“A mighty king shall stand up” (ch. 11:3).
IT will greatly help us in the understanding of this remarkable portion of the prophetic Scriptures if we bear in mind that chapter 10. forms a kind of introduction to what follows. If this be carefully noted, it will at once show us the folly of seeking to find an interpretation by reference to persons or things connected with the Christian period.
Gabriel informs Daniel, “Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people (i.e., the Jews) in the latter days” (ch. 10:14). In other words, not the Pope, nor the papacy, however evil they may be, nor Napoleon, nor the Sultan, are here alluded to, but Daniel’s own people, the Jews; moreover, not that portion of their history now past, but more especially that which is yet to come, occupied the mind of the Spirit, namely, “What shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.”
It is perfectly true that a considerable portion of the incidents narrated in chapter 11 have already had their fulfillment. At the time that Daniel wrote all was future, for as we are told (ch. 10:1) the thing was revealed to him during the third year of Cyrus, King of Persia, whereas the greater part of chapter 11 relates the wars and intrigues of the kings of the north and the south who sprang out of the Grecian Empire, an empire which followed that of the Medes and Persians. Now while it is true that all that is described was future at the time the prophecy was given, nevertheless all up to the end of vs. 35 has since then been fulfilled. This is of extreme importance. vs. 36 is the break in the chapter. All before this verse, though undoubted prophecy at the time it was written, has now passed into history, whereas all after that verse is still distinct prophecy of events that have had no manner of fulfillment as yet.
The first verse of our chapter (ch. 11:1) appears to be a parenthesis. We are not to understand that it was during the reign of Darius the Mede that the vision was seen by Daniel; this happened in the third year of Cyrus, King of Persia. There is more than one Darius mentioned in Scripture. Darius the Mede was the first king of the Medo-Persian dynasty (ch. 5:31), for, as we have already pointed out, the Median element in this composite empire came first upon the field, and gave way to the more powerful Persian. The ram, which Scripture itself informs us was the Medo-Persian kingdom (ch. 8:20), had two horns, “but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last” (ch. 8:3); this higher horn was the Persian. How marvelously does all this emphasize the fact of inspiration, for how else could Daniel have written all this in such brief terms before the events had taken place.
The reason why mention is made of Darius the Mede in chapter 11:1 is to show that the angelic messenger described in chapter 10 is Gabriel, who was the chosen instrument to make known to Daniel the prophecy of the seventy weeks (compare chapter 9: 1, 21, and chapter 11:1).
“Now will I show thee the truth” (11:2). With what certainty does the heavenly messenger speak! How briefly, too, and with what exactitude were the events revealed to the prophet before they had taken place.
“There shall stand up yet three kings in Persia.” It was during the reign of Cyrus, King of Persia, that the prophecy was given. Three kings were to stand up in Persia after Cyrus. This was exactly fulfilled in the history which followed; the names of these monarchs were Cambyses, Smerdis the Magian, and Darius Hystaspes. We do not, however, need to resort to profane history in this matter, for in Ezra 4 these three kings are mentioned, though under different names.
Cyrus, King of Persia, had given commandment to “build the house of the Lord God of Israel (He is the God) which is in Jerusalem” (Ezra 1:33Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem. (Ezra 1:3)), but adversaries had been stirred up to frustrate this purpose, and the work ceased until “the second year of Darius, King of Persia” (Ezra 4:2424Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia. (Ezra 4:24)). This is not the same Darius as Darius the Mede of Daniel 11:11Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him. (Daniel 11:1). Now in Ezra 4 two other kings are mentioned as reigning between Cyrus and Darius, namely, Ahasuerus and Artaxerxes. These two are the same as Cambyses and Smerdis that we read of in profane history. All this shows the marvelous accuracy of the prophecy given before these different kings had arisen.
But there is more. “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” (Dan. 11:22And now will I show 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. (Daniel 11:2)). No one in the smallest degree familiar with the history of those times will have any doubt as to who this king was. It was Xerxes, whose vast riches enabled him to lead his immense host of five millions against the little Grecian nation.
“And a mighty king shall stand up.” We have now left the Persian Empire behind, and 28:2 The remainder of the chapter is occupied with the description of the various alliances and conflicts that took place between certain kings that arose out of the Grecian Empire. The mighty king that stood up first was Alexander the Great. He has been already alluded to in Daniel 8 as the great horn of the he-goat (vers. 5:8). When this great horn was broken—in other words, upon the death of Alexander—four notable horns arose toward the four winds of heaven (8:8). This same fourfold division of Alexander’s kingdom is alluded to in our chapter (11:4)— “When he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided towards the four winds of heaven.” But another detail is added which confirms again the marvelous accuracy of the prophetic word; when this kingdom of Alexander’s was divided, it was “not to his posterity.” In other words, it was not divided amongst his children or descendants. We know from history that when Alexander was suddenly and unexpectedly cut off whilst leading an expedition far away from his own country, his generals held a council to decide what was best to be done, and eventually agreed to divide his vast dominions amongst four of themselves. The fact is noted of the fourfold division, though as only two of these came in contact with the history of God’s people and the land of Palestine, these two only are enlarged upon. The king of the north and the king of the south that we read of in the remainder of chapter 11 were two of the divisions of Alexander’s kingdom.
The object that God has in the Bible is not to occupy the mind with histories of nations, however important they may be in the eyes of men, but to narrate just so much as was needed to elucidate His ways with His own chosen nation, Israel. Those nations only were of importance that were linked up with God’s dealings with that despised and oppressed people. It has been so in the past, it will still be proved to be so in the future.
India, China, Japan, Africa may absorb the thoughts of men today, but Palestine is the land upon which the eyes of the Lord rest from one year’s end to the other.