VERSE BY VERSE WITH CHRONOLOGICAL NOTATIONS
To download the complete article in PDF format, click the following link:
MEDO-PERSIA
Historical context of Daniel, chapters 10-12: Cyrus co-ruled with Darius the Mede from the fall of Babylon in 538 BC, and ruled alone from 536 BC.
The “third year” of Cyrus was 536 BC (reckoned from the fall of Babylon), when Daniel had his last vision (Daniel 10:1). Simultaneously, 536 BC was the “first year of Cyrus” (ruling alone), when he made his decree to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 1:1). This decree marked the end of the 70 years of captivity in Babylon, assigned to the Jewish people (Jeremiah 29:10). Thus, 536 BC is a time of the end.
(1) Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede [ 538 BC ], even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him. [ 538 BC was the end of the 70 years assigned to Babylon as an empire (Jeremiah 25:12). Thus, 538 BC is also a time of the end. ]
(2) And now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia [ Cambyses, Smerdis, Darius Hystaspes ]; and the fourth [ Xerxes, in 486 BC ] shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia.
GREECE
(3) And a mighty king [ Alexander the Great ] shall stand up [ in 336 BC ], that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.
(4) And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken [ he died in 323 BC ], and shall be divided [ in the battle of Ipsus, 301 BC ] toward the four winds of heaven [ between 4 of his generals: Cassander-West, Lysimachus-North, Seleucus-East, Ptolemy-South ]; 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.
(5) And the king of the south [ Ptolemy I – Soter ] shall be strong, and one of his princes [ Seleucus I Nicator ]; and he [ Seleucus ] shall be strong above him [ Ptolemy ], and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion [ In the Battle of Corupedium, 281 BC, Seleucus consolidated the 3 remaining territories, East, West and North, into the kingdom of the north. ] [ Thus, the king of the north ruled from Babylon, and the king of the south from Egypt. ]
• First Syrian War (274 -271 BC) > Antiochus I Soter vs. Ptolemy II.
• Second Syrian War (260 – 253 BC) > Antiochus II Theos vs. Ptolemy II
(6) And in the end of years they shall join themselves together; for the king’s [ Ptolemy II – Philadelphus ] daughter of the south [ Berenice ] shall come to the king of the north [Antiochus II – Theos ] to make an agreement [ marriage-treaty, 252 BC. To marry Berenice, Theos repudiated his wife Laodice ]: but she shall not retain the power of the arm [ Theos ]; neither shall he stand, nor his arm [ seed ]: but she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he that begat her [ or whom she brought for, that is, her son ], and he that strengthened her in these times [ they were murdered by Laodice ].
• Third Syrian War (246 – 241 BC), Laodicean War > Ptolemy III vs. Seleucus II, verses 7-9
(7) But out of a branch of her [ Berenice ] roots shall one stand up [ her brother, Ptolemy III – Euergetes, Benefactor ] in his estate, which shall come with an army, and shall enter into the fortress [ the city of Seleucia ] of the king of the north [ Laodice’s son Seleucus II – Callinicus ], and shall deal against them, and shall prevail:
(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 [ Seleucus Callinicus who died in exile, falling from a horse ].
(9) So the king of the south shall come into his kingdom, and shall return into his own land.
• Fourth Syrian War (219 -217 BC) > Antiochus III Magnus (“the Great”) vs. Ptolemy IV Philopator.
Battle of Raphia (217 BC) Ptolemy IV maintained control over the region of Coele-Syria (which includes the glorious land).
TIME OF THE END [ 219 BC, parallel to 1989, in verse 40b ]
(10) But his [ Seleucus Callinicus ] sons [ Seleucus Ceraunus and Antiochus III – Magnus ] shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces: and one
[ Antiochus Magnus, who ascended to the throne in 222 BC after the death of his brother ] shall certainly come [ in 219 BC ], and overflow [ H7857 gush ], and pass through [ H5674 pass over ]: then shall he return, and be stirred up, even to his fortress [ Egypt ].
(11) And the king of the south [ Ptolemy IV – Philopater ] shall be moved with choler, and shall come forth and fight with him, even with the king of the north [ Antiochus III Magnus ]: and he [ Antiochus ] shall set forth a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into his [ Ptolemy’s ] hand. [ Battle of Raphia, 217 BC ]
(12) And when he hath taken away the multitude, his [ Ptolemy Philopater ] heart shall be lifted up (H7311, exalted) [ he entered Jerusalem to offer sacrifices in the temple, but was restrained, which made him furious ]; and he shall cast down many ten thousands [ in revenge, killed 40,000 Jews in Alexandria, in his own country ]: but he shall not be strengthened by it. [ Died of his intemperance. ]
(13) For the king of the north [ Antiochus Magnus ] shall return [ after 14 years of consolidation ], 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 [ against the 4-5 yr. old heir, Ptolemy V – Epiphanes, ruling since 201 BC ].
