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Daniel
Chapter 11
“I have been standing beside Michael as his support and defense since the first year of the
reign of Darius the Mede.) Now then, I will reveal the truth to you. Three more Persian
kings will reign, to be succeeded by a fourth, far richer than the others. Using his wealth
for political advantage, he will stir up everyone to war against the kingdom of Greece.”
The angelic messenger was revealing Israel’s future (see Daniel 10:20-21). Only God can
reveal future events so clearly. God’s work not only deals with the sweeping panorama of
history, but also focuses on the intricate details of people’s lives. Moreover, his plans—
whether for nations or individuals—are unshakable.
The fourth Persian king may have been Xerxes I (486-465 B.C.), who launched an all-out
effort against Greece in 480 (Esther 1:1).
Babylonia was defeated by Medo-Persia. Medo-Persia was defeated by Greece under
Alexander the Great, who conquered most of the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern
lands. After Alexander’s death, the empire was divided into four parts. The Ptolemies
gained control of the southern section of Palestine, and the Seleucids took the northern
part. Daniel 11:1-20 shows the conflict between the Ptolemies and Seleucids over control
of Palestine in 300-200 B.C. Daniel 11:21-35 describe the persecution of Israel under
Antiochus IV Epiphanes. In Daniel 11:36-45 the prophecy shifts to the end times.
Antiochus IV fades from view and the antichrist of the last days becomes the center of
attention.
“Then a mighty king will rise to power who will rule a vast kingdom and accomplish
everything he sets out to do.”
This mighty king of Greece was Alexander the Great, who conquered Medo-Persia and
built a huge empire in only four years
“But at the height of his power, his kingdom will be broken apart and divided into four
parts. It will not be ruled by the king's descendants, nor will the kingdom hold the
authority it once had. For his empire will be uprooted and given to others. "The king of
the south will increase in power, but one of this king's own officials will become more
powerful than he and will rule his kingdom with great strength.”
Eventually Alexander the Great’s empire was divided into four nations. These four
weaker nations were comprised of the following regions: (1) Egypt, (2) Babylonia and
Syria, (3) Asia Minor, and (4) Macedon and Greece. The king of Egypt (“the king of the
South”) was Ptolemy I or perhaps a reference to the Ptolemaic dynasty in general.
“Some years later, an alliance will be formed between the king of the north and the king
of the south. The daughter of the king of the south will be given in marriage to the king of
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