Filling In The Framework From Daniel 2

Daniel had seen the vision in Daniel 9 shortly after the Medo-Persian Empire conquered Babylon.  He had been studying Jeremiah’s prophecies, as he stated in Daniel 9:1-2.  “In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans; In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.”

In the study, he had read the prophecy about Judah in in Jeremiah 25:11. “For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.”  They had been in captivity sixty three or sixty four years, and Daniel began to try to develop a good relationship with Dariaus in hopes of facilitating their release as Daniel 11:1 describes.  “Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him.”

In his efforts to improve relations with the Medo-Persian Empire, Daniel shared some of the prophecies God had given him.  the first, in Daniel 11:2 related directly to the Medo-Persian Empire.  “And 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.”

Babylon was conquered by the Medo-Persian Empire, an alliance of the Medes and the Persians.  Darius was leader of the Medes, while Cyrus was leader of the Persians.  Darius Made Babylon his capital, but seven years later, he died and Cyrus became emperor of both the Medes and the Persians.  He retained Babylon as his capital and the empire became known simply as the Persian Empire.  He would give the order and finance the Jews return to Jerusalem and Judah.   When Cyrus died, his son, Cambyses assumed the throne, taking the title Ahasuerus or King of Kings and eventually marrying Esther.  After fifteen years, Cambyses was killed while fighting in Egypt, and his top general returned to Babylon to assume the throne and drive out another man who had tried to take over. 

This general, Darius the great would reign about forty years, and it was during his reign that the temple was finally completed.  He made his son Xerxes coregent and sent him to defend against the growing greek threat to the west,  When after nearly twenty years, Xerexes was killed, Darius named his grandson, Artaxerxes as coregent and it was Artaxerxes who authorized completion of the wall at Jerusalem, forty nine years after Cyrus gave the order to rebuild the city. 

When Darius died, Artaxerxes assumed the title of emperor, building on Darius’ victories and becoming the wealthiest and most powerful of the Persian Emperors.  A few years later, he named one of his sons as co regent with the intention of his becoming heir to the throne.  One of his half brothers was jealous, and murdered him in an attempt to become co regent and was killed by a full brother of the first, who them became coregent.  With Artaxerxes’ death, the constant fighting among his heirs and repeated attacks by Greek forces resulted in the breakup of the Empire. 

The breakup of the Persian Empire allowed expansion of the Greek Empire, and in 323 BC, Alexander the great was able to conquer all the land once held by the Persian Empire.  Three years later, while fighting in India, he got and infection and returned to Babylon, where he died.  Since he had no heirs when he died, the Greek empire was divided among his four generals, as described in Daniel 11:3-5.  “And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.  And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those.   And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion.”

While the southern kingdom centered in Egypt under the Ptolemy family would e very strong, the western kingdom centered in Rome would become even greater that the Greek Empire under Alexander.   Eventually, Cleopatra, queen of Egypt would make a treaty with the Roman Empire under Julius Caesar.   Shortly after making the treaty, Cleopatra was killed by Roman forces and Julius Caesar seized Egypt as part of his Empire, as described in Daniel 11:6.  “And in the end of years they shall join themselves together; for the king's daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm: but she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in these times.” 

Cleopatra’s Empire had included Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Ethiopia and Libya.  About five hundred years after Julius Caesar seized her kingdom, the Roman Empire collapsed, and a growing Moslem empire began to develop, based originally in Saudi Arabia, eventually seizing Spain and parts of southern and eastern Europe, and parts of Asia that had once been controlled by The Roman Empire, as described in Daniel 11:7-9.  “But out of a branch of her roots shall one stand up in his estate, which shall come with an army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them, and shall prevail: And shall also carry captives into Egypt their gods, with their princes, and with their precious vessels of silver and of gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the north.  So the king of the south shall come into his kingdom, and shall return into his own land.”

These invasions by Moslem forces led to the Crusades, as described in Daniel 11:10.  “But his sons shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces: and one shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall he return, and be stirred up, even to his fortress.”   The Moslem forces retaliated, invading and capturing Constantinople and forcing the Greek Orthodox Church to move to Moscow under Ivan the Terrible.   At one point they even attempted to seize the capital of the Holy Roman Empire in Vienna Austria but were unsuccessful.   This would only lead to more conflict, as we see in Daniel 11:11-13.  “And the king of the south shall be moved with choler, and shall come forth and fight with him, even with the king of the north: and he shall set forth a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into his hand.  And when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted up; and he shall cast down many ten thousands: but he shall not be strengthened by it.  For the king of the north shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come after certain years with a great army and with much riches.”

World War I saw the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, and the European nations taking control of those Moslem Nations.  World War II set the stage for the re-emergence of Israel and new growth in the Moslem nations, leading to the present day instability of the Middle East.  Terrorism and constant strife are building toward a major conflict in the area, as described in Daniel 11:14-15.  “And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south: also the robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fall.  So the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mount, and take the most fenced cities: and the arms of the south shall not withstand, neither his chosen people, neither shall there be any strength to withstand.”  The coalition of nations will be too strong for the Moslem forces to defeat, and they will take both Israel and the Moslem territory in an effort to settle the conflict, as described in Daniel 11:16-17.  “But he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him: and he shall stand in the glorious land, which by his hand shall be consumed.  He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall he do: and he shall give him the daughter of women, corrupting her: but she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him.”

We are posed for war in the Middle East at any time.  When it happens, nations around the world will be drawn into the conflict.  Ezekiel 38 lists some of the countries that will be involved.