WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20
Daniel 11:5-9
Psalm 75:1-7

“But God is the judge: he putteth down
one, and setteth up another.”

PREVIEW OF HISTORY THIRD CENTURY BC

In the remainder of Daniel 11 we have a detailed prophecy of the 150-year struggle between the inheritors of Alexander’s empire. Over 100 prophetic details were all fulfilled, for God’s Word never fails. “It is perhaps significant that this climactic vision of the book moves away from symbolic figures to plain words. Even when God did use the audio-visual method, the audio always seems to have the priority over the visual. Also, even though it is unusual in the Bible for distant history to be foretold so accurately in such lengthy catalogues and with such minute details, we do find similar details in prophecies concerning Joseph and the brothers (Gen 45:5-8) and in the career of Absalom the son of David (2 Sam 12:11; 16:22) ...” (Whitcomb).

The “… king of the south …” (Dan 11:5) was Ptolemy Soter, an extremely talented general of Alexander, who ruled Egypt from 322 to 305 BC. And “… one of his princes …” was Seleucus Nicator who founded the Seleucid dynasty in Syria, 312 BC. The “… daughter of the south …” (Dan 11:6) was Berenice who married Antiochus II in a political alliance (although he was already married to Laodice). When Berenice’s father Ptolemy died, Antiochus divorced her for political expediency and returned to Laodice. Laodice seized the opportunity to consolidate her own position by having her husband poisoned. Then her son Seleucus, through her instigation, murdered Berenice and obtained the throne of Antiochus for himself.

A “… branch of her roots …” (Dan 11:7) was the brother of Berenice, Ptolemy III of Egypt. He came with an army, invaded the stronghold of the north successfully and avenged the death of his sister by executing Laodice. Daniel 11:8 describes the vast successes of Ptolemy. The Egyptians celebrated this by calling their ruler Euergetes (“well doer”). Ptolemy’s success over the gods of Egypt was regarded as a great victory, for the gods were supposed to be protectors of the land. Daniel 11:9 refers to Seleucus Callinicus who mounted a campaign against Ptolemy in 240 BC, but this ended in total failure.

THOUGHT: All human intrigues subserve God’s divine plan.
PRAYER: Lord, Thou art the Sovereign God! What shall I fear?