Why would a shy introvert have such a craving to teach?

Not that long ago I got set up for a trap by my pastor. I was taken to lunch under the premise of talking about a study I was to lead, but, his plan had everything to do with challenging me about teaching on the Revelation, and speaking about end times events. Strangely, he had never heard me talking on any of these subjects other than a couple of private conversations where I shared my heart with the man. He, operating on presumption, decided that this was all I knew or was capable of speaking about, and he was going to put me in my place. Just out of curiosity, where is my place? The obvious answer to me, is in the arms and safety of my Father, as I do His will. And, if it requires that speak on what I know and understand, then it is teaching, and that is precisely what my heart longs to do.

Why would a shy introvert have such a craving to teach? Because, the Church, in general, is like a bunch of witless sheep, willing to let someone else do their reading for them, and so they have no clue what God's word says. The other problem is that these Bible teachers we are adorned with, have spewed distortion for so long that most of the Church think God is merely an ominous, angry, and untouchable God. Nothing could be further from the truth.

This pastor I mentioned, during his ambush, asked me why I focus on the end times so much and speak about it. The answer to that question became clear recently as my father, within minutes of coming out of brain surgery, had to challenge me by saying, everyone that stands before the Great White Throne of judgment is sent to hell. Several weeks have passed since the pastor's warning not to study or speak about the end times for five years, so it was befitting to tell him about my dad's recovery from brain surgery, and the fact that he let me know he was all right by espousing a false teaching he had learned.

Here is what I have come to understand as my motivation for teaching and speaking about the Revelation and end times. That those, and I include myself, who have insight, ... will lead many to righteousness.

Daniel 12:3 NASB "Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.

Insight is the Hebrew word sakal and means to be prudent: - act wisely, behaved himself wisely, comprehend, consider, and discern. It also conveys the implications of "giving attention to."

Lead is the Hebrew word ṣāḏaq: A verb meaning to be right, to be righteous, to be just, to be innocent, to be put right.

So, if I do one of my rewrites, inserting the alternate understandings of the Hebrew, I get this:

“Those who act wisely, giving attention to the Word, will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who cause others to be right, and to be put right, will shine like the stars forever and ever.”

What if that is the case, where I might be included among those who cause others to understand, be right, and to be put right? I gave myself to pay attention to His Word. And then, there is the admonition from the Book of the Revelation itself, where it says,

Revelation 1:3 NET. Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy aloud, and blessed are those who hear and obey the things written in it because the time is near!

Do I read it aloud in the assembly? Occasionally and sometimes to myself; I find that hearing it causes the word pictures to develop in ways that mere reading does not provide. Most often, I sit quietly and let my head and heart busily stir within me, as they are doing now. Sitting with the men's group on Thursday mornings, we take turns reading aloud out of the book of the moment. (Our next book, in case you are interested, will be Timothy Keller's, The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness. Having recently slogged our way through one of his books, I am not looking forward to this.) And, whether the words themselves stir me, or the manner in which it is read does, I am not sure, but, I am always invited by the Holy Spirit to consider something that fits the theme or that God needs to convey. I say all this because I struggle with the possibility that I am merely envious of the pastor with the $1500 suit that used to stand before me; Or, perhaps, the notoriety that the television prophet gets draws in enough money to buy fancy jets and a private island. There are more than enough things going on around me to keep me in my place (whatever place that is,) and besides that, the doors that seem to open, have on several occasions recently, slammed shut in my face. It is only natural to ask why; I even examine myself and ask if there was some role I played in making the door close in the manner that it did. Trust me, our past stays with us, even if it is just in our heads, and those memories still flavor our lives, more than we know. I firmly believe that God can and does use those unsavory events to create the person we are now, therefore events we deem unsavory, have all been, in the end, to serve God's purpose. Now, don't get silly with this, thinking that you need to indulge in some stupidity so God can use you. Spend some serious time in His Word, and He will use you.

So, the bottom line for me is, that God gave me this desire and passion for His Word, and it is Him alone who grants rewards for work done. My reasons for getting into this prophetic end times game came out of a lifetime of unfulfilled yearning to understand, and a mother, who told us twisted tales of how she envisioned heaven.

