John Calvin Commentary Daniel 11:45

"And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the sea and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him." — Daniel 11:45 (ASV)

The angel finally concludes with the settled sway of the Romans in Asia Minor and the coastal regions, as well as in Syria, Judea, and Persia. We have already shown how everything predicted here is related by secular historians, and each event is well known to all who are moderately familiar with the history of those times.

We must now notice the phrase, "The Roman king should fix the tents of his palace." This expression signifies not only the carrying on of the war by the Romans in the east but also their being lords of that entire region. When he had said they should fix their tents according to the usual practice of warfare, he might have been content with the usual method of speech. However, he contrasts the word "palace" with frequent migrations, signifying that they were not merely measuring their camp according to military custom but occupying a fixed station permanently.

Why then does he speak of tents? Because Asia was not the seat of their empire, for they were careful not to attribute more dignity to any place than was expedient for themselves. For this reason, the proconsuls took numerous attendants with them. To avoid the need for any fixed palace, they had their own tents and often stayed in such temporary dwellings as they found on their road.

This language of the angel—they shall fix the tents of their palace—suits the Romans exceedingly well, because they reigned there in tranquility after the east was subdued. Yet, they had no fixed habitation, because they did not wish any place to become strong enough to rebel against them.

When he says, between the seas, some think the Dead Sea and the Lake of Asphalt are intended, in contrast to the Mediterranean Sea. I do not hesitate to think the Persian Sea is intended by the angel. He does not say the Romans should become masters of all the lands lying between the two seas, but he only says they should fix the tents of their palace between the seas; and we know this to have been done when they held dominion between the Euxine Sea and the Persian Gulf.

The extent of Mithridates's sway is well known, for historians record twenty-two nations as subject to his power. Afterwards, on one side stood Asia Minor, which consisted of many nations (according to our statement elsewhere), and Armenia became theirs after Tigranes was conquered. Cilicia, though only a part of a province, was a very extensive and wealthy region.

Cilicia had many deserts and many stony, uncultivated mountains. Yet, it also contained many rich cities, though it did not form a single province like Syria and Judea. Therefore, it is not surprising when the angel says the Romans should fix their tents between the seas, for their dwelling place was beyond the Mediterranean Sea.

They first crossed into Sicily and then into Spain. Thirdly, they began to extend their power into Greece and Asia Minor against Antiochus, and then they seized the whole east. On one shore was Asia Minor and many other nations; on the other side was the Syrian Sea, including Judea, as far as the Egyptian Sea. We observe, then, the tranquility of the Roman Empire between the seas, yet it had no permanent seat there, because the proconsuls spent their time as foreigners in a strange land.

Finally, he adds, They should come to the mountain of the desire of holiness. I have already expressed the reason why this prophecy was uttered: it was to prevent the novelty of these events from disturbing the minds of the pious when they saw so barbarous and distant a nation trampling upon them and ruling with pride, insolence, and cruelty.

Therefore, when such a sorrowful spectacle was set before the eyes of the pious, they needed extraordinary support to prevent them from yielding to despair. The angel, therefore, predicts future events to bring about the acknowledgment that nothing happens by chance, and secondly, to show how all these turbulent movements throughout the world are governed by divine power.

The consolation follows: they shall come at length to their end, and no one shall bring them help. This was not fulfilled immediately. For after Crassus had despoiled the temple and had suffered in an adverse engagement against the Parthians, the Romans did not fail all at once, but their monarchy flourished even more under Augustus.

The city was then razed to the ground by Titus, and the very name and existence of the Jewish nation were all but annihilated. Then, after this, the Romans suffered disgraceful defeats. They were cast out of nearly the whole east and compelled to make treaties with the Parthians, Persians, and other nations, until their empire was entirely ruined.

If we study the history of the following centuries, no nation will be found to have suffered such severe punishments as the Romans, and no monarchy was ever overthrown with greater disgrace. God then poured such fury upon that nation as to make them a spectacle to the world.

The angel's words are not in vain: their own end should soon come. After they had devastated and depopulated all lands, penetrated and pervaded everywhere, and the whole world had submitted to their power, the Romans then became utterly ruined and swept away.

They should have gone to help them. Without doubt, this prophecy may be extended here to the promulgation of the gospel. For although Christ was born about a century before the preaching of the gospel, He truly shone forth to the world through that promulgation.

The angel, therefore, brought his prophecy up to that point in time. He now adds:—