The Bible Says
Daniel 11:1-4 Meaning

Daniel 11:1-4 begins the prophetic message brought to Daniel by an angel. The angel told Daniel that he had come to tell him “what is inscribed in the writing of truth” (Daniel 10:21), seeming to refer to a prophetic record in heaven, where all that will be has been written down.

The angel tells Daniel that “In the first year of Darius the Mede, I (the angel) arose to be an encouragement and a protection for him” (v. 1). This indicates that this divine messenger was given the purpose of aiding Darius the Mede in the first year of his reign.

Darius the Mede is likely a title or name for a ruler who governed shortly after the Persians toppled Babylon (539 BC). Some scholars believe Darius the Mede may refer to Cyrus, others conclude that Darius was simply a governor given rulership over the city of Babylon, where Daniel lived out his exile from Israel. Even though details about Darius the Mede’s identity are sparse, this verse reminds us that political authority, even among the most powerful kingdoms, occurs under God’s sovereign guidance.

Much as Daniel served Darius and Cyrus in the Persian court (Daniel 6:1-3), he also received supernatural assistance that influenced leaders behind the scenes. This interplay between earthly rulers and spiritual forces underscores a biblical theme repeated in other passages (Ephesians 6:12) that what appears purely political is often shaped by the heavenly realm. Before telling Daniel this prophecy, the angel described the heavenly conflict which kept him from reaching Daniel, where the demonic influence over Persia blocked the angel for three weeks (Daniel 10:13).

For three years now, this angel has served as an encouragement and a protection to Darius (v. 1). The word arose can also be translated as “stood up” in some versions. It is worth remembering that God wrote a message on the wall to inform Belshazzar that Babylon’s empire was finished, and that the Medes and Persians would take over (Daniel 5:26-28). It is ultimately God permitting or enabling the governments of man (Romans 13:1), and this angel has acted as an agent of God’s will.

Throughout the book of Daniel, we have seen God interact with these human authorities, where some, like Nebuchadnezzar, responded with humility and worship (Daniel 4:37), while others defied God and lost their authority, such as Belshazzar. Darius the Mede responded to God’s deliverance of Daniel from the lions by issuing a decree throughout the kingdom, urging all men to fear God (Daniel 6:26-27).

This angel, who arose to be an encouragement and a protection for Darius, may have played a role in influencing this man toward fear of the Lord God. Daniel, also a faithful servant of God, was an influential witness for the worship and reverence of God (Daniel 6:10). Much like how Jesus later taught His followers to be salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16), Daniel’s presence and prayers impacted Persian governance by offering wisdom, moral guidance, and spiritual stability.

This reference to Darius in the first year also bridges the historical transition from Babylonian to Medo-Persian rule. Daniel has survived multiple regime changes (Daniel 1:1-2, 5:1, 31) and continued to serve because he knew God ultimately orchestrates such transfers of power. In a broader sense, the mention of Darius sets the stage for the sweeping prophecy to follow, culminating in heavenly assurances that God’s people will remain central in His plan regardless of the rise and fall of earthly kingdoms.

As the angelic messenger continues, Daniel receives the prophetic statement: And now I will tell you the truth. Behold, three more kings are going to arise in Persia. Then a fourth will gain far more riches than all of them (v. 2).

This verse is packed with astonishing detail. Historically, after Cyrus the Great (ruled ca. 559-530 BC), the next three significant Persian kings were Cambyses (530-522 BC), Smerdis (also known as Bardiya, who reigned briefly in 522 BC), and Darius I (522-486 BC). Each took the throne in succession, reflecting the accuracy of this prophecy. Extra-biblical records confirm these names and approximate dates, reminding us how Scripture consistently aligns with recorded history.

The fourth who will gain far more riches than all of them (v. 2) is widely identified as Xerxes I (486-465 BC), also known in the Bible as Ahasuerus, the king featured in the Book of Esther (Esther 1:1). Xerxes indeed possessed immense wealth, inherited from prior conquests and expanded through heavy taxation. Ancient accounts portray him amassing vast resources for his campaigns, especially for his invasion of Greece.