I mentioned to one of the men I sit with on Wednesday mornings that I can thank Joel Richardson, the author of several books, one of which is The Islamic Antichrist. I have always had a desire to understand the book of Revelation, and even when someone like, the late Hilton Sutton came to church, which he did, I would have fifteen minutes of clarity. Sixteen minutes later it was all muddy water again. I can remember thinking, how can anyone understand this stuff, with its seven-headed beasts that die and rise over and over. And then, there were the loud mouths that still insist that we are looking for a Roman antichrist to rise to power. Richardson clarifies all this distorted teaching by showing you from scripture why a particularly distorted theory works or not. I walked away from his book, The Islamic Antichrist, and its scriptural references, with understanding, passion, and a burning desire for more. Those books within the Bible that seemed so incomprehensible, like the Revelation, Daniel, and Ezekiel, suddenly made sense, as did the other end times prophetic writers of the Bible. Do, I still have to study things out by looking at context, and analyzing words? Absolutely; I think its safe to say, that only a fool would ignore those factors, especially if you are trying to gain insights and prepare for a decent Bible study.

So, what does it mean when, for the past several weeks, I have been barraged with a variety of questions, and distorted misunderstandings about the Great White Throne judgment? These questions challenged me about my understanding and beliefs in God, about God's right to show mercy and grace, and me, as the underlying question is why do you teach such things  – the same things Paul taught. One religious zealot ranted that the angry, ominous God, is coming and that I, along with those who believe that God is only mercy, will pay because we have made God weak. (Is that even possible?) There is also the brother in Christ who asks me a vague question, which I answered proficiently, only to have him respond back by blending three different doctrines to create another vague question about who it is that stands before God's throne at the end. To top it all off, one of my closest friends, recently divulged that he was an adamant believer in hellish penalties for all who come to the Great White Throne.

What am I to make of all this?

We, as a church, do not know our Bibles, AT ALL, and because of that, I can safely say, WE, do not understand God's nature and character.

Do you not realize, that

Jesus Christ is the express image of the Father and demonstrated His qualities and character in every way, shape, and form. 

Daniel Chapter 11, The king of the North sets his heart to break his covenant. Verses 28-33.

Two things I need to tell you.

1. I am not as dry as these bible study notes might convey. I cannot tolerate sitting in some boring service, therefore, I refuse to be boring. I am animated; wave my hands around as I explain God's word, and I make unusual faces to emphasize what I believe to be God's frustration at the world. (While God may well get frustrated, He has no expectation of our performance, therefore, we are not held to some unreachable moral standard - Christ has redeemed us from the law. As followers of Christ, we have merely accepted the life He granted us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.)

Sinners, as the religious crowd likes to call them, are simply those outside of an intimate relationship with the Father, and yet, they are just as forgiven as the believer. What then is the difference? Relationship.

Well now, wait a minute. One might say, I sit with those prune faces (that includes me) in church, and their faces show no life - this life in Christ of which we speak. I get that and here is why I think this is a common problem. Church leadership teaches sin. On the whole, we focus on how to backslide, or, we preach some convicting sermon on the evils of drink. This teaching can be a problem as we walk away more adept in the knowledge of sin than of who we are in Christ. Sin, on the other hand, is nothing more than missing the bulls-eye of a target. Now suppose that target is a very long way off; how difficult is it to hit a bulls-eye that seems no bigger than a dime. Everything we do and have interactions with is analogous to having the wind move you, or some distraction that pulls you off target. Having shot in competitive archery, some 40+ years ago, I completely understand the number of things that can make you miss the bulls-eye that now looks like an American dime at this distance. I realize this seems like I am being simplistic, but I am not exaggerating when I tell you that I have sat through sin teachings for years.

