Thoughts on the Book of Daniel.
VERSE 13. For the king of the north shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come after certain years with a great army and with much riches.
The events predicted in this verse, were to occur “after certain years.” The peace concluded between Ptolemy Philopater and Antiochus, lasted fourteen years. Meanwhile Ptolemy died from intemperance and debauchery, and was succeeded by his son, Ptolemy Epiphanes, a child then four or five years old. Antiochus, during the same time, having suppressed rebellion in his kingdom, and reduced and settled the eastern parts in their obedience, was at leisure for any enterprise, when young Epiphanes came to the throne of Egypt; and thinking this too good an opportunity for enlarging his dominion to be let slip, he raised an immense army, “greater than the former,” (for he had collected many forces and acquired great riches in his eastern expedition), and set out against Egypt, expecting to have an easy victory over the infant king. How he succeeded, we shall presently see; for here new complications enter into the affairs of these kingdoms, and new actors are introduced upon the stage of history. Verse 14. And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south; also the robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fall.
Antiochus was not the only one who rose up against the infant Ptolemy. Agathocles, his prime minister, having possession of the king's person, and conducting the affairs of the kingdom in his stead, was so dissolute and proud in the exercise of his power that the provinces, which before were subject to Egypt, rebelled; Egypt itself was disturbed by seditions; and the people of Alexandria rose up against him, causing him, his sister, his mother, and their associates, to be put to death. At the same time Philip, king of Macedon, entered into a league with Antiochus, to divide the dominions of Ptolemy between them, each proposing to take the parts which lay nearest and most convenient to him. Here was a rising up against the king of the south, sufficient to fulfill the prophecy, and the very events, beyond doubt, which the prophecy intended. A new power is now introduced—“the robbers of thy people,” literally, says Bp. Newton, “the breakers of thy people.” Far away on the banks of the Tiber, a kingdom has been nourishing itself with ambitious projects and dark designs. Small and weak at first, it grew with marvelous rapidity in strength and vigor, reaching out cautiously here and there to try its prowess, and test the vigor of its warlike arm, till, conscious of its power, it boldly reared its head among the nations of the earth, and seized with invincible hand the helm of their affairs. Henceforth the name of Rome stands upon the historic page, destined for long ages to control the affairs of the world, and exert a mighty influence among the nations, even to the end of time. Rome spoke; and Syria and Macedon soon found a change coming over the aspect of their dream. The Romans interfered in behalf of the young king of Egypt, determined that he should be protected from the ruin devised by Antiochus and Philip. This was B. C. 200, and was one of the first important interferences of the Romans in the affairs of Syria and Egypt. Rollin furnishes the following succinct account of this matter:— “Antiochus, king of Syria, and Philip, king of Macedon, during the reign of Ptolemy Philopater, had discovered the strongest zeal for the interest of that monarch, and were ready to assist him on all occasions. Yet, no sooner was he dead, leaving behind him an infant, whom the laws of humanity and justice enjoined them not to disturb in the possession of his father's kingdom, than they immediately joined in a criminal alliance, and excited each other to shake off the lawful heir, and divide his dominions between them. Philip was to have Caria, Libya, Cyrenaica, and Egypt; and Antiochus all the rest. With this in view, the latter entered Cœle-Syria and Palestine, and, in less than two campaigns, made an entire conquest of the two provinces, with all their cities and dependencies. Their guilt, says Polybius, would not have been quite so glaring, had they, like tyrants, endeavored to gloss over their crimes with some specious pretense; but, so far from doing this, their injustice and cruelty were so barefaced, that to them was applied what is generally said of fishes, that the larger ones, though of the same species, prey on the lesser. One would be tempted, continues the same author, at seeing the most sacred laws of society openly violated, to accuse Providence of being indifferent and insensible to most horrid crimes; but it fully justified his conduct, by punishing those two kings according to their deserts; and made such an example of them as ought, in all succeeding ages, to deter others from following their conduct. For, while they are meditating to dispossess a weak and helpless infant of his kingdom, by piecemeal, Providence raised up the Romans against them, who entirely subverted the kingdom of Philip and Antiochus, and reduced their successors to almost as great calamity as those with which they intended to crush the infant king.” “To establish the vision.” The Romans, being more prominently than any other people the subject of Daniel's prophecy, their first interference in the affairs of these kingdoms is here referred to as being the establishment or demonstration of the truth of the vision which predicted the existence of such a power. “But they shall fall.” Some refer this to those mentioned in the first part of the verse who should stand up against the king of the south; others, to the robbers of Daniel's people, the Romans. It is true in either case. If those who combined against Ptolemy are referred to, all that need be said is that they did speedily fall; and if it applies to the Romans, the prophecy simply looked forward to the period of their overthrow.
U. S.
(To be continued.)