Gabriel now gives a brief summary of Roman history.
To understand this you will need to read, Daniel 11: 25-29.
Mark Antony went to Egypt to avenge Caesar’s death but fell to the charms of Cleopatra. And gave her provinces to please her. This angered Octavian and he declared war.
The king of the south, Egypt, readied for war. Antony assembled a fleet of 500 ships with 200,000 soldiers 12,000 horses at Samos.
Octavian had a much smaller but better trained army. Cleopatra fled during the battle, Antony followed her, and the battle was lost. The treasure on the ships, perished when the entire fleet was destroyed.
Octavian wins and Rome literally becomes both the king of the north, and the south “politically” for a time.
As always, Rome had an agenda. Egypt was being “set up” so that they would be unable to win when they eventually attacked.
In ancient times, those who ate food provided by another were expected to remain loyal. It was this tradition that allowed Rome to gain the trust of many leaders they later planned to conquer.
Rome was infamous for this in that they would make friends, and then turn on them for political gain.
Octavian and Antony were in alliance at first. Octavian and Antony were secretly plotting against each other, both seeking to rule as Emperor of Rome.
The end shall be at the time appointed = prophecy will be fulfilled just as Gabriel told Daniel. No matter how big the plans of men are, God overrules. When He appoints it to end, it will end. Daniel 4:35
“Shall he return into his land with great riches”=Octavian/Augustus took his spoils from Egypt back to Rome.
“His heart shall be against the holy covenant”=in a broad sense, this “covenant” that Rome is against has to do with the Gospel message, salvation, and the promised seed. All of this came to a head in 66 AD when Rome invaded Judea, but when they surrounded Jerusalem, they were suddenly called back to Rome.
Christians understood this sign, as Jesus predicted in Matthew 24:15, and fled the city and not one died in the siege. In 70 AD Titus came and took the city and destroyed the temple as Jesus predicted in Matthew 24:2. Josephus reported that 1.1 million people were killed.
Another fulfillment of Rome being “against the covenant” can be seen when Constantine who to mixed Christianity with Paganism so as to bring all churches under one roof, as the Popes do today post Vatican II. Constantine also instituted the first “Sunday Laws” on March 7, 321 AD which boldly struck at the “holy covenant” between God and His people.
Jesus Christ is the “Prince of the Covenant” and this covenant is what Christ instituted at Sinai and confirmed for eternity at Calvary.
Daniel 11:29 at the time appointed=as is always the case, as God directs, mankind must follow. V 24 stated it would be only “for a time” and so it was.
“He shall return”=Constantine came against Adrianople in 323 AD and defeated Licinius. He then renamed the city “Constantinople” after himself. and moved the capital from Rome to Constantinople. The Roman Empire would eventually fall in 476 AD. as prophesied and the Church at Rome took over.
