Dan 11:2 | KingComments | STEP | Before I start with the explanation of this chapter, I would like to share something with the reader. I have always been told, and I say this myself, that the explanation of a part is given by the Scriptures themselves. In order to grasp a portion of God’s Word, I depend on the Holy Spirit and must also have the right mind. I also need the help of other teachers. This is how the Lord Jesus meant it, and He gave His gifts for it ( ; cf. ). Is it not a form of pride, and perhaps even a contempt for the Lord’s gifts, if we think we can understand the truth of a portion of it exclusively by ourselves? However, we will have to think for ourselves about what others tell us, and then come to the acceptance of an explanation before God ( ). In this way, the meaning of a truth of Scripture becomes our own spiritual property and not the plagiarism of someone else. In the portion we have before us now, however, I seem to be unable to find the explanation within Scripture, but only outside of it. The first part of this chapter deals with events that were then still future for Daniel, but that have already been fulfilled. However, I cannot find that fulfilment in the Scriptures. In all the explanations I have at my disposal and which I love to consult, reference is made as to how this first part was fulfilled in the course of history. It means that I still need to know something about the history that is described outside of the Bible. I once presented this problem to the aforementioned Bible teacher and historian Gerard Kramer. He wrote to me the following in response: In any case, the non-biblical history can never be in conflict with the prophecy. And why should it not even be helpful in explaining prophecy that has already been fulfilled and has thus become history? With Daniel 11, the prophecy even turns out to be so correct in details and to correspond with the non-biblical sources, that unbelieving scientists say that Daniel 11 is retrospective historiography in which the events are shrouded in the literary genre of prophecy. The latter, of course, will never be said by trustworthy biblical interpreters. Daniel 11 is now fulfilled up to and therefore is history. I have no problem wandering through the non-biblical history if I cannot fully understand or fill in a detail in Daniel 11:1-34. It becomes interesting from , because some of the things mentioned there, according to historical sources, can certainly be attributed to Antiochus IV Epiphanes, but this section clearly has an end-time perspective, through which it also speaks of the future Antioch, or the king of the North, and – curiously enough – also of the antichrist. [End of quotation] This answer encouraged me to call upon the Bible teacher and historian Roger Liebi from Switzerland, whom I consider trustworthy and competent, to explain this chapter. In his book Weltgeschichte im Visier des Propheten Daniël ( World history from the point of view of the prophet Daniel ), he gives a clear and compact explanation of Daniel 11:2-35. My explanation of these verses will therefore mainly consist of a translation of his explanation. Some interpreters may give different explanations for some verses. That I will not pursue that, does not mean that I claim that the explanation of my preference is the only correct one. For me it is the most likely, but it is up to the reader to do further research into this. After studying this section on the basis of the book I mentioned, I have become even more impressed by the truth of God’s Word. It is amazing how every detail mentioned in these verses has been fulfilled. That applies at least to the details that have become clear to me, for there are still aspects that I am not sure about. I would like to point out once again that for Daniel the events he saw in the vision were all still future events. The exact fulfilment of what is communicated to us in , which we know from historical facts, is yet another guarantee that everything that is yet to become history will also be fulfilled. God’s Word is absolutely trustworthy in all its parts! of this chapter still belongs to Daniel 10 and is actually the last verse of that chapter. After the angel has said that Michael has stood with him, he says that he himself once “arose to be an encouragement and a protection” for Michael. He also mentions when that was. It was at that time when the Medo-Persian empire conquered the Babylonian empire and thus gained control over the Jews. This seems to indicate that the spiritual war was waged with a view to the departure of a remnant to the promised land. Satan will have mobilized his demons and try to stop that. Satan knows that in Israel the promised Seed, the Messiah, the Son of God, will be born from the people of the Jews to the blessing of God’s people. He will want to prevent this at all costs. To prevent that birth, he has always wanted the destruction of God’s people. He does not know all the plans of God, but he does know that the Messiah will bring the promised blessing and that with it his own reign is over and his destiny is sealed. In the angel tells Daniel that he will tell him the truth about future events. It is the truth, for what the angel reveals comes from the “writing of truth” ( ) written by God. As said, God writes history and therefore it’s going to be like this. The angel tells Daniel that there will be four more kings in power in Persia. Three are mentioned without further indication. The fourth is said to be rich and to fight against Greece. As we read in Daniel 10, in the third year of Cyrus, Daniel receives the message revealed containing the future events described here ( ). That means that the four kings who will still come to power after Cyrus are the next ones: 1. Cambyses (530-522 BC) 2. Gaumata (Pseudo-Smerdis) (522 BC) 3. Darius I Hystaspis (522-486 BC) 4. Xerxes I (486-465 BC) Xerxes I is known to have acquired fabulous wealth. Through him, the realm of the Persians reaches the peak of its power. Xerxes would also like to conquer Greece and bring it under his authority. To achieve this, he mobilized almost the entire then Asia. In the famous naval battle of Salamis (480 BC), however, he suffered an insulting and deeply humiliating defeat. This war brings him enormous losses, both of human lives and of treasures. [NB On the Internet, interested readers can find out more about the four kings mentioned above and also about the following rulers.]

