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Daniel 11:14-19 Let me write this down Day 299

Good morning friends,

As Hebrews 1 tells us, in the past, God spoke at many times and many ways.  Daniel is certainly a prime example.  He had visions of future events and here he has an angelic visitation where the angel gives a verbal description of the future.  But Daniel knew that he was receiving revelation from God and faithfully recorded what he heard.

Blessings,

Jeff

This is one of those times when chapters can make it harder to understand what is going on.  Daniel has two visions, one under Belshazzar (chapter 9) and the under Cyrus (Chapter 10 and 11) who would start the return of the exiles to Judah.  However chapter 11 starts by talking about Darius who was king before Cyrus.  Also, trying to keep the cast of characters straight.  The "me" refers to "the man dressed in linen" from 10:5.  It would be easy to think it meant Daniel as he is the human author or archangel Michael as he is the last named being in previous verse.  But neither really work based on what this "me" says.

So here I will default to what Calvin says about this with some clarifying things in parens

 I (Calvin) do not hesitate to state the argument to be from the greater to the less, and we have an instance of this in a tragedy of Ovid's. I (man in linen) have been able to preserve you; do you ask whether I can destroy you? Thus the angel says, I have erected the Persian monarchy; I have not the slightest doubt of my present power to restrain these kings, lest they should pour forth their fury upon the people (Judah). The full meaning is this, the king of the Persians is nothing, and can do nothing except through me. I was God's servant in transferring the monarchy of the Medes and Chaldeans to the Persians, as well as that of the Babylonians to the Medes. God, says he, entrusted me with that office, and so I placed Darius upon the throne. You now see how completely I have him in my power, and how I can prevent him from injuring my people should he be so inclined. The Hebrews are accustomed to consider him (Darius) as king for the first two years; Cyrus began to reign after this period; and now, when the angel appears to Daniel, the third year had arrived, as we saw at the beginning of the chapter.

Without getting this straight, the subsequent description of battles between the king of the south and the king of the north won't make much sense. The point is that the exiles will return to a very different "glorious land".  It will be their home but not like during the period of the kings. It will be the setting for the battles between these unnamed nations. History shows it is Egypt and Syria. But the remnant of Israel will be preserved.

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