Daniel 10 is the prologue of Daniel 11. Daniel had been in fasting and prayer for 3 weeks praying and interceding for his people who had returned to Israel and attempting to rebuild the sanctuary. Satan was trying to influence Cyrus to not build the temple (Ezra 4:5) and Gabriel was attempting to encourage Cyrus to proceed. During this fast Jesus is presented to Daniel as the great High Priest of Israel. Daniel saw the vision and fell as a dead man. His friends who were with him did not see the vision but were affected by the presence of Jesus and fled from Him. Daniel had to be strengthened to interact with Gabriel and to process the vision. Gabriel explains to Daniel that he, Gabriel, had been sent to bless Daniel from the time that he had set his heart to understand. The prince of the kingdom of Persia had not responded to Gabriel’s encouragement, Michael (the Pre Incarnated Jesus – the Chief ruler of God’s people – Daniel’s Prince (v. 21), the Prince Messiah (Daniel 9:25), the Arch Angel – the leader of the angels- Jude 9; Revelation 12:7) came to help Gabriel. This was to assure Daniel that the highest resources of heaven had been applied to Daniel’s concerns. Gabriel had come to show Daniel what would happen to his people in latter days, all the way down to the time of the second coming.  Daniel was strengthened to be able to hear the issues and to record them. Gabriel tells him that when he is done with Persia that Greece would yet come, and then would be followed by Rome, and then by Papal Rome – the mixture of Iron and Clay of Daniel, the Little Horn of Daniel 7-8, the King of the North of Daniel 11, the Man of Sin of II Thessalonians 2, and the Composite Beast of Revelation 13. None the less Jesus, the Prince of the Covenant will overcome all of the various forms of evil and will be victorious and will establish His kingdom which will remain forever.

Verse 1

Gabriel helps Darius the Mede in 539 BC

Verse 2

After Cyrus would come Cambyses(530-522); False Smerdis(522); Darius I(522-486) and the fourth king would be Xerxes(486-465) the Ahasuerus of Esther. He stirred up the Greeks by attacking them at Thermopylae and Salamis

Verse 3

Alexander the great is introduced and brings us to Daniel 8:8, 21

Verse 4

Alexander dies and his kingdom was divided to the four winds or four directions of heaven. These four generals divide his kingdom and it does not go to his children.

Verse 5

The king of the south (Egypt) was Ptolemy I Soter (323-280). Ptolemy’s prince was Seleucus I Nicator. Seleucus took over Syria and Asia Minor and became the king of the north. The King of the north is usually referred to because of their control over Babylon.

Verse 6

An attempt at stability between the king of the north and the king of the south by an arranged marriage between Antiochus II Theos (261-246) and Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285-246). This arranged marriage broke down after the death of Ptolemy II.

Verse 7

Ptolemy III Euergetes (246-221) invades Syria to avenge the death of his sister Berenice and is victorious.

Verse 8

Ptolemy III Euergetes (benefactor) brings back Egyptian idols and is hailed as benefactor. He lasts longer than Seleucus II

Verse 9

Ptolemy III returns to his own land and relative peace is accomplished.

Verses 10-12

Battle between Antiochus III the great (223-187) and Ptolemy IV Epiphanes (221-203). The primary battle took place at Raphia 217 BC. Ptolemy wins the battle but fails to secure the victory.

Verse 13

Antiochus III comes again to fight against the king of the south.

Verse 14

Antiochus III and Phillip of Macedon join and proceed to try to conquer the king of the south. The robbers of Daniel’s people are introduced here, the nation of Rome. Rome becomes alerted because of the size of this union between Antiochus III, Phillip of Macedon, and Hannibal of Carthage. Rome enters the picture – they also will eventually fall.

Verse 15

Antiochus III ignores the warnings of Rome and proceeds to attack Egypt. Antiochus defeats Egypt’s best general Scopas and defeats his relief.

Verse 16

In 190 BC Antiochus III was defeated by Rome at the battle of Magnesia. Rome is now the king of the north because of its defacto ability to control all of the Syrian empire including Babylon.  In 168 BC at the battle of Pydna Macedon was defeated and no Greek nation could stand up to Rome. In 65 BC Pompey comes in and directly takes over Syria and directly takes over the glorious land in 63 BC. Thus Rome comes on the scene and fulfills the position of the Iron kingdom of Daniel 2 and the dragon like kingdom of Daniel 7.

Verse 17

Julius Caesar (67-44BC) was the primary person spoken of here. He made contact with Cleopatra as the daughter of women in his conquering of Egypt. Also mention is made of “upright ones” who appear to have been a group of 3000 Jewish soldiers who fought with Caesar to hold the eastern gates while Caesar fought the major battles against Pompey and secured Egypt. 

Verse 18

Julius Caesar continues to consolidate Rome around the then known world. The senate grows increasingly suspicious of him and fears him as the dictator.

Verse 19

Julius Caesar returns to Rome as the unquestioned ruler of Rome. When his guard is down he is killed by a coalition of senators. The rulership moves to Augustus Caesar.

Verse 20

Augustus Caesar (44BC – 14AD) is the raiser of taxes mentioned in Luke 2:1-3. I this verse Augustus is used by God to move Mary and Joseph into place so that Jesus can be born in Bethlehem Ephratah according to God’s prophecy. Micah 5:2 All historical focus is moving toward Jesus and the impact He will have on the world, including Rome.  Augustus dies of natural causes with no violence.