Xerxes famously decided to arouse the whole empire against the realm of Greece (v. 2). He attempted to subjugate it in a massive campaign involving hundreds of ships and a multinational army. These Greek-Persian conflicts included significant battles like Marathon (490 BC) under Darius I, and Thermopylae (480 BC) under Xerxes. Xerxes’s invasion, though initially successful, ultimately failed to bring lasting Greek submission. Despite his immense wealth, Xerxes could not prevent the decline of Persian dominance, prefiguring the rise of a new world power.

Beyond the political drama, this verse shows that God orchestrates the rise and fall of empires: Persia’s aggression against Greece set the stage for future Greek victories. Scripture often affirms that worldly power is fleeting and secondary to God’s redemptive plan (Psalm 75:6-7). Much like Daniel witnessed, entire dynasties come and go under the Lord’s oversight. While Xerxes’s wealth sparked conflict with Greece, it also led to the environment into which Alexander the Great would later emerge.

Following Persia’s height of power, the angel explains, And a mighty king will arise, and he will rule with great authority and do as he pleases (v. 3). This mighty king is commonly recognized as Alexander the Great. In 331 BC, Alexander decisively defeated Persia, swiftly ending its rule as the dominant empire. His conquests from Greece across Asia Minor and into Egypt, Mesopotamia, and beyond were so rapid that ancient historians marveled how his armies appeared unstoppable. He ruled with great authority, forging one of the largest empires of the ancient world by the time he was 25 years old.

Alexander’s historical timeline (356-323 BC) reveals that he did as he pleased (v. 3) to an extent unequaled by most rulers. Tutored in his youth by the philosopher Aristotle, Alexander embraced Greek culture and spread Hellenistic influence across every territory he conquered. This Hellenistic spread included new forms of architecture, learning, and religious practices. Yet, despite his relentless success, his reign was short. He died unexpectedly at age 32, and in many ways, his sudden end exemplified Scripture’s repeated observation that human dominion is ultimately fragile apart from God’s sustaining hand (James 4:13-14).

Another spiritual application emerges here: Alexander’s life highlights the tension between human brilliance and the impermanence of worldly kingdoms. Jesus Christ, the true King of Kings (Revelation 19:16), presents a stark contrast. Where Alexander momentarily did as he pleased, Jesus embodied perfect obedience to the Father (John 6:38). Where Alexander’s kingdom fractured at his death, Jesus’s reign invites believers into an eternal Kingdom that will never be broken (Daniel 2:44).

Daniel then hears the prophecy that as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom will be broken up and parceled out toward the four points of the compass (v. 4). This directly corresponds to what happened after Alexander’s death in 323 BC. Instead of passing power to any biological heir, his vast empire was divided among his generals-often called the Diadochi-who fought fiercely over territorial control. The four main divisions of Alexander’s empire became: Ptolemaic Egypt (South), Seleucid Syria (North), Lysimachus’s rule over Asia Minor, and Cassander’s domain over Macedonia and Greece. The lesson from history-and from Daniel’s words-is that no single leader possessed Alexander’s combined authority again.

In emphasizing though not to his own descendants (v. 4), Scripture notes that Alexander’s infant son, along with other potential heirs, would not inherit his father’s kingdom. Indeed, Alexander’s son grew to the age of 14 and was promptly assassinated, lest he threaten the authority of the Diadochi. This tragic detail underscores the violent power struggles that defined the post-Alexandrian world. These generals waged endless wars, alliances, and betrayals, demonstrating that human ambition often leads to instability and bloodshed (James 3:16). Among these kingdoms, the Seleucids in Syria and the Ptolemies in Egypt especially impacted Israel’s future, as later verses of Daniel 11 detail.

The phrase his sovereignty will be uprooted and given to others besides them (v. 4) reiterates God’s sovereign oversight of human history. While Alexander’s empire fulfilled God’s design for a shift in world powers, it disintegrated as soon as he has arisen. The standard transfer of power is from king to prince, father to son. But the kingdoms of men are violent and disorderly.  None of Alexander’s heirs would hold any power; his sovereignty was uprooted like a tree. Its foundation and establishment ended with Alexander.

The impressive extent of the territories Alexander conquered was fractured and given to others besides his children. Such rapid changes reveal the contrast between temporary earthly kingdoms and the unchanging reign of the Lord. The prophet’s vision will show that, even amid violent power transfers, God’s ultimate purposes remain on course and will culminate in the everlasting Kingdom of Christ (2 Peter 1:11).