Expert: Rev. Robert Woods - 7/10/2008

Question
In the prophecy relating to the "King fierce in Countenance", the book of Daniel says that "he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes, but he will be broken without human hand." My question is...who is this Prince of princes? He could not be Jesus because, when Jesus returns, the Bible says, there will be "King of Kings, Lord of Lords" written on his thigh! So if Jesus is the King of Kings, then who is this Prince of princes that this evil person will stand against???

Answer
Blessings and thank you for your question.

The passage you refer to in Daniel chapter 8 has two historical interpretations.

1.  The first which is well accepted is:
The ram represents Medo-Persia (v. 20). The two horns symbolize the people of Media and the people of Persia. Cyrus and his successors conquered westward including Babylon, Syria, and Asia Minor, northward including Armenia and the Caspian Sea region, and southward including Egypt and Ethiopia. The goat represents Greece (v. 21). The notable horn symbolizes Alexander the Great (v. 21) who launched his attack against Persia in 334 b.c. By 332 b.c. he had essentially subdued the Persian Empire. without touching the ground: Alexander’s conquest was so rapid that it seemed as if he flew across the earth.  The Persian forces outnumbered the Greeks. But in two decisive battles, the Medo-Persian Empire collapsed.
v 8 the large horn was broken: Alexander the Great died at the height of his career, before he was 33 years old. four notable ones: After Alexander’s death, four of his generals carved up the Macedonian Empire. Antigonus ruled from northern Syria to central Asia; Cassander ruled over  Macedonia; Ptolemy ruled in Egypt and southern Syria, including Palestine; Lysimachus ruled over Thrace.
v 9 The little horn here is not the same as the little horn of ch. 7. The former horn comes out of the fourth beast, Rome, whereas this one comes out of Greece. The little horn here refers to Antiochus Epiphanes, the eighth king of the Syrian dynasty who reigned from 175 to 164 b.c. Thus, this prophecy skips from 301 b.c., the time of the division of Alexander’s empire, to 175 b.c., when Antiochus became king. toward the south: Antiochus invaded Egypt. The east is Parthia and the Glorious Land is Palestine.
v 10 The host of heaven and the stars both refer to God’s people (see 12:3; Gen. 15:5). Cast down some describes Antiochus’s conquest.
v 11 The Prince of the host refers to God Himself. The little horn, like Lucifer (see Is. 14:12), aspires to be like God. sanctuary . . . cast down: Antiochus desecrated the house of God by erecting a statue of Zeus on the bronze altar.
v 12 Truth is a reference to the Mosaic Law.
v 13 A holy one and another holy one both refer to angels (4:13, 23).
v 14 Two thousand three hundred days refers to the  time between Antiochus’s pollution of the temple and the Maccabees’ cleansing of it.
v 17 The time of the end is a reference to a time that may already be underway (see 1 John 2:18) in some respects, but will not find its fulfillment until the Second Coming of Christ (see Matt. 24:14).
v 19 The indignation is that of the Lord against those who have rebelled against His dominion. The end (see “the time of the end” in v. 17) indicates that this judgment is against all those in rebellion against God, especially those living at the time just before the coming of Christ.
v 20 The two horns represent the two countries of Media and Persia. It is significant that the two are regarded as one empire, represented by the ram.
v 21 The first king of Greece was Alexander the Great.
v 22 not with its power: None of Alexander’s four generals ruled with the strength of Alexander (v. 8).
v 23 When the transgressors have reached their fullness means when the sinful actions of the Jews have  reached the point where God cannot permit them to go any further without bringing punishment (see Gen. 15:16; Matt. 23:32; 1 Thess. 2:16). A king refers to Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the king of Syria who made his capital at Antioch.
v 24 Not by his own power indicates that Antiochus would be energized by Satan, as will the Antichrist (see 2 Thess. 2:9).
v 25 Without human means: Antiochus died without human intervention. According to the apocryphal Book of Second Maccabees, Antiochus (v. 23) died of a painful disease.  Thus the death was by God or "the Prince of princes."  (Nelson Commentary)


2.  Now I do not believe that this prophesy has already taken place.  I believe that this deals with the end times.  So to answer your question.  The term "Prince of princes" refers to Jesus.  The Hebrew word here for Prince is סָרַר, שַׂר / sarar, šar it means captain, prince, king, ruler, govenor, chief.  Jesus is called the "Prince of Peace. in Isaiah 9:6" So He would naturally be the Prince of all princes, just like He is the King of all Kings.  

3.  Now I also went under the assumption that it might be someone else.  I looked through all the material I have and could find no other explanation.  I am sure somewhere out there in cyberland someone has a different theory but if they do I would like to hear it.

Blessings