Daniel 11.26-The Prophecy of the Conspiracy Against Ptolemy VI Philometer
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday June 3, 2014
Daniel: Daniel 11:26-The Prophecy of the Conspiracy Against Ptolemy VI Philometer
Lesson # 343
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. 25 Indeed, because of his courage, with a great army, he will mobilize his military power against the king ruling the south because with a great army, yes an extremely powerful one, the king ruling the south will initiate hostile military action for war. However, he will by no means stand because schemes will be devised against him.” (My translation)
Beginning in Daniel 11:21 we have an extensive prophecy concerning Antiochus IV Epiphanes, which ends in Daniel 11:35.
He is given more attention than the previous kings prophesied about in Daniel 11:2-20.
The reason for this is that Antiochus IV Epiphanes will be a great persecutor of the Jewish people and adversary of the God of Israel.
He is the Antichrist of the Old Testament and foreshadows the Antichrist of the New Testament.
In fulfillment of the prophecy in Daniel 11:21, Antiochus IV Epiphanes assumed power over the Seleucid kingdom even though the throne rightly belonged to the son of Seleucus IV Philopator who was Demetrius Soter.
Antiochus IV Epiphanes seized power for himself and proclaimed himself as king.
He accomplished this by persuading the leaders of the Seleucid kingdom by flattering and making empty promises to them.
He assumed power during a tranquil time in the kingdom when people had a false sense of security.
Verse 22 has been fulfilled in history since history records that the immense armies of the Egyptians and the army of Heliodorus were routed by the armies led by Antiochus IV Epiphanes who was assisted by the armies of his Pergamum allies.
Antiochus IV Epiphanes waged three campaigns against Egypt in 170, 169 and 168 B.C.
The death of the leader over the covenant people is a reference to the murder of the Jewish High Priest Onias III whose murder Antiochus IV Epiphanes ordered in 172 B.C.
The angelic statements in Daniel 11:23-24 provide the reader more details concerning the ascension to power of this despicable person which is recorded in Daniel 11:21-22.
This prediction in Daniel 11:23 was also fulfilled in history since history records Antiochus IV Epiphanes entering into an alliance with Ptolemy VI Philometer of Egypt and his brother Ptolemy Physcon who is also known as Ptolemy VIII Euergetes.
These brothers were in fact the nephews of Antiochus IV Epiphanes who entered into an agreement with them in order to deceive them.
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.
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.
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.
He also crowned himself king of Upper Egypt at Memphis.
All of this was never accomplished by his predecessors.
Daniel 11:25 has also been fulfilled in history which records Ptolemy VI Philometer initiating hostile military action for war against Antiochus Epiphanes IV and doing so with an extremely powerful army.
In approximately 170 B.C., the two regents for Ptolemy VI Philometer declared war on Antiochus Epiphanes IV.
During that same year the young Egyptian king’s brother and sister, namely Ptolemy VIII Physcon and Cleopatra II were declared co-rulers to unify the nation.
The war against Syria did not begin until 169 B.C. which enabled Antiochus to gain the upper hand.
He seized an important strategic town called “Pelusium.”
It was at this point the Egyptians realized they had made a terrible mistake.
Eulaeus and Lenaeus were overthrown and replaced by two regents who were Comanus and Cineas.
Egypt sent envoys to Antiochus to negotiate a peace treaty.
Now, it was Eulaeus and Lenaeus who betrayed the young king Ptolemy VI Philometer and convinced him to declare war against Antiochus Epiphanes IV.
The angel’s statement in Daniel 11:25 that schemes devised against the king of the south will cause his defeat is a reference to these two individuals who gave the Egyptian king bad advice.
They are mentioned in Daniel 11:26.
Daniel 11:26 “Those who eat his choice food will destroy him, and his army will overflow, but many will fall down slain.” (NASB95)
“Those who eat his choice food will destroy him” explains in greater detail the previous adversative clause at the end of Daniel 11:25, which records the angel predicting that the king ruling the south will by no means stand against the king of the north because schemes will be devised against him.
Thus, this statement identifies specifically those who are devising schemes against the king of the south which results in his downfall at the hands of the king of the north.
This epexegetical statement refers to the military defeat of the king of the south and not his death since history records that the king of the south was not killed but that his army was defeated by the king of the north.
“And his army will overflow” is epexegetical meaning it explains specifically how the king of the south will be defeated.
Therefore, this prediction identifies specifically the manner in which the king of the south will be defeated.
“Will overflow” is the verb šā·ṭǎp̄ (שָׁטַף) (shaw-taf´), which means “to be overwhelmed, to be overpowered” and as a figurative extension of a sweeping flood destroying an object.
Here it refers to the army of the king of the south being overwhelmed or overpowered by the army of the king of the north as a city is swept away by a flood.
“But many will fall down slain” presents result of the previous prediction that the army of the king of the south will be overwhelmed by the army led by the king of the north.
Therefore, the deaths of these soldiers is the direct result of the army of the king of the south being overwhelmed in battle by the army led by the despicable king of the north.
Daniel 11:26 “Namely, those who eat his choice food will cause him to be defeated, specifically his army will be overwhelmed so that a great number will be killed in combat.” (My translation)
This verse has also been fulfilled in history.
The guardians and state ministers of Ptolemy VI Philometer, Eulaeus and Lenaeus betrayed the young king by convincing him to declare war against Antiochus Epiphanes IV when he should not have done so.