Fulfilled prophecy is one of the proofs of the inspiration of the Bible, for only an omniscient God could know future events accurately and direct His servants to write them down. “He reveals deep and mysterious things and knows what lies hidden in darkness, though he is surrounded by light.” (Daniel 2:22) Because of the detail in these prophecies some have claimed that they were not written by Daniel. Peter made it clear that prophecies come from God. “We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain. Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts. Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.” (2 Peter 1:18-21)
The long introduction of chapter 10 to the fourth and final vision given to Daniel is followed in chapter 11 by the revelation of important events beginning with Darius the Mede (539 b.c.) and extending to the last Gentile ruler in the time of the end. Chapter 11 naturally divides into two major sections. The first, verses 1-35, describe the major rulers of the Persian Empire and then gives in great detail some of the major events of the third empire following Alexander the Great, concluding with Antiochus Epiphanes (175-164 b.c.). The entire period from the death of Antiochus Epiphanes to the time of the end is skipped over with no reference to events of the present church age, and the second section, verses 36-45, deals with the last Gentile ruler who will be in power when Christ comes in His second advent. This is followed in chapter 12 by further prophecy of the last 1335 days, a period including the great tribulation, the Second Coming, and the beginning of the millennial kingdom. Probably no other portion of Scripture presents more minute prophecy than Daniel 11:1-35.
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