In my previous study of the eleventh chapter of the Book of Daniel, we found that the chronology of unbroken events in the angel’s prophecy of the Kings of the North and the Kings of the South broke at verse-36. Why would this occur? Admittedly, no one living during that period of history that immediately followed Antiochus Epiphanes seems to fit the text in verse-36 and onward. Therefore, many modern scholars, who believe they understand the text, conclude that the final eleven verses and the whole of chapter 12 are to be concluded sometime in our future. In other words, they remove these eleven verses and all of chapter 12 from the second century BC and cause those verses to forecast the times of the very end of human history, just prior to the Second Coming of Christ. Yet, this understanding of an end of human history seems to oppose and contradict the original prophecy in Daniel 2:44. There, the Kingdom of God, which was to be set up in the days of these kings, would never be destroyed, and it would last forever. All of the prophecies in the Book of Daniel are based upon this first prophecy. Therefore, either the angel goofed or modern scholars are wrong! So, who do you suppose has erred?
If we allow for the times of the Hasmonean self-rule to be considered a pause in the chronology of the Kings of the North and the Kings of the South,[1] and permit that same chronology to resume after the end of Hasmonean rule, then we would find that the angel didn’t goof at all. Rather, it is modern scholarship who has erred!
The willful king, if we allow it, is Herod the Great of ancient history, and he comes upon the scene during the latter half of the first century BC or nearly 150 years after Antiochus Epiphanes. Herod was declared to be king of the Jews by Mark Antony, who was triumvir with Octavian and Lepidus, and controlled Rome’s eastern provinces. Antony received support for his decision by Octavian and then by the Roman senate. This was done, while Herod was in Rome in BC 40 during the years of the Roman Republic.
He didn’t deal wisely in the matter of the God of his fathers (Daniel 11:37; the God of Isaac and Esau). Herod was and Edomite a descendant of Esau, but claimed to be part Jew. Neither did he deal wisely in the matter of the “desire of women,” which could have something to do with the precious things of Israel the “bride of God.” The precious things could include:
- the murder of Antigonus the last high priest of the Hasmonean (Maccabees) family, which ended 126 years of Jewish self-rule;
- the Temple and its offices, he unlawfully took away the office of high priest from Ananelus and gave it to Aristobulus
- he tried to kill the Messiah by murdering all the little children of Bethlehem.
Herod never dealt wisely with anyone who regarded the Lord with respect. Instead, he magnified himself above all (Daniel 11:36). With regard to his own office, as king of the Jews, he honored the god of forces, Caesar Augustus, (Daniel 11:38).
Herod the Great was a prolific builder, building or fortifying several strongholds in his realm (Jerusalem, Masada; Herodium etc.). He also built the city and harbor of Caesarea in honor of Augustus Caesar, and he reintroduced the Greek games, picking up where Antiochus Epiphanes left off:
“On this account it was that Herod revolted from the laws of his country, and corrupted their ancient constitution, by the introduction of foreign practices, which constitution yet ought to have been preserved inviolable; by which means we became guilty of great wickedness afterward, while those religious observances which used to lead the multitude to piety were now neglected; for, in the first place, he appointed solemn games to be celebrated every fifth year, in honor of Caesar, and built a theater at Jerusalem, as also a very great amphitheater in the plain. Both of them were indeed costly works, but opposite to the Jewish customs.” [2]
Although checked for a time, the Hellenization of the Jews never stopped. When God took away their self-government, he placed a very cruel king over the Jews, a king who thought only of himself. He put himself before God, before the promised Messiah, before the Temple and before the people. He exalted only Caesar and in doing so secured his own government (Daniel 11:39), while increasing Caesar’s power over the Jews
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[1] That is, a pause in the chronology of the succession of the gentile kings, not a pause in the succession of the 490 years of the Seventy Weeks Prophecy, as modern scholarship seems bent on convincing us.
[2] Josephus: “Antiquities of the Jews” – Book XV; chapter 8, verse-1a – read 8:1-3
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