Historical Paraphrase of Daniel 11:1-35
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Historical Paraphrase of Daniel 11:1-35 Daniel 11:1-35 Historical Paraphrase Notes 1 "In the first year of Darius the Mede, I 1 "In the first year (539 BC) of Darius the Mede (a.k.a. This verse follows the last verse of Chapter 10 where the speaker is a arose to be an encouragement and a Gubaru, governor of Babylon under Persian emperor heavenly being. He is the same one speaking here. Notice that Daniel protection for him. Cyrus the Great), I, God’s angel sent to Daniel, arose to received this vision in the third year of Cyrus. Now notice in this verse be an encouragement and a protection for Darius. that the angel is talking about something that happened in the first year of Darius. In other words, the angel is looking back and telling Daniel that he supported and protected Darius a few years earlier. 2 "And now I will tell you the truth. Behold, 2 "And now, in the third year of Cyrus (10:1) 536/5 BC, I, In the book of Esther, Xerxes I is mentioned by the name of Ahasuerus. three more kings are going to arise in God’s angel, will tell you Daniel the truth. Behold, after Xerxes used his great wealth to gain power, build a great army, and stir Persia. Then a fourth will gain far more Cyrus three more kings are going to arise in Persia: up his people against the Greeks. Xerxes attacked the Greeks, had riches than all of them; as soon as he Cambyses II (530-522 BC), Smerdis the False (522 BC), some initial success, took some slaves, and did a lot of damage, but he becomes strong through his riches, he will and Darius I the Great (522-486 BC). Then a fourth, eventually suffered a terrible defeat. In one of the largest assaults of arouse the whole empire against the Xerxes I (486-465 BC), will gain far more riches than all ancient history, he sent a vast force of hundreds of ships and a million realm of Greece. of them; as soon as he becomes strong through his troops against the Greeks-only to be defeated. riches, he will arouse the whole empire against the realm of Greece. 3 "And a mighty king will arise, and he will 3 "And a mighty king, Alexander the Great, will arise 129 Alexander the Great (336-323 BC). He was the next ruler in history with rule with great authority and do as he years later, and he will rule with great authority and do greater domination than Xerxes. He had an insatiable desire for war and pleases. as he pleases. no one could stop him. 4 "But as soon as he has arisen, his 4 "But as soon as Alexander has arisen, his kingdom will History records that Alexander the Great died as a young man. He was kingdom will be broken up and parceled be broken up and parceled out to his four generals. about 33 years old, an alcoholic, suffering from malaria, and fighting out toward the four points of the compass, Lysimachus will take the North (Thrace, Bithynia, and depression because there were no more kingdoms to conquer. though not to his own descendants, nor Asia Minor). Cassander will take the West (Macedonia Historians say that he was asked who he wanted to take over the according to his authority which he and Greece). Seleucus I Nicator will take the East (Syria kingdom and he replied, “Give it to the strong.” The result of that was a wielded, for his sovereignty will be and Babylonia). Ptolemy I Soter will take the South power struggle, the murder of his entire family, and the eventual division uprooted and given to others besides (Egypt, Palestine, and Arabia). Alexander’s kingdom will of the empire into four parts. An initial attempt to hold his empire them. not be given to his own descendants, nor according to together by a joint regency in the name of his nephew and his unborn his authority which he wielded, for his sovereignty will be son failed, and one of his generals, Antigonus, made a bid for power; but uprooted and given to others besides his sons, in the end, the empire was split between four of Alexander’s other Alexander IV of Macedon and Heracles. generals. 