The Greatest Of The Prophets - by George McCready Price (1955) 62
11. A DETAILED HISTORY
Daniel 11:15. So the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mound, and take a well-fortified city: and the forces of the south shall not stand, neither his chosen people, neither shall there be any strength to stand.
The young king of Egypt, against whom so many were at this time conspiring, was under the legal guardianship of the Roman senate, according to the will of the late king. The two kings already mentioned, Antiochus of Syria and Philip of Macedon, were planning to seize all the territory of Egypt outside of Egypt itself. The Romans as the guardians of the young Ptolemy intervened in the year 200 BC, declaring war against Philip and commanding Antiochus to make peace with Egypt. Antiochus, however, hearing that the Egyptian forces under the famous general Scopas had retaken Coele-Syria and the land of Palestine during the winter, renewed the war and defeated Scopas I at Pancas, a place which afterward became known as Caesarea Philippi. This battle put a final end to the rule of Egypt in Palestine, that country being henceforth under either Antiochus or Rome until it was finally ended as a nation by the armies of Titus. The well-fortified city of Gaza stood out against Antiochus for a time, but it was finally taken by storm; and thus having retaken all of these Asiatic possessions of Ptolemy, a forced peace was then concluded.
Rome could not be expected to tolerate all this, for the king of Egypt was under her protection. A further cause of war was the fact that Hannibal, the veteran enemy of Rome, had now joined Antiochus.
After considerable diplomacy, Rome declared war upon Syria in 191 BC, and after defeating Antiochus on the seas and in Greece, the important battle of Magnesia, near Smyrna in Lydia, settled the war; and Antiochus was obliged to accept the same terms which the Romans had offered him before the war. One of the conditions of this agreement was that Antiochus was to send his young son-afterward the notorious Antiochus Epiphanes-as a hostage to Rome and to pay besides a yearly tribute to the Roman senate.
Thus it is that Rome comes into this prophetic picture. If this prophecy was given for the especial benefit of God’s people in the latter days, as is over and over affirmed, it would be unreasonable to suppose that this rising power, which was so soon to become the all-important head of the entire civilized world, would be wholly ignored, but that instead the vision would keep on with the petty, sordid details of the little kingdoms close around Palestine, while not only the fate of the Jewish nation but the destinies of the people of God for hundreds of years after the fall of Jerusalem were to be determined, not by the kings of either the north or the south, but by the absolute will of this young, rising power of the West. The verses following have often been applied to Antiochus Magnus and his son Epiphanes; but this seems to me a great mistake, for reasons which will appear in the sequel.
Daniel 11:16. But he that comes against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him; and he shall stand in the glorious land, and in his hand shall be destruction.
It should be evident that a new power is here brought to view. He that comes cannot be the king of the south, for the previous verse has declared that the forces of the south shall not stand. Against him must refer to Antiochus, and the one that comes against him must be the Romans, who not only dictated terms to Antiochus, but who henceforth became more and more the complete masters of the entire East. By the battle of Pydna, June 22, 168 BC, the Romans under Aemilius Paulus crushed forever the last traces of independence among the states of Macedonia and Greece. Mommsen expresses it: “The whole empire of Alexander the Great had fallen to the Roman commonwealth, as if the city had inherited it from his heirs. From all sides kings and ambassadors flocked to Rome to congratulate her, and they showed that fawning is never more abject than when kings are in the antechamber.”
The glorious land undoubtedly refers to Palestine. And while this country was not to be immediately destroyed, yet the ultimate fate of the entire nation of the Jews rested absolutely with this new power from the west, which so soon and so completely changed the entire face of the political world.
In his hand shall be destruction. As is so often the case in the prophecies of the Bible, we have here a brief statement which gives us in a few pregnant words a summary of the entire case here introduced.
For some two centuries, Rome controlled the destinies of “the glorious land” of Judea; but at the end was a complete and irremediable destruction of the nation of the Jews.
Daniel 11:17. And he shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and with him equitable conditions; and he shall perform them: and he shall give him the daughter of women, to corrupt her; but she shall not stand, neither he for him.