2. I have, over the last few years, come to understand what Islam teaches. I understand that many believe that the Mahdi is coming. It is easy to get wrapped up in the hatred such disturbed beliefs seem to deserve. Our difficulty, as followers of Christ, is to stay focused and not hate. On the optimistic side, many Muslims are coming to the Lord because they are having dreams in which Jesus shows up. The most recent I heard is that Jesus stands at the end of a bridge and bids them to come. Peculiar how they recognize Jesus having never seen Him; but then, how many of us have ever seen Him. The point of this is that one of the grandsons, asked me today, what country would I like to visit? I thought about for a couple of seconds, and told him, that if you had asked me that same question two or three years ago, my answer would have been Paris - for the beauty and romance; Italy - because its charm and cuisine; Spain - to take in the pageantry. There were so many places that ran through my mind, that because of pictures and travel logs, I have longed to go there. But, because of immigrants, looting, raping and pillaging the streets of virtually all of these cities, I would no longer feel safe there. Sadly, I espoused this information, out loud, to my young grandson as we walked up to the front of the warehouse store. My wife immediately admonished me to watch what I say. I did not consider that I was probably creating a fear in the boy as well, but thought about the possibility of a physical altercation I might have, as many Muslims shop there.

No, I have never had a problem like many of you are experiencing, but our turn, here in America, will come. I used to prophesy this to the church about ten years ago. For doing so I was effectively kicked out.

Only a fool would look at the changes America has experienced and not see the looting, raping and pillaging, many of you are experiencing coming to America. The bottom line is that I have to fight against the prejudices I so easily fall into.

One of the things that I hear in my spirit, frequently, is Jesus response to the disciples as they asked Him, do you want us to call down fire on them? Depending on the preacher, you can get several types explanations for the rebuke Jesus gave them. I believe His come back was filled with wisdom and correction, for He said in Luke 9:54-56 NASB .. "You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them."...

I do not write this to tell you how to deal with the violence many of you are surrounded with on a daily basis. I am telling you, that we, as followers of Christ, live in grace. If you try to perform some act of violence like I am aware of on my wife, I will react. I would love it if God gave me the green light to call fire down on those who are acting out, but He doesn't.

Will a time in which He does grant the green light come? Absolutely, and it is right after the rapture of the church. Sadly, the church and grace will be gone, but the day of the prophet of the highest God will be back in force. Elijah called fire down on two separate groups of one hundred troops. Look this up 1Kings chapter one.

With that exposure to the inner struggles I have, I return to the commentary at hand.

Antiochus returns in glory and victory and sets his heart to break his Jewish covenant and plunder Palestine.

Daniel 11:28 CJB Then the king of the north will return to his own land with great wealth; with his heart set against the holy covenant, he will take action and then return home.

• That is, Antiochus, with the spoils of Egypt, and the gifts and presents he had received there; so the author of the first book of Maccabees says, [John Gill]

“set against the holy covenant.” Roman, Greek and Jewish sources differ with regards to the details at this point. There is no question that on his return from Egypt, Antiochus raided the temple treasury, most likely to secure additional funds for his continuing military activities. The sources disagree about whether this incident took place after the First Egyptian War (September 169) or after the Second. IVPBBC

And his heart shall be against the holy covenant; not the covenant he had made with Ptolemy, which was a fraudulent one; but the covenant between God and the Jews; whereby they became a distinct and peculiar people, having a religion, laws, and ordinances, different from all others; for which reason they were hated by other nations, and particularly by Antiochus; and his heart was the more enraged against them at this time, for the following reason; a false rumor being spread in Judea that Antiochus was dead, Jason took the opportunity to recover the office of high priest from his brother Menelaus; and, with a thousand men, took the city of Jerusalem, drove his brother into the castle, and slew many he took for his enemies. Antiochus, hearing of this, concluded the whole nation of the Jews had revolted from him; and therefore took Judea in his way from Egypt, in order to suppress this rebellion; in the Apocrypha: John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Antiochus leads a second expedition into Egypt but is turned back by a mandate from Rome in league with Cyprus. He then turns against the Jews and many apostate Jews help him to pollute the temple altar and doing away with Jewish sacrifices.

Daniel 11:29 AMPC+ At the time appointed [God's own time] he shall return and come into the South, but it shall not be successful as were the former invasions [of Egypt].

