How does Daniel 11:39 relate to historical events and their fulfillment? Daniel 11:39 “He will attack the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him. He will make them rulers over many people and will distribute land for a price.” Immediate Literary Setting Daniel 11:21-35 clearly sketches Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175-164 BC). Verses 36-39 flow straight from that portrait while heightening the description so that Antiochus becomes, in effect, a vivid type of the still-future antichrist (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4; Revelation 13). Both layers are necessary to keep intact the consistent prophetic pattern Scripture sets forth. Historical Fulfillment in Antiochus IV 1. Foreign-God Alliance • Antiochus aggressively promoted Zeus Olympios, a “foreign god” in Judah. In 2 Maccabees 6:2 the temple is rededicated “to Olympian Zeus,” matching the phrase “with the help of a foreign god.” • Coins struck at Antioch and Seleucia bear the legend “BASILEΩΣ ANTIOXOY ΘEOY EΠIΦANOYΣ” (“King Antiochus, God Manifest”), visually blending his own kingship with Zeus. These coins, dozens of which are held today in the British Museum, embody Daniel’s words. 2. Assault on Fortresses • The Seleucid capture of the Ptolemaic stronghold of Pelusium (170 BC) and the repeated sieges of Alexandria were celebrated by Antiochus as feats of unprecedented might (Polybius 28.17). • In Jerusalem he erected the Akra fortress just south of the Temple Mount. Excavations in the Givati Parking Lot (Israel Antiquities Authority, 2015–18) uncovered sling-stones marked with a trident—the Seleucid emblem—confirming the historical footprint of a Seleucid “strong fortress.” 3. Rewarding Collaborators • High-priestly offices were literally auctioned: Jason secured the post by promising 360 talents (2 Macc 4:7-10), Menelaus by 300 talents more (v. 24). Daniel’s clause “will distribute land for a price” fits the king’s habitual sale of influence and territory. • Josephus records that Antiochus “promoted those who embraced the ways of the Greeks and granted them authority over many” (Ant. 12.246), a nearly verbatim restatement of “He will greatly honor those who acknowledge him… make them rulers over many.” 4. Distribution of Lands • Diodorus Siculus (31.1) notes that Antiochus parceled estates in Coele-Syria to reward military officers after his Egyptian campaigns. • Seleucid legal papyri from Berenice (c. 167 BC) document royal land leases issued at steep concessions—land literally “distributed for a price.” Archaeological Corroboration • The Akra remains include Rhodian amphora handles stamped with dates in Antiochus’ reign, synchronizing the biblical, literary, and material records. • A dedicatory inscription from Pergamon (IvP 373) styles the king as “the champion who takes the strongholds of his foes with the aid of the Olympian gods,” echoing “attacks the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god.” Foreshadowing a Future Antichrist Jesus places “the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel” (Matthew 24:15) in the future of His first-century audience, signaling that Antiochus foreshadows but does not exhaust the prophecy. Revelation 13 resumes every element of Daniel 11:39 on a global scale: • An idolized ruler (v. 12) • Alliance with a blasphemous religious system (vv. 11-14) • Economic coercion—land, wealth, and allegiance bartered for loyalty (vv. 16-17). Thus Daniel 11:39 functions as both precise history and an inspired template of the final rebellion. Theological Implications 1. Prophetic Precision—The clause-by-clause correspondence between verse and history demonstrates divine authorship; no human writer in 535 BC could script the Seleucid strategies of the 160s BC. 2. Moral Clarity—Power secured “for a price” exposes the emptiness of godless empire; true dominion belongs to the Messiah, who receives His kingdom not by bribery but by resurrection power (Daniel 7:13-14; Acts 2:32-36). 3. Eschatological Vigilance—Believers recognize repeating patterns: counterfeit worship, political bribery, and persecution prepare the final stage, yet Christ’s victory is certain (Revelation 19:11-16). Conclusion Daniel 11:39 was minutely realized in Antiochus IV’s blasphemous campaigns and administrative tactics, as verified by intertestamental literature, Greco-Roman historians, inscriptions, coins, and modern archaeology. Simultaneously the Spirit embedded in that verse a prophetic silhouette of the ultimate man of lawlessness. The text stands as a dual testimony: God’s Word interprets past and future alike, and every fortress—ancient or eschatological—falls before the reign of the resurrected Christ. |
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