God, Not People, Writes History

We come to the passage in Daniel that baffles Biblical critics. To counter the incredible accuracy of these prophecies, naysayers suggest that these pages were written long after the events took place. Since they deny Divine inspiration of the text, they suggest an editor compiled these prophecies after they had come to pass and attributed them to Daniel. In other words, they would like to believe that Daniel is the morning newspaper reporting on the previous day's events, instead of what it actually is—the divinely inspired, prophetic Word of God given to His chosen servant, Daniel. 

Daniel 11:2–4 (ESV) “And now I will show you the truth. Behold, three more kings shall arise in Persia, and a fourth shall be far richer than all of them. And when he has become strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece. 3 Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion and do as he wills. 4 And as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to the authority with which he ruled, for his kingdom shall be plucked up and go to others besides these.

In his prayer and worship, Daniel receives the Word of God. We must always get back to that simple formula. And when the Word comes, it reveals to Daniel the coming history. The three kings of Persia, who will attack but ultimately lose to Greece under the leadership of Alexander the Great. Alexander will die and leave their kingdom to four generals not from their own lineage. 

The conquest of Alexander, however, became a tool for God to spread a common language throughout the world. The language in which the New Testament would be written. Without this swift-conquering general, the world would not have shared a common tongue in which to hear the Gospel message of Jesus Christ!

Verses 5-20 unpack the history of the intertestamental period. 

Daniel 11:5–19 (ESV) “Then the king of the south shall be strong, but one of his princes shall be stronger than he and shall rule, and his authority shall be a great authority. 

This refers to Seleucus I, who rose to power in Syria with help from Ptolemy I, though he eventually became the stronger ruler.

Daniel 11:6 (ESV) After some years they shall make an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement. But she shall not retain the strength of her arm, and he and his arm shall not endure, but she shall be given up, and her attendants, he who fathered her, and he who supported her in those times.

This refers to Ptolemy II, who gave his daughter Berenice to Antiochus II in marriage, forcing him to divorce his wife Laodice. After Ptolemy’s death, Antiochus returned to Laodice, who killed him, Berenice, and their child, fulfilling the prophecy that their power would not last.

Daniel 11:7–9 (ESV) “And from a branch from her roots one shall arise in his place. He shall come against the army and enter the fortress of the king of the north, and he shall deal with them and shall prevail. 8 He shall also carry off to Egypt their gods with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold, and for some years he shall refrain from attacking the king of the north. 9 Then the latter shall come into the realm of the king of the south but shall return to his own land.

This refers to Berenice’s brother, Ptolemy III, who avenged her death by defeating Seleucus II and plundering Syria. Later, Seleucus attacked Egypt but failed and died shortly after.

Daniel 11:10–16 (ESV) “His sons shall wage war and assemble a multitude of great forces, which shall keep coming and overflow and pass through, and again shall carry the war as far as his fortress. 11 Then the king of the south, moved with rage, shall come out and fight against the king of the north. And he shall raise a great multitude, but it shall be given into his hand. 12 And when the multitude is taken away, his heart shall be exalted, and he shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail. 13 For the king of the north shall again raise a multitude, greater than the first. And after some years he shall come on with a great army and abundant supplies. 14 “In those times many shall rise against the king of the south, and the violent among your own people shall lift themselves up in order to fulfill the vision, but they shall fail. 15 Then the king of the north shall come and throw up siegeworks and take a well-fortified city. And the forces of the south shall not stand, or even his best troops, for there shall be no strength to stand. 16 But he who comes against him shall do as he wills, and none shall stand before him. And he shall stand in the glorious land, with destruction in his hand. 

This refers to Antiochus III (“the Great”), who rebuilt Syrian strength, regained lost lands, and later defeated Egypt. Some Jews allied with him, hoping to end Egyptian rule, but their efforts failed. Antiochus conquered Palestine as well, fulfilling part of Daniel’s vision.

Daniel 11:17–20 (ESV) He shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and he shall bring terms of an agreement and perform them. He shall give him the daughter of women to destroy the kingdom, but it shall not stand or be to his advantage. 18 Afterward he shall turn his face to the coastlands and shall capture many of them, but a commander shall put an end to his insolence. Indeed, he shall turn his insolence back upon him. 19 Then he shall turn his face back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he shall stumble and fall, and shall not be found. 20 “Then shall arise in his place one who shall send an exactor of tribute for the glory of the kingdom. But within a few days he shall be broken, neither in anger nor in battle.

Here's how this plays out in history: Antiochus gave his daughter Cleopatra I in marriage to young Ptolemy V, hoping she’d help him gain control of Egypt. But she remained loyal to Egypt, and the plan failed. Antiochus then attacked Greece but was defeated by Roman general Lucius Scipio (vv. 18–19). He died in 187 BC. His son, Seleucus IV, heavily taxed the Jews to pay Rome. After sending Heliodorus to plunder the temple, Seleucus was mysteriously killed—likely poisoned—fulfilling verse 20. This paved the way for Antiochus Epiphanes to rise to power.

The details of these events reveal how little human nature has changed since biblical times. Betrayal, murder, sex, adultery, ambition, pride, and the quest for dominance have always been man's way of making himself as god.

That's why you have to love this passage! God called it! And He always calls it! He knows the end from the beginning and has, in grace, chosen to save some! We who believe are chosen out of this world to live as children of the light. 

When you look at the world as a Christian, you should feel detached from it, utterly uninterested in what the pagans seek. Why? Because we are not of this world.