The closer the narrative comes to the time when the Book of Daniel was written, the more detailed the visionary's account becomes, and the more details flash by, as happens when an airplane, preparing to land, descends from a great height and approaches the ground...
The closer the narrative comes to the time when the Book of Daniel was written, the more detailed the visionary's account becomes, and the more details flash by, as happens when an airplane, preparing to land, descends from a great height and approaches the ground. Now the image of the wicked king appears in all its fullness, along with a heap of events connected with his reign: wars, the defilement of the Temple, grandiose projects, persecutions against the Synagogue... The flow of time seems to accelerate, heaven seems to draw near to earth, and God's servants look more intently at what is happening below.
This is not surprising: in those times heaven was indeed drawing near to earth. More precisely, the Kingdom drew near in order to enter the world. For the Son of Man, of whom the Book of Daniel speaks, also begins His preaching with a call to conversion because the Kingdom has drawn near. The meeting point was already close; the Maccabean wars, the rule of the Hasmoneans, the Roman conquest, and finally the catastrophe of the year 70 outline that historical circle of events whose center it became.
And within this circle events develop with extraordinary intensity. Not only in the sense of their outward course, but also in the sense of their spiritual density. It is no accident that the author of the book sees both the persecutions of Antiochus and the Maccabean wars as an era of what was then called the "messianic woes": trials that befall the faithful immediately before the coming of the Messiah. The era of the "messianic woes" belongs not only to the history of the fallen world, but also to the history of the Kingdom, for the Kingdom too has its own history, though it unfolds differently from the history of the fallen world.
This era stands on the boundary between the fallen world and the Kingdom. More precisely, it itself is the boundary: everything before it belongs wholly to the fallen world, and everything after it belongs to the messianic Kingdom. And at the boundary between two different environments, processes always proceed in unusual ways and often accelerate. This is true both for the physical world and for the spiritual one. Such is the flow of history, accelerated and unusual, as it appears to the visionary who finds himself at the boundary of the Kingdom.
11 A prediction of the setting up of the Grecian monarchy, Dan 11:1-4.
Of the affairs of Egypt and Syria, Dan 11:5-20.
The rise and success of Antiochus Epiphanes, Dan 11:21-29.
The mischief he would do to the Jews, Dan 11:30-43.
His fall, Dan 11:44-45.
11:21 A vile person - Antiochus, called Epiphanes by his flatterers, but the people of God accounted him infamous, base, and treacherous. They - Neither peers nor people, nor was he the heir, but his nephew; but he crept in by flatteries.
11:22 Overflown - The Egyptian force near Pelusium, where they fell by the power of Antiochus, with a great slaughter, near the river Nile. The prince - The high - priest with his place and honour, for he put out Onias, and set up in his stead, Jason his brother.
11:23 After the league - For he made a league with Egypt, and came with a few, (but chosen men) and took the passes, and put all in subjection to him.
11:24 He shall enter peaceably - He shall come in upon the Egyptians under pretence of peace, in a plentiful and delicious country, and among a mass of treasures which the kings successively had heaped up; the greatest part of which Antiochus distributed among his confidants, whereby he obliged them the faster to him. He did herein what his fathers had not done; the kings of Syria before him, could never attain to this success over Egypt. Against the strong - holds - Having succeeded thus far, he shall proceed to the places of greatest strength in that kingdom. For a time - That is 'till God put a stop to his career, for the Egyptians found means to deliver themselves from his yoke.
11:25 But he shall not stand - He might have prospered, if he had not been betrayed by Eulaius, Benaeus, and the rest of his nobles, corrupted by Antiochus.
11:26 Yea - His most familiar friends and confidants; for he shall be overthrown with a great slaughter, as when the Nile overflows the country.
11:27 At one table - They shall meet under pretence of peace.But it shall not prosper - For neither shall Antiochus gain Egypt by all his artifice, nor Ptolemy, Syria. At the time appointed - By the Lord, whose purpose and counsel shall stand.
11:28 Then shall he return - Antiochus shall depart with his booty gotten in Egypt. Against the holy covenant - Against the law of God, with the people that worshipped God according to his will.
11:29 Toward the south - Egypt, to fight against Ptolemy.But - This shall not be so prosperous as the two former expeditions, but shall fail both of his victory and booty.
11:30 The ships of Chittim - The Romans out of Italy, and the Archipelago. This made his heart boil with rancor, which he spit out against the Jews; especially being solicited to it by Jason first, and Menelaus after, who were apostates, and betrayers of their brethren.
11:31 And arms - Not only of his own army, but many Jews.The sanctuary - Even the holy of holies.The abomination - The statue of Jupiter placed in the temple.
11:36 The king - Antiochus was an eminent type of antichrist; to whom many things that follow may be applied by way of accommodation: altho' they principally refer to Antiochus, and had their primary accomplishment in him. For that that is determined - That which God hath decreed to be done by him shall be done; and that which God hath purposed to be done upon him.
11:38 But in his estate - In the room of his father's god.The God of forces - This seems to be Jupiter Olympius, never introduced among the Syrians, 'till Antiochus did it.
11:39 With a strange god - Using all art and authority to propagate his worship.
11:41 The children of Ammon - He will not hurt them; because they helped him against the Jews.
11:43 At his steps - He had them at his foot, at his beck.
11:45 None shall help him - God shall cut him off in the midst of his days. And when he destroys, who can help?