Second Egyptian War, 168. In the spring of 168, Antiochus again had to besiege Memphis, and he did so successfully, taking control of lower Egypt. As he again prepared to lay siege against a weakened Alexandria, he actually had himself crowned king of Egypt. But there was a difference this time. Egypt had appealed to Rome for help, and their ships arrived as he approached Alexandria. Roman consul Gaius Popillius Laenas met him by the walls of Alexandria and commanded Antiochus to leave Egypt. When Antiochus replied that he had to consult with his advisers, the Roman consul drew a circle in the dirt around the king and insisted that he give his answer before stepping out of the circle. A humiliated Antiochus conceded to Roman authority and straggled toward home looking for a way to vent his misery. This was probably in July 168. IVPBBC

Daniel 11:30 CJB because ships from Kittim will come against him so that his courage will fail him. Then, in retreat, he will take furious action against the holy covenant, again showing favor to those who abandon the holy covenant.

• “because ships from Kittim will come against him”

– this is modern day Cyprus

Why Kittim? The island country of Cyprus is small, split between the Greeks and the Turks, and it is a known point for the trafficking of drugs and female sex slaves. Why then would it be a modern source of trouble? Perhaps a quick dip into Biblical genealogy can give us a clue.

Genesis 10:1-4 NET. This is the account of Noah's sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood. The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. 3) The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. 4) The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittim, and the Dodanim.

Balaam, when pushed by Balak the son of Zippor - The comparison of Numbers 22:4 with Numbers 21:26 suggests that Balak was not the hereditary king but a Midianite and that a change of dynasty had taken place.

Balaam the son of Beor was from the first a worshipper in some sort of the true God; and had learned some elements of pure and true religion in his home in the Far East, the cradle of the ancestors of Israel. But though prophesying, doubtless even before the ambassadors of Balak came to him, in the name of the true God, yet prophecy was still to him as before a mere business, not a religion.

Numbers 24:23-25 NET. Then he uttered this oracle: "O, who will survive when God does this! 24) Ships will come from the coast of Kittim, and will afflict Asshur, and will afflict Eber, and he will also perish forever." 25) Balaam got up and departed and returned to his home, and Balak also went his way.

• Regardless of the insignificance of Kittim/Cyprus, or the national allegiance, God has spoken prophetically that destruction will come upon Eber and Asshur will be afflicted, all launched from the shores of Kittim.
• “so that his courage will fail him.”

Your courage failing you is not so tangible and has more of an internal effect. The word used here – כאה kâ'âh - means, properly, to become faint-hearted; to be frightened; to be dejected, sad, humbled, Job_30:8; Eze_13:22; Psa_109:16. The meaning here is, that he became dispirited, dejected, cast down, and abandoned his purpose.

Because God and the prophetic, operates on a principle of pattern, then it is highly probable that we can expect this pattern once again. We may be looking Antiochus Epiphanies at the moment, but that will not be his name in the future.

• “Then, in retreat, he will take furious action against the holy covenant, again showing favor to those who abandon the holy covenant.”

For a second time (cf. Dan_11:28) Antiochus took out his frustration on the Jews, the city of Jerusalem, and their temple. He vented his fury against the holy covenant, the entire Mosaic system (cf. Dan_11:28), favoring any renegade Jews who turned to help him (cf. Dan_11:32). He desecrated the temple and abolished the daily sacrifice.

Antiochus sent his general Apollonius with 22,000 soldiers into Jerusalem on what was purported to be a peace mission. But they attacked Jerusalem on the Sabbath, killed many people, took many women and children as slaves, and plundered and burned the city.

Daniel 11:31 CJB Armed forces will come at his order and profane the sanctuary and fortress. They will abolish the daily burnt offering and set up the abomination that causes desolation.

• desecration of the sanctuary.

According to the book of Maccabees, an individual named Geron was sent by Antiochus to dismantle Jewish religious practice. It is possible that the Syrian military contingent, seeking accommodation for their own worship practice, was partially responsible for some of the changes described in the temple. In December 167 a systematic program of instituting Greek religious practices at the expense of Jewish ones began in earnest. The sacrificial system and the Sabbath and festival observances were halted. Worship sites were set up around the country and circumcision was forbidden. The temple was consecrated to Zeus and became a center of polytheism and prostitution. IVPBBC

• the abomination of desolation.

