8 reveals the idolatry of both the Ptolemaic and Seleucid dynasties.

The Scripture teaches that Satan and the kingdom of darkness are behind the idolatry and the worship of the false gods in the world.

Therefore, unregenerate members from these dynasties were worshipping demons by worshipping the various gods and practicing idolatry.

Deuteronomy 32:17 and 1 Corinthians 10:20 teach that the worship of idols is connected to the worship of demons since the sacrificing to idols is in reality sacrificing to demons who promote the worship of idols.

Idolatry is the worship of something created as opposed to the worship of the Creator Himself (Exodus 20:3).

Idolatry is not only the giving to any creature or human creation the honor or devotion, which belongs to God alone, but also is putting anything ahead of your relationship with God and which would prevent you from doing His will (1 Corinthians 10:14; Galatians 5:20; Colossians 3:5; 1 Peter 4:3).

Ultimately in the New Testament idolatry came to mean, not only the giving to any creature or human creation the honor or devotion which belonged to God alone, but the giving to any human desire a precedence over God's will (1 Corinthians 10:14; Galatians 5:20; Colossians 3:5; 1 Peter 4:3).