Daniel Chapter 11a Series

Daniel – Chapter 11a

Chapter 11 Outline

I. A Chronology of Atheistic kings (11:2-20)

a. 4 Persian Kings (11:1-2)

b. 1 Powerful King – Alexander (11:3-4)

c. 2 Perverse Kings – South & North (11:5-9)

1. The Egyptian Prince (11:5)

2. The Egyptian Princess (11:6)

3. The Egyptian Protest (11:7-9)

d. 1 Pernicious King – Antiochus III (11:10-20)

1. His First Campaign (11:10-12)

2. His Further Campaign (11:13-17)

3. His Final Campaign (11:18-20)

II. A Chronology of Antiochus (11:21-35)

a. His Craftiness (11:21-23)

b. His Conquests (11:24)

c. His Confrontations (11:25-30)

d. His Cruelty (11:31-35)

III. A Chronology of Antichrist (11:36-45)

a. His Wickedness (11:36-39)

b. His Warfare (11:40-44a)

c. His Wrath (11:44b-45)

Message

Fulfilled prophecy is one of the proofs of the inspiration of the Bible, only an omniscient God can know future events accurately and direct His servants to write them down.

So many critics have attacked the book of Daniel. They claim that nobody could write so many accurate details about so many people and events before they’d even happened. They therefore come to the conclusion that the book of Daniel is a fraud, written centuries after these events and not prophetic at all.

The biggest problem theses critics have, you see, is that they cannot deny the fact that these events took place. They have been written down in the annals of ancient history for all to read. Those of us who believe in a great God have no problem accepting His prophetic Word.

2 Peter 1:19-21 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: [20] Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. [21] For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

I. A Chronology of Atheistic kings (11:2-20)

a. 4 Persian Kings (11:1-2)

We saw in chapter 10 that this vision was given to Daniel in the third year of Cyrus. The first of the three kings who were to follow was his son Cambyses (529-522 B.C.)

Cambyses was succeeded, not by his own son Smerdis (the king had him murdered) but by one of the priests who looked like the son, he has been refered to by historians as Pseudo-Smerdis (522-521 B.C.) He was followed by Darius I Hystaspes

The most important of the four kings was Xerxes I, the Ahasuerus of the Book of Esther. He was not the last king of Persia, he was the fourth and as prophesied far richer than they all. He ruled an empire that reached from Ethiopia to India and he had a great passion to conquer Greece.

This king was quite willing to sell to Haman the lives of all the Jews in his realm for 10,000 talents of silver Esther 3:8-9. He was a king whose sensuality, ambition and pride paved the way for the downfall of the Persian Empire.

For years he kept Asia in turmoil as he stirred up his vast realm against Greece. In 480 B.C. he assembled an army of more than three million men for his invasion of Greece and stirred up Phoenician Carthage against Greek colonies in Italy and Sicily, and as the prophecy says he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia.

b. 1 Powerful King – Alexander (11:3-4)

Verse 3

The mighty king of this verse is none other than Alexander the Great, who was determined to punish the Persians for Xerxes’ invasion. We have already looked at Alexander in previous chapters and seen his vast army and lightning quick conquest of the nations.

Alexander did according to his will. After he had avenged Greece for the attacks made on the country 150 years ago by Xerxes, he didn’t stop there. Within 12 years he had brought Asia, India, and parts of Africa and Europe under his sway. He never met a foe he could not conquer, a city he could not control or a people he could not compel.

Verse 4

He was wilful in all things, but his career was short. He died in his early thirties, leaving behind an empire that was fought over and eventually divided among four of his generals. None of his posterity received any lasting inheritance. Within 15 years of his own death, none of his family remained alive. God’s Word was fulfilled to the tiniest detail.

c. 2 Perverse Kings – South & North (11:5-9)

1. The Egyptian Prince (11:5)

The Prophecy now narrows down to two of the four Kingdoms into which Alexander the Great’s Empire was divided. The reason for this is quite clear. Gabriel told Daniel that the Prophecy belonged to Daniel’s people, and the “Glorious Land” (Israel-verses 16, 41, 45) lay between Syria on the North and Egypt on the South.