In seeking to exterminate Judaism and to Hellenize the Jews, Antiochus IV forbade the Jews to follow their religious practices (including their festivals and circumcision) and commanded that copies of the Law be burned. Then he set up the abomination that causes desolation. In this culminating act, he erected on December 16, 167 b.c. an altar to Zeus on the altar of burnt offering outside the temple, and had a pig offered on the altar. The Bible Knowledge Commentary

Daniel 11:32 NET. Then with smooth words, he will defile those who have rejected the covenant. But the people who are loyal to their God will act valiantly.

• “Then with smooth words, he will defile those who have rejected the covenant.”

2 Chronicles 24:17 NET. 17) After Jehoiada died, the officials of Judah visited the king and declared their loyalty to him. The king listened to their advice.

The IVPBBC tells us, “There were many Jews who favored the Hellenization process and therefore, if promised personal benefit, would gladly side with the new policies. Foremost among these was Menelaus, the high priest, who was totally dependent on Antiochus for his lucrative office.”

We are trying to get a handle on what it is to be defiled, especially after rejecting the covenant. To begin with let's look at alternate words:

• pervert; seduce;
• deceitfully dissemble;
• those who violate the covenant;
• those who have already abandoned their religion;
• act wickedly toward the covenant

So, as you can see it is a broad spectrum of dispassionate acts.

those who act H7561 wickedly H7561 - rasha/raw-shah' - A primitive root; to be (causatively do or declare) wrong; by implication to disturb, violate: - condemn, make trouble, vex, be (commit, deal, depart, do) wicked (-ly, -ness).

The Word Study Dictionary tells us, "In the simple stem, this verb means to be or to become guilty, to act wickedly."

• “But the people who are loyal to their God will act valiantly.”

There is only one God, but to the Jew it is Jehovah. So, what does loyalty look like?

If Antiochus IV is a precursor of future events, then it is safe to say that at this point in time Jesus will not have returned and Israel will be under siege. Daniel 11:31 are one of those indicators.

Isaiah 65:12 CEV Your luck will end! I will see to it that you are slaughtered with swords. You refused to answer when I called out; you paid no attention to my instructions. Instead, you did what I hated, knowing it was wrong.

We are told that 2/3 of Israel will be killed or destroyed by invaders. What is not clear to us is how they will defend themselves, nor how well.

Ezekiel 5:12 CEV A third of you will die here in Jerusalem from disease or starvation. Another third will be killed in war. And I will scatter the last third of you in every direction, then track you down and kill you.

Zechariah 13:8 CEV Nowhere in the land will more than a third of them be left alive.

In trying to find comparable words that might give you a secondary witness it is difficult at best. There is, however, this from the Prophet Joel.

Note the events and the timing, as they are deep in the middle of the tumult that we call the Great Tribulation. Joel describes a scenario where many are calling upon the name of the Lord. This act, whether confident or not, causes them to be delivered. The prophetic word also tells us that there will those that escape. There will be survivors.

Joel 2:30-32 NASB "I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, Blood, fire, and columns of smoke. 31) "The sun will be turned into darkness And the moon into blood Before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. 32) "And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the LORD Will be delivered; For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem There will be those who escape, As the LORD has said, Even among the survivors whom the LORD calls.

Daniel 11:33 AMPC+ And they who are wise and understanding among the people shall instruct many and make them understand, though some [of them and their followers] shall fall by the sword and flame, by captivity and plunder, for many days.

• “And they who are wise and understanding among the people shall instruct many and make them understand,”

Here it is not the professionally trained theologians and clergy, but the ordinary people of God, Jews. While the commentary may presume that it will be “those believers taught in the word who understand doctrine, who will be used to instruct,” the problem is you can't find a believer like that.

The church is doing a terrible job of creating wise and those with understanding. Ask yourself this question, where will they learn, as they will be pressed for time and for their lives?

Another aspect of scripture tells us that God will lift the veil from Israel's eyes, and, in so doing they will come to a knowledge of Jesus as the Messiah. In other words, they will come to a wise understanding, and then, direct, and encourage the faith of others and the weaker believers during the time of tribulation and persecution.

Here is where logic comes into play. When the church tells you that we cannot or do not do that anymore – that is to walk in the power of the spirit, then who will tell them?

