Daniel Unlocked #77. The To and Fro of Ancient Middle Eastern History.
Upon the death of Alexander the Great, the vast Greek Empire was divided among his four generals. Two of them—Seleucus in Syria (North of Israel) and Ptolemy in Egypt (South of Israel)—managed to establish dynasties that would fight each other for control of the land. Most Bible students understand the wars between the king of the North and the king of the South prophesied in Daniel 11:5–14 as referring to the many battles involving these two dynasties. According to the prophecy, an attempt would be made to unite these two dynasties by marriage, but that alliance would be short-lived (Dan. 11:6). Historical sources inform us that Antiochus II Theos (261–246 B.C.), grandson of Seleucus I, married Berenice, a daughter of the Egyptian king, Ptolemy II Philadelphus. However, that agreement did not last, and the conflict that directly involved the people of God soon resumed.
Daniel 11 deals with some important events that will touch the lives of God’s people during the centuries after the prophet Daniel passes from the scene. Again, we can ask the question of why the Lord reveals ahead of time all these details about wars involving kingdoms fighting each other for supremacy in that part of the world.
The reason is simple: these wars affect God’s people, who get caught in the middle.
So, the Lord announces beforehand the many challenges His people will face in the years to come. Also, God is the Lord of history, and as we compare the prophetic record with the historical events, we can again see that the prophetic word is fulfilled as predicted. The God who is outside of time, predicts (because He knows) the vicissitudes of those Hellenistic kingdoms fighting each other. This is the God who already knows the future. He is worthy of our trust and faith. This is a big God, not an idol manufactured by human imagination. He not only directs the course of historical events, but He also can direct our lives if we allow Him to do so.
I quoted from this verse yesterday, now read it in full and think of the great hope it contains. Then imagine how bad it would be if God were a vengeful and mean God. “Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me. Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.” (Isa.46:9-10 NLT). God is outside time, and this gives Him the ability to see the future. No other ‘god’ can claim this!
A transition in power from the Hellenistic kings to pagan Rome is depicted in Daniel 11:16: The ‘Glorious Land’ is Palestine, an area where ancient Israel has existed, and the new power that takes over that area is pagan Rome. The same event also is represented in the horizontal expansion of the little horn, which reaches the Glorious Land (Dan. 8:9). So, it seems clear that the power in charge of the world at this point is pagan Rome. Some additional clues in the biblical text reinforce this perception. For example, the “one who imposes taxes” must refer to Caesar Augustus. It is during his reign that Jesus is born, as Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem for the census (Dan. 11:20). Also, according to the prophecy this ruler will be succeeded by a “vile person” (Dan. 11:21). As history shows, Augustus was succeeded by Tiberius, an adoptive son of Augustus. Tiberius is known to have been an eccentric and vile person.
Most important, according to the biblical text, it was during the reign of Tiberius that the “prince of the covenant” would be broken (Dan. 11:22). This clearly refers to the crucifixion of Christ, also called “Messiah the Prince” (Dan. 9:25; c.f. Matt. 27:33–50), as He is put to death during the reign of Tiberius. The reference to Jesus here as “the prince of the covenant” is a powerful marker that helps show us the flow of historical events, again giving readers powerful evidence of God’s amazing foreknowledge. God has been right on all that has come before in these prophecies; so, we can surely trust Him on what He says will happen in the future.