(14) And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south [ child, Ptolemy ]: also the robbers of thy people [ Rome ] shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fall. [ In 201 BC, guardians asked Rome for protection for child Ptolemy from Magnus and Philip. ]
• Fifth Syrian War (202 – 195 BC) > Antiochus III vs Ptolemy V – Epiphanes.
Battle of Panium (200 BC), near the River Jordan, Antiochus III conquered the port of Sydon and Coele-Syria. The Ptolemaic kingdom never recovered from this defeat and ceased to be an independent great power.
(15) So the king of the north [ Antiochus Magnus, confederated with Philip of Macedon ] shall come [ to recover Palestine and Coele-Syria from Egyptians, in 203 BC ], and cast up a mount, and take the most fenced cities [ Sidon, Tyre ]: and the arms of the south [ led by the General Scopas ] shall not withstand, neither his chosen [ select, best ] people, neither shall there be any strength to withstand.
Treaty of Apamea (188 BC) between the Roman Republic and Antiochus Magnus after the Roman victories in the Battles of Thermopylae 191 BC, and Magnesia 190 BC.
• Sixth Syrian war (170-168 BC)
League of the Jews: in 158 BC (or possibly 161 BC) the Jews made a league with the Romans, soliciting protection from the Seleucid king Demetrius I Soter.
PAGAN ROME
FOUR ROMAN LEADERS
Pompey
(16) But he [ Pompey, representing Rome ] that cometh against him [ Antiochus XIII Asiaticus, until that point the king of the North, in 65 BC ] shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him: and he shall stand in the glorious land [ Jerusalem 63 BC, Judea ], which by his hand shall be consumed.
Julius Caesar v. 17-19
(17) He [ Julius Caesar ] shall also set his face to enter [ into Egypt, after 51 BC ] with the strength of his whole kingdom [ original kingdom of Alexander ], and upright ones
[ Jews, who helped Caesar ] with him; thus shall he do: and he shall give him the daughter of women [ Cleopatra VII, around 48 BC ], corrupting her: but she [ Cleopatra ] shall not stand on his side, neither be for him [ she later joined Mark Antony ].
(18) After this shall he [ Caesar ] turn his face unto the isles [ war with Pharnaces, king of Cimmerian Bosporus, in Asia minor ], 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.
(19) Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land [ Rome ]: but he [ Caesar ] shall stumble and fall [ he was suddenly murdered ], and not be found [ 44 BC ].
Augustus Caesar – Second Triumvirate (Augustus, Mark Antony, Lepidus) to avenge Caesar’s death.
(20) Then shall stand up in his [ Julius Caesar’s ] estate a raiser of taxes [ Augustus Caesar, see Luke 2:1 ] in the glory of the kingdom [ during the pinnacle of Rome’s greatness ]: but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle [ died in his bed at age 76, AD 14 ].
Tiberius Caesar v. 21-22
(21) And in his estate shall stand up a vile [ tyrannical, hypocritical, debaucherous, and continuously intoxicated ] person [ Tiberius Caesar, 14 AD ], to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries [ at the insistence of his mother, he was finally placed on the throne ].
(22) And with the arms of a flood [ revolution ] shall they be overflown from before him [ or Tiberius would be overflown ], and shall be broken [ he died of a violent death at age78, in AD 37 ]; yea, also the prince of the covenant [ Christ crucified in AD 31 ]. [ See Luke 3:1-3 ]
REPEAT AND ENLARGE
League with the Jews v. 23-29, in 158 (or 161) BC
(23) And after the league [ of the Jews, 158 BC (or possibly 161 BC) ] made with him [ Pagan Rome ] he shall work deceitfully: for he [ Pagan Rome ] shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.
(24) He [ Pagan Rome ] 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 [ acquire territory through peaceful means, such as alliances and treaties ]; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against [ or from ] the strong holds [ Rome ], even for a time [ 360 years, 31 BC – AD 330 ].
Battle of Actium (September 2, 31 BC) > Augustus Caesar (N) vs. Mark Antony and Cleopatra (S).
Beginning of the “time” assigned to Pagan Rome.
(25) And he [ Augustus Caesar ] shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south [ Mark Antony and Cleopatra ] with a great army; and the king of the south shall be stirred up to battle [ Actium ] with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand: for they [ Pagan Rome ] shall forecast devices against him [ from Rome ].