The meaning of the original text is not clear; so the various translators have tried their hands at “correcting” it in accord with what they think it means, that is, so as to make it more in accord with the history to which they think it applies. Wright remarks: “The correction of the text in order to bring it into harmony with history is, however, a doubtful expedient, and has in this chapter too often to be resorted to.”
Another reading of the first part of the verse would be, “He shall set his face to enter by force the whole kingdom,” meaning the whole kingdom of Alexander. Whether or not this reading is allowable, it is a fact that by gradual but steady progress, largely by diplomacy and by fortunate turns of circumstances, Rome absorbed the ruler ship of the various lands around the eastern end of the Mediterranean.
With him equitable conditions. The Romans were famous for plausible and apparently just terms which they imposed on their conquered provinces. Also they gained the reputation of living up to their agreements: and he shall perform them. It was the boast of one of the prominent Romans that neither friend nor enemy ever did anything to him without being repaid many fold.
The daughter of women. This extremely peculiar expression has given rise to much speculation. Those who apply this verse to Antiochus Ill (Magnus), assign this expression to his daughter Cleopatra (the first of several of this name), whom Antiochus gave in marriage to the young king of Egypt.
However, those who make this application are confronted with the historical fact that this Cleopatra “bears an excellent character in Egyptian history.” - J. P. Mahaffy, The Empire of the Ptolemies, page 330. On the basis of applying this passage to the Romans, it is not clear to what this phrase and the remaining part of the verse may refer.
It has been thought that this verse looks forward in history to the time of Julius Caesar, who carried on a war for the headship of the Roman world with Pompey, the latter having been appointed guardian, under the Roman senate, of the two children of Ptolemy Auletes, who died in 51 BC Caesar defeated Pompey at Pharsalia, in Thessaly, in 48 BC, Pompey escaping and fleeing into Egypt. There he was killed by the king of Egypt, and Caesar forthwith took the position of Roman guardian of the throne of Egypt. Confusion and turmoil followed Caesar’s attempt to bring the Egyptian government under his personal rule. In the end, Caesar gained complete control of the country. It is doubtful if Caesar’s intrigue with Cleopatra is what is referred to in the middle part of this verse; but if it is, the phrase next following may be read: “but she shall not stand nor avail him,” as Montgomery translates it.
This is admitted by everyone, “critics” and conservatives alike, to be a difficult verse. Uriah Smith applied the first clause to Caesar’s campaign against the son of Mithridates, in Asia Minor in 47 BC, as the result of which he sent the famous report, “Veni, vidi, vici,” “I came, I saw, I conquered.” But there is not any satisfactory application of the latter part of the verse. It may refer to the assassination of Caesar by Brutus and his fellow conspirators.
From here onward the application is clear enough for several verses again.
Daniel 11:18. After this shall he turn his face unto the isles [margin, “coast lands”], and shall take many but a prince shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; yea, moreover, he shall cause his reproach to turn upon him.
Daniel 11:19. Then he shall turn his face toward the fortresses of his own land; but he shall stumble and fall, and shall not be found.
This verse fits admirably the last years of Caesar’s career. After subduing all his opponents in the East, he proceeded to North Africa, where he defeated Cato and Scipio; then to Spain, where Labienus and Varus suffered the same fate. Thus with all the Mediterranean basin subdued, he was free to turn his face toward the fortresses of his own land, that is, to Rome, where he was made perpetual dictator, with so many other offices and dignities that he could hardly keep track of them. In fact, though the old forms of the republic were still maintained, they became a mere pretense; for Caesar was as truly an emperor as any of his successors.
He shall stumble and fall, and shall not be found. The language plainly implies a sudden, violent death. Uriah Smith expressed it: “This man, who it is said had fought and won fifty battles, taken one thousand cities, and slain one million one hundred ninety-two thousand men, fell, not in the din of battle and the hour of strife, but when he thought his pathway was smooth and danger far away.” He was set upon in the senate chamber, at the opening of one of the regular sessions, falling under the daggers of Cassius, Brutus, and other conspirators, in the year 44 BC, his assassins thinking that they were thereby restoring the grand old days of the republic. Alas, the rolling streams of gold which had been pouring into Rome for several generations had completely corrupted that stern morality, when Romans were fit to rule the world because they had first learned to rule themselves. The murder of the greatest of the Julian line was only to change masters. The old days of the republic were gone, never to return.