As the time we are dealing with is “the great tribulation” then we should also know that there are two witnesses, sent from God, who stand in the streets of Jerusalem. These two preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and they walk in the mind bending power of the prophets. Since they are most likely Enoch and Elijah, they already have experience doing just that. I have suggested on many occasions that those who are left should follow their example.

• “yet they will fall by sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder for many days.”

Great, you, while stuck here in the “great Tribulation”, are having amazing success. But there is no one to hang the neon signs that call people to your great faith rally. Why is that? Because, as Islam calls us the people of the book are seen as infidels worthy of only one thing, death.

There really is no way around this as those who are beheaded for the gospel's sake are in the uncountable numbers.

Related articles

• Sermon: When the World Is Against You, Acts 24
• Why is it so difficult to trust God?

Daniel 11, the rise of the kings of the North and South. Verses 5-16.

Alexander is dead and now we have four generals struggling for power. At the end of this power struggle, two will remain, but one seems to take central focus as it integrates the Assyrian empires, and has interactions with the Roman empire, and battles with the South - the Egyptian/Ptolemaic empire.

The four generals: Lysimachus; Cassander; Ptolemy Lagidae; Seleucus I.

Daniel 11:5 AMPC+ Then the king of the South (Egypt) shall be strong, but one of his princes shall be stronger than he is and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion.

One of the most powerful of those monarchies, if not “the” most powerful, was Egypt.

• the king of the South (Egypt) shall be strong. - This was Ptolemy l
• “but one of his princes shall be stronger than he is and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion.”
  Albert Barnes commentary indicates: “The meaning of this passage is, that there would be “one of his princes,” that is, of the princes of Alexander, who would be more mighty than the one who obtained Egypt, or the south, and that he would have a more extended dominion. The reference is, doubtless, to Seleucus Nicator, or the conqueror. In the division of the empire, he obtained Syria, Babylonia, Media, Susiana, Armenia, a part of Cappadocia, and Cilicia, and his kingdom stretched from the Hellespont to the Indus.”
  • • This is Seleucus Nicator, also known as, the king of the north.

The league between Egypt, the south, and Syria, the north, through the marriage of Bernice, daughter of Ptolemy Philadelphus, to Antiochus Theos, the third king of Syria.

Verse 7: A branch of her roots; a brother, Ptolemy Euergetes.

Daniel 11:6,7 AMPC+ At the end of some years they [the king of the North, Syria, and the king of the South, Egypt] shall make an alliance; the daughter of the king of the South shall come to the king of the North to make [a just and peaceful marriage] agreement; but she shall not retain the power of her might, neither shall he and his might endure. She shall be handed over with her attendants, her child, and him who strengthened her in those times. (7) But out of a branch of the [same ancestral] roots as hers shall one [her brother] stand up in his place or office, who shall come against the [Syrian] army and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the North and shall deal against them and shall prevail.

• “At the end of some years they [the king of the North, Syria, and the king of the South, Egypt] shall make an alliance;”
  This was done through marriage.

• “the daughter of the king of the South shall come to the king of the North to make [a just and peaceful marriage] agreement”
  “These prophecies seem to have been fulfilled many years later in the Seleucid wars between Egypt and Syria. In 252 B.C., Ptolemy II of Egypt ("the south") gave his daughter Berenice in marriage to Antiochus II of Syria ("the north") to finalize a peace treaty between their two lands.

• “but she shall not retain the power of her might, neither shall he and his might endure”
  But Berenice was murdered in Antioch by Antiochus II's former wife, Laodice.

• “She shall be handed over with her attendants, her child, and him who strengthened her in those times”
  Berenice's brother, Ptolemy III, ascended the Egyptian throne and declared war against the Seleucids to avenge his sister's murder.” Life Application Study Bible

• “But out of a branch of the [same ancestral] roots as hers shall one [her brother] stand up in his place or office, who shall come against the [Syrian] army and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the North and shall deal against them and shall prevail.”

Daniel 11:8 AMPC+ And also he (Ptolemy III Euergetes (246-221)) shall carry off to Egypt their [Syria's] gods with their molten images and with their precious vessels of silver and of gold, and he shall refrain for some years from [waging war against] the king of the North.

