Daniel 11:1 is better seen together with the last paragraph of Daniel 10. In that conversation, the messenger assured Daniel that, together with Michael, they would continue to be involved in the conflict even when Greece had overthrown Persia. Here, the messenger told Daniel that he had been on an assignment with Michael since the first year of Darius' reign.
Starting from Daniel 11:2, the messenger
begins unveiling to the prophet a series of future events. It is crucial to
remember that these events were prophetic and yet to occur in Daniel's time. As
we delve into this passage, we are privileged to have the hindsight of history,
which confirms the accuracy of these prophetic revelations.
Verses 2-4 offer a glimpse into the future,
detailing events up to the conquest of Alexander the Great. We witness a
condensed account of the shift from the Persian to the Greek Empire in just
four verses. It’s important to note that the emphasis in verse 2 is
on the fourth king of Persia and does not imply that the kingdom only had three
kings. This fourth king is King Xerxes, known from the Book of Esther,
who played a significant role in the transition.
Xerxes was drawn into battle with the
Greeks and lost. This spelled the beginning of the end of Persia’s world
dominance. It was said that when he returned from the battle defeated, he
wanted to seek solace from Vashti, his wife. But his irrevocable decree
prevented it from taking place. Hence, he ordered the search for another queen.
This was where Esther entered the scene.
Verses 3-4 refer to Alexander the Great.
His conquests left him with a significant part of the world. But he died
suddenly and unexpectedly, leaving his vast kingdom to his four generals, who
were not his descendants.
The accuracy of the prophecy that
dovetailed with events in history reveals the accuracy of the Word of God. More
than that, it shows us that our God is in sovereign control of history. We must
make it our business to study the Word of God diligently.
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