Daniel - Lesson 12

By Stafford North

DANIEL 10-12

Background Information for the Teacher

Objectives:

  1. The student can explain about Daniel's prayer and fast.
  2. The student can tell the story of the angel's coming to Daniel.
  3. The student can observe that in three glimpses we have of the spirit realm, God and Satan are at war over things relating to people.
  4. The student can note a few major points in the prophecy and show how they were fulfilled.

Preparation:

  1. Have a chalkboard or marker board ready or PowerPoint if you plan to use it.
  2. Have copies of the Review Quiz ready for the beginning of class.
  3. Have copies of the worksheet (student chart) ready to hand out at the beginning of the class.
  4. Be sure all students have Bibles and pens/pencils.
  5. Have cards ready to distribute with all the passages you want someone to read aloud during the lesson.

Theme:

Daniel 10-12 is the most specific extended prophecy in the Bible. It is especially because of the accuracy of this prophecy that some say the book must have been written after the fact. Daniel is given a glimpse of the time between the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New as it relates to events that will be happening to the Jews.

Lesson Plan for Conducting the Class

Introduction: (about 10 minutes)

  1. Call or check the roll. Make necessary class announcements. If you like to start with songs, sing "All Things Praise Thee," "How Majestic is Your Name,""Blessed Be the Lord God Almighty, or "How Great Thou Art." Have a prayer.
  2. Go through the Review Quiz and let the students give the answers. All should check their papers as you go. Encourage all to be ready for the Review Quiz over today's lesson to be given next week by using the worksheet.
  3. Review the objectives for today's lesson.

Learning Experiences: (about 30 minutes)

  1. Daniel's Vision. Q: What is the date of this prophecy? A: The third year of Cyrus which would likely be 536 or 535 BC. Thus, Daniel did not return with the Jews which Cyrus allowed to go back to Jerusalem. He, and many others, stayed in Babylon. Q: What other Bible books tell of Jews that stayed behind with the Persians. A: Nehemiah served in the court of Artaxerxes before going to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls and Esther was the queen to Persian King Xerxes. Her story, which took place about 480 BC, suggests that there were many Jews still in the area of Babylon. Q: How long did Daniel fast? A: Three weeks. Q: According to verse 12, what was Daniel seeking in this prayer? A: To gain understanding and to show humility. Q: Why had it taken so long for the answer to come to Daniel? A: The angel bringing the message had been hindered by an angel called the Prince of the Persian Kingdom. After twenty-one days, Michael,a higher ranking angel, came and helped him through so he could come to Daniel. Since a human prince could not likely stop an angel, this must be a reference to a bad angel who had some authority in Persia. Q: Can you think of any other passages that tell of this kind of conflict in the spirit realm? A: In the book of Job when God and Satan discuss the status of Job. Revelation 12 where the good angels under Michael fight the bad angels under Satan over the place Christ will occupy when He returns from earth. Q: What similarities do you see in these three passages? A: That there are good forces and evil forces at work in the spirit realm. (In Ephesians, Paul calls this the "heavenly realms," and suggests that both good and evil forces are there-Ephesians 1:3; 6:12.) That these forces are in conflict over what will happen to human beings. That God, and the good angels, hold power over the evil angels. (Teacher: It is probably better, unless you have extra time, not to get into an extended discussion about angels here. The above observations will be useful, then move on.)
  2. The Prophecy about Kings of the North and South. This prophecy is long and detailed, lasting through Chapters 11 and 12. In our study, we will touch on key parts about which the meaning seems clear. Unlike the previous prophecies, Daniel is not given some interpretation and so our chart has only two columns, what the prophecy says and what events in history would seem to connect with the prophecy. (Teacher. Select those items from the chart for which you have time. Those of the greatest significance are shown with an asterisk. Have someone read the verse shown, then ask the class what event in history do they believe is the fulfillment. They should be able to get some of them, especially near the beginning. After hearing what they have to offer, you can share what your teacher's chart says and they can fill in this portion on their chart. Since you won't have time to cover all of Chapters 11 and 12, some portions are skipped.After you finish the chart, come back to Number 3.)
  3. Get out your sheet for summarizing the five prophecies of Daniel, and let's record this last one in the column for Daniel 10-12. At the next class meeting you will be given the opportunity to fill out a blank copy of this summary sheet so study this one well before next week.

Application:

  1. In our next class period, we will review some of the details of the life of Daniel, summarize the lessons we have learned from his life, and take a last look at his prophecies.

Assignment:

  1. Be ready for the last Review Quiz. It will ask you to fill in some things on the prophecy summary chart and will ask some things about the prophecy in Chapters10-12.
  2. Bring your personal application sheet to class next week so you can share with the class some of the applications you have made from this study.

