Daniel 8:23

‘And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors (or, repointed, this could be ‘transgressions') are come to the full, a king of strong countenance, and understanding riddles, will stand up. And his power will be mighty, but not by his own power. And he will destroy wonderfully, and will prosper and will do (whatever he wants). And he will destroy the mighty ones and the holy people.'

The one now spoken of arises in the latter time of the Greek kingdom, at a time when Israel's transgressing has reached its full, as they turned back to the idolatry from which the exile was supposed to deliver them. Some would turn back reluctantly under persecution, but these had turned back for political convenience long before. Among many hellenisation and acknowledgement of the Greek gods gave them a new way of life and a new culture, and they embraced it eagerly (see 1Ma 1:11-15).

‘A king of strong countenance, and understanding riddles, will stand up.' This can hardly be any other than Antiochus Epiphanes. ‘Strong countenance' refers to hardness of feature caused by a hard and unyielding spirit (compare Deuteronomy 28:50).

‘Understanding riddles.' Seeing himself as a god he saw himself as wise and full of understanding of the things of the gods, which was why the stubborn Israelites so infuriated him. Did they not realise that he was a master of the knowledge of the gods? Or the idea may be that he was a master of dissimulation, cunning enough to be able to deceive people and disguise his intentions. For example, he sent his general to Jerusalem pretending peace, and when they received him he took advantage of the Sabbath and then slaughtered many Israelites.

‘And his power will be mighty, but not by his own power.' He claimed to be the manifestation of Zeus and thus that Zeus was operative through him, thus this may be seeing it from his viewpoint. Others see it as meaning that it was God Who enabled him in order to use him as an instrument of chastisement for His people. He was only able to do it because God allowed it. Like the Assyrians and Nebuchadnezzar before him he was the rod of God's anger (Isaiah 10:5). Perhaps the latter may be seen as more likely to be in Daniel's mind.

‘He will destroy wonderfully, and will prosper and will do (whatever he wants). And he will destroy the mighty ones and the holy people.' This describes his effectiveness in every sphere. He destroyed, and prospered, and did whatever he wanted. No one, apart in the end from the Romans, could prevent him from doing whatever he wanted. However mighty his enemies might be they could not stand before him. ‘The mighty ones and the holy people.' A deliberate contrast. He was not just a successful warrior, he was an attacker of God's true people, and it was that that would result in his downfall. He was the first real persecutor.