Daniel 11:20. Then shall stand up in his place one that shall cause an exactor to pass through the glory of the kingdom; but within few days he shall be destroyed [Hebrew, “broken”], neither in anger, nor in battle.
Caesar left no legitimate sons, but had made his nephew Octavius his heir. With two others, Lepidus and Mark Antony, Octavius combined to form the first triumvirate and to punish the assassins of Caesar. For some years civil war raged throughout much of the Roman world; but at length, by the Battle of Actium, in 31 BC, Augustus (Octavius) was left as the sole ruler of the world empire, as it had now become. Civil war and turmoil for nearly a century had made great havoc with the ancient customs and laws. Augustus was strong enough and wise enough to remake this chaos and anarchy into an imperial organization with such vitality that it lasted with varying vicissitudes for another five hundred years.
Cause an exactor to pass through, of course, for gathering taxes. Augustus was an outstanding example of a ruler who could levy taxes without making the people feel it severely. His methods were perhaps the most cleverly devised and the most efficiently carried out of any such exactions in ancient days. His taxes were light; but they were universal, and in this universality was their power and their efficiency in supplying abundant funds for the carrying on of the imperial government there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be enrolled.” As this enrollment had to occur in everyone’s native place, Joseph and Mary were obliged to repair to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born according to the prediction of the prophet Micah. See Micah 52.This rule of Augustus was emphatically the period of the glory of the kingdom. Ever since it has been known as the Augustan Age. He boasted that he had found Rome built of brick, but he left it marble. Never before and never again did Rome have greater peace and prosperity.
Wise laws were enacted and impartially enforced. The temple of Janus, which was closed only when there was no war going on anywhere within the Roman rule, was closed for the third time since the foundation of the city of Rome; and it was to this fact that Milton refers as the condition prevailing when Christ was born as a babe in Bethlehem: No war, or battle’s sound, Was heard the world around. Within few days. Augustus lived some eighteen years after the taxing brought to view in the first part of this verse; but this would appear but a “few days” to the angel who was revealing these things to Daniel. Neither in anger, nor in battle. Augustus died peacefully in his bed, at the age of seventy-six, at a place called Nola, near the base of Mount Vesuvius, AD 14.
Daniel 11:21. And in his place shall stand up a contemptible person, to whom they had not given the honor of the kingdom: but he shall come in time of security, and shall obtain the kingdom by flatteries.
Tiberius succeeded Augustus, and he fits the description perfectly. The A.V. gives “a vile person” instead of the term here used, a contemptible person. Tradition has it that when Augustus was about to nominate his successor, he said to his wife Livia of her son Tiberius (by a former husband): “Your son is too vile to wear the purple of Rome.” Agrippa, a highly respected man, was nominated; but he died before Augustus; so finally Livia had her way, and Tiberius gained the throne of the Caesars. His character was certainly vile and contemptible enough, and it is also true that such a person could never win the respect of intelligent citizens. Thus he was never, either before his accession to the purple nor afterward, given the honor of the kingdom.
In the year 26 he retired to Capreae in the Bay of Naples, never again returning to Rome, but spending the rest of his career in dissipation and infamy. Seneca declared that Tiberius was never intoxicated but once in his life, which means that he was always under the influence of drink. He ruled by favorites, chief of whom was Sejanus, who fell because he plotted the emperor’s death. Tiberius lived to be an old man, and he was finally made away with by some of the officers around him while in a stupor induced either by sickness or by drink. One of his periodical letters to the senate has become famous. It began: “What I shall write to you, conscript fathers, or what I shall not write, or why I should write at all, may the gods and goddesses plague me more than I feel daily that they are doing, if I can tell.” Probably this was written under the influence of liquor; if not, it would indicate a state of mental distress quite appropriate in view of his manner of life. The flatteries or smooth sayings here mentioned were characteristic of not only Tiberius, but of all his times. He affected to decline the appointment to the throne, and obliged the servile senate to urge it upon him repeatedly, until he finally accepted. His reign was one long series of flatteries and servilities on the part of all the members of the Roman government, and lying and hypocritical pretense on the part of the emperor himself.
