Daniel 11

Verses 2 through 20 in chapter 11 are prophecies about ancient history. It is history that has already taken place. These prophecies are accurate in every detail. Of course they are. That's because our God is "Omniscient" (all knowing).

So, before getting into the prophecies that concern our immediate future, I'll attempt to tackle the past. Here goes nothing:

Daniel 11

1 Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him.

(Remember in chapter 6 that Darius set Daniel over his kingdom as the first president. [Dan. 6:2] It was Darius who was so pleased that Daniel had survived the lions' den. In fact, for that reason, Darius made a decree that everyone in his kingdom should fear Daniel's God. So, there was a strong bond between them.

This first verse is the "messenger" speaking, telling Daniel that he was helping Darius. So, Darius the Mede had God on his side, at least for a season.)

2 And now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia.

(This verse is a little confusing to me because it talks about three kings that shall "stand up" and a fourth, whereas, according to history, there were more than three succeeding kings and rulers before Alexander the Great. So, another Biblical historian puts it this way:

"Cyrus reigned after the death of Darius the Mede, his uncle; Cambyses, the son of Cyrus; and Darius Hystaspes. There was another between Cambyses and Darius, called Smerdis the magician, who reigned but seven months, and being an impostor is left out, as he is in Ptolemy's canon; not that these were all the kings of Persia after Darius the Mede; for, according to the above canon, there reigned six more after them; but because these kings had a connection with the Jews, and under them their affairs had different turns and changes, and also because these kings "stood", and the monarchy under them was strong and flourishing, whereas afterwards it began to decline; and chiefly it is for the sake of the fourth king that these are observed, who laid the foundation of the destruction of the Persian monarchy by the Grecians.
And the fourth shall be far richer than they all: this is Xerxes, who exceeded his predecessors in wealth and riches.")


(However, this is what I came up with, although I could be wrong. It seemed to me that after Darius came his son, Xerxes, then Artaxerxes I, Artaxerxes II, Artaxerxes III and Darius III. Nevertheless, with all the debate about factual ancient history, maybe those of you who are concerned can do some research on your own. I believe the prophecies are accurate, but I just can't identify exactly which character is which!)

3 And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.

(Alexander the Great fits this bill. Everyone seems to agree on this! Phew.)

4 And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those.

(Alexander's kingdom was indeed divided up toward the four winds:

Ptolemy reigned in Egypt to the south; Antigonus in Asia to the north; Seleucus in Babylon and Syria to the east; and Cassander in Macedonia to the west:

It was not to his posterity and not left to his predecessors.)

5 And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion.

(Who is the "king of the south"? Egypt lay to the south of Syria and the general who took Egypt after Alexander died was Ptolemy Lagus. He was a powerful king who reigned over Egypt, Lybia, Cyrene, Ethiopia, Arabia, Phoenicia, Coelesyria, Cyprus, and several isles in the Aegean sea, and many cities in Greece.

Who "shall be strong above him"? Seleucus Nicator, afterwards called king of the north, ruling Syria which lay to the north of Egypt was more powerful than Ptolemy.)

6 And in the end of years they shall join themselves together; (There had been many wars between these kings but they eventually entered into alliances with each other.)

for the king's daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm: but she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in these times.

(A marriage between Bernice, daughter of Ptolemy Philadephus king of Egypt and Antiochus king of Syria was supposed to help put an end to discord. However, the marriage didn't work as much as was planned.

On his engagement to Berenice, Antiochus divorced his former wife, Laodice, and disinherited her son, Seleucus Callinicus. However, when Ptolemy died, Antiochus took back Laodice, who then poisoned him, and caused Berenice and her son to be put to death, and raised her own son, Seleucus Nicator, to the throne. [I believe that's what you would call 'vengeance'!])

7 But out of a branch of her roots (a family member) shall one stand up in his estate, which shall come with an army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them, and shall prevail:

(Bernice's brother, Ptolemy Euergetes avenged her death by overrunning Syria all the way to the Euphrates.)

8 And shall also carry captives into Egypt their gods, with their princes, and with their precious vessels of silver and of gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the north.

9 So the king of the south shall come into his kingdom, and shall return into his own land.

10 But his sons shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces: and one shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall he return, and be stirred up, even to his fortress.

(The sons of Seleucus Callinicus, who died by a fall from his horse, were irritated by what Ptolemy Euergetes had done in revenge of his sister, taking part of their father's kingdom from him, so joined together, and recovered their dominions from him. They were Seleucus Ceraunus and Antiochus.)

11 And the king of the south shall be moved with choler, and shall come forth and fight with him, even with the king of the north: and he shall set forth a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into his hand.

(This was Ptolemy Philopator.)

Verse by verse, researching and coming up with records of history, one can discover that the Bible contains thousands of prophecies that have already been fulfilled to the letter! AMAZING! Right?