What is the meaning of Daniel 11:3? Then • “Then” links this verse to Daniel 11:2, moving the prophecy from the Persian kings to the next world power. • Scripture consistently shows God’s sovereign timeline unfolding in orderly sequence (Isaiah 46:9-10; Galatians 4:4). • The marker reminds us that history is not random; each transition happens exactly when God decrees (Daniel 2:21). A mighty king will arise • Daniel had already seen this Greek conqueror in earlier visions: – The “shaggy goat” whose notable horn is “the first king” (Daniel 8:5-8, 21). – The bronze belly and thighs in Nebuchadnezzar’s statue (Daniel 2:32, 39). – The swift four-winged leopard with four heads (Daniel 7:6). • Historically this points to Alexander the Great, whose lightning campaigns toppled Medo-Persia within a decade. • God foretold Alexander’s rise centuries before it happened, underscoring the accuracy of prophetic Scripture (Isaiah 41:26). Who will rule with great authority • Alexander’s dominion stretched from Greece to India, fulfilling the image of an empire “over all the earth” (Daniel 2:39). • His authority appeared absolute, yet it was delegated by God (Romans 13:1). • Similar wording is used of earthly rulers in Revelation 13:2, reminding us that even vast authority remains under heaven’s control (Psalm 75:6-7). And do as he pleases • The phrase signals unchecked freedom of action: – The goat in Daniel 8:4 “did as it pleased and magnified itself.” – Later kings in this chapter display the same pattern (Daniel 11:16, 36). • Human autonomy, however, is never final; Alexander died at thirty-two, and his kingdom fractured (Daniel 8:8, 22), proving Proverbs 19:21 true. • God allows such seasons of seemingly unbridled power to advance His larger redemptive plan (Acts 17:26-27). summary Daniel 11:3 forecasts the sudden emergence of a dominant Greek ruler—Alexander the Great—whose unparalleled conquests and apparent freedom were foreordained by God. Each clause traces the orderly progression of empires, the might of a single leader, his vast delegated authority, and his short-lived autonomy, all underscoring the reliability of Scripture and the ultimate sovereignty of the Lord over human history. |
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