5 "Then the king of the South will grow 5 "Then Ptolemy I Soter will grow strong, along with Seleucus I Nicator (311-281 BC) acquired Syria but he had problems strong, along with one of his princes who Seleucus I Nicator who will gain ascendancy over him ruling and once had to flee for his life. He went to Egypt where his old will gain ascendancy over him and obtain and obtain dominion; his domain will be a great dominion friend Ptolemy I (323-285 BC) ruled. Ptolemy took him in, gave him a dominion; his domain will be a great indeed. high position in Egypt and provided money and assistance so that dominion indeed. Seleucus was soon able to go back and retake the Syrian kingdom. This time he was so successful that he soon became stronger than Ptolemy. His dominion extended over most of what had earlier been the Persian Empire, stretching from Syria to India, the largest part of Alexander’s empire. 6 "After some years they will form an 6 "In 252 BC, 28 years after Seleucus I’s death, the new By this time Egypt and Syria were having trouble getting along. The two alliance, and the daughter of the king of ruler of Egypt, Ptolemy II Philadelphus, and the new ruler kings thought it would be wise to forge an alliance, so Ptolemy II (285- the South will come to the king of the of Syria, Antiochus II Theos, will form an alliance. 246 BC) offered to let his daughter, Bernice, marry Antiochus II (261-246 North to carry out a peaceful Bernice, the daughter of Ptolemy II will come to BC). There was just one problem—Antiochus II was already married. So arrangement. But she will not retain her Antiochus II to carry out a peaceful arrangement of Antiochus II divorced his wife, Laodice, and disowned their children. He position of power, nor will he remain with marriage. But she will not retain her position of power, quickly married Bernice, and the alliance was sealed. But it wasn’t long his power, but she will be given up, along nor will Antiochus II remain with his power, but Bernice until Ptolemy II died. Antiochus then changed the status of Bernice to with those who brought her in and the one will die, along with her attendants and Ptolemy II, as well concubine and remarried Laodice. Although Laodice remarried him, she who sired her as well as he who as her husband Antiochus II who had supported her. wanted revenge, so she poisoned Antiochus II, had Bernice murdered, supported her in those times. They will all be removed from power by death in 246 BC. and named one of her sons, Seleucus II Callinicus, king (246-225 BC). 7 "But one of the descendants of her line 7 "But Bernice’s brother, Ptolemy III Euergetes I, will When Ptolemy II Philadelphus died, his son Ptolemy III Euergetes I (246- will arise in his place, and he will come arise in Ptolemy II’s place, and he will come against 221 BC) assumed the throne of Egypt. He was the brother of Bernice against their army and enter the fortress Syria’s army and enter the fortress Seleucia (the port of and was angry over what happened to his sister. Revenge was one of of the king of the North, and he will deal Syria’s capital Antioch) of Seleucus II Callinicus, and he his first acts. He gathered a large army and attacked the fortress of with them and display great strength. will deal with them and display great strength. Seleucia where Laodice was. He won the battle, captured Laodice, and put her to death. 8 "Also their gods with their metal images 8 "Also their gods with their metal images and their Historians say Ptolemy III was on the verge of capturing all of Syria and their precious vessels of silver and precious vessels of silver and gold Ptolemy III Euergetes when he received word of an insurrection back home in Egypt. He gold he will take into captivity to Egypt, I will take into captivity to Egypt, and he on his part will quickly grabbed all the valuables he could find and returned to Egypt. and he on his part will refrain from refrain from attacking Seleucus II Callinicus for some According to Jerome he took 4,000 talents of gold, 40,000 talents of attacking the king of the North for some years. silver, and 2,500 Syrian idols. It would be many years before the two years. kingdoms fought each other again. 9 "Then the latter will enter the realm of 9 "Then, about 11 years later, Seleucus II Callinicus will The Syrian king Seleucus II Callinicus directed an attack on Egypt but the king of the South, but will return to his attack Egypt, but will return to Syria after failing to lost the battle at Ancyra and had to return home empty-handed. own land. accomplish his purpose. 10 "His sons will mobilize and assemble a 10 "His sons, Seleucus III Ceraunus and Antiochus III the Seleucus II Callinicus had two sons. History reveals that the oldest multitude of great forces; and one of them Great, will mobilize and assemble a multitude of great became king first (225-223 BC).