Daniel 11:22. And the overwhelming forces shall be overwhelmed from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the Prince of the covenant.
The first part of this verse probably refers to the uniformly successful wars which the Roman Empire carried on around the outskirts of the empire, though most of them were on a small scale. They were generally if not uniformly successful, even though the headquarters at Rome were becoming
increasingly corrupt and inefficient. Possibly it refers to the growth of the system of delators or informers. See Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed., Volume 26, page 916.
The Prince of the covenant. This undoubtedly refers to “the Anointed One, the Prince,” of chapter 9:25-27, who, it was foretold, would “make a firm covenant with many for one week.” All attempts to apply it otherwise, as for instance to Onias III, as is the custom of modern commentators, are weak and highly unsatisfactory. It is a fact that under the rule of this same Tiberius, in faraway Judea a crucifixion occurred which has influenced the subsequent history of the entire world far more than any other event that ever took place. Tacitus, the Roman historian, whose works are regarded as among the most important that have come down to us from that epoch, lived from about AD 55 to 120. He has left us the following authoritative statement: “Christus, the founder of that name, was put to death as a criminal by Pontus Pilate, procurator of Judea, in the reign of Tiberius.”
The chronology of this event has been considered in the comments on chapter 9:24-27. For additional testimony based on original sources, see Source Book for Bible Students, pages 554-562. Here it may be briefly stated that Jesus began His work as the Anointed One at His baptism, in the autumn of 27; His public work continued for three and one half years, or until the spring of AD 31. The death of Tiberius took place in 37.
Daniel 11:23. And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully; for he shall come up, and shall become strong, with a small people.
We have here apparently another break in the continuity of the vision. The power here spoken of must be the same as that with which we were previously dealing. But whereas individuals were spoken of who were leaders or heads of the Roman government, we now appear to go back a certain distance in the history and deal with the Roman Empire in its more general aspects, leading up gradually to the transformation of the empire into the religion-political power which for well over a thousand years the world has associated with the name Rome.
As we have seen, all the first portions of any long prophecy are to be regarded as preliminary, given for the purpose of confirming our confidence in the remainder, assuring us that God has given it, and will assuredly accomplish what is still in the future. When we see the first part of a long vision already fulfilled to the letter, we cannot but have increased confidence in what still remains to be done.
In the present instance we have seen how remarkably this prophecy fits the history of the first three Roman rulers, Julius Caesar, Augustus, and Tiberius. The first on returning to the fortresses of his own land in triumph, is accurately spoken of as having stumbled and fallen. The second was the world’s greatest tax gatherer, who reigned in the glory of the kingdom long and peacefully, and died neither in anger nor in battle. The third is well described as a contemptible person, who was not given the honor of the kingdom either during his life or after his death, but whose reign was founded upon deception and flattery. During his reign the Prince of the covenant was broken in the Roman province of Judea. In all these diverse particulars we acquire confidence that our interpretation of this line of prophecy must be correct, that we must be on the right road. One or two points of agreement we might attribute to chance; but it is incredible that such a combination of incidents could be the result of mere coincidences; the last event in particular, the death of the Prince of the covenant, must apply to Christ and to no other.
Now, having told the story of Rome down to the most important event of all the ages, the tragic death of the Prince of the covenant, the angel takes us back to a famous event in the history of the Jewish people for a new start in the narration of the history of the world. This famous event is the league made with the Jews in the year 161 BC. During the period when the Maccabees were trying to free themselves from the tyranny of Antiochus Epiphanes, Judas Maccabeus sent an embassy to Rome to solicit friendship and help. This was readily granted, and the two peoples entered into a league of mutual friendship and assistance, as narrated by Josephus.
