Who is the Prince of the Covenant of Daniel 11:22 ?

One of the problems of interpretation of Bible prophecy is not knowing it was fulfilled in the past and therefore thinking it is a future event. This is why the “prince of the covenant” of Daniel chapter 11 is popularly interpreted to be the Antichrist of the future who makes some kind of peace deal with the nation of Israel. This kind of interpretation is called “eisegesis” meaning reading into the text what it is not actually saying. Eisegesis is the process of interpreting the text in such a way as to introduce one’s own presuppositions, agendas or biases. It is commonly referred to as reading into the text. That’s a no-no!

Let’s read Daniel 11:22 in context with verses before and after.

Daniel 11:21 And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.
22 And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant.
23 And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.

It’s my observation that contemporary Bible prophecy teachers confuse the prophecy of Daniel 9:27 with the prophecies of Daniel 11. They are entirely different! Daniel 9:27 was fulfilled in the ministry of Jesus Christ and His Apostles during a seven-year period from 27 AD which was the year Jesus started His ministry of preaching the Gospel to the restored house of Israel which confirmed the Covenant God made with Abraham, the Covenant of grace through belief in God’s Word. The Bible says so no less than 3 times!

Romans 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

Galatians 3:6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

James 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

And the Apostle Paul unequivocally says the Covenant of Daniel 9:27 was confirmed in Christ!

Galatians 3:17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ,…

I won’t discuss Daniel 9:27 further in this article because I have covered it in detail a multitude of times on this website. What I want to talk about now is the problem of combining prophecies that are not related to each other.

Commentary of Daniel chapter 11:21-22 from Adam Clarke (1762 – 26 August 1832), a British Methodist theologian.

Daniel 11:21 And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.

In his estate shall stand up a vile person — This was Antiochus, surnamed Epiphanes – the Illustrious. They did not give him the honour of the kingdom: he was at Athens, on his way from Rome, when his father died; and Heliodorus had declared himself king, as had several others. But Antiochus came in peaceably, for he obtained the kingdom by flatteries. He flattered Eumenes, king of Pergamus, and Attalus his brother, and got their assistance. He flattered the Romans, and sent ambassadors to court their favour, and pay them the arrears of the tribute. He flattered the Syrians, and gained their concurrence; and as he flattered the Syrians, so they flattered him, giving him the epithet of Epiphanes – the Illustrious. But that he was what the prophet here calls him, a vile person, is fully evident from what Polybius says of him, from Athenaeus, lib. v.: “He was every man’s companion: he resorted to the common shops, and prattled with the workmen: he frequented the common taverns, and ate and drank with the meanest fellows, singing debauched songs,” &c., &c. On this account, a contemporary writer, and others after him, instead of Epiphanes, called him Epimanes – the Madman.

“Antiochus IV Epiphanes (c. 215 BC – November/December 164 BC) was a Greek Hellenistic king who ruled the Seleucid Empire from 175 BC until his death in 164 BC. He was a son of King Antiochus III the Great. Originally named Mithradates (alternative form Mithridates), he assumed the name Antiochus after he ascended the throne. Notable events during Antiochus’s reign include his near-conquest of Ptolemaic Egypt, his persecution of the Jews of Judea and Samaria, and the rebellion of the Jewish Maccabees.” – Source: Wikipedia

Daniel 11:22 And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant.

And with the arms of a flood — The arms which were overflown before him were his competitors for the crown. They were vanquished by the forces of Eumenes and Attalus; and were dissipated by the arrival of Antiochus from Athens, whose presence disconcerted all their measures.

The prince of the covenant — This was Onias, the high priest, whom he removed, and put Jason in his place, who had given him a great sum of money; and then put wicked Menelaus in his room, who had offered him a larger sum. Thus he acted deceitfully in the league made with Jason.

Commentary from Albert Barnes (December 1, 1798 – December 24, 1870), who was an American theologian.

Yea, also the prince of the covenant – He also shall be broken and overcome. There has been some diversity of opinion as to who is meant by “the prince of the covenant” here. Many suppose that it is the high priest of the Jews, as being the chief prince or ruler under the “covenant” which God made with them, or among the “covenant” people. But this appellation is not elsewhere given to the Jewish high priest, nor is it such as could with much propriety be applied to him. The reference is rather to the king of Egypt, with whom a covenant or compact had been made by Antiochus the Great, and who was supposed to be united, therefore, to the Syrians by a solemn treaty. See Lengerke, in loc. So Elliott, “Rev.” iv. 133.

Commentary from contemporary Bible teacher.

There’s a prince that’s coming. He’s going to make a covenant and to me, it just tells you two things. We’re talking about the rise of the Antichrist and the timing. We finally began the Tribulation, notice verse 23 and after the league made with him. That’s the Covenant. So he makes a Covenant but he’s a liar he’s a vile person and after the league made with him, he shall work deceitfully.

As you can see, this Bible teacher is giving us a futuristic interpretation. He’s calling the Prince of the Covenant the Antichrist. This is exactly what I was taught in the 1970s by a Bible prophecy teacher. And this teacher is also mixing together the prophecies of Daniel 9 with Daniel 11.

Some say a prophecy can have multiple fulfillments but I see no precedent for that in the Scriptures. Daniel 9:27 was fulfilled 2000 years ago and can never be repeated.

Albert Barnes and Adam Clarke come much closer to the truth in their historical interpretation of the Prince of the Covenant than do popular end-time Bible prophecy teachers of today.

If you were looking for an article on Christmas day about the birth of Christ, I have nothing better to tell you than to read the Gospel of Luke chapters one and two and also Isaiah chapter 53. That’s what me and my wife did for our morning devotions.