NORTH AND SOUTH BATTLE DANIEL 11: 14 - 24

NORTH AND SOUTH BATTLE   DANIEL 11: 14 - 24

Daniel 11: 14) "In those times many will rise against the king of the South.  Those who are violent among your own people will rebel in fulfillment of the vision, but without success.  15) Then the king of the North will come and build up siege ramps and will capture a fortified city.  The forces of the South will be powerless to resist; even their best troops will not have the strength to stand.  16) The invader will do as he pleases; no one will be able to stand against him.  He will establish himself in the Beautiful Land and will have the power to destroy it.  17) He will determine to come with the might of his entire kingdom and will make an alliance with the king of the South.  And he will give him a daughter in marriage in order to overthrow the kingdom, but his plans will not succeed or help him.  18) Then he will turn his attention to the coastlands and will take many of them, but a commander will put an end to his insolence and will turn his insolence back on him.  19) After this, he will turn back toward the fortresses of his own country but will stumble and fall, to be seen no more.

   20) "His successor will send out a tax collector to maintain the royal splendor.  In a few years, however, he will be destroyed, yet not in anger or in battle.
21) "He will be succeeded by a contemptible person who has not been given the honor of royalty.  He will invade the kingdom when its people feel secure, and he will seize it through intrigue.  22) Then an overwhelming army will be swept away before him; both it and a prince of the covenant will be destroyed.  23) After coming to an agreement with him, he will act deceitfully, and with only a few people he will rise to power.  24) When the richest provinces feel secure, he will invade them and will achieve what neither his fathers nor his forefathers did.  He will distribute plunder, loot and wealth among his followers.  He will plot the overthrow of fortresses--but only for a time.
  

H.A. IRONSIDE COMMENTARY

   When the King of the South died, his son, a mere child of six or seven years, was elevated to the throne.

   Antiochus (North) formed an alliance with Phillip the Third of Macedon, and sought to rally the Jews to his standard.  The faithful among them refused to serve in his army, but the apostates, called in verse fourteen, "the robbers of thy people," readily entered into covenant with him and proved a great help on a number of occasions.

   North went on a rampage against Egypt, besieging and killing the Egyptian garrison left in Jerusalem.  He defeated Scopias the Egyptian general at Paneas.  Scopias fled to Sidon but was destroyed there.  The Egyptian armies that came to reinforce Paneas were also routed.  Antiochus (North) found victory everywhere.  

   When North returned from the Egyptian wars to "the glorious land", he bestowed his favor upon the Jewish people for the help that gave him victory.

   The last clause of verse 16 should read, "which by his hand shall be perfected".  This refers undoubtedly to the fact that under Antiochus, Palestine became a more peaceful and fruitful country than it had been for half a century.

   North wasn't finished.  He wanted to undermine any remaining influence South might have, so North (Antiochus) gave South (Epiphanes) his daughter (Cleopatra) to wed.  Antiochus had coached Cleopatra to undermine Epiphanes but she proved to be a faithful wife to him against her father.  This guy must have really known how to please a woman.  Besides, who wouldn't want to be a queen rather than the daughter of a king?  Which has the most power and prestige?  Best laid plans of mice and men.....)

  Oh, well!  North decided to go off and conquer Greece.  He began with the Isles of the Aegan Sea and then crossed over to Greece.  Oh, but....a most unplanned event took place.  The Iron Kingdom, which was to be the fourth and last upon earth before the establishment of the Kingdom of The Son of Man was beginning to make its presence felt.  The Grecians had entered into an alliance, offensive and defensive, with the Romans; so they notified their powerful allies of the danger to which they were exposed.  The senate commissioned Lucius Scipio Asiaticus to go to their aid with an army of tried warriors.  North was utterly defeated.  Scipio is undoubtedly the prince, or captain, referred to in verse 18.

   Antiochus, humbled and in deep distress, turned toward "the fort of his own land" but according to the Scripture of Truth, he was to stumble and fall and not be found.  In his need and desperation, he and a band of his soldiers attempted to plunder the temple of Jupiter at Elymais but they were all slain by the infuriated populace who were incensed at what they considered an act of sacrilege of the gravest nature.  

   So, Seleucus Philopator became the King of the North.  He sent Heliodorus to plunder the temple of Jehova at Jerusalem because Antiochus (his father) had left the kingdom in wretched condition.  Upon his return with the booty, he treacherously assassinated his master after he had reigned only 12 years.

  We will leave all this drama for now and pick up from verse 25 upon our return.  Are you enjoying any of this? 

MY THOUGHTS

   I realize this is the future for Daniel, but for me it is history.  History has never been appealing to me, especially that long ago in a foreign land.  I study it because it proves God.  He revealed the future to Daniel and it came to pass.  What a great God I serve.  And He knows me by name!

What about you?  Have you been accepted into the family of God Almighty?  The work has already been done for you around 2000 years ago.  All you have to do is accept it and believe.  For more information, please click here:   https://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/p/path-to-salvation.html

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