Commentary on Daniel - Volume 2

Dissertation 17.

(Daniel 11:41)

The sober views of our Reformer form a striking contrast to the speculations of some modern writers. Birks,for instance, considers the spread of the Turkish power as accomplishing this verse. He quotes Rycault’sHistory of the Ottoman Kings, and considers the conquest of Thessalonica and the subjugation of Greece by Amurath II., A.D. 1432, as the intended fulfillment. In 1514, Selim the third Turkish Emperor overthrew the Sultan of Egypt, and obtained possession of Aleppo. After other victories, he turned aside to visit Jerusalem.

The next verse is also supposed to predict his conquests; and the facts detailed by Rycault,volume 1, pages 246-248, respecting the conquest of Judea, Arabia, and Egypt, at the commencement of the sixteenth century of the Christian era., are asserted to fulfill (Daniel 11:41) to 43. The last verse of this chapter is also supposed to be accomplished by the historical events recorded by Rycault, volume 1, pages 249-251. A similar opinion is given by the author of “The Revelation of St. John Considered,” Append. 1, page 467. Elltott’ssentiments are similar to these, but less precise, and not very clearly expressed. Medeand Bishop Newtonthink the closing verses of this chapter remain yet unfulfilled. Professor Leetreats this as accomplished by Constantine and Licinius; see pages 19.5-197, and gives as his authority Hist. Univers.,volume 15, pages 582-584.

Before the reader has arrived at this “point of observation,” he will probably have decided whether the Praeterist or the Futurist interpretations of these verses is the more acceptable to his own mind, and will value these references according to the conclusions to which he has already arrived.