“Daniel 10, 11, and 12 all deal with the same vision, and therefore Chapter 11 is a continuation of the previous chapter. It is a very important chapter because it fills in some of the details of the “seventy” weeks of chapter 9, which specifically concern Daniel’s people, Israel. It also fills in some of the details of the last three of the four nations symbolized in the multimetallic image of chapter 2 and in the beast of chapter 7. The very importance of this chapter caused Satan to hinder the angel in coming to give Daniel the answer to his prayer, because this prophecy does concern two of the nations which were all-important in relation to Daniel’s people. The two nations were Persia and Greece.
A further notable contribution of this chapter is that it bridges prophetically part of the gap between the Old and New Testaments. We speak of the inter-testament period between the Old and New Testaments as being a period of silence, which is not exactly accurate. The inter-testament period was the time of Israel’s greatest travail. They suffered at the hands of Syria and Egypt. As these two nations warred against each other, Palestine was caught in the middle as the armies of these two nations seesawed back and forth, up and down, across the land of Israel.” (J. Vernon McGee –Commentary on Daniel.)
Critics cite chapter 11 as a reason for mistrusting Daniel’s authenticity, because of the amount of prophetic detail, asserting it must have been written after the events as history, rather than as prophecy. What this really affirms for us is that God is sovereign and omniscient and omnipotent.
Read Daniel 11:1 – 35
I. Prophecies about Persia – Dan. 11:1 – 2
1. What did the messenger say he did for Darius? (v. 1)
2. What details were given concerning Israel’s history under Persia?
II. Prophecies about Greece – Dan. 11:3 – 4
3. Who stood up for the realm of Grecia? How did he rule? (v. 3)
4. What happens to his kingdom? (v. 4)
III. The kings of the north and the south – Dan. 11: 5 – 20
5. The realm of Grecia is divided into four regions. What two regions are mentioned in verses 5 & 6? What countries are being referenced by these kings if Israel is central to the prophecy?
6. Egypt to the south and Syria to the north with Israel in the middle are detailed in the prophecy. What do you see taking place between Egypt and Syria over this period of time? (v. 6 – 15)
7. What indication is given that Israel will suffer during this period of conflict between Syria and Egypt? (v. 15 – 16)
8. Keeping in mind that the ultimate concern of Chapter 11 is Israel, verses 2 – 19 were written primarily to take us to verse 20. The one referred to here as “his” is Antiochus III the Great of Syria, who ruled from 223 to 187 B.C. His son, Seleucus IV Philopater succeeded his father and reigned from 187 to 175 B.C. What did this ruler do during his reign? (v. 20)
IV. Prophecies about Antiochus Epiphanes and Syria – Dan. 11:21 – 35
9. What kind of person takes Seleucus IV Philopater’s place? (v. 21)
10. Historically, this is Antiochus IV Epiphanes, another son of Antiochus III the Great. He is the “little horn” of Daniel 8:9 – 14. What method does he use to be accepted by common people? (v. 23, 24)
11. Who does this king go to battle with and what takes place at the conference table? (v. 25 – 27)
12. What are we told about Antiochus Epiphanes, heart toward Israel? (Israel is God’s covenant people – note “holy covenant” in the verses 28 – 32) What does he do to weaken the Jewish people? v. 31
13. What is true about the people that know their God? (v. 32, 33)
14. What explanation is given for why God allowed this vile person to treat the Jewish people in this way? (v.35)
15. What indication is there in verse 35 that God has not forsaken Israel?
Conclusion: “Antiochus Epiphanes was a clear forerunner of the Antichrist. Just as Antiochus waged war against the Jews, so will the Antichrist wage war against the Jewish people at the end of this age of human history. Just as Antiochus abominated and desolated the Temple in Jerusalem, so will the Antichrist do to the temple that will be built in Jerusalem at the end of the age. Just as Antiochus killed those who would not swear their allegiance to him, so will the Antichrist. Just as Antiochus glorified himself above the God of the Universe (by deeming himself Epiphanes – the “manifestation of God”), so will the Antichrist “exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods” (Dan. 11:36).” All of chapter 11 was prophecy for Daniel, most of it has been fulfilled. There is still prophecy to be fulfilled and it will be. God’s Word Is TRUE!
* The lesson outline is from Warren Wiersbe – Commentary of Daniel. Conclusion quote from Marvin J. Rosenthal.
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