(26) Yea, they that feed of the portion of his [ Antony’s ] meat shall destroy him [ desertion of allies and friends ], and his army shall overflow and many shall fall down slain.
(27) And both these kings’ hearts [ Antony and Augustus ] shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table [ under the garb of friendship they were both aspiring and intriguing for universal dominion ]; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed.
(28) Then shall he [ Augustus ] return into his land with great riches [ after Actium ]; and his [ Vespasian, followed by Titus ] heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do exploits [ destruction of Jerusalem, AD 70 ], and return to his own land [ Rome ].
(29) At the time appointed [ AD 330 ] he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former [ Egypt ], or as the latter [ Jerusalem ]. [ By removing the seat of the empire to Constantinople, it facilitated the downfall of Rome ]
Rome afflicted by the first four trumpets
(30) For the ships of Chittim [ from Carthage, in the Mediterranean coast, the Vandals led by Genseric (428 – 468) ] shall come against him [ Pagan Rome ]: therefore he [ Pagan Rome ] shall be grieved, and return [ to dispossess Genseric ], and have indignation against the holy covenant [ Scriptures ]: so shall he do; he [ Eastern Rome ] shall even return, and have intelligence with them [ the church of Rome ] that forsake the holy covenant. [ In 533, emperor Justinian decreed the pope the head of churches & corrector of heretics. In 538 the Goths were driven out of the city of Rome, leaving the see vacant for the pope. ]
PAPAL ROME
(31) And arms shall stand on his part, and they [ two possible options: 1. Goths, Vandals or 2. rulers supporting the Papacy ] shall pollute the sanctuary of strength [ Rome ] [ 1. by sacking the city of Rome or 2. by removing the seat of the empire to Constantinople ], and shall take away the daily [ H8548 continuance ] sacrifice [ Paganism, in 508 AD ], and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate [ Papacy, in 538 AD ].
(32) And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he [ the Papacy ] corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.
(33) And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days [ 1260 years ].
(34) Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries.
(35) And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed. [ The time appointed for Papal Rome was 1260 years (538 – 1798). ]
(36) And the king [ Papal Rome ] shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. [ Compare with Daniel 7:25; 2 Thessalonians 2:4; Revelation 13:5. ]
(37) Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
(38) But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: [ the romans represented their goddess Diana with a fortress upon her head. This pagan worship to a female deity was converted into veneration of Mary ] and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
(39) Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god [ veneration of Mary ], whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.
TIME OF THE END
(40)
[ Part A: 1798 ]And at the time of the end shall the king of the south [ atheistic France ] push at him [ Papal Rome ]:
[ Part B: 1989 ] and the king of the north [ modern Rome ] shall come against [ retaliation ] him [ king of the South, atheistic Soviet Union ] like a whirlwind [ as a revolution ], with chariots, and with horsemen [ military strength, American ], and with many ships [ economic strength, American ]; and he shall enter into the countries [ of the former Soviet Union ], and shall overflow [ H7857 gush ] and pass over [ H5674 ].
(Parallel to verse 10)
(41) He [ the papacy ] shall enter also into the glorious [ in the sense of prominence ] land [ the United States of America, through a national Sunday law ], and many countries [ unprepared Adventist ] shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon [ those who escape from this false religious system ].
(42) He [ the papacy ] shall stretch forth his hand [ through the universal Sunday law ] also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt [ the rest of the world, represented by the UN ] shall not escape.
(43) But he [ the papacy ] shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt [ world economy ]: and the Libyans [ poor countries ] and the Ethiopians [ rich countries ] shall be at his steps. [ See Revelation 13:16 ]
(44) But tidings out of the east and out of the north [ the loud cry ] shall trouble him: therefore he [ the papacy ] shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.
(45) And he [ the papacy ] shall plant the tabernacles [ religious power ] of his palace [ civil power ] between the seas [ multitudes ] in [ and ] the glorious holy mountain [ the remnant church ]; yet he [ the papacy ] shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
“We have no time to lose. Troublous times are before us. The world is stirred with the spirit of war. Soon the scenes of trouble spoken of in the prophecies will take place. The prophecy in the eleventh of Daniel has nearly reached its complete fulfillment. Much of the history that has taken place in fulfillment of this prophecy will be repeated. In the thirtieth verse a power is spoken of that ‘shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant.’ [Verses 31-36, quoted.]
“Scenes similar to those described in these words will take place. We see evidence that Satan is fast obtaining the control of human minds who have not the fear of God before them. Let all read and understand the prophecies of this book, for we are now entering upon the time of trouble spoken of: [Daniel 12:1-4, quoted.]” Manuscript Releases, vol. 13, 394
increasinglight.org 