DANIEL LESSON 12


     We will begin this lesson in Daniel 11:1 "Also I in the first
year of Darius the Mede, [even] I, stood to confirm and to strengthen
him."

     This is the beginning of the things that Daniel was told to
understand in the vision. Some believe this was actually Cyrus,
instead of Darius. For our study here, it makes no difference who was
king. We are looking at the spiritual side of these lessons, not the
technical.

     Daniel 11:2 "And now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there
shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far
richer than [they] all: and by his strength through his riches he
shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia."

     These Persian kings are speaking of those who reigned after
Babylon was taken by Cyrus. Cambysis, the second, could be one of the
4 kings. He was a son of Cyrus. Darius followed Cambysis. Xerxes
followed Darius. Possibly, Xerxes is the great king {4th}. It was
actually Xerxes that invaded Greece.

     Daniel 11:3 "And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule
with great dominion, and do according to his will."

     This is speaking of Alexander the Great of Greece. Alexander the
Great destroyed the armies of Persia. He was powerful in his rule.
Many thought he might rule the world.

     Daniel 11:4 And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be
broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not
to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for
his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those.

     Alexander the Great's rule was divided among his 4 generals. This
was not members of his family that took over at his death. Even this
great kingdom, falls to the Roman Empire.

     Daniel 11:5  "And the king of the south shall be strong, and
[one] of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have
dominion; his dominion [shall be] a great dominion."

     The king is of Egypt. He is the king of the south. One of the
princes under the king rises to overthrow the king.

     Daniel 11:6 "And in the end of years they shall join themselves
together; for the king's daughter of the south shall come to the king
of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain the power
of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm: but she shall be
given up, and they that brought her, and he that begat her, and he
that strengthened her in [these] times."

     The king of Egypt shall enter into the kingdom of the north to
make an agreement. It appears, a daughter tries to marry, to help the
agreement to be signed. She is not accepted, and neither is the
agreement signed. The expedition is a failure.

     Daniel 11:7 "But out of a branch of her roots shall [one] stand
up in his estate, which shall come with an army, and shall enter into
the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them,
and shall prevail:"

     Someone who is an ancestor of the woman, in verse 6, takes rule
and attacks the king of the north. The king of the north is, probably,
speaking of Syria.

     Daniel 11:8 "And shall also carry captives into Egypt their gods,
with their princes, [and] with their precious vessels of silver and of
gold; and he shall continue [more] years than the king of the north."

     This is speaking of Egypt prevailing over Syria. The precious
things shall be carried as bounty back to Egypt. Ptolemy could have
been the king that conquered Syria, here.

     Daniel 11:9 "So the king of the south shall come into [his]
kingdom, and shall return into his own land."

     It appears, this battle was fought, and then, the king of the
south immediately returned to Egypt.

     Daniel 11:10 "But his sons shall be stirred up, and shall
assemble a multitude of great forces: and [one] shall certainly come,
and overflow, and pass through: then shall he return, and be stirred
up, [even] to his fortress."

     The prince that is spoken of as one of the sons, here, is,
probably, Antiochus Magnus. He was not actually the son of Ptolemy,
but of a later ruler.

     Daniel 11:11" And the king of the south shall be moved with
choler, and shall come forth and fight with him, [even] with the king
of the north: and he shall set forth a great multitude; but the
multitude shall be given into his hand."

     The word "choler" means bitter. His bitterness caused the king of
Egypt to come against the king of Syria. The army, spoken of as a
multitude, was about 75,000. The multitude falls into enemy hands.
They were defeated here. For our spiritual study of the Scriptures, we
have not gone into great discussion of who all of these kings are.  It
is important for history, but not for the spiritual study we are doing
here.

     Daniel 11:12 "[And] when he hath taken away the multitude, his
heart shall be lifted up; and he shall cast down [many] ten thousands:
but he shall not be strengthened [by it]."

     Even though the multitude was captured, their captor is not
strengthened. Great numbers do not make a great army. Great leadership
and great causes, make a great army. Gideon's army of 300 caused the
multitude {so many they were like grasshoppers}, of Amalekites and
Midianites to flee. The size of an army is not important. God's
blessing on that army is what is important.

     Daniel 11:13 "For the king of the north shall return, and shall
set forth a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly
come after certain years with a great army and with much riches."

