Greetings to you all greatly beloved of God and welcome to another episode of our daily study of the Scriptures. We bless the name of the Lord God for the gift of life and for His benefits on us each new day. Praise be to God.
In our today’s episode 581, we shall be examining the book of Daniel Chapter 11 titled:
The Story of Evil Emperors And How They Ended Their Lives
Chapter 11 is an extended explanation of the events that were prophesied in Chapter 8.
Recall that in chapter 8, Daniel saw a vision of a ram and a goat, which referred to the Persian and Greece empires. Read Daniel 8:15-26.
So, in chapter 11, the angel said to Daniel that apart from Cyrus, “Three more kings will rule over Persia (Ram), followed by a fourth, who will be richer than all the others. At the height of his power and wealth he will challenge the kingdom of Greece (Goat).
Who were these three more kings?
1. Cambyses, the son of Cyrus. He reigned seven years and five months
2. Smerdis, the Magian, who was an impostor, who pretended to be another son of Cyrus. Smerdis reigned only seven months.
3. Darius, the son of Hystaspes, who married Mandane, the daughter of Cyrus. Darius Hystaspes reigned thirty-six years.
The fourth shall be far richer than they all – This was Xerxes, the son of Darius, of whom Justin (a Bible Scholar), says. “He had so great an abundance of riches in his kingdom, that although rivers were dried up by his numerous armies, yet his wealth remained unexhausted.”
This fourth king shall stir up all against the empire of Greece – His military strength was such, that according to Herodotus, a Greek historian, known as ‘the Father of History, who lived in that time, asserted that his army amounted to five millions, two hundred and eighty-three thousand, two hundred and twenty men.
Besides these, the Carthaginians furnished him with an army of three hundred thousand men, and a fleet of two hundred ships. He led an army against the Greeks of eight hundred thousand men, and twelve hundred and seven ships, with three banks of rowers each. As he marched along, he obliged all the people of the countries through which he passed to join him.
Then in verse 3, we are told that Alexander the great would rise. The Bible did not say that this mighty king shall stand up against Xerxes, the reason being that he was not born till one hundred years after that king; but simply that he should stand up, i.e., that he should reign in Greece.
The Bible says in verse 4 that His kingdom shall be broken – meaning that after his death, his kingdom shall be divided among his four chief generals, as we have read before in Daniel 8:22.
According to Bible’s history, the family of Alexander had one of the most tragical end:
According to Clarke’s, his wife Statira was murdered soon after his death by his other wife Roxana.
His brother Aridaeus who succeeded him, was killed, together with his wife Euridice, by command of Olympias, Alexander’s mother, after he had been king about six years and some months.
Olympias herself was killed by the soldiers in revenge.
Alexander Aegus, his son, together with his mother Roxana, was slain by order of Cassander.
Two years after, his other son Hercules, with his mother Barsine, was privately murdered by Polysperchon; so that in fifteen years after his death not one of his family or posterity remained alive!
“Blood calls for blood.” He (Alexander) was the great butcher of men. He was either poisoned, or killed himself by immoderate drinking, when he was only thirty-two years and eight months old: and a retributive Providence destroyed all his posterity, so that neither root nor branch of them was left on the face of the earth. Thus, ended Alexander, the great butcher; and thus, ended his family and posterity.
Verse 5 says that one of his generals, who happened to be the king of Egypt will be strong. However, he would be even stronger and rule a greater kingdom.
According to verse 6, After a number of years the king of Egypt will make an alliance with the king of Syria and give him his daughter in marriage. But the alliance will not last, and she, her husband, her child, and the servants who went with her will all be killed.
Reading the remaining verses gives us the account of series of wars that ensued between Egypt and Syria and Syria would seem to have emerged victorious but, in the end, he will die, with no one to help him.
In other words, chapter 11 is about wars and military supremacy of one nation over another pointing to the events of the end time.
If you notice very well, those kings that liked shedding blood and ignored God, always ended up with a desolate home and kingdom with no one to carry on with their dynasty. This is a big lesson for all.
To be continued…stay tuned and stay blessed.
Let us Pray as we declare these words of faith together:
Freedom and peace of mind are mine now. I will continue to enjoy sound health, irreversible increase in wealth and spiritual growth, praising the Lord with my substance all the days of my life. I know that as I believe and affirm these truths, they are sinking down into my subconscious mind and manifesting physically, in Jesus name.
Bible Readings For Today: Reflection time on all the chapters you have read so far and covering of missed chapters.
I call you blessed now and always.
Friday October 30, 2020 (DDMI)
