Daniel 11.24-The Prophecy of Antiochus Epiphanes IV Attacking Egypt During a Time of Peace and Robbing Its Treasures to Enlarge His Power Base
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday May 21, 2014
Daniel: Daniel 11:24-The Prophecy of Antiochus Epiphanes IV Attacking Egypt During a Time of Peace and Robbing Its Treasures to Enlarge His Power Base
Lesson # 341
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 11:21.
Daniel 11:21 “Next, in his place, a despicable person will ascend to power even though for his benefit sovereign authority over the kingdom will have never been conferred. Nevertheless, he will appear on the scene during a time of false security when he seizes the kingdom by flatteries. 22 Then, immense armies will be swept away from the presence of his armies so that they will be destroyed along with even the leader over the covenant people. 23 Indeed, when he enters into an alliance to gain an advantage over him, he will practice deception because he will attack in order to gain power with a small force. 24 During a time of peace, he will in fact wage an attack against the province’s most productive areas. Consequently, he will achieve what his fathers and his forefathers never achieved. He will distribute plunder, yes war booty, as well as logistical provision for the benefit of others. Furthermore, he will devise his schemes against fortified cities but only for a short period of time.” (My translation)
Daniel 11:24 “In a time of tranquility he will enter the richest parts of the realm, and he will accomplish what his fathers never did, nor his ancestors; he will distribute plunder, booty and possessions among them, and he will devise his schemes against strongholds, but only for a time.” (NASB95)
“In a time of tranquility” refers to a period of time when the people of the south possessed a false sense of security or what they thought was peace with the despicable king of the north.
They will have this false security because this despicable king will enter into an alliance with the king of the south as predicted by the angel in Daniel 11:23.
“He will enter the richest parts of the realm” is emphatic since it emphasizes the treachery of this despicable king.
“He will enter” is the verb bô(ʾ) (בּוֹא) (bo), which means “to wage an attack” referring to the despicable king of the north ordering his army “to wage an attack against” the riches parts of the kingdom of the king of the south.
“The richest parts of the realm” is composed of the noun miš·mān (מִשְׁמָן) (mash-mawn´), “the richest of” and then we have the noun meḏî·nā(h) (מְדִינָה) (med-ee-naw´), “the realm.”
The noun meḏî∙nā(h) means “province” referring to the administrative district of the kingdom of the king of the south.
The noun miš·mān means “most productive areas” since it pertains to a state of fertility which produces an abundance of a thing thus providing a higher standard of living with emphasis upon the land which produces an abundance.
The noun meḏî∙nā(h) is the object of the preposition bĕ which means “against” since in this context it is functioning as a marker of opposition indicating that the despicable king during a time of peace will wage an attack “against” the most productive areas of the king of the south’s province.
“And he will accomplish what his fathers never did, nor his ancestors” presents the result of the despicable king waging an attack against the most productive areas of the king of the south’s province during a time of peace between the two.
Therefore, this indicates that the despicable king will wage an attack against the most productive areas of the king of the south’s province during a time of peace between the two “with the result that” he will accomplish what neither his fathers, nor their fathers accomplished.
“He will distribute plunder, booty and possessions among them” refers to the despicable king of the north redistributing war booty as well as logistical provisions among those who will help him to gain more power for himself.
“And he will devise his schemes against strongholds” refers to the despicable king of the north plotting or devising a plan against fortified cities.
“But only for a time” stands in contrast to the previous statement that the despicable king of the north will devise his schemes against the fortified cities of the king of the south.
Therefore, the contrast is between the despicable king devising his schemes against fortified cities and doing this for a short period of time.
Daniel 11:24 “During a time of peace, he will in fact wage an attack against the province’s most productive areas. Consequently, he will achieve what his fathers and his forefathers never achieved. He will distribute plunder, yes war booty, as well as logistical provision for the benefit of others. Furthermore, he will devise his schemes against fortified cities but only for a short period of time.” (My translation)
The unidentified elect angel continues to present the prophecy concerning Antiochus Epiphanes IV.
This prophecy began in verse 21 and ends in verse 35.
In verse 21, the angel identifies this wicked king as a “despicable person” and here in verse 24, he continues to illustrate why he will be wicked.
Verse 24 has been fulfilled in history by Antiochus Epiphanes IV since history records this despicable person entering into an alliance with Ptolemy VI Philometer of Egypt and his brother Ptolemy Physcon who is also known as Ptolemy VIII Euergetes.
Upon entering into this alliance, he attacked them unawares and as we noted these brothers were in fact his nephews.
He only entered into the treaty in order to gain an advantage over them in the sense of catching them off guard when he eventually attacked them.
Antiochus IV Epiphanes launched an attack against Egypt conquering all but Alexandria and capturing Ptolemy VI Philometer.
History records that Antiochus IV Epiphanes won a significant military victory at Pelusium and captured Memphis along with all of lower and central Egypt with a comparatively small army of men.
This wicked king pillaged the most productive areas of Egypt but used this wealth to bribe and influence other leaders in the Middle East to aid him in his quest for more power.
Consequently, by distributing this wealth he acquired from Egypt, he enlarged his power base and his sphere of influence in the Middle East and also crowned himself king of Upper Egypt at Memphis.
All of this was never accomplished by his predecessors.
This conquest of Egypt by Antiochus Epiphanes IV is mentioned in 1 Maccabees.
1 Maccabees 1:16 When Antiochus saw that his kingdom was established, he determined to become king of the land of Egypt, in order that he might reign over both kingdoms. 17 So he invaded Egypt with a strong force, with chariots and elephants and cavalry and with a large fleet. 18 He engaged King Ptolemy of Egypt in battle, and Ptolemy turned and fled before him, and many were wounded and fell. 19 They captured the fortified cities in the land of Egypt, and he plundered the land of Egypt.