10. 3- Discussion of Daniel 11 verses 17-20

>>> Verse 17: In 193 BC, a false alliance was prepared from the side of Antiochus. He “buys” Egypt from Ptolemy using his daughter Cleopatra as “exchange object”. However Antiochus was defrauded, because instead of helping her father, Cleopatra helped her husband Ptolemy to her own advantage. So is the deceiver deceived, (Note: This Cleopatra is not the one who was married to Marco Antonio and died in 30 BC.)

>>> Verses 18 and 19: The king of Syria conquered a large number of islands in the Mediterranean Sea, such as Rhode and Samos, from Greece. The “foreign leader”, mentioned in this verse, was the Roman consul Scipio. He defeated him and “put an end to his arrogance” it says in this verse.   We see this occurring, because after this defeat, the king was no more capable of any more actions.

>>> verse20: The “another king”, mentioned in this verse was his son Seleucus IV Philopater (ruler of the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire, who reigned from 187 BC to 175 BC). He also robbed the temple of Jerusalem. The taxes were paid to Rome. 

Seleucus IV was poisoned by Heliodorus, (the extortionist), who plundered the temple and wanted to be king himself. The fact that he was poisoned confirms what it says at the end of verse 20: “that king will be killed, but not publicly and not in battle”. This is an example where we see how precise the visions of Daniel are being fulfilled.