Daniel 11 Teacher Chart

Daniel 11 Fulfillment from History
*v.2. Three kings in Persia and the fourth shall be richer than them all. Spoken in the reign of Cyrus. The first three are Cambyses, Smerdis, and Darius Hystaspis. The fourth is Xerxes.
*v.2. The fourth, richest and powerful, will stir up all against Greece.  Xerxes led a major campaign against Greece in 480 BC. Nearly won but was finally defeated in the Battle of Salamis.
*v.3. A mighty king stands up who will rule with great power and do as he pleases. Alexander the Great of Greece.
*v.4. His empire will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds. It will not go to his descendants. Alexander fell at the height of his power in323 BC. Kingdom was divided among four generals: Ptolemy, Lysimachus, Cassander, and Seleucus.
*v.5. King of the South shall be strong.One of his princes shall be strong above him. (In succeeding verses, the King of theSouth is always referring to the ruler ofEgypt although to a succession of kings.) Ptolemy received Egypt, to the south ofIsrael, so he is called King of the South.One of his generals, Seleucus, eventually ruled more territory than Ptolemy. (Since Seleucus reigned in Syria, he was the King of the North. He and his successors are called by that name in the prophecy.)
*v.6. These two rulers shall be joined through the marriage of the daughter of the King of the South with the King of the North. Ptolemy II became king in 285 BC. In 281BC, Seleucus was murdered and succeeded by his son Antiochus I. Antiochus II became king in 261 BC. Hostilities between the kings of north and south had been going on for several years but were ended when Bernice, daughter of PtolemyII married Antiochus II. Antiochus had already separated from his wife, Laodice.
She shall not retain her power and his power shall not last. After her father died in 250 BC, Antiochus II divorced Bernice taking back Laodice who then poisoned Antiochus and encouraged her son Seleucus II to murder both Bernice and her child. So the whole plan for the political marriage fails.
v.7. One from her family line will successfully attack the King of the North. The brother of Bernice, Ptolemy III,becomes King of the South. He successfully attacks Seleucus II.
v.9. King of the North will attack the King of the South but will return to his own land.  Seleucus II, in 240 BC, regained much of his territory but was defeated when he attacked the King of the South.
v.10. Sons of King of the North shall attack the King of the South. Three sons of Seleucus II attacked Palestine in 221 and 219, a territory of the King of the South. By 217, they had taken all of Palestine but Ptolemy IV defeated them at the Battle of Raphia.
v.13. King of the North returns with a larger army. Antiochus III becomes strong and wins Battle of Panion and the Egyptian general flees to Sidon. In 198 BC, Scopus, theEgyptian general surrenders.
v.16-17. King of the North now occupies all of the "glorious land" and comes with equitable conditions. He shall give his daughter in a political marriage but this will not bring success. Antiochus III occupies all of Palestine. He deals equitably with them, sending money for the temple service and releasing theJews from some taxes. He betroths his daughter Cleopatra to the 7 year oldPtolemy V. The marriage is consummated five years later but Cleopatra sides with her husband and not her father, so the ploy fails. (Not the famous Cleopatra.)
v.18. He shall turn his face to the isles and shall take many but a prince shall bring him down. After Hannibal was defeated by theRomans is 202 BC, he came to Antiochus III and encouraged him to move towardGreece and the islands. He made efforts todo this but was soundly defeated by theRomans (prince) at Thermopylae in 191BC and at Magnesium in 190 BC. The Romans taxed him heavily and took hisson, Antiochus IV, Epiphanes, to insure payment.
v.19. He shall turn his face toward the fortresses of his own land but shall fall. Antiochus III marched against the revolting Armenians and robbed their temples but was slain by the Elamites. So he died in disgrace. 
v.20. His successor will send out a tax collector who shall be destroyed but not in anger or in battle.  Seleucus IV comes to the throne. He sends a tax collector named Heliodonus to take money from the temple in Jerusalem. Soon after, Seleucus IV is removed from the throne, perhaps by poison.
*v.21. He will be succeeded by a contemptible person who obtains the kingdom by flatteries. (Q: How would this connect with previous prophecies?) A: Dan. 8:9, 23-the little horn. Antiochus IV (Epiphanes) was not the rightful heir because he was a brother to the dead king not a son. By flattery, however, he won the support of some to gain the throne.
 He will invade the kingdom and by intrigue shall win. An overwhelming army shall be swept away before him. Both it and the prince of the covenant shall be destroyed.  He wins over Ptolemy VI (170) and deposes Onias II, prince of the covenant,the high priest, so he can put in another who will pay him more and do more to force the Jews toward Grecian culture.
v.25. He shall fight with the King of the South who will have a great army, but shall lose.  Ptolemy VI fights against Antiochus IV,but loses.
v.27. The Kings of the South and of the North meet at one table but it shall not prosper.  Antiochus IV and Ptolemy Philometer called a truce and met at a conference table.They lied to each other and formed an alliance but they failed to throw out the claimant to the throne, Ptolemy Physcon.
*The King of the North then returns to his own country and his heart shall be against the holy covenant. Antiochus IV returns with spoils of war through Palestine on his way to Syria. He plunders even through the land of the Jews.v.29.
 He will again attack the South but without as much success.  In 168, Antiochus attacked Egypt again (168 AD), 
but is not victorious.  *Ships of the western coastland will come against him and he will have indignation against them.  Egypt asks for help from Rome which sends ships and soldiers. They come and defeat Antiochus. As he returns to Syria, he passes in anger through Israel.
*v. 31. He shall profane the temple and take away the continual burnt offering. He shall also set up an abomination that makes desolate. He seeks to get the Jews to be more like Greeks. He offers swine on the altar and made observing the drunken orgy to Baccus compulsory. He prevents from their practice of the Sabbath and feasts. v.32. Some will go against the covenant but others will be faithful and strong.Some accept his ways but many others refuse to participate in his idolatry.v.34. Some resist Antiochus. They will be purified by trial even to the time of the end,because the time is appointed.Judas Maccabeas (a Jew) leads a resistance against Antiochus IV starting in 166 BC,but not with complete success. They eventually succeed in driving him out when he has problems elsewhere to which he must attend.Starting in Daniel 11:36 through the end of chapter 12, the interpretation can be less certainly given. Some consider these additional verses as still being about Antiochus IV while others think they refer to the rising of the Roman Empire. It is beyond the scope of this study to delve into these last few verses of Daniel's last prophecy.

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