‏ Daniel 11:2

Introduction

Before I start with the explanation of this chapter, I would like to share something with the reader. I have always been told, and I say this myself, that the explanation of a part is given by the Scriptures themselves. In order to grasp a portion of God’s Word, I depend on the Holy Spirit and must also have the right mind. I also need the help of other teachers. This is how the Lord Jesus meant it, and He gave His gifts for it (Eph 4:11; cf. Acts 8:30-31).

Is it not a form of pride, and perhaps even a contempt for the Lord’s gifts, if we think we can understand the truth of a portion of it exclusively by ourselves? However, we will have to think for ourselves about what others tell us, and then come to the acceptance of an explanation before God (Acts 17:11). In this way, the meaning of a truth of Scripture becomes our own spiritual property and not the plagiarism of someone else.

In the portion we have before us now, however, I seem to be unable to find the explanation within Scripture, but only outside of it. The first part of this chapter deals with events that were then still future for Daniel, but that have already been fulfilled. However, I cannot find that fulfilment in the Scriptures. In all the explanations I have at my disposal and which I love to consult, reference is made as to how this first part was fulfilled in the course of history. It means that I still need to know something about the history that is described outside of the Bible. I once presented this problem to the aforementioned Bible teacher and historian Gerard Kramer. He wrote to me the following in response:

In any case, the non-biblical history can never be in conflict with the prophecy. And why should it not even be helpful in explaining prophecy that has already been fulfilled and has thus become history? With Daniel 11, the prophecy even turns out to be so correct in details and to correspond with the non-biblical sources, that unbelieving scientists say that Daniel 11 is retrospective historiography in which the events are shrouded in the literary genre of prophecy. The latter, of course, will never be said by trustworthy biblical interpreters. Daniel 11 is now fulfilled up to Dan 11:34 and therefore is history. I have no problem wandering through the non-biblical history if I cannot fully understand or fill in a detail in Daniel 11:1-34. It becomes interesting from Dan 11:36, because some of the things mentioned there, according to historical sources, can certainly be attributed to Antiochus IV Epiphanes, but this section clearly has an end-time perspective, through which it also speaks of the future Antioch, or the king of the North, and – curiously enough – also of the antichrist. [End of quotation]

This answer encouraged me to call upon the Bible teacher and historian Roger Liebi from Switzerland, whom I consider trustworthy and competent, to explain this chapter. In his book Weltgeschichte im Visier des Propheten Daniël (World history from the point of view of the prophet Daniel), he gives a clear and compact explanation of Daniel 11:2-35. My explanation of these verses will therefore mainly consist of a translation of his explanation. Some interpreters may give different explanations for some verses. That I will not pursue that, does not mean that I claim that the explanation of my preference is the only correct one. For me it is the most likely, but it is up to the reader to do further research into this.

After studying this section on the basis of the book I mentioned, I have become even more impressed by the truth of God’s Word. It is amazing how every detail mentioned in these verses has been fulfilled. That applies at least to the details that have become clear to me, for there are still aspects that I am not sure about.

I would like to point out once again that for Daniel the events he saw in the vision were all still future events. The exact fulfilment of what is communicated to us in Dan 11:2-35, which we know from historical facts, is yet another guarantee that everything that is yet to become history will also be fulfilled. God’s Word is absolutely trustworthy in all its parts!

From Cyrus till Xerxes I

Dan 11:1 of this chapter still belongs to Daniel 10 and is actually the last verse of that chapter. After the angel has said that Michael has stood with him, he says that he himself once “arose to be an encouragement and a protection” for Michael. He also mentions when that was. It was at that time when the Medo-Persian empire conquered the Babylonian empire and thus gained control over the Jews. This seems to indicate that the spiritual war was waged with a view to the departure of a remnant to the promised land. Satan will have mobilized his demons and try to stop that.

Satan knows that in Israel the promised Seed, the Messiah, the Son of God, will be born from the people of the Jews to the blessing of God’s people. He will want to prevent this at all costs. To prevent that birth, he has always wanted the destruction of God’s people. He does not know all the plans of God, but he does know that the Messiah will bring the promised blessing and that with it his own reign is over and his destiny is sealed.

In Dan 11:2 the angel tells Daniel that he will tell him the truth about future events. It is the truth, for what the angel reveals comes from the “writing of truth” (Dan 10:21) written by God. As said, God writes history and therefore it’s going to be like this.

The angel tells Daniel that there will be four more kings in power in Persia. Three are mentioned without further indication. The fourth is said to be rich and to fight against Greece. As we read in Daniel 10, in the third year of Cyrus, Daniel receives the message revealed containing the future events described here (Dan 10:1). That means that the four kings who will still come to power after Cyrus are the next ones:

1. Cambyses (530-522 BC)

2. Gaumata (Pseudo-Smerdis) (522 BC)

3. Darius I Hystaspis (522-486 BC)

4. Xerxes I (486-465 BC)

Xerxes I is known to have acquired fabulous wealth. Through him, the realm of the Persians reaches the peak of its power. Xerxes would also like to conquer Greece and bring it under his authority. To achieve this, he mobilized almost the entire then Asia. In the famous naval battle of Salamis (480 BC), however, he suffered an insulting and deeply humiliating defeat. This war brings him enormous losses, both of human lives and of treasures.

[NB On the Internet, interested readers can find out more about the four kings mentioned above and also about the following rulers.]