February 20, 2019: Day 81 – Daniel 11

Daniel goes through a whole list of kings that ruled over the Israelites but they don’t perfectly match up with our historical accounts, but that isn’t the point.  Each of these wars and campaigns refer very directly to a person in history who did this.  The daughter is Berenice who was married to the grandson of Seleucus whose name was Antiochus II Theos of Syria.  See why I said it doesn’t really matter.  The point behind all of this is that Daniel was privy to it and explains it in a way that reflects that he is following the Lord even in the midst of these tumultuous times.  Notice also, that Daniel supported one of the political factions.  In vs.1 we read Daniel say about Darius the Mede:  “I stood up to support and strengthen him.”  

Did you know that Cleopatra is mentioned in this Scripture?  She is, look at vs.17 where we read about a time of peace that was sought and a woman who was given in marriage.  Well, that would be Cleopatra.  Daniel then addresses the real disaster that takes place in all of this and that would be the downfall of the temple in Jerusalem.  If you look starting at vs.29 through vs.39 you can see described during this time, about BC 168, the invaders set up an altar to Zeus in the temple.  That destroyed the confidence of the people and some say that the people of Israel never recovered from that.

This chapter ends with desolation for those who conquered and desecrated the temple.  It doesn’t always end that way.