Daniel's Prayer

In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, .... In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks. (Daniel 10:1, 2-3).

Daniel lived in Babylon seventy-two years. God made him advisor of the kings of Babylon and Media-Persia to protect the Jews. Cyrus decreed to rebuild the Jewish temple but opposition delays the project (Ezra 1:2, Ezra 6:15). Unlike the Exodus, not everyone returned to Judea (Ezra 2:64). So Daniel did some serious praying for three weeks. In the 3rd year of Cyrus, king of Media-Persia, Daniel is given the final vision about Media-Persia, Greece and the Tribulation.

Seventy Years (3 Prophecies)
•  609-539 BC  Babylon rule over Judea (Jeremiah 25:11-12)
•  605-536 BC  Jewish captivity in Babylon (Jeremiah 29:10, Daniel 9:1-2)
•  586-516 BC  Desolation of Jerusalem and Judea (No temple) (Zechariah 1:12)

Description of the Messenger

I lifted up my eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in color to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude (Daniel 10:5-6).

After three weeks, Daniel saw a man dressed in white with a gold belt. Some scholars say Jesus Christ appeared because the description is similar to Revelation 1:13-15. This is more likely an angel because Jesus Christ would not need assistance from Michael in Daniel 10:13. Others in the group experienced an earthquake and fled. Then Daniel felt weak but the man lifted him up and encouraged him.

Opposition in the Spiritual Realm

Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that you did set your heart to understand, and to chasten yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I am come for your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. Now I am come to make you understand what shall befall your people in the latter days: for the vision is for many days. (Daniel 10:12-13, 14).

When Daniel started praying, God sent the angel but there was opposition from the prince of Persia. We live in a physical realm but fight spiritual battles against powers and rulers of darkness of this world (Ephesians 6:12). The angel needed assistance from archangel Michael. Then he tells Daniel events that impact the land of Israel during the Media-Persia and Greek empires and the end times. Afterward, the angel will leave to deal with the princes of Persia and Greece (Daniel 10:20).

Daniel 11 is the greatest chapter of fulfilled prophecy in the Bible. Liberal scholars claim Daniel was written about 165 BC. No true prophet manipulates Scripture and writes history as if it were prophecy. Jesus Christ calls Daniel a prophet. This confirms that Daniel fulfilled Old Testament requirements for a prophet and his writings are true (Matthew 24:15). Daniel was written between 605-530 BC.

God gave Daniel a vision of 350 years of history that directly affected the Jewish people. Daniel 11 describes the transition from Media-Persian to Greek empires and the Greek civil wars. The first thirty-five verses contain 135 specific prophecies that were fulfilled. When God reveals prophecy, He tells His people history before it happens as He prepares the way for the Messiah.

Prophecy of Media-Persia

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 Greece (Daniel 11:2).

Daniel writes chapter 11 during the reign of Cyrus the Great. The king merged Meads and Persians and conquered the Babylonians. Three kings after him are Cambyses II, Smerdis and Darius I. The fourth king is Xerxes or Ahasuerus, Queen Esther's husband. In 580 BC during the Second Persian War, he attacked Greece and burned the temples in Athens. There is a 150-year gap between verses 2 and 3.

   (Ahasuerus), Artaxerxes I, Xerxes II, Darius II, Artaxerxes II, Artaxerxes III, Artaxerxes IV, Darius III

Prophecy of Greece

A mighty king shall stand, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will (Daniel 11:3).

The prophecy skips to the last Media-Persian king and the king of Greece. Daniel 8 describes a two-horned ram of Media-Persia and one-horned goat of Greece. Alexander the Great sought revenge for the destruction of Athens. In eight years, he defeated King Darius III, conquered the Media-Persian Empire and ruled from Greece to Egypt to western India. He began the war with Media-Persia in 334 BC. Exactly 2300 years later, Jerusalem is reunited by Israel in 1967.

The ram which you saw having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia. And the rough goat is the king of Greece: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king [Alexander the Great]. Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power (Daniel 8:20-22).

And when the Book of Daniel was showed him [Alexander the Great] wherein Daniel declared that one of the Greeks should destroy the empire of the Persians, he supposed that himself was the person intended.
----Flavius Josephus, The Antiquities of the Jews, 94 AD

•  United Greek Kings: Alexander III the Great, Philip III, Alexander IV

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 (Daniel 11:4).

After Alexander's death, four generals divide the Greek Empire through the Wars of Diadochi or succession. Four civil war lasted forty years and set up a series of wars between Greek Syria (north) and Greek Egypt (south) fighting for control over Israel.

References: 21st Century Revelation: World Wars, Iraq Wars & End War Chapter 8 - Prophecy Fulfilled, Appendix C - Prophecy Fulfilled, Daniel 2: The Statue & the Rock, Daniel 8: The Ram & Goat, Wars of Diadochi (Succession), Greek Syrian Wars