At this time the Romans were only a small people; but by their clever methods of leagues and alliances, by which they always professed themselves ready to go to the assistance of the weak and oppressed, they were rapidly becoming strong, as here stated.
Another line of reasoning leads to the same conclusion. In a previous note (on chapter S:13 et seq.) we have given an argument to show that this entire eleventh chapter is an angelic explanation of the symbols given in chapter 8. But in verse 9 of chapter 8 Rome is symbolized as a little horn coming out of one of the four horns of the Grecian or Macedonian goat. Accordingly we might expect to find some language here in this eleventh chapter (the explanation) which alludes to this small or insignificant origin of the empire of the Romans. Such an allusion or similarity of language we do find in this verse: He ... Shall become strong, with a small people. Thus we have an additional reason for taking this passage as marking the beginning of the career of Rome, or its beginnings as a world empire.
Daniel 11:24. In time of security shall he come even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done- nor his fathers’ fathers. He shall scatter among them prey, and spoil, and substance: yea, he shall devise his devices against the strongholds, even for a time.
We have seen how the Roman senate posed as the defenders of the weak against the strong; but perhaps we hardly realize that they were the first in all human history to capitalize on the hopes of oppressed peoples in this way and on such a scale. By promising friendship and assistance to every people who appealed to them, the Romans rapidly became the world’s national referee, and by the sense of security thus established, they were able to extend their authority far and wide. We have seen how, in the case of Egypt, the dying king left his kingdom under the guardianship of the Romans; but this became a fairly common custom, and in a similar way the Romans became the actual rulers of many other lands.
Attalus III, king of Pergamum, died in 133 BC and bequeathed his kingdom to the Roman senate. In this way the old Babylonian sun worship, which had been transferred to Pergamum, was introduced into the Roman Empire. It was thus in a quiet and hitherto-unheard-of manner that Rome came even upon the fattest places of the province---the latter term being here used in the singular, meaning that this action was a general or common event.
The weak and non influential peoples especially gained by the Roman rule. All, however, were treated with justice and leniency. The Roman officers, scattered all through the vast extent of the empire, acted like so many international policemen, compelling the evil-minded and tyrannical to let others alone.
The pax Romana [Peace of Rome]was extended to all the civilized world, and for a time, that is, the period decreed by God in His wisdom, the people of what may be called the entire civilized world enjoyed a peace and a prosperity which they had never known before, and would never see again.
If we regard this period, for a time, as a prophetic “time” or 360 years, the years should probably be reckoned from the event mentioned in the next verse, which is 31 BC. Counting 360 years from this would bring us to about the year 330, when the seat of the empire was moved from Rome to
Constantinople. This may or may not be what is here referred to; but this removal to Constantinople marked the end of the exclusive rule of the seven hilled city, though the empire still continued.
Dr. Edwin R. Thiele, of Emmanuel Missionary College, Berrien Springs, Michigan, thinks that the Crusades are the events referred to in this and several following verses. He would seem to be correct in his claim that a priori we might rightly expect these strange upheavals and dislocations of great masses of humanity to be mentioned somewhere. He does make out a good case in verses 28 and 30 for the notorious crusades against the Albigenses and Waldenses, as the armies of Rome shifted from crusades against the infidel to crusades against the “heretics.” However, the verses following thereafter would undoubtedly apply to the Roman persecutions anyway, even if Dr. Thiele’s interpretation of the passage from verses 25 to 30 were not followed.
On the whole, I do not feel at all certain about the meaning of several verses here around the middle of this chapter. But Uriah Smith’s notes seem about as likely to be right as any; hence we shall follow his lead regarding these verses.
Daniel 11:25. And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall war in battle with an exceeding great and mighty army; but he shall not stand; for they shall devise devices against him.
This verse seems to bring us down to the battle of Actium, September 2, 31 BC, which was one of the most important battles of the world. It is sometimes spoken of as a battle during the Roman civil wars; but it may properly be regarded as a battle between Rome and Egypt, the latter being of course the king of the south mentioned in this verse.