     A king of Syria shall rise up and attack Egypt. This king will be
very rich.

     Daniel 11:14 And in those times there shall many stand up against
the king of the south: also the robbers of thy people shall exalt
themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fall.

     This happens almost as if it were to fulfill the prophecy.

     Daniel 11:15 "So the king of the north shall come, and cast up a
mount, and take the most fenced cities: and the arms of the south
shall not withstand, neither his chosen people, neither [shall there
be any] strength to withstand."

     The king of the north is Syria. It appears from this they come
against Israel, as well as against Egypt. Egypt or Israel will not be
able to withstand.

     Daniel 11:16 "But he that cometh against him shall do according
to his own will, and none shall stand before him: and he shall stand
in the glorious land, which by his hand shall be consumed."

     The glorious land is speaking of the land of Israel. The land of
Israel is consumed, as well as Egypt being attacked.

     Daniel 11:17 "He shall also set his face to enter with the
strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall
he do: and he shall give him the daughter of women, corrupting her:
but she shall not stand [on his side], neither be for him."

     Antiochus gathered all his forces together for the conquest of
Egypt. When he realized the power of Rome, he tried to make a treaty
with Ptolemy. He gave Cleopatra to him to wife, to help in the treaty.
He thought she would act as a spy for him in the kingdom, but this did
not happen. Cleopatra was true to her husband, instead of spying for
her father. She, along with her husband, even sent congratulations to
Rome, when they overthrew her father's army.

     Daniel 11:18 "After this shall he turn his face unto the isles,
and shall take many: but a prince for his own behalf shall cause the
reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he shall
cause [it] to turn upon him."

     Antiochus took advantage of the defeat of Phillip of Macedon by
the Romans, and he took the islands of the archipelago. He was later
defeated by the Romans, himself.

     Daniel 11:19 "Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his
own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found."

     When he failed in his conquest, he ran home, but died.

     Daniel 11:20 "Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes
[in] the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he shall be
destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle."

     The Romans put heavy payment requirements on all those they
controlled. This could have been connected with that. Whoever this
was, raised taxes to pay Rome. He was removed by his own people, not
in war.

     Daniel 11:21 "And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to
whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come
in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries."

     It is not clear who this king is, only that he is evil. He is a
person who wins over the kingdom with a flattering tongue.

     Daniel 11:22 "And with the arms of a flood shall they be
overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince
of the covenant."

     The prince that had made covenant was on the side of this one,
who took over without a fight. He came in swiftly like a flood.

     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."

     This has to do with Epiphanes receiving the throne. This has
nothing to do with power, but is trickery in action. It appears, he
made an agreement and then did not keep his bargain.

     Daniel 11:24 "He shall enter peaceably 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 the
prey, and spoil, and riches: [yea], and he shall forecast his devices
against the strong holds, even for a time."

     This is, probably, speaking of the first entrance of Epiphanes
into Palestine, or Egypt. His entrance was not by force, but with
giving of gifts.





                          Daniel 12 Questions


1.  What is verse 1 the beginning of?
2.  Who is this 4th king of Persia, that verse 2 is speaking of?
3.  Which of the kings attacked Greece?
4.  Who is the mighty king, that rises up in Greece?
5.  What happens, to his kingdom?
6.  This great kingdom of Greece falls to ________.
7.  The king of the south is king of what country?
8.  What happens when the daughter tries to help get an agreement for
    Egypt?
9.  They land of the north is ___________.
10. Egypt prevails over __________.
11. What does "choler" mean?
12. What happens to the multitude mentioned in verse 11?
13. What makes a great army?
14. _________ army of 300 caused the armies of the Amalekites and
    Midianites to flee?
15. How many were in the army of the Amalekites and Midianites in the
    battle against Gideon?
16. The king of Syria comes against ________, as well as against
    Egypt.
17. What country is the glorious land?
18. Antiochus brought his army against whom?
19. What did he do, when he began to fear Rome?
20. Who was the woman given in marriage to Ptolemy?
21. Did she spy for her father, as he wanted?
22. What did Antiochus take, because of the defeat of Phillip of
    Macedon by Rome?
23. What happened to Antiochus?
24. When he fails in his conquest, what does he do?
25. They raised taxes for what purpose?
26. Verse 24 is speaking of ____________ entering into Palestine, or
    Egypt.