Ptolemy III ascended the Egyptian throne and declared war against the Seleucids to avenge his sister's murder.

Pay attention to the phrase: “And also he shall carry off to Egypt their [Syria's] gods with their molten images” Both the north and the south had their select gods. Soon we will see Antiochus Epiphanes substituting other gods from Rome and Greece. 

Why is this a problem; I thought Alexander was Greek? The problem is that all of the northern empires up to Antiochus IV were distinctly Syrian. Look at a map of this time period and you will see territories covering from Asia Minor to the furthest reaches of Babylon and South to Palestine.

Daniel 11:9 AMPC+ And he [the king of Syria -Seleucus II Callinicus (246-226)] shall come into the kingdom of the king of the South but shall return to his own land.

• • Seleucus II Callinicus (246-226). Laodice's son, Seleucus II, emerged the beneficiary of all of the treachery and intrigue of his mother. In 243 he attempted to gain control of southern Syria and Palestine. Not only was he unsuccessful, but the momentum turned against him and he ended up losing territory. IVPBBC

A question: What is Israel doing while all this is going on? Hanging by a thread.

The defeat of Antiochus the Great by Ptolemy lll of Egypt (the south.)

Daniel 11:10 AMPC+ But his sons shall be stirred up and shall prepare for war and shall assemble a multitude of great forces, which shall come on and overflow and pass through and again shall make war even to the fortress [of the king of the South].

• • Seleucus III (226-223). For the last fifteen years of his reign, Seleucus II was engaged in an ongoing struggle with his brother, Antiochus Hierax. Both died about the same time, and Seleucus III came to the throne. Verse ten telescopes the events of the next ten years. Seleucus III was killed in a campaign against Pergamum in Asia Minor. He was succeeded by his brother, Antiochus III, who began mustering troops for the Fourth Syrian War (221-217) against Ptolemy IV. IVPBBC

• • Ptolemy IV Philopator (221-203). For most of the years of the Fourth Syrian War, Ptolemy IV had little success militarily against Antiochus (lll) the Great and only forestalled his progress south through repeated diplomatic initiatives. Many of Antiochus's successes were carried out with the help of traitors rather than through military power or genius. In fact, his lackadaisical tactics allowed Ptolemy to gather, train and field a significant armed force by 217. IVPBBC

Antiochus the Great (III)(Syria/the north), renews the war after fourteen years and defeats Ptolemy V (Egypt/the south.)

Daniel 11:11-13 AMPC+ And the king of the South (Egypt) shall be moved with anger and shall come forth and fight with the king of the North (Syria); and he [the Syrian king] shall set forth a great multitude, but the multitude shall be given into his [the Egyptian king's] hand. 12) When the multitude is taken and carried away, the heart and mind [of the Egyptian king] shall be exalted, and he shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail. 13) For the king of the North shall raise a multitude greater than [he had] before, and after some years shall certainly return, coming with a great army and much substance and equipment.

• • Fourth and Fifth Syrian Wars. In 217 Ptolemy IV engaged Antiochus III at the Battle of Raphia for what would turn out to be the climactic battle of the Fourth Syrian War. Raphia was a traditional dividing line between Palestine and Egypt, about twenty miles southwest of Gaza on the Mediterranean coast. Antiochus claimed an army of seventy thousand, but even with the superior size of his armies, he was beaten badly by the Egyptians. This victory restored Syro-Palestine to the control of the Ptolemies. This status was maintained until the death of Ptolemy IV in 204 (13 years). The suspicious circumstances of the death of Ptolemy IV (still in his thirties) brought his six-year-old son, Ptolemy V Epiphanes (204-180), to the throne of Egypt. Antiochus took the opportunity of conflict over who was in charge to initiate the Fifth Syrian War (202-200), allied with Philip V of Macedon. IVPBBC

Daniel 11:14-16 NIV "In those times many will rise against the king of the South. Those who are violent among your own people will rebel in fulfillment of the vision, but without success. 15) Then the king of the North will come and build up siege ramps and will capture a fortified city. The forces of the South will be powerless to resist; even their best troops will not have the strength to stand. 16) The invader [Antiochus the Great] will do as he pleases; no one will be able to stand against him. He will establish himself in the Beautiful Land and will have the power to destroy it.