After the death of the great Julius, the first triumvirate was formed to avenge his death and to settle the affairs of the empire. Soon Antony, who had been assigned to Egypt, began to regard himself as the master of the eastern world, and thus a duel was inevitable between him and Octavius, his brother-in-law.
Antony collected all the forces of the east, with a dozen or more kinglets present either in person or by their troops and official representatives. Octavius (afterward Augustus) did not have as many ships or as many men, but his troops were better trained. The two forces met in the Gulf of Arta, opposite the promontory of Actium (modern Punta), in Greece, with the land forces standing on the opposite banks and watching the naval battle which was to decide the destinies of the ancient world. Antony’s heavy ships tried to engage and crush the enemy with their machines; but the ships of Octavius were more skillful and avoided a direct issue. Finally Cleopatra withdrew, and the entire Egyptian squadron followed, with Antony in the rear. Then the fleet of Antony was set on fire and almost annihilated. Octavius was left as the undisputed master of the Roman world.
Daniel 11:26. Yea, they that cat of his dainties shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow; and many shall fall down slain.
Antony, who before this battle may rightly be regarded as the ruler of Egypt and thus the king of the south here referred to, was destroyed by the desertion of Cleopatra and the sixty or more ships which went with her. His land forces which stood watching the battle of Actium went over to Octavius without a blow. Then when Antony gained the Egyptian shore, he found that the troops which he had left there had revolted from him and had taken up the side of the victor. Last of all, Cleopatra herself, for whose sake he had divorced his wife Octavia, the sister of Octavius, betrayed him, and all his men surrendered to the triumphant Caesar. In true Roman fashion, seeing all was lost, he committed suicide.
Daniel 11:27. And as for both these kings, their hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table: but it shall not prosper; for yet the end shall be at the time appointed.
As these two men were brothers-in-law, it is evident that they had associated intimately together. Naturally enough, their speaking lies at one table took place before the one defeated the other. Octavia, the sister of Augustus, said that she had married Antony solely for the purpose of keeping these two men as friends. All these people were actuated by selfish motives, and Antony’s side, at least, did not prosper. It is not clear what is meant by the last clause, that the end shall be at the time appointed; but in some way it means that God is always overruling all these selfish and wicked plans of men.
Daniel 11:28. Then shall he return into his land with great substance; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do his pleasure, and return to his own land.
Obviously the power here mentioned cannot be the king of the south, but must refer to Rome, the victor in the previous conflict. We shall avoid some mental confusion if we think of the “king” here or hereafter mentioned, not as an individual, but as the idealized personification of the nation or power which he represents. It is thus that the paradoxical proclamation is made: “The king is dead: long live the king.”
It is equally clear that two distinct returns from foreign wars of conquest are here mentioned, and these two returns must be separated by a considerable period.
Return into his land with great substance. This doubtless refers to the return of the emperor from the defeat of Antony and Egypt. So much booty and money were brought back by the victorious army that an inflation of about 50 per cent took place. Octavius was granted a three-day triumph; and while many illustrious or royal captives were shown in the train of the conqueror, Cleopatra was absent; she had avoided this disgrace by suicide with the poisonous cobra, often called the asp.
Against the holy covenant About a hundred years later, yet next in order, so far as this line of prophecy is concerned, came the Roman subjection of Judea and the destruction of Jerusalem. The Jews had long been God’s covenanted people; among them for centuries prophets had spoken with messages direct from heaven; yet when the greatest of all prophets had appeared amongst them, the Jews had refused to listen and had crucified Him. Moses had declared that whoever would not hear this coming Prophet should be destroyed or scattered to every nation under heaven. Thus nothing could avail the murderers of their promised Messiah; their holy and beautiful house was burned with fire in spite of the frantic efforts of Titus to save it. When all was over, nearly one and a half million Jews had been slain, and nearly an equal number sold into slavery; and the site of the temple was plowed with the Roman symbol of desolation and sown with salt.
When Titus saw that the temple could not be saved, he himself rushed in and carried out to safety the golden candlestick, with other sacred articles; and a likeness of this candlestick was afterward carved on the Arch of Titus, where tourists may yet see its partially obliterated outlines.
To be continued…