Verse 21

Tiberius is the next Caesar. He obtains the kingdom by the flatteries of his mother on Augustus. Tiberius is not accepted by the nation as a viable ruler.

Verse 22

This verse is the fulfillment of Daniel 9:26. The Jews reject Jesus and He is killed by the conspiracy between the Jewish rulers and Pontius Pilate. As a result of the rejection of Jesus as their king, and their selection of Barabbas and Caesar, the Jewish leadership sets in motion the events which culminate with their rebellion against Rome and the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD by Titus.

Verse 23

Verse 24

Verse 25

Verse 26 Still Studying verses 23-29 and will present them as I am satisfied that I understand them more thoroughly.

Verse 27

Verse 28

Verse 29

Verse 30 The ships of Chittim are symbols of the last remaining European Christian tribes that are resisting the development of the Papacy. Ships in the Bible are symbols of devices that carry cargo. The cargo that the Christian tribes were carrying was that of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the truth of His intercessory ministry. As a result of the resistance of these tribes the King of the North was indignant against the holy covenant of the mercies of God toward man and His plan to deliver all who have faith in Him from sin.

Verse 31 In 508 BC Clovis, King of France; chose to align himself with the Roman Catholic Church and Rome now had a civil power to allow her to enforce her dogmas by force and to punish heretics. Now the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) could push its doctrines and enforce it with the arms of the state. She then could turn the eyes of the people away from God’s sanctuary message of what Jesus is doing in heaven, and to take away the people’s awareness of the intercessory ministry of Christ in heaven – the Daily. When all of the interfering tribes were controlled by 538AD then the RCC could be established as the church on Earth through which all who sought God must go through to find salvation. This concept is the abomination which makes the hearts of people to be desolate.

Verse 32 The King of the North, the RCC, decided to flatter those who did not want the covenant of God, yet there remained a remnant who knew who and where God was and they did wonderful deeds of faith by and through the power of God.

Verse 33 Thus began the times of the Waldenses who stood firm on the platform of truth and they instructed many for Jesus. But prophecy stated that those who stood faithful for Jesus would suffer persecution and would be persecuted by the Roman church.

Verse 34 God’s people were helped by the development of the Reformation and God raised up leaders like Wycliffe, Luther, Zwingli and others to help the remnant. Yet many continued to respond to the flatteries of the backslidden church.

Verse 35 Persecutions continued all of the time of the 1260 years of Daniel 7:25; Revelation 11:2; Revelation 13:5. This time would end in 1798 – the time of the end.

Verse 36

The papacy will exalt itself and refer to itself as the representative of Christ on earth. It will claim to be a god on earth. It will speak blasphemous things in self-exaltation. It will continue on earth until the wrath of God is poured out. See II Thessalonians 2:3-4; Daniel 7:25; 8:10-12; Revelation 13:5-6

Verse 37

The papacy will not follow in the footsteps of the spiritual fathers of the prophets or the apostles. The papacy will teach that celibacy is a mandated behavior for its priesthood and will reject the Bible counsel that the elders should be married to one wife. Titus 1:6; I Timothy 3:2; Leviticus 21:7, 13-14; Ezekiel 44:22. The papacy will exalt itself above all.

Verse 38

The papacy will trust in the power of the arms of the state rather than trust in God. It will focus on the power of money and arms.

Verse 39

The papacy will rule by the power of a god that the church of God does not recognize. The papacy will utilize simony, the sale of religious posts and privileges for money, as a way of controlling church activities.

Verse 40

In 1798, the time of the end – the end of the time, times, and half of a time(538AD-1798) mentioned in Daniel 7:25; Revelation 11:2,3; 12:6,14; 13:5; the king of the south – Atheism in the specific case of Napoleonic France, will attack the papacy and give it a death wound. This death wound will heal (Revelation 13:3-4) and the papacy will start on the attack and start to become a more powerful player on the field of the whole world.

Verse 41

The papacy will start to enter into the realms of the church and will confuse and overthrow many peoples Christian experience by their false doctrines.  But Edom, Moab, and the chief children of Ammon will escape. God says that these peoples will be converted and join God’s people – the remnant church. Isaiah 11:11-14; Amos 9:11-12; Acts 15:13-19

Verse 42

The resurrected papacy will infiltrate all countries and even communistic countries will not be able to hold it back.

Verse 43

The Atheistic countries will eventually join him and follow him. See “at his steps” Exodus 11:8 margin “at his feet”.

Verse 44

There will come a message from the direction of the east – the direction of God (Revelation 7:2; Luke 1:78 – sun rising) that will offend the papacy and it will attack the only remaining collection of people that has not surrendered to it – the remnant church. See Revelation 12:17 and Esther 3; Ezekiel 9

Verse 45

The papacy, in its final phase (Revelation 17) will place itself between the people and the people of God (God’s holy people – Daniel 9:16, 20; Hebrews 12:22-24; Revelation 14:1) to attempt to interfere with the final presentation of the gospel. (Revelation 16:12-15; 13:1-18). The papacy will be destroyed and none will help him. Daniel 8:25