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Empire of Greece. After many years of conflict, Alexander the Great, a Greek general, finally punished the Medo-Persian empire
for its repeated attacks on the Greece by defeating and subjugating it. Eventually, Alexander expanded the Greek empire south into Egypt and east as far as India. It was an
enormous accomplishment and the Greek empire was at a zenith. But Alexander died at the height of his career. The next two verses predicted that the Greek empire would be divided
among four generals, and history records that actually occurred. The reader should review the supporting study called Hooked By a Dream for the historical dating of the book
of Daniel. The evidence reveals that the book of Daniel was written before these events occurred.
And a mighty king will arise, and he will rule with great authority and do as he pleases. But as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom will be broken up and parceled out toward the four points of the compass, though not to his own descendants, nor according to his authority which he wielded; for his sovereignty will be uprooted and given to others besides them. (NASB) Dan. 11:3-4 The prophecy states that the four generals did not have the power and the skill of Alexander the Great, but they divided the empire into four parts and began to rule as kings.
History tells us that the empire was divided among Lysimachus, Cassander, Seleucus, and Ptolemy. Lysimachus obtained Thrace. Cassander acquired Macedonia. Seleucus governed
Syria, Babylon, Persia, and India. Ptolemy ruled Egypt, Palestine, Cilicia, Petra, and Cyprus. This prophecy and history agree.
Ptolemies and Seleucids. Daniel 11 now focuses on two generals, Ptolemy I Soter and Seleucus I Nicator, and the kings who will come after them. These two new empires will wage
war against one another for about 200 years.
Ptolemy I Soter’s empire included Egypt. On Alexander’s death, history says this man stole Alexander the Great’s body and took it to Memphis, Egypt, and established
himself in the years that followed.
Verse 5. Seleucus I Nicator was king of the upper northern regions of the old Medo-Persian empire. His empire included Babylon in 321 B.C., the northern part of Syria, Cilicia
and access to the Mediterranean Sea. At first, Antigonus the “One-Eyed” general supported Seleucus I Nicator. But Seleucus’ authority was eventually subverted
by Antigonus. Seleucus fled to Egypt to seek support from Ptolemy I Soter in 316 B.C. In return Seleucus I supported Ptolemy.
Then the king of the South will grow strong, along with one of his princes who will gain ascendancy over him and obtain dominion; his domain will be a great dominion indeed. (NASB) Dan. 11:5 Daniel 11:5 predicted that “the king of the south will grow strong, along with one of his princes.” The prince was Seleucus I. Together, Ptolemy and Seleucus grew
strong. Eventually, there was a battle in the Gaza region and Antigonus the One-eyed was defeated.
Consequently, Seleucus captured Babylonia and then Media, Susiana, and eventually the Indus region. Seleucus and Antigonus continued fighting until 308 B.C. Seleucus continued
to expand his empire until it included most of Asia Minor. His empire was very large extending from Asia Minor on the west and into India in the east. Ptolemy’s kingdom
was significantly smaller in comparison.
What did scripture predict would happen between Ptolemy I Soter and Seleucus I Nicator? Daniel 11:5 says that Seleucus would gain “ascendancy over him” and that
is exactly what occurred. Seleucus was more powerful and his empire was larger than that of Ptolemy I Soter.
Verse 6. When we arrive at verse 6, Ptolemy I Soter, Seleucus I Nicator, and Antiochus I Soter have died and the two empires are in conflict once again. After some years they will form an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the South will come to the king of the North to carry out a peaceful arrangement. But she will not retain her position of power, nor will he remain with his power, but she will be given up, along with those who brought her in and the one who sired her as well as he who supported her in those times. Dan 11:6 In 250 B.C. Antiochus II Theos and Ptolemy II Philadelphus agreed to a peace treaty by an arranged marriage. Ptolemy II agreed that his teenage daughter Bernice would marry
Antiochus II. The treaty required Antiochus to divorce his wife Laodice in order to marry Bernice. Within four years Ptolemy II died. Antiochus then decides to divorce Bernice
and remarry Laodice, who then poisoned Antiochus, and murdered Bernice and those who came with her from Egypt.
What does verse 6 say would happen? The passage predicted that an alliance would take place. A peaceful arrangement would be carried out when the daughter of the king of the
south went to the king of the north. But she would die later along with those who came with her. The king would die and her father - “sired her” - would die. This
prophecy agrees with history very accurately.
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