• He will establish himself in the Beautiful Land and will have the power to destroy it.
  The beautiful land = Jerusalem.

• • Antiochus III's occupation of Palestine. The Battle of Gaza in 201 gained Antiochus temporary control of Palestine, but he was pushed back again by Egyptian forces under the command of Scopas. In the next year, however, at the Battle of Panion (at one of the sources of the Jordan; the New Testament Caesarea Philippi, modern Banias), Antiochus defeated the Egyptians and took control of Palestine from them for the last time. At the same time, the Romans were getting a foothold in Greece in the Second Macedonian War. IVPBBC

At this point in time we have a member of the Seleucid family Antiochus III / aka Antiochus the Great, a Syrian (hold that idea loosely), standing at the Southern boundary of the Seleucid empire, what they are calling Palestine. We know it as Jerusalem.

Daniel 11:14 speaks of violent men. The book of 3 Maccabees records a visit of Ptolemy IV to Jerusalem after the Battle of Raphia in which he was treated very badly when he wished to enter the temple. There is a question concerning the historicity of the account. There were pro-Seleucid (led by Onias II, the high priest) and pro- Ptolemaic factions (from the powerful Tobiad family, competitors for the office of high priest) within Judea at this period. Sources do not provide enough information to determine which party might be alluded to in this verse.

• • Violent men. - The Hebrew word is per-eets' and means violent, that is, a tyrant: - destroyer, ravenous, robber. 
    Jeremiah 7:11 NASB "Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Behold, I, even I, have seen it," declares the LORD.

    Here the word per-eets' was translated as robber.

    Ezekiel 7:20-22 NASB 'They transformed the beauty of His ornaments into pride, and they made the images of their abominations and their detestable things with it; therefore I will make it an abhorrent thing to them. 21) 'I will give it into the hands of the foreigners as plunder and to the wicked of the earth as spoil, and they will profane it. 22) 'I will also turn My face from them, and they will profane My secret place; then robbers will enter and profane it.

    Once again the word per-eets' was translated as robber instead of violent

• “He will establish himself in the Beautiful Land and will have the power to destroy it.”

  The Hebrew word ‛āmaḏ carries a variety of meanings with a range emotions; such as: abide (behind), appoint, arise, cease, confirm, continue, dwell, be employed, endure, establish.

  The NASB states that he has destruction in his hand. I suppose that is another way of saying Jerusalem was at his mercy. The word for destruction is kâlâh and seems to be an adversarial word since completion; can be the absolute opposite of destruction.

Daniel 11:15 NASB "Then the king of the North will come, cast up a siege ramp and capture a well-fortified city; and the forces of the South will not stand their ground, not even their choicest troops, for there will be no strength to make a stand.

Antiochus III's occupation of Palestine. The Battle of Gaza in 201 gained Antiochus temporary control of Palestine, but in the next year at the Battle of Panion Antiochus defeated the Egyptians and took control of Palestine from them for the last time.

11:14 speaks of violent men and I believe that theme holds true when we consider, not only Antiochus III but the Antichrist persona that is coming. 

While the book of 3 Maccabees records a visit of Ptolemy IV to Jerusalem after the Battle of Raphia in which he was treated very badly when he wished to enter the temple. This is nothing in comparison to what we see in scripture.

Daniel 11:16 NASB "But he who comes against him will do as he pleases, and no one will be able to withstand him; he will also stay for a time in the Beautiful Land, with destruction in his hand.

As you saw in verse fifteen, there will be no strength to make a stand.

• “ But he who comes against him will do as he pleases, and no one will be able to withstand him;”
  Antiochus III – also known as Antiochus the Great, is a forerunner and interchangeable with the Antichrist that is coming.
• “he will also stay for a time in the Beautiful Land, with destruction in his hand.”
  The Revised Version translates the verse this way, “and he shall stand in the glorious land, and in his hand shall be destruction.”
  This is indicative of what will happen to Israel at the hand of Antichrist.