A look at common interpretation errors of Daniel chapter 11:3-4
chat@biblesignshappening com
Some claim...
Alexander the Great is referenced in...
Daniel 11:3- 4
I put this claim in the category of:
Slicing, dicing, cherry-picking,
and stuffing scriptures and historic events.
Here’s why:
Here’s Daniel 11:3-4
2 And now will I shew 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.
3 And a mighty king shall stand up,
that shall rule with great dominion,
and do according to his will.
4 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.
Verse 2 talks of kings in Persia.
There's no indication
that the king in
verse 3 is not
the 4th rich and powerful
king in verse 2.
It makes sense that
the mighty king
in verse 3 is
the rich and powerful
4th king from
the Persia area
referenced in verse 2.
Plus, what actually happened to Alexander’s kingdom soon after his death?
His kingdom was not broken!
The kingdom was not divided!
His posterity still ruled!
*****
Arrhidaeus (Alexader's half-brother,
who went by the name Philip III)
and Alexander’s son became the KINGS
After the death of Alexander the Great, the kingdom went under the control of his half-brother, Philip III and his son Alexander IV who was born months after Alexander’s death.
Under the Kings, Philip III and Alexander IV,
Perdiccas, the leading cavalry commander
under Alexander the Great,
became “Regent” of the entire Empire.
The entire kingdom!
The kingdom didn't split!
Regent = a person appointed to administer a country because the monarch is a minor or is absent or incapacitated.
Under the kings and
Perdiccas (the regent),
About 24 satraps (Governors) were appointed.
That sounds like an organized kingdom!
The information above does not match the description of Daniel 11:4
Dan. 11:4 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.
His kingdom was not broken!
The kingdom was not divided!
His posterity still ruled!
The redish color areas are of those who were “satrap” governors (not kings!)
This picture provided by CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3997165
Below are a few points showing
after the death of
Alexander the Great,
from the time of the two kings,
King Philip and Alexander IV,
about 323 BC to about 316 BC,
Alexander IV was recognized
as king with a regent....
About 7 years!
Alexander the Great's
kingdom went to
his posterity!
323 BC Alexander the Great dies.
323-322 Alexander’s half-brother Philip III
and Alexander’s new born son
(Alexander IV) become kings
and
Perdiccas becomes regent.
321 BC or 320 BC Perdiccas is assassinated
and Antipater is named new regent.
319 BC Antipater dies and leaves Polyperchon
in charge as the new regent.
Note: Antipater’s son Cassander
is very upset his father Antipater,
had not appointed him as regent.
319 or 318 there was a division:
King Philip III WIFE and Cassander
(the son of the late Antipater) declared war
on the regent Polyperchon
and Cassander successfully took over Macedon.
Yet, Cassander’s success was short
because Polyperchon retook
Macedon after a few months.
317 BC, King Philip III and his wife
was executed and that left
Alexander IV as the King with
his regent being Alexander the Great’s
mother named Olympias.
316 BC Cassander again successfully
took over Macedon.
King Alexander IV and his mother
were put
in prison.
That's about 7 years Alexander IV
was a king of Alexander the Great's
former kingdom.
About 7 years and it was not
"divided toward the
four winds of heaven"!
311 BC a treaty was signed that
recognized Alexander IV’s right
to be king when he turned 14.
309 BC Cassander commanded
that Alexaner the IV and his mother
be secretly poisoned to death.
On the next page we will mention a brea-up of Alexander the Great's former kingdom in 305 BC when
None of the kings in Daniel chapter 11:2-45
were about ancient times.
Now you can see why I put this claim in the category of:
Slicing, dicing, cherry-picking,
and stuffing scriptures and historic events.
They knew it was important for
the prophecy to be fulfilled.
They tried hard to somehow
make it fit ancient times.
Yet, the fact is...
It doesn't fit ancient times.
Those kings are about our day!
Daniel chapter 11:2 looks close to completion.
Daniel chapter 11:3-4 looks to be fulfilled soon.
We are on to something!
Something BIG!
Lastly, we look at
common interpretations of
Daniel 11:5-6
Clik here
*****
Reference links:
-
Alexander’s son becomes king
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_IV_of_Macedon
-
Alexander the Great defeats Persia 331 B.C.
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/alexander.htm
-
Persia under Alexander the Great control by 327 B.C.
-
Alexander the Great
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great