“‘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.’”
“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.”
Verses 11-35 set forth persecution of the Jews under Antiochus Epiphanes. The “vile person” of verse 21 is Antiochus IV Epiphanes of Syria (175-164 B.C.) He gave himself the name “Epiphanes” (illustrious one). Many called him “Epimanes” (madman) because of his ruthless behavior. God gives more content about this man than all the other kings combined because of his impact on the Jews. During his reign, Rome gained ascendancy.
The skeptic has great problems with Daniel 11:21-39 because this passage violates all his humanistic prejudice. This passage portrays in significant detail the Ptolemaic kings of Egypt, Seleucid kings of Syria, and the career of Antiochus Epiphanes. This isn’t easy to swallow for exclusively rationalistic people. They cannot get their minds around the fact that God can reveal such substantial detail in prophecy. They have the same problem with specific prophecies about the person of Christ, prophecies of His birth, life, and death.
Antiochus Epiphanes corresponds to the little horn of 8:9-12, 23-25, and foreshadows the little horn of 7:8.
PRINCIPLE:
Most prophecy revolves around God’s chosen people.
APPLICATION:
Antiochus Epiphanes touched Israel, God’s chosen people, as almost no other figure in history. He brought on the Maccabean revolt. The Feast of Lights celebration (Hanukkah or Feast of Dedication) by the Jews is a memorial of the temple’s cleansing under Judas Maccabaeus. Most of God’s prophetic clock revolves around His chosen people Israel.
