Daniel, page 8
                             CHAPTER TEN

     Chapters 10, 11, and 12, contain the concluding vision given to
Daniel. This vision looks to the fall of the Persian Empire at the
hand of Alexander, the division of Alexander's kingdom, the conflict
between Syria and Egypt, and unto the Roman Empire and its judgment.
The book of Daniel does not extend beyond the Roman Empire.

                            CHAPTER ELEVEN

     In chapter 2, the image viewed the four world empires between
Babylon and the coming of the Messiah. In chapter 7 we saw details of
the Fourth empire. In chapter 8, we saw details of the Second and
Third Empires. In chapter 11, there are more details of the Third
Empire. The following quotation is taken from "Halley's Bible
Handbook," page 351, describing the movements of the kings during the
Inter-Testament history:
     "three kings in Persia" (2): Cyrus, Cambyses, Darius Hystaspes.
The "Fourth": Xerxes, the richest and most powerful of Persian kings,
invaded Greece, but was defeated at Salamis (480 B.C.).
     "A mighty king" (3): Alexander the Great, "Fourfold" division of
his kingdom (4): Greece, Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt.
     "King of the south" (5): Ptolemy I of Egypt. "One of his
princes": Seleucus Nicator, originally an officer under Ptolemy I,
became king of Syria, most powerful of Alexander's successors.
     "daughter" (6): Berenice, daughter of Ptolemy II, was given in
marriage to Antiochus II, and was murdered.
     "A shoot from her roots" (7): Ptolemy III, brother of Berenice,
in retaliation, invaded Syria, and won a great victory (8).
     "Two sons" (10): Seleucus III and Antiochus III (11-12): Ptolemy
IV defeated Antiochus III with great loss in the battle of Raphia,
near Egypt (217 B.C.) (13): Antiochus III, after 14 years, returned
with a great army against Egypt. (14): Jews helped Antiochus. (15):
he defeated the forces of Egypt. (16): Antiochus conquered Palestine.
(17): Antiochus gave his daughter Cleopatra in treacherous marriage
alliance to Ptolemy V, hoping through her to get control of Egypt.
But she stood with her husband (18-19): Antiochus then invaded Asia
Minor and Greece, and was defeated by the Roman army at Magnesia
(190 B.C.) Returned to own land and was slain.
     "A contemptible person" (21-35): Antiochus Epiphanes. (21): Not
the rightful heir, he got the throne by treachery. (22-25): He made
himself master of Egypt, partly by force and partly by cunning
deceit.  (26): Ptolemy VI, son of Cleopatra, nephew of Antiochus, was
defeated by treachery of his subjects. (27): Under guise of
friendship Antiochus and Ptolemy vied with each other in treachery.
(28): Returning from Egypt, Antiochus attacked Jerusalem, slew
80,000, took 40,000 and sold 40,000 Jews into slavery. (29):
Antiochus again invaded Egypt. But the Roman fleet compelled him to
retire. (30, 31): He vented his anger on Jerusalem and desecrated the
Temple. (32): He was helped by apostate Jews. (32-35): Exploits of
the heroic Maccabean brothers.           (Halley's, page 351-352)

     It seems that the Roman power best fits the general thought of
verses 36-45. The Romans conquered the kingdoms of the Seleucids and
the Ptolemics. With no regard for God or man, the Romans destroyed
Jerusalem; and later through the development of emperor-worship
sought to destroy the kingdom of God.

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